Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Season for Giving & Receiving


I've gotten many things over the years during this festive season. Likewise, I have also given many things to the people who I love in my life. This year was particularly interesting because I noticed that even with the upcoming (or ongoing) recession, people were not the least hesitant in their holiday spending. When I went to the mall it was the usual frenzy, no reduction in shopping gusto. People were still forking out those bills, still swiping their VISA & Mastercards like there was no impending danger. I felt like I should've been running around screaming "DANGER, DANGER, DOOM, DOOM, THE END IS FUCKING NIGH".
But of course, I didn't run around like a mad woman (that is the stuff for those revolutionaries). However, my whole observations got me thinking. In the giving & receiving of presents that are so characteristic of this culture (western culture, i.e American, U.K, Australia...or any other culture that has been infected with this strain of Materialism; materialisticitis, traumatic compulsive splurg~irifimentia), what price are we willing to pay when it comes to saying to the ones we care about, "I appreciate you, I love you"...? How do you justify spending $550 on Abercrombie & Fitch apparel for a 13 year-old? Where do you draw the line between compulsive spending & reasonable gift giving? I don't care if I seem cheap, but this year I spent only $165.63 on seven people in gifts they absolutely loved & truly appreciated. How much did you spend on your holiday shopping/gift giving?

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Where do I begin? Everything has Changed.

Hey everyone,

Instead of doing a very detailed entry, I got this Q&A from Coupe de Coeur and I filled out my own answers. I've been soooo lazy to do an actual post describing what's been going on with me this past couple months. It's been sooo crazy. Everything is so different now as a grad student....sheesh. The expectations are so much higher & I'm just plain sick about everything.



Anyway, my X-boy & I are back together. My post on the perfect love was about us. He's being such a sweet heart these days. But I just can't get over the voices screaming 'doom, doom, doom ahead' in my mind about the fate of our relationship. I think I have way too many wants, needs, & demands for his simplistic nature to comprehend. Sometimes I feel like he just doesn't get it. Like when I say, 'call me often', he'll do that for a few days & then fizzle out. He says he loves me dearly but I feel that in terms of where I want us to be he's just emotionally unavailable, like Funms summarised here.

Anyway, other than relationship woes & school stress, everything else is generally fine. I'm excited for christmas & no, I haven't started shopping yet (arrrgggh...). I've been so busy with papers & projects that going to the mall just seemed trivial compared to the grander scheme of things.

Ok, so lemme get to work quickly so I can get this paper done!

Anya.....x

***
Q&A time:

where is your cell phone?
In the pocket of my coat

where is your significant other? in New Yawk...

your hair color?
Black but i'm growing out a caramel dye job

your mother? Cross-River, Nigeria

your father? 
Akwa-Ibom, Nigeria

your favorite thing? umm...Reading

your dream last night? It was a nightmare about me fighting off a dog/wolf that was trying to attack me.

your dream/goal? be a successful consultant with an NGO, to continue growing

the room you're in?
university library study area

your hobby? reading, watching movies. I'm going to take up swimming soon & maybe sewing/knitting as well.

your fear? ice, height, water, & being sad in the future.

where do you want to be in 6 years? by God's grace, working a good job I enjoy, married with at least 1 child, own a house & living somewhere in the Mediterranean

where were you last night?
at home

what you're not? snobbish, confrontational, I love peace at any cost. I don't always like this about me.

one of your wish list items? an 8" laptop for those days I need to carry around something lighter.

where you grew up? Abuja, Nigeria; (I'd like to say Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire - I love West African French) I was just in Port Dover, Ontario Canada; a few days ago

the last thing you did?
drink coffee

what are you wearing? Blue Jeans, black tank top & a purple sweater.

your tv? in my room

your pet? I had a dog. He was a Labrador & the most adorable thing on the planet.

your computer? in my room

your mood? stressed out. why am I doing this survey when I could be working on that paper?!

missing someone? my boyfriend. I wish we could chill

your car? I don't have one. So I guess its at the car dealership

something you're not wearing? my bangles

favorite store? hmm... that's a hard one. I would have to say Lush, M.A.C, RW & Co, and bebe.

your summer? I travelled to Nigeria.

love someone? my boyfriend, my family.

your favorite color? red

when is the last time you laughed? last night

last time you cried? can't remember. I thought about this a few days ago, but I didn't ask myself the question out loud so I don't jinx anything & end up in tears.

are you a b*tch? rarely, but I hate stupidity & redundancy. So yes, when I get PMS it's not a happy world after all.


favorite past time? eating, watching TV online.

are you a hater or a lover? I can be both. I'm learning to love more now

are you genuine or fake? Both. It depends on if the occasion calls me to perform. I'm fake when I don't have time to be genuine. Being genuine all the time is sooo much work.

any vices? obsessing about my hair. I'm newly natural so it's hard not to obsess. Tho, now i'm slowly becoming a minimalist. Less is more!!!

pro life or wire hanger? pro-life

mccain or obama? Obama. What did you expect?

pro plastic or natural? Natural.

dream job? Anything that gives me Power! Power!! & more Power!!! I am a Megalomaniac.

If you haven't been tagged, consider yourself tagged!!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Frig! it's december already...

Ok, pardon me but where is 2008 running to? I mean seriously...the year is almost over?!!

This was my harsh realization today, but I'll come back & do a real update. I promise.

Anya xoxo

----
I just updated y'all.

In other news, check out this delicious XY Chromosome. That pubic hair adds an extra tinch of sexiness to his fine self. And yes, I said pubic hair. I like what I like. ;)