Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Latest Obsession: Black Nail Polish


Black nail polish, it's been popular for ages but I've never worn it before that is until now. I just got an amazing manicure and instead of going for my usual color I decided to go with something different. At first it was a little weird to see such a bold color on my hands but now it makes me wonder what took so long for me to try this.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Has Cooking Become Too Complicated (and competitive)?


I know it's definitely more creative but why does it seem like you have to be a Master Chef to even figure out some recipes. The other day, I watched a cooking segment from the talk show Steven and Chris. It featured the self proclaimed Messy Baker Charmian Christie who feels that food or cooking doesn't have to be perfect to enjoy it. She says it's okay to make a mess in the kitchen or to have a slightly lopsided cake. It's all about having fun while you cook.

I think it's cool that cooking and food has become this huge thing especially with social media but I just wish it wasn't so complex and competitive. Now it seems like simple meals = boring compared to what's currently out there. With foodies fueling this food explosion, restaurants (including food trucks) are nearly competing with each other to be the best there is.

Even some of the dinner parties I have attended feels like the host is trying to out do what someone else has done. Why? Isn't the whole point to invite friends or your guests over to have fun and enjoy the meal.

Is anyone else tired of seeing all of those competition cooking shows? For a while there, it seems that was the only type of program that The Food Network was showing. It makes me wonder if they finally started to listen to all of those viewer complaints. Just look at their line-up there are more cooking shows instead of competitive shows.

As a foodie, I love to eat but also enjoy cooking even though I'm still a novice. This is a great time to be a foodie but I'm not going to get too caught up in it.

Friday, October 3, 2014

The Ancient Acropolis Is Crumbling, Experts Warn

I have always wanted to go and see the Parthenon but with the Acropolis in need of repair I wonder how long before (money is found for repairs) will it be before the Parthenon is in danger?
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by Sky News

The stark advisory follows a report by a team of engineers who determined this week that a part of the flat-topped rock on which the ancient Parthenon sits, is starting to give way, threatening the stability of the landmark monument, the state news agency ANA reported.

The 2,500-year-old Parthenon, built at the height of Athens' ancient glory, is a marble temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, patron of the city.

It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece and revered as an enduring symbol of democracy and Western civilization.

News of the Acropolis' decay and the threat it poses to the Parthenon has sent shock waves across the country.

It also underscores how vulnerable the country's national treasures have become throughout four years of brutal budget cuts during Greece's fiscal crisis.

On Wednesday, after an urgent meeting of the Central Archaeological Council, experts determined "instability over quite a wide area", following a landslide in early January.

The boulder "of considerable size" tumbled from the south side, rolling down to the entrance of the most visited site in the Greek capital.

Senior culture ministry officials say they are working to control the decaying side although they have refused to comment on whether urgent funding will be available to prevent any further decay.
"Much of the decay has been caused by drainage pipes stemming from the old Acropolis museum, situated on the rock also," said the culture ministry's Lena Mendoni.

"We have already begun studying the damage to ring fence and repair it," she told local media.
The landmark archaeological site remains open at present with hundreds of tourists daily visiting the monument.