MICKELINO - FROG WITH A BLOG

Why, when I'm here, does it suddenly erect? Oh I see, it's the Mickelino effect!

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Saturday, April 8

Objective Beach 2006

The sun is shining, the temperature is warmer, people on the streets are starting to undress and reveal their 3 month-results of intensive winter gym training. Frog City is at its best in the sunshine. The sun reflects on the white façades and people seem somehow friendlier. Yesterday I was at the store and I even had a chat with two clients while waiting in line. This never happens in Frog Land usually.

Although the sun has an undeniable positive impact on me and my hormones, I just feel so lazy while I should be hopping & ribbitting back and forth, up and down. My motivation to work is at its lowest and I can’t even bother to write on my blog. How worrying is that?

I was reading Rob7534’s fabulous blog today and could see that Rob was feeling as lazy as I was. Is there something in the air? Change of weather? A new virus transmitted by blog users only! Reading the comments, I found Xmichra’s most pertinent comment about implementing a 2 month vacation for the people. I am so in favor of that. Let’s demonstrate!

When you think about it, we are all mammals, all we care for is food, sleep and sex. Therefore, the mammals we are should be allowed to take a yearly winter break of at least 2 months in order to 1) Diet and 2) Get our beauty sleep to face the summer. But instead of hibernating like our fellow bears and beavers, we are expected to work even more during the winter. So we finally get to our vacation time and we’re just too drained to relax.

As far as I’m concerned, I need to sleep at least 10 hours per night in order to function during the day. Now, because of work and blogging, I’ve recently been staying up till 2 am most nights. You can therefore imagine how efficient I’ve been lately.

Usually when I work out (er… it’s weird for me to see these two concepts in the same sentence “usually” and “work out” but anyway), so usually when I work out (lol), I get so much energy and my brain seems to function so much better. I even do stuff at work! I mean work stuff! I guess I just need to get started. Looking at my love-handles in the mirror every morning helps motivate me but I sometimes think “What the hell, there’s nothing to do, love-handles are HOT! Let’s celebrate and have 14 buttered croissants for breakfast! Yay!”

Please, somebody, tell me something that can motivate me! My summer vacation is in 3 months and I need to move my tushy and go back to that gym or I’m going to look like a giant blob on legs for Beach 2006!
By the way, I’ve changed my summer plans. I’m not going to Algeria any longer. Too complicated. Instead, I’m going with a group of friends to tour Portugal, Southern Spain and Northern Morocco. Doesn’t that sound fun? However, I’ve never been to either Portugal or Morocco and I need major info about the spots I shouldn’t miss while I’m there. Yes, I’m talking to you Coffee Girl!

Have a look at the second video below (the 1st one doesn't work, but I don't know how to remove it), and see how glorious I look in the morning! Enjoy!


19 Comments:

  • At 8/4/06, Blogger cristina said…

    you look GLORIOUS in the morning! as for the summer vacation, i think it is an excellent plan you have. Last summer we did just that. A couple from Seattle joined us in Denmark, and then we drove all the way down to Morrocco, through Malaga and Algeciras and then back through Sevilla and on to Portugal. It was great! As for Morrocco, there is only one word: Chefchaouen! We should have stayed there the whole time. As for Portugal the list could get long. Am off to Portugal in a few hours (off to work on my tan - yeah right!), will get back to you à mon retour! ;) Promis!

     
  • At 8/4/06, Blogger Frog with a Blog said…

    Oh Coffee addict, thanks a lot. I was thinking of Chefchaouen as well. As for Portugal, we were thinking: Faro, Lagos, Evora, Lisboa and Porto. What do you think?
    BTW, how long did your whole trip take?

     
  • At 9/4/06, Blogger Unknown said…

    I had to put my drink down as I almost spilled it, laughing. That's certainly alcohol abuse! Frog, you just crack me up and I just love ya, I just love ya!!

     
  • At 10/4/06, Blogger Rob7534 said…

    My blog's fabulocity is only because in a small way it reflects the light of your own blogs super-fabulous-ness. I am but the moon stealing the light from your sun.

    Anyway, just to clarify, if there is a blogger virus going around, let it be known that YOU infected ME. And not the other way around.

    I'm nowhere near as blog-slutty as you! Just making the record clear!

    =)

    Are you going to Ibiza? Did I spell that right? I hear it a place for fun and hedonism! Take lots of pics!

     
  • At 11/4/06, Blogger Reluctant Nomad said…

    Both Lisbon and Evora are beautiful. However, it's been over 20 years since I was last there. Evora has a macabre church where the walls are made from bones and skulls...nice ghoulish stuff.

    Everyone says Porto is incredible. As they do about Coimbra, the ancient university town.

    As I'm at work not working again, I'm not able to looks at your videos to check up on your morning glory (!!) so will have to do that later when at home.

     
  • At 11/4/06, Blogger Frog with a Blog said…

    Rob, no dear, I don't want to go to Ibiza. I hate such tourist traps, dancefloors in the sun for British spinsters. No authenticity anymore, just cheap booze and mullets. Too bad since the island used to be beautiful before the invasion.
    Nomad, thanks for the tips I really want to see that macabre church in Evora. How are the Portuguese? I've heard they're not as fiesta oriented as the Spaniards. There seems to be a general feeling of melancholy and nostalgia over Portugal. Which suits me fine.
    Babs, love ya too!

     
  • At 11/4/06, Blogger Reluctant Nomad said…

    I like the Portuguese but I'm a lusophile so I'm biased. I've always found them very friendly but speaking their language endears one to them.

    Arraiolos, a little village nearby with a ruined monastery is also beautiful. It's famous for its carpets/tapestries.

    When in Lisbon, you have to go to Sintra and the alfama district.

    Your blasted sabotage thingy is doing its thing again!

     
  • At 11/4/06, Blogger Frog with a Blog said…

    Nomad, I'm getting the same thing from Babs' site. Ten thousand small windows open at the same time when I check her site from work!!! How weird! You are the IT expert, aren't you? Please explain, this is getting worrying...

     
  • At 11/4/06, Blogger Frog with a Blog said…

    Nomad again, I had no idea you were a lusophile! how cool! But i guess it's logical, Mozambique being a former Portuguese colony. But did you have to speak it at school too or did you go to very posh English boarding schools?
    I also want to know what the differences are between Portugal POrtuguese and Mozambique/Angolan Portuguese.

     
  • At 12/4/06, Blogger Reluctant Nomad said…

    You almost remind me of what I'm like first thing in the morning except that I don't look nearly as fresh as you do. I do, however, wonder what the morning breath is like? :-)

    I usually use firefox at home and it's IE at work. Have just tried IE at home and I don't get the problem. So, pun unintended, I'm foxed.

    I went to a small English primary school in Maputo where the kids who lived there or whose parents were from S Africa learnt Afrikaans as a second language. Those who were more of an expat sort, learnt Portuguese as a second language if they wanted to. So, I never learnt it formally but I used to be fluent. I went to boarding school for my high school years...a very ordinary school, dual medium, more Afrikaaans than English, in a small rural town just across the border in S Africa.

    I taught myself to read Portugese when I was about 8 or 9 so that I could read Enid Blyton in Portuguese - I'd finished all the ones I could find in English and those that I hadn't read were in Portuguese.

    While I'm no expert on the matter, I 'd say there was/is no difference between Angolan and Moz Portuguese, especially as spoken by the white settlers. Those who had been there from a very young age spoke what could be called educated, neutral Portuguese unlike their parents or those who'd grown up in the Portuguese provinces where they grew up with a regional accent or dialect. This would continue to apply today amongst black, indigenous Mozambiquans except some of them would have a distinctly African accent.

    Both colonies did and do have distinctly local words that have been incorporated into the language (eg machibombo instead of autocarro for bus) but the language is, basically, 'educated Portuguese'.

    I hope all of that makes sense?

     
  • At 12/4/06, Blogger Unknown said…

    I will bow out gracefully on this conversation as you two are way over my head, you gay international espionage traveling worldly fellows. But kisses to you both!

     
  • At 12/4/06, Blogger whatalotoffun said…

    Hi I wish I could explore the world like you do cant you pack me into your suitcase.

     
  • At 12/4/06, Blogger cristina said…

    am impressed, no need to get any tips from me Frog, as i am put to shame by Nomad ;) considering i am portuguese (but leaving abroad), Nomad knows more about Portugal than i do ;) but i will note down a few good places about Portugal and Morocco alike and let you know about how the road trip worked for us.
    Am in Portugal right now, so i better go and enjoy the sun and my espresso while i can. La bise.

     
  • At 12/4/06, Blogger Frog with a Blog said…

    Hey thanks coffee addict! I hope you're enjoying the sun in Portugal. So you're Portuguese, living in Denmark, you speak perfect English and French and you used to live in Italy and Africa... Gosh I'm so intrigued...

     
  • At 12/4/06, Blogger Reluctant Nomad said…

    There's a good friend of mine whose parents are from Moz but he was born in S Africa. He's a Portuguese S African and is now living in Denmark....similar background but not quite the same as coffee addict.

     
  • At 13/4/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    nothing to say about tech or travel.. but the 'anry eyes' look you had was priceless!

    And I still think there should be a two month holiday period. I mean, why go out of your way for thirteen years (not including grade 13 for some, and including kindergarten)to make children accustomed to having that long of a holiday If you are never going to offer the same treatment for work?? Is school not suppose to teach you to work?? Is it not there for you to have structure??

    I tell ya.. they lull you into a sense of security then rip out the rug beneith your feet.

    hehe.

     
  • At 13/4/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    um, that was angry eyes.. my bad :)

     
  • At 14/4/06, Blogger Rob7534 said…

    So where are you hiding the cigs, under your pillow? For easy access? :)

     
  • At 17/6/06, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Motivet är bekant, givetvis... Men stackars Pippi.

     

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