La coupe du monde!!! Ce qu'on peut et ne peut pas faire...

Juste une petite blague... Faut dire que je suis d'accord et que j'ai tendance à avoir cette hatitude moi-même....

So here it goes...

Madame / Mademoiselle,

La Coupe du Monde s'approche et il est extrêmement important pour la santé de la femme, des fiancées, filles, amies, mères, soeurs, ainsi que la vie de couple, de la famille et du voisinage que les recommendations ci-apres soient bien lues et comprises. Le non-respect d'une des règles édictées ci-dessus peut avoir des consequences désastreuses et mettre votre couple en péril!

PRIERE DONC DE BIEN VOULOIR LES RESPECTER!

Liste des règles

1. du 9 juin au 9 juillet, vous devriez lire les pages sports des journaux afin d'être au courant de ce qui se passe et ainsi être en mesure de vous joindre intelligemment à une conversation. Si ce n'est pas le cas, vous serez totalement ignorée. NE PAS vous plaindre si vous ne recevez aucune marque d'attention de notre part dans ce cas de figure.

2. Pendant la Coupe du Monde, la television m'appartient (où à tout le moins celle qui dispose du plus grand écran) tout le temps sans exception. N'essayez même pas de jeter un oeil sur la télécommande vous risqueriez de le perdre (l'oeil)

3. Si vous devez passer devant la télé durant un match, cela m'importe peu, du moment que vous le faites en rampant sur le sol et sans me distraire. Si vous décidez de vous mettre nue devant la télé, assurez-vous d'avoir des vêtements à portée de main afin d'éviter un refroidissement car je n'aurai pas le temps de vous emmener chez le docteur ou de m'occuper de vous pendant le mois que durera la Coupe du Monde.

4. Pendant les matches je serai aveugle à vos gestes, sourd à vos demandes ou muet si vous désirez une conversation. Les seuls exceptions seront pour demander une bière ou quelque chose à manger. Pour le reste, n'espérez pas que je réponde au téléphone, que j'aille ouvrir la porte ou que j'aille chercher le gosse qui vient de
tomber du 2ème... Ca n'arrivera pas...

5. Ce serait une bonne idée de votre part de vous arranger pour qu'il y ait toujours une douzaine de bières au frigo ainsi que des snacks en tout genre à portée de main.Ne tirez pas la tête à mes amis qui viendraient voir un match. En échange d'un comportement responsable de votre part, vous seriez autorisées à regarder la télé de minuit à 6hr, sauf en cas de rediffusion d'un match que j'aurais raté par mégarde

6. S'il vous plait ! Si vous me voyez énervé à cause d'une des équipes que je supporte, NE PAS venir me dire "allez, ce n'est qu'un jeu" ou encore "t'inquiètes pas, ils gagneront la prochaine fois". Le seul fait de dire cela ne ferait que me mettre encore plus en colère et je vous aimerais encore moins. Souvenez-vous que vous n'en saurez jamais autant que nous sur le football et que vos "mots d'encouragements" ne feront que nous mener à une rupture ou un divorce.

7. Vous êtes la bienvenue si vous désirez vous asseoir parmi nous afin de regarder un match. Vous pouvez nous parler pendant la mi-temps, au moment du passage des pubs et uniquement si le score nous agrée. Notez que j'ai dit "un" match et qu'il n'est pas question de prendre la Coupe du Monde comme excuse afin de "passer un peu de temps ensemble"

8. La rediffusion des goals est très importante. Je me fous de savoir si je les ai déjà vus ou pas, je veux les revoir... plusieurs fois

9. Dites à vos amies de NE PAS avoir la moindre fête en rapport avec leurs gosses ou quoi que ce soit qui impliquerais ma présence car :

1° je n'irai pas
2° je n'irai pas
3° je n'irai pas


10. Par contre si un de mes amis m'invite chez lui afin de regarder un match, notez que j'y serai en un rien de temps

11. Les résumés des moments forts des matchs sont aussi importants que les matches eux-mêmes. Ne pensez même pas à dire des choses du genre "mais tu as déjà vu ça... Pourquoi on ne regarderais pas autre chose ensemble ?" la réponse serait: "merci de vous referrer à la règle n° 2 de cette liste"

12. Finalement, épargnez-nous les expressions comme "Dieu merci, ça ne se passe qu'une fois tous les 4 ans". Je suis immunisé contre cette phrase car après ceci, viendra la Champions League, Le championnat Belge,Anglais,Espagnol, Italien, etc, etc....

Merci de votre coopération

Les hommes (et certaines femmes) du monde.

My first scratch...

I've been meaning to write about this for the last couple of days, but never got around doing it

Last week, I scratched my car. My car is about 4 months old, and frankly, I'm just glad she (yes, it's a she) got a taste of reality. I had this intense fear of driving in the beginning because I found myself in this new car (my first new vehicle) that was big and costed more than I had thought I'd spend. Of course, I fell in love with my car, just like every new car-owner and I was paranoid with scratches, etc.

A part of me of course wants to preserve the car as it was the day I got it, but considering the realities of driving (especially in Tunisia) one must realize that it is only a matter of time (just look at the bumpers here) before you adjust your tolerance level for these little "bumps". We all want to hold on to the new thing as much as possible. We just want to have it perfect for as long as possible. We want it whole and complete and shiny. However, by keeping this "perfect" image of the thing, we never get over the fact that it is in fact just that : a thing. A nice engine surrounded by some metal, plastic, and a great dashboard.

So basically, I feel relieved that I scratched it. It was my own stupidity that caused the beauty to lose a small part of its paint. And I don't feel werid have felt "ehh... what the hell" when it happened. Now I suppose I can stop (or reduce) the fussing.

La grenouille

Je viens de finir la lecture de "La grenouille qui ne savait pas qu'elle était cuite et autres leçons de vie"... C'est un livre qui a beaucoup de potentiel, mais qui malheureusement n'haboutie vraiment nul part. C'est un peu un livre à la pop-psychologie qui donne des conseils pour l'amélioration de soi, l'amélioration du Ego... Olivier Clerc utilise sept allégories pour illustrer sept histoires différentes. Ces histoires sont supposées nous inspirer...

En gros, le bouquin est à lire pour ceux à la recherche d'inspiration, ou à la recherche de positivisme dans leurs vies. Le point positif que j'ai personnellement retenu est le fait que nous avons tous besoins d'être plus conscients.

Sinon, laisse tomber. Next on the list: Nostradamus Ate my Hamster de Robert Rankin

Sexual Morality

I was having a conversation with friends the other day about sexuality, and how it differs depending on perspective, depending on religious beliefs, depending on gender.

What I really cannot seem to understand or comprehend is this hyprocrisy that is world-wide about women and their sexuality. It is truly an international way of thought that renders a man screwing around a positive thing whereas a woman doing the same would be a whore. Fornication, it seems, is very gender specific. A man is lauded for having a large experience... A man is applauded when he says that he "scored" after a couple of dates, but the woman is of loose moral fiber and promiscuous.

Why is that? Is that because women are to be mothers? Are we expected to be all saintly creatures? and yet conquer you in bed? How are we supposed to be both? What is this crazy duality that is expected of us? Why is it ok for guys to f*ck around? Is all of this related to religion? And if so, why does it apply just to us? I mean... WTF?

I've often thought about this duality of things... The reasons just elude me, and I wonder why it is that things are this way. I have always thought of this just unfair. I am not encouraging screwing around. I am merely wondering why it is ok for guys and not for gals...

The right to information...?

What is your right to information in general? What are you supposed to know, and why are you supposed to know? Should you share everything or should you keep it to yourself?

Is it your right as a citizen to know? is it your right as a spouse to know? is it your right as a friend to know? is it your right as a parent or child to know?

What happens when you know or you have a strong feeling that some information is being kept from you? How are you supposed to behave?

Personally, I believe that information should be shared on a private level. Voluntarily. I am against asking questions because I believe that if you have something to tell me, as a friend, spouse, parent, you will tell me. The relationship is such as you should feel comfortable in sharing. This perspective is considered as wrong by some who think that asking is a sign of caring. Perhaps I don't ask because I don't want to be asked. I want to have the opportunity to tell you... But still, I wonder sometimes what is the best thing to do.

On a larger, citizen-wide level,... it will be another post...

The feeling that something is happening under my nose without my knowledge is a bit irritating...

So, would you ask or would you wait to be told?

Why bitching does not work...

I was thinking about the different ways we interact, and the general ease for everyone to bitch. Now, I know it's an artform in itself that is elevated by some to great heights. But I am talking not about the manipulating-bitching, I am talking about the whining-bitching... The spoiled child bitching... The I-dont-wannna bitching... You know what I'm talking about.

Well, I admit I've been doing that a little bit this past couple of days. Then I realized that I was behaving like a stupid child and snapped out of it. In fact, it was a conversation that I had with a friend that made me realize that I was in a way just... how can I say this? I was just throwing in the gloves... that I was in a way giving up or in to various things. I've been capable most of my life to see the silver lining, to pick up and just conquer whatever needs to be conquered.

The point is this: no point in bitching when you don't want to do anything about it. Either you accept the situation as it is (which is a huge No-No for me) or DO something about it. My whining about why life sucked or why I was having a hard time getting used to life here is not getting my anywhere. It will only strenghthen the fact that I feel a malaise, that I am not feelign 100% good. So really, there's no constructive point in looking at things from the wrong angle, no point in sitting and just feeling miserable.

Change always sucks and is always difficult. But I have to make the most of it. The best of it. I have to see all of the different nasty moments as a learning experience. Heck, life is an experience in itself... I have to keep in mind the thirld-worldist mentality that I keep on encountering. I have to think of some as kids despite their age.

Sooo I will stop the bitching.

So friend, thanks. I needed the wake up call.

Control

Lately, I've been feeling that I had very little control over ... over everything. I just feel as if life is passing, with me just living. It means that most days are the same, and that a part of me is just behaving like my cat: eating, sleeping, and worse, I get to work. She gets to lay around all day on my bed...

I wonder why I feel this way... Is it because of a general abandon from my part and that I let things get too far and out of my control? Is it stupidity on my part and just being overlty (and naively) nice that I get control taken out of my hands? Is my behaviour wrong and in need of adjustement here? I guess I need to adjust it... It seems to me sometimes that acts of general kindness and just a certain attitude is misconstrued here. It is considered to be weakness, and hence, people's perception of you change. They will go over your head when talking to the boss, or they will deem it ok to say whatever they want and for you to take it.

What the hell is the solution? What the hell am I supposed to do? Change? Become bitchy? Smile and hand over the KY? Clealy, I feel uncomfortable with the situation, otherwise, I'd not be writing about it, I'd not feel the need to vent... I suppose I need to be more assertive, and just beware... All is not as it seems.

How thick is your skin?

Time and time again, I've had my skin here stretched, put to a test, and just plain abused. With age and time, I realize more and more that my skin needs to be 5 cms thick and extremely rough. I need to get inspired from those big creatures like the rhinoceros or the elephant.

In here, you have to learn to be abused verbally very often on the road or on the
street. You have to learn that people will expect to be able to say whatever they want to you and you to take it "like a man" because it is that way. The worst part of it, is I can most of the time take it, but what really kills me is that the feeling is not reciprocated. Meaning. I am expected to take it, but the other on the other hand will feel abused or attacked or whatever.

The other day at the post office, some asshole cut me off at the line, and I told him so. The f*cker actually got pissed because I asked him to stand in line. I offended him! Good holy God. Same thing on the road, same thing on the street where some guy was talking to me, while I was ignoring him, and when I could not take it anymore after 10 mns and told him to please stop, he felt that I was being aggressive. What the f?

All of this is just very tiring, because I expect (foolishly it seems) for people to behave like grown-ups, to be able to behave in a way that they expect others to reciprocate, and that most of all, they develop other interests in their lives so as not to talk about others'.

Shout out...

To all my friends all around, I miss you. It sucks not being able to see you, not having you drop by to eat, not being able to get a drink with you, go release all that adrenaline with you, or just use your shoulder to laugh, cry, or empty my soul.

I feel the distance. I miss your presence.

Immoralité / Immorality

I am reading this interesting book, "La grenouille qui ne savait pas qu'elle était cuite et autres leçons de vie" and here's a quote from it:

L'immoralité d'un jour devient ainsi la morale du lendemain, dans une plongée dantesque vers les limites inférieures de l'humanitude.

Loosely translated:
Today's immorality becomes tomorrow's morality, in a Dante-esque plunge into the inferior limits of humanity.

The book is basically seven allegories regarding life and the choices we make. This particular passage refers to the fact that we are getting used to more and more immorality and that with time, we are loosing our morality thermometer (in a way) because our limits keep on changing... The stuff that was not ok 20 years ago, is today ok... and so on and so forth.

I found the sentense interesting for its literary resonance, but also because I find it to be true. It is important and good for societies to evolve and to be open-minded, but we have to nevertheless keep in mind who we are, what we were, and what we are to become if we continue down a certain path.

More on masturbation...

It is the safest sexual act... it is the most commonly know (and practiced) sexual act... Men and women practice it alike (although I wonder about the ration... perhaps guys do it more?). It is less messy for women... and very intense for both sexes.

Why do we masturbate? Because our sexual life is not enough? Because the sensation is more intense, more concentrated? Do we masturbate so we can fantasize about someone else? Do we masturbate simply because it is fun? Because we just can? All of the above? Because there'd be no one to nag us after sex and call us 18 times in 2 days? (I feel for ya Mat...)

Women, for once, have the advantage of being able to do it practically anywhere, anytime, without the need of tissue or napkin, or whatever... Heck, if you feel stressed and pissed of in the middle of the work day, or if you just feel horny, you can just go to the bathroom and take care of yourself (it's trickier for guys).

What else? I'd really like to know why you do "it" and how often... Indulge my curiosity.

Myriade de cadavres

Finished the book "Asiles de fous" which I found very interesting... To see the different perspectives concerning the events of one day, and the different narrative styles was a good exercise in realizing how we perceive things differently, and how our thoughts are sometimes blinding us to see things the way they really are...

Here's a final quote from the book:

"Notre avenir n'est pas tracé, nous nous modifions beaucoup trop, nous sommes chaotiques, et je me dis parfois qu'à notre mort nous laisserons derrière nous la myriade de cadavres de tous ces gens que nous avons été pleinement, mais l'espace d'un instant, d'une semaine, ou de quelques années."

Cette citation est assez intéréssante étant donné qu'elle parle directement de notre identité, de ce qu'on pense être (et qq part devenir)... Elle fait référence à nos différents masques, et à nos attitudes diverses. En fin de compte, nous ne sommes parfois qu'un mélange schizophrénique... You'll have to excuse the mood...

In the meantime, I've picked up another book "Archimedes' Revenge" by Paul Hoffman which seems promissing... We'll see.

On a more personal note, it seems like today is going to be a crappy day with crappy weather. I hope it passes quickly.

Trade-offs: sex, career, and the whole shebang

A slightly lighter post this time on the choices that we make in life. I was thinking about the little trade-offs we make on an every day basis, with the hope to facilitate or make easier our lives on the medium to long term. Another word for trade-off would be "settle" I guess...

You trade-off your smashing single life for married life to be with a loved one for as long as you stand one another... You trade-off having sex with whomever you want to have sex only with one person only because they know exactly what makes you tick... You trade-off living in a big city to be closer to family and to your roots... You trade-off a stable well-paying job to something new and risky... You trade-off buying a sensible car for a bigger one because this is the only time you will escape paying a crazy amount in customs...

We make these trade-offs because we make (I suppose unconsciously) calculations on what will maximize our well-being over the long term... We go with our brains because we think it more reasonable than going with our heart (feeling).

I suppose the ideal situation is to think reasonably about the choices we make in order not to have any regrets in the long term... not to ask those pesky "what if" questions... not to always go with our brains... not to always go with our hearts... not to always succumb to our libido... not to always be selfish.