i think i’m ready… for a… !?

this is my cat, Carter. we left him back in the States with my family and i miss him terribly. he is the coolest cat in the entire world. it was definitely love at first sight when i bought him…

so…. ryan and i have been talking of getting a pet out here. of course, we spoke of getting a cat because they are a bit easier to take care of (and i’m actually more of a cat person). but then today, i had an epiphany. i think i’m ready… for a dog. but i’m quite particular and have certain requirements said dog must meet. 1) small. 2) not fluffy/hairy. 3). must not be too crazy so i am able to take it to work with me. so after looking at lots of photos of dogs today… i think i have found the breed i want.

behold: a boston terrier…

cute, no!? although, i still don’t see myself as a dog person. but i also never thought i would like onions, and then three years ago that changed; which means anything is possible.

wish me luck!

toasty tales

i was making toast this morning. i stuck the two slices of bread into the slots and pushed the lever down. as i was walking away, my arm bumped the toaster onto the ground (i’m extremely strong). the toaster fell upside down, causing my pre-toast (aka bread), to fall out along with toasty bread crumbs. i put the toaster back up, placed two new slices of bread in, pushed the lever down, and proceeded to sweep up the crumbs. after my bread successfully toasted, ryan decided he wanted some toast. so, he stuck two slices of bread into the slots and pushed the lever down, and as he was walking away, he accidentally knocked over the toaster… upside down… onto the floor… causing his pre-toast to fall out. go figure.

khun Dam (the maid at work), is still sending me home with extra food! whatever i order to eat that day, she gets extra, packs it up for me, and reminds me to take it home (because i tend to forget). the past few days she has been including baby cucumbers? i mean, i like cucumbers, but i never order them. she’s funny. and quite motherly. and is attempting to fatten me up. and i appreciate her.

yesterday i felt incredibly homesick. i think i missed everything from people to RTC (the coffeeshop where i used to work), to the smell of ccu. i know right? surprisingly though, this is the first time since we’ve been here that i really had a longing for home. but i’m better now. it was 24 hr. case of the homesick blues. it happens.

my right top eyelid keeps twitching! why?

oh! i really need to clean out my fish tank. someone remind me… because the only time i remember is when i look at the tank…

i just sent laura hamilton a text message (via skype)… i hope she knows it’s from me… i tried to make it obvious without actually saying “danny.”

also, whilst writing this entry, i consumed 4 pieces of toast with jam. i think writing about it at the beginning caused me to crave it. and no, i did not knock over the toaster this time.

have a good day! chances are, if you are reading this, i know you; thus, i miss you.

well…

i feel homesick today.

that’s all.

lies told to me by my brother…

i have this brother. he’s 12 years older than me, which makes him extremely old (that was harsh. i take it back). but because he is ten years (plus two), older than me, he took great advantage of my sweet, caring, sisterly demeanor when we were growing up. so the following are lies michael paul (aka mikey paul [i'm not taking that one back]), told me… and yes, i believed him. i should also add that all accounts are paraphrased (seeing as so much time has passed), but i am certain they are 99% accurate.

1. upon entering his room:

mike: “you can’t come in here.”

me: “why?”

mike: “well, the other day when gary was over, he came in here and then got really sick and had to go the hospital.”

me: “he did?”

mike: “yep. do you smell that?”

me: “yeah.”

mike: “so did gary. and now he’s sick. you don’t want to end up like gary do you?”

me: “no!”

mike: “then it’s probably best you stay out of my room. i’m just looking out for you.”

2. one time when mike and gary were playing cards, i wanted to join in… this is what happened:

me: “hey can i play, too!?”

mike: “how old are you?”

me: “4 and a half.”

mike: “well, the box says ‘ages 6 and up.’”

me: “so what?”

mike: “well if i don’t follow the rules, they’ll put me in jail. you don’t want me to go to jail do you?”

3. mike: “gullible is not in the dictionary.” (uh… actually, it is.)

4. this isn’t a lie, but it’s funny (and my dad likes telling this story). one time mike did something he wasn’t supposed to, and my dad went into his room to reprimand him. and he sat down on the bed next to him and mike said, “hang on dad. let’s negotiate.” i actually don’t know how old mike was, but it was before my time.

5. mike would always say, “i have eyes everywhere.” and i always believed him… and still kinda do.

and in regards to lie #5, not only did michael effect my mental state, he and julie (his fabulous wife), are now affecting the upcoming generation by lying to their kids. (see recent skype convo we had):

Mike: we use something similar on the kids
Mike: we tell them we have hidden cameras
Danielle Meo: hahahah
Mike: and we can look at them when they do something bad and don’t say who did it
Mike: they have told on themselves everytime
Danielle Meo: haha that’s brilliant
Mike: though Ethan actually held out til Julie left the room to say she was gonna go watch the video
Mike: little bugger is getting smart…..
Danielle Meo: whoa – yeah he is
Danielle Meo: was she thinking “oh no?”
Mike: no, she came back in and said she watched it.  And was there anything anyone wanted to say
Mike: he came clean then
Danielle Meo: that’s amazing

even though i fell victim to my mike’s devious ways, i am pro-lying to children. it’s just more fun. and for the record, i harbor no resentment or anger toward him. i’m sure he had my best interest in mind…

oh, that Cake.

i meant to post this last week…

i thoroughly enjoy Cake’s quip remarks. she’s wonderful.

what danny is not.

i thought weekends were supposed to be relaxing?? ay yi yi.

aside from being busy… i have been thinking about something. there is a characteristic that two women i have met embody, that i would like to possess. now, i usually don’t tend to “desire” characteristics others have… but this particular one to which i am referring is not one i feel like i embody. and that would be… composure. though i have singled out two women, i am sure others are composed as well, but these are really the only two who have stood out to me.

one is a lady that frequented the coffeeshop on a daily basis. her name is helen. she is probably in her 50’s and she looks fabulous for her age. she also hails from sweden. apart from being externally beautiful, she has a certain air about her that makes her twice as lovely. she was always even tempered and in control and had great posture and… i don’t know. composed.

the second is someone i have met recently. her name is petra and she is from the czech republic. the way she conducts herself is so… tactful. from how she walks to how she speaks; the whole lot. like helen, she is also outwardly lovely, but her composed demeanor makes her seem even more of a standout.

ryan pointed out that both women to which i am referring are not american; which is definitely not to say that american women lack anything, but for some reason i tend to be drawn to foreigners (in the strictest non-sexual way possible).

all this goes to say, i do not feel like i am a composed individual (apart from the stage and what is known as “having presence”). maybe it’s because i’m dramatic and quite expressive? whatever the case, the women i tend to idolize (for lack of a better word), are those who exhibit composure. even growing up i recall being extremely drawn to eva peron, anne frank, princess diana, julie andrews, and audrey hepburn. there may have been more, but that’s all i can presently conjure up. all those women are/were quite influential in their respective fields, and all displayed a beautiful amount of composure (while also being quite endearing).

i don’t know if composure is something that can be taught, though. because i personally know it’s hard for me to not wear my heart on my sleeve or express myself with such dramatic flair. sure, those can be repressed, but it is unnatural for me to hold back.

so… that’s something that’s been on my mind… not feeling as though i am a composed woman, and wanting to be. aside from that, i really enjoy the characteristics i do possess.

aaaand that’s all she wrote.

beautiful moments.

…that describes today. there are good days, and then there are days when particular moments occur, or are made, and it just makes you think, “wow. that was beautiful.”

khun Dam (the maid at work), was cleaning my office today while i was in there. i usually listen to music when i’m not recording, and i remembered how Cake really likes Phantom of the Opera… so i played a song for khun Dam and asked if she had ever heard it before. she nodded and then, out of nowhere, said (in broken english), “stevie wonder.” i cracked up. and it just so happened i had a stevie wonder album on my iTunes. so i found the most appropriate song (Isn’t She Lovely), and played it. loudly. and then i started dancing to see what she’d do. and i got her to dance with me! i couldn’t believe it! i happen to think this particular moment was beautiful. i hope she was able to sense how much i appreciate her, and that she’s more than just a maid.

today i realized that it’s possible to hear someone smile (without seeing them, or hearing them, as it were). and i think that’s beautiful.

i had a really good chat with my brother. which reminds me, i am preparing an entry in the near future soley consisting of mean things mike did to me growing up. ready yourself, big bro. i’m bringin’ the heat.

i laughed a lot today.

it rained.

i didn’t feel ill after eating a lot of kit-kats.

so, those are just are few examples… but i must say, i really really enjoy living. it doesn’t matter where i am in the world or what job i am doing – life always has the ability to be incredibly enjoyable if i let it, and not take it too seriously.

i must now resign to bed… i’m posting this a bit later than normal and as a result, i am getting a bit sleepy; otherwise i would have written more.

enjoy your thursday : )

fast food. flapjacks. frenchmen.

first order of business: i received feedback from a few people on my last post and was informed that 1) it is, in fact, possible for me to see the big dipper on this side of the world. and B) North doesn’t necessarily mean “up”… though i raise speculation about that one.

secondly: you can order mcdonald’s by phone, and we’ve only done it twice (tonight being the second time). when i called, i noticed how they said “mcdonalds” – and you are going to love it! ready… “mc dilly willy’s”!!! isn’t that great!? i called back twice, after calling the first time to place the order, and made ryan listen to the recording with me. after i hung up the phone ryan goes, “this is going to end up in your blog isn’t it?” and i said, “that’s exactly why i called it again! to make sure i hadn’t misheard it!”

sometimes i like to take different routes home from work, just to change it up a bit. i really only have two options: the subway or a taxi. today i opted for the taxi because i didn’t feel like being underground and i wanted to look at the outside. i used to do the same thing in nyc. sometimes i’d take another subway line because the walk to that particular subway was in another direction. it’s good to change up routines, or so they say.

speaking of which, who is “they?” who are these they that are always saying? and wherefore?

i have had a hankering for pancakes/flapjacks/hotcakes all day long! i mean, for the love of batter, i’m about to go crazy. i tried making pancakes a while back, but i didn’t have the proper pan, so they just stuck to the bottom. talk about a bad day. i think saying “flapjack” is more fun than “pancake.” they’re the same same but different, right?

i was doing laundry earlier and i met the french guy that just moved into the building. i smiled and said hello, and wasn’t planning on striking up a conversation, but he just stood there staring at me. which made me feel awkward. and then i don’t know if i started talking to him because i felt obligated or because i didn’t want the feeling of awkwardness to be present anymore. nonetheless, all i could think about during our conversation was monty python. you know, the part where the guard soldier guy says, “I’m French. Why do you think I have this outrageous accent, you silly king?” aside from all that, the frenchman was nice.

it’s wednesday, so you know what that means…? me either.

second star to the right and straight on to a morning.

if an escalator is out of order, does that mean it’s just stairs… or an out of order escalator?

how can you tell if you have a pregnant fish? the fish that i named “dwight” looks like it has babies inside of it, but i can’t be sure. …i also can’t find the smallest fish, smacky, anymore… unless he grew quickly. something fishy is going on… i suspect foul play.

i saw a dog that only seemed to be able walk, at a trot, diagonally.

last night was the first night that i actually saw stars (note the plural), in bangkok. it has been raining a bit here, which has minimized the pollution, and last night was a clear night. i think i saw the big dipper, too. but i’m not sure if you can see the big dipper on this side of the world. i mean, you must be able to, right? i did see the north star though. at least i’m assuming it was the north star because north is directly up. and it was also the brightest. i was trying to find Neverland… you know, second star to the right and straight on to a morning? but maybe i couldn’t see it because i don’t have fairy dust to fly.

speaking of neverland, if you’ve not seen “Finding Neverland,” you should. it’s one of my favorites. i’ve always enjoyed the idea of never growing up and living in a fanciful world, and in some ways i’ve mastered both of those. anyway, here’s the trailer to it:

on that note, have a lovely tuesday. and try to not grow up too fast.

a jolly holiday

well hello! i have been m.i.a. for the past few days because i was on a jolly holiday with ryan! we went on a little vacay with some friends, and now we’re back. we stayed at an “adventure resort” and did activities such as paintball, an extreme ropes course, bowling, etc. we also traveled around to three different wineries and did some sight-seeing at a national park. it was a really great weekend.

let’s talk about paintball: i had never been paintballing but i was determined i’d be good at it. i’m quick, i’ve got cat-like reflexes, and i’m fierce. we played “capture the flag” style, and i only had one goal… don’t get hit. firstly, i would like to say that i achieved said goal. we played two games, and the first game my team didn’t do so well, and i ended up just hiding the whole time. round two, i thought i needed to be a bit more aggressive. as it turns out, i was too aggressive because i was fouled out and disqualified (i shot a guy in waaaay too close proximity). so, in good dramatic fashion, when the ref. disqualified me, i stood up and with great pomp and circumstance, fell to the ground in agony. there was a crowd watching our game and they all laughed; which made me feel good since i just died.

extreme ropes course: this thing was crazy! and once you were on it, there was no way off. i have a pretty big fear of heights (or rather, falling), but i was so pumped to do this because i like a good challenge. and i knew the only difficulty i’d face was conquering my fear, not maintaining my balance (thanks to all those years of gymnastics and dance). there were two obstacles that i felt like chickening out on – one was because my gloves were starting to slip off my hands, and the other was because i had to walk across the thin planks (like four stories high), and i couldn’t hold onto anything… because there was nothing to hold onto. i am happy to report, i did not chicken out and was quite successful.

as to not fill this blog with lots and lots of photos, here are the links to the photos i uploaded onto facebook:

a jolly holiday

a jolly holiday round II

you are able to view these even if you do not have facebook, so, worry not. and also, enjoy!

though i had to labor today, that shan’t stop me from wishing you a happy one = )