Put me in Your Suitcase...Munchen

Germany is a country known for its beer, sausages and pretzels. What better place to experience all three than in Munich. I was pleasantly surprised at how laidback a city Munich is. Though there may not be as many breathtaking sights at Vienna, or as much innovation as Berlin, Munich takes pride in being..well..itself. Whether you are having a beer with randoms in the famous crowded Hofbrauhaus, or watching young boys surf the small waves in Englischer Garten, one can't help but be roped into the Bavarian lifestyle. Two days is all you need to experience all this city has to offer...here are some highlights:

1. Englischer Garten - Bigger than Central Park and definitely more entertaining, Germans enjoy relaxing in this massive green space just north of the main tourist area. It is not unusual to see people kayaking, rafting or surfing the small waterways that cross this park. Also not out of place: nudity, in certain sextions..I mean..sections.

2. Hofbrauhaus - or really any brew house. Live it and Love it. Pretzels, Schnitzel and plenty of good beer. After one or two, the massive stein is almost unliftable :)

3. BMW Museum and Olympic Tower - located across the street from eachother, these two sights are not to be missed. Germans are known for beer and cars. The BMW Museum and BMW World do not disappoint. Neither do the views from Olympic tower. Spend a morning at both of these sights to get the real feel of German innovation.

Angry Annie...the workberry

Blackberrys, Crackberrys, heck, even IPhones are a bit much these days. They can be a lot of fun..with email, applications, ringtones. Nothing like a good old game of brick breaker when you are waiting around for a client or a phone call. The novelty wears off though when the Workberry comes to town.

I mean, do you really want to know what your colleagues are having for dinner? After a zillion BBMs from you...our work relationship has been exhausted beyond a casual friendship. I rather not know, what I already know. You answered my last BBM while on the toilet. I saw you go down the hall to the bathroom...well you get my drift.

Now that we are all hooked in..(you know..because you have to take the workberry with the fun of a typical blackberry)...how can we say no? When can we turn you off? If I stop answering my boss' messages after hours, I don't look as eager or dedicated as the colleague that did answer that 10pm email. When does it stop? I might as well be chained to my desk (aka my car, as a sales rep), these days with this workberry. Those two words shouldn't even be in the same sentence. Work=not fun, berry = yummy or good. Ok, clearly this anger is getting to me.

Obama has a blackberry...does he get to turn his off?

For all the time I spend on my workberry these days, I don't think I am getting anymore smart, productive or efficient. I could have spent the last week writing an etiquette book explaining rules on the workberry and when it is truly ok to POWER OFF.

picture courtesy of www.the20life.com

Bare who?

I am not one for product promotion or marketing. That is more Jessica's speed. However, I cannot say enough about Bare Minerals makeup. I was bragging to Jessica about this line of products a couple weeks ago in Vienna. I thought I would take the time to give this makeup line a little bit of free marketing.

Who hates liquid foundation? clogged pores? uneven skin tone? The thought that some of your powder or foundation might rub off on your white blouse, or your boyfriend's shirt? Us ladies are always looking for a better way to cover our blemishes, dark circles or hangovers, without looking like we spent all morning doing it.

I heard about Bare Minerals makeup last winter when I was in Arizona. It was all over the TV and in Sephora, but I thought it was too good to be true. How can some mineralized powder stay on all day, make my face look flawless and still be good for my skin? Well surprisingly, it can. Now available at Shopper's Drug Mart (though, they can't keep it on the shelves), are starter kits that match your skin tone. I grabbed the Medium toned kit for $75, and I was not disappointed. Some foundation powders, brushes, and a how to dvd and book is all you need to get started. Once you read the instructions (DVD is only for those hardcore ppl), you will be ready to go and I promise you will NEVER look back.

I purchased the starter kit and it is all I have used for the past few months. I thought the $75 price tag was a bit high, but now, it is all I use (in replace of many different powders, foundations etc), I think its a pretty good deal. I also bought the amazing primer they have ($26). Once my starter kit runs low, I will probably just replenish my fav foundation powder.

Ok enough propaganda..check it out...hopefully you will love the products as much as I do..or at least you will love all the compliments on how great you look ..True story!

Put Me in Your Suitcase....Salzburg

Salzburg is as small as it is beautiful. If you venture to mid western Europe, it is not to be missed. With the backdrop of the Alps and many beautifully designed buildings, one cannot help but fall in love with this quietly quaint city. I spent a night in Salzburg in transit from Vienna to Munich in May. Basically the city can be turned upside down in a day. Navigating Salzburg's winding streets and many historical sights took my boyfriend and I only about 4-5 hours. It was intense, but we were on a tight schedule. Anymore than a day here and you best have a Sound of Music tour or Salt Mine tour (supposed to be amazing) planned. Here is what not to miss:

1. St Peter's Bakery - one of the oldest bakeries in Europe. Pay 2 euros for hot baked bread that is to die for.

2. Catacombs - on the side of the main mountain/hill there are catacombs that are hundreds of years old. Pay the 3 Euros to navigate the narrow steps for a unique perspective of Salzburg.

3. Salzach Bar - Enjoy a coffee or mixed drink on this floating boat bar on the Danube. If the weather is nice, sit outside at night and enjoy the sun setting over the Festung Hohensalzburg (Mountain).

4. Hohensalzburg Fortress - The oldest preserved castle in Europe sits atop of the mountain and overlooks the city. The castle tour is mediocre, but the furnicular ride up is worth the hundreds of photos you will take.

Let me know if you want more information or visit Wikipedia (the owners of the above picture and other valuables)

Greek Salad

As the temperature rises my appetite decreases and I crave healthy, fresh foods/meals. Greek Salad is one of my favourite summer indulgences – it’s all of the above plus I love ALL the ingredients. I won’t keep you any longer….

Ingredients:

• Handful of black Kalamata olives
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced into cubes
• 1 cucumber peeled, diced into cubes
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded, diced
• ½ red onion, sliced finely
• 100ml/3fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 150g/5oz feta cheese, diced
• 2 pieces of pitta bread, toasted and diced into cubes
• 1 generous sprig of oregano (or 2 tbsp dried oregano)
• pinch of salt & pepper
  

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and toss.

Enjoy outside in sunshine!

Twitter…I LOVE her (?)!

So after reading my BFF’s post about Twitter being pointless (*gasp*) I decided to counterpost (rather than leave a comment) as I strongly believe in its benefits – both personally and professionally.

Where do I even begin? Let me give you an example of what I do in the mornings: press the snooze button (once or twice) before getting up, brush my teeth and take a shower. In between cleaning my ears, moisturizing, getting dressed, blow-drying my hair and applying make-up I check Twitter. It’s become part of my ‘routine’ if you will. Yes, I partially check it to see what my friends have been up to but I mostly check it for news and events happening that day. You see I don’t just follow friends or celebrities (for my gossip fix!), I follow News casts (@CNN, @CBCNews, @BBC, @NPR…and more are all present), industry based companies (I work in the movie industry so I follow industry giants - @Universal, @Paramount etc; entertainment news site – @aintitcool; platforms – @itunestrailers etc and different cinemas) and either projects or things I’m interested in (for example I enjoy cooking & food - @OliveMag, @innocentdrinks, @toptable). Twitter allows me to check in on all of the above (and more) in one quick and convenient location – all I need to do is log in.

Twitter, unlike Google works in ‘real time’ – for example, a few months ago I had a beauty appointment; while arriving to the salon there had been an accident and the road had been cornered off and I had to take a different route. In today’s day and age we want to know what happened and we want the info pronto. After my appointment I checked TwitterSearch to see if anyone posted about the incident and guess what? People had. I knew exactly what had happened in seconds and Twitter made it possible. Google wasn’t able to tell me b/c there wasn’t an archived story or article about it as it had just occurred.

Twitter in the purest form is meant to be used to update your followers on what you’re doing but it’s evolved into a sharing tool with people posting things they’re interested in (albeit books, movies, exhibits, clips, restaurants, quotes etc), recommendations and asking for advice – not sure what anti-aging cream you should you use? Just ask your followers. You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll get a response.

It’s only as good as you make it. Follow people/companies you’re interested in and you’ll reap the benefits.

Kennedy – I took forward to debating this topic (and many others) in Vienna this weekend ;)

Twitter...I barely knew her

What's the deal with Twitter anyway? I mean..where does it fit in? What is its real purpose? I joined Twitter about a month ago, like many people out there. I watched patiently as Ashton Kutcher battled Larry King for the most followers..and won (no surprise there). My question is..so what?

People drop off Twitter as fast as they join. I guess most people realize there isn't a huge point to it. Besides the fun of updating your friends about your life in 140 characters, what else is there to it? Its no wonder people drop out..I have gotten pretty bored myself updating my followers on what I am doing. Is anyone even caring? reading?

At least with Facebook, there is a point. Not only can you update people, you can add friends, create events, share photos and creep to see what your crush is up to this weekend. I have yet to see any real merit in Twitter...even the name is dumb.

What are you up to? Not Twittering...I welcome any reasons to continue