cicciottina's

A government after 130 days

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 23:22:00 +0200

130 days that the country's been without a government. That's more than 4 months of shameless fighting over ministries like stupid kids over candy.
We finally have a government that will supposedly work for the best of the entire country. I give it a couple of months before they start fighting again.
Long live the most childish politicians in the world!130 days that the country's been without a government. That's more than 4 months of shameless fighting over ministries like stupid kids over candy.
We finally have a government that will supposedly work for the best of the entire country. I give it a couple of months before they start fighting again.
Long live the most childish politicians in the world!
And they ask me why I stopped following the news... well, last time I heard the news both political sides were fighting... and that was one year ago. And until last night, they were still fighting! I don't think I missed a lot, especially since we remained without a government for 130 days. Those policticians were ready to paralise the development of the country for more than four month in order to get what they want, how do we expect them to work for the benefit of the country once elected? We're a bunch of idiots!

27

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:35:17 +0300

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to maya, happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
Yeeeeeey!! I'm 27 years old today! Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to maya, happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
Yeeeeeey!! I'm 27 years old today! I'm getting older and wiser! I'm gonna enjoy my day, do whatever I please! Maybe start by having a nice breakfast with strawberry jam and toast, orange juice and of course a hot cup of nescafe. Then, to the hairdresser's!! hehe... It's been so long since I checked whether my hair would look nice if I straighten it, and I think it's time to find out! I can't wait for it to be long again!
Next stop: the bank. It's always good to check on the financial situation, especially since everytime I go, interest rates decrease. I'm sure in a couple of month it would be better to hide one's money under the mattress than in the bank!!
Let's see how this day turns out!
And thank you all for you warm wishes, you're the best!
xoxo

The gay flight attendant

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:47:20 +0300

A joke that a colleague of mine sent me today to cheer me up. Read it, it's priceless!! I laughed my ass off!My flight was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks.
As the plane prepared to descend, he came swishing down the aisle and
told us that 'Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super.'
On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed this well-dressed and rather Arabic looking woman hadn't moved a muscle. 'Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines but I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground..'
She calmly turned her head and said, 'In my country, I am called a Princess and I take orders from no one.'
To which (I swear) the flight attendant replied , without missing a beat,
'Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so I outrank you. Tray -up, Bitch'

Guaranteed pick-up lines

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:23:18 +0300

I Read these pick-up lines in a tiny summer magazine called Bikini, I got on the beach last time I went.
Feel free to try them and give me your feedback, at the risk of getting slapped in the face, especially in the case of #15 :)1. Did I sleep with you before?
2. If I told you that you have an amazing body, would you hold it against me?
3. I'm Adam, are you Eve?
4. You must be tired because you've been running through my head all night
5. You look naughty, what's your name?
6. Hey, I'm Ben. You wanna remember that, you're gonna be screaming it later
7. Hi, I'm Mr. Right. Someone said you were looking for me
8. You're so hot, you must be the real reason for global warming
9. You look a lot like my next girlfriend
10. You know what? Your eyes are the same color as my Porsche
11. Is your name Gilette? Because you're the best a man can get
12. All those curves... and me with no brakes!
13. You might as well sleep with me, because I'm going to tell everyone you did anyway
14. I would say God bless you, but it looks like he over-did it
15. I'll give you a nickel to tickle my pickle
16. Did you get that body at Mcdonalds? Because "I'm lovin'it"!
17. You turn my software to hardware
18. Well here I am, what are your other two wishes?
19. Do you have any Lebanese in you? Would you like some?
20. How do you like your eggs in the morning? Fertilized?
21. Do you want to be my dirty little secret?
22. Are your parents terrorists? Because you're the bomb!
23. Hey... wanna do it?.. I'll give you cookies... please!?

Thank God for firearms

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:27:01 +0300

My way of relieving tension...
The guy there said I can bring a picture of my boss and shoot at it instead of shooting at this shape of a target. Actually considering it, to tell you the truth ;)
My way of relieving tension...
The guy there said I can bring a picture of my boss and shoot at it instead of shooting at this shape of a target. Actually considering it, to tell you the truth ;)

Beirut... Sin City of the Middle East

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:37:41 +0300

The article all the country's been talking about since this morning was posted on Google news, originally by an Agence France Press reporter:
Beirut - Sin City of the Middle East

The article all the country's been talking about since this morning was posted on Google news, originally by an Agence France Press reporter:
Beirut - Sin City of the Middle East

It's a good thing to call things by their own names, but I'm not sure Beirut can be portrayed as the sin city of the Middle East. Maybe the fun city of the Middle East given the glamorous nightlife, the beach parties and all, but I've been living in Lebanon for a long time, enough to know if we have nude beaches in Lebanon for example! And we don't!! Lebanon is so small that everyone knows about everything going on in the country and I'm pretty sure we have no public nude beaches along our coasts!
Plus, if we're gaining the reputation of "the place to be" in the Middle East, that's because Lebanon enjoys freedoms that other regional countries don't. Furthermore, the Lebanese have developed an exceptional thirst for life due to the wars we have witnessed through the years, which drives us to seek pleasure optimisation and nothing else! This thirst has manifested in our high caliber clubbing and partying and our unique spirit for non-stop fun.
It's not a sin to be full of life and go after life's gifts and pleasures and it's definitely not a sin to dance on top of tables and bars if the dance floor is not enough excitement for you. I'm just glad the world is talking about us, I just wish a nice image is portrayed, not one of vice and lavish lifestyle. Although we Lebanese like to imitate the Western culture and take things to extreme, we still qualify as a decent population with nothing but intentions of fun, fun and fun.

This is Beirut

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 23:12:06 +0300

That's really something we should be proud of. For once CNN is portraying the true picture of Lebanon, not the war zone image they used to show for decades!
That's really something we should be proud of. For once CNN is portraying the true picture of Lebanon, not the war zone image they used to show for decades!

Need I say more?

Spotted: M having a meltdown at lunchtime

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:31:12 +0300

Summer's been kinda rough on me so far. My plans to enjoy shorter working hours and make the most of my brother's presence in Lebanon has so far been a pronounced disaster. Summer's been kinda rough on me so far. My plans to enjoy shorter working hours and make the most of my brother's presence in Lebanon has so far been a pronounced disaster. When everyone's been leaving at 4pm daily, I've been staying to 9 or 10pm, coming to the office on saturday as if it were a normal working day and working till 1am on sunday at night when I'm not bitching about it over the phone to everyone I know. The cherry on top? Well I'm not getting paid for my extra efforts!! I'm overwhelmed with anger and disgust and I kinda had a meltdown at lunchtime today when I yelled at one of my nicest colleagues. Of course I apologised for the outburst sometime later, but you know, things are hard on him as well, and I didn't account for that variable like I should have.
Funny thing is that I lost all sense of social decency and shame and now I'm ranting and cursing at my bosses out loud! My colleagues are actually having a blast listening to me speak to myself like a crazy cuckoo running out of a psychiatric ward!
Things are far from being back to normal, though. It's gonna be a rough summer and I'm starting to hear nancy's voice screeching in my ear how i'm not making myself available for our girls' nights out. But I'm almost sure this is resolved, cuz nancy's determined to raid my office with drinks and loud music... maybe then the bosses will tell me "get that crazy chick out of here and stay out!" hihihi

Here we go again

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 18:36:41 +0300

Summer's here, the weather is hot, Lebanese from all over the world are coming over to spend their memorable holidays back home and my summer started to turn in the nightmare that was my 2008 summer.
Summer's here, the weather is hot, Lebanese from all over the world are coming over to spend their memorable holidays back home and my summer started to turn in the nightmare that was my 2008 summer.
We all know in advisory there are no busy seasons. We also know that work was relatively slow due to the global financial crisis. But don't ask me why so many insurance companies in the region have decided that it was time to call those outside consultants and get their company back into shape. Not only there is one, two, or three projects in line, but 7! And all to be done this summer! Why is it that every time our summer working hours begin (8am till 4pm), we find out we will have to sacrifice previous fun time to work long nights at the office?
My nephew Gerardo has been sleeping over since Monday, and every day I realize how much that kid is a blessing. Not once has he been impolite or annoying, and twice now I've read him a bedtime story before he sleeps. And since he sleeps around 7h30, I've been leaving the office around 5pm to get to spend time with him, before I start working all night from home to finish what is impossible to be done just by working office official hours.
I want my summer to consist of sunbathing by the pool and drinking at sunset with my friends, not late night working 'under the office's AC or dining on my office desk on a weekend! Life is so unfair! especially since we no longer get paid overtime. there's a song I can this of right now, it's "I'm a slave for you" by Britney!! I feel like crying!!! HEEEELP!

Beirut - Amman - Beirut

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 20:48:51 +0300

Just when you think your stress level is at it's highest a couple of days prior your exam, well, think again! Cuz what happened to us is the most exhausting, most non-sense, most stressful there could be. And when I say "us", I mean all CFA candidates for all three levels, registered at the Beirut Test Center.
Read the story and weep: Just when you think your stress level is at it's highest a couple of days prior your exam, well, think again! Cuz what happened to us is the most exhausting, most non-sense, most stressful there could be. And when I say "us", I mean all CFA candidates for all three levels, registered at the Beirut Test Center.
Read the story and weep:
Last night around 9p.m., I received a text from one of my colleagues, a candidate for Level III CFA. It said: "Check ur email". As I read it, I thought "maybe he wants me to do something urgent for work... i don't wanna reply". Then on second thought, I call him.
He informs me that the CFA exam in Beirut was canceled due to the Decision of the Ministry to have all universities and schools closed on Saturday, which is one day prior to the elections in Lebanon. And since the Test Center is the American University of Beirut (AUB), the test is canceled. At first I thought it was a prank. I opened my mail box and saw the email sent by the CFA institute. It gave us the option to change the test center at the last minute. So I opened the list of test centers around the world, and the only one that does not require me to have a visa is the one in Amman, Jordan.
Since last night efforts have been concentrated on calling friends and colleagues to commit to a united course of action, and we all decide to go for it (i.e. Prepare for a trip to Amman). This morning I went to a travel agency, booked a plane ticket and two nights at the Meridian in Amman (the location of the test) and came back home relaxed because I made the necessary arrangements. Unfortunately, it wasn't over yet. We find out that there has been talks with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and the Institute in the USA, to reconsider the CFA Institute's decision to cancel the exam. One hour ago we find out that the Beirut test center is available again! I immediately wrote to the Institute to change back my test center to Beirut, and I'm still waiting for a response. As for my plane and hotel reservations, I guess I'll lose half of the money I spent because of the late cancellation on my part.
I'm crossing my finger for a reply from the CFA Institute to ensure that I can peacefully go to the AUB on Saturday and do the test. I already lost almost a day worrying and making travel arrangements, I hope I'll pass this exam because it's taking a lot of my energy and I barely have the strength to do whatever. I'm worn out, completely drained and I feel like bursting into tears. Unfortunately they're not coming very easily, trust me, I tried.

These last 24 hours are a black dot on the history of the CFA Institute. It is unfair the situation they put us in, not to mention the 300 bucks I lost because of my cancelled trip to Amman. Shame on them!