I was in Walmart today...

In line at the till. A woman and her son (about 9 yrs old) were in front of me. She smacked him upside the head for I don't know why. He looked scared. She paid for her stuff and he paid for his slip n' slide with his own money he kept in a ziplock bag. He was short a nickel and he asked his mom for a nickel. She got pissed off and she said "too bad, you don't have the money you don't get shit!". She told the cashier to return it. I was going to give him a nickel but she would have probably kicked my ass. I feel sorry for that kid. I should have fake found a nickel and said, "Hey kid, you dropped a nickel." But his mom would have probably given him an ass whooping at home for dropping a nickel.

People suck sometimes.

Latest News From the Shankill...

So the story is that a few nights ago down this street one guy was asking another guy out of his house for a fight. The guy in the house wouldn't come out so the guy outside started damaging the other guys car. Today just down at the corner of the Shankill and the next street down from us a guy was standing on the corner. Just before 1pm 2 masked dudes walked up to him and shot him twice in the face. Turns out he was the dude who was in the street a few nights ago asking the guy out for a fight. I love this place.lol

Love,
HopAlong

Bloody bandages mark Shankill murder spot in Belfast

The Flamenco Diaries: Week 4 - Zapateo y Marcaje

We did footwork which is getting a bit more complicated and faster pace. She has finally thrown arms into the mix.

She's also had us do some marking to Allegrias.

Everything was a piece of cake and I felt good about everything.

After class, I hung around to observe Beginning II class, where you start doing choreography. It doesn't look that complicated and I would have probably been better off starting at that level. I notice that some of the people from my class stayed on and are taking that class. I think by the end of this session (which ends in June), I would have enough review of basic techniques to move on to Beginning II. Usually, it takes at least 6 months to a year in Beginning I to move up to Beginning II. Thank goodness my muscle memory has kicked in and I don't have to wait that long.

Nails of The Day: Revlon Grey Suede (Limited Edition)

So I decided to take a break from studying and go to CVS for respite. Hanging out at the cosmetic section (surprise, surprise)! Hidden on a shelf way back in the store was Revlon's Limited Edition Spring Collection of Nail Polish. There was a minty green, soft lilac, peach, and grey suede. The finish are all creamy, no sparkle. The grey suede and lilac caught my eye so I picked those up.

I tried the grey suede today and I quite like it! It's one of those "in" mushroom, taupe colors with a grey undertone. I never thought I would dig Revlon nail polishes, they always give me the impression that they are cheap and would chip after one day of wear. I quite like the formula. It's a bit watery but not hard to work with. Opaque after only two coats. With a seche vite top coat, I am hopeful that it won't chip or peel for a week. I think this is going to be my summer nail color besides coral. It would also make a great color for job interviews, it's very understated but elegant...



Too bad it's limited edition. I'm going to have to stock up!

The Flamenco Diaries: Week 3 - MISSED CLASS!!!

No flamenco today, I have to study for finals. :(

Food At Avoca in Belfast

HopAlong decided to torture me today. He went to Avoca (my favorite store/cafe) to have lunch with his sister. I'm so jealous!

Laura treated me to lunch at Avoca this afternoon. Not much atmosphere. A little noisy. The food is fantastic though.

Laura had the chargrilled chicken salad with couscous.



I had the grilled seabass and white beans and sun dried tomatoes. I can honestly say it was very close to being the nicest fish i've ever eaten. A very close second to our seared salmon.

Ballet and Tai Chi

I woke up early to practice Tai Chi at the park. Every morning 5 days a week, a group of elderly chinese men and women do Tai Chi. It was beautiful and serene. They were very nice and welcoming too. I love Tai Chi it's so graceful and relaxing. I think Tai Chi at the park will be a regular event for me.

After Tai Chi, I went to my first ballet class. It's very basic ballet. I decided to take this class because I want to strengthen my core for when I do turns in flamenco (turning is my weakness), to improve my balance and become more fluid and graceful. After class, one of the students asked if this was my first class. I told her yes, I've never taken ballet before. She was shocked and said that I picked up the choreography really fast, it took them months to learn it. I thought that was flattering but then again it wasn't really rocket science and it is a beginning class.

I had a half hour break, there was another Tai Chi class right after ballet. Different teacher. I've been taking Tai Chi from this teacher for a month now. He showed us practical self defense application from the poses we were doing. I thought it was really neat. He used me to demonstrate some moves, I felt like a rag doll being flailed about.

So 2 hrs of Tai Chi and an hour of ballet. Now 5 hours of study. Finals in two weeks.