Sarah Benavides .:::. My World - In A Nutshell

My Favorite Guys Of 2009/2010

2011-01-11T09:16:00.053Z

Reflecting on the past two years, there are a few guys I'd like to invite over for a "playdate". Check out what makes these guys awesome - and places them right on top of my "to interview" list!

PAULO COSTANZO

Currently playing lovable smartass Evan R. Lawson on one of my favorite TV series, Royal Pains, you might remember him starring as Friends actor Matt LeBlanc's sweet geeky nephew Michael on Joey.

The 32 year old Canadian of Italian descent practically inherited his artsy talent, considering his mother is a singer/songwriter and his father an artist.

What I think is pretty cool (not only because I share his affinity) is his love for old movies and music - in an interview with TV Guide Magazine he declared listening to the 40s station his "guilty pleasure".

In addition, his hilarious, lovable, hyperactive-ish type personality makes him my kind of guy.

JAMES RODAY & DULÉ HILL

The 35 year old West Wing (probably one of the best TV series ever made) alumn Dulé Hill currently stars as fake psychic detective Shawn Spencer's (Roday) equally handsome knowledgeable sidekick Burton "Gus" Guster on one of my all-time favorite TV series, Psych. His great on and off screen chemistry (check it out!) with his 34 year old co-star James Roday lifts my spirits every time I see them. What makes these guys even better in my eyes is their long-term commitment to their equally lovely leading ladies Nicole Lyn and Maggie Lawson.

BEN SCHWARTZ

This funnyman caught my attention with his portrayal of agent Bill Hoyt on the (unfortunately) cancelled TV series Undercovers.

As it turns out, he has already achieved notable success working as a freelance writer for the Late Show with David Letterman's monologue and Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. His remarkable work as a comedy writer earned him an Emmy award, for writing Hugh Jackman's opening number at the Oscars as a matter of fact.

Much of his great stuff can be checked out on his website RejectedJokes.com - I'm curious about what's next on his agenda; I have a feeling this guy is going places!

ZACHARY QUINTO & CHRIS PINE

What these guys did was pretty remarkable - they were able to get girls like me who don't particularly care for science fiction to pay for watching a Star Trek movie - twice (not to appear overly obsessed, I had to see it once in English and once in German and both times with different people).

Their critically acclaimed revival of Spock & Captain Kirk made me want to join their bromance. Turns out I have a thing for sassy comments and special ears...

Anyways, there's a great amount of hilarious interviews with them on the internet, however, this is my favorite. Well then... let's all live long and prosper!

COLIN HANKS

Building a successful acting career is hard, but when you look like the outstanding Tom Hanks himself it might be even harder - considering your father is one of the greatest actors of our time, expectations are high and comparisons inevitable.

So far, Hanks senior's talented offspring did well for himself, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bailey on the short-lived TV series The Good Guys (co-starring the brilliant Bradley Whitford) and as Alex Whitman in Roswell, he also had substantial supporting roles in the 2005 remake of King Kong and the romantic comedy The House Bunny.

His witty and tremendously charming demeanor is really what caught my eye, he's absolutely fun to watch!

In the interview I linked above, Colin talks about his encounter with The Hoff which is the best possible segway to saying something that I've wanted to say for quite a while. As I'm qualified to clear up this urban myth due to my ancestry, I'd like to clarify that no German has ever thought that David Hasselhoff's Looking For Freedom was in any way responsible for, nor credited with the fall of the Berlin wall. The only reason why he's been famous in Germany is because of Knight Rider and Baywatch, two series that were hugely popular amongst Germans. Now he's just a buffoon... and I really hope he gets his act together some day.

JESSE EISENBERG

After his notable performances in The Squid And The Whale, Adventureland and Zombieland, the 27 year old New Yorker rose to great fame with his 2010 portrayal of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

A self-proclaimed "naturally anxious person", he's kind, awesomely sarcastic, smart and obviously uncomfortable with attention which makes him also very sweet and down to earth. A great example is his interview with Conan - "My life is basically just... you know, feeding and cleaning cats... and then I get to be the sexiest geek alive..." - and of course, the interview with David Letterman.

The son of a college professor and a former professional party clown, is currently (I don't know if he's graduated already) studying for a degree in Democracy and Cultural Pluralism - so maybe he'd like to compare notes sometime (as I'm currently studying socio-cultural geography - also referred to as the "anthropological part" of my environmental science degree)...

Anyways, I'm pretty sure we're going to see a whole lot more of this very talented guy in the future!

RYAN REYNOLDS

People's Sexiest Man Alive (2010) rose to fame with his portrayal of ditzy heartthrob Berg in Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place, and became even more popular with the ladies after playing the lead in the romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe. However, starring as Deadpool in X-Man Origins: Wolverine proved he's not just the ladies man but also very capable of playing more serious roles - most recently portraying Paul Conroy in Buried, being another example. Fortunately, he decided to star in yet another romantic comedy, because The Proposal was just hilarious and probably one of the best movies that genre had to offer in a long time.

Married to, and now unfortunately separated from the lovely Scarlett Johannsson (I wished they'd work it out - I'd never give up so easily), the 34 year old Canadian enjoys traveling and riding motorcycles.

In November 2008, he ran the New York City Marathon on behalf of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, raising funds for research that will hopefully lead to the creation of better Parkinson's treatments - or even help find a cure! Click here if you want to help further this great cause.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

The 29 year old former 'N Sync member and Micky Mouse Club alumn caught my eye once he started his solo music career. Like I Love You, Señorita as well as Work It and Where Is The Love? - his collaborations with Nelly and The Black Eyed Peas respectively were some of my favorite songs at the time of their releases.

After that I lost track of him for a while until the avid amateur golfer who dated the "old all-American girl Britney Spears" (before she had her very public mental breakdown), the absolutely enchanting Cameron Diaz and since 2007 the equally lovely actress Jessica Biel, decided to pursue acting and designing fashion (his William Rast clothing line that he created with his childhood friend Trace is pretty damn awesome).

He also does a lot of charitable work, being very dedicated to promoting music education as essential to a child’s development and regularly takes part in charity events that raise funds for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

His acting is also getting better by the year - he did an outstanding job with his 2010 portrayal of Sean Parker on The Social Network.

Also, he has shown that he's quite the comedian with his hilarious "Single Ladies" dance performance, his award-winning SNL skit "Dick In A Box", and the "History Of Rap" duet with Jimmy Fallon as well as his very amusing impersonation of John Mayer.

TANC SADE

The 30 year old Australian native is best known for his role of eccentric womanizer Finn on Gilmore Girls and has recently appeared in an episode of The Mentalist, entitled Red All Over.

In 2009, the avid Rugby player and mountain biking enthusiast, founded Five Island Films, an independent film production company for which he writes, produces and directs thought provoking short films. "We're a young passionate group of idiots who believe anything is possible with a good story and an active imagination." I think Flowers And Weeds is the best example of his dedication and appreciation of the art of storytelling. The well written, beautifully shot film engages the viewer with a heartfelt storyline, striking visuals and beautiful music - probably some of the best 15 minutes in film!

Mark my words, Tanc Sade is on the best way to becoming the Woody Allen of Generation Y.

LUIS BENAVIDES

And last but not least, my personal favorite (ok I admit I'm a little biased here) - definitely one of the greatest guys there is - Luis Benavides.

Born and raised in Colombia, Luis beat the odds early on in life. Graduating with a BSc in Telecommunication Engineering, he earned a scholarship for young gifted Latin Americans to work on his Master's degree in E-Business at the renowned Politecnico di Torino in Italy. Aside from co-founding and developing his family's online real estate agency and being fluent in Spanish, English, Italian and German, it wasn't long until Google realized his potential and hired him in 2007.

With great ambition and will-power, the 28 year old technology buff spends his free time furthering his language, programming and leadership skills. Considering his busy agenda, it still amazes me how he manages to be a kick-ass guitarist and loving husband!

Move over, Tim Ferriss - there's a new 21st century leader on the rise!

This is obviously just a small selection of great guys of 2009/2010 - so feel free to share your favorites! Who knows, maybe I'll get a chance to interview these guys for SOFIA magazine sometime...

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Who Is The Tallest One Of All?

2009-06-08T22:06:00.004+01:00

Ever since I was a teenager I struggled with my height. All of my friends - and to my dismay, all of the boys - were shorter than me. In order to fit in I used to duck my head, of course resulting in back pain for many years to come...

I come from an above average tall family - my mother, my sister and me are relatively tall women at 5 ft 8 ins (173 cm), my father is tall as well at 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) while my brother reached remarkable 6 ft 4 ins (193 cm)!!!

Well, I thought my family was tall until today when I came across an article on one of my favorite websites, oddee.com, titled 10 of the World's Tallest Women.

Yao Defen from China claims to be the tallest woman in the world. She is 7 ft 8 ins (233 cm) tall, weighs 440 lbs (200 kg) and has size 26 (UK) feet - just try to imagine that! (I've size 6 feet or a US size 8/European size 39 to give you an idea of how big her feet are.)

Currently the tallest man in the world is Chinese Bao Xishun who is 7 ft 9 ins (236 cm)!!!

Farewell, Prison Break! TV Show Producers Mess up AGAIN!

2009-04-29T14:18:00.006+01:00

What is it about the American television series creators that they come up with an exciting show idea and then mess up the whole thing towards the end?

I'm a huge fan of Prison Break but I'm really disappointed regarding the story line of the show's final season. With every new episode the show loses credibility.

Like the majority of people, I like Sarah Wayne Callies' character a lot but when they decided to kill her off the show, it should have stayed that way - at least until the final two episodes or so. I mean, this Bonnie and Clyde thing they have going on right now plus Sara's totally unfit pregnancy is just ridiculous and out of sync with the whole story line. What made the Sara-Michael dynamic so interesting in the beginning was their quest to overcome their physical separation, now that this is gone it's just like any other (romantic) drama series. This is the first thing that really bothers me.

Secondly, now Lincoln and Michael's allegedly deceased "mother" is the evil wannabe head of The Company - seriously?

Thirdly, Michael, who got into all this trouble to save his beloved innocent brother from death row, the same brother who now made a deal with The Company to save him from dying of brain cancer (which is another ridiculous thing by the way) is determined to work against him - no matter what it takes?

Well, in my opinion, the show is just messed up now. Seriously, it should have ended when they got Scylla and handed it over to Don Self, who instead of screwing the convicts used Syclla to bring down The Company for good. Then, in the final scene they could have shown Lincoln, L.J., Michael, Sara and Sucre living in Panama happily ever after with their surf shop - ok, ok, and a baby to make the Sara-Michael fans happy!

The final three episodes of Prison Break air on Fridays, May 1st, 8th and 15th in the United States - let's see if it can get any worse! ;)

If you're a fan of the show and would like to give your opinion, please feel free to leave a comment!

The Key to Failure: Trying to Please Everybody

2009-04-09T13:42:00.011+01:00

Yesterday was one of those days where I suffered enlightenment. When this happens I usually cry. You might wonder why that is... "isn't enlightenment a good thing?" Well, in my case enlightenment means discovering the blunt (sometimes kind of ugly) truth about myself.

What I did was taking stock of my life so far and I wasn't exactly pleased with the outcome: I've wasted six years trying to please everybody! I was a really good girl (which is a generally desirable attribute), but I could have been much closer to achieving my goals than I am right now if I just followed my heart instead of other people's expectations.

The purpose of this post is to ask you not to make the same mistake - pleasing everybody usually doesn't result in success and you will only feel miserable!

It's good to recognize you've got a problem but it's not enough if you want to resolve it! - So, I dug a little deeper and found that there are two reasons for my urge to please everybody: 1. fear of rejection/failure and 2. lack of a healthy self-esteem.

Discussing these two aspects in more detail is beyond the scope of this brief post (but I may dedicate a future post to both points).

If you want to learn more about dealing with rejection, click here or here.

Now that I know the cause of my problem I can start to make the necessary changes in order to be myself and follow MY dreams!

Next time you make a decision based on what other people expect from you, remember the words of the great Bill Cosby:

"I don't know the key to success but I know the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

Be yourself - and you will have friends and enemies just like everybody else!

If you have any thoughts or advice you'd like to share, please leave a comment or contact me via email!

Prejudices Suck!

2009-03-09T11:21:00.016Z

Today I want to talk about the prejudices that I have to deal with on a daily basis and explain the reasons behind my decision to follow Sean "Diddy" Combs (@iamdiddy) and Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) on Twitter - two issues that are somewhat interrelated.

So, yes, I do have a passion for philanthropy and environmentalism, and yes, much of my life does revolve around those two passions - but does that mean I have to be like the stereotype: a religious, "Jesus sandals"-wearing know-it-all wallflower? That's not how I see myself.

I do find it utterly important that people help each other, try their best to do the right thing - this is common sense to me! However, I am also an open-minded agnostic, I do make many mistakes, sometimes I'm funny, sometimes I'm deadly serious but most of all I want to make people feel good and I do have some sense of fashion! ;)

In fact, I feel offended when people imply that atheists don't do charitable work like religious people. Probably I even adhere to the 10 Commandments more strictly than many believers of God - seriously, do you need someone to tell you that killing, stealing and cheating is wrong? My parents are Protestants (who go to church every Sunday); I also have friends who follow different religions - and I do respect their beliefs but I expect that they tolerate my viewpoint, too. I love diversity and dearly hope that one day people of different religions, races, cultures and sexual orientation can coexist in peace - if my friends and I are able to do that, you can do it, too!

Now that I've got this off my chest, I tell you why I (like thousands of other people!) decided to follow Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ashton Kutcher on Twitter even though some of my fellow philanthropists and environmentalists may think that this was an unwise move. Maybe they are right, but as much as I enjoy taking over leadership, I still want to be a follower because there's so much to learn from others.

So, what do these two nice gentlemen have in common? - Yes, both are famous and many will tell you they are also very handsome and talented - and I certainly won't dispute that; however, that is not what my decision to follow them was based on.

As for Sean "Diddy" Combs, my admiration for him goes back to the late 90s. His success story (from ambitious intern to millionaire within 18 months: check out the video below!) inspired me to never give up on my own dreams - because as Mr. Combs has demonstrated - with hard work, ambition and persistence they can come true eventually! And this is also what I like about his tweets: every day he reminds his followers that anything is possible and encourages them to be proactive - I think everyone needs a mental boost like that every once in a while...

With regards to Ashton Kutcher, I came to like him after I saw a VH1 special about him a few years ago. Two things he said there that stayed in my mind (I'm sorry I don't know the exact words as I saw it in German) were: 1. Always be happy, never be satisfied. 2. Aim for the moon, if you miss, you may hit a star (a Clement Stone quote). On a more superficial note, I think Punk'd is hilarious! ;) After reading an article headlined "Ashton Kutcher Twitters Against Sex Slavery", I decided to follow him.

In conclusion, both Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ashton Kutcher are the kind of 21st century leaders that we need right now. In my opinion it's worth following them!

Check out the Sean "Diddy" Combs interview with Carlos Watson below:

The One-Man-Living-Cartoon-Factory: Funny Medley!

2009-03-07T14:09:00.008Z

Ennio Marchetto is the One-Man-Living-Cartoon-Factory! Check out this medley showing his hilarious impersonations of famous personalities ranging from Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and Stevie Wonder to Madonna, Whitney Houston and Tina Turner! For international tour dates visit Ennio's website.

No Cold Or Flu For Me This Winter - Here Is How I Do It!

2009-03-06T21:40:00.010Z

There are basically three things that I would credit helping me to stay healthy this winter. But before I tell you what those things are I should mention that it's actually a miracle that I didn't get sick because from age 13 until spring 2008 I got a cold three times and the flu once a year. This year I didn't even get sick when my partner was lying in bed with a bad cold for a week which is usually a guarantee for me to get sick, too.

So, here are the 3 things I did differently this year (thanks to my grandparents who gave me the advice):

1. It may sound a bit unorthodox but I drink cider vinegar at least every second day in the morning before breakfast. I dilute 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp cider vinegar in a glass of warm (almost hot) water. As I suffer from acute chronic sinusitis, I wake up with a sore throat every morning since 1999 but I found that the cider vinegar clears my throat and stops the pain immediately. If you want to try this, make sure you don't use more than a tsp because it may burn your throat - I did that and it felt like I swallowed needles, so be careful! ;)

2. I use salt-water nasal spray at least once a day (but there is no harm in doing it 3 or 4 times a day as it is non-addictive). It's a good way to prevent a cold and even sinusitis (which is really one of the most annoying diseases there is). By the way, this helps my sinusitis-related blocked nose as well! :)

3. There's nothing better than antibacterial hand gel - I love the Carex one, it's cheap, handy and lasts for 100 applications. I use it several times a day and it's ideal when you're out in public where it's easy to catch some kind of infection.

Health is our greatest wealth and maintaining it has never been easier - if you follow my blog you'll see that there are many quick, cheap, simple and natural ways to improve wellbeing which I test myself and share them here if they are working for me! If you have tips on how to avoid getting a cold or the flu and would like to share them, please leave a comment, email or tweet me! ;)

A Tribute To My "Little" Brother Who Turns 23 Today

2009-03-06T12:53:00.009Z

Today I wanna give a quick shout-out to my little brother Manuel whom I wish all the best and much love for his 23rd birthday! So, happy birthday, bro! :)

My brother is pretty much one of the coolest, easygoing guys on this planet (and still single - just a little hint for all the sweet single ladies out there!) and one of my best friends.

Our brother-sister relationship has always been great, especially because we like the same things and never fight, ok except maybe for this one time where I bit him in the arm and he knocked my tooth out (no worries it was just a baby tooth)! ;)

I feel really blessed to have a brother like him and wouldn't exchange him for another. :p You know what also really fascinates me about him is he's a health miracle! It's a popular belief that dairy products make you fat, right? My brother (who by the way rarely eats vegetable or fruit ever) has been slim all his life and reached a height of 1.96 meters (about 6 ft 5 in) by basically living on nothing else than banana milk, yoghurt, cheese and meat!!!! Well, once again: happy birthday, bro! xoxo

The Key To Healthy Living: 30 Things That Healthy People Do Differently

2009-02-28T12:54:00.022Z

Every year the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a list of the world's most common diseases: Cardiovascular diseases causing heart attacks and strokes as well as lung cancer are responsible for most premature adult death in industrial nations. Other diseases that top the list are depression, diabetes and breast cancer.

The good news is that some scientists used the WHO list to study those people who don't appear in the statistics. The result is a list that reveals hidden risks and shows which factors do improve health. I found this list very useful and decided to share it with you so you can benefit from it as well!

So here is WHAT HEALTHY PEOPLE DO RIGHT...

...WHO NEVER SUFFER FROM FATIGUE

1. They drink water instead of coffee

The 'pick-me-up' effect of caffeine doesn't last long; soon the tiredness comes back. Drinking more coffee now just makes it worse. Better: drink a glass of water every hour - this ensures an optimum level of blood flow in the brain and makes one more alert in general.

2. They eat beans or lentils two times a week

Both are great sources of iron - and iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of lethargy.

3. They don't have only sweet things for breakfast

Sugar, cereal and fat alone do give quick energy but also it doesn't last for long. Better: Stock up on protein! Eat an egg or a slice of cheese on whole-grain bread because protein gives energy for several hours.

...WHO HAVE A HEALTHY HEART

4. They eat an apple a day

A Finnish study revealed that apples cleanse blood vessels and therefore reduce the risk of having a heart attack - so it is really true: an apple a day keeps the doctor away!

5. They visit the dentist twice a year

And that is in order to get their teeth cleaned professionally. This reduces the risk of gum disease and therefore also the interrelated risk of heart disease.

6. They ride a bike three times a week for 20 minutes

This way critical blood pressure values normalize keeping the heart young and healthy.

...WHO USUALLY DON'T GET A COLD OR THE FLU

7. They dry their hands thoroughly

Tests showed that if you dry your hands with a towel for 10 seconds they are virtually germfree. Wet hands, however, have up to 60.000 germs which means increased likelihood of infection. For public bathrooms the best way to do it is to dry hands thoroughly with a paper towel because the hand dryer increases the germs hundredfold.

8. They wear thermal underwear

Studies showed that slightly too high warming on the skin's surface decreases the infection risk (sorry for sounding so geographical but I don't know a better way to translate it). Also: Staying warm from the navel downwards prevents cystitis.

...WHO ALWAYS SLEEP WELL

9. They don't have a mobile phone on their bedside table

Activated mobile phones have an approximately one meter magnetic field that disturbs deep sleep. It is generally better to sleep in a room without activated electronic devices.

10. They don't use perfumed night creams

Studies showed that many essential oils in creams influence the part of the brain that keeps you awake (can't find the correct term for it) and can even cause insomnia or fitful sleep.

11. They turn off the TV one hour before they go to sleep

Because this is the amount of time that the brain needs to process optical stimuli and to switch from attention to sleeping mode.

...WHO HAVE A LOW CANCER RISK

12. They drink green tea each day

Green tea can help reduce the risk of esophageal cancer by 40%. Naturally cloudy apple juice has the same effect: it contains lots of vitamin C (180 times more effective than the synthetic one) which neutralizes cancer-causing molecules in the body.

13. They consume olive oil each day

Just one spoon of olive oil is sufficient to help reduce the risk of getting breast, prostate and colon cancer by 25%. Soy is also great as it contains hormones that prevent the formation of tumor cells.

...WHO LOOK YOUNG FOR LONGER

14. They do without an elevator

200 steps a day are enough to keep the legs strong and in shape. For people over 40 this is an ideal way to reduce the risk of varices by 80%. No stairs in sight? A fitness stepper has the same effect.

15. They eat a citrus fruit each day

The more sour the fruit the more vitamin C it contains. Consuming a grapefruit or lemon a day supports cell regeneration, tightens connective tissue and prevents wrinkles.

16. They don't smoke

Smoking accelerates skin aging. Unfortunately, sun exposure has the same effect so make sure you always use face cream with SPF - even in winter!

...WHO DON'T SUFFER HEADACHES

17. They don't drink light-drinks

Because they contain sugar substitutes that increase the risk of suffering a headache.

18. They continue their sleep rhythm throughout the weekend

Getting up at the same time each day (ideally before 8am) decreases the risk to suffer from headache by 50%.

19. They eat every 2.5 hours

Eating regularly maintains a steady level of blood sugar and therefore prevents headache.

...WHOSE CELLS AGE SLOWER

20. They go to sleep before midnight

Sleeping early increases the nightly cell regeneration by up to 30%.

21. They spend much time outdoors

An optimal oxygen supply supports cell formation. Also of benefit: airing the rooms regularly.

22. They eat fruit of three different colors each day.

For example a banana, an orange and an avocado. They contain antioxidants that slow down aging and reduce cancer risk considerably. Effect: a higher life expectancy of up to 20 years.

...WHO DON'T SUFFER FROM PAIN IN THE BACK

23. They eat a handful of nuts

Because backache has often to do with magnesium deficiency and nuts are rich in magnesium.

24. They don't drink soft drinks

Because soft drinks like coke contain phosphor - a substance that can cause disturbed blood flow and painful tensions in the back muscles.

25. They change their mattress every eight years

This decreases the risk of back problems by 35%.

26. They eat 50g of gummy bears a day

The colorful bears contain 15 essential amino acids and gelatine that builds up cartilage. Effect: a strong back and healthy joints.

...WHO HAVE A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM

27. They don't do radical dieting

Many diets attack the vital substance depots in the body. Consequence: a weak immune system. Better: a gentle change in diet and regular detox.

28. They eat 500g of yoghurt a week

This way the intestinal mucosa remains intact; its immune cells are being strenghtend and the risk of colon cancer decreases.

...WHO NEVER FEEL STRESSED OUT

29.They have a high intake of vitamins

This is because the body needs lots of vitamins to reduce stress hormones. In extreme stress situations experts recommend the combination of vitamin C and zinc (which strengthens the immune system too). One tablet is effective for 10 hours.

30. They swim

Swimming is the best sport to reduce high values of the stress hormone cortisol. Going for a swim twice a week is recommended.

Even though it's long it's not an exhaustive list of things that improve our health. I'm not an expert so take this advice with a grain of salt!

Carpe Diem - But What If There's Never Enough Day To Seize It?

2009-02-27T17:41:00.000Z

Can you believe it's weekend again? Well, don't get me wrong, I don't want to complain about that: I love weekends like anybody else! But it just makes me mad that another week's gone - even another month and I haven't completed half of the tasks on my to-do list. Not only didn't I get done half of what I had to do but neither did I get done what I really wanted to do.

With every year I grow older, I feel that time's passing faster. So fast, in fact, that I feel like the entire week is only about four days long. Of course this feeling makes me stressed out, and to be honest, also a little afraid. I have deadlines to meet and I'm working so much for meeting these deadlines that there's hardly no time left to have fun or to just relax. So you might say, "what about time-management?" I do use some techniques to get things done on time but I'm also a person who is somewhat allergic to routine.

Right now I'm actually facing my greatest challenge: I am a distance student so I have to get my act together and force myself to study half of my day every day in order to pass the exams - a routine that I have to follow for a few years! Well, wish me luck (but most of all sufficient self-discipline)!

So, if someone out there has discovered a way to make time pass slower or at least to create the illusion of having more time, please let me know! - Carpe diem, everyone! ;)

Apart Launched Fresh & Colorful 2009 Spring/Summer Collection

2009-02-24T14:38:00.000Z

Wanna know what I'm gonna wear this season? Here are some of my favorite pieces of Apart's spring/summer collection:

And the Oscar Goes to...

2009-02-23T10:40:00.005Z

Well, I think I wasn't too bad with my predictions after all: Slumdog Millionaire (among others) won best picture and best music like I said - "killer soundtrack"! :)

Look at the picture on the left: "Feel-Good Film of the Decade"???? I didn't feel so good after seeing the film! On the contrary, I was devastated by the poverty and the cruelty towards the poor that the movie portrayed. Those are real people and it is based on their reality - how can you feel good after seeing that? All it did was make me think about what we could do to rescue the people from living like that and how lucky I am to have been born in Europe.

Ok, next, Sean Penn won the Oscar for best actor in a leading role and that made me really happy - although I would have loved to see Frank Langalla winning, too.

Heath Ledger won best supporting actor for his outstanding Joker-portrayal - and deservingly so!

Regarding the actresses, I must put straight that it was leaked that Kate Winslet (not Angelina Jolie as I stated in the previous post) would win the Oscar for her role in The Reader and she did. Also a winner, Penélope Cruz as best supporting actress for Vicky Christina Barcelona (even though I was told that the movie was really bad from people around the globe).

So, that is it for 2008! I'm already curious what this year has to offer - 2008 is definitely difficult to top! ;)

My Oscar Picks - What A Great Year It's Been!

2009-02-22T14:35:00.009Z

So, first of all I must confess I still haven't seen all nominated movies - mostly because some of them are still sold out - we managed it just yesterday to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button! Even though I wouldn't call myself a Brad Pitt fan, I think he did a great job and I can absolutely understand why he and the movie are nominated.

It isn't my Oscar pick though - my favorite movie of the year was: FROST/NIXON and I would love to see Frank Langalla winning the Oscar for best actor in a leading role. Or Sean Penn (who is actually one of my favorite actors) for Milk.

I think, however, that Slumdog Millionaire is going to win best picture - it's a truly touching and well-done movie with a killer soundtrack - so that's my best music pick.

The Oscar for best supporting actor should go to the late Heath Ledger - his Joker portrayal scared the crap out of me! ;)

As for the ladies I can't really say whose going to win as I have seen only Angelina Jolie in Changeling (I was told it was leaked she's going to win, but who knows...) and Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Well, that's my Oscar picks for this year! If anyone would like to share their favorite movies with me (nominated or not) please feel free to do so! I appreciate any recommendations! ;)

A Second Blog - Why?

2009-02-20T20:44:00.006Z

When I lay in bed last night I was thinking that I needed another blog (as I don't even make it to update my other one regularly, it just seemed the right thing to do). Well, I think one reason for the need of this blog was that even though I have a passion for philanthropy and environmentalism, it isn't the only characteristic trait that defines who I am. As filantronomics.org is dedicated to this passion, I was missing a place where I can express the other aspects of my life and my personality. Hence, this new blog - a place where I can write about everything else that moves me, e.g. healthy and balanced living, love, fashion, traveling and my hobbies, among others.

Well, let's see how it goes... xoxo