Recipe: Banana Split Friend Sundae

Everyone should have a friend recipe by now.

Correction.

A conscious checklist of the most important things you look for in a friend.

Well, of course I want to hear yours!

But ladies first...smiling.

What I Look For In A Friend

By; Lauren Wells

1) Someone who can make me laugh and I mean LAUGH.

Giggle so hard you lose your breath while
tears start to form and you hold your stomach because it's begun to 

ache...Examples of friends that good?

Enough said.

2) Well....errr?
 How about a little thing called honesty?
If you don't have friends who can keep you honest then BEAT IT!
Trusting people is huge, especially when choosing friends because these are the people
 whom are "supposedly" looking out for you...not easy to find sometimes.
(Because these are the people that will tell you when you look like crap, have something
stuck in your teeth, when to go to bed or what you should and SHOULD NOT wear
e.g. granny earrings)

PEOPLE LIKE THAT ARE NOT EASY TO FIND - BELIEVE ME: I'VE SEARCHED
FAR AND WIDE

Gratefully - I've been lucky in my findings and continue to be spoiled by great friendships.
(these are only just a few ;-)

All I do is laugh...and the laugh some more - think most of my friends know I have a WEAK bladder so they keep making me laugh HaRRRRD until well, you know what!?!?

At least these people make me laugh...that's all I can ask for.

;-)

The School of My Dreams...kinda

The British International Bangkok Patana School.

This was the name of the school I was at for my teaching workshop in Bangkok.

The school was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L although mostly BRITISH based curriculum 

(meaning not the IB curriculum I'm presently learning/trying to teach)

and therefore not my first choice.

But still a remarkable place to learn and simply stunning school grounds.

I knew you would say you needed PROOF!

How did they get this picture of me running?

Huge campus...no?

Yup, that's right. They have a mote.

Killer fish.

Yeah, don't eat where I would be sleeping...
...every flipping lunch I would be passout here.
BOOMMMMMMM!

I guess I'll eat here if I have to...
 Couches are so much better than these cute little tables under the trees -
that are REAL!

Changed my idea of what a lunchroom should look like

forever

(*sigh)

Would you eat a perfectly ROUND dessert - Peter?!?

Friends, family, and Peter.

How are you?

Why I am good thanks - Balo Achi (in Bangla)

But let's get to the point here - this post is about a FOOD situation.

Let me set the scene for you.

You're in the airport, Dhaka airport to be exact, waiting for a flight that was suppose to board at noon.

It's now 15:30 pm (3:30pm) and the last meal you had was at 7:30 am.

What do you do?

You want to order food but no restaurants in the airport are open except for a

small convenient store that serves drip coffee and

sweet "homemade" desserts balls.

Excuse me? Did you say dessert balls? 

That's right - I did. In fact every thing this lovely man had to sell in his shop was round.

Don't believe me?

So the question remains - what would do you do?

Options Ms. Wells?

 A) Remain calm until boarding the plane and then become a PEANUT monster and
eat the plane clean of all the peanuts on board
(This is what my sister would do - she is a rock when it comes to pain
 and can tolerate a sore stummy better than I.
She could and would wait it out for another four hours if she hat to
and then go to TOWN once on the plane with snack foods)

B) Drink copious amounts of coffee and water pretending to fill your stomach and risk having a belly ache or worse (in my case) almost peeing your pants
(Note: this is dangerous not only for the last reason but I tend to shake a lot
when having drunken too much coffee and well, they can sometimes
not let you on the plane if you look a little suspicious...only happened once to me!
But they finally DID let me on - they had no choice - ha!)

C) Be a risk taker and try something new
(What would you do Pete? Remember YOU ARE HUNGRY!!!)

*sigh

I won't tell you what I did - you wouldn't like it!

;-)

I'm BACK from BANGKOK - bad as EVER!

Bangkok, Thailand.

 Who me? Yes, I got to go there but not what you think.

Professional Development conference and therefore didn't get sooo much time 

to sight see but like always, I did have one day of movie making adventure.

(post coming soon)

From what I can tell about Bangkok

(which is limited because we stayed in a hotel outside downtown area) 

I was surprised to see how

some parts were MUCH MORE developed than Bangladesh but then other area errrr

....very  much reminded me of home. That is, my home city of Dhaka.

Was not expecting to find any similarities.

Remember: Not a world travelor...not yet.

And of course (typique Lauren) I got in some sort of trouble with a authority representative.

Not a ticket or anything, just a good yell and well, almost a ticket.

*sigh.

It happens everytime.

Yes - yes my feet are not the prettiest but pay attention to WHERE

I am standing. 

On the line, right?

Okay, but just BARELY over the line.

 Well....according to the sky train safety-officer man this was DANGER!

That was WAY OVER the line for Mr. Safety First Officer Man and therefore lost

his marbles when he blew his whistle and I didn't move.

(What? My artistic picture was using up all my focus so I didn't notice him. Him or his whistle until he was right beside me, in my ear...

...Dhaka is loud, you'd think I would be use to loud noises but no.

 So I lost my marbles when he came up beside me, dropped the camera and peed my pants (skirt) a little. And then polite listened to this man yell at me - UGH! Hate being surprised like that!)

Typical arse of a tourist I am.

But then to make matters WORSE as he goes back to his spot, 

I take this picture with him in it, SMILING! 

So he comes back over and this time doesn't 

hold back.

Yes - I am a jerk.

Totally deserved it.

Karma is real and will come back to bite me in the butt for that one.

Sometimes I really am a cheeky 

little bas-TURD!

More photos and posts coming soon.

 

This is why I love Germans...

Warning: LAUREN RANT STARTING NOW

Not only does Germany run its country like a pharmacy (ha - thanks Peko)

BUT

they are leading the world yet again (first cars) and now in how to use & incorporate

 new (but small) methods of using renewable resources to create energy,

as well as, you ready for this?

Giving birth to the first 100%

self-sufficient community that produces everything from their own electricity to

actual GASOLINE for their cars, tractors and machines - pardon me?

Yup, it's already started and spreading throughout small villages & towns all over GERMANY.

And if you don't believe me watch this video - Take that!

IMAGINE not needing gas from anyone but your OWN POWER PLANT!

SHUT THE DOOR -WOW Lauren, thanks for that AMAZING update!

My pleasure.

If you do have time, just watch the first 20 mins....brilliant!

(Can't decide if I like this video more for the fantastic new information
I learnt about or... the accents?)

*sigh

Where is a single, intelligent, funny, German, scientist when you need one?

p.s. Leaving for Bangkok in two days for work - should I be excited?

Not even close, still so many other things to do before I get on that plane
:-(

Always Thinking...

I have a homeroom class this year that I don't

actually TEACH per say - I just meet with them every day for 10 minutes

and go over announcements, events, school stuff and personal problems too.

For me that can either be productive time (learning time that is)

or just shoot the S*** kinda stuff.

I like being productive.

Period.

SO always trying to think of a quote of the day 

(i don't normally like quotes but makes for good discussions) 

Pictures that they have to guess, time, place, date, significance.

Think we will be starting a book together.

We even did some math the other day - I KNOW! Wow Lauren.

But then a friend sent me this and well, I thought maybe it was time I posted

something more sensible on my blog...a couple of these I really enjoyed.

Cheers, I am going to bed while you all get up - WEIRD!

;-p

p.s. Any suggestions, things I can do, fabulous insight to share??? 

p.p.s. Be prepared, there are 21 little antidotes to read...smile and drink your coffee, eh?

ONE.

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.  

 

TWO.

Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

 (THIS WAS MY FAVOURITE - HIT ME LIKE A OF BRICKS!

DUH - WHY HADN'T ANYONE TOLD ME THAT BEFORE?)

THREE.

Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

 

FOUR.

When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.  

 

FIVE..

When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye..

 

SIX.

Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

 

SEVEN..

Believe in love at first sight.  

 

EIGHT.

Never laugh at anyone's dreams.

People who don't have dreams don't have much.

 

NINE....

Love deeply and passionately.

You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely

 

TEN..

In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

 

ELEVEN.  

Don't judge people by their relatives.  

 

TWELVE.

Talk slowly but think quickly.  

 

THIRTEEN.

When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

 

FOURTEEN.

Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

 

FIFTEEN.

Say 'bless you in GERMAN' when you hear someone sneeze - hahah (lauren's advice)

 

SIXTEEN.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.  

 

SEVENTEEN.

Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

 

EIGHTEEN.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

 

NINETEEN.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.  

 

TWENTY

Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice

 

TWENTY- ONE.

Spend some time alone.  

 

A Family of Green Friends

I was feeling lonely and I little sad today so...

 I went out and bought myself some green little guys - the air in my 

apartment is already SO MUCH BETTER- je joke.

It started on a day like today.

With shoes like this...

Friends like this.

Gardens like this - not sure where to start?

(gulp)

How to decide? No idea...so I just faked it.

Pretended I knew names of plants in English and looked at them

like I have seen my mom do thousands of time with her plants...

...no idea what I was looking for.

I just couldn't decide...so I bought them ALL!

And that's when bargaining and crowds started to come - yikes!

Let's watch the foreign girl get ripped off - YA-YA!
(errrr - help?)

 

My poor Milan was trying very hard to help me but in the end, 

I was too weak to play mean lady...

Don't think he liked my choice....;-)

Home sweet home.

Ended up being a good day.

It Feels So Good To Be Taken Care Of...

I came home last night and almost cried.

Sure - the reaction was over dramatic but for the last 4 days I have

been sleeping on average four hours and still (stupidly)

going for runs, doing spin classes and well, swimming in the pool racing my students!

I know, but that is my "ME" time and I like the ENDORPHINS.

Therefore,

last night when I walked into my kitchen and found this on the counter...I lost it.

Such a simple but BEAUTIFUL surprise.

I had forgotten to eat lunch that day and STUPIDLY decided to go for a swim after school just to

clear my head so this is me already hungry and post workout.

(more accurately called HAN-GRY = angry + hungry.
 

My cleaning lady never cooks - in fact, Sumitra normally just cuts up fruit and veggies because she doesn't like to cook - she says she's no good.

And of course that has always been ABSOLUTELY FINE with me.

You'll do all the prep work for me? DONE!  Who needs cooking?

And since then I've scared the crap out of her with big bears hugs and random pats on the back because I have no self control and

just get too giddy when I see fruits & veggies cut up in big containers - sigh!
Wrong way to show appreciation Lauren.

I'm getting better.

BUT ARE YOU LOOKING AT THIS?

Delicious chicken curry, all for me? Are you kidding?

She never cooked before but on this day, for whatever reason, 

Sumirta decided that salad and fruit just wasn't enough for Madame.

So thus why I cried tears of  joy - the timing was perfect and the surprise so unexpected.

For the first time since I've moved to Dhaka, it felt good to be taken care of - this has been a hard thing for me to accept since I'm not at all used to having a maid, cook, housekeeper every day at my disposal.

For the first time, I didn't fight the guilty feeling that normally takes over. I just accepted and enjoyed this wonderful meal.

How nice, how thoughtful, and how utterly loved I felt yesterday.

Yes of course I DID!

Set the table like a little lady and the GOBBLED up my dinner!

(burp)

Excuse Me.

 So very fortunate to know someone like Sumitra.
Thank you.

Bon appetite!