The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

What it’s About

The Alchemist is a story about a young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago who has a recurring dream about finding treasure overseas. It follows his journey to Egypt in pursuit of his destiny and elucidates how the universe shall open up a path for those that have the courage to pursue their dreams.

Why Read it

Of the novels I’ve read so far as part of my 100 Must Read Books Challenge, The Alchemist is by far my favourite to date. It’s an uplifting, spiritual tale that has turned me into an instant Paulo Coelho fan.

Favourite Quotes

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”

“We are travellers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”

“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”

“I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”

“Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”

"And, when you can't go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward.”

"You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it's better to listen to what it has to say.”

The Natural History Museum, London

At the beginning of this year I decided I was in dire need of a little more culture in my life, so whenever I head into London  now I always try to throw in a visit to one of the renowned museums or galleries dotted about this remarkable city.

Most recently I visited the Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road. I only had a few hours spare but with the help of a  map of the museum I managed to see all of the key attractions, albeit without stopping to smell the roses along the way!

The museum is cleverly divided up into four colour zones (spread across four floors) to help you find what you’re looking for. Unsurprisingly, the children head straight for the dinosaurs (blue zone!), so this tends to be the busy area, but it’s definitely worth a visit. The ‘living’ T-rex is particularly impressive.

I loved the mammals’ gallery, which includes a life-size model of a blue whale (the largest creature in the world) suspended from the ceiling. Other highlights included seeing the dodo bird and taking the escalator up through the prodigious sculpture of the Earth, which felt rather like being in a sci-fi movie!

The celebrated Animal Inside Out exhibition was still on display while I was there but sadly I didn’t have time to visit it. The exhibition is adapted from Gunther von Hagen’s ‘Body Worlds’ and shows the intricate insides of a variety of the world’s creatures. (An admission fee applies.)

I’d certainly recommend a visit  to the Natural History Museum to anyone as it’s a fascinating place and is undoubtedly one of Britain’s best national treasures.

To visit the NHM’s website, click here

If I was a Rich Girl....

I'm forever stumbling across really fabulous (read 'expensive') things on the web, so decided it was about time to add a section to my blog dedicated to cool stuff that, 'if  I was a rich girl,' I would buy in the blink of an eye. The more outrageously expensive, the better!


My first acquisition would be this breathtaking penthouse apartment in Hyde Park, London. Apparently it's one of the most expensive flats in the world, costing a cool £6,000 per sq/ft. It has security gadgets that would rival James Bond, and of course boasts spectacular views across London.

Yes please!


To read the full article on this apartment, click here

Etsy

Recently a good friend of mine introduced me to the fabulous world of Etsy.

Etsy is an online shop where you can buy unique handmade and vintage items directly from independent sellers around the world.

It sells a huge range of items from jewellery, clothing, art, wedding goodies, right through to gorgeous items perfect for your home.

I particularly like its search features – for example you can search for handmade or vintage items– or my favourite – locally sourced items made in my own hometown!

It’s also very reasonably priced, which means you can pick up some fabulous items at respectable prices. A little patience is needed though as there is an almost overwhelming volume of items to look through and not all vendors dispatch to the UK. I could easily end up spending all day on this website!

To check out Etsy for yourself, click here

(Above dress/ image from Graceloveslace)

Photo of the Day - Thursday 9th August 2012

I went out for lunch with a few work colleagues today - we headed to the recently refurbished Pizza Express In Cirencester's town centre. I was pleasantly surprised with it's new look (although the construction worker helmets as light shades confused me a little...).

The pizza was pretty good though and that's the main thing!

Photo of the Day - Wednesday 8th August 2012

The renovations to the church in Cirencester's town centre took place some time ago, but even now, whenever I walk passed it I still can't help thinking how the front of it looks like a sand castle compared to the rest of the church.

I was also checking out one of the local bank's mortgage offers this lunchtime, but one of my colleagues had other ideas!

Photo of the Day - Tuesday 7th August 2012

Today's photo is borderline dreadful! Actually no, it IS dreadful! Despite having the perfect photo opportunity at lunchtime today (drinks with the girls at the Fleece Hotel), I somehow forgot to take a picture and only realised late this evening on my way back from a friend's house. So I took this photo on the walk home - the street was really eerie and it was misty (British summer??!!) but unfortunately as this was taken on my phone camera the effect was more dark and blurred than spooky!

Photo of the Day - Monday 6th August 2012

I stumbled across this dog having a little nap right in the middle of the pavement in town today. It was totally unfazed by shoppers passing by. (And no it wasn't dead - I checked it was breathing!)

Photo of the Day - Sunday 5th August 2012

My first kayaking river trip today was rather immense - it was meant to be a chilled out paddle down the Thames in Oxford but the weather had other ideas! We had downpours of monsoon proportions, wind, sunshine, lightning; you name it!

However, aside from the crazy weather it was an amazing experience - the Thames follows a beautiful, meandering path through Oxford, under quaint little bridges, passed the university buildings and along tiny little canal paths behind houses and pubs. It was truly breathtaking in parts.

We stopped in a park for a picnic lunch (it was sunny at the time fortunately) and also managed to moor the boats at a local pub for a quick visit. I'm not sure what the trendy locals thought when a bedraggled, exhausted bunch of kayakers descended on their local watering hole!

Photo of the Day - Saturday 4th August 2012

I'm doing my first all-day kayaking river trip tomorrow in Oxford - which means lots of prep today! These are just some of the bits I'm taking along - gloves, hat, dry bag, spraydeck, flask, money, spare change of clothing, camera, food, buoyancy aid.... bring on the carnage!

Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)

And so, the great book challenge continues! I finished Memoirs of a Geisha some time ago but have only just got around to writing up my thoughts on it now (so many books to read, so little time!).

What it’s About:

Memoirs of a Geisha is the story of Sakamoto Chiyo, a young girl from a poor fishing village who is sold by her parents into a geisha house in Kyoto at the age of nine. It follows her struggles in her new life and her eventual transformation into the exquisite geisha Sayuri. As a new geisha, the doors to the exclusive teahouses finally open up for her- holding an array of experiences and surprises in their midst.

Why Read It:

If you love a sweeping tale, then this book is a must. Although it’s a work of fiction, Arthur Golden researched it heavily and has succeeded in bringing to life the extraodinary world of the geisha.

Favourite Quotes:

There were so many in this book that it was hard to choose! Here are some of my favourites:

“At the temple there is a poem called "Loss" carved into the stone. It has three words, but the poet has scratched them out. You cannot read loss, only feel it.”

“I had to wonder if men were so blinded by beauty that they would feel privileged to live their lives with an actual demon, so long as it was a beautiful demon.”

“Grief is a most peculiar thing; we’re so helpless in the face of it. It’s like a window that will simply open of its own accord. The room grows cold, and we can do nothing but shiver. But it opens a little less each time, and a little less; and one day we wonder what has become of it.”

“If you aren't the woman I think you are, then this isn't the world I thought it was.”

Cranial Implosion on Aeroplanes

It’s a cruel world for a person consumed with wanderlust but overwhelmed with an irrational fear of flying.

In short, that person is me. I’ve always loved the excitement that visiting a new country brings. My senses come alive and I lap up the intoxicating sounds, sights and smells that abound on foreign soil.

Unfortunately there’s the little matter of getting there first and with time this has become a concern of increasing magnitude for me. Yesterday, I was telling a friend about my flying phobias and it ended in a fit of uncontrollable laughter because my list of flying fears is quite ridiculous. In fact I am surprised my brain doesn’t explode on an aeroplane considering all the things I worry about. Here are a few of the best ones:

Low cost airlines – despite the fact that many of the low cost airlines in the UK have flawless safety records (yes, I research an airline’s safety record before I will fly with them), I just can’t help feeling that they must be cutting the cost somewhere. So I spend the entire flight watching various parts of the plane to see if bits rattle/ fall off/ explode.

Counterfeit aeroplane parts – this links in with the point above. But the truth is counterfeit parts have resulted in unnecessary crashes over the years. Read ‘Airframe’ by Michael Crichton if you want to join me in this phobia.

Aeroplane toilets – this one is a double edged sword as I hate public toilets anyway as a result of my aversion to germs. Add to this an impossibly small cubicle, turbulence, queues, oh and a toilet that sounds like it’s going to suck you out into the abyss when you flush it and the result is me sitting cross-legged for the entire flight.

Terrorists – does anyone not fear this on a flight these days?

Gradual loss of cabin pressure – if you’re flying, take a bag of unopened crisps with you. If they burst then there is a good chance the cabin hasn’t pressurised properly. Hopefully you haven’t got hypoxia by this point though or it’s too late anyway. I remember reading an article years ago that said that oxygen masks only come down in an event of sudden loss of cabin pressure, hence the need for a bag of crisps as back up!

Hitting an air pocket – This can result in a serious, sudden drop in altitude - made even worse if you are squatting over the toilet trying not to touch any germ-ridden surfaces at the time.

Losing my passport – imagine reaching your destination - having survived the ordeal of flying - only to be deported (and placed back onto a steel-caged death trap of an aeroplane) because you have lost your passport along the way. My idea of hell.

So there you have it. An insight into my overactive little mind. Fancy flying with me? Didn’t think so!

image from dreamstime

Photo of the Day - Friday 3rd August 2012

I was majorly impressed that I'd managed to get up early enough to paint my toenails before work this morning. Unfortunately, at lunchtime when I popped into town for a spot of Friday afternoon retail therapy, I got so overly excited by all the sale items in House of Frasier that I tripped over a clothing rail, chipped my nail polish and probably broke my big toe in the process too. Happy Friday to me!

Photo of the Day - Thursday 2nd August 2012

I've been majorly slacking on 'team tea' duties this week so decided I had better make a round this morning (and get photographic evidence of it) before the team opt me out of all future tea rounds!

Photo of the Day - Wednesday 1st August 2012

Today's adventure was starting my 1 star kayaking qualification this evening on the lakes in South Cerney. I think it went fairly well, aside from the bit where I had to demonstrate how to lift and carry a kayak on my shoulder.... might need to work on that one a bit more (and possibly become a body-builder in the process)!