It can only get better

Believe it or not, March will be over in 2 more days. (Seriously, where did all the time go?) For the last two months in a row, I have written and posted on the last day of the month, ranting about how lost and unmotivated I was, and wishing and hoping that the start of a new month will bring some positive changes.

So now that March is almost over, has it gotten any better? In some ways, yes. The flu is finally gone (thank goodness), and we have confirmed our honeymoon trip with a line up of very nice hotels in Andalusia. I've even splurged on an Alice + Olivia floral dress and a pair of dreamy louboutin espadrilles to add to my honeymoon wardrobe! And to embark on the journey to become a  true taitai, I have also made dinner a few times, much to SB's delight. *pat on back*

But then, as always, some things are not as good. And I have come to realize that I am the root of all the problems: Too many weak moments where I let procrastination and complacency get the better of me. Too many empty promises that I have failed to keep. Too many days and nights that I have wasted by doing nothing. And... I am the only one who can change this.

So now, if you will bear with me, here are the things that I swear I will be better at starting in April:

1. Getting back in shape: I have done it and I know I can do it. All it takes is willpower and discipline!
2. Managing my finances: SB and I are planning on buying our first home soon but this has made us realize how lacking we are in terms of finances. That means I really have to cut down my occasional splurges and use money more wisely.
3. Cooking at home: SB seems to be quite happy with my cooking so far. I look forward to trying some new recipes in the new month!
4. Being professional at work: as mentioned in my last posts, work has been dragging me down lately. I'm crossing my fingers that April will bring some good news, so let's see... but I hate being and feeling mediocre, and something has to be done regardless.

So here is my list of April resolutions, if you will. I will report back in a month to let you know how it goes.

西班牙像一本書(上)

我被西班牙的歷史迷住了。

事情是這樣的：去年八月結婚後，我們一直沒有騰出時間去渡蜜月。蜜月的地點倒是想了很多：希臘、Seychelles、大溪地、突尼西亞、土耳其…幾乎所有地方都考慮過。然後有一天，一個念頭忽然在我腦海裡植根，揮之不去。於是我跟老公說：不如我們去西班牙南部吧。

現在想來，會忽然想到西班牙，許是一種奇異的緣份。當初的想法，是嚮往西班牙感覺慵懶－每天睡到自然醒，在山城中隨意漫步，吃吃喝喝，累了回酒店睡午覺，正合我們心意。加上，西班牙南部安達路西亞（Andalusia）是一個有風景、有故事的地方。坦白說，要去靚resort對著靚海景發呆，我們從新加坡坐兩小時飛機已有不少選擇，但安達路西亞，安達路西亞有翠綠的山巒，有蔚藍的海岸，還有亞拉伯統治數百年後留下的一千零一夜般的異國色彩...

就這樣決定了。

這次回娘家，無意中找到了這本《西班牙像一本書》。書是我六七年前買下的，卻一直無緣讀畢，這次時機對了，翻開第一頁，便無法放下。

同一作者寫的《帶一本書去巴黎》，早已是我最愛的書之一。這書風格一致，以半遊記的寫法，與歷史故事交織，帶出各種關乎人性，文明，宗教的反思。

我和作者一樣，其實是去過西班牙的。我們都去過巴塞隆那，膜拜過高弟鬼斧神工的建築，但「卻本能地覺得，我們只是到了巴塞羅那，我們還沒有到過西班牙。我們沒有看到堂吉訶德的拉曼卻荒原，也沒有聽到西班牙內戰槍炮留在山谷裡的回聲。從此，留下一個夢，哪一天我們還要回去，走進西班牙。」

看畢全書，只感覺自己孤陋寡聞，從來不知道西班牙原來有著如此曲折、滄桑而動人的故事。而故事，正是由我們要去的安達路西亞開始。（待續）