10 Questions for the Dalai Lama

I just saw "10 Questions for the Dalai Lama". It was really inspiring and I learned a lot from this documentary especially about Dalai Lama's younger years.

I also was not aware that

- Tibet is about the size of Europe.

- All Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala are given refugee status, shelter and each can see the Dalai Lama.

- Google and Yahoo let China censor their Chinese search engine results, so if you search for "Dalai Lama" in Chinese version of Google or Yahoo you get only Chinese government approved results. There was also something about Microsoft letting China edit blogs. This is unbelievable... I certainly did not expect it from Google. I have Google's Adwords ads on this blog but I am going to remove them.

Purebred Yorkie Needs a Good Home

Julius is a purebred Yorkie who was found in Elmhurst, Queens. He's about twelve, and no one knows how he ended up on the street.

Despite his advanced age Julius is healthy and active. He has cataracts, but they don't seem to be slowing him down much.

Yorkies are one of the most long-lived breeds, and chances are Julius has a few more good years. He deserves to spend them in a loving home.

To find out more about Julius (I.D. # A725958) contact the NYC Animal Care & Control at 212-788-4000.

Rest in Peace

Coworker's little dog got hit by a car this morning. She died. She was rescued less than a year ago and was such a lovely dog. It is so sad. Hope she wasn't in pain and died quickly. Please, if you have a pet be extra careful and if you have kids walking your dog, do teach them how to be responsible and never let the dog(s) off the leash.

Met Opera Box Office Breaks Opening-Day Record

"$2.08M - Opening day sales for the Metropolitan Opera, which opened its box office to the general public on Sunday. That's a 25 percent jump over last season's opening-day take of $1.66 million." AP

And $60 of that is from me. :)

Big Cats, Dogs, Music, Words and Metaphysics

I would love to read these:



Ratha's Creature by Clare Bell



Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote



This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin



The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language by Christine Kenneally



2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl by Daniel Pinchbeck

I would have linked all these for you but I am still boycotting amazon.com. I now shop with alibris.com or at local indie bookstores and so does my boyfriend.

Kantoku · Banzai! by Takeshi Kitano

I wonder when this will come out in theaters here (if at all):



(Kantoku · Banzai! by Takeshi Kitano, English title: Glory to the Filmmaker!)

Kitano is my favorite director and seems like such a cool person.

"2 Days in Paris"

I saw "2 Days in Paris" and really enjoyed it. I haven't laughed so much at the movies in a long time. Julie Delpy's parents were great in it. Adam Goldberg's character reminds me so much of my boyfriend: his complaining, his Mediterranean/terrorist looks, him worrying about how he looks.

I loved the scenes after the big fight. That is exactly how I feel after having a fight.

I also saw "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". The movie was OK, if you ignore the stupid assumptions one has to make - but that is typical for a big Hollywood movie. I've never seen anything with Angelina Jolie - she is not a bad actress. I enjoyed looking at her outfits and I love the scene where she is forced to hold the baby. That's what happened to me once - I was asked if I want to hold the baby and I said, "No, that's OK." Ever since then, my boyfriend reminds me of it as an example of my antisocial behavior. :)

New Season at the Metropolitan Opera

Tickets went on sale today at the box office for 2007/2008 Met opera season. After standing in line for three (!) hours I got tickets for:

* Madama Butterfly (don't really know any of the singers in this one, but I loved it so much when I saw it at NYC opera, that I want to see it again.)

* La Traviata (with Renee Fleming. Loved her in Eugene Onegin last season)

* Romeo et Juliette (looking forward to seeing Anna Netrebko live - I have her CD and recorded one of her performances on the radio last year. Also Placido Domingo is conducting.)

* War and Peace (predominantly Russian cast with Valery Gergiev conducting. Looking forward to seeing costumes for Imperial ball scenes.)

Hour at the Museum

My Metropolitan Museum membership expires soon. I haven't taken advantage of it that much, but I intend to in the next couple of weeks. Saturdays museum is open until 9pm. I got there at 6 and only had enough space in my mind for 70% of the Greek and Roman section - I get overwhelmed and dizzy after too much museum (just like too much shopping).

Some cool stuff I found:





Bronze head of a griffin
Greek, third quarter of the 7th century B.C., From Olympia

It makes me want to learn more about griffins and their origins.



Pair of eyes
Bronze, marble, frit, quartz and obsidian
Probably Greek, 5th century B.C. or later

Burmese, Hound and Pit Mix Needs Home

Six-month-old Jay is under the illusion that he is a lap dog. Though he weighs 40 pounds, he will do his best to compress himself into a ball and settle in on your lap for a cozy snuggle.

Jay looks to be a melange of Burmese, Hound, and Pit. He was found on 164th Street in the Bronx.

Jay passed his temperament test with flying colors. He is good natured and affectionate. He's eager to learn and at the perfect age for obedience training.

To find out more about Jay (I.D. # A 722496) contact the NYC Animal Care & Control at 212-788-4000.

Reminder: Last Day to Vote for the Elephant Sanctuary

Today is the last day to vote for The Elephant Sanctuary in a competition where the winning charity will get $100,000. Please cast your vote.

Happiest Moment: My Dog For the 1,000th Time

The best Wednesday moment was the sight of my dog in the morning. It rained hard right before I got up to walk her (the rain flooded the subway, so getting to work was a challenge).

My doggie does not like to get up in rainy weather. All I could see sticking out from under the blanket was the tip of her wet black nose and tips of her front paws. She can't help being super cute!

I am also happy that she might not need to go to the vet. She was sick to her stomach last week and this week with similar symptoms. I just hope it was something she swallowed - possibly foil. Please, please, please never throw stuff on the ground no matter how tiny - use garbage cans.

Happies Memory: Inspiration to Cook

Best Tuesday memory - I made this vegan pasta recipe. It came out OK - next time I'll use less garlic and lemon and more olive oil.

I've been such a Martha Stewart - did laundry two days in a row, cleaned on Monday, cooked on Tuesday - very proud of myself. I don't mind cleaning, but have trouble finding time, energy and motivation. To get myself inspired, I've been using this Meyer Lemon surface cleaner from Restoration Hardware. I love the smell! It has no animal ingredients, was not tested on animals and uses "naturally biodegradable and nontoxic plant-based cleaning agents with pure essential oils".

Happiest Moment: Unexpected News

I will try to post here about best moments of each day.

Monday started out stressful, but my spirit was lifted when I received good news in a letter from my aunt. (Isn't it wonderful to receive letters. I'll try to write more to people in order to give them the pleasant feeling of receiving a letter.)

About a month ago my Mom told me that my uncle's alcoholism addiction is getting much worse and that he does not want to do anything about it and says that it is time for him to die.

I suggested that as a last resort maybe they can try to visit an old acquaintance of my dad's who is a healer who happens to live 4 hours away from them.

In the letter I received, my aunt told me that they did go to see the healer. She was very brief about it but said that it was an amazing experience. (By the way, this healer does not charge money.)

I can't wait to find out more details about their visit. I am so happy that they convinced my uncle. I thought there would be million excuses for them not to go. At least there is some hope now. I've been praying form him. He spent most time with me out of all my uncles when I was growing up. I don't want him to die and to cause so much pain to people around him.

They live in Russia where alcoholism kills men and ruins lives left and right.

Chihuahua Mix Needs Home

Poor little Minnie, a Chihuahua mix, was found wandering near 167th Street and Freeman Street in the Bronx.

She's clearly not a street dog. For one thing, she's been spayed. For another, she has a sparkling personality and is never happier than when she is being cuddled.

All in all she is a sweet lapdog who would make an excellent pet for someone in search of a diminutive companion.

To find out more about Minnie (I.D. # A 722006) contact the Animal Care & Control at 212-788-4000. She may be gone by the time you call!

Blonde Redhead at McCarren Park Pool

Blonde Redhead were great live! The girl singer has unusual but strong voice. They rocked out enough for me to get a little high from music.

Lab / Hound Mix Needs a Good Home

Mecca looks to be mostly Lab, but he's leaner than your typical Lab, and the Animal Care and Control folks think there is probably some slight hound (Greyhound? Whippet?) in his pedigree somewhere. With his glossy black coat and muscled physique, he also looks a bit like a Doberman.

Whatever his heritage, Mecca is a lean and athletic dog who would make an excellent running companion. He was found in Brooklyn in the Dr. Richard Greene Playground between Brownsville and East New York.

To find out more about Mecca (I.D. # A 720841) contact the NYC Animal Care & Control at 212-788-4000. He may be gone by the time you call.