The American Tourist (TAT)

So I recently returned from a fab-u-lous trip Europe – South of France and Italian Rivera to be exact and it was really awesome.

The trip started in a little French village whose main attraction is Mount Ventoux. For those of you (I didn’t) who do not know, this is the last climbing stage of this year’s Tour de France…and you guessed it Action Jackson Harvey had the two of us riding up the damn thing…ladies and gentleman..by far the hardest thing I have ever done EVER. I didn’t make it to the top as I basically cried, had a heart attack and crapped my pant during the 16 k I did finish!! Luckily for me at 16k there was a bar/restaurant where I managed to get all hopped up on energy drinks waiting for Phil to finish and the ride down…by far the scariest thing I have ever done!!! All was forgiven/forgotten when we finally arrived back at the village and I consumed 2 pints of beer and an enormous Panini!

The second leg of the trip took us to another little French village to attend a wedding. We stayed in a converted farmhouse located in the middle of a vineyard – can someone say unlimited supply of rose? The wedding was beautiful blah, blah – good times!

Ok from there we went to Monaco, Portofino, Santa Marghertia (Italy), Cinque Terre and Lake Como and here is the reason for this post.

Cinque Terre is actually 5 little villages connected by train or you can hike to each. The hiking was great, views spectacular, water an amazing blue but there was something that was not settling too well with me…what could it be??? Then the voices ring in my head “Y’all want a glass of vino” THE American tourist (TAT). Let me stop and say I am love being American so no I have not moved away and think I am all cool and stuff but there is something really annoying about THE American tourist (PS none of my friends and family would fit into the category of the American tourist). Call it - loud, annoying, arrogant, not trying to fit in to the surrounding cultures!! You just seem to able to pick the TAT out.. maybe it’s just because I am American and I feel a certain embarrassment by said behavior but it really got on my nerves..

Ok so all that being said…take a look at me on vacation….



Yankees cap, hiking boots, red fleece, blue shirt..damn if my shorts were blue I’d be the American flag….

Jenni “TAT” B

Did you know...

That if you put all the streets in New York in a straight line, they would stretch to Japan??? Well its true.

Thanks Snapple!

Cougarville

So as most of you know Monday was my birthday and this was a big one…. I turned 35 and this has me teetering dangerously on the brink of cougarville.

If you see me looking anything like the above and dating anyone that looks like the above please stage an intervention as soon as possible!!!

Jenni “Linda Hogan may soon be my idol” B

Total Eclipse of the Heart

Hello all! So today was the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century here in Asia -pretty cool huh?? Actually not really. The weather is pretty bad so you couldn't really get the full effect as the clouds were covering the sun and it has been dark all day. I wish it was the usual cloudless Singapore sky - now that would have been pretty cool.

I did have a giggle this morning as a very nervous, very new Asian reporter (woman) with a lisp was sent to cover the story for CNN. She was stationed in Shanghai amongst a group of nerdy eclipse chasers (who knew they existed???) and unfortunately the weather was not cooperating in Shanghai either. Well they kept going to her for updates and there was really nothing to see. Then the clouds started to move and the sun appeared as she was speaking and you hear "oooooo" from the eclipse chasers. She quickly put on her eclipse glasses (picture 3-d glasses) to take a look and the clouds moved in again. She took off the glasses a bit dejected and started to speak again and two minutes later "ooooooo" she put her glasses back on and sure enough clouds moved in again. Well this pattern went over about 5 more times leaving the anchor even more nervous and lispy.

Boy did it make me laugh!!

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ok so after 9 months of uncertainty I officially know I have a job and what exactly I will be doing so needless to say I am one happy girl. This is the result of a week long trip with my two new bosses (ummm stressful!) and all went very well! I happened to avoid any Bridget Jones' moments - whew!!

So with that out of the way I feel that my writters block may be gone and back to blogging. You see I am actually doing this at work now when I should be thrilled to have a job and working - sooo typical!

During one of the dinners on the trip this America guy was talking about a very successful couple he knew and referred to them at D.I.N.K's (double income no kids) Jeez I had not heard that one in a while which led me to think about my achroynm S.I.N.K (single income no kids) hummm....SINK - not too promising huh??

Love me.