i am a pomsky

- i play.

- i'm intelligent.

- i'm competitive.

- i like friends. 

- i'm a hybrid - mix between a pomeranian and a siberian husky. 

- i have small features, some say that's pretty.

- i'm easy to maintain, friendly and calm.

- i like to be pampered.
- i just want love.

where have these been all my life? WHERE?!

xx

meet unamused kitty

i checked out a pet store last weekend.

this is the room they kept all the dogs in, with the exception of unamused kitty- who i fell in love with.

 i think what was most entertaining was how it was so composed in comparison to the dogs who were crying and barking in pain like the world would crumble any second if they weren't let out. unamused kitty don't care.

basically it hated its life.

spell of the puppy eyes

how do you say no to something so cute and cuddly?

i really can't wait to get me one.

xx happy monday

cairo diaries

i just came back from cairo where i was grateful to spend quality time with my father's side of the family. i got to meet up with some relatives i never really got the chance to talk to much when i was younger. my father's cousin sat me down and gave me the low down on my father's father's ancestry. turns out my father is mainly turkish and only partly egyptian through his mom and of course by default of growing up there. it doesn't make much of a difference in my life, but hearing about his great grandmother's journey to egypt from turkey was fascinating and one of the most interesting stories i've heard in a while. definitely script worthy. some day....

every time i go to egypt i get overwhelmed by the same feelings of nostalgia, happiness and disappointment. i'll always remember visiting more regularly when i was younger, spending weeks learning more about cairo as well as spending time with the whole family by the sea. i'm not only happy to be around family, but happy to explore the vast history which leads me to disappointment when i see the living situation that people have to endure as well as the insurmountable problems constantly on the rise. unfortunately, most of the time these problems do not find a solution.

egypt is so organized in its disorganization; the streets are a perfect example of this. i get anxiety attacks every time i'm in a car because i'm almost certain i'm about to die or someone else is. at one point, we had to rush my grandmother to the hospital and the amount of time it took us was disturbing. of course you're more aware of every detail and second wasted when someone's life is on the line - cars just randomly decide to stop halfway through a roundabout, people find that catching up in the middle of the street is normal and the traffic is always jammed. immense frustration is an understatement. we're grateful we got her to the hospital and everything turned out alright, but i have heard a lot of freak stories of people not making it to the hospital on time because of the road situation.

the photo above strangely enough depicts how i would describe egypt right now. figuratively, it's not in good shape, but there is hope, and literally, one of the few visual attributes that saves some areas is the greenery. i don't see myself ever living there, but it is a place i truly wish will improve.

xx

meet solitaire

my friend's cat is the feline dopellganger of the afghan girl.

we're all very proud.

xx

lovebirds

who needs to fly anyway...

PHOTOthèque: meet Dahlia

she's a soprano.

le week-end: a simple day in sausalito

my family and i decided to spend a day in sausalito since, well, it's something different to do. we had to cross the golden gate bridge to get there and despite the otherwise sunny skies, the fog creeping over parts of the bridge was like watching a time lapse at such a high frame rate. it looked unreal. it felt like driving into winter then back into summer - you couldn't even see the entire bridge! apparently this is normal for san fran and i need to just chill out... well maybe some people get excited by the collection of liquid droplets suspended in the air near our surface i dunno.

meet sausalito. the very charming san francisco bay area city population around 7,136. you'll find cafes/ restaurants and boutique stores/hotels to spend the day mingling around. most of the places are family owned; i can imagine that a lot of the houses have been passed down for generations. with a reputation as a "wealthy and artistic enclave, a picturesque residential community" it's a spot you should want to explore. i can't say i wasn't bitter driving around between the houses wishing i had one there... i'm still feeling bitter and i hope parking isn't easy for them.

we explored sausalito a year ago and drove by these rocks stacked on top of each other. apparently there was a guy "balancing" them. we had a good laugh at him and the tourists who fell for it. this time we decided to feed our amusement some more and get a closer look.

we asked the "artist" to do his thang and believe it or not he ACTUALLY balanced the rocks on top of each other! he even beat them at the end with a stick!!! (not very modest about his talent if you ask me). the balancing act didn't happen without a struggle so i have to say we were left awe struck and scared. who is this guy and what's his secret?? tres sketch.... 

this big (literally) guy was just hanging out and i couldn't help but show some love. he wasn't interested in the bonding sesh i was going for. is that what happens to dogs when they're 11 years old? it's not me cuz dogs love me. he's DEFINITELY going through something (probably indegestion)....  basically not the best moment for my ego but whatever, he's probably focusing on how to get a drop of pee out of him. no, i clearly don't take rejection from animals very well.

all in all, a fun and light way to spend the day. note: if you ever head out there make sure you take a jacket, the weather's a bit premenstrual. 

xx

when to run for your life

who wouldn't react that way.

xx

love me some california sun!

one of the things i've been doing regularly is enjoying the outdoors. it's something i'm seriously gonna miss when i leave (if i decide to ever return). my bro and i decided to drag take my dad for a walk; not easy - he generally considers a light stroll what most people would consider 3 hours of bootcamp back to back. he actually thinks we're trying to torture him by making him workout a little, so he brings his camera to "stop for photos" every once in a while (which is quite regular). you don't fool me dad...

 i had imagined this to look like one of those posters advertising spirituality in your typical yogi tree pose. it didn't work out for me, instead i give you a very awkward stand, i call it the awkward pensive stand.

 check out the stillness of the water. definitely the right place to reflect on life minus my obnoxious laughter and all our annoying photo-taking. 

meet my bro t, i'm spending time with him and his wifey in palo alto. now that they just got a baby it's gonna be MUCH harder for me to leave. (is that right, just "got" a baby? makes it sound like they just bought him from bed bath & beyond). hmm... anyway, i'd say this photo perfectly describes us, except for that "ready-to-charge" look he's going for. he's actually quite friendly... when he's well fed :p

xx

exploring on my bike

something i love doing here that i definitely wouldn't even attempt in the uae unless i plan on getting hit with heatstroke or being roadkill is cycling. i went with my sister-in-law's mother on such a fun ride. the weather was perfect: the sun was shining but there was a cool breeze, so you're never too hot or cold. oh how i love you san francisco. the scenery was beautiful, and with my music, i was on cloud 9 - makes the thought of cycling in a gym basically purgatory for murderous sinners who feel no need to ask for repentence. why would i go?!

we ended up cycling for 15 miles and stopped for a bite on a little street with all these authentic boutiques and cafes. we got a little taste of italy at this italian specialty store where i went a bit wild with our cold cuts order. so light and yummy. of course we managed to shop after that. i don't think anything would have stopped me shopping, not the fact that carrying the bags was a hazard on the bike or even being in my sweaty workout gear (not proud of it). if i can find something authentic that i won't get anywhere else at a great price i'm sold. one day i'm definitely living somewhere i can use my bike as my main form of transport. i hope.

xx

orangutan addicts anonymous

this really cracked me up even though it's actually quite sad. glad they're attending to the addiction. hope withdrawals aren't too tough on torie.

xx

bonjour liban!

when i think of beirut many images come to mind- my favorite of them all being what you see above. relaxing by the beach/pool with a nice cool drink at hand. you can't not love the gorgeous water of the mediterranean, not to mention the beautiful tan you always manage to steal with you by the time you leave (really ups your attraction level by a couple notches ;). 

i'm actually on the final leg of my 3 week june-journey, which was all dictated by weddings (it is mating season after all)- bahrain to london to boston to beirut, back to back baby. i'd rather not see another plane or suitcase for a while at this point and the idea of unpacking gives me heart palpitations. 

i'm not really sure how i've managed to remain standing considering the hours i've spent getting dehydrated up in the air, the tanning, and partying that naturally rolls over till morning (i don't recommend shots for breaky). each time i'm here i tell myself i'm not going to skybar ever again. still i end up there, suffocated by the compromising proximity i'm held in with a whole bunch of butts i'd rather not have up against me.

i've come to the realization that something about being here makes me feel like my body is invincible. it happens every time without fail. i'm smarter now though, at least i prepare myself mentally and expect to leave unwell. for once i've decided to give in to immobility today and just eat, sleep and chew big red. 

hope you're all getting some summer lovin :)

xx

meet jackson

my ex-roomie and her man now have a puppy and i've been honored as his godmother. it's a pivotal moment in my life tbh.

meet jackson, the very pensive, gentle pup.

very first family portrait-

godmother, very excited father, and proud mother. 

a child of a few words and always lost in thought (i like to believe he's contemplating his Dutch ancestry, and not where to pee next).

 he'll stay in any position you put him in, which is great and comforting to your ego, but deceiving at the same time. i actually thought he was enjoying storytime until i saw this photo...

xx penguina

a pirates life is a life for me

a little peak into an adventure i took off the coastline of oman to musandam, which juts out into the strait of hormuz at the entrance to the persian gulf. it turned out to be such a memorable trip that definitely beat the monotonous set of weekends i'd been enduring in dubai. you know, the ones that really challenge your alcohol tolerance in a club with a burnt out excitement fuse and misleading social skills. the only con to such a fun weekend is the need to continuously match the excitement of each ensuing weekend to it. enjoy the photo timeline below:

we faced some angry waters, but luckily i kept everything under control. 

the necessary map for treasure.

the necessary plank for the disobedient.

meet dinghy. he likes to hang out.

we had to fit through that gap, it was an extremely frightful moment. i wish.

i love these frisky free spirits. 

mermaid lagoon. we stayed clear of the commoners.

the water was so inviting i didn't want to get out. nothing beat swimming at night though, with all the phytoplankton. i'll never got bored of those little ravers.

i'm glad i brought my snorkeling gear, that one school of fish was really interesting... not. it's actually amusing to notice how none of the fish are ballsy enough to make their own way. i noticed one try hesitantly, and return. i'm sure it regrets it every minute of its life.

a fruity concoction made with love - not for those with low tolerance i.e. myself.

i cannot begin to explain how perfect this moment was.

what? we just happened to be hanging out up there...

spending some time on land. i must say i'm proud of my photo taking skills. yes fine, and lightroom has great presets blah blah blah.

we did some rock climbing and apparently i meditated (not true) before the ghost of a mountain goat shooed us away. so we settled for a fire and chicken, which was delicious!

the experience at night was unmatched by any other out in nature, for me personally. unfortunately no camera would capture the moment perfectly, but hopefully you have a vivid imagination: pitch black, the sky full of shimmering stars, the moon lighting up the silhouette of the mountains, a beautiful breeze, and four dolphins keeping up with the moving boat by the bow OUTLINED by the glow emitted by all the phytoplankton. i might have shed a tear now that i think about it. wait, yes i did. i didn't want the moment to ever end; i was actually a walking book of cliches. it was like every beautiful feeling in one moment. don't even get me started on the withdrawals.

i highly recommend taking this adventure to musandam before the heat tsunami really strikes. 

xx

getaway in fujeirah

last week i had family friends visiting from london who had some work in fujeirah, so we all decided to stay there to detox and relax. the detox lasted around three days for me; much better than expected. we spent our days tanning by the beach, working out, getting our nails done, indulging in massages and watching Game of Thrones. i honestly love massages; if i could get one daily i would be a much happier person. maybe then i'd enjoy them the whole way through rather than worry that they're coming to an end. even though our room was garnished daily with pastries, we ate fresh fruit, veggies, fish and drank a whole load of skinny bitches as per our detox... until i cracked with one of the brownies and it all went downhill from there. 

i've noticed that you can always expect a fresh splash of fruit and veggie along the road. for some reason when i'm on the beach, i always crave some crunchy, juicy, sweet watermelon. i love eating it with the skin attached so that i can suck the life out of the white part as well. 

my ingredients for a good tan: a hat, spf 30 and carrot sun oil. even though the weather was exceedingly humid, there was a pretty strong breeze so i didn't experience the impatient restlessness heat usually incites while tanning. i loved this beach specifically; the sand was clean, no stones etc, and the water was the perfect temperature to cool you down. 

how beautiful are palm trees?

i'm trying to experience the whole "living in the moment" thing and i noticed that one of the best ways on this trip was to avoid my ipod. rather than drown out the sounds around me of the crashing waves, wind and laughter, i enjoyed every ounce of them. i know that music enhances the moment, but i also find that it can easily take you to the past or future. better to avoid that when you want to appreciate where you are. 

you reach a point when driving to and from fujeirah where you're surrounded by mountains. i left to dubai around sunset and it was such a calming and beautiful drive. 

i hope you all get a chance to check fujeirah out sometime. the uae has a lot of little gems, you just have to look around for them xx

i want

"i'd like some attention now"

who needs to fly when they're this cute?

If you ever wanted to just stare at penguinos doin their thing, check out this penguin cam streaming live from the "Penguin Encounter" at SeaWorld San Diego. It'll be up during March and April. 

This makes me so happy... although, for the [insert embarrassingly high #] minutes I was watching it, I heard a lot of elephant-like sounds.... they don't make those noises do they?? 

I'd love them no less even if they did.

xx penguina

be one with nature. and your fears.

 i can't stand heights. the depth of the area isn't translating well in photos, but lets just say if i slipped through that unexpected gap, it would be pretty bad. well i wouldn't ever live to know what happened. having my pregnant sister-in-law (Adriana) walking around there like it was just a little break in the ground gave me so much anxiety.

trying to look relaxed and normal with Grace and Adriana. it's not working. Grace is the one acting like something was so funny. too bad she can't act. i lawe you wacie

xx penguina

Some Love from the Sky