Releasing the pressure

The elevator and the Runner

There is always interesting stuff happening at work; like the Christmas Carols concert, drinks and deserts at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago earlier today.

But sometimes more unexpected things will capture my attention and my eyes.

Last night I was leaving work with my co-worker, rushing to get home for a little Early- Christmas party. She was talking and telling me stories, while I wasn’t paying attention to her… My eyes got attracted to this young guy’s face… He had a short, black hat almost covering his eyes… he was looking to me also, with almost a smile coming from under this look.

But the most interesting part was the runner look. He had changed his business clothes for some really cool Nike jogging suit. It was not his burgundy jacket, the hat or the gloves I was starring at; there was something made out of Lycra and Spandex and who knows what, but damn he was so hot… all bumpy and bubble like shapes! I am barely holding myself in the elevator right next to him and my colleague is in front of us… still talking and telling me stories. If she was not there I would had broke down the ... shaft!

Santa Clause and The elevator cab

All these tall high rise buildings, skyscrapers have cab elevators with monitor displays. Nothing for the Metropolis building and probably nothing yet for the new coming Backstreet towers, but most of the office buildings here in Chicago have such fancy things.

Well, if you are getting bored between the main floor and your office floor, you have few chances: doing push-ups like me (about 30 for the 24 floors travel time) or just watch the monitors, together with other co-workers; unless you want to count the white hair on that old lady receptionist, the nose hair to one of who knows what CPA working on a different floor. Slim to none chances to count (or even look to) the buttons fly of a young professional hottie. Well, the reason is well knows, based on the trendy professional attire: the dress pants come with zipper, none are made with button flies. Unless is Casual Friday and you may be lucky to get stacked right next to that Diesel guy, there are no other chances but the monitors.

Some information is funny, some is useful but not updates and most of the time there are “quickies” (ok, I am talking about briefs… well briefs of info!)

The today’s story is the Origins of Santa Clause.

“Saint Nicholas was a bishop in the 4th century in Turkey, but he became penciled in US story teller history around 1806, before making the connection with the Santa Clause.”

Ok, readers. Unless I want to negate my Orthodox religion (I do go to the Catholic Church lately) I must remain silent.

But I am an Orthodox, a Greek or Romanian Orthodox if you wish…

If you just read this info note you would believe Santa Clause was a Turk, connected by St Nicholas… well, he was a bishop but all people know about bishops is the purple head dress and maybe belt (kind of) to tie them down with the Pope in Rome.

On the 4th century there was no Turkey, there was no Istanbul… What is today knows as Turkey territory was the Great Byzantium. The head quarter to say so, the capital was Constantinople, one of the richest and most developed city at that time.

There was the Seat of the Empire, the Seat of the Orthodox Church. There was the Seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, the head of the Orthodox Church that time.

What history says: Saint Nicholas was born at Patrai in Asia Minor. The Greeks called him Nicholas, meaning “defending the people”. When his parents passed away, he gave his money to the poor and started the Monastery of Sion, traveling to Jerusalem as a pilgrim.

When he died (364 a.d.), he was buried at Monastery of Sion. Few years later, the Emperor of Constantinople built a church on his honor in Constantinople, Istanbul nowadays.

Some folklore traditions picture him as one of the Wise Men bringing gifts to the Birth of Jesus Christ, for his importance and position in the church, the Orthodox Church that is.

The feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on December the 7th.

You think you may read a “brief”, quick note in the elevator… but the idea will travel with you…before you go back to your desk/ cubicle or corner office, based on the “buttons in your fly”. Then you’ll “wiki-search” for The History of Santa Clause!

Lady Bug and he Russian Lady

It’s time to look around and see what else I need to put down on my list. Maybe a short, quick trip to the gym or just a bus ride to Michigan Ave, to pick up the (almost) last minute presents.

It’s a little hard with so many friends. Because most of the time I don’t really know them, I just sort of …. know them!

The more it snows, the longer I have to stay indoors. It’s cool, because I get time for lots of “activities”.

Few days ago I took my friend out for dinner. We stopped at my favorite store on our way back. World Market. Some of you may know why this is my favorite store but that’s a different story.

Checking out some wine (and guys, too) we ended up around a lower shelf with toys. There were so many,,, I picked some up one by one and we started to play with them. Trying on a toy at World Market become the theme of the night. They were so funny and sweet. A little monkey, a little frog, a turtle, a dog, a mouse, another dog… and a lady bug! They spin, they back flip, they run and come back.. All with a little turn of a hand over a little spring they may have inside. So little so cute and so funny.

I bought 2 of each for my niece and my nephew. But they opened my eyes.

Sometimes it is hard to see the small, the little thing in somebody when we’re always looking for the “big” thing. The charm and the pleasure rests into the way you handle them, not how big or interesting they are. Every gay people know this by now… J

The old lady came and approached us. She was looking for toys, too. Making the “Ohh” (aka pleasure) sign and sound, she started to take away our toys. Whatever we put back on the shelf she will pick it up. We were like looking at her and started conversation.

Besides the coffee lady (one old story here) there are old Russian and Ukrainian ladies that live in boystown. They are friendly and funny. She was no different.

She wanted to buy as many toys as she could. She bought several a while back and now she came back for more. Last year, she said, they were advertising the toys by the cash register and they sold them all. This year she had a hard time to find them in the store. But we were playing there so she saw us.

There was a toy we didn’t even want to try. The lady bug. It turned out that was the best ever. The old lady said “see, I showed you something and you helped me as well. I am too old to knee down there, so please give me that toy!” She picked it up. Still, she is still asking for more “dancing frogs”. We were asking what is she doing with them. She said she presets them to kids but the adults play with them. Her friend is in the store so she should be there any moment.

Of course I knew where she is from, but I knew. She was like “I have 73 years of Russia (Moskow) and 13 more here”… We both were like “wow! The lady IS a player!”

And I would believe I would never play with toys!!!

Vivat Romania!

Here comes December 1st! It came to cellebrate the AIDS day, but also the Romanian National Day, the Unification Day.

I waved the flag, I hung it by my apartment window and took some friends to a romanian restaurant. There are info and "pitoresque" original details, but let me save them for later.

For now, please enjoy the pic. If you didn't see me in a long time, probably you never saw me with winter clothes, all bundled up. 'Couse you probably live in HOTlanta and you never wear a coat, a scarf or gloves... We do... here in the North, MidWest that is!!!!

Vivat Romania! (if you know Latin or at least a little French!)

:)

The BIG four!

A little quick update! I am a Tax specialist, everybody knows that by now. But I am an international tax specialist. I work with “The Big 4”.

For not-so-accounting people, the Big 4 is the group of the top 4 accounting companies. They are the largest (as numbers) in the world. The next is line is so far out that doesn’t even count. Here they are PWC, Deloitte, Ernest & Young, KPMG. Out of the list, I only missed one. So far.

All these companies have skyscrapers across from where I work. Three out of 4 are at the same intersection: first is me, then PWC, Deloitte and KPMG.

So I got to “work” with them all. You may be familiar with the first. PWC guy is Justin. We’ve been working on taxes for a season (3 months). I audit the files at Bally’s then I dropped them off on Broadway. Next, I moved into Austin. His Deloitte files were picked up by the lake then left him to take some pictures at Market Days. A new client came up. So I met Ryan of KPMG to help me out. Another season started, 3 more months of hard work. They he run the Marathon and started working the burbs.

No promotions were made. I never met the Ernest & Young (dude). I am taking a little break and go back to school. There is a new teacher in town. He lives right on my block… no he lives even closer: same building. It’s never been so convenient!!!

The last six month period saw 2 trips to HOTlanta (with a new one to come) and one to EURO. This is the most important description, so if you want to know more, stay tuned. There is plenty of youtube, plenty of pictures, news and info to delight your eyes with; like my new espresso machine that makes coffee, cappuccino and latte. It even comes with the whip cream! Justin, Austin and Ryan they all tasted it!

Cingular to Cingular look up

It is a new RAZR… I would go with the IPhone , such a cool creation but les good quality. However, I never used the Apple powerbook because I never felt like giving up my (cruising) time for learning the operation system of Apple.

It is a quick phone call I’ve got the other day. My blogger (and my blog buddies) were calling all together at the same time. Since RAZR can’t syncro I couldn’t take the call. But I remembered to go back online and create some more work…


It’s been a long time since the last post. Boys came and go, parties started and ended at early hours, even the snow came back here in Chi-boys-town after such a cool and great summer!

But it’s not over, I am still here and soon you’ll hear from me.

Hello Motto, I am still a Cingular…ChiBoystoTlantEuropa!