Poc & Poch

4 September, 2016

A Dog’s Purpose

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I can’t believe I’m setting up reminders for movies that will be released in 2017. Yet, this is what I am doing. “A Dog’s Purpose” is the first one on the list.

Yes, we love dogs a lot. We even went out with other friends ~~dog owners~~ to see “The Secret Life of Pets” when it came out.

I don’t mind that the movies comes out in January. In fact, it gives me plenty of time to read the novels before we see the movie. “A Dog’s Purpose” is based on the novel with the same name, written by W. Bruce Cameron. There is also a sequel named “A Dog’s Journey” written by the same author.

I realized I love books that have pets in them. I loved “Chez Stinky” by Susan C. Daffron and I am looking for her other books from the An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy series. They are a bit hard to find, I must admit that. Buying them from abroad is not an option. So, most likely I will go for the electronic format or audio book version.

These are feel good stories, and maybe that’s why I get excited when something like this gets released.

I actually realized that most of the movies that do come out now are based on novels or comic books. In a way that is a good thing, but from experience that is not always the case. The movies turn out to be a real disaster and leave a bitter taste.

Then there are those few that break the rule, for example those movies that are as good or even better than the books (like it happened with “Stardust” or “The Princess Bride”).

The trailer for “A Dog’s Purpose” looks really nice, so I’m hoping the movie will be as lovely as possible. *fingers crossed*

3 September, 2016

A bit of luck?

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I got the call that I was waiting ~~hoping~~ for. I know that I shouldn’t get my hopes up. I’ve done this in the past, in similar situations, and was disappointed with the results.

I really want this to happen. Monday will be the first step towards a new possible beginning.

Until I know for sure that it will happen, I cannot move a single muscle. I cannot let others know about it either. To put it bluntly, things are not going so well at work. I guess it is frustration that has been pilling up. I want so bad to rant about it. To get it out of my system, but that will not change things nor will it make me feel any better.

The thought of working during the holidays again, doesn’t warm me either.

Being in a position of leadership, doesn’t make things easier. If things go well and if I were to quit my job, I would still be stuck there for another 45 working days. That is almost 2 months and it is not a good thing. I will need to use diplomacy in order to get out early, with both parts agreeing to it. Considering I am not the only one that wants to quit (2 people already submitted their resignation), it will be very hard to come to an agreement with them.

The understaffed part and the inability of the management to get new people, will make it hard for anyone who wants to leave. They will try to keep us for as long as possible. Maybe with a bit of luck, things will go my way.

Did I mention that I want this really bad? You could say that I’ve become desperate for a way out. Unfortunately, I cannot quit without knowing for sure that a new job is secured. Until I sign the new contract, I will be patient and do my job (even if that will kill me inside).

2 September, 2016

Reply 1988

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

I finished watching Reply 1988 recently. I can honestly say, that this has been one of the best series that I’ve watched in a long time.

Plot:

“In 1988, Duk-Sun (Hyeri), Jung-Hwan (Ryoo Joon-Yeol), Sun-Woo (Ko Gyung-Pyo) and Dong-Ryong (Lee Dong-Hwi) are high school students and Taek (Park Bo-Gum) is a go player. These five people have been friends since they were little kids. They all grew up together and are neighbors to this day. Their families are also very close to each other. They always hang around Taek’s room and spend time together.”

It was cute and funny, but it was also a bit sad. It made me miss my childhood friends. This is one of those series that tugs at the heart strings and makes you wish that you would’ve done things differently in life. It’s that good.

I admit, I only started watching it because it has one season (of 20 episodes). I wasn’t expecting each episode to last almost two hours. I thought it would be a nice way to fill my free time and relax. Instead, I cried my eyes out at the final episodes.

“Time will always flow.
Everything will pass by.
Everything will age.
That might be why youth is beautiful.
It shines, blindingly bright, for just an instant.
But to it, you can never go back.
A time when many tears were shed.
The time of my youth was like that as well.”

— Sung Deok Sun – Reply 1988

I feel old now. I am 29 and I feel much older than that. All of my childhood friends have moved on and made a life of themselves. They followed their dreams and took their chances. I think this is how being left behind feels like. Sure, not all of us have the same aspirations and dreams. Some of us might be slower when taking decisions or might not be sure of what we want from life. But, it still feels sad.

Even feeling like that, I know for sure that I will re-watch Reply 1988. It is not a filler series for my free time, but a sweet reminder of times gone by. A reminder of what we had, what we are and what we can become.

“In the end, fate and destiny do not just happen out of coincidence. They are products of earnest, simple choices, that make up miraculous moments. Being resolute, making decisions without hesitation, that is what makes timing.”
— Jung-Hwan – Reply 1988

1 September, 2016

Back to school?!

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

It might be back to work season for us, but why not make it back to school as well? I miss learning something new. I miss my self taught Japanese lessons. In fact, I miss the feeling of being awesome just for doing something on my own, for myself.

I can still remember most of the Hiragana that I’ve learnt, so that means I was doing something right.

Working on the night shift is tiresome, but it does give me plenty of time for all sorts of activities. It allows me to take care of the house, of our pets and different daily tasks. It allows me to watch different series and TV shows, that otherwise I wouldn’t get the chance.

Basically, the night shift allows me to do whatever I want during the day (including those few hours of sleep in order to survive).

I plan on starting my Japanese lessons and to add Spanish lessons as well. Spanish and Italian are very similar to Romanian. It is easy for us to learn those two languages. I do know that I may never use Japanese, but I do have the chance to use Spanish at work. Foreign languages are in high demand. I would like to throw myself at German, but that is a bit harder.

I feel giddy with excitement.

I will have to chose my material, notebooks, pens and different stuff to make it easier and fun to learn. I can now put to good use all of the notebooks that I have hoarded over the years.

30 August, 2016

Two years ago

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Two years ago on this day, we got a dog! And now, that said dog sleeps next to the very couch that he slept the day we brought him home.

#Pluto and #marlanu making themselves comfortable. I can’t wait for #autumn to come faster so we can #cuddle. #dogsofinstagram #dog #cat #catsofinstagram #petstagram #pet #cute #furryfriends #lab #labrador #gingercat
A photo posted by Alina Constantin (@creness) on Aug 29, 2016 at 1:26am PDT

It is really amazing how a simple event can change your life altogether. There are a few things in my life that I do not regret, and this is one of them.

If we wouldn’t have gotten Pluto, there would be a lot of friends that we would’ve missed out. A lot of things that we might never had the chance to do. Marlanu’ would’ve missed on a playing / sleeping buddy.

~~~~~~

I am in a pretty good mood, considering I’ve only slept 4 hours after being on the night shift. Did I mention that I will tonight as well? It can’t be helped at the moment, since I do need money like everybody else.

But, I am happy! Yes, I am happy because f*ck it all. Why shouldn’t I be happy?

I officially applied for a new job. It comes with recommendations from friends. I have a pretty good shot at it, and I decided it is worth the risk. It is now or never and I should do everything possible to get the job. That includes practicing my English grammar. There is one sucky part. If I am to quit, I will have to stay 45 working days at the current job, till they find someone to fill in my position. That’s the only drawback of having a leadership position. Normally it would be 21 working days.

Oh well, we shall live and see where this will go. After all that has been going on this year, all that I can say is “bring it“.

29 August, 2016

One down

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Today is back to work day for the both of us. In a way I wish it was back to school day, but those days are long gone. Pay day is coming and that will make things easier for the both of us.

I am happy that the summer heat is gone, and slowly autumn is making its claim. I do love autumn. In fact it is my favorite season.

Four more months and the year will also end.

It wasn’t a bad year, if I think about it. In two months I will be debt free. I finished my reading challenge, and if I try a bit harder I might finish other things till the end of the year. It was a challenging year and I’ve learnt a great deal about myself.

Four more months of making decisions and taking action.

It might be that it is early morning, but I do feel that there are a lot of opportunities and chances to be taken. It is an optimistic feeling that I am having. I don’t know if it is a good feeling or that I still need a cup of coffee and to take a good look around me. I like feeling optimistic and making plans. Soon enough I will be free to make bigger plans. I cannot wait for October to come, to feel financially free.

In fact, I can’t wait for tonight to come so I can see my friends from work. I missed them. I missed being around them. In a way, I miss them more than old friends that I haven’t seen in a very long time.

So, it’s back to work day and I am feeling happy. It is a good feeling to have.

27 August, 2016

Summer vacation

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Our two weeks vacation is almost over. Time really flies when you’re having fun.

My only regret is that we couldn’t take Pluto with us. He would’ve enjoyed all the places we went to. So much freedom, places to run and have fun.

Our vacation was not exotic, nor did we go abroad. We went up north to visit relatives and places that we never saw before. There are a lot of places in own country that we haven’t seen. So going abroad makes no sense to us. We could’ve went to the sea side like we always did. But, this time we focused on the mountains.

It was the best decision ever.

The weather was amazing. I loved the chilly mornings and evenings. It made me realize how much I want Autumn to come. The food was great. In fact I think we both gained a lil bit of weight.

I really have no complaints.

It kinda sucks that we have to go to work on Monday. But, then again we do need money. I am hoping that we will get other chances to go out and have fun. I am hoping that we will have the chance to go on a vacation just the two of us. Until then, we are left with the memories and the photos we took.

It was lovely, even if we went mostly to old churches or monasteries (like Voronet Monastery).

There also a few other stops that were planned well ahead.

Others were not planned..

Some were just to cute to pass by.

And some were amazing, like driving through the clouds.

Overall, it was a good experience. It is a pity it will end soon and we will all go back to our daily routine and even forget about these lovely two weeks.

11 August, 2016

4 days left

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

4 days left til our vacation! I am counting the days, the hours, the minutes.. I just can’t wait for 2 weeks off from work.

We have no set plans, no big dreams of dreamy vacations, nothing at all. We just want some time off from work. I guess I would be happy even staying at home, playing games, watching TV, reading books. Anything is great as long as it doesn’t involve going to work.

What can I say, we are both tired and just want some time to slack off without any responsibility.

Johnny is a bit more lucky than me. He has two more days till vacation. I will work till Monday. In fact, my vacation will be shorter than his. That’s how thing go where I work.

We will also take a break from Pluto and Marlanu’. The plan was to send Pluto to the country side (at my parents) and Marlanu’ to be taken care of by my brother. Well, I guess my brother will have to take care of both of them. It seems my parents don’t want Pluto, on the count that he barks a lot (that’s what a guard dog does!), they have chickens all over and no place to set him up.

I could be upset about it, but I would rather have them both at home and someone taking care of them. At the country side, the dog might run away and nobody knows Pluto there. In our neighbourhood, everybody knows Pluto and who he belongs to.

Either way, I am sure the days will pass very slow for me. So, I plan on working like crazy and keeping myself occupied till Monday.

4 very long days left..

22 July, 2016

In need of happy thoughts

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

I am in need of happy thoughts. I need anything and everything that would make me happy.

Long story short, this month has been a disaster at work. I officially give up on trying to make things happen. I have no chance in hell to make it, especially now.

So, why bother.

Oh well..

It’s not like I am going anywhere for the next three months. Might as well enjoy the ride with all its bumps and all that.

Mostly cause I need the money, and second cause I need the money. Yep, I want a big bed for us all to sleep in it. I want to take that Cambridge exam, and even enroll in foreign language courses. I want to buy nice clothes for myself. I want to buy nice clothes for Johnny. I want us to live a comfortable life.

Compared to all my dreams and ambitions (small as they may be), eight hours a day seem insignificant.

After all, how can I be upset when I have my guys at home.

I cannot stay mad when Pluto smiles from every inch of his furry body.

Even on Marlanu’ who always sleeps on my stuff.

Or when I have Johnny that always waits for me at home with little surprises (usually good food, that does the trick after a long day). Having happy thoughts is not hard for me. I am surrounded by so many good things, that it should be a crime to stay upset or worry about anything.

5 July, 2016

Wonder Girls – Why So Lonely

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Wonder Girls have released a new song, Why So Lonely. I can’t believe how many years have passed since I first listened to “Tell Me”. I feel a bit nostalgic.

For me, summer means Bollywood movies, kpop comebacks and a lot of ice cream. I got my kpop comeback! I’ve been eating ice cream for a while. It seems I am only missing out on Bollywood movies.

~~~ Wonder Girls: “Why So Lonely” ~~~

I am still not used of seeing this group without Sun Ye and So Hee. It still doesn’t feel like they left the group. I was thinking it is a bit funny how 4Minute disbanded this year, yet Wonder Girls are keep going strong. It is sad that Hyuna has two groups under her belt and now is going solo.

Is it wrong to wish for a special comeback with all of the members, past and present? I kinda miss Sun Ye voice, So Hee charms and even Hyuna.

Oh well, I guess you can’t have everything in life.

Regarding the new song, I am loving it. I really have nothing more to add. I guess, with Koreans songs you either love them or not. There is no inbetween way. I am now trying to find the full album (if there is one).

~~~ ~~~

From Why So Lonely, I ended up listening to Tell Me and Nobody. I guess I do feel nostalgic for the good old days. They were good, and it is sad that I am only realizing this now.