November -- Movember

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As I welcome the month of November..... as in... As I WELCOME with OPEN arms the fact that the humidity in Dubai has left 90% and the heat in Dubai dropped below 45 degrees, I congratulate myself.

I believe I have proven to myself that WHERE you are , location-wise and country-wise, affects your personality.

Location-wise and country-wise affects your personality!

Location-wise and country-wise affects your personality!

Location-wise and country-wise affects your personality!

I am now, TODAY, November 2, starting to smile again!

- Is that normal?

- Is that how I am supposed to be?

- WAITING for the weather?

- DREADING 5 months of my life?

- WISHING I could disappear for 5 months? Wishing to take another 5-months unpaid leave in order to live my life?

As I happily turn the page over, and open a completely different (more Lina-oriented) page, I think I owe it to myself.

I need to sit down and relive what I have been through ; and how I lived from June 1 until October 31.

*** Please note that this is something extremely personal, What applies to me may NOT apply to you.

I am just doing this because I need to stand grounded regarding this topic (that has, obviously, been the centre of my thoughts) ; and I need to find peace with it.

- Waking up, was always a battle for me. Just the search for this looooong breath that would eventually guide me throughout my day.

- Searching for a smile, an inner smile.... I looked DEEEEP inside me, looking for any positive energy, a smiling force, that would KEEP me going.

- The smallest action like 'getting dressed' needed an 'Action Plan' , whereby I needed to think of the sweating and the sticking and the making sure that your pants aren't too tight and stop my blood circulation.

- The natural action of 'walking' required a 'Action Plan' as well, whereby I needed to think of many many shortcuts and ways to walk THE LEAST.

- The transportation factor of 'driving a car' also needed a 'Preparation Plan', whereby i needed to accept that my AC would take enough time to actually COOl, otherwise I am stuck in a box of HEAT with clothes pressing against my body and ONE thought WHY AM I HERE AGAIN?!

- Leisure times, meaning activities post-work, required RUSHING to a 5-star Hotel's Swimming Pool because its actually cooled; or staying IN (of course), or TRAVELING (double of course) ..... Therefore you end up spending so much more money!

- And last but not least, the 'waiting' , the 'counting down' , the 'planning for the winter', the ' i wish i could do this, but not now! '.

Again, please let me emphasize that this is SO PERSONAL.

I am CERTAIN, I have now made peace with the thought that I DO NOT BELONG HERE.

I say that, and I say it WITH A SMILE.

Dubai has done its duty with me, it has served me right, and I am appreciative of this fact. I have lived here 24 years. And I do not want to over-abuse my relationship with it.

The time has come to MOVE ON.

Gracefully, and Peacefully, and Smiling-fully.

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When YO meets GA

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I have been a Yoga fanatic for 6 years, practicing on a regular basis, both local and international.

I started off joining random Yoga classes here in Dubai, until I picked up the habit of becoming a member in the FIRST Yoga studio called 'Gems of Yoga' . I remember , I used to wake up at 6:00 am and drive to class that started at 7:00 am, to shower and change and be back in office by 8:30 am.

I increased the dose, by traveling around and doing Yoga Retreats... to explore what other teaching styles are out there... I just felt that THIS is how I would love to spend my time!

My Yoga retreat in Mexico was BY-FAR the best experience I have had.

It actually pushed me into developing my own Yoga routine, my style, with my music, and my poses, .... it built my own Yogic personality.....

and now..... now.... now ... the time has FINALLY come to pursue my OWN Yogic Professional Journey....

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I am now doing my 200-hour Yoga Teachers Training Course in order to get my Certificate.

I will be allowed, LEGALLY, to enlighten people about YOGA... and how I see Yoga, and how I breathe Yoga, and how I feel Yoga :))))))

With the hopes of transferring my Yogic Message onto whomever, wherever, and however.

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my "days off"

Summer Time comes around, and I find out that I am entitled to 15 days off...........

I will not comment at this stage because.... seriously... seriously.... SERIOUSLY????

so YOU tell me how many days I am supposed to take as "days off" ???

- And I cant "OFF" whenever I want?

- I cant "OFF" whenever I need?

Needless to say, I took 17 days off... Seventeen... You know why?? Because I want to!!!! Simple !!!!

SPAIN and GREECE has now been tagged.

!HA!

Nature runs its course

You live, you travel, you meet, you talk, you develop, you learn, you shape up, you become AWARE of who you are....

You get to a point where you you are at A PLACE.

You look around.... carefully studying this newly-built environment you've created (thanks to YOU) and you find a silhouette far far away....

You walk towards it, squinching your eyes, trying to figure WHO IS THIS? ......

As you reach closer, you whisper : "YOU ??????"

You ask him: " YOU??? You're here as well? I've known you for 5 WHOLE years, and you're HERE now? "

You ask yourself : " Whyyyy HERE??"

" Whyyyy NOW?"

And you get this instant rush.... telling you " Nature runs its course" !

What is meant to be is simply.... MEANT TO BE.....

Meet Andreas Constantinides.....

This time different

The Dubai train has taken me away ... with it... so fast and so ruthless.

But this time, was different!!!

I climbed on it, held on tight, closed my eyes, accepted the change, accepted the ups AND the downs, many downs, was shaken, was shaken hard, but in the end... opened my eyes and found myself getting somewhere!

I realize that my Mexico trip shuffled my priorities around. and THIS is what I understood throughout my 6 months-post Mexico experience.
Alot of people, unfortunately, have been eliminated from my life..
Friends have suddenly disolved, my activities were replaced, the boyfriend and I have gone our seperate ways ... Alot has changed..

Im still standing! I've embraced this change... and made peace with it.

peace :) Good word!









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wait.. but...

Right, My last post was talking about the filled and full and fully-dilated schedule I'm running.

But, I do stop and wonder.... where is the BALANCE in all this???

In whatever we do, BALANCE is key.

Food, balance it out.

Drinking and smoking, BALANCE it out.

Work, BALANCE it out.

Activities, BALANCE it out.

so yeay for happiness and yeay for busy-ness... But Lina needs to be with Lina every now and then.

Lina needs to re-connect with Lina!

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The Dubai Train

Do you know when you feel like theres a train passing near you in aSTORMING speed, and you just HAVE to catch it... you HAVE to get on that train... otherwise, Youll end up missing it completely...

The train Im referring to is the DUBAI LIFE. I can see it clearly, Living in Dubai is like Running for that Train.

The speed is craaaazy, the pace is soooo fast, the people are alllll over, the smells are crazy, the activities are wohowww, the noises are everywhere... its a busy train... Its a busy Life!

I've gone back to work, and I mean work work work.... Ive done 5 events in 3 weeks...

I had never looked at it this way.... But I'm doing work, I'm spending time with my man, and my friends, I'm loving my family, which has just grown plus one... a teeeny tiny one-month-old son of my brother.

Im actually starting a relationship with my work buddies *(thats a new).
We're dedicating one night per week, where we all go out and have fun.... and whenever there's an event, or a work party, we go crash it!

The pace is fast... and the options are many.... The answer, personally to me, is ONE. ....
Just use it ...

Use it and do it , and live it to the MAX...

You see, the reason why this is an issue, is because I used to run away from these scenarios, sit back, and complain"oufff this is toooo much, its tooo stressfull, its tooo hard"

When you can look at it in a way that will make you see what you got... the positivities of it all... the clutters of energy all over... This and that, and this and that .. are actually good for you ... Head out there, smile, and Live it all.


This, to me, is the method of Riding the train in Dubai:)















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Spice it

I've welcomed the new year 2010 with warm spirit and a pleasant positive outlook.
HERE I AM,.... Take me with you....
Im closing my eyes and allowing myself to be moved around, shuffled around, and taken to wherever , with whomever, doing whatever, whenever.

I turned 27 this week... and I spent it doing EXACTLY what I wanna do !

My birthday: January 21. My friends and I gathered at my house, we ordered THAI food... and had a great dinner.... We were all sweating and spicing up, thefood was ALLL sooo HOT, it was HILLARIOUS.
The tissue box was passed along the table, for our sweaty faces, while makings ounds like AHHHHH, OHHHH, AWWWWW, OUCCHHHHHH....
It was amaaazing!!!!

the next day, January 22. we all went to my boyfriend's pool and had a barbecue there... the company added the spice and the color of the day.
Hours later, still January 22..... A new soul was welcomed to this Earth, to our lives.
My brother had a baby!!!! Little Zeus saw the light ONE DAY after me!
A new fresh spirit among us..... surrounded by sooo much love... Its beautiful.

The welcome of the year was colorful.... spicyy...HOT..... new.... and different!!!

Bienvenida con nosotros mi amor!!!!!!












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Eventful Energy

I brought in journalists, Gulf News, Emirates Woman, Top Gear.... , Brought in refreshments, prepared the press kits, sent out the email invite and was ready to start the show!!!

We started the show... and the journalists tested out the product, they loved it, I made my contacts and strengthened them.... and in the end... I walked out SMILING!!

Event number One at my current job is ....... Done....

When I got home... I decided to do my Yoga routine... and I kid you not..... The amount of Energy that was running through my body was EXTRAORDINARY... No, No, you dont understand,... I have never felt THAT much energy running through my body . From my head to my toe. That tingly sensation inside that tells you IM HEREE... IM ALIVEEEE.... IM HEREEEE.

Gracias!!!!

Todo lo que puedo decir es una pallabra... Gracias!!!

de todo mi corazon!!!

Lina Del Libano

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tayyib...

So basically, That's IT..

I've reached the moment I was dreading.. Ive reached this far... Its soo soo far. .. I almost thought I would never reach it....

I walked my 2 feet back to JBR, walked up the stairs, opened the doors of the Head Office and walked my way to my desk!

I sat down and started staring around me... I started talking to the many many people who came to my desk to tell me "WELCOME BACKKKK" "OH LINAA, YOURE BACKKK"
I answered the questions, and I commented on my trip, and I tried so hard to understand whats going on.

I'll tell you whats going on....
Whats going on is that I left this very very very same desk... Went awayyyyyy, so far away... physically 18 hours away, 10 hours of time difference away, and a whole new different language away....
................and smoothly walked back to my desk!!!


The desk that still contains my Calendar with all my notes and my little stars on "JULY 23".. and my handwriting saying "CANADA and MEXICO".. WITH A BIG BLACK CIRCLE AROUND MY DATE OF DEPARTTURE.

And the most interesting story is .... the tissue box is still AT THE SAME LOCATION as I left it!
The notes, the papers, the ruler, the calculater, my white jacket, TODO, TODO, TODO!!!!!


I spent 2 whole days questioning my existance... where am I?? Why am I here?? okay so whats the plan??

My poor poor Boyfriend!!!!
I started opening topics like "Whats our plan? Where do you wanna live?? When do we wanna leave??"
My poor boyfriend.. I scared him so much!!!!
"LINA, Where is all this coming from?>??"

This is coming from.... I dont care where this is coming from.... IM BACK..

IM BACK.... FULLY BACK.... not just back to Dubai.. But back to my job... my phone... my customers... my people... my colleages... my meetings... my everything....
The situation at work has improved... and I AM BACKKK:))))))


Im here..Now... Today... Nothing matters but TODAY...

I have decided to STOP thinking about Yesterday and last month, and in 1 month, or in 1 year...

This , I believe, will make me focus on the MORE Important things in Life....
which, by the way, is WONDERFUL....

Just Focus, and LIVE, and ENJOYYYYYY... TODAY!!!!


Signed; Yours truthfully
Lina Del Libano, who is now physically in the office!

epppaaaaaaaaaaaa:)))))











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Del Libano