Magnum

    Before marriage, I have this immense desire to learn Russian. Well, before meeting him I was actually immersed already learning French and Italian. I can't stop watching foreign films just because of the way the R's are rolled in Italian and how Marion Cotillard is my Audrey Hepburn. When I visited Roma on my very first flight as an Emirates Crew my longing got even more sick. I traversed along the many alleys of the city with a gelato in one hand and my Italian dictionary. I love Italy. I wish to spend one summer there just being silly like Elizabeth Gilbert.  And then the French. In my mind I always think I am a Parisian girl lost in the Louvre. Effortless Chic. Way way before when I was still  broke, a geeky-college girl,  I always fantasize myself speaking not just English nor just my mother tongue talking in my mobile phone conversing with my Foreign Boyfriend. I was never indeed dreaming of marrying my own kind. 

     Then this guy came and swept me off my feet. And the rest is history and same goes with my Italian and French lessons... and errrr my Russian took a backseat as well.

      Motherhood is a labyrinth of chores. Finding the time to squeeze an uninterrupted full body workout is like moving an elephant. And so finding the time to study and polish my language skills is definitely a daunting if not impossible task. I just couldn't put my mind into it. Learning Russian is no joke. Italian is easy. French is familiar. Start the Russian alphabet and you're lost already. Damn!

       But I need to. It's like watering my love palm-- a.k.a our House plant. It needs to be done. For the sake of Sasha... And for making a stop in looking like a fool when my Mother in Law is online in Skype. I feel always Lost in Translation when they speak with much gusto while I stare blankly at the screen grinning at my own image. I am missing the juice and fun in the conversation.

      So my husband decided it's no excuse this time to get serious learning the language. Yes it's not easy but it's not impossible and later on I will thank him and I will be proud of myself. But how? Where do we start?

     These past few days he was giving me lessons to study and after a day or two he will give me an exam. And yesterday was the first time. Oh man, we were so close to another heated-argument. It reminds me of how my mother used to drag my younger brother when we were young. He will make up all the excuses to miss school. I feel like a child. Until he came up with a brilliant idea.


      If I pass the test he will get me an ice cream!
      Wow!
      He really is serious!

     My husband is a health-nut. You cannot feed him crap or junk food. He meticulously examines what he puts in his mouth. They need to be fresh, healthy and sometimes not yummy. But it should be nutritious. Once in a while he will get a Whopper Meal but that's it. You can hardly ever see him munching something as divinely tasty like Potato chips. Maybe Nachos but still prefers our Homemade version.

    And it worked! Hah!
     Before marriage, I can eat a gallon of Ben and Jerry's in a jiffy. But things have changed, and that's for the good of humanity. Haha. I got 95%, his passing score is 90%. Indeed I was proud of myself and yeah, learning russian can be addictive if not fattening.

     But it was such a nice experience. Learning and treating yourself for a job well done. It just made me realize how it's  so easy to be happy. You don't need fancy stuff to make life as beautiful as you wanted it to be. Appreciate more and you will see how much you've been BLESSED.

  I am a sucker for anything sweet. You can bribe me an ice cream or a Red Velvet Cheesecake and we have a Deal! Lol.

  Have a Great Weekend!