Obscure Journey

Or for cold winter days, depending on how you serve it, of course. If you want it hot, it's ideal in winter, and if you want it cold, have it in summer!

Be warned that in winter zucchini is more expensive, since it's in season in summer.

Yesterday I received these beautiful zucchini, and I decided to cook them. I really like zucchini food, more than any other way of preparing zucchini. These are brought from the countryside and are grown in a bio way, as people here don't like tasteless food ingredients.

The recipe is super easy and you don't need many things at all. Additionally, many other recipes follow a similar pattern, so if you know one recipe, you can make several types of foods.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium sized zucchini

• some salt - about a teaspoon
• some oil - 2 or 3 table spoons?
• some condiments - I used black pepper
• some tomato sauce
• some all purpose flour

METHOD

• Pour the oil in a pot and turn on the fire or heat.
• Dice the zucchini and drop them in the pot.

• Sprinkle with salt and set to cook with a lid covering them.
• Mix from time to time with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• You have about an hour till they're done cooking.
• At the end, you will want to sprinkle your condiments, add the tomato sauce, and some all purpose flour if you find it the food liquid.
• You might want to continue cooking for some 10 minutes more at this point, or turn off the heat and let it sit covered for the same amount of time.
• Serve in a dish, either hot or cold, however you prefer!

NOTES

• You can cook this with chopped onion if you like. You'll have to saute the onion a little before adding the zucchini. Some people say it tastes better, but I disagree.
• You don't need to add any water to this food because the zucchini will provide plenty.

I hope you'll like it if you decide to try it out!

© Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.

And you should too!

This is my review for the Texan in Tokyo blog... and books. Too bad Grace gave up blogging. The site no longer exists :( 

"read" is past tense ;)

DISCLAIMER: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. I used these affiliate links to give you the option to check the item out or something similar to it, for yourself, if you so wish, through a well-trusted seller. While I will be very glad if you buy any of the linked items, the decision to do so or not, belongs to you. Thank you for reading!  

WHY DO YOU REVIEW IT?

1. I really like reading it! And the comics are so lightweight, they relax me!

2. It has comics too! [see above, and below!]

3. I learn about different cultures! And I mean, I learn a lot of things, especially differences. I can compare to m reality and try and see if I could live in a country on a planet of its own, Japan. I can try and realize if I could have a Japanese or Asian partner.

4. There are 2 published books - and the 3rd is about to come out! - featuring some of the published comics and blog entries.

5. I forgot my other reasons :P

WHAT LANGUAGE IS IT IN?

The author is from Texas, therefore the blog and comics are written in English. As you can see in the featured images.

WHO'S WRITING THE BLOG AND DRAWING THE COMICS?

The author's name is Grace Buchele Mineta. She is married to a Japanese guy whose name is Ryosuke. I'm not sure how to read Buchele - is it with an H-sound, or with an SH-sound [like in French]? I don't know, but this is Grace' maiden name. So, there! now you're a few steps closer to becoming another stalker of Grace.

But if you really want to know more about her, go check out the blog, comics, and her videos! Grace uploads videos as well, on her YouTube channel!

WHAT IS THE BLOG ABOUT?

Grace blogs about her life in Japan. This comic here shows a major difference between dating in Japan and dating in USA, for example, but you have to read the explanation as well to understand the situation better.

Most of the comics talk about cultural differences: what Japanese people think is normal, no matter the situation, we, people in the West, may perceive weird or down right rude.

Her blog entries talk about various hardships she's facing and how she deals with them, how she learned is better to deal with, and self encouragement.

Grace also talks about her experience as a Caucasian woman married to an Asian man... This subject seems to be a hot topic for everyone having the slightest interest in Asian culture. Of course, each AMWF relationship [this is how you currently call this type of marriage - Asian male, white female] is different, and it depends on many factors.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS BLOG/COMICS?

1. There's no color: I can use my imagination to fill in the colors. YAY!

2. I can relate to some situations. I can also understand others better when there is an image.

3. The writing style is so informal, like talking to old friends. Grace is one of those authors who writes the way she talks, and I really like this. Her stories become more personal, more funny, more alive.

4. Each comic comes with a short explanation: just click the link under the comic above, and see for yourself!

5. I never know what topic comes next! The chapters are rarely connected, and this is exciting!

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT THEM?

I honestly feel that sometimes, some of the entries may need more explaining. But I learned [quite the hard way] that usually more explaining is worse than little or no explanation. Most likely, Grace also learned this, and quite frankly, this is not something I would really complain about

YOU MENTIONED SOME BOOKS. WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THEM?

Grace said she has been blogging about her life in Japan for 3 years. She said she also has a lot of unpublished material, so she decided to make some books out that. She self-published, and her books can be found on Amazon, and even Etsy for those who want a signed copy! How cool is that?

WOULD YOU BUY HER BOOKS?

YES! I'd buy them and then start coloring them :P LOL - Don't judge me, I read yesterday that adults benefit from coloring as well, not just kids do. It's scientific [but you'll have to search for that article by yourself].

Truthfully, I didn't buy any of the books yet. 

Well, this is my review for the blog Texan in Tokyo, or How I became Texan. I hope you liked it, and I hope you'll go check it out!

© Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.

through my diet.

Disclaimer: the drawings are mine. I signed them with my previous blog and author identities.

Hello there.

Everyone has body odor. It is one of the things humans and animals have in common. The body odor is used by animals and by humans for different purposes:

• to recognize one another - this is why dogs bark at strangers: they don't recognize their scent.
• to select a mate - be honest: how many times have you been attracted to a person whose BO you disliked?         I thought so
• to identify an ailment - sure, not all illnesses will change your BO, but some do.

However, as mean or racial as this sounds like, based on your race, you may smell more than other people. In case you didn't know, East Asian people are the ones with least body odor on the planet. Among them, Koreans take the cake.

Of course, genetics also play an important role in how a person smells like naturally. Science showed us how some inactive genes mean that the person will have minimal body odor. These inactive genes can be found in some non-East Asian people. There are many other websites out there with better, in depth information on why we have body odor.

But this is not all there is to the BO we dislike so much:

What we eat, and sometimes the medicine we take also alters our body's odor, and how strong it is. What I wanted to talk about was how my diet helped me reduce my body's bad odor.

Now, remember:

 

I still have unpleasant body odor and I still sweat, so my BO is NOT completely gone. It is simply reduced, meaning while I still smell, it is not as strong as bad as it used to be!

The first thing you need to know is that I have bad stomach burns when I eat certain foods, especially spicy or fried stuff. What I did was to reduce to a minimum these types of foods. That's because, let's be honest:  they are yummy! You might think that this has nothing to do with how a person smells like, but it does!

Think about kimchi, pickles, or sour cabbage: they're delicious, right? But, don't they have some strong scent about them? Well, that scent is carried inside your stomach through the food itself, then it passes into your blood, and then to all of your body's cells, including the skin. The skin sweats, and that sweat contains remnants of the stinky food you had. Do your biology homework, and see that I'm right! - or use your common sense-

Secondly, all that fried oil is full of toxins:  the more toxins you put in your system, the more bad body odor you release. Related to these toxins, I also gave up eating processed meats like hotdogs, sausages, and salamis. Ever checked to discover the real ingredients in these things? All I have to say is EWWW!

Then, I gave up touching and consuming garlic and onion. O_O YES! These 2 beloved aromatic plants were the ones guilty of most of my bad body odor. ;-; You know how bad your hands smell like after you peel and chop an onion bare handed? I dare you: try it out!

You probably have one question in mind right now:

How do you know garlic and onion made you smell bad? The answer is so easy, you won't believe it!

After a few months of not eating these things I randomly had them is some dishes I got from relatives. They had cooked more food than they could eat and they shared it with me. They didn't know I was 'dieting' and therefore not eating some of the ingredients. Any ways, I'm not the person to throw away foods without even trying them out.

I forgot if they had only onion (I know for sure they had onion, as my relatives never cook without it), or if there was some garlic in there too. In any case, the next day I could feel a strange scent around me, before showering. The feeling was BIZARRE, haha. It took me several minutes the culprit was my body!

Sadly, I could feel the scent even after showering! I felt it until the next day! I am not sure if by then I got used to it or it was gone. :/ What I do know is that I did throw away the left over food I received. Since then, I pay even more attention to what I eat.

Now don't get me wrong: I also don't eat onion and garlic because they're bad for my stomach. I was never OK after eating them: I would either throw up without wanting or suffer with stomach burns. I thought it was normal, because I imagined everyone was feeling that and they just wouldn't talk about it. :(

Later on, or better said, in the recent years I found out I was wrong.

In any case, reducing or eliminating foods that cause a bad body scent is not enough. You will still sweat, I know I do, and it still is unpleasant. I still need a good deodorant, though I prefer a good antiperspirant. Showering daily is something that should be a given and not even mentioned, along with making sure to wear clean clothes. Of course, this can't apply to those who consider water as a luxury.

I recently learned that  Japanese people, I believe it is mostly the ladies doing this, carry wet napkins [handkerchiefs] with them every day and everywhere they go. Apparently, they use it to remove excessive sweat, refresh and cool their bodies, and to clean their hands when needed. I think my summer bag will be a bit fuller this year.

How about you: What do you do to keep nasty body odor at bay? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

©Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.

We all have issues with the way we look. We can never be happy with the bodies we got from Mother Nature.

We always want to modify something about it: hair color and type, eye color, get longer legs, bigger boobs or bottoms. Everything can go under the knife. And if we're labeled fat, or anything over that, we have to lose weight. WHY?

Because society got brainwashed by pretty looking images seen in movies and ads in which people on the slender side, were featured. They were portrayed as happy and functional. Now everyone seems to associate "happiness," "being functional," and being "thin" or "slender." Anything else means we failed.

I have an average looking body, and according to my BMI [which apparently isn't enough to determine just how fat a person is, but does help to some extent] I'm a person with a normal weight. I still think I could lose some 10 kg - don't worry, I would still be consider "normal" weight for my height. [In fact, I gained 7 kg in 2 months last year.]

I admit I kinda think poorly of people I see as "fat." I'm not shaming them - or at least I'm trying not to do it anymore. Because I realized I was being mean for nothing: it wasn't MY problem to deal with. THEY are overweight, NOT me. It's not me who suffers more because of extra weight, but them. They surely know it, and they don't need me to remind them of this.

I came to realize some people have health problems that make them gain weight. I get that, and I feel bad for laughing or judging those who fell victims to these health problems. IF you belong in this category, I'm sorry. I was ignorant and mean, but now I know better. Or trying to know better.

Sometime in the past month I read an article about being fat, and some of the problems associated. Well, ok I'm lying as I forgot what the article was about, but one of the comments stood out.

It was hilarious, and I wanted to be able to remember it in the future. You can read it below. Sadly, the author had no name: the author's name was either "Anonymous" or "no name." Their comment is not mean, but it can pass as such. In any case, you decide for yourself, as I copied and pasted as it was written there:

here's a test that involves just 3 steps to determine if you're fat - 1) get naked 2) get in front of a full length mirror (preferably at home but to each their own) 3) take a good look at yourself and ask "am I fat?"

here's a 4 step way to change being fat - 1) only eat healthy food (it's much easier to lose fat when eating nothing but very healthy food) 2) burn more calories than you consume (it doesn't even matter how you burn them, just burn them all day long) 3) get on a regular sleep schedule (this is much more important than many people give it credit for being and will also help with a plethora of other health related issues) 4) buy a year long calendar, hang it on the wall and circle today's date; then accept the fact that it took you a long time to get fat so it's going to take you a long time to get not fat ... but you started down the road to being healthier and that's pretty awesome of you!

Surely this method of deciding if you're fat or not will not always work. Some people have a distorted sight or a bad mirror. Asking others if they think you're fat or not is not helpful either: they will generally say something you would like to hear. Not very nice.

If you're a body builder or some other type of sportsman, getting on your scales to see how much you weigh, they will not tell you anything either. So how do you know if you're fat for real? (Actually you might already know deep in side if you're fat or not. Your doctor and other people might have dropped some hints about your weight.)

You might look at people who have a smaller body frame than yours for the about same height. And when you look at them you might think "how nice must it be to be able to move so fast without getting tired so soon."

But do you know what these thoughts are? Or what they represent? They represent self - body shaming. You're shaming yourself. By doing so, you allow others to shame you for your weight as well.

It is you who needs to stop the self hating and shaming first. Only then you'll feel empowered to demand this treatment from others. But this won't happen now when you read this blog entry, it won't happen overnight [though it would be really nice if it did]. It will happen ONLY when you realize the truth in these words and when you're ready to make peace with yourself.

I don't have a magic pill, but you have the magic pill. Better said, your mind does. They say that God works in mysterious ways, but the mind is possibly 10 times more mysterious.

I think it's time to think a bit about the other people. Those labeled as 'skinny' or even 'underweight.' Do you think it's easy for them to be that way? For some, yes it is, because of their build. And WE ALL need to stop shaming them for weighing too little.

They too have problems, especially those who go on extreme diets: they get easily cold when it rains or in winter. The wind could blow them away - hell, it nearly took me away on several occasions. They can get easily tired because their bodies don't have enough stored energy. The list could still continue, but it will stop here.

It is really NOT OK to laugh at other people no matter how they look. It is really not OK to tell them in a masked way, that because they don't fit into a mold they can't be happy. They can be! Many of them are! Next time, before you engage in laughing and pointing to a fat or skinny person, ask yourself:

• "What do I have to gain by pointing their body frame out, especially if I can't use magic to make them look 'better'?"
• "How does their weight affect MY life in any way?"
• "Will they instantly lose/gain enough weight so they'll look the way I want them to look, so I'll accept them?

I plan on writing some tips on how you can lose weight without an extreme diet or surgery. I also plan on writing about the reason I gained 7 kg too, sometimes soon.

Don't be a mean person, be kind and a better person!

---

©2013 - present Charly Cross. All rights reserved.

Hello everyone~~

Shopping is an activity many women simply LOVE. Everyone knows that! And it takes them a lot of time to buy a cute new outfit, or a perfect shirt, whatever other clothing item they want.

Men, however, don't spend as much time shopping for the stuff they need. Could it be that they know better what they want? Perhaps it is so, but maybe this aspect has something to do with this fact:

Men's bodies seem made in the same mold, while women have a curved body. The curves of a lady don't always fall in the same places, but this is due to their height! Women's bodies come in all shapes and sizes, or so they say. This is why women must try on all the clothes they're interested in, to make sure they fit and look nice.

To add insult to the injury, the amount of patterns, colors, and items in general, is reduced for men's clothing, so it's easier for them to choose something!

I read the stories of many women complaining about how their shopping trip was a failure:

Some of them couldn't find something they liked, others got stuff they weren't 100% happy with, and and and. I think a shopping trip should always end with 100% happiness. I'll share with you THE secret to always buy nicely fitting clothes.

So, the question is, how can women go shopping and come back home happy? There is a very simple way of knowing if a pair of pants will fit you, for instance. All you have to do is to measure yourself before leaving home, and remember to take the measuring tape with you. You would have to measure the pants you like, in the store, before going to the fitting room. However, this is a rather complicated method and you would have to remember numbers, where to measure and so on. Plus, there is an even easier method you can use:

Take your favorite pair of jeans with you when going shopping and place them against the ones in the store! As long as they seem to be the same size, you can then try them on. If you're self-conscious, shy, or if a lot of people are in the store, you'll:

• save time: by not taking to the cabin pairs of pants that will never fit, by not getting into the changing room if there are no pants in your size.
• save face: by not having to ask for yet a larger size, by not taking 10 pairs with you instead of 4 or 6 pairs that actually fit you
• be done faster with changing clothes, and shopping
• enjoy your day of shopping for pants.

One important thing you should pay attention to is the rise of the pants: low, high, or regular rise pants will definitely fit different even if the waistband is just as large. You still have to try on the pants in the store before buying them. This way you will see if you would like yourself in them or not.

This tip can be applied to pencil skirts and even bras. It is well-known that different brands will fit differently even if you select the same size. This goes well for bras and pants. I learned this tip from my stylish mother.

See you next time.

©Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.

So I want to talk about the Louboutin shoes. I mean, those ARE THE shoes, but must say Alexander McQueen (rest in peace!) had his own pieces of work. The pairs of shoes you're about to see are not from a latest collection, but from one dating back at least 5 years. I saw them late at night on April 5th, 2010 in a local store. At the time I was with a friend and we almost wanted to break in and steal the fitting pair for her, lol :D

Picture's not mine. :( Aren't they lovely?

Maybe they aren't everyone's cup of tea, .. eeeer type of heels but at least they are worth a look or two...

Alright, this pair is very similar to one we saw. That one was blue and I believe the detail in front of the leg, around the ankle was bigger. Well, it's been a very long time ago, and this post is something I wrote on a different blog. There was yet a different blog talking about these shoes, and they were saying that:

this pair is inspired by Marie Antoinette, "the flamboyant wife of the equally flamboyant Louis XVI " and "Thirty-six (36) pairs are being made in each color". I wonder how many pairs have been bought here? (they had 2 pairs in the window, both on blue). I think later on, I'll still pass by there (right around the corner) just to take a picture  or two. :) 

I believe the picture was from the official website.

In case you are wondering about where on Earth could you wear these, I have some ideas: the Carnival in Venice, a themed party, or a Halloween party. However these are not shoes made to be worn, but to be admired, thus their limited number.

This is it for now! See you next time~~~~

© Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.

Hello World~~

I realize I havent posted anything in a very long time, but this is due to more reasons. The main one is that I haven't cooked something worth sharing, nor something new.  If I did cook something different, I didn't take pictures, and recipes without pictures are boring and don't inspire anyone to try out the dish.

Yes, I remember baking a brownie with walnuts some 2 weeks ago. I found the recipe in a local newspaper, but brownie recipes are all the same. I hope to make it again soon enough and also take some pictures for you to enjoy. But, now let's return to today's recipe.

What I wanted to cook was creme brulee, but I had ingredients for creme caramel...? Well, these 2 sweets are very similar, and to know which one is which, you better read this article because it explains things better than me. In the end, I think the result was a cross between these 2 desserts. In any case it was sweet, light, and with a consistency I liked.

Preparation time: some 15 minutes

Baking time: some 30 minutes

Cooling time: as long as possible, preferably in the fridge. I cooled mine overnight.

INGREDIENTS

For the custard:

• 1 liter milk
• 8 eggs
• some vanilla essence

For the caramel

• 250 or 300 grams sugar

METHOD

First of all, you want to make the caramel. Pour all the sugar in a pot that can contain at least 2 liters of liquid. I used an oven pan of 20 x 30 cm, and some 3 cm deep? [I didn't measure it's depth, but it's pretty deep.] Make sure this is a metal oven pan because you'll place it on direct fire or heat before putting it in the oven.  Then you preheat the oven to medium heat. Place the pan on medium or fast fire, on the stove to melt and burn the sugar. Be careful how you handle the pan to avoid burning your hands or fingers. The sugar has to turn to a medium golden brown color. It doesn't matter if it turns dark brown because "brulee" means "burnt," so the color would match this description.

While you wait for the sugar to become caramel, beat the eggs in a large container, like for an omelet. Pour the milk and vanilla essence on top and mix. In fact, you can use any type of vanilla flavoring you like or have on hand. You can also use some lemon peel if you have, but not more than 2 teaspoons.

When all the sugar turned into caramel and covers all the bottom of your pan, pour the egg and milk mixture on top, and place in the oven. Bake on medium heat for some 25 or 30 minutes, but not longer. As the pictures show, mine got a bit too burned with these time and heat settings. Because you're using so many eggs and a lot of milk, it is best to overcook this dessert than to under-cook it.

TIPS:

• Let it cool completely before chilling it in the fridge. It tastes so much better the next day when it is really cold, like an yogurt.
• When serving it, make sure to pour some of the brown syrup on top of the custard, because otherwise it will have no taste.

I hope you like this dessert.

Bon Appetit~~~

© Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.

PS: post copied from the original CookingMyExperience blog I own, and edited in may 2018

Hello world~~~

This country is full of traditions. One of them is related to March 1st. It is called Mărțișor and the word itself has 3 language specific letters and sounds that simply drive me crazy, hopefully you can see them as well. But this is a story for another entry.

There are a lot of interesting things to know about this celebration, but it is easier to link you to the page with more information on it, Wikipedia. Don't worry, this time you can believe what's being said, hehe.

What you need to know is that women or girls are the ones receiving and wearing this trinket. It can be gifted by men or women. The age of the receiver or of the one giving doesn't really matter though.

This is what  the Mărțișor usually looks like in real life. As you can see, the Mărțișor is a rather small trinket tied with a red and white string. Clearly, people around here make bigger objects too, like brooches, bracelets, or necklaces.

This celebration, like many others, offers a VERY good excuse for many businesses to sell more. The most popular type of merchandise to sell for Mărțișor is jewelry of any kind. These trinkets are sold almost anywhere and almost anyone can sell them.

Handmade trinkets should be the norm when offering them, but locals are not very opened to the idea of buying unique items for which a person spend a few hours working. They rather buy something made by some machine. As a side note, the majority of the locals look down upon handmade items.

What would you like to receive for Mărțișor?

© Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.

Hello.

Romania is not the place where anyone can just become anything they want without proper training. Of course, if there's a will there will be a way. This article was ordered by a client a very long time ago, but for some reason, things took a weird turn and  the project didn't have a happy ending. Since the content is still original, I decided to post it here, for all of you who love animals. Sadly, this article refers to dogs only and those who want to become a cat behaviorist should take a different route. I may post a guide for that as well. Sometime in the future.

As a side note, this short guide might help people living in UK.

Have you often been told how good you are with animals? If the answer is ‘yes’, you may want to choose a different career path. There is always time for a change! If you have a special affinity for dogs, the best career you could choose is one as a dog behaviorist. The title seems complicated, but it’s actually quite simple.

WHAT THE JOB IS ABOUT

Not all dogs behave nicely and you have most likely encountered that dog that never stays put, never listens or even attacks, at times.

Your job will be to make sure these things never happen ever again, for a happy dog means a happy owner that will forever be grateful to you.

Prepare to get close and personal with both the dog and its owner over a certain period of time, in which you get the pet rid of its phobias, bad behavior, or any other issues the owner complains about.

NOT ALL DOGS ACT THE SAME

The breed of the dog and its own personality play an important part in your work, so do not treat every pet the same way! You need to learn about the different dog breeds’ behaviors but you need to observe the dog too, to see their personality.

Dogs are generally docile pets, they are a man’s best friend after all, but what about the times when the best friend misbehaves? The bad behavior shows in many ways and each will be treated accordingly. For example, one dog can be overly aggressive and chase people around, while another will be scared of something or refuse to go out.

What you need is to talk to the owner in a clear matter about the pet’s issues, figure out the causes and then follow up with a step by step program that will ensure this behavior changes. You will also be in charge of checking up on the pet regularly and see the progress with your own eyes - this is the most rewarding part of the job!

GET PROPER EDUCATION

Like with most jobs, you will need to get the proper training first. However there is more than one way to gain entry into this field of work.

 You must attend college, as the proper training is offered to those who graduated it. You need 2 A levels and you must have studied biology at the very least. CFBA and UCAS are just 2 places where you can get more info on available courses. You may also wish to get your hands on any DVD that shows how to do the job properly, and watch online videos. Then - practice, practice, practice and don’t forget to continue studying after you get in the business!

We suggest you also sign up for a class or seminar. If you’re serious about it, a degree in Animal Science will be helpful. Check the resources and seminaries in your areas and decide what’s the best option for you!

Training is crucial. Even though you might love being around pets, you aren’t born with the knowledge need to become a pet behaviorist.

Another way is to get a job in the field first. This could be anything - even working at a pet shop or veterinary office will do. The point is to get you used to the way animals act - the more, the better. You will quickly notice how different they are one from another.

WORKING HOURS AND EARNINGS

As a pet counselor, you will be making your own schedule and paying your own taxes. Like any other self-employment job, it has its advantages and disadvantages. You will not get paid weekly and you might struggle at first, but this is why this work is suitable for people who truly love animals.

The best paid dog counselors are people who make some cash on the side - of course, in the same field! This should not bring you down though. There are many successful counselors out there, but the wage you will get varies from $30,000 and up to about $75,000 a year. In UK, the charges can start at £85 and can go over £250, per consultation. Of course, if a case is more difficult, you can charge more, but you’ll need the proper credentials as well – see the previous section.

WHAT ARE YOU STILL WAITING FOR?

One of the best parts of the job is that your work will be anything but boring! Be prepared to train the pet as well when needed, watch it play, and interact with it as much as possible.

Once the dog begins to trust you, the most difficult part is gone. You will have fun whilst working - this is the main reason most people decide to get a career in the field.

Read about my experience with Kali.

© Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved. 

Everyone is searching for love. We all need more love in our lives. Love is celebrated in many different ways around the world, however one day in particular stands out: lover's day.

This day may or may not be celebrated everywhere. Lover's day may not be observed on the same day all over the world. For instance, USA has the famous Valentine's Day on February 14th. Similarly South Korea recently marked November 11th as Pepero Day, when people gift Pepero snacks to their loved ones as a symbol of affection.  Japan has transformed Christmas into a holiday dedicated to couples.

Romanians also have a holiday dedicated to love and couples. This is the Dragobete on February 24th. I will not copy and paste anything in my post, you can read the short Wikipage about it.

The article says that we should go collect snowdrops flowers and to give them to the person we love. Luckily, these days, if we want to do this, all we have to do is to buy them from people selling them on the streets. Walking through Downtown Bucharest is very easy to see old ladies selling snowdrops planted in tiny baskets.

What I would like to point out is the fact that this is a very old tradition, of about 2000 years. This aspect makes me think that humanity was always in search for true and long lasting romantic love. This thought of mine is reinforced by the many legends from various nations involving lovers who have to pass through some tests to prove their love.

What are your thoughts on love? should we all have a single day in which to show and reinforce our feelings for a special someone, or is it better to have different days spread throughout the year for more love in the year?

© Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.