THE CHEAPEST FORM OF THERAPY
I was unaware that the bio trend has reached the beer industry; I learnt this from the label of the unpasteurized, vegan, crafted and bio blond ale that I am drinking as I write this spill. It is interesting to see how one can find some of the most fascinating human-made processes in a 33cl beer bottle: agriculture, craftsmanship and, of course, drinkable alcohol.
This week was though, yet productive. I managed to go to three of my five programmed 7.00AM cyclo classes, where every week, I try not to die while spinning under intense latin rhythms wearing a face mask as the 2020 fashion dictates. The most productive part though was catching up with one of my life mentors, Olivia.
Born and raised in Latin America, Olivia is one of those perfectly adapted Upper East New Yorkers that seem to hold the world in just one hand. An exotic mix of Latina and Lebanese, Olivia simoustanly strongly believes in the power of Astrology, Psychoanalysis and Corporate America. When we first met, the first question she asked was which animal I identified with the most. “An indomitable steed” was my immediate answer, as I have always felt wild, but never carnivorous.
Olivia taught me how to survive the corporate life of New York City. Important things like the appropriate body language in order to always look extremely busy, and how to have a permanent “I don’t have time for your existence” face. She also told me to pick a coffee shop to be a regular for my weekdays morning lattes, and to have an organic bowl of some greens and vegetable mix to eat in front of my computer at least three times a week. As the cherry on the top, Olivia introduced me to the executive pedicure world of the City. “Pedis” are the cheapest form of therapy in one of the most expensive cities in the world as it gives you a distorted sense of personal luxury and wealth. The smiling Chinese ladies in that tiny Manhattan foot spa got quite excited when I greeted them with a “你好”, something I learnt from my Chinese friends - that small gesture gave me an extra ten minutes of foot massage in every appointment. That was something I taught Olivia.
New York City is indeed an urban paradise. Once you learn to manage the never-ending working hours, the everyday bitchiness and the brutal cost of living, you just fall in love with this relentless city. Personally, New York was a game changer: it forced me to explore every corner of my personality, to reach my physical and mental limits but most importantly, it rewarded me with the love of my life (whom I met in an Uber).
But that is a Spill for another Sunday...
Buon coraggio,
Myster Spills