Australian summer: late 2011-early 2012

I've decided to post up a vlog (video blog) about some of the things I did during the summer! Unfortunately, this video does not contain all the wonderful moments that I was lucky enough to have. However it does illustrate the general feel of my summer, and it really was a great summer.

If you guys are wondering why the heck I have to title this post as my 'Australian' summer, I have a very simple reason. For those of you who don't know, I actually studied in a British international school for a decade of my life. Our summers were always from July- August, and I'm still finding it a little odd that I now have my big holiday from December- Feb.

Before you watch the video, I would also like to state that one of the most monumental moments I had this summer was working for the Sony Uphoria event in Singapore. I literally flew into Singapore on the night of the 2nd of December and I ended up at work the following morning. The event saw live performances from Train and Mike Posner, and boy were they amazing live. The experience was absolutely incredible, because I love my music so so much. I got to be in their dressing rooms and everything!!

In Train's dressing room

Ridiculously amazing being so close to Mike Posner

I also spent my summer taking out my wisdom teeth, running between acting jobs, working and doing short emceeing stints for various events (CA Technologies/IBM/Red Hat Asia Pacific), and spending time with my wonderful family. Thank you to everyone who made my summer so fantastic; it was the most productive one I have had thus far.

Anyway without further ado, this is Nadia's Aussie summer video. The quality is pretty weak so I suggest that you don't make it full screen should you choose to watch it. Cheers guys!

playlist: red wine

I love red wine. As a result, the following playlist contains one of my all time favourite types of music: slow and chilled, with an acoustic feel. The songs listed below are somewhat romantic (come on, with red wine you kind of expect it ay, wink wink), so listen to them when you're thinking about the person you like...or when you're with your significant other.

This one is also for the people who can appreciate slow music without falling asleep! ENJOY.

-Perfectly, Five times August
-This modern love, Bloc Party
-Tidal waves and hurricanes, The Icarus Account
-Wonderwall (cover), Ryan Adams
-Dancing in the dark (cover), Matt Kearney

playlist: green tea

If you need something to lift you from your moments of distress,  Green Tea is something you should take! This playlist has a positive and chilled feel to it, and it has brought me up during the times when I needed a source of motivation and hope. Enjoy!

- Marching on, One Republic ft Timbaland
- Only the young, Brandon Flowers
- Beautiful beat, Nada Surf
- Glad, Tyler Hilton
- If this is it, Newton Faulker

KONY 2012: Spread the word

'The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.'

-Steve Jobs

A remarkable man -Jason Russell- sought to make the KONY 2012 campaign viral with the aim of capturing a notorious war criminal named Joseph Kony. Kony has been responsible for abducting tens of thousands of children in Africa, and turning them into his child soldiers.  These children have been forced to partake in horrendous acts, some of which include mutilating the faces of innocent civilians and shooting their own parents.


Watch this video, and do your part by spreading the word. Take advantage of the power of social media; one share on your Facebook wall will take you less than 10 seconds. 

FOR ANY GUY: 5 tips to make yourself sexier

My friends and I have often discussed what makes a guy attractive. So I thought I would blog about it... I know there are probably a million studies on google, but hey, here's another one for you!

The following information is based on my preferences, but I'm pretty sure these 'sexy guy qualities' would appeal to most girls. For the guys who wanted this information...you're welcome in advance. This list, by the way, has nothing to do with physical attributes. I figured writing 'Be tall' would be of no help to people who are dissatisfied with their heights.

These 5 general tips are FOOLPROOF and SIMPLE and GENERIC. They WILL (probably) make you seem sexier, no matter who you are or what you look like. Here we go!

1. Confidence

You would have heard this countless times, and there is a reason for that. I must reiterate this: a confident guy is someone who has direction and knows what he's doing. He is NOT someone who would walk into a room with a swagger that could rate 8.0 on an earthquake scale. With confidence, there is often the easy risk of seeming arrogant/narcissistic. Arrogance is way up on the list of turn-offs. So be confident, but don't try to be the next iron man.

2. Cleanliness/ Appearance

I'm not saying walk out in a towel to prove that you just got out of the shower. It would simply be ideal if you look like you didn't just sprint through the Sahara Desert. Personally I like simple stuff on guys. Save the torn stuff/denim jackets for the salvation army. Bring out the plain, clean shirts and the non super skinny jeans. Also, keep your hair short boys...that's my preference anyway.

3. Smile!

A good smile can brighten up a room and melt any heart. However, this is not your cue to start baring all your teeth. You are not auditioning for a role as a werewolf.

4. Be yourself as much as possible 

Trying too hard becomes transparent eventually.

5. Be relaxed

I for one am a pretty passionate, feisty and crazy person. Being around a guy with the same qualities as me... well hey that would be like the Cuban Missile Crisis all over again, except WITH the nuclear warfare. Be chilled, be cool. People will probably feed off the vibes you're emanating. Also if you're relaxed, you'll probably have a better chance of being funny. A sense of humor is sexy because it makes everyone comfortable and happy.

And there you have it! If you're a guy, hope that this post was of some use to you.

What I think of Valentine's Day

I have never been a fan of Valentine's day. 
Ok yes, it's sweet and all.. It can be a bit cute. I mean, you can buy heart shaped apples and all that. Pretty freakin exciting. Nevertheless, it's an overrated holiday.

In my opinion, relationships shouldn't be celebrated just because the calendar points to the 14th of February. I think that if you love a person, you get them flowers  or chocolate just because you want to. It shouldn't be an obligation...'Oh look it's Valentine's day, bloody hell, I NEED TO GET MY GIRLFRIEND ROSES.' 

On that note, I wouldn't blame you if you felt compelled to get your special someone something. There's so much pressure on Valentine's day! The media comes in and catalyzes the hype surrounding the holiday..BAM BAM BAM. Businesses cleverly market their products around all the hearts and the romantic little quotes, oh daym, the excitement! So yes, a guy or any person would feel that obligation. Or maybe you just like buying your girlfriend things, I don't know. 


Conversely, it's completely fair that most girls would expect presents and all that on the 14th. We like flowers and lovely, shiny things. But again with the media and all that pressure.. the air of expectancy becomes even more concentrated. So then you have guys freakin out and rushing, and girls getting upset because their presents aren't as pretty as their best friends.. During the times when I was taken, I used to panic over what to get guys. I mean..chocolate...really?? 

And worst of all, Valentine's day also means 'Single Awareness day.' There are some people in the world who will think of all the happy relationships and just feel really sad about everything. We imagine that only couples experience the Vday pressure. Wrong. I know (as I'm sure you do) of single people who feel it too.

Don't mistake me, I do like the romantic stuff quite alot. I'm a girl, not a robot. I don't HATE the 14th of February. I guess it just freaks me out a little. Go out for dinner and celebrate the love you have with someone because you want to, not because it's a Valentine's day obligation. 

my life philosophy

This next quote is my 'life philosophy'. It summarizes everything I believe in. Such a great quote!

Ralph Waldo Emerson: 

"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded."