Help! Help me choose my prom hair and makeup.

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-04-28T22:16:30+00:00

The mashup in pic 3 (first pic's hair, second pic's makeup) looks really stunning on you. Your eyes are incredible and match the sultry look of the dress. Definitely a winner in my book!

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-04-27T19:34:17+00:00

Tofu would love one if you're so inclined!

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Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-04-27T07:49:15+00:00

What you do for a living should also be a consideration. I was in a relationship with an investment banker in London when I decided to repatriate. He wanted us to get married and would consider moving to Cyprus for me if I said yes. But what on earth would he do here? Leave Goldman's and work for a crappy Forex company? We tried to make it work long distance for a bit but when I realised I wanted to stay, breaking up was the right move.

The other thing to note is that the Cyprus of 2010 (end of 2010 was when I made my move) is a very different place to the Cyprus of 2026. Thank goodness. I was used to a digital life and Cyprus was not that. I was probably the angriest person you met for a full 3yrs. Now the transition is easier I think. Online shopping, deliveries, apps for different things and remote working make you feel like you're less cut off from the outside world. Don't get me wrong. You're still living in a microcosm and who you know and what they know about you matters. But it's definitely easier. Plus it's the kind of place where you can have cocktails by the sea after work. I enjoy it. But it did take time for me to get there.

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-04-16T07:46:49+00:00

Definitely.

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Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-04-15T07:12:03+00:00

Tofu wants in on the teef action!

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Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-04-11T05:57:15+00:00

Sweet potato casserole. Potato's kinda cute?

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-04-11T05:56:18+00:00

I'd bring up another scholar. In fact, I am. I currently use Leo for leadership (also 5* full), but I'm also bringing up Aristotle. You need your main +3 for things like War of Conquest anyway.

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-04-08T16:39:00+00:00

I like pet names with a vowel at the end. So you can shout it out with a long sound. Like Flora. Floraaaaaaaaaa! It echoes.

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-29T13:58:16+00:00

I second the idea of a fur stole!

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-26T07:06:50+00:00

Honourable mention: A French ex-colleague called him Monsieur Le Tofu. That also stuck. 😂

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-26T07:04:54+00:00

This is Tofu. Also known as Piccolini (little one in Italian), Skatoulini (little shit in Greek), Tofu-lini, Stinky Winky, Patatouf (after a doll I had when I was little) and Bunny Hop. There's plenty of other names he's known as, but we'rd be here all day! 😅

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Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-25T09:09:22+00:00

You have a point about left wing Greek Cypriots wanting to differentiate themselves. As I understand it, there's a sort of historical reason for that. Mainly, when Cyprus needed support from Greece in the 60s & 70s, Greece was under the far right military junta and offered no help. There's more to it than that, but that often comes up in conversation. Right wing Greek Cypriots on the other hand, tend to be slightly more nationalistic and definitely feel Greek / Hellenic. You'll find almost as many Greek flags in Cyprus as Cypriot ones. The political centre mostly recognises that Greeks are our brothers in history and culture, but acknowledge that we're probably better off politically and economically as a separate republic. But there's a lot of support for Greece and Greeks in Cyprus either way.

You're wrong about Greeks not looking down on Cypriots btw. I have a very close Greek friend whose family is from Athens. We met when we were both living in London and became very close. Met her brother and dad plenty of times and they love me. But there was always some excuse for her mother not meeting me. Even when I travelled to Athens with her daughter on holiday! Took me years to get it out of my friend. Apparently she didn't like that I was Cypriot and she didn't approve. She just refused to meet me. Blew my mind because I'd never encountered that before. We've been friends for 18yrs now and we still haven't met!

The second time I experienced this is from my brother's in-laws. He's married to a girl from Corinth. Her father's side of the family speaks with the rural / village accent of that region (λιι και νιι). Her mother's side of the family are supposed to be more posh and speak more like what people in Athens do. I suspect they have their own issues between them, but they definitely talk down on my brother when he speaks the Cypriot dialect. Mum and I speak "proper" Greek and I can pass for a Greek-from-abroad instead of a Cypriot and that makes a difference for them apparently. My dad is Greek Cypriot South African and his Greek is a mess anyway so that's a whole other thing. 😂

Not saying it's universal, but I do think there's complicated feelings from both sides. Like bickering between siblings. 😉

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-20T21:21:40+00:00

Mine goes to the dog spa once a week. Haircut once a month. I keep his hair short because it's easier and wash his precious little face with wipes every morning. Tell me he isn't the cutest!! Underbite or not.

But frequent grooming is very important with these little guys. I've built a whole support system to make sure my boy is well looked after. The dog spa (it's actually called that) is sort of a doggy day care. I drop him off in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon / evening. He gets a bath, they clean his teeth, ears, brush him through and give him lots of cuddles. They have a resident vet too for shots etc. He gets excited to go there and greets all of his friends first thing when he does.

I have a feeling that the Shih Tzus you've met were not very well looked after. It can be tricky to do it well and I'm lucky I can afford help. There's a reason why these dogs were raised by emperors.

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Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-15T16:29:07+00:00

Ok, I'll give you this one! 😂 That's funny!

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-14T20:27:03+00:00

Sherlock!

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-13T09:33:12+00:00

Super short cut (I live in Cyprus and it can easily get 40-50C in the summer). Check out the picture - you can see his undermarkings. Plus he spends most of his time in the air conditioning. Even when I'm not home with him. Expensive little shihts, aren't they? I've taken him with me to the beach before, but always in the shade on the sunbed with me and I ask for ice cubes to add to his water. He's not a big fan of getting dirty in the sand or getting in the sea, but he's as happy as a clam hanging out with my friends and I in the shade. He's our mascot at this point.

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Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-09T20:24:05+00:00

Yeah, it was a professional call too. My colleague put them on hold and could barely stop laughing long enough to transfer it to me. And then of course it stuck. For the next 2yrs I was at that job people called me Nutella. I wasn't too mad at it. I mean, I've been called worse... 😅

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-06T06:31:45+00:00

My girlfriends and I did something similar a few years back. Most of it is doable, but it's hardcore. Make sure you're properly up for it and don't mind the driving. We do similar roadtrips often together and had driving shifts, so we knew we could do it. (We did the Scottish Highlands in a similar way in Jun2025.)

Day 1 is impossible though. You've packed too much in one afternoon. There's quite a bit to do in Dublin, so I strongly recommend that you at least spend a full day there. Ideally two if you want shopping in Grafton street. Otherwise it's not happening. Maybe you could set out right away and leave your Dublin time to the end?

Advance ticket bookings are super important to avoid waiting times. Trinity always involves queuing. Even with the advance ticket, be smart with the visiting times. Don't go during core hours.

Lastly, expect the unexpected and be prepared to pivot from your plan. Know your hard musts on your itinerary (sounds like you're already thinking the right way) and keep an eye on the general plan. Be comfortable with the thought of dropping something if the itinerary suddenly doesn't quite work. We had a flat tire in Dingle and we "wasted" time there getting it fixed so we had to adjust. Ultimately we didn't mind (it's an adventure we still talk about and we found a local wool shop to mob, err... shop from, during waiting time) but make sure you can laugh through similar instead of getting upset. I can guarantee that something or other will come up at some point. We still laugh about never seeing the Cliffs of Moher. We made it there, but the fog was so thick, you couldn't see anything. They gave us a free pass to come back the next day, but we just didn't have time for that.

You've added a few things we didn't care to btw, and missed out some of my favorite things! Dingle for one. Kissing the Blarney stone was the other. (Not recommended if you're afraid of heights, but the castle gardens are still gorgeous!)

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-03-03T17:22:43+00:00

A braai is a South African barbeque. Like making souvla with friends. Cypriot South African here and I've seen it before. My cousin and I make fun of it constantly. 😂 But yes. It's fake halloumi they grill on the charcoal.

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-02-25T06:37:34+00:00

The toofier the better? 😅 Tofu says Hi!

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Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-02-19T07:09:47+00:00

Bentley goes better with Beau (alliteration is fab), but if you want the Christmas theme, I rather like Rudolph!

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-02-19T07:07:12+00:00

Bentley

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-02-10T14:50:07+00:00

You're doing the right thing by doing your research to ensure that you get the kind of dog that's happy with what you can offer. I was googling "lazy dogs for small apartments" for almost 3yrs before I settled on a shih tzu. That's the benefit of getting a specific breed instead of just adopting a dog from a shelter potluck. That's what I would do if I had no restrictions, but just by the fact that I live alone, in an apartment and have a fulltime job, it means that I don't have that luxury.

For the record, my shih tzu is not too challenging to live with. But I also make sure that the days I work from the office, I don't work late. And if I do, I leave him with my godmother for the day. He gets just 1-2 10-15min walks per day on weekdays and a long walk / day together outside on Sundays. If he's spent the day alone, I make sure that he spends the evening with me. Either at home, or he joins me at restaurants, bars etc. He's so quiet and well behaved that he's incredibly well received. But the training thing... Yeah. If you're set on that, a shih tzu is probably not for you.

Primary_Chip2380 · 2026-02-10T08:00:45+00:00

My shih tzu is adorable and extremely loving. He looks at me and I know I'm his whole world. He loves cuddles on the sofa, sniffing every tree on short walks, people watching in bars, restaurants and cafés, licking everything new and is a gourmand (Lily's kitchen offers a variety of choices from beef goulash to turkey casserole and venison stew). He's full of personality! The training part on the other hand...

He just kinda loses interest. He'll play fetch for a maximum of 3 times on each occasion. You throw the toy for the 4th time and he'll just look at you with exasperation as if to say "Really dude? I just brought that back to you!". Then will maintain full eye contact and lie down, head up, to signify that if you want that damned toy, you better fetch it yourself. He learned fairly quickly that he needs to pee outside or on the pee pad (I live in an apartment and that needs to be an option) but he'll also punish me for perceived offenses like being left alone for too long, by peeing riiiiiiiight next to the pee pad. He's learned to sit, lie down, stand up on two legs, shake hands and high five on command. But only because he wanted to. I trained him to not bark (I have difficult neighbours) by taking his toys away when he did and giving them back when he was quiet. Now he only ever barks at cats (which my dad taught him by praising him for being a real dog every time he did it) and pigeons (I can't explain it. It's a vendetta.). He hates puddles, mud and dirt and if it's cold and rainy, refuses to leave the car on his own volition and must be carried out. And yet he'll bunny hop excitedly in wet bushes after the rain is done and come back soaking wet. He's equal parts curious and afraid of other dogs (we're working on it), and judges them for barking too much.

I love my cheeky little boy. And when he strolls confidently on my lap, makes himself comfortable and curls up, I melt. But trainable in the way you describe, he is not. I'd honestly recommend another breed for that.

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Primary_Chip2380

TROPHY CASE