A Dinner Conversation

I feel like every time I go out to dinner, I inevitably get seated next to people who have the strangest conversations. I never try to eavesdrop, but in tiny restaurants where I am only a few inches away from the next table, and the people are screaming, it is nearly impossible not to hear.

Last night, there was a crew of 6 people in their late 20's/early 30's, all trying to show how cultured and knowledgable they were. Aside from bursting out with the occasional (American-accented) Mandarin Chinese phrase or two, here were the two notable quotes of the evening...

"Brown rice is just white rice that has been dyed brown."

"Isn't Szechuan food just food that is made with walnuts?"

YEAH...

I braved Black Friday yesterday, but not until the afternoon. NO WAY am I going to wake up at 4AM to buy something that I really don't need! I can't believe that guy got trampled at the Wal-Mart in Long Island. Why are people so greedy, inconsiderate, and terrible? Is there anything THAT important to purchase that you need to shove somewhere over and stomp him to death?

I'm so over the materialistic, capitalistic holiday that Christmas has become in this world. Since when did Jesus' birth become all about buying things? I understand that because God gave us the greatest gift ever, we honor that by giving gifts to other people. But shoving, stealing and pillaging in order to give a present sort of defeats the purpose of this gift. Where's the love?

Right now, I am watching CNN, and it is depressing me. The focus is on recession-proofing one's job. Who knows what will happen in the coming year??

Back in the Game!

I had completely forgotten about this blog... well, sort of! I can't even forget about beauty products, apparently. I just got back from vacation in Morocco, and I wasn't even thinking about seeing the sites or eating some good tajine... I was too preoccupied with finding an abundant supply of argan oil!

Argan oil, in case you aren't familiar, is made from the nut of a tree that grows only in Morocco. The nut is about the size of an almond - maybe a tad bigger. In the process, the women (this is a woman's job, similar to the Shea butter production in other parts of Africa) form a small assembly line. The first woman picks off the outer shell. Then, the second woman breaks out the interior nut. The third woman grinds the nut into a paste that looks like milky peanut butter. The fourth woman forms the paste into cakes and squeezes out the oil The resulting "mush" is then made into soaps, added into lotions, or other products.

I went to several different places to find argan oil. The first was a berber pharmacy in the medina in Marrakesh. I bought 3 bottles of the ones for cosmetic use. (There is also a thicker "extra virgin" version that can be eaten with bread.) The second place was in the Ourikah Valley at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, where the women made all sorts of argan products. The third was in the government sponsored (price-fixed) store in the souk of Marrakesh. Needless to say, I had loads of fun trying all these products.

The place in the Ourikah Valley also offered scented argan oil. The oil has a nutty taste and smell, so they are offered in "perfumed" versions as well. There is Jasmine, Almond, Musk, Amber... the whole gamut.

So what are the benefits of argan oil? Well, aside from jumping into the trend (as Kiehl's and Josie Maran Beauty have) -- it is supposed to be very good for the skin. It purportedly helps with the fading of stretch marks and discoloration, and also helps to soothe and moisturize the skin.

I just started using my bottles, so I will definitely keep you posted.

On a more commercial note (and going back to my 2-year old post):

NARS came out with "Super Orgasm" blush last month. I tested it at Sephora and couldn't decide if I wanted to get it. It just seems to be teeming with too much gold glitter, although I think the base color is quite lovely. We shall see...