The Working Writer's Life

Can You Write if You Don't Read?

2012-05-26T20:53:00.000+04:00

I had a conversation sometime last week with someone about writing. The lady wanted to know how to get into it but wasn’t sure what she wanted to write about. I asked her what kind of books appealed to her. I was a little stumped when she said she didn’t read much. I subsequently asked if there was any voice that appealed to her in general out there or inside her head.

After a few minutes of musing, she said she fancied Desperate Housewives and Sex in the City. “Drama then?” I asked but she seemed uncertain. We couldn't settle on anything so I suggested reading books from different genres and authors to get an idea of what she'd like to write about. She appeared mortified by the idea.

It led me to thinking – is it possible to write if you don’t read? Of course if you went to school, you can write but that doesn’t necessarily equate to writer. Perhaps the question should be, “Can you improve as a writer if you don’t read?”

Every successful writer I’ve known or heard off was also a lover of books. My journey to writing began with a love of reading from age 5. To me, it seems logical that the two go hand in hand together. Certainly, natural talent goes a long way but talent still needs to be nurtured and developed. You can’t get by on just the natural talent alone. Musicians and actors go to performing arts schools, painters learn how to draw and study the masters, writers read.

A story comes from your heart and you can write 1,000 pages of utter drivel if you so wish. However, the rewrites come from your head and learning concise writing, proper grammar usage, pacing, setting development, etc comes from reading books. The more you read, the better you get at writing. It’s that simple.

You can write if you don’t read. However, I wouldn’t expect what you’re penning will be the next Lord of the Rings. It’s possible there’s an exception to this but like I said, I’ve never met a writer who didn’t love reading.

Say Hello to The Perfect Man!

2012-05-18T14:32:00.000+04:00

Have a Great Weekend! :)

5 Book to Screen Atrocities

2012-05-04T01:54:00.002+04:00

This is a follow up to 5 Book to Screen Near Perfections. These adaptations fell far from the book and one or two rewrote the stories. I guess you could say some books are difficult to convert into movies. I think we can all agree that argument went outside the window once Peter Jackson was able to convert Lord of the Rings into movies. Read and weep..

The Three Musketeers, 1993: I read Alexandre Dumas’s beloved novel often as a child and fancied myself a bit of a swords woman as I attacked imaginary objects with my mum’s precious silverware. When I heard Disney was bringing it to life in 1993, I was delighted and couldn’t wait to see it. I, unfortunately, will never be able to unsee it. Chris O'Donnell as D’Artagnan was strange. He didn’t fit Alexandre Dumas’s portrayal and it's bizarre anyone thought Charlie Sheen would work as a musketeer.
The Three Musketeers, 2011: Yes, I’m not done with the musketeers yet. This version makes Disney’s 1993 version worthy of an Oscar. At least they managed to keep us in the 18th century. In the 2011 version however, there are flying machines, Mila Jovovich pulling off stunts reminiscent of The Matrix, Resident Evil and Entrapment movies, and a love lorn king seeking courting advice from D’Artagnan’s son whom he barely knows. I fear Monsieur Dumas must still be rolling over in his grave as I write this.
Confessions of a Shopaholic: I began reading the shopaholic series sometime in 2007. I found them hilarious and purchased the other books in the series. When I heard it was coming to the big screen, I was beyond delighted and couldn’t wait to see the portrayal of Rebecca Bloomwood. I would have been happy to wait a little bit longer, or even forever. I was a tad traumatized to discover Becky was uprooted from England and transported to New York. Only one book of the series featured her in New York and not in the way it did in the movie. Plot lines from 3 – 4 books in the series were jumbled into the movie. Tarquin & Suze didn’t feel right in the movie because in the books, Tarquin is Scottish and has a castle and everything. Though the movie was funny in parts, it still didn’t capture the darling that was Rebecca Bloomwood in the books. My only respite at the end was the hope that Sophie Kinsella has the good sense not to let anyone make any more shophaholic movies.
The Scarlet Letter: A classic is defined as a work of recognized and established value. Many classics have been butchered in Hollywood but I think the 1995 version starring Demi Moore takes the cake. There is a lot of feminism going on in the movie. Don’t get me wrong. I’m an ardent supporter of feminism. It’s just that when Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote his book in 1850, the subject of feminism wasn’t part of it. The entire book was watered down to sexy scenes and a typical Hollywood ending leaving out the deeper intricacies and complexities of the novel.
Alice in Wonderland: So many questions with no answers. Why was it done as Alice revisiting wonderland? Why did they make her 19 years old? Why was there so much CGI? Why was it so dangerous in wonderland? What in the name of Lewis Carroll was that atrocious ending? I could go on for pages. The Alice in Wonderland I read and loved as a child was an enchanting tale filled with whimsical and believable characters in an unreal world. I must ask - did the screenplay writer even read the book?

Without a doubt, several more book to screen atrocities are in existence. Have you watched any book to screen atrocities? Add them in the comment box so the rest of us know what to avoid!

5 Book to Screen Near Perfections

2012-04-23T22:32:00.000+04:00

I say near perfections because no matter how great the movie version is, it can never transcend the book as far as I’m concerned. Hollywood has been converting books to movies for decades. Sometimes, they get it right and bring much loved characters to life. Sometimes, they get it so wrong, it gives a bookworm the heebie jeebies. There are also the times they get it so right, they feel it’s necessary to butcher it by giving it a once over years down the line, aka as a remake. Here are my top 5 book to screen near perfections:

The Thorn Birds: This movie harangued me just as much as the book. It brought Father Ralph de Bricassart to life and personified a character I found so maddening. Rachel Ward as Maggie, the eternally lovelorn girl, was just as good. The portrayal of the Australian outback with its hand in hand beauty and danger was soul stirring. The movie stayed true to the story line in the book for the most part.
To Kill a Mockingbird: The novel was an indictment of racism in the segregated south where the author, Harper Lee, grew up. Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch delivers a perfect performance and takes on the role so well, it’s hard to believe he wasn’t the same lawyer characterised in the book.
Gone with the Wind: A 1939 classic written by Margaret Mitchell and based on the American civil war. Clark Gable shines as the scoundrel Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as the spoilt southern belle, Scarlett O’Hara. The novel is a little over a 1,000 pages which should be quite daunting to bring alive on screen but they managed it just fine and the movie went on to win 8 Academy Awards. However, a few parts of the novel were missing in the film.
The Godfather: Mario Puzo’s exploration of a crime family through several generations is fascinating and riveting minus Lucy’s nether regions of course. The movie adaptation stands as one of the greatest films ever made and manages to improve on the book just a little. Well, part 1 anyway. Part 2 was an excellent sequel and part 3 was, to put it mildly, a bit of an abomination. In my head, part 3 doesn't exist. The story of The Godfather ends with Michael contemplating on the verandah after Fredo is shot.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:I’m referring to the version with Gene Wilder. I didn’t quite gel with the Johnny Depp version. Gene Wilder as the weird but lovable Willy Wonka incorporated Dahl’s ideas into the movie to create a fun, true to the print narrative.

There are more great book to screen adaptations but these are my top 5. Feel free to add to the list in the comment box.

Up next, five book to screen atrocities!

Happy Easter :)

2012-04-08T11:27:00.000+04:00

The Riddle of 3 Women

2012-04-05T16:58:00.000+04:00

3 women dated the same man once upon a time. He wasn’t anything special or extraordinary. He wasn’t Superman or Batman and he certainly wasn’t Thor. Just a regular guy.

Woman No 1 wasn’t much to look at but she loved and adored him and was there for him through everything. She wanted only good things for him and always tried to make him feel 10 feet tall. She was a hidden gem he kept away from his family and friends.

Woman No 2 was an ok gal. She loved him a little bit but she didn’t put her life on hold for him. If she heard from him, she was cool. If she didn’t hear from him, she went about her business and didn’t waste time analysing all the possible meanings of his intonation and mannerisms the last time she saw or heard from him.

Woman No 3 was a looker and knew what was in fashion before Anna Wintour but she treated him like crap. She cheated on him and didn’t try too hard to hide it. She picked his calls occasionally and never agreed to go out anywhere with him unless she had at least 2 weeks notice. She wouldn’t give him access to the “goodies” and ran through his cards faster than the Tasmanian devil could track down bugs bunny.

Finally, he decided it was time for him to settle down with one of them. Which of these women do you think he proposed to?

Hint: If the answer is obvious to you, then that's not the answer! :)

Dealing with Dream killers

2012-03-08T23:33:00.000+04:00

We’ve all met them at one point or the other in our lives. People who say you can’t be something or do something. They try to convince you you’re not qualified enough or smart enough or can’t afford it. They point out every obstacle in your way, both real and imaginary, and try to discourage you. These people are known as dream killers and they come in all forms – family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and frenemies.

It’s inevitable that you will come across a dream killer as you course through life, so the question is what to do when you come across one or how to deal with one in your life. There are 4 very simple steps you can take:-

Don’t try to win a dream killer over. The aim isn’t to understand you or your dream. The aim is to discourage you and tell you why you can’t do it.
Eliminate these people from your life.
Depending on the relationship you have, it might not be so easy to remove a dream killer from your life. The next best thing would be to learn to tune out their negativity. Zone out when he/she starts spewing.
Go right ahead and prove them wrong.

Just in case, you were thinking your dream (s) is a bit over the top, peep the following people who have lived dreams that seemed impossible:

When asked how he felt about his failure regarding the light bulb, Thomas Edison said, “I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work.” He holds a world record of 1,093 patents by the way.
Walt Disney was told the idea of Mickey Mouse would never succeed but he found it kind of fun to do the impossible and went ahead with it. He created an entertainment empire.
Harland David Sanders secret chicken recipe was rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it. Today, KFC is part of history.
At his first audition, Sidney Poitier was told to stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher. We all know where Sidney Poitier is today.
This is my personal favourite - J.K. Rowling was nearly penniless, depressed, divorced and raising a child on her own while she was writing Harry Potter. She is one of the richest women in the world today.
Charlie Chaplin’s act was initially regarded as nonsensical fluff that would never sell but today, he is one of the cornerstones of film history.
The number of times Abraham Lincoln failed in life is a legend but he never gave up and eventually became the President of the United States.

This isn’t a complete list and there are many more success stories out there. Your dream is only as big or as small as your belief in it. It’s up to you to equip yourself with the skills and tools that will help you live those dreams. Addidas said it best with the words, “Impossible is Nothing!”

How to Start Work on Your Novel

2012-02-24T22:23:00.000+04:00

Starting work on a novel is never easy. It’s not unheard of to stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead and still nothing comes forth. However, there are a few simple steps that can get you going in the right direction. I’ve outlined them below:

Put Your Ideas Together: For me, I don’t think about an idea. They come to me in their own time and once they do, I start scribbling very fast before I forget them. If you don’t have an idea yet, you could do some research or read a few things to generate ideas and then start writing them down. It doesn’t really matter if they don’t make sense, just write every last bit of crap down.
Pick a Genre: Decide what genre your idea fits into and who your target audience will be. This will help you to narrow down what you have written down and focus on the right idea.
Outline & Define Your Characters: Close your eyes and imagine your main characters. Give them names, identities and little quirks that make them who they are, then write them down. A few lines on each character will be fine at this time. I run amok a little at this stage and give characters all sorts of idiosyncrasies.
Choose a Voice: Are you going to tell the story in 1st, 2nd or 3rd person? All 3 have pros and cons. What would fit your idea best? I have started stories with 1 voice and changed it to another later on because the latter sounded better in my head or my muse said it sounded better. You can play around with all 3 or something else at the beginning and see where it leads before settling on one.
Write a Synopsis: This is an abridgement of what you want the story to look like. I usually write 20 – 25 lines. I don’t think too much at this stage. I just outline the general idea on paper.
Create Adversity: Everybody loves a good conflict in a novel. Something in the way of the antagonist or protagonist. This is what keeps readers glued to the page. At the centre of even the most basic story, there is always a conflict.
Where: Pandora? Narnia? Outer Space? 6 feet under? On earth? Where is your novel going to be set? It could be somewhere simple or somewhere fantastic. Whichever location you choose, make sure it fits the tone and plot of the novel.
Write a Plot Summary: This is a tad cumbersome and not everyone would like to do it. I take the time to write out a chapter-by-chapter summary of the events as it unfolds in my mind. I’m not bound to it and it changes a lot before I’m done but it helps me to work better. You can do 3 – 4 lines per chapter or rant for 10 – 15 lines like I do.
Start: Yes, all the above was preliminary work. There was no actual novel writing involved. Now that you’ve got all the tools required, it’s time to shut everyone out and begin work on the novel. I procrastinate a lot in the process of 1 – 8 above but it gets done sooner or later and I have to face that blank page and put it all together. Tougher than it sounds!

Remember, all the preliminary work isn’t set in stone. The ideas, summary, scenery, etc you put down at the initial stages can change as you go along. The important thing is to keep going until you finish.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda..

2012-02-03T18:49:00.000+04:00

When I was a kid, I had a serious Ferdinand Magellan thing going on. I loved geography & history. I loved finding out where places were and learning the history of those places. Of my many dreams, one of them was visiting and meeting the inhabitants of those places. I knew that I wanted to travel, work and live abroad, and have exotic experiences. I also figured, as a writer, I needed to broaden my creative horizons.

The culture I come from doesn’t encourage single women of marriageable age to just go off to discover (the reasons for this requires several blog posts). I struggled with the desire to venture off for a long time after I graduated university. I had a good job, lived with my parents and was happy but at the same time, I wasn’t happy. I thought about the rest of the world a lot. One day, an opportunity presented itself and I went for it. I told my parents I was flying the coop finally to a land far far away. The day I left home, my mum bawled a lot, which led to me bawling a lot too, but I still flew the coop.

It’s been nearly 6 years since that day and I've met many people from different places, traveled widely and had a lot of experiences, both exotic and not so exotic. While not been everything I had hoped it would be, the ride has been fun and I wouldn’t want it any different.

If I died tomorrow, the last thought in my mind would be, “At least for a short period of time, I got to live some of my dreams.”

Life is short. Time is shorter. Nothing is worse than a life bound by fear of change, fear of the unknown, a life filled with “coulda, woulda, shoulda done that.” Whatever life might bring your way, remember to live your dreams. You will never be able to go back and live your life again. All you have is now, so live your best life.

Vision Board 2012

2012-01-13T02:00:00.000+04:00

Today is the reveal day for my 2012 vision board. This year I made two vision boards – 1 for 2012 and 1 for long-term goals. I didn’t slap them together as hurriedly as I did last years. I put more thought into it and tried to use a lot of visually appealing images that represented everything I want and hope for. Anyway, here goes: -

2012 Vision Board

As you can see, the central theme for 2012 for me is live life, laugh lots, love forever! I’ve got most of the plans from last year on there including the things I didn’t achieve and a few new things, namely getting back into shape and giving up jeans and tees in favour of being a girl.

Now for the Long Term Goals Vision Board

This one has some stuff from my bucket list and one or two other things. Overall, I’ve tried to maintain the live, laugh, love theme and also learn.

I’m very excited about both boards. Even though we’re only 2 weeks into 2012, the ground for a lot of those things is already being laid.

As usual, both vision boards are in a prime location. I see them every morning and every night. If you’re worried about running out of steam along the way, check out my earlier post on Keeping Track of Your Vision Board. Let’s Go 2012!

PS. Sorry images are a tad blurry. That was all I could get out of my camera.

Keeping Track of Your Vision Board

2012-01-06T17:31:00.000+04:00

In my previous post, I reviewed my 2011 vision board – what happened, what kinda happened and what didn’t happen. I’m happy to say it mostly happened. Most of the time when we make New Year resolutions, we don’t stick to it. I wanted 2011 to be the year when I stuck to every last one. It wasn’t easy but the below kept me going with it -

Vision board in a prime location. Let it be the first thing you see every morning when you wake up and the last thing you see before going to bed. These actions help to stream the goals into your subconscious.
Stay focused. How? Think of the consequences. For me, failing the exam meant throwing $3,000 down the drain. Not saving meant I’d be less financially secure by the end of the year.
Discipline, discipline, discipline. Cultivate yourself and your mind to work towards those goals. Meditate and affirm it to yourself constantly.
Don’t procrastinate. Identify an action and get going with it.
Lastly, believe in yourself. You can do it. It’s that simple. You’re awesome and you’re unique and you can do it if you want to. Remove the obstacles in your mind and watch the obstacles remove themselves from your path.

Have you ever had difficulties staying focused on a goal? Were you able to overcome them? Let’s discuss.

Next up, I’ll be revealing my 2012 vision board and something else. Stay tuned.

2011 Vision Board Review

2012-01-02T22:12:00.001+04:00

In January last year, I put together a few resolutions in my blog post Time to Start 2011 but decided to create a vision board as well. I put together the vision board in February and revealed it in Vision Board on Board. I hung it up in a visible position in my apartment and got going with the year.

Here goes the update:-

Save - I think I did good in that area and learnt to let go of a lot of useless things to achieve my target. Thanks to the following books – The Automatic Millionaire, Start Over, Finish Rich and Debt Free for Life all by David Bach.
Study for and take my CMP - I’m not going to front. Studying for that exam was hell. I had a killer work schedule and no study group. I passed.
Donate - I donated time and money to a few causes. Not as much as I would have liked to but I tried. Must do better.
Travel - And travel I did. I discovered 4 new countries this year. I’m broke but culturally enriched either way .
Writing - You’d think that’d be at the top of the list but not so much. I unfortunately didn’t finish Tapestry.
Writer’s Retreat - I didn’t apply for any because my work schedule was erratic and I didn’t want to get in and then have to turn it down. Reasonable but I know it still sounds like an excuse.
Learn how to swim - It didn’t happen. The class timings just didn’t fit into my work schedule and a customized class would have cost too much so I shelved it.

Well, there you have it. 7 goals. 4 achieved to my satisfaction, 1 not quite and 2 shelved. Did having the vision board help? Definitely. I will discuss how I kept on top of it in my next posting.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T19:57:00.001+04:00

Image Courtesy of 123greety.com

Believe in Your Dreams

2011-12-30T19:45:00.005+04:00

I’ve been gone for quite a long time. As usual, it was work. The event season began and things just kept getting tougher and tougher until there was no time to even think about writing. It was really hard for me and at some point, I felt like I’d given up on writing. I was in the middle of this quagmire when I went on a trip to Montreux a few weeks ago. Montreux is a town in Switzerland that has to be the most amazing place I’ve ever been to. The views were just stunning. It was also the first cold country in my life I wasn’t hankering the leave the minute I arrived.

While in Switzerland, the company CSR team recorded a song, Dreaming on the Outside, for the Little Dreams Foundation, which helps young children with talent to live their dreams. I must say I expected the locals to file an emergency petition with the government to have us deported once we started croaking but with Corrine, a fantastic singing coach, we managed to belt out something quite good. The song will go on sale soon and all proceeds will be going to the Little Dreams Foundation. I left Montreux armed with a renewed appreciation of the important things in life and a determination to live my dreams no matter what. You can view a making of video here – Dreaming on the Outside.

Believe in your dreams, believe in your abilities, believe in yourself and believe in what you want. Follow your dreams to where they lead you and never let go until you make them come true.

Over the next few days, I will review my 2011 vision board and reveal my 2012 vision board. Happy New Year in advance and don’t stop dreaming! :)

Get Checked

2011-10-19T23:55:00.000+04:00

We’re half way through October and there have been so many breast cancer awareness initiatives around the world. I’ve never seen so many pink ribbons and wrist bands in my life .

Here’s a breakdown of a few places where you can get your boobies checked for free or at a reduced rate during the pink month.

Welcare hospital is offering all women mammogram screenings at half price.
City Hospital is offering a 20% discount on mammograms.
Dubai Mall medical centre has a 50% discount on till October 27th.
Unicare Medical Centre at Burjuman is offering 5, 000 free check up vouchers which is valid till November 30th 2011. Click Safe & Sound Campaign for more information.

With all these freebies and discounts, there's really no excuse not to have the ladies checked out this October. Stay Pink!

10 Ways to Lower Cancer Risk

2011-10-15T01:27:00.000+04:00

Cancer isn't selective neither does it discriminate. It can happen to anyone. There are over 100 types of cancer, which mostly develops over a long period of time due to internal and external factors.

While there are no guarantees in life, there are a few simple changes you can make in your daily life which can lower your risk of getting cancer

Stock up on fruits and veggies – the more colour in your diet, the better. I have a tough time getting fruits in so I make smoothies every morning instead with a different variety of fruits.
Stay fit anyway you can. You don’t have to be a fitness nut. As little as 20 minutes power walking a day can help or using the stairs instead of the elevator.
Stop smoking.
Drink alcohol in moderation.
Drink gallons of water, much more than the recommended 6 – 8 glasses a day.
Drink tea everyday. I recommend green tea, which research, has shown protect against a variety of cancers as well as heart disease.
1 multivitamin a day can improve the functioning of the immune system.
Practice safe sex and stick to one partner. Multiple sexual partners increase the risk of HPV in women, which leads to cervical cancer. Having an unfaithful sexual partner also increases her risk.
Stay out of the sun and use sunscreen at all times.
Know your body. If something doesn’t feel right, get yourself checked out immediately. Early detection saves lives.

This isn't an exhaustive list, but these 10 simple steps have been proven to work. Take control of cancer prevention in your life today!

Safe & Sound Pink Walkathon

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000+04:00

The Safe and Sound Pink Walkathon has been going on since 1997 and takes place every October. It involves a 3.6 km walk to raise awareness for breast cancer. The walk will be held on Friday, 28th October and starts at 8:00 am from Burjuman. You can register to participate at Burjuman. You can also get the women in your office/family on board and the Pink Team will meet up to register groups of 10 plus. Registration fee for adults is AED 50 and AED 30 for children aged 8 – 12. Children below 8 walk for free. Men are also welcome.

You get a free tshirt and there’s loads of fun to be had, and prizes to be won. Proceeds from all funds raised are monitored by the Red Crescent and go towards generating further awareness and supporting patient care.

Click Safe and Sound Pink Walkathon to find out more about the initiative. Get ready to put your best foot forward to raise breast cancer awareness in October. See you there! :)

Let's Go Pink!

2011-10-12T11:56:00.000+04:00

Breast Cancer Awareness month is here again. As always, I encourage women of all ages to get on board for the cause and go pink for October. This year, I’m participating in a safe and sound walkathon in my mother’s memory on 28th October. I’ve wanted to be a part of this for 3 years but work always got in the way. There are many other ways to support breast cancer awareness this month and I'll be updating the blog as I get more information. Below are some ways to support the cause: -

Guess has designed a sparkling pink timepiece and everytime a customer purchases one watch, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons & Guess watches will pay for 1 mammogram for a woman who can’t afford it. The watch is available at all Guess stores.

The Product House Group is donating profits from the sales of Eve Lom TLC Radiance cream throughout the month of October to the Safe & Sound breast cancer campaign. The cream can be found in spas all over the UAE including SensAsia.

Desert Rose in Wafi Mall has a range of handmade silk pouches for AED 50. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Cancer Patients organisation. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the pouch but it’s pretty and of course, pink .

Stay tuned for more information :).

Farewell....:(

2011-10-06T23:13:00.000+04:00

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011). RIP.

Sleepless in Dubai

2011-09-22T00:17:00.000+04:00

It’s nearly 1 am in the morning and I’m wide awake. I’m also languishing in extraordinary pain with a swollen cheek. I’ve had a toothache for quite some time but I’ve hitherto managed to stave off the dentist through sheer willpower and phobia. However, over the last two weeks, the pain grew unbearable.

The first dentist I visited made me uncomfortable and I took off. The next one I met today had some milk of human kindness and wasn’t as officious as the first but still, I wanted to bite her when she drained the abscess in my tooth. It took less than ten minutes but seemed like eternity and felt like someone was trying to extract my brain via my tooth. Alas, it’s yet to be over. I have been referred to a surgeon to have the tooth extracted ASAP. I’m sitting up in bed now paralysed with fear at the thought of returning to the dentist tomorrow. Right about now is when I’d call my Mummy except I don’t have one so... I’m blogging instead.

Someone tell me something nice...:).

High as a Kite

2011-09-11T20:02:00.000+04:00

No, not high on the usual stuff but high on happiness. I’ve been smiling to myself, and at random people, for the last few days because of an achievement that left me surprised. Earlier this year when I put together my vision board, one of my goals for 2011 was seating for my CMP exam, a professional certification for meeting planners. I blogged about the travails of adult education several times along the way, and also grew annoyed at my inability to give up when something became too tough.

Every night for 6 months, I dragged my weary carcass to my dinning room table and studied till 2 am. The first and second time I took a test exam, I failed both times. I returned to my notes and studied even harder. The actual exam itself was weird; multiple choice with at least two choices in each question seeming right. There was a point I got to where it felt like I was guessing the answers. After the exam, I didn’t know whether to cry or start studying to retake it. There was just no way of knowing if I’d done ok.

When the results arrived in my inbox on Thursday night, I was too scared to open it and went out for some hot chocolate instead. When I returned, I said a quick prayer and opened the attachment in the email. It turned out I’d done just fine. I went to the balcony and screamed for a good minute. The feeling of knowing all that hard work and determination paid off was amazing. Right now, I’m still smiling and it’s going to stay that way for a while :).

The Price of Overextension

2011-08-31T22:05:00.003+04:00

I haven’t updated the blog in a long time because I ran out of steam. The event season is starting up soon and it’s getting pretty hot at work. I also tried to send in a lot of residency applications, submit articles and work on my books all at the same time. With only 24 hours in a day, I became so overextended; I crashed and didn’t want to do any of those things anymore. Well, I had to go to work because that’s not optional but everything else, I dumped.

I’ve been a bum for the last two weeks, watching old episodes of Bones every night after work. By the way, I found the show very fascinating. It’s based on the life of one of my favourite authors, Kathy Reichs. I’ve got 3 of her books – Death du Jour, Bare Bones, Grave Secrets – on my shelf waiting to be read.

Currently, I’m on a 5 day Eid holiday. I spent the last two days sleeping and when I woke up this morning, I felt like my old self again. I realised in trying to serve everything I wanted to do, I ended up not doing anything the right service. The way my life is set up now, work takes the bulk of my time and I have few hours left in the day to get anything done. Squeezing everything in those few hours won’t work. Squeezing a bit of everything in those hours won’t work either. I've come to the conclusion that I’m going to have to give up one or two things and narrow down my focus. This saddens me a lot but until I quit working full time, it has to be that way. I still haven’t chosen what’s going to take a back seat yet but I’ve given myself a 24-hour deadline for that.

However, I don’t intend to stop blogging. So, see you soon :)

The Dark Abyss

2011-08-07T20:00:00.003+04:00

The abyss echoes with a silence that obliterates the sound of your breathing. You are plastered to the bottom unable to peel yourself away. Your mind tries to give you tough love, tries to kick you into action but your mind is helpless without your body; the body that has become the prisoner of the abyss. You are surrounded on all sides by the dark cloak of comfort, suffocating yet strangely comforting.

The darkness sees and understands your pain, it acknowledges it and urges you to come closer, deeper into the abyss where the silence locks out all thought and action but one; the chance to be one with the abyss forever. It whispers into your hears like a lover reciting Lord Byron’s finest verses. It caresses you, inviting you to come and float freely in a place where there is no hurt, pain or broken dreams, a place devoid of worldly whiles and worries. “Come,” it whispers. “Come and be free forever.”

Depression is one hell of a mo*********!

Thank God It's Over - Part 3

2011-08-02T19:49:00.006+04:00

This is the continuation of a previous post. Click for Thank God It’s Over, Part 1 & Thank God It’s Over, Part 2.

After listening to French for 5 minutes and nodding along like I understood exactly what he was saying, I walked off and ended up on the main road, which was miraculously the airport road. I jumped on the next bus to the airport. I then called the hotel and asked them to come pick me up.

They were puzzled and wanted to know how I ended up at the airport when my luggage was still in the hotel. I said, "Don't ask!" The driver picked me up, dashed back to the hotel, retrieved my luggage and took me back to the airport. I checked in with literally only a moment to spare. When I finally got on the plane, I went out like a light for the rest of the flight.

Bangkok was a different experience. It was hot and humid and reminded me of Lagos, the old capital of Nigeria. I stayed at The Westin on Sukhumvit road in a big, comfy, quiet room on a high floor just like I like it. I didn’t get to see much of Thailand as I was at the company training most of the time but I knew I wasn’t leaving without shopping after everything I’d heard about Thailand so on the last day, my colleague and I, under the guise of a coffee break, took off to MBK, a huge shopping mall on 5 floors. Everything on the planet except human beings was available and all cheap.

As usual, I almost missed my flight. We left the mall too late and got stuck in traffic on the way to the airport. After clearing immigration, my colleague and I raced through the airport and arrived at the boarding gate minutes before it closed. Thai people were quite friendly and easy to talk to. I give the cab drivers a bit of a side eye though as they’ll do anything to fleece you out of some extra cash but all in all, I intend to return to Thailand some other time and explore the city and a few islands.

I enjoyed the experience and I’m so glad I was able to do it albeit it will take the rest of the year and then some for my pocket book to recover from all the travel expenses. But hey, you only live once so live well, live happy!

PS. I didn't get a chance to take pictures this time around as I was too busy shooting a holiday video for my SO. I'd put that up except I have no idea where the cord is. :)

Thank God It's Over - Part 2

2011-08-01T23:44:00.001+04:00

This is the continuation of a previous post. Click for Thank God It’s Over, Part 1.
My new friend and her husband took me to see a few famous buildings in Geneva, then dropped me off at Lake Geneva with general directions on how to get back to the hotel after the trip across the lake. Lake Geneva was serene and beautiful with many cafes surrounding it. Families and lovers lost in each other arms strolled around the lake, and joggers with their headphones on ran in and out of the crowd.

I hopped on a boat, which took me across the lake. Instead of taking the boat back, I decided to walk around the lake instead. Half way to the bus stop, I came across several people street gambling. I’d never gambled before so I thought I might as well try it. I was swiftly stripped of 30 CHF. They invited me to try again but losing that money sent a sick feeling to the pit of my stomach as a voice in my head whispered, “You realise there are people who haven’t had anything to eat today in Somalia, right?” Thus began and ended my gambling days on the side walk of Lake Geneva.

As I walked away, I looked at my watch and realised I had less than 3 hours before my flight. I hurried towards the bus stop. Over the next 1½ hours, I turned getting lost into an art form. The first bus I got on dropped me off nowhere near where I was going. I asked someone on the street and was directed to another bus. This time I was dropped off at the convention centre where there wasn’t a soul in sight. The silence was eerie. Nervous, I started walking to nowhere in particular. I eventually came across a few houses but still no people. Ten minutes later, I glimpsed a man near a wood. I walked up to him muttering a silent prayer that I wasn’t about to speak to a mass murderer. Yes, I know, too much TV.

(To Be Continued)