Senegal - Dakar & L'Île de Gorée

Often, I get asked where my favourite travel place has been. Every time, my mind storms through the memories of the first places that come to mind ...  Rio and its incredible landscape, the Prague episode, Sintra and that magical castle, the fun I had in Beirut with the most hospitable nation I had come across, Ibiza. But my answer every time is, 'every place has a character of its own, some places I am not terribly fond of to visit again, but what indeed leaves its mark is the people from a city that make it what it truly is; a meaningful memory. Senegal has undoubtedly left its footprints all over my heart, and here is how it all began.

Now, where do I begin???
A few chapters can be written on my magical journey through Senegal. 

Donna was my travel partner to Dakar. She was the one who persisted and helped organise our whole trip through the wonderful friends she had connected with on her previous visit to the Senegalese capital. We had a connecting flight to catch via Charles de Gaulle in Paris, which had changed so much since Eurostar has been the only transport I have used to this destination since it began in 1996. Goodness, had it changed! So exquisitely modern. Or some may dispute that, as they do.

Charles de Gaulle Paris

Who might have been on our flight from Paris to Dakar but the superb Angelique Kidjo.  
The five-and-a-half-hour flight flew by, watching a couple of movies, one French, of which I wish the name would come to mind; it doesn't. And a film about the invention of the vibrator or dildo!  
We left the plane into the warm air of Dakar, and at even 9:30pm, it managed to caress our skins, and all our muscles tended to loosen up as we took the bus to the hustle and bustle of the terminal and outside the airport. The friendly smile of Hachim and a warm hug to his great buddy Donna and then me were an excellent beginning to our trip. He drove us directly (with our four pieces of luggage) to the house we were helped to rent and shared our stay there with Jane and Russ. They had arrived the previous day and texted us to join them at a rap concert in the new Theatre Hall built by the Chinese, a replica of which exists in China. It carried a label somewhere saying 'Made BY China'! We also spent the following two days attending panels of African leaders being challenged in the questioning ways of the youth and watching some of the great names of African music play live on stage.  
Although it meant waking up early and carrying on till late every night by going out, every waking hour in Senegal was well worth it.  

The few million-dollar monument

Fruit sellers on the street

On our first night, after being handed special passes, we arrived at the concert to join our friends towards the end of the performance. A vast theatre filled with youth and vigour, rapping along with the singer. My minimal knowledge of rap made me watch in amazement, not knowing who was on stage. Oh well, a girl can't say Everything!
Back at the house, I covered myself top to toe to sleep and woke up at dawn, accompanied by Donna, to go and have breakfast at the Terrou-Bi Hotel and find a way out of that rented house, which was not to our liking, to say the least.

Charlene came to our rescue and offered us to share a room at the Radisson Hotel, which we gratefully accepted until Monday at 3:00pm. The open-air seating for breakfast was a joy, with the temperature rising to 31 degrees every day while we had left behind the London weather of cold and grey skies.  
Personally, I found Dakar charming. So many people touched my heart; I cannot say enough good things about this place. Hachim had organised a car and driver called Pape for us, a tall and skinny young man whose giggly smile was infectious. The first two days, he arrived late, and Donna tried to teach him a few conduct facts, but he was headstrong, yet he did try his best. Every time he arrived late, I would say:
"Ah! Pape has finally popped!"

The view of our bedroom at Radisson Hotel - Dakar

At the seminars, they announced the Prime Minister of Senegal, Macky Sall, to take the stand at the start of the weekend, concentrating on the youth of Africa and what significant role they play as they stand for 60% of the population being below 25 years old. President Sall talked of finding ways to give the youth a chance as their potential could be capitalised on. He added:  "An exciting time. Africa is at a turning point."
His speech was brief and productive. Afterwards, followed a panel of a former Nigerian President discussing 'African Youth', challenged by a young girl of 18 years of age as she mentioned:
"The fact that the elder is always right must be changed."
That is a fair point. But I do know our children, as did we; they are always right and probably are. We may have well learned from experiences through life, but with all the knowledge at the disposal of the youth, their minds are brimming with new ideas more so than any generation has ever had before. Finally, the time has come to recognise that children grow faster in mind, thought and behaviour than ever.  
'In three years, 41% of the world's youth will be African and yet almost half the world's out-of-school children live in Sub-Saharan Africa'.  
The Ex-President did not seem terribly comfortable at first but then added:
"Your generation has more facilities and fewer opportunities, while it was the reverse during my generation, having more opportunities and fewer facilities."
He also said:  "Anybody who believes he can do, he can DO. You've the attitude, and you'll get there. Something achievable and not as far-fetched as becoming Obama."
The girl confidently noted: "It's not the success stories lacking but their exposure."
Questions were being raised amongst the crowd sitting in the theatre, and microphones were handed to women and men of different ages to speak their minds and ask questions.

Most inspiring to see such bright minds, fearless of any stage fright, these young brilliant people standing up and giving outstanding speeches and questioning their leaders, which reminded me of the ski slopes, where the two to three-year-old learners zoom away past you with no attitude but just the will to do what they are best at.

These messages caught my mind:
'To restless young people, don't stop. Carry on being restless.'
'Linking up and connecting Africa. Think of Africa not as 54 but as One nation.'
I wish we do that with the World as One and have a passport that reads: 'Global Citizen'.
Also coming from the young: 'Growth in having a voice, access to social enterprise, economic and spiritual awareness.'
Truly dazzling.

In another panel of six speakers, one person whose views were passionate and his manner of discussion captured the bystanders was called Jay Naidoo. His talk went on:
"We need to get in touch with the people in the street. We need to work hard. If you want change, then we've got to face the fire. Leadership is to believe in a dream, go there and fight for it or 30 years down the line, we will still be talking the same talk and walking the same walk."
And that is in life, in general.

I sat there and listened and took pages and notes; in the two days of talks and concerts of some of the best Africa had to offer, I felt humbly grateful for landing in such an inspirational forum of wonderful people. Also, my lousy memory for names is simply a hopeless case, so there is no need for too much pressure; just enjoy the moments. But I do recall Ismael Lo, Baaba Maal and a finale by the duo of Angelique Kidjo, united by Youssou N'Dour's names.

Ismael Lo

Baaba Maal

Angelique Kidjo & Youssou N'Dour

Archbishop Desmond Tutu gave an encouraging speech in acceptance of his prize for his lifelong commitment to speaking truth to power, handed to him by the brilliant singer and activist Angelique Kidjo, said:
"Don't be affected by the cynicism of 'oldies' like us", he went on. "Go ahead and dream of a different kind of world."
His humour and infectious laughter made his speech even more mesmerising; he also raised:
"Listening to women and all they've to say... They're real toughies. You guys are in trouble!"
And he continued: "We need a revolution led by women. We've been buttering them up. It's time for the women now to say... 'We've let you men get along, but now get out of the way and let us do our job'. All of us know what our mothers have done for us. As Hitler's mother declined to carry him next to her bosom, he grew up with immense insecurity. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."
And there was more from Desmond Tutu: 
"Get to believe you're Special. VSP, you're extraordinary, and we can get this continent humming. Don't repeat our mistakes, you young. There's only one way of eating an elephant, a piece at a time. Wake up, Shake up and Move. The longest journey begins with a step."
WOW.  

The Adorable Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The Founder of this marvellously unique organisation finished his studies as a PhD in the UK; of African origin, he talked openly about his success story in business and his passion for helping Africa get the attention it deserves. He has an outstanding team of devotees who help him run this invigorating program. 
I was genuinely impressed.

On the last day of the massive organisation that had been taking place in Dakar, on Sunday, canapés and drinks were being served in the vast hall of the theatre when Aliou approached Donna to say hi, and while being introduced to me, another gentleman was addressed to us by him called; Ibou. Everything went so fast that I recall Ibou asking us how long we were staying in Senegal, and we mentioned our departure a week later on a Sunday evening. He then invited us to his house in St Louis on the Friday. 
I cheekily, without knowing Ibou, asked:
"Seriously? You mean what you're saying?"
He seemed a little taken aback at first but charmingly replied:
"Yes. I absolutely mean it."

Now, to tell you more about Senegal... Sharing the elegant hotel room with Donna, as we did in Manchester, was fun and easy. She was also busy organising our one-hour trip to Saly, situated by the sea, on a Monday evening, at her friend's villa she had offered us to stay at. It was great lounging by the Radisson pool where Ernest was also taking residence and being great company while Donna got busy with her hectic back-and-forth schedule to Saly. We had lunch by the pool; during the evenings, everyone, including Lola and Francine (from my last Paris connection), was present to add flavour to the scene and Lola's entourage of the who's who of connected people. With Ernest and many lovely people, we tried the Little Buddha bar, and Donna and I left late to get only a few hours of sleep.
With Lola, accompanied by Jane and Russ and again a large table of people which kept adding throughout the night, booked at the French Institute, we passed another late night of meeting of the minds. On all occasions during my visit, every time I turned my head to every possible side, there was a pull of energy, another fantastic character to chat with.
On our last night, Monday evening, Lagoon 1 was the designated restaurant to dine with Jane and Russ, accompanied by Kalu and the lovely Hachim, who had brought his wife along.

Donna and I took time on Monday to visit L'Ile de Gorée, an island twenty minutes away by ferry. It was a hot day, but not one to get sweaty; we landed at Gorée, being somewhat hassled by the occupants of the island to sell us their guidance to La Maison des Esclaves, where the house of slaves was used for processing the slaves on the way to the Americas. As we set foot on the island, we were informed that the house was closed till 2:30pm for lunch, and we only had one hour till 2:00pm to catch the ferry back and move out of our hotel room by 3:00pm. We finally found a charming young man who gently walked beside us and talked us through parts of the colonially colourful row of houses, the artists' works displayed along dusty roads going up a hill towards a Canon, placed on top of a mountain. 

A Colonial House

The backstreets of the island

The church in the centre of the island

Artists display their work throughout

The Guns of Navaron was filmed here.

From this Senegalese capital, Dakar, here are a few captions on camera, 
as a fisherman catches his hunt at sea. 

So far, from our arrival to Dakar on a Friday evening, we had stepped into our villa one night, the next two were at the Radisson and the Monday, which was meant to be our departure to Saly, we ended up sleeping at the early hours of the morning (again) at the Terrou-bi Hotel. How many times did we open and close those four suitcases, and how many different mattresses have we tested so far? And so, our adventures to Saly and beyond continued ...

Past to Present... Survival

This is what I came across on a friend's FB page:
'How old would you be if you didn't know your age?' Satchel Paige.
Couldn't help but answer: 
'Sometimes six, others, hundred and twenty-five!'

A weekend of rest!  
Donna asked me earlier:
"Haldita, when was the last weekend you took time off to rest?"
Now, this made me think. My life may be a holiday, and my travels and engagements are fun, but I still have time to rest. There may not be an office job waiting every day, nor meetings of money-producing importance, but every day and hour of my life is spent learning and doing my little bit to bring a little sparkle of joy or hope spread from how I feel into the lives of few I can reach. The time has come for me to begin telling you my true story, how I got here and what roles I played in my life to get to the part I am now in charge of conducting. We all live lives of drama, tragedy, comedy and science fiction, so what is this chapter about to unravel?

The time tunnel this morning threw me back about 20 years! I lived in London on the frigid but posh Belgravia Estate with my Ex and two school children. Having returned to the UK after spending two years abroad, in a country after the war... A book can or will be written on that basis, but it has yet to be. For now, here goes...

I recall hanging outside the squared windows of our coach house living room... Let me stop a second; OMG, I just noticed during my marriage while we moved every year or so, we actually resided in three different coach houses, where the stables were held in the old days! Could that have been connected to a past life experience? Never mind, back to the story... So while hanging outside cleaning the windows of our Belgravia coach house, the roots of my hair covered in dye and a scarf tied at the back of the neck (in the past, not even our maids had I seen walking around supporting such a look!), polishing those panelled glass frameworks, inside out. At the same time, our Indonesian help had her day off. If she had seen me, she would have thought, 'Ma'am has gone cuckoo'. I could have easily called a window cleaner, too, but no, washing those windows and occasionally ironing were the only chores I took over at times. It gave me time to reflect, hence therapeutic, the kind cleaning always does. More than anything, what bothered me at the time was not being able to make my man happy, no matter how hard I tried.

Helpless, selfless and feeling utterly useless, the dim idea of staying in this incapable housewife mode was not one to boost any morals. How depressing can it be to think you are stuck in a phase and have no idea how to plan a way out. Now, there I was, in a position so many housewives or 'trained' husbands are lost in, with very little hope of ever coming out. The thoughts going through my mind while I hung out the window, firstly, were:
"Gosh, if my husband comes home and finds me washing windows, with that scarf on my head, he would freak out most probably, shouting:
"Have you gone out of your mind, woman? Since when have you done housework? You're embarrassing us."
Frankly, I could not have blamed him, but honestly, I could not give a damn what those 'other people' thought; it seems I never did and never will. In fact, it amused me somewhat, thinking the neighbours must think we are so nouveau riche! Finding humour in the darkest moments is the best way to overcome difficult times.  

What is it that makes some proud of their looks? Their leggy figure? Those toys money can buy to impress? We all deteriorate in time. Even all the money in the world could disappear before our very eyes. One thing is for sure: nothing stays the same forever. Arrogance is truly ignorance.

My second thought was: 'How desperate I feel. How could I reach this state after being raised in an open-minded environment by wonderful parents and a privileged life? How could I end up in such despair?'
Then I recall my childhood, probably at the age of ten or barely eleven, when my cousin, on our way home, told me of a woman's duties to her husband:
"My mother says," She went on, "A girl should be a virgin when she gets married. She should take that as a present to her husband's home."
"What?" I looked at her in amazement. "And what does the husband bring to the table? What is to be expected of him?"
My cousin would ignore what must have sounded as my outrageous remark and went on to add:
"And my mother says, if you do your five-time prayers daily, God will forgive you Anything."
Now, I cannot quite tell which of those remarks boiled my blood more to a temperature of explosion. My outcry would then be:
"Now, you mean if you recite some words you're not fully aware of the true meaning of, you can go and kill someone or hurt others in the thought that God will forgive you your sins? Then, religion is not for me. I go to God for my answers."

I did not blame my cousin for the way she thought or those 'posh' neighbours to find my eccentric ways acceptable; I just didn't care. Despite my studies and the few certificates that carried my name, there I was in the now, without an inkling of thought as to what the future had in store. As far as this may seem, it also feels like it was yesterday; time will pass, and life continues. Still, I turned to God with all his glory back on that window sill and wondered... 'Will I ever? Make it out of this rut of feelings, and if one day I will, then so can anyone."

I could not even see the tunnel, 
let alone the search for the light.

As for my life with the Ex, for whom I blame nothing as he helped me question my ways and do my utmost to change them. He pushed my buttons to get stronger, and I realised my belief in finding happiness meant more and more every day; I now have reached a place of no return; Love and kindness rule the world. No one is in charge of our unhappiness but ourselves. As hard as it may seem to grasp when we feel every wall around us is about to collapse, it is the truth.

At the time, I had no idea how my life would change as we moved to a bigger house in that same neighbourhood, with a new business where I found the chance to get involved, now not only just living but also working with my then-husband.
It was my mother, visiting London at the time, who brought me back to a reality check when I was complaining about giving up on working with my husband as abuse had now taken a further step in our marriage. Mama told me:
"What? Have I brought you up with all the best of everything now to see you sit at home and simply be a housewife?"
Although I refused to disclose a lot of my unhappiness to my mother as her solution, I knew it would simply be:
"I don't understand what's this divorce for? If two people are unhappy together, then that's what it was created for! Divorce."
But to explain to her that divorcing my dad for the first time when I was eleven years old, moving to Europe and then remarrying him a year later again, only to get a second divorce from Papa when I was nineteen, did not help boost my confidence, nor did it help me in the choices I made in life. Again, mama did her best to give us all she could, and she is a great mum, an incredible woman. Parents are only human, and they have their life experiences to go through; they are by no means perfect, as neither are we. And it's nobody's fault. If you are unhappy, change.

How far-fetched was my dream of living a life of peace and love? Where was I allowed to be me, to be free? And what would I do if there was an inkling of a chance of reaching that goal? Well, the answer was fiction in itself. I sometimes ask myself whether it was my past that was surreal or if it was my now? I dreamed of being accessible and robust without being harsh, a strength that came from within, to overcome any hurt, and, most of all, to be happy with my life. Little did I know that I would reach a state where acceptance rules: no one is perfect, and that is the beauty of us. Our flaws make us think and re-think whether we want to repeat mistakes as we saw them or whether there is a choice to make the necessary changes and move on. No expectation is rule number one. Give your love freely and learn at your own paste not to expect it back. Because, after all, people may take you wrongly or they may not; that is their choice, but at least you can live a life of inspiration. 

All these twenty years have passed, and have I found the peace I searched for? Yes. Do I still make mistakes? I sure damn hope so. Are there moments of doubt in life? All the fucking time. Oops! I swore again. Nothing in the fact that the circle of life will take its course will change. Are we indeed in charge of our destiny? No way. All we can do is learn ways to make our existence meaningful... A learning passage. 

This was supposed to be a short introduction to Moi! Haha
As you can tell, I have a looooong story to tell. Let us stay in that moment where we reach at different times and look to the future with 'no hope', no light. How much fear does it take to put a hold on a future we each yearn for? And the pain? Or are you ready to make 'change' your number one priority?
When you are in despair, life looks like a dark tunnel; it is as though you go through the darkness, hopelessly looking for a keyhole of light, where only you hold the key, but even that does not seem to be of help. Have Faith. Keep thinking: 'The Key is in my hand.'

Into the now... The weekend was restful, chilling, and sometimes in great company. A three-hour breakfast at Gail's with Kristel on Friday and another three-hour session of tandoori king prawns at Star of India's with Bardot left me inspired with ideas and happy. The Saturday and Sunday were at home and ended with Lola bringing over dishes by M&S to be left in the oven with one of her unique salads in a green bowl. Donna happened to pass by and say hello, so we ended on another few joyful hours.

Monday was a six-hour session with Antonia at Face for a photo shoot by Bernardo, the Brazilian photographer for Vogue (well, that's what we were constantly informed of), with a makeover, hairdo and four changes of clothes we had brought. We matched our last outfits as a latex purchase I had made at Harmony and Antonia's bespoke tiger look. The day was fun as we were rushed from manicure to hairdo, and the make-up came. We were directed to pause like a ' model ' in the white area next door to a high-ceiling room. Frankly, I am uncomfortable in front of a camera; despite having taken many photos, I prefer a more natural look with a dash of posing. But the day was fun, and I returned home with my suitcase of clothes and two photos on a CD which I will probably never use!

Dinner was at Kateh's delicious Persian restaurant with Ernest and an enchanting conversation, followed by the cinema. Instead of the James Bond movie Skyfall, which we were meant to see, my friend had booked us in for 'Rust and Bone' as he knew I enjoyed watching a meaningful movie more. And boy, did it blow us away and leave us thinking how the game of survival is indeed played in the lives of so many. Fighting for meaning in ways so far-fetched to most of us, simply having to make ends meet in terms of wasting time and questioning whether the time will ever come when we can change our lives. The time is now, my friends. 'It's now or never? Dara rara'. 

And this rose to mind: 
'When you are in total despair
Life has nothing of caring to share
Darkness abounds through a tunnel
It's through difficulties we learn to channel
Looking hopelessly for a keyhole of light
Through the misery, a candle is nowhere in sight
Dear Lord, I pray to thee in moments of gloom
Where is the light, the sun, and that bloom?
Life turns pages of many shades and visions
Am I left in charge of making all decisions?
What is the choice but have faith in the above
Where is the line? The answer circles back to love.'

And now, looking back at that window where I hung, the ones facing me now come from the tall, glass windows of my living room where my tears have been far and in between while laughter has spread itself all around. Looking out onto a stormy, rainy, grey autumn day, I opened the old glass door to my Romeo, Juliet balcony window and looking up at the sky, it was as though the Lord smiled at me; I smiled widely back and heard my Protector tell me:
"Girl, what are you worried about?"  
Have I managed to go through everything life has thrown at me with a stride, with one goal in mind: to find happiness? And have I reached that state? The state of joy where it's so high, nothing or no one can bring me down? All because I know what it's like to feel despair?  
And now, a loving family I'm longing to see and friends ...  Hah, friends more colourful and beautiful than any rainbow could possibly produce in tone or shine."  
Back to the conversation with my Beautiful Lord, I knew he protected me, and there was nothing to fear or doubt. Life has been full of beautiful surprises all along; why should it change?


Sending you the biggest un-germed hug. Well, I have recovered from double flu (one after the other) and will be off tomorrow... Now, let's see where's calling... Mmm... Dakar, Senegal. Wow!

Let me add this now: this blog was meant to be posted three weeks ago! My trip to Senegal was... Pure Awesome. Will write soon. Very soon.

Halloweened out! & Backstage at Lionel Richie!

If there is global 'warming' going on in the world... Then why is my ass freezing?!

Despite all concern for the wonderful friends in New York and everyone living there and around, if there was one thing I could do for them, I could pray for their safekeeping and live my life to the most packed time possible. See how fast time flies? Don't waste it.
And as my 'positive endorphin' heightens (as friends suggested), my life turns a new leaf just as fast. It is as though destiny is taking its course, and a particularly significant change is coming our way.

Before I go onto the Halloween weekend that passed, here is an account of the Sunday brunch at Bar Boulud with Iole, a girl after my own heart, like many I have had the pleasure of meeting: bright, young, and worldly. Since our first few meetings in London, we have crossed paths in Kerala and briefly, by chance, in the summer in Mykonos and now.
During a deep conversation over a healthy yet tasty lunch, I told Iole of my therapist François' last words to me on our final meeting:
"Haldita, you don't need to come and see me anymore. You can go and help others out there; just promise me one thing,"  He sounded a little more serious in his tone, but as always warm and caring: "Promise me one day, you'll write a book. You'll give inspiration to others."
I write these words, questioning every aspect of my being told. As in 'What? Really?!? Me helping others? And a book? But I'm an interior designer!'

Those words indeed left me astounded as I remember them well, sitting in that cocoon of safety where a man of the world, a Sufi, a philosopher in the way he understood how human beings operated like no one I have ever met before or since offered me his words of wisdom. He may not remember this now if I asked him, but those words left their marks forever in my mind.

For anyone who tried to harm me, in defence,
I surrendered and, hence, became 'harmless'.

When I told Iole what François had me promise, she immediately asked:
"Was he a fortune teller?"
At first, I could not stop laughing, but then my explanation followed:
"No, my Dear, he wasn't a fortune teller. How cute! But when someone studies human behaviour since the age of 17 and goes through the spiritual experiences of being, going through the patterns, etc., he gets messages to deliver to you through his deep understanding of how people react or function.  
Iole then mentioned her mother's words on the new age we live in, who had told her:
"You know, we had it easy at our times; I feel for you youngsters; with all the modern technology and brightness in your general outlook on life, how children are so aware of what is going on in the world, times have become harder than it was during our times, for sure."
Yes, we have become more accessible than ever in history, but free in manners and words, but how free has our mind evolved? A world of free spirits? That will be when all possessions and egos (somewhat) are given up, and we all live, helping one another in Love and Harmony.

Regarding Harmony, Wednesday's Halloween party at Annabel's was the best excuse I could find to spend a couple of hours on Tuesday afternoon at Oxford Street's infamous Adult entertainment (or sex shop, in other words), Harmony store. My day had begun with a pilates class with my favourite trainer after a while, followed by sending the Angel's Halloween costumes I had ordered last minute on the internet back to the Post Office; too much polyester for a body to handle.  

Got showered, dressed, and ready to lunch in the black hairy chapeau decorated with a simple feather along the thin rope on the side, purchased in NYC, dark navy ankle boots with extensive trimming at the top of what looked like black mink and matching pom-poms, a relatively shorter skirt than I usually support, after all, a girl's gotta show the waistline at the first signs of the pounds dropping from one's weight. I felt part of ' the lady who lunches ', with a furry, dark burgundy Parisian, short-sleeved jacket on top. And why not! I was made to think this was wrong. What the heck's wrong with dressing up and meeting incredible friends for great food? Aaah! Not to mention that red wine! And the most essential part of that meal was seeing Serge and Sergio as they had invited me to join in for their anniversary midday celebration; how flattering. 

Over lunch at the testosterone-filled Bellamy's, we caught up with the news of our lives and got warmer towards understanding one another. A great friendship develops in the time invested in it. Watching couples work out their differences, it becomes more apparent how respect and understanding are the only way forward in any relationship. Funny as this was also the line of conversation I had with my cab driver as we got stuck in traffic in Mayfair going to my place of rendezvous. My cab driver had been married for 43 years and had taken cruises with his lady from all across the Caribbean islands to around the Far East and the Mediterranean in the summer. He confessed:
"Oh! Don't get me wrong, we fight constantly, you understand. But we also need each other. We love travelling together. She's a great travel partner, my Mrs. She picks all the trips. I just follow."  He added at the end. I suppose that is what you call 'soulmates'.

After a most pleasant company at Bellamy's fabulous seafood lunch (my scallops were divine) and the excellent bottle of red wine Serge chose, he parted for an appointment, so Sergio and I went for a spot of shopping. I hit the sample sale at the back of the Pauric Sweeney bag store and, with the help of my always elegant friend, picked two handbags in orange and brown (sooooo Hermès in colour) and a bronzy casual looking leather bag and continued on to Hayward's Tailors in Mount Street, where Sergio had to change one of his purchases from the day before. Hayward's customers at the time ranged from Richard Burton and Peter Sellers to Steve McQueen. Actual Saville Row stuff!  

Now, how did my week begin on Monday? Thought you'd never ask. haha
Well, lunch was at 12:30pm with the delightful Yasmeen, who is as delicate in her looks and manners as her name suggests. We had only met a couple of times through Jade, and this was our first time getting to know one another properly. And I can safely say we bonded spiritually, which is ...  What can I say? We're now buddies. We spoke of the highest level of understanding in the world ...  Through Forgiveness and spreading Love. A nourishing lunch at the Brompton Brasserie in many ways.

Still on Monday, on my way to a two-hour facial after lunch with my confidant of many years, Sylvia, it was Antonia who had channelled all that further energy into me, calling just before my 4:00pm appointment to ask in her usual jolly manner:
"Haldita, do you wanna join me at the backstage concert of Lionel Richie tonight at O2?"
Boy, does the girl know how to get one's attention in a short sentence!
I was left speechless momentarily but gathered my gasp together and, not thinking much about who was performing, simply replied:
"Sure! You kiddin'? Would love to."
Hence, after the appointment, I splashed some mascara and blusher on the cleansed cheeks and pottered around the underground in my pom-pond booties and relatively shorter skirt, the New Yorker hat and came out on time (I may add) at the O2 dome. It took twenty minutes to spot the blonde/ginger, curly-haired babe, followed by two lively girls from around the world, Bina and Gisella. We were joined later by another couple of stunners at the bar. Us, the gang of hotties, entered the backstage door of the arena to freshen up and get a drink at the crew's private 'sitting room' while members of the band, later playing on stage, came in for a visit and a chit chat. How cool is that? I got excited like a puppy again, but the strains of walking on those highly wedged booties were beginning to leave their tension on my poor feet. The experience of the night made my pain insignificant.

Once the concert began, Ben, the Guitarist, showed us the way through a backstage curtain under the stage where the performance occurred. Boy, was that Amazing! Lionel Richie sang at his best and brought back memories of youth; all I could recall from his hits were the words that meant more, now that life has happened with everything in Love and living coming through a ...
"Hello ...  Is it me you're looking for."  
What can I say standing below Lionel's nostrils (as Gisella pointed out) as he sang to a packed audience? Dancing at the O2 was pure awesome. Antonia spent the evening by the stage, supporting a construction yellow hat she had picked up nearby. Amongst us was the Barbie doll blonde, Samantha, who got a lot of attention from the crew as she moved her perfect body with some plastic help, and Moira, who danced as a ballerina through the vast corridors of the backstage every time we went for a smoke outside. 
The atmosphere was dynamic, and I looked at the joyful crowd, thinking, why can't the world spend less worrying and more time singing and dancing? I am not living in a dream world, or I am in some ways; there is hardship out there, and I know what is happening here. When you are happy and positive, all you want for everyone is... Only the same.

Once more, Antonia boosted me with more energy from the Love I felt for her and the special entourage of gorgeous girls she called friends. Brilliant!
The underground ride of the four of us back to Green Park, where we each parted, was a souvenir that makes me smile every time I think of the evening. Antonia sat there pouring her heart out openly about her brief encounters of many years with one of the band leaders; the fully occupied wagon seemed thoroughly entertained with her story as we passed each stop! I was too busy sweating in the many layers of clothes and under my hat, which I refused to take off from the heat.
Gisella sat next to me as the crowd parted at different stations and mentioned:
"Right... Think the whole wagon found out about the size of someone's private parts!"
'Girls Being Wild' is the only way I can describe Monday night.  

As for Friday's Halloween weekend, I landed at Juliette's door at 19:30hr to meet Amy in her shiny matrix outfit with a whip in hand. Julie arrived later from the city and changed into a scary witch, as she called herself, but nothing was alarming in those big blue eyes. Our only man, Julien, put on the black ghost robe while Juliette, dressed as a black angel with a halo, wings, and magic wand, skilfully made us up with intense black eyeliner and dark eyeshadow. And there we stormed in at Home House's magnificently decorated interior, occupied by the most elegantly dressed crowd of witches and vampires a house could carry. Every private club room was filled with the most outrageously designed costumes possible. Walking from room to room was like going through a chic horror fantasy land. We mingled, and who did I bump into there but the vibrant twins, Yash and Josh. I hadn't seen them in years, and I recall going to one of Vauxhall's gay clubs, accompanied by Hala with them some years ago, and having a great time dancing. Yash mentioned: "It's so lovely to see you - still partying!! Our friends Niel and Rory are getting old, watching black and white movies with their slippers on!"  haha.

Saturday, our meeting with Kim at Duke of York's food market took place, and we went around the stalls, collecting a variety of Spanish and Caribbean meals and some dulce de leche homemade biscuits and heading to Kim's for a feast and a proper catch up now that our friendship has taken its next level.
I had to rush home at 22:00, late, to get ready in another Halloween costume to join Heidi, her close friend Talia and both their partners at Harvey Nichol's costume party. Talia's youthful beauty, dressed in a maid's outfit, sure raised a few glances, and guys approached her on the way to the ladies' to flirt. Well, all good; she was engaged, and nothing wrong with simply chatting with people. Shortly after we relocated to the Brompton Club, I left my friends with 'not my kind of music' getting to my head. Sooooo commercial! (This is my new saying when I don't like the music.)

One last but certainly not least moral-lifting meeting was at The New Inn, where Troy, my great buddy and brother from another mother (as he puts it), was joined by Midas, who immediately engaged himself in devouring a mouth-watering burger in front of my hungry as a dog eyes. Just watching someone enjoy their food is enough to make me happy since my diet is now limited. Troy entertained us again with his divine sense of humour, which cracks me up. As I walked into the gastro pub with my hat and latest purchase of fur jacket, he said:
"Haldita, I wish I had your problems?"
I looked at him in amazement and asked: "Darling, what problem?"
"Shopping!"  He burst out as we all laughed.  
Midas showed us a YouTube video of 'Lana del Rey - Ride, ' the song which he said reminded him of me.
These sentences captured my mind especially: 
" My mother told me I had a chameleon soul.  
Home to be wherever you lay your head.  
There is a fire for every expression and an obsession for freedom.  
A point of madness. I just ride.  
Live fast, die young, be wild and have fun.  
I believe in the kindness of strangers.  
I believe in the person I have become.  
Have you created a life for yourself? I have.
I am fucking crazy... But I am FREE."
A girl who began searching for life's meaning at age 14, fearless and brave, has now come up with one of the most inspiring videos of hope.

Troy told us of his latest checkup and how the doctor, going through his test results, turned to him and said: "We hate people like you. You do it all and come up with perfect health results."
Also, with Midas, we swapped experiences of how positivity and openness to the universe bring magic into our lives. Life is to be lived... To be Free.

I will end on a surprise lunch at Automat with the outrageously fabulous and entertaining Massimo, where we had his favoured grilled paillard of chicken and caught up on the news. Rushed for a hairdo with Marcio and once again got ready for my third Halloween party at Annabel's with Sabet, who has been a sweet friend to me for some time, and his entourage of a table for eight. My little devil looks like the latest leather dress from Harmony with the hanging chains and the fishnet covering my arms and legs, which went down well. We danced a little, and a few hellos later, I started to feel the strain of the past few days of lunches and outings at night, and as though the vampires of the night had sucked out my blood, I had to rush out of the private club to catch a taxi home by 23:00 hour.

Still in recovery mode to get ready for my next trip in less than a week, I managed to get hold of most of my friends in NY; thank God, they are safe and being told of the horrors everyone there has been going through made me think. Elliot and Arnie both confirmed:
"Darling, the whole place is in turmoil. With no electricity, the city feels so 'apocalyptic' in the darkness of the night. The food in the supermarkets is running out since the fridges and freezers have stopped working. Without electricity, there are no elevators in the older buildings and no lifts to go up all those floors. A city in darkness. And there are the elections on Tuesday."

Indeed, climate changes alone show us how unpredictable life can be. So why don't we live life as if it were our last second on earth, practising Forgiveness and spreading Love?