The new 'luxury' is 'quality'.
Let your new year begin with these words in mind:
Power. Truth. Transformation.
The sentence to keep reminding yourself of:
'I can do it, and I will'.
Before going on, a Big 'thank you' to ALL of you reading my blog, the ones who have been with me from the start and others who have joined along the way. May 2013 begins a tide of love, happiness, and bright futures.
May all your endeavours succeed, and may you begin the year with a smile of gratitude.
As for how did I end my year and begin the new one...
Another year is yet again beginning with new hopes, always on a positive note. What have I learnt? Truly... Love is the answer.
Since the world is still going on, did you take time to wonder how you would spend your last moments on Earth? It is time to act on what makes you happy, not what you feel is expected. A life is only fulfilled if lived to the full.
What I recall from my last week of the year passed is Beethoven's Ninth and most thrilling Symphony and his piano concerto no 5, conducted by Christopher Warren-Green, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the largest choir I had ever seen live or in a movie! The piano concerto was played elegantly by the statuesque Danny Driver, who placed his tail on the outside of his seat and made watching his performance as exhilarating as listening to the music. Juliette had texted me the day before 28th December to ask whether I would like to join her and Amy, as her sister could not make it and she had a spare ticket to the 'sold out' event.
"Gladly," I answered.
As Amy noted at the interval after the concerto no 5 had been played:
"If I was to imagine a piano player performing this concerto to perfection, he would be exactly like the man we just saw play."
Indeed, Danny Driver played thrillingly, a vivid handling of the Steinway grand piano with such magical warmth and finesse. What a delightful concert that was. I completely let go of any thoughts and dived into the sound of Beethoven in an empty rêverie.
Afterwards, we drove to Nam Long for a bite to eat, as most places were closed for Christmas. This was followed by a visit to a dingy piano bar, only half full again due to the holiday season, where a completely different contrast of music was being played live. Quite a musical soirée, I would say!
Christmas Day was a family affair with my kids at the ex-in-law's, as we had always got together to celebrate the festivities, and it had been a few years since I had last attended. It was precisely what Christmas should be: a vast amount of food (which I kept myself from indulging too far), plenty of catching up and the opening of presents. We were so engaged in deep conversation that the Queen's speech was gone. An enjoyable day was spent in a great, familiar company.
After a day's rest on Boxing Day, a big night was ahead. Alex cancelled joining me at the rave party of Peculiar in Hoxton Docks on the day due to family engagements, so I decided to drive there alone, knowing familiar faces would occupy the entire dance floor. I courageously dumped my car on the pavement next to a double yellow line close to the entrance of the warehouse-like club (it was after midnight on a misty cold Boxing Day, hoped the traffic wardens would be well away) and proceeded to the short queue to get into the rave. Nyla was the first person I ran into, accompanied by her boyfriend, whom I recalled having attended his parents' wedding some decades ago! It's a small world, and you never know who you run into next. Amazing. We danced to the cool tunes of DJ Ibellini, and before long, I was saying hello right, left and centre. Gina's face was a delight as we spent the rest of the night (or early morning) dancing and chatting, occasionally visiting the smoking outdoor corridor and generally mingling with most of the crowd. There were so many new names that I would not recall. The party finished at 6am, and we stayed behind for a small gathering, enough to make an after-party going. The drive back home, along with Gina, listening to the Renaissance series of their latest CD purchased in Tehran, was absolutely fantastic. There was traffic in the City, and I wondered who would be out at this un-Godly hour until I checked the time on my car screen, which indicated 07:30am! Que?!? Well, the sky was still pitch black in the darkness of the night, apart from the time which demonstrated otherwise, it felt more like 4:30am.
I went for a spot of sale shopping at Harrods with Kim, or perhaps it was a large stain on it! Although we met midday, lunch at Kateh's delicious Persian restaurant happened at 5:00pm. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. We followed on to Troy's pub to discuss tomorrow's New Year's Eve party at his place. His humour had been missed as he engaged in telling us of his latest escapade with a beauty filled with warmth and grace at the start, who turned out into a beast with a roar before a week had ended.
Goodness! The morning of New Year's Eve arrived, I realised the road tax on my car had ended that day. A rush to the Post Office to get that fixed, followed by a fast sushi with Salar at Westfield's modern mall, filled with Christmas sale shoppers and a one-to-one at the Apple store for me. I then rushed home through the traffic to prepare for the special eve... New Year's Eve.
Just after 9:00pm, Robby and Kim arrived at my doorstep as we drove to Troy's pub just after 10:00pm while he had told me the kitchen closes precisely that time. But he still managed to feed us, thankfully. The place was packed as we stumbled through a crowd to join Dylan and Kerry at a corner table, where we happily engaged in conversation through the music played aloud.
A bottle of champagne was only traditional to drink as a toast for the year ahead, which I can only think of as 'Awesome'. No expectations are attached, but it is always reasonable to be positive.
It was great being amongst some of my oldest friends with whom we have history and memories to go back to. Supporting each other under any circumstance, with a few mishaps along the way, is natural as that proves unconditional love and understanding while we each have had our ups and downs. Friendship is being kind and loyal to one another through thick and thin. It does not attach a signature to it, nor anyone to be a witness, but a mutual understanding of one another. Our chosen family in this life.
At 3:00am, the party was over, and Kim joined me to drive to my favourite club, Fabric, or my second home most Saturdays in London. The welcome there is next to none. The people I have met in this underground brick space have each played a large part in my newly single life, only not so new anymore. My journey in the past ten and a half years has been a fairytale, a dream come true beyond my imagination. It has proven that God is alive and has been listening all along. The power I feel within, freedom of being, could have never been experienced and achieved if it were not for the hard times. Feeling so low that the only way to find answers became questioning every matter in depth and seeing the reality of why we have to suffer, why pain is sometimes necessary for us to realise how blessed we actually are. And how we must live free of anyone's judgement or harsh words or actions. If anyone is angry, let them solve their own issues; do not get in their way, or they will drown you with their sorrows and harm you with their pain. Instead, rest assured that once you begin to see the positive side of life, the universe puts its hands together to help you achieve happiness. Work at it all the time. Be patient and wait and see. This is my daily practice, plus meditation. More importantly, do not be harsh on yourself but more forgiving.
Well, Fabric was everything it promised to be and more... In fact, quite a bit more! Oh oh!
Kim and I moved from room to room, DJ booth to another, and I got to see old mates as Cassandra; Kalina was there with Ryan to hold me tight in her warmest embrace ever and so many more familiar faces. Jude's big smile and open arms for another hug and her remark as she seemed startled by my short tale of an encounter with a hot guy I had met downstairs on the dance floor earlier were hysterical. She almost shouted across the blaring sound:
"What? What? You just did what? Haldita. Only last week did you tell me about someone in Africa and how you were in love! You're something else, Girl."
A little flirting is always good for the soul, especially when I do not get the attention I like. I think demand is too harsh a word. Besides, two people on two different continents is not my idea of a relationship; it is best to keep things friendly, and who knows what the future has in store? Right? Of course, right.
My kids think I am too modest when saying, "I'm wise."
Wisdom is simply looking at matters in a natural way. Things and people are the way they are. Don't try to change them, or you will begin to change yourself. If you don't like what you see or hear, move on. Life is filled with precious moments; don't spoil it.
As Paulo Coelho remarks: 'A life spent resisting temptations is a wasted life.'
May your New Year be Awesome!
Let your new year begin with these words in mind:
Power. Truth. Transformation.
The sentence to keep reminding yourself of:
'I can do it, and I will'.
Before going on, a Big 'thank you' to ALL of you reading my blog, the ones who have been with me from the start and others who have joined along the way. May 2013 begins a tide of love, happiness, and bright futures.
May all your endeavours succeed, and may you begin the year with a smile of gratitude.
As for how did I end my year and begin the new one...
Another year is yet again beginning with new hopes, always on a positive note. What have I learnt? Truly... Love is the answer.
Since the world is still going on, did you take time to wonder how you would spend your last moments on Earth? It is time to act on what makes you happy, not what you feel is expected. A life is only fulfilled if lived to the full.
What I recall from my last week of the year passed is Beethoven's Ninth and most thrilling Symphony and his piano concerto no 5, conducted by Christopher Warren-Green, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the largest choir I had ever seen live or in a movie! The piano concerto was played elegantly by the statuesque Danny Driver, who placed his tail on the outside of his seat and made watching his performance as exhilarating as listening to the music. Juliette had texted me the day before 28th December to ask whether I would like to join her and Amy, as her sister could not make it and she had a spare ticket to the 'sold out' event.
"Gladly," I answered.
As Amy noted at the interval after the concerto no 5 had been played:
"If I was to imagine a piano player performing this concerto to perfection, he would be exactly like the man we just saw play."
Indeed, Danny Driver played thrillingly, a vivid handling of the Steinway grand piano with such magical warmth and finesse. What a delightful concert that was. I completely let go of any thoughts and dived into the sound of Beethoven in an empty rêverie.
Afterwards, we drove to Nam Long for a bite to eat, as most places were closed for Christmas. This was followed by a visit to a dingy piano bar, only half full again due to the holiday season, where a completely different contrast of music was being played live. Quite a musical soirée, I would say!
Christmas Day was a family affair with my kids at the ex-in-law's, as we had always got together to celebrate the festivities, and it had been a few years since I had last attended. It was precisely what Christmas should be: a vast amount of food (which I kept myself from indulging too far), plenty of catching up and the opening of presents. We were so engaged in deep conversation that the Queen's speech was gone. An enjoyable day was spent in a great, familiar company.
After a day's rest on Boxing Day, a big night was ahead. Alex cancelled joining me at the rave party of Peculiar in Hoxton Docks on the day due to family engagements, so I decided to drive there alone, knowing familiar faces would occupy the entire dance floor. I courageously dumped my car on the pavement next to a double yellow line close to the entrance of the warehouse-like club (it was after midnight on a misty cold Boxing Day, hoped the traffic wardens would be well away) and proceeded to the short queue to get into the rave. Nyla was the first person I ran into, accompanied by her boyfriend, whom I recalled having attended his parents' wedding some decades ago! It's a small world, and you never know who you run into next. Amazing. We danced to the cool tunes of DJ Ibellini, and before long, I was saying hello right, left and centre. Gina's face was a delight as we spent the rest of the night (or early morning) dancing and chatting, occasionally visiting the smoking outdoor corridor and generally mingling with most of the crowd. There were so many new names that I would not recall. The party finished at 6am, and we stayed behind for a small gathering, enough to make an after-party going. The drive back home, along with Gina, listening to the Renaissance series of their latest CD purchased in Tehran, was absolutely fantastic. There was traffic in the City, and I wondered who would be out at this un-Godly hour until I checked the time on my car screen, which indicated 07:30am! Que?!? Well, the sky was still pitch black in the darkness of the night, apart from the time which demonstrated otherwise, it felt more like 4:30am.
I went for a spot of sale shopping at Harrods with Kim, or perhaps it was a large stain on it! Although we met midday, lunch at Kateh's delicious Persian restaurant happened at 5:00pm. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. We followed on to Troy's pub to discuss tomorrow's New Year's Eve party at his place. His humour had been missed as he engaged in telling us of his latest escapade with a beauty filled with warmth and grace at the start, who turned out into a beast with a roar before a week had ended.
Goodness! The morning of New Year's Eve arrived, I realised the road tax on my car had ended that day. A rush to the Post Office to get that fixed, followed by a fast sushi with Salar at Westfield's modern mall, filled with Christmas sale shoppers and a one-to-one at the Apple store for me. I then rushed home through the traffic to prepare for the special eve... New Year's Eve.
Just after 9:00pm, Robby and Kim arrived at my doorstep as we drove to Troy's pub just after 10:00pm while he had told me the kitchen closes precisely that time. But he still managed to feed us, thankfully. The place was packed as we stumbled through a crowd to join Dylan and Kerry at a corner table, where we happily engaged in conversation through the music played aloud.
A bottle of champagne was only traditional to drink as a toast for the year ahead, which I can only think of as 'Awesome'. No expectations are attached, but it is always reasonable to be positive.
It was great being amongst some of my oldest friends with whom we have history and memories to go back to. Supporting each other under any circumstance, with a few mishaps along the way, is natural as that proves unconditional love and understanding while we each have had our ups and downs. Friendship is being kind and loyal to one another through thick and thin. It does not attach a signature to it, nor anyone to be a witness, but a mutual understanding of one another. Our chosen family in this life.
At 3:00am, the party was over, and Kim joined me to drive to my favourite club, Fabric, or my second home most Saturdays in London. The welcome there is next to none. The people I have met in this underground brick space have each played a large part in my newly single life, only not so new anymore. My journey in the past ten and a half years has been a fairytale, a dream come true beyond my imagination. It has proven that God is alive and has been listening all along. The power I feel within, freedom of being, could have never been experienced and achieved if it were not for the hard times. Feeling so low that the only way to find answers became questioning every matter in depth and seeing the reality of why we have to suffer, why pain is sometimes necessary for us to realise how blessed we actually are. And how we must live free of anyone's judgement or harsh words or actions. If anyone is angry, let them solve their own issues; do not get in their way, or they will drown you with their sorrows and harm you with their pain. Instead, rest assured that once you begin to see the positive side of life, the universe puts its hands together to help you achieve happiness. Work at it all the time. Be patient and wait and see. This is my daily practice, plus meditation. More importantly, do not be harsh on yourself but more forgiving.
Well, Fabric was everything it promised to be and more... In fact, quite a bit more! Oh oh!
Kim and I moved from room to room, DJ booth to another, and I got to see old mates as Cassandra; Kalina was there with Ryan to hold me tight in her warmest embrace ever and so many more familiar faces. Jude's big smile and open arms for another hug and her remark as she seemed startled by my short tale of an encounter with a hot guy I had met downstairs on the dance floor earlier were hysterical. She almost shouted across the blaring sound:
"What? What? You just did what? Haldita. Only last week did you tell me about someone in Africa and how you were in love! You're something else, Girl."
A little flirting is always good for the soul, especially when I do not get the attention I like. I think demand is too harsh a word. Besides, two people on two different continents is not my idea of a relationship; it is best to keep things friendly, and who knows what the future has in store? Right? Of course, right.
My kids think I am too modest when saying, "I'm wise."
Wisdom is simply looking at matters in a natural way. Things and people are the way they are. Don't try to change them, or you will begin to change yourself. If you don't like what you see or hear, move on. Life is filled with precious moments; don't spoil it.
As Paulo Coelho remarks: 'A life spent resisting temptations is a wasted life.'
May your New Year be Awesome!
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