It may well be the bangles I wear purchased on a beach in Peru,
Each feather earring is sourced from all corners of the world,
Significant genes are passed on through an ancestral background
The trendy shopaholic wardrobe possessed over the years
Or ... It could simply be smiling at every moment of a life
adorned upon me, which keeps me young.
Age is an attitude!
You reap what you sow, so make sure you let the fruit ripen
It takes time for a mere seed to grow into the bloom of a flower
A force of nature brought to us as a sign of beauty and grace.
The seasons come for a reason; the storms, clouds and sunshine
Mother nature has a magical way of suiting it's own destiny
Don't get entangled in sorrows for long and more time to get over it
Blow away the whistle of 'I had enough', get up and shake that dust
Off your clothes and being, let the light shine on through a happy face
Which says no to anger within or angry people waiting to drag you down
I am staying up, thank you very much.
Laughing all the way up the ladder of Love and happiness.
Who knows why I say what I say or do what I do?! I have let go of any control, allowing the universe to take over. Work hard, play hard, and just don't think too hard.
Oh! How I have missed writing my blog. The past two months have brought me closer than ever to simply believing. I believe God is all around me, including my conscience. I believe in His Love and the Love created in me and am not in any way scared of sharing it with whoever touches my heart, wherever that may be. Alright! I am sounding like a preacher at a Sunday prayer. That, I'm far from.
In fact, I got up today at 7:15am, and this is a Sunday we are talking here. Most people who know me would assume that, on a Sunday morning, I will still be at the Fabric Club dancing my feet off. Well, they close at 8am usually, and I am the only one to leave after the very end, if not after the afters. My thoughts right now are humorous and on top of the world.
So much has happened in eight weeks, and with my track record of writing long blogs, this one could end up as a book! Let's start from the beginning.
Mind you, every day is my birthday after the numerous birthday celebrations in July! The time came to put all my energy into working on selling my flat and finding a place to move to. It is funny as most of the friends I have made since my separation, who are many friends, have seen me as the party girl, tourist, shopaholic, and all hardcore, needless to say! But as a hard-working woman? Nah. Anyway, time will tell as my skates are on and the new chapter of returning to productive work and achieving goals has begun to roll.
It has not all been just work work work; a girl's gotta have fun, you know?! Definitely lots of sexy fun. Oh boy, am I smiling! Big time. But all that is to come. First things first.
I chose not to write my blog for this period because total concentration was needed to prioritise what mattered while moving on. I want to be independent in every sense of the word and show myself what I can achieve. Since my separation eleven years ago now! Wow. Every second of life has been significant, and I am learning to get stronger to accept and believe in life's goodness. Certainly not to go down any negative thoughts, but understand them and work on turning them into a 'happy ending'! Haha. My naughty mind.
My flat was sold within three weeks of being on the market. Two buyers, one from the agents and another through friends, became candidates on the same day. There was no coincidence; there is learning every step of the way. The young, beautiful couple brought out of a Great Gatsby movie with a particular shine sparkling all around them arrived with the vibrant state agent called Hilary, who seemed somewhat breathless every time, out of all the effort she put in her running around her busy schedule, always with a smile. My heart went for their sweet beauty, and as I met them at the entrance, they were leaving, and I came back from viewing flats for a new home. The young man sweetly said:
"We loved your home."
And I answered:
"Well, thank you. It's for sale, you know?"
And we all laughed as they parted.
On the same evening, Heidi's text message asked me to join her at the Hollywood Arms as we had not seen each other for a while. As we sat, I gave her news of selling my apartment, and in no time, she had a buyer who was about to purchase another property the following day. All I am getting at here is letting the universe take over. Once back home that night, there was no sign of certainty as to what the following days would reveal. On the same day, both buyers arrived at times similar to the young couple with the agent earlier than expected, and the family introduced by Heidi showed up later. It was overwhelming as both parties put in their offer of the asking price that evening. It was the most disturbing night of my life, or it so seemed at the time, thinking how to go about this. There was an agent fee to consider, and I made an offer to the young couple, which they could not reach, and hence, the new owners of my flat became the family Heidi had introduced. The young couple will one day understand my reasoning behind the decision and find their dream home. Some things are meant to be, and one has to accept and move on. What to do?!
I had exhausted the pages of properties for sale in some regions of interest through every site on the internet and every agent of the regions possible. From 2:00 to 3:00am, hours were spent in search engines instead of writing blogs, digging for information and pictures to help design my new place before knowing what it would be. Then again, much thought and energy went into imagining the exact space in my mind and letting it go to higher powers of magical possibilities. One thing is for sure, Frieda's garden in Peru inspired me to look for a place with a garden. Not that we typically get much sun or warmth in London, except this summer, which was delightful all the way, and I spent it all here for the first time in the forty years of living in this country!
The night the buyers were chosen for my flat while searching high and low for properties for sale online, I came across a photo of a conservatory-like living space, which immediately took my heart away. However, the sudden sale of my flat and the work involved with solicitors and so on left me only time to call any agents a couple of days later.
To cut a long story short, I went, saw, loved and got!
In fact, on the second day of viewing the garden flat, I made my offer and realised I had forgotten my mobile at home, which hardly ever happens. It was surprising and, obviously, a choice I had to make on my own, without any outside input. I cannot quite express the feeling inside when you know something is right and you have the means and guts to decide. Coming back home, I picked up my mobile, tapped in the code and was faced with a photo my brother Soltan had randomly sent to me of our father and me on his last days while I had my head resting over his loving shoulder, arms entangled around his arm and dad looking at me with pure Love. I cry, going over this in my head every time. Dad was sending me his blessings after I had made my final decision, and my brother, always supportive of what I do and behind me like a rock, was the source of sending it to me. If only everyone could see and feel the magic of life. It does happen every day, in different forms, to us all.
We were taught not to use so many I's in our writing at school, but François, the loving, wise therapist and life teacher I have been blessed to learn many life lessons, had taught us otherwise. He said:
"If you've something to express relating to yourself, use I, not we. What others believe is not your journey."
As it happens, there has been an attractive man who has appeared in my life, too. I must stress there has not been just 'one' man alone at any time since my separation! I used to say, Why do you settle for one when you can have the freedom and choice of having many?! Haha. But meeting my spaceman Rex has been a delight. Our date began with a drink on a Friday evening, going on to another couple of hours spent at Bar Boulud, chatting and laughing at almost every other word the other said, all on a tastefully humorous yet sexy content, as animated as the notes on a music sheet. The Friday drinks dragged on to Sunday afternoon, on and off. It must have been the longest time I have ever spent with anyone for a while now! If you are old enough to remember the comic science fiction sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978-1982), you will then remember how the alien, Robin Williams, would report to his planet Ork about what he had learned on Earth and about the earthlings. Do watch their Mixed Emotions series on YouTube. Nanou Nanou.
We have met several times since that weekend, and talking to Rex is as amusing as a pleasure.
I must mention the extravaganza of fabulous food, mixed with a joyous company of old and newly made friends, at Aisha's dinner last Thursday. One of my very favourite hostesses, with the mostest. I know it's not an actual word, but hey, ho!
Each feather earring is sourced from all corners of the world,
Significant genes are passed on through an ancestral background
The trendy shopaholic wardrobe possessed over the years
Or ... It could simply be smiling at every moment of a life
adorned upon me, which keeps me young.
Age is an attitude!
You reap what you sow, so make sure you let the fruit ripen
It takes time for a mere seed to grow into the bloom of a flower
A force of nature brought to us as a sign of beauty and grace.
The seasons come for a reason; the storms, clouds and sunshine
Mother nature has a magical way of suiting it's own destiny
Don't get entangled in sorrows for long and more time to get over it
Blow away the whistle of 'I had enough', get up and shake that dust
Off your clothes and being, let the light shine on through a happy face
Which says no to anger within or angry people waiting to drag you down
I am staying up, thank you very much.
Laughing all the way up the ladder of Love and happiness.
Who knows why I say what I say or do what I do?! I have let go of any control, allowing the universe to take over. Work hard, play hard, and just don't think too hard.
Oh! How I have missed writing my blog. The past two months have brought me closer than ever to simply believing. I believe God is all around me, including my conscience. I believe in His Love and the Love created in me and am not in any way scared of sharing it with whoever touches my heart, wherever that may be. Alright! I am sounding like a preacher at a Sunday prayer. That, I'm far from.
In fact, I got up today at 7:15am, and this is a Sunday we are talking here. Most people who know me would assume that, on a Sunday morning, I will still be at the Fabric Club dancing my feet off. Well, they close at 8am usually, and I am the only one to leave after the very end, if not after the afters. My thoughts right now are humorous and on top of the world.
So much has happened in eight weeks, and with my track record of writing long blogs, this one could end up as a book! Let's start from the beginning.
Mind you, every day is my birthday after the numerous birthday celebrations in July! The time came to put all my energy into working on selling my flat and finding a place to move to. It is funny as most of the friends I have made since my separation, who are many friends, have seen me as the party girl, tourist, shopaholic, and all hardcore, needless to say! But as a hard-working woman? Nah. Anyway, time will tell as my skates are on and the new chapter of returning to productive work and achieving goals has begun to roll.
It has not all been just work work work; a girl's gotta have fun, you know?! Definitely lots of sexy fun. Oh boy, am I smiling! Big time. But all that is to come. First things first.
I chose not to write my blog for this period because total concentration was needed to prioritise what mattered while moving on. I want to be independent in every sense of the word and show myself what I can achieve. Since my separation eleven years ago now! Wow. Every second of life has been significant, and I am learning to get stronger to accept and believe in life's goodness. Certainly not to go down any negative thoughts, but understand them and work on turning them into a 'happy ending'! Haha. My naughty mind.
My flat was sold within three weeks of being on the market. Two buyers, one from the agents and another through friends, became candidates on the same day. There was no coincidence; there is learning every step of the way. The young, beautiful couple brought out of a Great Gatsby movie with a particular shine sparkling all around them arrived with the vibrant state agent called Hilary, who seemed somewhat breathless every time, out of all the effort she put in her running around her busy schedule, always with a smile. My heart went for their sweet beauty, and as I met them at the entrance, they were leaving, and I came back from viewing flats for a new home. The young man sweetly said:
"We loved your home."
And I answered:
"Well, thank you. It's for sale, you know?"
And we all laughed as they parted.
On the same evening, Heidi's text message asked me to join her at the Hollywood Arms as we had not seen each other for a while. As we sat, I gave her news of selling my apartment, and in no time, she had a buyer who was about to purchase another property the following day. All I am getting at here is letting the universe take over. Once back home that night, there was no sign of certainty as to what the following days would reveal. On the same day, both buyers arrived at times similar to the young couple with the agent earlier than expected, and the family introduced by Heidi showed up later. It was overwhelming as both parties put in their offer of the asking price that evening. It was the most disturbing night of my life, or it so seemed at the time, thinking how to go about this. There was an agent fee to consider, and I made an offer to the young couple, which they could not reach, and hence, the new owners of my flat became the family Heidi had introduced. The young couple will one day understand my reasoning behind the decision and find their dream home. Some things are meant to be, and one has to accept and move on. What to do?!
I had exhausted the pages of properties for sale in some regions of interest through every site on the internet and every agent of the regions possible. From 2:00 to 3:00am, hours were spent in search engines instead of writing blogs, digging for information and pictures to help design my new place before knowing what it would be. Then again, much thought and energy went into imagining the exact space in my mind and letting it go to higher powers of magical possibilities. One thing is for sure, Frieda's garden in Peru inspired me to look for a place with a garden. Not that we typically get much sun or warmth in London, except this summer, which was delightful all the way, and I spent it all here for the first time in the forty years of living in this country!
The night the buyers were chosen for my flat while searching high and low for properties for sale online, I came across a photo of a conservatory-like living space, which immediately took my heart away. However, the sudden sale of my flat and the work involved with solicitors and so on left me only time to call any agents a couple of days later.
To cut a long story short, I went, saw, loved and got!
In fact, on the second day of viewing the garden flat, I made my offer and realised I had forgotten my mobile at home, which hardly ever happens. It was surprising and, obviously, a choice I had to make on my own, without any outside input. I cannot quite express the feeling inside when you know something is right and you have the means and guts to decide. Coming back home, I picked up my mobile, tapped in the code and was faced with a photo my brother Soltan had randomly sent to me of our father and me on his last days while I had my head resting over his loving shoulder, arms entangled around his arm and dad looking at me with pure Love. I cry, going over this in my head every time. Dad was sending me his blessings after I had made my final decision, and my brother, always supportive of what I do and behind me like a rock, was the source of sending it to me. If only everyone could see and feel the magic of life. It does happen every day, in different forms, to us all.
We were taught not to use so many I's in our writing at school, but François, the loving, wise therapist and life teacher I have been blessed to learn many life lessons, had taught us otherwise. He said:
"If you've something to express relating to yourself, use I, not we. What others believe is not your journey."
As it happens, there has been an attractive man who has appeared in my life, too. I must stress there has not been just 'one' man alone at any time since my separation! I used to say, Why do you settle for one when you can have the freedom and choice of having many?! Haha. But meeting my spaceman Rex has been a delight. Our date began with a drink on a Friday evening, going on to another couple of hours spent at Bar Boulud, chatting and laughing at almost every other word the other said, all on a tastefully humorous yet sexy content, as animated as the notes on a music sheet. The Friday drinks dragged on to Sunday afternoon, on and off. It must have been the longest time I have ever spent with anyone for a while now! If you are old enough to remember the comic science fiction sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978-1982), you will then remember how the alien, Robin Williams, would report to his planet Ork about what he had learned on Earth and about the earthlings. Do watch their Mixed Emotions series on YouTube. Nanou Nanou.
We have met several times since that weekend, and talking to Rex is as amusing as a pleasure.
I must mention the extravaganza of fabulous food, mixed with a joyous company of old and newly made friends, at Aisha's dinner last Thursday. One of my very favourite hostesses, with the mostest. I know it's not an actual word, but hey, ho!
On the last Monday, Paloma, a friend of many years who only recently reappeared, asked whether I would join her at an art exhibition in a gallery on Cork Street, Mayfair, in the early evening. With all the demolition on site of my new property, starting that day, it was necessary to get away by the evening, so the invite came as a perfect escape. Paloma and I drove to the gallery with a unique energy flowing around from entering. Her friend Pauli, who had sent out the invites, was at the entrance, welcoming everyone with his larger-than-life smile. As the champagne flowed, jazzy live music began, and the space was filled with exceptional air. Towards the middle of the room, a painting with perfect colouring of the shades picked in my head to use as a colour scheme in my new place pulled my whole attention towards it and ... I fell in Love! Hopelessly. It was as though no one or no other painting existed. In my world, there was only music and my lover, the painting by Sarah Güsten-Marr. A beautiful woman of African descent, full of life and stories to tell. Our friendship is on the cards as we have spoken several times on the phone since. After the purchase (can't take you anywhere, Girl, without you buying something, mama would say), Paloma and I ended the night at the bar of Cecconi restaurant while getting acquainted with the American sitting next to me. We had a delightful dinner and chat before heading our own separate ways.
Also on the horizon are the bikers: Dustin, with whom we had a flirtatious and fun lunch in the sun a couple of weeks ago and have been in contact since, and last but certainly not least, my 'Man from U.N.C.L.E' Christofer, who paid a visit for a nourishingly exciting and perfect way to spend the wet Saturday evening of delights. Am I greedy? Not the least! Haha.
The few paragraphs here are only the tip of an iceberg of emotions and hard work that went through two months of searching and keeping a positive outlook. I came home last Wednesday after twelve hours of seeing my contractor, electrician, kitchen supplier, and the new architect feeling drenched and alone (not lonely, but alone). Upon closing the door behind me, I wept helplessly. Yet again, another moment of challenge and crossing comfort zones beyond none experienced had come my way. It was lovely to cry and let it all out, and as of it, the reality of the situation came clearly as the bluest of skies; this is part of learning to be strong and to let go of any unnecessary thoughts, but the one truly there. All is great, and I am blessed to be here right now, doing something I love. Nothing to complain about. So, as Nike says, Do it, Girl!
Both my completions took place on the same day: to sell and to buy.
The Notting Hill Carnival was held yearly on the last weekend of August to close off in a festive mood. The Monday Bank Holiday was spent in the great company of Troy and Lyla, driving to the festivities and parking the car at least a mile from the event. We walked by the canal and, with Troy's excellent sense of direction, got to the road where Sancho Panza was DJaying. We arrived around 15:00 hours late and had to stand between people trying to get into the gated area and the police, who stood firm and tried to be as friendly as their job allowed. As Troy went on to talk to one of the officers, I noticed a good-looking fella hiding behind that black hat with the shining star. Then, looking at him up and down, my eyes stopped at his waistline, and I uttered:
"Mmm ... I like your handcuffs!"
At which point Troy's immediate response was:
"Haldita, behave, girl!"
And the policeman, trying hard to hide his cheeky smile, looked away and muttered:
"I didn't hear that! I didn't hear that!"
It took a while before the gates were open, and everyone surprisingly sprung out into the open space as though they were set free. An extraordinary moment that was. At the music event, quite a few of our mutual friends turned up, and the whole afternoon, with the sun blowing the clouds away and its rays reaching our every soul, we danced in harmony and bliss. Another cute, friendly police officer stood close to me, watching the crowd with a smile, so I approached him again and asked if we could take pictures together. He welcomed the idea. Next thing, I was posing to kiss his cheek, which I did anyway, so he asked whether we should swap hats for the next shot! Seriously cute.
 |
| The walk by the canal |
 |
| The colourful Notting Hill Carnival |
 |
| Food vendors |
 |
| The friendly policeman dancing with the jolly boy! |
 |
| Walking back - Canal by sunset. |
 |
| The aftermath all cleared up on the night. |
We ended the carnival at a house party of another couple, who were the perfect hosts. They gave us refuge on the comfy sofa of their living room, and we got acquainted with a few others.
Forever grateful and happy, life goes on, and I am ready to face every challenge that comes my way with a smile and understanding that this is the only way to learn.
I see every day as the first and best day of my life!
