Believing is seeing!
Oh! It feels wonderful to be writing again. It is like talking to a whole audience or even if just one person, somewhere, somehow connects with me through the power of words alone. What a miraculous world we live in. I clearly recall grown-ups talking about the future.
'You know dear, they say in the future, we will be talking to each other worldwide and seeing one another through a screen! Can you believe that?!'
Does that mean I am ancient? Haha. Not really. The fact is we humans are emerging with technological advances beyond imagination in one era, only to be made possible at the touch of a finger in another. Online dating has become the new way for finding partners of all sorts; drugs are a form of escapism, and yet wars and hunger are going on in most corners of the world.
Ouuuffff!
Now that's off my chest.
Since last week, a lot has changed regarding settling into my new pad and beginning to live my life, which is filled with anything and everything on a learning path. I went through some tough times recently, I don't want to call it even a mild depression, but this is a new word which I do not recall hearing when I was very young. It seemed that the word 'depression' rose into being believed as a reality as our lives became more hectic and families spread across the world, living separate lives without much moral support. Yet came the freedom to be, and how we use it or abuse it is our choice. I cherish my independence; it has given me wings to fly and be in charge of my decisions without letting anyone spoil (well, perhaps temporarily at times) this sense of liberation. While going through the challenges of starting a new chapter in a new place, I made every specification in decor to create an inviting space for my visitors to come and stay. The rush in craving to get my new life started got me down, giving my contractor a hard time in terms of hurrying him and his team, basically, being demanding. Even I couldn't bear myself and my (at times) obnoxious behaviour!
So, being constantly in touch with Lori, with whom I spent New Year's Eve a year ago in Bali, insisted I visit her in Andalucia for a long weekend. On a last-minute decision, I booked a ticket to Malaga. I left behind the carpenter building the cabinets of my living room. It can be said now that it was precisely what the doctor would have ordered. On the Thursday before, I left home in the early hours and flew Easyjet to the designated destination, searching for some sun and anything warmer than London. Aisha texted me from Marbella, mentioning how she sits in the warm sun daily, so I wanted to top up those vitamin Ds. Lori was waiting in the car park with our rented car at Malaga airport, and after embracing, we headed towards Granada's central square in forty-five minutes, dumped the car in a car park, and walked around the city streets. Lori and I walked into the first restaurant in sight, which happened to be vegetarian, and after somewhat feeding our hunger, we walked around the town onto a road by the river.
My friend had booked us an appointment to see a craniosacral therapist whose sign on the same street had caught her attention two weeks before. She called him as we were walking up the road to come and meet us, and all I could concentrate on was the beauty that surrounded us and the magnificent Al Hambra castle, set above us on the right, where the Arabs ruled the area from those years ago.
There was something very special about this place, and the warmth of the sun and the clear blue skies above added to the flavour it all represented.
The craniosacral chiropractor was a young and gorgeous-looking Spaniard called Juan. He greeted us in the street with a warm smile. He walked us to his practice in an old-style house with a courtyard. He invited us to his rooftop with a view of Al Hambra across, offering us seats and conversing with me as Lori attended to her work on the mobile. Her business aside, she went to Juan's practice while I left for the road, continuing on to the church at the top of the hill, taking photos.
In the one-and-a-half hours I spent walking in the quiet back streets, I felt like time had stood still while the breath of fresh air cleansed my city's lungs. I returned sharply after one hour and got the full benefit of my therapy, as it felt like my body had loosened up from the pressure of the past months. We walked back to our car while taking in all the magic.
We got in the car, and Lori began driving. She had mentioned to me before she would be skiing while we visited Granada, and I, frankly, had no idea where she was taking me. She had also said we would be staying outside Granada in the mountains. But I was not expecting her to take me to a ski resort! Oh dear.
In the dark, the village lights became apparent in the pitch-dark bendy roads with snowy mountains, which looked whiter as we got closer. Less than an hour later, we were in a ski village called Sierra Nevada, where Lori informed me it had snowed the day before; one meter! I was not ready for that, mentally, physically, or wardrobe-wise!
So, I asked my friend in total disbelief:
"Lori, did you bring me to a fucking ski resort?"
While our unprepared car (as I was), slid all over the place, close to cars parked on each side and our brake almost non existent even at the speed of 3 km per hour, I was fuming at myself again for not asking ahead, precisely what the exact plan was!
Anyway, she managed to park by a garage and called the caretaker to come down around 22:00 hour and hand us the keys to open the garage door, which did not seem to work, so Lori left to find someone awake in the building, rang their bell as to ask for help to be let into the parking. Chaos man! I tried to keep as calm and quiet as possible before exploding. You see, Aisha had told me it was sunny and warm in Marbella; I was under the impression we would be staying in Granada first; how did I end up on the skiing resort of Sierra Nevada, for goodness sake?! So, we finally got in, left our luggage in the apartment on the fourth floor and headed straight to the pizzeria nearby. At dinner, I could not hold back any longer, so I told Lori:
"You're welcome to stay here and ski, but I'm going to Marbella tomorrow first thing to get some sun."
Lori insisted:
"But I told you I'm staying at the top of a mountain."
I fumed: "Yes, but you didn't say on top of a skiing mountain with snow! I had no clue, or I'd stayed home in the rain."
The story concludes that Lori promised we would leave the next day after she skies.
I literally had tears running down my face helplessly while my friend watched in a sorry state.
After a very short and disturbed sleep, I saw the ski slopes ahead, with an intense sun shining through the surrounding windows! It was all gloriously delicious, with sparkles of diamond on the white sheets ahead. We lazed around the flat; Lori did not bother to ski, opened the windows entirely, and sunbathed indoors. This already brightened up my spirit. As I calmed down, we took the chair lift to go into town for lunch in the open-air cafe, with chilled music flowing through the speakers. We started chatting, and our mood was happy.
As I later mentioned to Lori and her lovely friend, how I let my... Anger or disbelief was out when I felt it, and then Lori accepted; days later, we were still having a wonderful time together. True friendship stands the age of time and perhaps somewhat like great sex; it just gets better and better. It would be hyprocritical to just let things go, not speak one's mind and mislead the other to continue behaving a way that would only create distance in time and misunderstandings? I am learning to practice being honest with myself and others daily. The ones who understand you will always be there, and I keep saying ta ta to the others. Self-psychology.
I could go on writing and never stop!
But there's another day of carpenters and decorators ahead; you better get some beauty sleep, and we will continue next week.
One last thought before I leave came from my dear friend and angel at times, Gloria, after a lengthy phone conversation and helping me resolve thoughts which had occupied my mind recently; before saying goodbye, she simply said:
"When someone shows you who they are... Believe them!"
Oh! It feels wonderful to be writing again. It is like talking to a whole audience or even if just one person, somewhere, somehow connects with me through the power of words alone. What a miraculous world we live in. I clearly recall grown-ups talking about the future.
'You know dear, they say in the future, we will be talking to each other worldwide and seeing one another through a screen! Can you believe that?!'
Does that mean I am ancient? Haha. Not really. The fact is we humans are emerging with technological advances beyond imagination in one era, only to be made possible at the touch of a finger in another. Online dating has become the new way for finding partners of all sorts; drugs are a form of escapism, and yet wars and hunger are going on in most corners of the world.
Ouuuffff!
Now that's off my chest.
Since last week, a lot has changed regarding settling into my new pad and beginning to live my life, which is filled with anything and everything on a learning path. I went through some tough times recently, I don't want to call it even a mild depression, but this is a new word which I do not recall hearing when I was very young. It seemed that the word 'depression' rose into being believed as a reality as our lives became more hectic and families spread across the world, living separate lives without much moral support. Yet came the freedom to be, and how we use it or abuse it is our choice. I cherish my independence; it has given me wings to fly and be in charge of my decisions without letting anyone spoil (well, perhaps temporarily at times) this sense of liberation. While going through the challenges of starting a new chapter in a new place, I made every specification in decor to create an inviting space for my visitors to come and stay. The rush in craving to get my new life started got me down, giving my contractor a hard time in terms of hurrying him and his team, basically, being demanding. Even I couldn't bear myself and my (at times) obnoxious behaviour!
So, being constantly in touch with Lori, with whom I spent New Year's Eve a year ago in Bali, insisted I visit her in Andalucia for a long weekend. On a last-minute decision, I booked a ticket to Malaga. I left behind the carpenter building the cabinets of my living room. It can be said now that it was precisely what the doctor would have ordered. On the Thursday before, I left home in the early hours and flew Easyjet to the designated destination, searching for some sun and anything warmer than London. Aisha texted me from Marbella, mentioning how she sits in the warm sun daily, so I wanted to top up those vitamin Ds. Lori was waiting in the car park with our rented car at Malaga airport, and after embracing, we headed towards Granada's central square in forty-five minutes, dumped the car in a car park, and walked around the city streets. Lori and I walked into the first restaurant in sight, which happened to be vegetarian, and after somewhat feeding our hunger, we walked around the town onto a road by the river.
 |
| A church in the back streets of Granada |
 |
| A Yoga centre we discovered |
 |
| The walk by the river |
My friend had booked us an appointment to see a craniosacral therapist whose sign on the same street had caught her attention two weeks before. She called him as we were walking up the road to come and meet us, and all I could concentrate on was the beauty that surrounded us and the magnificent Al Hambra castle, set above us on the right, where the Arabs ruled the area from those years ago.
There was something very special about this place, and the warmth of the sun and the clear blue skies above added to the flavour it all represented.
The craniosacral chiropractor was a young and gorgeous-looking Spaniard called Juan. He greeted us in the street with a warm smile. He walked us to his practice in an old-style house with a courtyard. He invited us to his rooftop with a view of Al Hambra across, offering us seats and conversing with me as Lori attended to her work on the mobile. Her business aside, she went to Juan's practice while I left for the road, continuing on to the church at the top of the hill, taking photos.
In the one-and-a-half hours I spent walking in the quiet back streets, I felt like time had stood still while the breath of fresh air cleansed my city's lungs. I returned sharply after one hour and got the full benefit of my therapy, as it felt like my body had loosened up from the pressure of the past months. We walked back to our car while taking in all the magic.
 |
| Granada |
 | ||||||||||
| Al Hambra Palace at night |
We got in the car, and Lori began driving. She had mentioned to me before she would be skiing while we visited Granada, and I, frankly, had no idea where she was taking me. She had also said we would be staying outside Granada in the mountains. But I was not expecting her to take me to a ski resort! Oh dear.
In the dark, the village lights became apparent in the pitch-dark bendy roads with snowy mountains, which looked whiter as we got closer. Less than an hour later, we were in a ski village called Sierra Nevada, where Lori informed me it had snowed the day before; one meter! I was not ready for that, mentally, physically, or wardrobe-wise!
So, I asked my friend in total disbelief:
"Lori, did you bring me to a fucking ski resort?"
While our unprepared car (as I was), slid all over the place, close to cars parked on each side and our brake almost non existent even at the speed of 3 km per hour, I was fuming at myself again for not asking ahead, precisely what the exact plan was!
Anyway, she managed to park by a garage and called the caretaker to come down around 22:00 hour and hand us the keys to open the garage door, which did not seem to work, so Lori left to find someone awake in the building, rang their bell as to ask for help to be let into the parking. Chaos man! I tried to keep as calm and quiet as possible before exploding. You see, Aisha had told me it was sunny and warm in Marbella; I was under the impression we would be staying in Granada first; how did I end up on the skiing resort of Sierra Nevada, for goodness sake?! So, we finally got in, left our luggage in the apartment on the fourth floor and headed straight to the pizzeria nearby. At dinner, I could not hold back any longer, so I told Lori:
"You're welcome to stay here and ski, but I'm going to Marbella tomorrow first thing to get some sun."
Lori insisted:
"But I told you I'm staying at the top of a mountain."
I fumed: "Yes, but you didn't say on top of a skiing mountain with snow! I had no clue, or I'd stayed home in the rain."
The story concludes that Lori promised we would leave the next day after she skies.
I literally had tears running down my face helplessly while my friend watched in a sorry state.
After a very short and disturbed sleep, I saw the ski slopes ahead, with an intense sun shining through the surrounding windows! It was all gloriously delicious, with sparkles of diamond on the white sheets ahead. We lazed around the flat; Lori did not bother to ski, opened the windows entirely, and sunbathed indoors. This already brightened up my spirit. As I calmed down, we took the chair lift to go into town for lunch in the open-air cafe, with chilled music flowing through the speakers. We started chatting, and our mood was happy.
 |
| The room with a view |
 | |
| Sierra Nevada |
 |
| Sunny Lunch |
As I later mentioned to Lori and her lovely friend, how I let my... Anger or disbelief was out when I felt it, and then Lori accepted; days later, we were still having a wonderful time together. True friendship stands the age of time and perhaps somewhat like great sex; it just gets better and better. It would be hyprocritical to just let things go, not speak one's mind and mislead the other to continue behaving a way that would only create distance in time and misunderstandings? I am learning to practice being honest with myself and others daily. The ones who understand you will always be there, and I keep saying ta ta to the others. Self-psychology.
I could go on writing and never stop!
But there's another day of carpenters and decorators ahead; you better get some beauty sleep, and we will continue next week.
One last thought before I leave came from my dear friend and angel at times, Gloria, after a lengthy phone conversation and helping me resolve thoughts which had occupied my mind recently; before saying goodbye, she simply said:
"When someone shows you who they are... Believe them!"
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