Meditation is the key to contentment. I hear many who practice saying how effortlessly life moves in their favour. There are only possibilities. When you say YES to life, everything starts working for you. The only thing to remember is the road may be bumpy, but you keep believing. Stop questioning why you deserve misfortunes, as without them, there will be no growth, and we need to evolve and make changes like a garden maze; finding the way out is searching different paths until you reach the freedom of being. We only attract what we believe.
Having Fernando over for a delightful treatment helped solve my neck stiffness. We met with Isabella at a birthday gathering in Hackney after dinner at Hoxton Grill. East London has become trendier by the year in the past decade, full of great eateries, bars and entertainment. It was the host, Miguel's 33rd birthday, and he had a handful of people seated all around his cosy living room. I began conversing with Miguel and was taken aback when he told me of his four offspring from three different relationships and then his girlfriend back in South America. I simply said:
"Wow, Miguel! You've sure kept busy!"
Each life story I hear only adds to my knowledge of how we each make choices according to our path. If we were any other, we would only behave the same way and make the choices they did. No one is to blame, but we can each have input in being kind and understanding towards one another. There is no judgment, no control.
Now, back to where I was... Haha... Isabella introduced Fernando, mentioning how he helped her with the back pain she suffered when we danced. We only got a little better acquainted, and Fernando, who barely makes house calls, agreed to give me treatment for my neck at home. When he arrived on Saturday afternoon with his unique bed (no, not a waterbed!) I had spent the day chilling after a night out with Heidi, having dinner at the new Hams Yard restaurant, set in an enclosed mews, all modern and soooo New York, bang in the middle of Soho! Great spot. Oops! Yes, Fernando... We happily sat talking of the beauty of life, experiences of how being in the moment and positive pay off to a happier and more fulfilled life, always in gratitude and such an enlightening afternoon that we almost forgot about the massage till I noticed the time and the dinner party at Britt's to attend later that evening.
I finally got to Britt's, which was only two hours late! But Troy and Torsten had already warned our hostess and had a bet I would arrive two hours late, on the dot. Terrible me. The other two guests were from Australia, and we had a great conversation before the spaghetti bolognese, made so deliciously with a side of organic leaved salad by Britt, was served in heaps. Boy, did we make a feast of it? Followed by salted caramel ice cream, butterscotch pudding and berries marinated in balsamic vinegar! Divine. My brain must have switched off then, and I could barely keep my eyes open.
I used to be up to go dancing after a Saturday dinner, but now?! Our bodies change in time, and so do our minds.
I constantly meet beautiful people; it is not just a mere hello but a connection between the minds; it is pure. I could continue writing daily, and it would still not be short blogs if only time allowed.
My last trip was to the Canary Islands of Tenerife. It was a sudden decision to go. After spending two weeks in bed with flu, I took up Maximo's offer to join him and his brother with their close friends in Tenerife. Certainly no stranger to airports and aeroplane seats, as usual, I passed out before the flight took off. Something soothing about flying. Upon arrival at Tenerife's South airport, Maximo and his friend Lorenzo were waiting in a van-like VW to carry all seven passengers on the day visits, which followed in the week I was there.
Since my last visit to Tenerife with my parents in my early teens, I have observed that the city has resembled absolutely nothing. What I remembered was a stretch of beach in a large bay, hotels running across, where at the end of one cove, we sat at a coffee shop with my sister Hala and our mum and the live band of the trio singing 'Spanish Eyes' to us, at my mum's request. Also, in a scene in one of the chick boutiques, she tries on a jaguar coat with a high collar and looks like a movie star. But then, in those days, the cruelty to animals to make those fur coats were not disclosed, and in the snowy cold winters of Tehran, it seemed the best means of keeping warm outdoors while the houses were well heated. Tehran back to Tenerife, haha; the layout of buildings crammed up in high volumes in blocks of land seemed like they needed to be more appealing. It seemed like they needed to be a more touristic island, filled with large hotels where most Europeans with less of a fortune of sunshine and heat during the cold winters escape. And there I was, ready to soak up the warmth of a wintry sun.
"Wow, Miguel! You've sure kept busy!"
Each life story I hear only adds to my knowledge of how we each make choices according to our path. If we were any other, we would only behave the same way and make the choices they did. No one is to blame, but we can each have input in being kind and understanding towards one another. There is no judgment, no control.
Now, back to where I was... Haha... Isabella introduced Fernando, mentioning how he helped her with the back pain she suffered when we danced. We only got a little better acquainted, and Fernando, who barely makes house calls, agreed to give me treatment for my neck at home. When he arrived on Saturday afternoon with his unique bed (no, not a waterbed!) I had spent the day chilling after a night out with Heidi, having dinner at the new Hams Yard restaurant, set in an enclosed mews, all modern and soooo New York, bang in the middle of Soho! Great spot. Oops! Yes, Fernando... We happily sat talking of the beauty of life, experiences of how being in the moment and positive pay off to a happier and more fulfilled life, always in gratitude and such an enlightening afternoon that we almost forgot about the massage till I noticed the time and the dinner party at Britt's to attend later that evening.
I finally got to Britt's, which was only two hours late! But Troy and Torsten had already warned our hostess and had a bet I would arrive two hours late, on the dot. Terrible me. The other two guests were from Australia, and we had a great conversation before the spaghetti bolognese, made so deliciously with a side of organic leaved salad by Britt, was served in heaps. Boy, did we make a feast of it? Followed by salted caramel ice cream, butterscotch pudding and berries marinated in balsamic vinegar! Divine. My brain must have switched off then, and I could barely keep my eyes open.
I used to be up to go dancing after a Saturday dinner, but now?! Our bodies change in time, and so do our minds.
I constantly meet beautiful people; it is not just a mere hello but a connection between the minds; it is pure. I could continue writing daily, and it would still not be short blogs if only time allowed.
My last trip was to the Canary Islands of Tenerife. It was a sudden decision to go. After spending two weeks in bed with flu, I took up Maximo's offer to join him and his brother with their close friends in Tenerife. Certainly no stranger to airports and aeroplane seats, as usual, I passed out before the flight took off. Something soothing about flying. Upon arrival at Tenerife's South airport, Maximo and his friend Lorenzo were waiting in a van-like VW to carry all seven passengers on the day visits, which followed in the week I was there.
Since my last visit to Tenerife with my parents in my early teens, I have observed that the city has resembled absolutely nothing. What I remembered was a stretch of beach in a large bay, hotels running across, where at the end of one cove, we sat at a coffee shop with my sister Hala and our mum and the live band of the trio singing 'Spanish Eyes' to us, at my mum's request. Also, in a scene in one of the chick boutiques, she tries on a jaguar coat with a high collar and looks like a movie star. But then, in those days, the cruelty to animals to make those fur coats were not disclosed, and in the snowy cold winters of Tehran, it seemed the best means of keeping warm outdoors while the houses were well heated. Tehran back to Tenerife, haha; the layout of buildings crammed up in high volumes in blocks of land seemed like they needed to be more appealing. It seemed like they needed to be a more touristic island, filled with large hotels where most Europeans with less of a fortune of sunshine and heat during the cold winters escape. And there I was, ready to soak up the warmth of a wintry sun.
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| Derelict building by the Atlantic Ocean |
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| Sun sets behind the palms. |
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| Los Cristianos Beach at night |
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| #halditanotes #murals #graffiti #turtles |
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| A spot of shopping at #Obag |
We found three full sunny days to lay on the beach and enjoy the 22-degree weather. It was only an hour's flight away from London. Every day, being with a group of Italians, the three meals a day were a must, which I am not accustomed to but totally appreciate its importance in certain cultures. They picked great eateries, from Italian to tapas and meat speciality restaurants, and one word I sure learned from my companions was mangiare, mangiare! (eat, eat!).
I visited a healer on the island at Shiba's suggestion. Marcel Hummel answered my email almost immediately with an appointment date. His practice was in a remote spot where he mentioned a particular magnetic field was running through his pot of land with a small house built on one side, opposing a single mountain viewed from the garden. He was a Dutchman, tall and Viking-like, with a gentle manner about him. We chatted a while before I lay on the bed, and he worked his magic on me with his hands lifted above. After the session, he gave me feedback on my chakras and even dropped me off at the hotel. The leftover flu in the form of a proper head cold, sore throat, and cough all disappeared then! I mean that. Sometimes, we must ignore the question; the proof is in the pudding. Just believe.
On one of the not-so-sunny days, we visited Santa Cruz, Tenerife's capital. I managed to make friends with the couple's three-year-old daughter, who spoke only Italian and had little knowledge of the language on my part. We held hands, jumped up and down in the pedestrianised cobblestoned paths, and shared gestures while she posed for me to take photos. Her parents, Silvia and Diego, had two children back home in their late teens, and this delightful little girl was a later addition to the family. Maximo's brother Antonio had this cool look about him and was fun to chat with. The city of Santa Cruz seemed worlds apart from the flashy, 'à la Vegas' Las Americas with charming buildings and a vast, magnificent park.
Walking around the tranquil park with hardly another in sight was... Peaceful.
After a beach day, on our last night, I could no longer face another 'mangiare' session, so I booked a flamenco musical 'Malizia' to see on my own, an adapted version of the opera Rigoletto by Verdi. The first few minutes did not impress me, but it just got better in time, and the ladies' flamenco costumes were divine to watch swing around with their arm and body moves, especially towards the end of the show. The dancing of the leading male was exquisite as he balanced his taps on his toes and then on the heels of his shoes, and all in all, I left smiling.
Maximo and his entourage gave me an enjoyable time on the island. We each returned back to our lives.
I feel my life here has become a travel journal, but there is so much more to just visiting another land. I learn every moment, everywhere I go. I question and find answers by observing everything going on. There are solutions to every problem. No one said it was easy. I love this: If a door closes on you, open a window.
Light up your energy field and expand your horizons.
My last meditation was: 'The happiness of others is my own happiness.'
The next trip is as exotic as it gets. Archipelago islands are set in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, off the West Coast of Africa. Yum!
I visited a healer on the island at Shiba's suggestion. Marcel Hummel answered my email almost immediately with an appointment date. His practice was in a remote spot where he mentioned a particular magnetic field was running through his pot of land with a small house built on one side, opposing a single mountain viewed from the garden. He was a Dutchman, tall and Viking-like, with a gentle manner about him. We chatted a while before I lay on the bed, and he worked his magic on me with his hands lifted above. After the session, he gave me feedback on my chakras and even dropped me off at the hotel. The leftover flu in the form of a proper head cold, sore throat, and cough all disappeared then! I mean that. Sometimes, we must ignore the question; the proof is in the pudding. Just believe.
On one of the not-so-sunny days, we visited Santa Cruz, Tenerife's capital. I managed to make friends with the couple's three-year-old daughter, who spoke only Italian and had little knowledge of the language on my part. We held hands, jumped up and down in the pedestrianised cobblestoned paths, and shared gestures while she posed for me to take photos. Her parents, Silvia and Diego, had two children back home in their late teens, and this delightful little girl was a later addition to the family. Maximo's brother Antonio had this cool look about him and was fun to chat with. The city of Santa Cruz seemed worlds apart from the flashy, 'à la Vegas' Las Americas with charming buildings and a vast, magnificent park.
 |
| Park in Santa Cruz |
 |
| Homenaje a Millares b Claude Viseux |
 |
| Little boy, Big Mama |
Walking around the tranquil park with hardly another in sight was... Peaceful.
 |
| Per Adriano Sculpture by Igor Mitoraj Guimerá Theatre behind |
 |
| A square in a residential area |
 |
| Golden shutters! |
After a beach day, on our last night, I could no longer face another 'mangiare' session, so I booked a flamenco musical 'Malizia' to see on my own, an adapted version of the opera Rigoletto by Verdi. The first few minutes did not impress me, but it just got better in time, and the ladies' flamenco costumes were divine to watch swing around with their arm and body moves, especially towards the end of the show. The dancing of the leading male was exquisite as he balanced his taps on his toes and then on the heels of his shoes, and all in all, I left smiling.
Maximo and his entourage gave me an enjoyable time on the island. We each returned back to our lives.
I feel my life here has become a travel journal, but there is so much more to just visiting another land. I learn every moment, everywhere I go. I question and find answers by observing everything going on. There are solutions to every problem. No one said it was easy. I love this: If a door closes on you, open a window.
Light up your energy field and expand your horizons.
My last meditation was: 'The happiness of others is my own happiness.'
The next trip is as exotic as it gets. Archipelago islands are set in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, off the West Coast of Africa. Yum!
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