!nkpression

!nkspiration: Anna Williams Photography

2011-05-24T13:40:00.000-04:00

As a regular Martha Stewart Living reader, I've been coming across Anna William's fabulous photography but today I took some time to look over her website and it blew me away.

Her images are refreshing and so inspiring.. To see more of her work, you can visit her website..

(images via Anna Williams website)

Ballet Recital

2011-05-24T13:26:00.000-04:00

A perfect start to Mother's Day weekend this year was attending Z's ballet recital. Z has been doing ballet for a semester now and she loves it. She anxiously waits for Wednesday and is most sad at the end of her class. We were a bit anxious as to Z's stage nerves. She seemed excited in the week leading up to the show but with a three-year old, it's sometimes hard to tell what their excitement will translate to in front of an audience. She was awesome - she seemed to be enjoying herself on stage and actually performed, following her teacher's cues!

Her teacher, Jeanelle is super awesome! She is almost full term pregnant and still teaching a handful of classes and she put together an awesome show! I can only imagine what goes into hosting/organizing a performance with kids aged 3-8.

We celebrated with a sushi dinner and mango ice cream...

Modern Cave

2011-05-20T17:24:00.000-04:00

Influenced by the '70s organic architecture, Alexandre de Betak created a modern cave home that he spent 10 years dreaming about, five years looking for a location to build it, two years designing it and two years actually building it. Located in a small coastal village in Majorca, it is modern yet warm.

I love it, aren't the tree bark bookshelves gorgeous?

(photos via T Magazine)

I spy...

2011-05-11T12:23:00.000-04:00

Z's favourite car-game after her visit to Austin is, 'I spy'. Since spelling and alphabets is still a bit overwhelming for her; we play the 'colour' version of the game. On our drive home from my mom's last night, after sunset, we're (ofcourse) playing I spy and it happens to be Z's turn...

Z: I spy with my teeny meeny eye, something that is the colour yellow!

A: The lid of your milk bottle?

Z: No.

Me: The bag holding your toys, the penguin's nose?

Z: No, mama, NO.

A: The street sign! OH, wait - I got it, the traffic light!

Z: No, it's the sun abba.. Wait, where did the sun go?

Have a great weekend!

2011-04-29T17:12:00.013-04:00

Z is down with a flu so our weekend plans might go up in the air! I hope she feels better soon!

Meanwhile, here's a lovely video I came across earlier this week. It's a tribute from a man to a city he lived in and loved. He attached theatre tickets to balloons that he set free from a building top; he wanted people to enjoy, explore and love the city as much as he did.

What a great idea; the video made me happy!

Bunny Finger Puppets

2011-04-29T16:58:00.001-04:00

For Easter this year, Z and I made bunny finger puppets to give to her classmates along with mini chocolate eggs. I was inspired by a craft I came across on Purl Soho. The puppets were really easy and fun to make but it took a lot longer than I had anticipated which is why the puppets have no eye or tail. If I had managed my time better or realised how long it would take, I would have added buttons for eyes and a small wool pom-pom as a tail.

If you would like to make them; it's fairly simple.
1) For each puppet you will need two colours of felt (we used pale pink/white, fuschia/white, red/white and dark grey/light grey combos - our white felt had a lovely silver shimmer to it). We had some felt in our craft closet and picked up the rest from Fabricland.
2) Draw an outline of a bunny so that it's height from head to the base (without the bunny ears) is as long as your index finger (ours was roughly 3" and the bunny ears were an additional 1.5" long). Cut two of each colour for one finger puppet.
3) Sandwich one colour between the other (for example, I placed both dark grey bunny pieces between the light grey ones) and stitch around the body using a blanket stitch. To make the nose, use several blanket stitches in pink.

Easter Weekend Memories...

2011-04-29T16:32:00.000-04:00

We took a short trip with A's family for a couple of days over the Easter weekend to the lovely town of Collingwood. The Blue Mountain village was festive; we enjoyed an outdoor concert, chocolate covered apples and Beaver Tails. Z had a great time with her cousins and enjoyed the music while basking in the sun.

Crumpled City Maps

2011-04-23T10:29:00.002-04:00

Aren't these Crumpled City Maps just lovely? They would make a perfect gift for A. He loves to travel, has a lot going on, packs last minute and never folds his paper maps! Given that it weighs less than 20 grams and is 100% water proof, it's also great for parents!

Designed by Enanuele Pizzolorusso, an Italian industrial designer; each map proposes 10 SoulSights, places that are chosen to excite you. These are places filled with intense emotions that are brought to life by the people passing through or stopping off in them. I think this would be the most exciting aspect of the map! And would make a great Father's Day Gift!

(via NOTCOT, images via Palomarweb)

Art & Fear

2011-04-20T00:29:00.001-04:00

I am at a stage in my life where I am overwhelmed and over-inspired. I have all these ideas floating around; bumping and slowly crowding the other. I realised today, that I just have to pick one to start and keep going; there's really no other way around it. There's an excellent parable from the book Art & Fear by David Bayles, that I came across in an interview I read recently and I had to share:

The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality.

His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the “quantity” group: fifty pound of pots rated an “A”, forty pounds a “B”, and so on. Those being graded on “quality”, however, needed to produce only one pot—albeit a perfect one—to get an “A”.

Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the “quantity” group was busily churning out piles of work—and learning from their mistakes—the “quality” group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.

Pottery Workshop

2011-04-20T00:01:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, a couple of friends and I visit spent a Wednesday evening at the Gardiner Museum. I had been wanting to try the drop-in clay workshop for a while and finally, enticed by the company of two friends, I ventured downtown on a cold day.

We spent all our time at the potter's wheel, trying to get the right balance between shape and speed. I probably worked with five pieces of clay and ended up with two pieces (both bowls) that I was happy with. I have to admit there is a certain thrill attached to molding something raw and ugly into something beautiful.

I remember feeling a certain frustration at my inability to perfect the piece and I was told by the facilitator that it's all about getting a feel for how the wheel moves and how my hands work against the clay; something that can only be learnt with time and practice. For someone like me, who need short-term gratification ever so often, I really think these workshops allow me to realize the rewards of patience and work accomplished over a longer period of time...

(images by nisreen halai for the inkpression blog)

Mid-week craziness

2011-04-12T11:24:00.000-04:00

My list of things to do for this week seems endless to the point where I don't know where to start. I'm dreaming of sitting on the daybed in the picture, reading a good book!

Hope you're enjoying your week so far!

(photo via apartmenttherapy)

Bed-book

2011-04-11T00:09:00.000-04:00

To resolve the issues of lack of space faced by a lot of urban-dwelling Japanese families, photographer and innovater, Yusuke Suzuki, created a 'fold-up' bed in the shape of a book. When the book is opened at night, it's pages serve as a duvet and pillows and it comes with large cut out shapes and illustrations. During the day it can be folded up and used as a playmat.

So very creative!

!nkspiration: Olimpia Zagnoli

2011-04-06T12:04:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite illustrators Olimpia Zagnoli has art directed Timbuktu, the first children's magazine designed especially for the iPad. I've always loved the clean, crisp yet whimsically joyful feeling of her illustrations and so I am absolutely loving Timbuktu's modern design.

(first three images via Olimpia Zagnoli)

(Timbuktu first spotted on SwissMiss)

!nkspiration: Nidhi Chanani

2011-04-04T23:51:00.011-04:00

I stumbled across Nidhi Chanani's illustrations while browsing on etsy recently. And I fell in love with her joyful pieces; each conveying their own story... Originally from India, she grew up in California and currently lives in San Francisco. Her work is whimsically infused with references to her diasporic background and her everyday life.

I would love to get a piece for Z's room, but I have so many favourites, I wouldn't know which one to pick!

JAPAN

2011-03-31T22:54:00.003-04:00

When I think of Japan, my heart aches and I am at a loss of words. I am in awe at how the country has coped today and in the past. The Japanese people continue to inspire and therefore, against all odds, there is always hope.

One of my favourite poems that I came across while taking O'level English Literature was James Kirkup's Ghosts, Fire and Water. This poem is based on his impression of the infamous 'Hiroshima Panels' paintings by Iri Maruki and Toshiko Akamatsu (in response to their intense anger at the nuclear bombings). I believe if Japan could recover after the catastrophic tragedy in 1945, it will regain it's strength this time around too.

---------

Ghosts, fire, water
On the Hiroshima panels by Iri Maruki and Toshiko Akamatsu

These are the ghosts of the unwilling dead,
Grey ghosts of that imprinted flash of memory
Whose flaming and eternal instant haunts
The speechless dark with dread and anger.

Grey, out of pale nothingness their agony appears.
Like ash they are blown and blasted on the wind's
Vermilion breathlessness, like shapeless smoke
Their shapes are torn across the paper sky.

These scarred and ashen ghosts are quick
With pain's unutterable speech, their flame-cracked flesh
Writhes and is heavy as the worms, the bitter dirt;
Lonely as in death they bleed, naked as in birth.

They greet each other in a ghastly paradise,
These ghosts who cannot come with gifts and flowers.
Here they receive each other with disaster's common love,
Covering one another's pain with shrivelled hands.

They are not beautiful, yet beauty is in their truth.
There is no easy music in their silent screams,
No ordered dancing in their grief's distracted limbs.
Their shame is ours. We, too, are haunted by their fate.

In the shock of flame, their tears brand our flesh,
We twist in their furnace, and our scorching throats
Parch for the waters where the cool dead float.
We press our lips upon the river where they drink, and drown.

Their voices call to us, in pain and indignation:
'This is what you have done to us!'
Their accusation is our final hope. Be comforted.
Yes, we have heard you, ghosts of our indifference,

We hear your cry, we understand your warnings.
We, too, shall refuse to accept our fate!
Haunt us with the truth of our betrayal
Until the earth's united voices shout refusal, sing your peace!

Forgive us, that we had to see your passion to remember
What we must never again deny: Love one another.

London, 1955

Illustration: New Yorker Cover (March 28, 2011) by Christoph Niemann

Day Dreaming...

2011-03-30T13:33:00.000-04:00

Love, love, love this kitchen workspace...

(via mixr)

Map of the World

2011-03-30T00:16:00.005-04:00

I grew up with a world map in our hallway and a globe on my desk. Our favourite childhood in-car game was 'countries, cities, places'. Coincidentally, one of the first few gifts I gave A while we were dating was a vintage world map. Needless to say, I love maps and having one around definitely improved my knowledge of places.

For the last few months I've been on a the lookout for a world map for Z. I'd love an illustrated map like this one by Julie Mercier or an interactive map such as this absolutely fabulous felt world globe hand-made by Jen Talbot. I'm inspired to make one for Z myself.

via Design Mom

!nkspiration: Jillian Tamaki

2011-03-28T22:52:00.003-04:00

While looking for inspiration for a project I'm working on, I came across these exquisitely beautiful images on pinterest. I covet Penguin Classics' covers and these are just perfect; I love the details, the colours and the choice of titles (Emma and Black Beauty are on my list of favourites). They were hand-embroidered for Penguin Books by the talented Jillian Tamaki, an award-winning illustrator and comics artist. The covers took her almost two months to complete; below are a few pictures of her work-in-progress.

Jillian is a woman of many talents; she illustrates for magazines, newspapers and books and also teaches at the School of Visual Arts in NY.

I have been in search of a vintage over-sized Penguin Classics cover to frame in Z's room, however wouldn't these embroidered covers look beautiful too?

photos: Jillian Tamaki (with permission)

Happy Weekend!

2011-03-26T01:21:00.000-04:00

(via pininterest)

How to be an Explorer of the World...

2011-03-24T13:44:00.002-04:00

Z started attending Montessori five full days each week, when I started work last April; it was a transition of sorts, emotional and physical. Her constant bout of illness eventually led to my resignation and I'm back to being a stay-at-home mom/freelancer (and loving it!). This April, she will only spend three days at school and two days at home. I'd like her to stay in school because Z is an introvert and the constant exposure to and interaction with children her age has allowed her to develop her social skills tremendously and she loves her time at school. But at the same time, I think we're both super excited about the days we get to spend together.

It's always been an effort to find activities that stimulate Z; she's super-curious, gets bored easily and tends to drift towards art-related activities. On our recent travels to Austin, and in my constant search of new resources; I came across a beautiful book, written and illustrated by the talented Keri Smith. "How to be an Explorer of the World - Portable ~~Art~~ Life Museum" is a guide to exploring your own environment with new eyes. What I particularly like about it is that it encourages activities that allow you to stretch your imagination and explore something familiar in a new way. It's certainly not a traditional parenting book and nor was it meant to be, but it is certainly perfect and exactly what I had in mind to inspire both Z and I on our days together.

What resources do you use to inspire your parent-ego?

So, you need a new typeface...

2011-03-24T00:31:00.000-04:00

While looking for inspiration for a project I'm currently working on, I came across this ubercool infographic by Julian Hansen, originally created for a class at the Danish School of Media and Journalism at Copenhagen.

I particularly like the path from "Are you alone?" to 'Comic Sans'.

(via on Swiss Miss)

!nkspiration: Joan Platt Pottery

2011-03-22T11:28:00.001-04:00

While backpacking across England during my year abroad at university, I stumbled across a local potter in the Lake District. He worked from a beautiful shed-converted-studio and I spent several hours watching him work. I left inspired by his patience and creativity.

Recently, I tried my hand at the potter's wheel. It had been a while since I worked with clay; the last time was when I was a child and I spent quite a few weekend mornings at the Clay Studio at the British Arts Council, keeping busy while my mom taught art classes.

The two-hours flew by; not only was it fun, it was really relaxing. I made two bowls which were left to be glazed and I need to go back to complete them and perhaps spend some more time on the wheel. While looking for inspiration I came across the work of Joan Platt. Aren't her bowls just so pretty? I am loving the spring green colours..

"Ceramics is a process, and I love that each step is separated by stretches of time," says Joan. I think that's a part of the reason I love ceramics too.

Above are a few pics of her studio converted from a farm shed. Such a dreamy workspace!

(photos via Country Living)

Happy Spring!

2011-03-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

We just got back after a week of soaking up the glorious heat in sunny Austin. We couldn't have asked for better weather! Toronto has been sunny yet chilly, however the days are long so Z and I have been pretending it's spring and enjoying long walks along the lake... We're anxiously waiting for our tulips to blossom so we can enjoy homegrown flowers all over our home.

(photos from the saipua website)

My Favourite Things

2011-02-23T21:55:00.001-05:00

I am in love love love with this short film; excellent videography and music. I'm a huge fan of silent films and this captured the beauty of simplicity so very sweetly. So Amelie & Chocolat inspired!

My Favourite Things from kidswithcrayons on Vimeo.

What do you think?

(via kate spade)

Paris vs. New York Posters

2010-11-25T16:23:00.002-05:00

Paris vs. NewYork is a visual comparision of the cultural iconography of two cities by graphic designer Vahram Muratyan - what an awesome idea! I can't decide which one I like best!

Katsumi Hayakawa

2010-11-23T16:00:00.002-05:00

I cannot get my mind off Japanese artist's Katsumi Hayawaka's amazing 3D paper sculptures. He is currently exhibiting these at the Gallery MoMo in Roppingi, Japan.

Things I have been meaning to do...

2010-01-21T23:33:00.001-05:00

One of my resolutions this year has been to do the 'simple, everyday' things with Z that I always put off for another day just because something more seemingly important comes along.

I'd love to ride the TTC with Z this winter. Plant a tree in the spring. Enjoy a quiet, early morning bike ride on Lakeshore.

The above are a great reminder by Citizen Scholar - "Things You've Been Meaning To Do" - a series of illustrations by Joanne Neborsky

City in a Bag

2010-01-20T14:43:00.001-05:00

A's best friend lives in London, England. His lovely daughter just turned one and while looking for local gifts, I came across these awesome wooden toys. Aren't they just gorgeous? I wish they had Toronto.

They can be purchased here.

Happy New Year...

2010-01-11T16:15:00.002-05:00

One of my resolutions this year was to blog everyday, or almost everyday. I must admit the lateness of this post should not reflect my intention with keeping with my resolution.

Ten years ago, we were waging a war with computers, hoping fervently that our world would not be consumed by the Y2K bug. Over the last decade, the world has engaged in countless wars, killing innocent people. I hope and pray that 2010 brings with it peace and a semblance of hope.

Even though this was a tumultuous decade for the world, it was an exciting and adventurous decade in my life. I lived in three continents, graduated from university, co-edited a book, got married, found a real job, had a baby and moved houses 7 times. This was the decade I lost myself; first in university and then to marriage and then to a baby and then finally found myself. I'd have to say my biggest struggle in the last decade was learning and understanding who I was and being happy with me.

This year was a big year; I think I truly grew up. Over the last decade I struggled to find my passion with work; at times it just seemed easier to give up and just go with the flow. This year, I finally figured out what I was passionate about; my husband said it was in my face the last couple of years, it just took me a while to figure out. And so to embark on this journey, I'm working on my MDes and I haven't been happier.

A and I survived our first year as parents and are tremendously enjoying bringing up a toddler. My husband launched his line of clothing earlier this year and is reveling in the joys and hardships of being a creative entrepreneur.

This year our resolutions are simple; A and I have chosen to pursue our dreams; live in Europe for a couple of months, backpack around South America, spend endless time with our daughter, sustain our life and livelihood as creative entrepreneurs and to raise funds for a cause.

Here's wishing you and your loved ones a safe and fulfilling 2010!

ps: I'm taking on Jammie's Best-of-2009 blog challenge and should have a list by the end of this month!

(photo by Gemma Gommas, via Design Mom)

Training in Type

2009-11-25T23:09:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajjg3faIQ5A

!nkpression #5: Confessions of a Chocoholic-Designer...

2009-11-25T22:56:00.000-05:00

Created by extremely talented Tithi Kutchamuch.

For the Choco-type...

Can be purchased here.

Chocolate-pencils: Nendo's collaboration with patissier Tsujiguchi Hironobu.

'Scrabulous', don't you think?

To purchase, click here.

Beautifully 'crafted' chocolate tools.

To purchase, click here

!nkspiration #4: Type Chest of Drawers

2009-11-18T23:03:00.001-05:00

My heart flipped a million times over when I saw these set of drawers! Aren't they just awesome? They are a perfect gift for a type-a-holic and can be purchased here. I so WANT one...

via (Jammie's Type Whimsy)

!nkspiration #3: Matteo Pericoli

2009-11-18T22:52:00.001-05:00

In his book of drawings "The City Out My WIndow: 63 Views on New York", Matteo Pericoli asks well-known New Yorkers to describe what they see from their windows. I just LOVE the black and white sketches!

via (The New York Times)

Illuminite

2009-11-15T15:21:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe we're approaching the end of this year already. Where did it go? I know I say this almost every year, but really, this year went by really fast!

We took Z to Illuminite yesterday, the annual tree-lighting event at Yonge-Dundas in downtown Toronto. Even though we missed the firethrowers and the laser show, Z enjoyed the walk, the lights and the quiet time with A and I.

Z was fascinated by the lights but could not understand why they were not thead (red), her favourite colour. She loved running around the square and all the attention she was getting from passer-bys.

We stopped by at Salad King, our favourite Thai-on-the-go place (A and I have never ever enjoyed a meal there together). Z enjoyed herself sans high-chair, with the spoons and the songs that we were asked to sing to her on demand.

As I was watching A entertain Z, I thought it's so simple really to make a child happy; a little bit of attention, some love, some music and crayons. Z has been a simple child from get-go, as long as kept her away from crowds and put her early to bed, she's been happy. Ofcourse, as a 20-month old, she now loves people (much like her father) and tries to fight off sleep as long as possible. I've definitely been missing my morning time with her on the weekdays but watching her with A, seeing their relationship grow (due to more of him and less of me) makes my heart tingle! I sometimes think it's me and not her, who's having a hard time letting go.

And as promised to Z, we finished the night off with Wanda's Waffles, a tiny Belgian waffle cafe, run by a father and son team.

Such a perfect Saturday night!

Are you the "chocolate-type"?

2009-11-04T17:52:00.000-05:00

Both A and I are chocoholics! If you were to drop by at any time, we'd be able to serve you at least 3 different varieties of chocolate. We run out of groceries, yes, but not chocolate!

However, the chocolate by Meiji is so pretty that I think I would just look at it all day and not even think to eat it!

Luxe Ladder

2009-10-27T00:02:00.000-04:00

I've been on the look for a ladder to use as a towel rack! I love the colour and texture of the ladders in the pictures...

Picture Source: Apartment Therapy

My first week as GradschoolMom...

2009-10-26T23:36:00.002-04:00

Last week was an extremely busy week, such that I did not even get to check email everday. Any that has NEVER happened! EVER!

I survived my first week as a gradschoolMom. I'm absolutely loving it - the people are inspiration-ally brilliant, the place is eclectic and old (I'm a sucker for all things old!) and the topic (design) is close to heart! What more could I ask for? Just a little more time with Z! I do miss spending every waking moment with her *sigh*. Her transition has been exceptional; she's been patient with her tired mom (I get a lot of hugs, kisses and cuddles when I get home), accommodating and just plain awesome!

A's been a super-dad and a super-super-super partner... We enjoyed home-made bread, courtesy of A and other yummilicious home-cooked food (have I mentioned that A is baker and chef extraordinaire?).. Life's been busy-good...

We enjoyed a quiet weekend - neighbourhood strolls, visits to the grandparents and catching up on sleep! Hope you're weekend was fabulous and your Monday wasn't too blue!

And A got me a gift.. isn't it pretty?

This week with Z...

2009-10-17T01:29:00.002-04:00

A totally unplanned night-over at grandma's today. And I'm missing Z terribly. I'm so tempted to drive over and pick her up. The only thing stopping me is the possibility that I'll really hurt their feelings and Z's sleep being disturbed.

I love you Z. I'm so excited I get to spend all day with you tomorrow (my hands-on business session got canceled which worked out really well for me!). You've got an exciting weekend ahead of you...

The 'new-s' this week:
- You learnt how to say pink "penck" and you confuse it with "thead" (red) but you've almost got it nailed
- The first couple of things you say when you wake up in the morning are "udhar jaana amma" (i want to go there mom) and you point to the door that takes us out of the room to the kitchen and you want to "dwaw" and drink "jus".
- You kiss us (aba and amma) on the lips and then squeal with excitement.
- You put your arms around yourself and say huggie (it's the cutest thing ever)
- You get super excited at the thought of wearing your "boots" and jacket. You stand by the door willing it to open so you can run out as soon as you have your outer gear on. You love the chill in the air, so unlike your mom!
- You love pulling you "mins" (clips) out of your hair. Every time you take it out, you run along to give me your "min" so I can put it away.
- When I take you to the bathroom to brush your teeth, you call out to your brush "brushie, brushie, brushie..."
- You hold my cheek when you sleep.
- You love sitting on the kitchen countertop.
- You want to hear a story (and not from a book) before nap time. You don't like nap time anymore.
- You have started liking you bread sticks dipped in cheese.
- You say "c'est" before everything. C'est brushies, c'est crayon, c'est book, c'est boots, c'est shoes. I know you don't realise it's very french, but i love it :)
- You enjoyed watching the movie No Reservations with me. I enjoyed it more because we watched it together.

I hope tomorrow morning comes soon.
Good night my lovely Z - sleep tight!

the non-blog entry week & other happenings...

2009-10-16T13:43:00.005-04:00

I haven't blogged in over a week now, simply because it has been a crazy busy week. Last weekend was thanksgiving weekend in Canada and we enjoyed a great couple of days with family and friends. Our dear friends Nikki (baker extraordinaire) and Omar (chef extraordinaire) hosted an intimate dinner for Sana's family and ours. As always, the menu was simple and the food, par excellence.

On the menu:
Bite-sized pitas with eggplant chutney from Sue's
Pecan and peppers green salad (I will share the recipe this week, I tried it out for a dinner at my mil's and I got a lot of compliments!)
Italian bread with garlic butter
Mashed potatoes with beef gravy
Turkey with your choice of cranberry sauce or pepper sauce

For desert, Nikki had baked the most decadent chocolate cake I've ever eaten. It was soft, moist and it melted in your mouth and the best part is, prep time is only 15 minutes.

This week started off rather well because A and I enjoyed date night #2 on Tuesday. We watched Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy's documentary Children of the Taliban at the beautiful University of Toronto campus downtown. Just being at this campus makes me want to start school again - it envelopes you in this rich academic bubble!
The documentary screening was extra-special since I got to meet Sharmeen herself! I've been wanting to meet her ever since I interviewed her for The Grind Magazine a couple of years ago. She is as charming in person as she was over the phone! It was such a pleasure!

I've also been prepping for fall - putting the summer flip flops away and bringing in the boots and coats. This normally mundane activity was a ton of fun because Z participated. Our morning walks have come to a halt because the weather's been dangerously low unfortunately. I think winter's come knocking at our door rather early this year!

On a positive note, this weekend is really busy and we have a lot of fun things planned :)
And...and.. I'm starting grad school next week. I will be an MA/MFA grad-in-the-making...I'm so excited and a bit anxious too! I hope the transition to student-mom is smooth :)

Date Night 1: Cirque du Soleil

2009-10-07T11:11:00.001-04:00

One of the resolutions A and I made this Eid was to take out time for each other. We thought about how we could make it happen sans Z, sans work, sans work, sans blackberries/iphone and it translated into 'date night' one evening each week. Our first was last night and it was totally planned by A as a surprise for me. And it BLEW me away. I've been wanting to watch Cirque du Soleil forever now. We missed the show this summer and I was really disappointed.

So imagine my surprise, excitement, anxiety (I could hear my heart beat) when we drove into the parking lot that said Reserved Parking for Cirque du Soleil. We watched OVO, a story about the vibrancy of life in the ecosystem. The performance was mind-blowing. The choreography was brilliant. I loved the sets, the music, the acts. It defied gravity.

I highly highly recommend you get your hands on some tickets (it was sold out in TO the last time we checked) and go watch it! What a perfect start to our date night tradition. Thanks A!

ps: we weren't allowed to take cameras inside the big top so A banned, yes banned me from taking my camera! It's big he said. sigh and i had to follow instructions since he was the master planner of the evening. All pictures are from the website.

pps: yesterday was the first night Z spent away from me, at my mom's. I was anxious to say the least but she had a blast! YAY for grandma's.

Fall already?

2009-10-06T13:44:00.000-04:00

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.

~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Even though I can't believe it's fall already and I'm already mourning over the loss of summer, I have decidedly determined to make the most of this season, especially outdoors for Z. Above a few images captured on our morning walks.

Blossoming Memories...

2009-10-06T13:25:00.003-04:00

Les canaux d'Amsterdam

My mom gave me a set of albums last week; pictures taken on our family holidays. I still remember the absolutely lovely trip my parents planned to Europe for our family. I was thirteen at the time and they had planned an extensive 5 week vacation to include 9 countries. Of the 5 weeks, we spent an entire week in The Netherlands. We flew to Schipol Airport, rented a spanking red BMW (my dad loves cars) and drove around the country. I can still taste their almond tarts which we would indulge in every time we were in need of a fill up (since they were only available at the petrol pumps). We drove from Amsterdam to Groningen (where my dad had some work) stopping along quaint little towns such as The Hague, Edam, Volendam and a few others, along the way. If it was possible to savour the fragrance of a place, I tell you, I have The Netherlands' scent stored in a little bottle tucked away in my heart.

Sharing these memories with A brought upon teary-eyed nostalgia and as a very thoughtful cheering up gesture, he bought home tulip bulbs to plant in our front yard. Over the weekend, A and Z planted red, cranberry and white bulbs in our front yard. I'm so excited to seem them blossom in spring!

Thursday Thought...

2009-10-01T18:04:00.000-04:00

Toronto Zoo ~ 2009

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty...

Maya Angelou

Happy Thursday...

2009-10-01T16:00:00.001-04:00

Z is spending the day at my mom's. And she has such a great time with her nani that I don't feel guilty about leaving her for the ENTIRE day...

I'm so enjoying this day to myself.

I took a walk, despite the cold (it's 4 deg here today).

I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a good book.

And I'm so looking forward to the episode of Grey's tonight.

My laundry list is calling out to me but I think I'm going back to enjoying my book for now.

Hope you're having a wonderful Thursday!

Salman Farooqi - A Contemporary Pakistani Artist

2009-09-29T14:19:00.003-04:00

Sana's email about the Hanging Fire Exhibit got me thinking about my bare walls. I'd love to own any or all of the above pieces by popular contemporary artist Salman Farooqi? Aren't they just riveting?

Contemporary Pakistan Art

2009-09-29T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! I received an email from a dear friend Sana Mulji who just got back from NYC. She was there to view her sister, Huma Mulji's collection at the Hanging Fire Exhibit, the first exhibit in the US of Contemporary Pakistani Art. If you are in New York, do visit, it ends January 3, 2010.

Tree Bookshelf

2009-09-25T13:53:00.002-04:00

I remember

That I folded narrow and long paper

And stuck it between the branches of a tree

That memory

Led me to embrace a tree
The tree with books forever chatters
Before I knew it, the books became the tree
In full blossom, with sprouting leaves

A tree becomes a book and a book becomes a tree

~ Shawn Soh

I would love to have a tree like that for Z's room.
It can be bought here

Zoo Stories

2009-09-25T01:34:00.005-04:00

I've never been one for zoos. Even though as a child I have vividly fond memories of my parents taking me to the Dubai Zoo and the Al-Ain Zoo. I love animals but I don't like them caged.

Z at Dubai Zoo, Jan 2009

Z loves her an-ee-maws (translate animals), so when we were visiting my parents in Dubai earlier this year, I took her to the zoo. Z, at 9 months, was most excited and babbled to all the an-ee-maws that were awake.

June 05, 2008 - given that we live just 5 minutes away from the Toronto Zoo, A and I decided we'd become members and take her once a week, atleast in the summer. Z loved it. Each time we take her to the zoo, she is animated, excited and bouncing of the walls with energy. It's an exhilarating feeling just watching her. I took her today and here's some of the new associations she made.

mooz

thead and gween birdie (translate red and green bird)

birdie drinking mani ( translate pani, which means water in urdu)

neigh neigh (translate horse)

I'd highly recommend a visit to the Toronto Zoo. It's such a fun way to spend the day!

!nkspiration: Two

2009-09-23T12:26:00.001-04:00

AMI SIOUX

I came across her work via one of my favourite blogs A Cup of Jo. Her latest book is inspirational-y brilliant, Sioux asked 50 people to draw an area of Paris that they love. She then sketched maps of those areas and photographed each destination. It makes me want to re-visit Paris and use the book as a tour guide. Wouldn't you want to?

!nkspiration: One

2009-09-21T18:02:00.010-04:00

PAPER

A week before Eid, I go in search of paper (even though I have a stock at home), I always buy some new paper on Eid. It's a traditional to give Eidhi (money, instead of a gift) to family and children and each year, I get all excited about creating a new way to present the Eidhi. It has to be pretty ofcourse and childproof.

Here's the paper I purchased for this Eid. I didn't have a chance to get a pic of the envelopes but they did look oh so pretty!

eid '09

2009-09-21T14:08:00.006-04:00

I love Eid - the traditions, the customs, the family, the friends, the food, the eidhi, the gifts. A and I have always celebrated it with passion, trying to create an atmosphere our parents created for us when we were children. It is very different and to a degree, difficult, given that we grew up in Karachi and Dubai.

Since Z was born last year, A and I have tried to create our own family traditions and so Eid this year was ever more exciting. We started the day by going for prayers at the mosque, followed by breakfast with our friends, lunch with my family and dinner with A's family. A and i both have our families here and we're so blessed that Z can spend her holidays with her loved ones.

EId is also about renewal and rejuvenation of the spirit, a time of reflection and resolution. A and I make a list of resolutions every Eid.

This year, we have promised to:
- to make the most of our time
- to cherish each other
- to celebrate each day with Z
- to pursue our dreams; every moment, each day (if it's not something you love, it's not worth doing)
- to not cancel date night and put our relationship first
- to paint silver lines in the clouds
- to smell the flowers
- to go backpacking this year
- to make things happen
- to see the positive, even in the negative
- to find inspiration in simply living
- to make the ordinary, extraordinary...

our extraordinary, ordinary walk

I hope you had a memorable eid....

a perfect afternoon

2009-09-18T00:47:00.005-04:00

a child's imagination

magic

bubbles

result in an afternoon of bliss...

09.09.09 - happy 9 + 9 my baby z..

2009-09-09T22:19:00.011-04:00

dearest z,

i’ve been meaning to blog since the day i felt i had a little baby growing inside me. it was a momentous moment. my body clock changed and i would wake up at 6AM every morning despite the late nights that accompanied us that summer. it was a busy summer; we had just bought a house, gutted the interiors and were working within tight budgets to get it complete. and it was FUN but it was hard, between work, house guests and family. i was consuming 6 cups of coffee on average a day, eating poorly and inhaling all sorts of unhealthy fumes. i was paranoid that i had permanently damaged you.

but you were beautiful and healthy and.. the epitome of perfection. i was not very maternal during my pregnancy and i was worried that those were signs of lack of interest in motherhood, but i promise you, from the moment i lay eyes on you, when i felt you in my arms, i just wanted to mother you forever. and ever. and ever. and nothing else in between.

and today, i celebrate spending the best 18 months of my life. with you. because of you.

i want to thank you for giving my life meaning. for making it real.
you make me want to strive to be the best, in every facet of life
you make my every day worthwhile
you are my sunshine

i love the way you say things – amma, abba, purple, blue, green, dada, dadi, nana, nani, mamo, mimi, wawa, chachi, chacha, apa, aamena, elmo (all one after the other in one breath)..
you try to repeat everything i say and i love the way you pick up atleast 3 new words a day.

what’s this? you want to know what everything is. your curiosity with even the smallest of things fascinates me.

i am so amazed that you are so sensitive and so loving and incredibly thoughtful…
and so to celebrate our 18 months, below are 18 things i absolutely adore about you:

i love your eyes, your cheeks, your hair, your hands, the smell of you, especially when you’ve just woken up…

i love that you love to read

i love that you say hi to every living and non-living thing. hevo flowver, hi jus.

i love that you love animals - that you refer to each animal by the sound they make. for you cow is moo moo, sheep is baa baa and horse is neigh neigh. that you squeal with excitement every time you see the animal, whether it be a picture in the book, at the zoo or on tv.

i love that you are happier outdoors

i love the way you kiss me, hug me and love me – if i could spend each moment of my life just holding you, i would…

i love that you love to get your hands dirty

i love that you like to draw

i love the way way you walk – waddle.

i love your love for music and dance

i love how you, being with you, reminds me of my childhood

i love how you love being with me and at times with no one else (yes, i admit, i am an attached parent!)

i love how you run to me when i come home

i love waking up each day next to you

i love the twinkle in your eye when you are sitting on the swing

i love our everyday walks

i love our silent conversations

i love the person i’ve become because of you

i cannot wait for tomorrow. and the day after. with you
life with you is an adventure. fun. laughter. giggles. love. smiles. excitement. surprise.

i love you. please don't grow up too soon.

yours eternally,
amma

Perfection

2006-09-05T23:07:00.000-04:00

"Chiang, this world isn't heaven at all, is it?"

The Elder smiled in the moonlight. "You are learning again, Jonathan Seagull," he said.
"Well, what happens from here? Where are we going? Is there no such place as heaven!"
"No, Jonathan, there is no such place. Heaven is not a place, an it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect." He was silent for a moment. "You are a very fast flier, aren't you?"

"I . . .I enjoy speed," Jonathan said, taken aback but proud that the Elder had noticed.

"Your will begin to touch heaven, Jonathan, in the moment that you touch perfect speed. And that isn't flying a thousand miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light. Because any number is a limits. Perfect speed, my son, is being there."

~ Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a story - by Ricard Bach

book-self

2006-08-30T00:50:00.000-04:00

dreams are..
illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you
martha norman

the magic of i

2006-08-26T00:43:00.000-04:00

'What lies before us and
what lies behind us
are small matters
compared to what lies
within us...'
~ u n k n o w n

365

2006-08-19T13:21:00.000-04:00

Every woman should develop the kinds of bonds that will allow her to know she has someone she can count on. Someone who will give her the best advice, even if it is unpleasant. Someone who will expect the most from her...and someone with whom she can celebrate life.

Maya Angelou

We celebrated our '365' together a month ago, and since then i've been trying to decide how to share my thoughts. As a partner, I thought that words could not justify what we shared. As a wife, I thought the feelings were personal and best left between him and i. As a blogger, I felt I must share the beauty of my life with everyone. As a writer, I felt frustated that I could not describe what was on my mind. Even though I feel as I've been suffering from a writer's bloc for while now, I've also come to the realisation that the best times of your life do not necessarily need to be documented by words or photographs or gifts or celebrations; it is about the 'aha' moments that you share everyday that you both will always treasure for life - etched on your hearts, imprinted in your minds.

7 days to go...

2006-02-20T19:43:00.000-05:00

My last monday in a & my first apartment....I'm already missing our place...
- the sunlight reflecting off my plants.
- the horrible view from my window, but which i love because my friends knock on my window to gain back-door entry.
- our dining table with its director chairs.
- our comfy futon
- our kitchen, so small, that a & i cannot cook in it together
- our small home office which is still finding it way to perfection
- a's home office which he's done up in a way that has his signature all over it :)
- the books and magazines scattered in every empty space they can find for themselves
- my bamboo plant

even though i'll take all these things to our new home, it's how they found their place in our first apt. that makes it special. it was ours, mine and his...and it will never be the same..

Spaces...

2006-02-07T10:05:00.000-05:00

Dead Space: where we forget
Empty Space: where possibilities emerge
My Space: where escape is everpresent
Shared Space: you know you it must be love
Wild Space: where i am constantly reborn
Doomspace: slug-a-chug-chug

Reshaping the box

2006-02-07T02:08:00.000-05:00

"The secret of all effective originality in advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships."
~ Leo Burnett

typography tricks

2006-02-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

how easy was this for you to read? excuse what it says, i stumbled across it.

Lovemarks...

2006-02-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

"Think outside the box" is a cliche most heard by designers, writers, architects, entrepreneurs, marketers and all other personas involved in the creation of new ideas or of re-inventing of the old. Every once in a while your ideas dry up and you find yourself looking at a blank slate. You reach out in different directions, looking under rocks, in an old musty corner, behind our pile of papers, underwater; looking for something different, something out of the ordinary to light the spark...last year, i went through this phase - it lasted a really long time. my bookshelf grew, i sipped on the most extreme types of chai, i rearranged my furniture a zillion times, i thought it was the lack of feng shui in my life, you name it, i tried it...it didn't work..

Then one day, my typical day, chai in one hand, morning paper in the other, i was hit with the simple realization that i was looking in the wrong places...the spark that i was trying to hard to find was already burning inside myself. i just had to discover how i was going to use my spark to light my creativity candle...and with each discovery came a different idea..and it was in the process of lighting my creativity candle that re-invented the old and shaped the new... it was about 'looking inside the box', the box called you, that is sometimes the most inspiring, the most creative and the most fun...

when you buy a really good book, watch an inspiring movie, buy flowers, handbags, shoes, how you share your excitement with someone. you go on about how they look, feel, taste, inspire you....isn't that the making of really good idea? we tend to overlook this mini-bits of inspirations that are a part of our every day.

if you love something, it'll leave a mark in your life and it can help you leave you mark with your latest project. happy lovemarking everyone!

a new minority..

2006-01-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

i went to vote, for the first time ever on Monday Jan 23rd. I voted for a party that I didn't want to vote for, just so another party I didn't like wouldn't come into power. Democracy at it's best. Since I've just gotten married, well 5 months back, and changing your name is a crazy process out here, I received two voter cards, both with different last names, hence totally different identities. I was so tempted to cheat. I should have, if only one vote would have made the different.
So, the party I didn't like (to put it politely- I'm not one for politeness in politics, but I guess if I'm going to have to live with them, I might as well spend all my efforts praying that we don't become the 52nd state) was voted into power. And since then, the only thing different between what the Canadian PM and the American President says, is the time difference; ofcourse, our PM says it a day later... *sigh* i'm suffering from post-election blues..

on a better note, i was really excited to vote. when i walked in, card in one hand, ID in the other, all pumped up and with hope still lingering on the fringes of my very scattered emotions, I noticed that at every polling booth, the volunteer was from a different ethnic background. And for the first time, I really understood the meaning of 'the land of immigrants'...and that, my fellow Canadians, is the only thing that's keeping me going.

the time-life spiral

2006-01-02T01:01:00.000-05:00

as we say goodbye to yet another year and as a new year awaits, ready to envelope us in its mystical fantasies: i resolve to see the world with another set of eyes; smell its beauty, taking in its alien scents; touch similar textures and patterns with a different feel ; taste new projects and sample the unknown and hear, what is unsaid...
this year is about learning about my world and my loved ones from a different point of view, their point of view and in doing so, learning more about myself.

a hippy happy new year to everyone; to more smiles and laughters, to happiness and peace...

my muse patterns

2005-12-26T01:15:00.000-05:00

it's been a crazy crazy couple of days; between being ill, working ridiculous hours and trying to get everything done in time; my muse has been around real often and i have this long list of ideas i need to get down. i cannot wait...why is it that when i have a couple of hours to spare, my muse is always on vacation?

Post Earthquake Pakistan: An Insider's Perspective

2005-12-26T01:11:00.000-05:00

A lot of us abroad have tried, in our best capacity, to participate in helping our country and its people move on after the earthquake. We have collected funds, both in cash and in kind, written articles, made the world aware of our country's loss and the lives destroyed. Whatever we do, I don't think we'll ever have done enough.

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy held a vigil in downtown Toronto for our Pakistani kinsmen: everyone in the city talked about the devastation. They tried to understand our pain. She took it a step further; she is currently volunteering as a translator in the earthquake affected areas and is keeping a day-to-day journal on her take of events. It's a definite must-read.

the fabric of life

2005-12-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

yesterday, a strange thing happened. for the first time in my life, i was very close to giving up; giving up on something that was most important to me. at the time, i didn't think much about it; i just felt like walking out, like letting go, like moving on.
i don't know why i didnt, but i didn't give up. i decided to hang on to the very last thread and giving it another shot. they say life is a fabric composed of different threads we sew together. well, if i said i, as a person was a fabric, then this was the needle i had chosen to help sew my life. i'm glad i didn't discard the needle, even though it was close to being blunt. perhaps, you need the needle to become blunt to shake your life into perspective. maybe it's god's way of jolting you back into reality, of re-examining your decisions and yourself. it's really hard to come to the realisation that one of the threads in the fabric called you, needs to be pulled out, or, sewn in a different colour. sometimes, it's not even about the threads, but about allowing the fabric to be draped on differently.

today, i realised, it's not about my threads; the colours are great and the design, in its absurd fashion, works just the way it is. ..sometimes it doesn't have to be about my fabric, or my threads... it's just about not giving up...just for now...

dubai - i miss:

2005-12-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

- the sun, sand, sea, shawarmahs & shopping
- the white sand beaches
- the hatta caves
- sitting on the rocks beyond the pier at the jumeirah beach and bonding with my best friends (s, a & z)
- celebrating birthdays at johnny rockets
- spending nyeve on the beach reflecting on our year's ups and downs
- walking in the heat to get a shawarmah
- the spice souq in deira
- taking a dhow ride on the dubai creek
- walking home from school on sunday after math
- a saturday morning spent at the dubai arts centre
- a book reading at the british council
- a cup of chai, turkey sandwich and a relaxing evening spent with the doc at shakespeare cafe
- exercising my car's need for speed on sh. zayed road
- our annual beach camp on jebel ali beach (even when i got stung by a jelly fish)
- sharing those 10 mins with my dad on my way to school
- my organ
- the dubai ballet centre
- the cheesecake factory
- creative-storming with a & s
- being understood
- missisippi mud at baskins
- mango, riverisland & assecorize at the deira city centre
- our annual trips to the hatta resort
- biking with s
- the sun, the sun, did i mention, the sun?

happy birthday muppet

2005-12-08T12:02:00.000-05:00

thanks you..

you have been:
- my pillar of strength
- my anchor of support
- my shoulder to cry on
- my partner in crime
- my alarm clock
- my plan B, C, D, E and F
- my migraine-curer
- my shopoholic pill
- my 'all men are ********' companion (that was soooooo long ago!)
- my econ-nut: our life can be coherently explained by looking at the J-curve effect
- the crazzeee person who encouraged our walks to get coffee cake when it was pouring
- my earl-grey chai partner (i really really miss our 5-min chai breaks)
- my critic
- my jolt into harsh reality
- my food-testing partner (remember the cheese jalapenos at xananas? and the 27th spoon?)

you have made my life:
- finger-lickin' fun
- exziting
- crazzzeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
- a tad bit scary (think about marx, jeffy, aristotle)
- exhilirating
but most importantly, you've made it 'real'...and for that i thanks you

as you celebrate on the 'wrong' side of the atlantic, and i'm stuck giving exams on the right side, i hope you enjoy a birthday full of *twinkle-sparkle-glitter*. love ya lots.

ps: i do have better pics of us but this is the only one on my laptop (yes i formatted my laptop yet again and my backup files are...hmmm...oh gosh ;)

you know

2005-12-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

you love your work when you get lost in it, only to find yourself again...rejuvenated and full of new ideas..

what is love?

2005-12-06T22:55:00.000-05:00

is it:

- camping out together under the stars?
- waiting up until he/she comes home?
- staying up with him/her and holding her hand while he/she is sick?
- a smile lighting up your face at the thought of him/her?
- making him/her a candle-light dinner after a long day's work?
- saving the best part of the roast (even though it's your favourite) for him/her, because he/she loves it too?
- tolerating a pet peeve you have, just because he/she forgets occasionally that it bothers you to death?
- keeping a smile on your face, just because you have to publicly, even though the other is breaking inside?
- crying with the shower on (because something's upset you) but you don't want it to worry the other person? (from The Raincoat)
- not nagging?
- staying up with the person when he/she has to work late?
- snuggling up with the person on a cold winter day/night?
- having faith in your relationship even when you don't understand why things are shaping out the way they are?
- loving the person even when you don't understand them?
- when he/she murmurs your name?
- giving the umbrella to him/her on a rainy day?
- 'the' indescribable spark that gives you butterflies in your stomach?
- what makes you feel like a kid again?
- rediscovering the world through his/her eyes?
- loving someone because they make you a better person?
- loving someone because they will keep the last piece of chocolate just for you, even if they're tempted to eat it themselves? (*my favourite*)
- about making difficult choices?
- about sacrifice & compromise, but what's the limit then?
- about losing yourself in the eyes of another person?

a copy editor's worst nightmare

2005-12-06T13:20:00.000-05:00

and normally i would cringe, but today a smile broke out :) especially since the last phrase is something i've already 'cringed-laughed' at while we were in Acapulco this summer.
--------------------
A Japanese hotel: 'It is forbidden to steal towels please. If you are not person to do such thing please not read notes. You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid'.

A Moscow hotel: 'You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday.'

A Rome doctor's office: 'Specialists in women and other diseases.'

A Swiss restaurant menu: 'Our wines leave nothing to hope for.'

A Bangkok dry cleaner's: 'Drop your trousers here for best results.'

A Rhodes tailor shop: 'Order your summer suits. Because of very big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.'

Inside Germany's Black Forest: 'It is strictly forbidden on our camping site that people of different sex, for instance men and women, live together in the tent unless they are married to each other for that purpose.'

A Hong Kong dentist: 'Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.'

A Czech tourist agency: 'Take one of our horse-driven city tours, we guarantee no miscarriages.'

A Swedish furrier: 'Fur coats made for ladies from their skins.'

A detour sign in Kyushu, Japan: 'Stop. Drive sideways.'

A Copenhagen airline office: 'We take your bags and send them in all directions.'

A Budapest zoo: 'Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.'

A Japanese booklet: 'If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.'

And finally a hotel in Acapulco: 'The manager has personally passed all water served here.'

frozen beauty

2005-12-05T16:31:00.000-05:00

a nowhere-to-be sunday evening

2005-12-04T21:11:00.000-05:00

today is the first sunday in weeks where a and i are not committed to be someplace, and it feels good... after a long day of trying to brainstorm for an article and finishing off my final assignment, i can lounge with my husband in our cozy living space and just do-nothing, which at the moment is watching a good movie, catching up on some reading and munching on yummy greek spanakopitas...

the only thing that's making it less than perfect is the thought of a monday morning..reminds me of the blog jammie wrote last weekend *sigh* how true.

if only..

2005-11-26T00:26:00.000-05:00

“Truth is rarely pure and never simple” Oscar Wilde

carpe diem

2005-11-23T18:40:00.000-05:00

express your shelf

2005-11-23T18:32:00.000-05:00

i re-organized my bookshelf today and made another long wish-list of books. isn't our book shelf another expression of our sense of self and identity?

crack-a-doodle-do, i love you

2005-11-19T03:29:00.000-05:00

*twinkle~laugh~wink~sigh*
i went to a friend's baby shower today. the room was filled with my friends; newly-weds like myself and new moms. it had been a while since we'd all met, the last time was at my bridal shower. i still remember that fun, summer day; my friends trying to celebrate my last couple of weeks of 'single-dom'.

currently, i'm still gently treading into the bliss of marriage, a new 'phase' in my life. i'm trying to 'truly experience' the experience, blend myself into the process without losing the essence of me and i'm learning how to mix the new with the old, without losing my value for the old. it's not easy, but with every day and little more experience, it gets easier.

at every new phase of my life, i go through this whole new process of renewal, rejuvenation and settling in. along with girlfriends, we celebrate our new chapter in life with a party, a shower, a get-together; our way of saying "good for you girl - we'll always be there for you"

as i progress along the phase, i forget the baby steps i've taken at the beginning, infact i tend to forget the commencement of that phase totally, as it seems to blend it with something new. however, with this magical phase in my life, where i see the world with another set of eyes and i have another set of hands hold me and supporting me as i go through, i want to hold on to every breath, every touch, every wish, every moment, every tear and every smile.

house, my home and i

2005-11-15T14:14:00.000-05:00

i've been trying hard to make sense of the chaos in my life... my career, my academics, my emotional life and inevitably my financial life...it's not been easy...everytime i think it's falling into place, something or someone, decides to give it a bit of an unwelcome shake...

it's a contradiction of feelings really... a and i have finally settled into our own place, made an apt a home, or something like it... over the last couple of months, the place has taken on our smell and our accents, it's been moulded by our moodiness and manic re-decorate sessions, anxious at first, we made it ours - it became us.

and now, we might have to move again. i'm not too sure why. i was given an optoin and we talked it over and i was excited, i still am. but deep down, a small part of my heart, is anxious yet again. and it makes me wonder why?

well i guess, i'll just have to spring clean my home a couple of months earlier and learn to take our smell, our accents and our moodiness where ever we go...

happiness headache

2005-11-14T14:59:00.000-05:00

i suffer from migraines..it's not a very pleasant experience..i try to describe it to those around me who try to understand why - why i shut the lights off, shy away from noise, switch my cell off, snuggle into bed and isolate myself from the world... once in a month i write off a day because of this...

i watched oprah winfrey's 20th anniversary show today.. i learn something every time i watch it, about interviewing, about life, about risks and about pushing the limits a little bit more every time around. today she shared her feelings about meeting her mentors and how at the end of it, her head pounded with 'happiness'.

other than migraines, i also suffer from headaches.. when i've had a crazy but fun weekend, spending time with friends and family and catching up on stuff i've wanted to do, occassionally, my head pounds..i've never understood why..i've done what i enjoyed and spent time with people i loved..

happiness headache? maybe.

Oriah Mountain Dreamer, from the book The Invitation

2005-11-12T16:28:00.000-05:00

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring
your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of
your own sorrow

if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling
me is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another

to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."
It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

a vicious circle?

2005-11-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

if life is about choices and fate, then whatever choices we make, must lead us to somewhat a similar fate...

or else, we're fated to make the choices we do (as my crazy friend said)

so then, is it that we make the choices and god just picks the time to make our choices happen so that they concur with our pre-destined fate?

chic-a-go

2005-11-10T15:00:00.001-05:00

a city in a globe
if i could put every moment, every wish, every whisper, every drop of rain, every tear, every smile, into my glass globe and take it with me wherever i go

chicago skyline ~ nov 5 05 ~ [n.z]

what if?

2005-11-10T14:28:00.000-05:00

- i had chosen a different path in life

- i had picked another university

- i had not gone on exchange

- i had not gotten married

- i had coloured my hair blue

- i had gotten wet in the rain just before class

- i order groceries online

- i open the map, pick a place, pack my bags and just take another holiday

- i had a magic wand

- i could read everyone's mind

- i danced like no one was watching

they say what ifs are pondered over when you regret things in you life. i disagree... i think thinking about what could've, would've, should've, makes me, atleast, appreciate my choices and my life...and currently, i'm loving it.

first blob...

2005-10-28T01:21:00.000-04:00

my mind is trying to collect it's scattered thoughts as i piece my first 'blob' together... i've been wanting to do this for a while now, but have never really gotten around to it. i guess the summer was busy; i got married to my better half. the fall was even busier - i spent it 'growing up'. yeah, i surprised myself with that one too, but seriously, marriage is a whole new world and i was busy trying to navigate my way around it comfortably - i still haven't mastered it yet (and to be honest, i don't think i ever will) but it's a whole load of fun just trying.

so as the winter gets closer and my wish-list of 'things i want to do' gets longer, i post my first blob.

"The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think"
~ Edwin Schlossburg