My First Kiss Went A Little Like This

Photo found on Google. Credit to the owner.

Do you remember your first kiss? Yes, the very first! How nice was it? Or how terrible? Ideally, specially as teenagers, we expect our first kiss to be sweet and romantic! Or hot and wild! Intense! Oh dear! Locking lips with someone we like should send tingles up our spine and leave us feeling incoherent after.

Contrary to the perfect romantic first kisses I’ve either read, watched, imagined or hoped for, mine was a turn-off. Let me walk you down memory lane because my first kiss went a little like this…

My first kiss happened many moons ago, I was fourteen, he was sixteen. His name’s Andrew. He was my ultimate crush then and little did I know that he’s got a crush on me, too. We attended the same high school and we were both athletes. We’ve known each other by face and was only formally introduced to each other in a party after almost a year of smiles and hellos during training/practice or in the corridors.

We were dating for more than a month already when it happened. Since I belong to the science classes, he has to wait for me for about an hour until I finish my last class. After class that day, we went to the small garden just at the back of his classroom so he can help me with my homework. (I remember I suck in Biology and Chemistry then!) Once we’re done, we started walking while holding hands as he led me to his classroom door.

The touch: We were holding hands then he pulled me to him and pushed me gently against the classroom door then placed his left arm around my waist while his right hand caressed my face. (I liked that part!)

The ambiance: I never thought that my first kiss would be in the most romantic place in the world — in school, outside his classroom door! I mean, come on, I’ve imagined a kind of romantic setting, too. But definitely not in school!

The kiss: Well, our noses bumped at first and I was about to laugh but he kissed me right away and the first few tender brushes of his lips against mine was magic, it did really sent tingles up my spine and made all my body cells come to life until…

The tongue situation: Eeeewww! Just eeeewww! Oh boy! Was the tongue even supposed to be there??? It’s just wet! And sloppy! I was shocked! I wanted to punch him in the face!

The aftermath: Absolutely awkward. Confusing. Disappointing. In my mind, I’m trying to figure out what just happened. Funny thing is, I ended up having a very high fever that night and wasn’t able to go to school the next day!

So my first kiss didn’t happen according to plan but well, life isn’t a movie set. But in between homework and practice, the kisses got better, more quality kissing took over for the next two years.

So how was your first kiss? Was is sweet? Or was it terrible? How old were you then? Did it turn out the way you’ve imagined it to be? I’d love to hear, after all, what better time to delurk if not during first-kiss-story sharing time, right?

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Happy Valentine’s Day! (Revised)

Love, perhaps, is the most wonderful thing in the world. Love is what makes us smile, it’s what makes us sing or dance. Love is what makes us human. And love makes life worth living.

Valentine’s Day is that time of the year where the world is split into two: first, those with partners or are in a relationship and second, the singles. (Which group are you in this year?) We were in either group at certain points in our lives, and in which group were we happier, each of us has our answers.

Well, whether you’re single or in a relationship, Valentine’s Day tends to get the better or worse of people. That secret yearning in us to be loved. And what best way to celebrate such concept but to create a holiday that is best represented by worldwide commercialism.

So the best girl gets the flowers, the sweetest chocolates, the most memorable candle-lit dinner dates, and if she’s lucky, the ring! We are all suckers for romance and for the very few men who really look forward to this day to be able to express their love, oh, you rock! But then again, love is much deeper than that. We can always express our love at any given day, at any given moment. Why limit ourselves expressing our love for just one day out of 365?  Why not make everyday Valentine’s day?

Moreover, this commercialism has gone way too far that it makes us feel incomplete to be on our own on Hearts Day. When we don’t have to feel that way, we shouldn’t feel that way. Singles don’t have to be miserable on V-Day. There are a lot of things to enjoy and that includes being single.

Anyhow, I’m not sure exactly why I’m writing this today so I better stop. Love is such a crazy thing, I guess. It’s a beautiful, crazy thing. It’s magical. It’s complex. It’s different for everyone. But whether you’re single or in a relationship, I hope you feel loved.

Happy Hearts Day, homo sapiens! ❤️

On Friends & Friendships

Social media has made it possible for people to become friends to anyone around the globe merely through the click of a button. I think it’s generally a good thing. My need for friendship isn’t too much but once I decide to build one, I intend to make it genuine as much as I can. Somehow, maintaining friendships can be hard work but so worth it at the same time because our friendships are one of the most influential and essential parts of our life. Recently, I’ve been pondering quite often about my friends and friendships. The friends worth keeping and friendships worth saving. The fact of the matter is that, my social circle is quite noticeably shrinking. I don’t see that as a bad thing. I actually think I quite understand now what they mean with “less is more” and “quality over quantity.”

I first arrived in Kuwait on the 1st of March, 2009. I have a variety of friends back home but very few real ones. They’re some of the best people I’ve met. The kind of friends for keeps. A few weeks since, my friendships have changed a lot. I’ve met different people of different nationalities. Most of the friendships/connections built were situational. Most needed context to make sense. Some stayed longer while some had a shorter shelf life. I still do wish them well now but I don’t intend to reconnect. Luckily, I also get to meet a few that didn’t need any context but exist in any given situation, people who are always there during my ups and downs, stayed during my best and my worst days, the type that lasts.

Several times, I let go of a few friends while a few others let go of me as well. I didn’t think I was being selfish to let go of them just like that but mind you, it wasn’t always easy to put an end to it. However, given the world we live in and the values instilled in us, I knew it was necessary.

A couple of years afterwards, two of my closest friends abruptly ended our friendship. I first received a message from one of them telling me never to call her again and a few days later, I received pretty much the same message from the other. Sure I’ve made mistakes and dealt with things the wrong way. We had misunderstandings at times which is pretty normal in any relationships but why they suddenly wanted to end the friendship, until now, I still don’t fully understand.

Your peace is more important than driving yourself crazy trying to understand why something happened the way it did.

My heart ached. It really did. Breaking up with friends is just as painful as any other relationship break-ups there is. So after months of failing to know how I’ve wronged them, I stopped. I thought maybe knowing the answer may not satisfy me just the same and I don’t want to drive myself crazy thinking why. I just finally allowed the hurt to help me grow. It was sure a painful way to end an almost decade of friendship but I’ve decided to just let go and move on. I still sometimes think of them though and wonder, did they give up easily on me? Or did I give up easily on them?

I love my friends, really, I do. Friends are one of the most beautiful gifts of being alive. They help shape our lives one way or the other. They cheer, support, help and see the best in each other. Friendships that have depth and true understanding is one among the essential elements of a blessed life. And I feel blessed to have a handful of them. Interestingly enough, some of us drifted apart at some point for some reasons, both inevitable and necessary, but later found each other again and our bonds became stronger. Sadly though, not all our friends give us that good effect. Some lie. Some betray. Then it’s difficult to rebuild trust and loyalty once again. So sometimes it’s better that they end. And a lot of my friendships are meeting its end nowadays.

Whichever and however way we choose our friends/friendships, I think it’s vital that we offer a meaning in each other’s lives. It’s nice to think that we fulfill them and they fulfill us. My friends mean something to me in different ways and play different roles in my life. I do appreciate, value and respect each one of them. Be that as it may, I personally don’t find any reason to work on a friendship that leaves me unfulfilled. More so, friendships out of habit or obligation. That’s just not fair and friendships are voluntary so I think there’s nothing wrong in ending friendships that doesn’t suit you in a positive way anymore.

Sometimes, too, we just outgrow our friends. At some point we realize that they’re not good for us because they bring us down or whittle at our confidence every so often. Some friendships evolve with us, but some do not. I will not apologize for evolving closer to my true self and evolving past their comfort zones. We change as we age and grow. So I think it’s just right to let go of such friendships and accept that it’s over.

Other times, too, we have this friend who always swings the conversation back towards him/herself and has no interest in what we have to say. I’ve met a number of them kind and I just avoid them as much as I could and luckily, they themselves stop talking to me, too.

Moreover, there’s betrayal. As it is with all kinds of relationships, nothing could murder friendships faster than betrayal. It hurts a lot to be betrayed. It hurts all the more to end a friendship because of betrayal. I no longer see any point of saving a friendship when one betrays the other.

From time to time, psychological or emotional issues also become reasons why friends drift apart. It’s important that we maintain everything balanced in our friendships. Support for each other. Will to help in making each other better. Give and take. Trust. Unfortunately, there are times when these factors shift its balance and no longer serve one or the other in a worthwhile, beneficial, balanced or positive way. One typical example is a change in fortune among friends. The manner how we deal with situations like this isn’t always the same, thus, causing friends to drift apart. Where envy or jealousy didn’t exist before starts to gradually emerge. It’s nice to have friends who are always there when we are at our worst but I just don’t get them when they leave us in times when our fate changes for the better. (More of this on another entry.) So I suppose, it all boils down to who we pick as friends in the first place.

I’ve also met a lot of people who just befriend you because they need you. We don’t usually see this right away at the beginning of friendships but eventually, it shows. They take, take, take. And you give, give, give. Then they leave you. They build it when they need it, and break it when they don’t.

Here’s the thing, it is important to always try our best to see things from different perspectives before we make rush judgments whether to still keep these friends or completely cut our ties with them. After all, we all make mistakes. Some of us (myself included) don’t like to rely on anyone for anything to get us through life’s hardships but perhaps there’s nothing wrong in giving the friendship a second chance, be a bit forgiving and understanding maybe, because throwing away a friendship can’t be that easy. Every kind of friendship adds something to our lives, good or bad, it’s just up to us how we are going to let it affect us.

Loving Someone We Can’t Have

Perhaps it’s human nature to want something or someone we can’t have. From little things to big ones, sometimes, there’s this something that we want but just can’t have. The same thing goes with people. Let’s be honest, there is (or there was) this someone we’ve been wanting to be with but can’t, right?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my crazy heart, it’s that it never gets to choose who to love. Never. It just, well, I don’t know. It just loves. Sometimes we’re lucky to be loved in return but other times, not so. We sometimes get into this sadder kind of love. We fall for people who don’t love us the same way. Or don’t love us at all.

When this sad moment happens to us, our worlds just seem to stop. It cuts us deep.  We feel helpless. Our lives are shattered. Our minds are warped. Our hearts hurt. Our souls in pieces.  So what do we do?

We all have different ways of dealing with matters of the heart like the pain of loving someone we can’t have. I’ve experienced this just once but it took me quite a while to put myself together and get through it. But I did! So I’m sharing it with you and feel free to share yours, too, in the comment section.

Sulk.

Allow yourself to sulk for some time. Feel the pain of that unrequited love. Cry if you must. You can cry only so long then you have to do something else with your time. Acknowledging and feeling the pain is important before you get past it.

Write it down.

Writing every single emotion you feel, even the littlest of feelings, can help you feel better and heal faster, big time! Once you are able to write it all down, you get a clearer picture of what exactly you’re going through.

Acceptance.

Accept the fact that they don’t love you the same way or that they can’t reciprocate the love you have for them. Once you accept that fact, you’re headed to the right path. It would be easier to go on living even when you’re the only one loving them.

Find a hobby.

Find something you love to do and as much as possible, something unrelated to that person. It won’t be very easy to stop your mind from thinking about that person but once you engage yourself deeply in creative or enjoyable hobbies, you gradually become less obsessed with the person and focus your mind elsewhere.

Enjoy whatever time you spend together.

Whatever/However you spend time together, keep in mind to focus on the good times, the good conversations, the good jokes, the good laughs, the good whatevers. Always only the good points. Enjoy the moment and don’t ask for more.

Go on dates with other people.

Since it happened, I haven’t dated anyone so I’m not very sure if this works but perhaps yes because you’ll be focusing your attention on other people. But it’s important to keep in mind not to look for this person from the other person you’re dating. That’s just not fair.

Protect yourself/your feelings.

If I were in this situation two, three years ago or so, I wouldn’t consider being friends with the person. But things change and so do people. So did I. Hence I’d say, it’s okay to be friends with this person. Keep the friendship. Be there for them when they need you without crushing your heart, of course. Be there when they need a helping hand but when things get difficult to handle, tell them or just leave.

Exercise.

Exercising contributes to emotional balance so do some workouts, walk, jog, or run. Play sports. You’d be shooting two birds at the same time — it removes the negativity in your mind and helps you stay fit.

Don’t be angry.

The thing is, I never get to learn how to be angry with this person. And I find that a good thing. So I’d say try to remember all the happy times you’re together, the wonderful times you’ve shared. I personally think there’s no point getting angry at someone because love didn’t grow in their hearts. I’m content and happy that love grew in mine. So be glad, it grew in yours, too.

And Then One Day…

Sometimes, just when everything seems to be going well, life throws us a curve ball. Then everything just starts to get messy. We get very confused and nothing seems to make sense. It’s not always that we get to come out of it easily because sometimes, it hits real hard. It’s way too painful that it seems so unfair why we need to get all through that without knowing the reason why.

But it’s situations like this that we are supposed to be stronger and we should fight harder. We can’t give up. We have to keep going. Then we’ll learn the lesson life is trying to teach us. Eventually, we grow.

Sometimes, we’re lucky to meet unexpected people. People who we meet at any random day of the week and staying up until wee hours of the night with them just talking about anything. We get to learn new things or start new hobbies with them or because of them. We learn to appreciate another side of life unknown to us before we’ve met them. Then sometimes, we fall in love. And gradually, things start to fall into place again. We feel deeply moved, we feel loved, appreciated and recognized. We feel everything all at once.

And then one day, it would just hit us. We are happy. In fact, we are very happy. We feel complete. We smile for no reason. Our hearts beat for all the right reasons. And when we look back months or years ago, it would make us feel glad that we stayed strong and didn’t let the pain or hurt consume us. We moved forward, we fought.

A Six-Word Story

But we could have been forever…

A Six-Word Story

Just like that…

we’re strangers again…

A Six-Word Story

I’ve always loved late night conversations.

A Six-Word Story

You’d always be my favorite almost.

My Anti-Bucket List

I understand the idea of mulling over and writing down the things we wish, hope and want to do and ticking them off once we’ve accomplished it and for me, it somehow helps me to live out the best possible life I could, though sometimes, I just end up disappointed as it ends up ruining my expectations.

So this time, for a change, I’m writing down the things I hope to never do — or hope to never do again, things I don’t plan to do, things I hope to never happen — or  hope to never happen again, before I kick the bucket. This list isn’t all-inclusive, of course, but read on.

1. Stop reading. 📖
2. Stop singing. 🎤
3. Get tattooed.
4. Marry or have an affair with a married man.
5. Break someone’s heart. 💔
6. Hold a spider. 🕷
7. Stop learning new things.
8. Go to prison or be arrested.
9. Ignore complicated realities.
10. Stop taking risks.
11. End the year with less money 💰 💰 💰  than I started with.
12. Not believe in myself.
13. Step foot on anything squishy or slimy.
14. Take things for granted.
15. Play it safe.
16. Lose my taste for alcohol. 🍺 🍷
17. Smoke.
18. Lose my sense of humor.
19. End up in the hospital wearing my worst pair of underwear.
20. Get food poisoning.
21. Say no to dessert. 🍰🍮🍭🍫🍩
22. Cause more hurt than happiness.
23. Kill someone.
24. Change who I am.
25. Be normal. (Who wants normal?)
26. Fall off a horse.
27. Get bitten by a dog.
28. Be hungover.
29. Fight with my mom.
30. Hit 70 kgs!
31. Be a walking ATM to my friends or anyone.
32. Tell a child that Santa Claus 🎅  is not real.
33. Keep toxic people in my life.
34. Get stuck in the elevator in between floors.
35. Hold back love.
36. Stop taking chances.
37. Hold grudges.

It’s your turn now! What’s on your anti-bucket list? Write them down on the comments, I’m so eager to know!

Have a pleasant day, homo sapiens! 😊

A Six-Word Story

Not angry. Not upset. Just done.

A Six-Word Story

Even broken things can be loved.

A Six-Word Story

I love you, it’s killing me.

A Six-Word Story

I sometimes get tired acting strong.

A Six-Word Story

An unexpected plot twist you were.

Walk Away

We don’t always get exactly what we want.

We don’t always get to have the person our hearts long for.

We don’t always find what we need.

We don’t always get to where we wish we are..

Perhaps it’s just not how life is supposed to be.

Love comes, love goes.

Love grows in some, dies in others.

Sometimes it gets too much, sometimes too little.

Sometimes it gets uncomfortable.

Perhaps it’s time we learn to let go.

We stop holding on to the past.

We just let things be.

And sometimes we walk away.

Because to walk away is perhaps the best thing.

The best thing we can do for ourselves and for the other person.

It brings us to realization and acceptance.

That sometimes things are just not meant to be.

Things change and people do, too.

Walk away.

Who knows how life will begin anew.

The Old Song

She goes on singing

the same old song, remembered

the past and what’s gone.

Moonlight

Old music playing

Beneath the quiet moonlight.

Inside, she just died.

A Six-Word Story

We’re bound to break after all.

A Six-Word Story

Happy at one, hoping it’ll last.

A Six-Word Story

He could have waited. He didn’t.

Darkness

A tale of darkness

Buried deep inside my heart.

It killed me again.

Some Days

Some days I fall in

love with people. Other times…

I push them away.

That Cold December Night

We were talking and laughing so hard over dinner one cold December night.

It felt like I’ve known you for so long when it was actually the first time we went out.

My mind connected with yours like it never did with other people.

The kind of connection I needed then to bring me back to life.

It never occurred to me that we’d someday meet and spend time together.

Because though we’re under the same sky, we belong in different worlds.

It’s really amazing how someone who was just a stranger to you before,

Would suddenly be someone who’d mean so much to you.

Even until now I’m not sure what we were then.

What I’m sure of is that you made me feel butterflies again.

My heart became alive anew as I found my ability to share what’s in me once more.

It’s nice reminiscing about it,

Reliving every second, every minute of that winter night.

It can’t be real anymore but it’s still something I hold on to.

Two years ago was when I opened myself completely to you.

Sometimes my mind wishes I shouldn’t have.

My heart says otherwise.

Maybe it’s not harmful to hold on to the feelings I felt then.

Because it’s a reminder of how I am still capable to feel something for someone.

I’m not numb after all but in a way scared to experience it again.

Where My Heart Once Was

Last night I was packing,

I saw a picture of yours.

A good one.

A happy one.

Today I looked at it again.

I don’t miss you as much anymore.

But your face will always be

one of the few faces

seared in my mind forever.

I choose to remember

the good memories I have of you.

Tomorrow I may still bleed.

I may still cry.

I may still hope

to spend time with you again.

I may still remember the pain.

But I won’t lose myself again.

I’m reclaiming the void

where my heart once was.

Betrayal

How do you murder friendship, kinship or any kind of relationships the fastest way?

Betrayal.

Betrayal is the fastest relationship killer. It can manifest in different ways, in different forms, in different acts, in different relationships, in different individuals. How people take advantage of other people for their own benefit at the expense of other people’s feelings, I don’t really understand. What’s worse about it is that,

“The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.”

Yes, betrayal never comes from our enemies but from our friends, our colleagues, from people we love, from people who mean something to us, from people we trust. I can attest to that.

We all probably have experienced betrayal at least once in our lives. All of us have our own personal Judas perhaps.  And when it happens, the sting of the betrayal often leaves us appalled, hurt, broken and maybe clueless and unable how to move forward from that point on. On the other hand, the traitors will deny the act and even convince us that we misunderstood them. Moreover, many of these traitors would even justify their acts of betrayal.

Whatever relationship we have with the person who betrayed us, it often leaves us hurt and wounded deeply. We let our guards down whenever we start to be comfortable with people and we often realize it too late. As I grow in my understanding of relationships of any kind, those who love you or adore you at one point, can or will reject you any other day. People see things from different perspectives and we unintentionally disappoint each other sometimes.

Moreover, it hurts to know that you were betrayed because they can gain more from betraying you rather than staying true to you. Why would anyone do that for momentary benefit or comfort? I don’t know. What I do know, though, is that they’ve lost more than they know. They’ve lost more than what they thought they’ve gained.

It’s sad that this had to happen. I probably appear weak to them that they took advantage of it and I won’t be able to trust them once more. I’m in a place where as far as I’m concerned, there’s no point in trying again. Nothing ruins a relationship more than the realization that you can’t trust these people any longer. It’s an irreparable harm but something to learn from.

A Six-Word Story

Just walk away, self. Walk away.

A Six-Word Story

Leaving soon but I won’t forget.

A Six-Word Story

Can’t see myself not loving you.

A Six-Word Story

He was broken. So was I.

A Corner of My Own

Spiders.

I’m afraid of them.

I see them.

I kill them.

One night,

I turned the lights on.

A big black spider

Scampered in the ceiling.

I walked in slowly

And afraid

As the spider ambled

To the corner.

There it stayed

Away from harm.

And for the first time,

I didn’t want to kill it.

I wanted to be like it.

I wanted to find

I wanted to be

In a corner of my own.

My Sulfur Bath Experience in Tbilisi

I was wandering around Tbilisi in search of a good place to have dinner when I came across several brick, domed rooftops which happens to be sulfur bathhouses.

I came to understand that these bathhouses are an important part of Tbilisi’s history. Tbilisi got its name from the hot springs that run under this district. According to legend, it was these sulfur springs that made King Vakhtang Georgasali to decide to settle there and make it the new capital.

I must admit, visiting one of these sulfur baths in Georgia was the most embarrassing but also one of the most hilarious experience during my recent travel.

There are five sulfur bathhouses left in Abanotubani district, or so I counted, compared to around more than 60 at the peak of its popularity. I wasn’t sure which to choose but someone approached me and invited me to try it. He lead me to what I never thought was a bathhouse. The exterior was elegant as it was inside. It appears totally different from the other bathhouses. I even thought it was a mosque!😅

You can choose to go for a public bath or a private room. Even though public bathing will cost me a lot cheaper, bathing with strangers still didn’t sound very appealing to me so I opt for the latter and it’s rented by the hour. One of the staffs accompanied me to my room and I was told that I should dip myself in the water for 20 minutes while waiting for the masseuse to arrive. I must say, I am not very fond of any activity that involves water but I was impressed and felt okay when I came inside the big bathing room. There was a changing room, a toilet, a sitting/waiting area, a pool of hot sulfur water (40°C-50°C), a massage slab and shower. I paid for the room, the towels, shower gel, scrub and massage.

Since I booked a private room, I used it naked. The water was literally hot! As I tried to submerge myself, I already felt like drowning. It’s a small tub/pool but I had some difficulty breathing and I felt like the water’s gonna swallow me whole. Good thing the smell of sulfur wasn’t that strong. When I finally managed to fully submerge myself, it felt like the longest 20 minutes of my life!

Then the masseuse came. A stout fifty-ish woman with an austere face. I watched her walk to the waiting area where she suddenly stopped and stripped her clothes except her underwear. She came in front of the pool with her piercing gaze and pointed to the marble slab at the corner of the room. She then filled in a bucket of water. Naked, I went out of the pool and clumsily made my way to her. I smiled and said hello. She didn’t smile nor reply. She just looked at me and pointed where I should stand. It was awkward as hell!  I moved as instructed and when I turned to face her she was already carrying the bucket and threw the water at me! Ice cold water!!! I literally shrieked out of shock and I even felt furious I screamed why did she do that? She started laughing too hard then and asked me, “Good?” Hell, no! But yes, it was, to be quite honest, a few seconds later! She continued laughing her evil witch, sly laugh. I ended up laughing with her instead. I came to know much later that she also doesn’t know English so you can probably imagine how it was for the rest of my time with her there.

She started to scrub my arms while standing then she let me lay down in the marble slab to exfoliate the rest of my body. After the scrub, she filled in a kind of small sack with soapy water and covered me up with it. It’s the second best part of the whole experience, I felt like a baby and my skin felt softer and smoother.

Then came the best part — the massage! The human moment that I finally managed to totally relax! Her hands were so light but were really very good at what they do. I had a full-body massage and it was so totally worth it! After 20 minutes, she doused me again with buckets and buckets of water as she laughs her evil laugh. After feeling content and satisfied (I guess) throwing water at me, she finally stopped and started gathering all her stuffs in the bucket then left laughing.

I took another dip in the hot pool for a few more minutes and ended up laughing to myself. It was a fun experience. I then showered and got dressed and moments later, the phone rang and my time is up.

I left the bathhouse relaxed, happy and satisfied. Once outside, I remembered I was hungry and so I went on looking for a place to dine in. What happened next is another story that will stay in my heart forever but for now, I’ll keep you with the bathhouse experience.

Have a wonderful day, homo sapiens! 🙂

A Six-Word Story

I’m crazy, alright. I’ll own that.

Coffee

In need of coffee

Brewed, no sugar, a big cup

Sanity saver.

A Six-Word Story

All my choices seem wrong nowadays.

I’m Counting…

… from five to one as I hold you tight in my heart and in my mind, one last time because…

Five. I want to stop thinking I’m worthless because you left me hanging just like that. I refuse to be seen just the way you see or think of me because you never really bothered to know me.

Four. I wish to say your name again without feeling sad, without feeling hurt. I want to say your name again like it never meant anything at all.

Three. I have to stop replaying the day we first met. The night we first kissed. I want to stop thinking what could’ve been if I just left it at hello. I want to learn to accept everything that happened and why it was too easy for you to just end it that way.

Two. I want to stop avoiding my life because of the past. I want to go spend time in a cafe, restaurant or anywhere without the fear of running into you.

One. I need to accept that it’s my fault all of these happened. Trust has failed me many times in the past but I still chose to trust you then. And I will still continue to trust that someday, I will meet someone who will choose to stay.

And now, I’m letting go…

8 Things You Should Stop Expecting from Others

Most people get upset when their expectations are not met. I guess it’s normal to feel that way for a while. However, for myself, I’ve learned that if you want to be happier, successful and have a stress-free (or less stressful) life, it’s very important not to expect anything from anyone specially things we too, are not willing to do for ourselves. We all are following different paths in life so it’s quite understandable when other people’s actions/behaviors don’t always align with ours.

Very often, many of our disappointments come from misguided, erroneous or even unwise expectations. True enough, it’s also hard not to expect anything in life, but we’ve seen it many times too, that life is not always what you’ve planned or wanted it to be. Moreover, people don’t always behave the way we want them to. We can always hope for the best but expect less or expect the worst.

So today, I thought it would be nice to share with you a few things I’ve learned to stop expecting from other people.

1. Stop expecting others to understand you.

This is one of the very first things I’ve stopped expecting from other people at an early age. It’s one of the most important things I did for myself. It helped me a great deal. As someone often branded as weird, strange, naughty, crazy or stubborn when I’m just being myself, I used to expect that someday people will understand me. Expecting others to understand me always leads me to disappointment though. It used to make me upset for hours or sometimes even lead to fights. But as soon as I’ve accepted the fact that I don’t need them to understand me because I very much understand myself, life has never been better. And I had always been the same weird, strange, naughty, crazy and (not so) stubborn (anymore) girl that I am.

It’s important to remember that not everyone will understand you and they don’t have to. You may be unwanted by some, but you may also be priceless for others. So always keep in mind your worth and spend your time with people who value you.

2. Stop expecting others to agree with you all the time.

People have different opinions about everything and it is very unrealistic to expect them to agree with you all the time. You can try to convince them to agree with you about the subject in hand but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will concur with what you’ve said. Not everything that seems right to you is right for them, too. Opinions vary. So it’s perfectly fine if they don’t always agree with you, besides, you also don’t agree with them all the time, right?

3. Stop expecting people to return the favor.

The golden rule states that, “Do unto others what you want others to do unto you.” In reality, this isn’t always true. Not all people will show you kindness the way you show it to them. Many assholes and bitches who are not happy with themselves will treat you unkindly/cruelly despite the kindness you show them. So if you want to do favors to people, do it from your heart, do it because you want to without expecting that they’d do the same for you later on.

4. Stop expecting people to respect you when you don’t respect yourself.

While it is important to be nice to other people, it is also essential to be nice to yourself. Never beg people for respect, attention or love. You give yourself these things. Respect yourself, pay attention to yourself, love yourself. At the same time, respect others. They might not respect you as you respect them, but respect them anyway.

5. Stop expecting people to know what you’re thinking.

If you want to say something, tell them. Don’t expect others to know what’s in your mind. People can’t read minds. So you need to talk. You need to effectively communicate so people will understand and know what you want or what’s in your head. Just say it.

6. Stop expecting people to change overnight.

You can’t change people. I guess, you shouldn’t even try to. Personally, it’s either you accept them as they are or live without them. People change but that is totally up to them and when when they do without others forcing them to do so, it also changes the way  you see them.

7. Stop expecting people to live or do things according to your standards or your idea of who they are.

Allow people to be themselves and stop expecting them to act or behave according to your standards. Appreciate them and respect them for who they are. People’s morals and ethics differ. Right and wrong are not always clearly defined, so as long as you expect others to do things according to what you think is right will often leave you in frustration.

8. Stop expecting people to be always okay.

Every now and then, life throws a curve ball on us and sometimes, other people take far too long to cope with these difficulties. We deal with our problems in different ways and others suck at it sometimes but we all have good days and bad days. It’s okay not to be okay all the time. Have a little more compassion for others.

Damaged

She’s damaged as fuck

which makes her more dangerous.

Feels at home in hell.

If We Were Having Coffee #5

If we were having coffee…

…you would have known already that I want my coffee black and without sugar.

If we were having coffee…

…we would have probably learned a lot about each other and each other’s culture already.

If we were having coffee…

…I would have perhaps told you a dozen times how very much I love your voice and your accent! I surely would’ve been mimicking you as you talk and I might be giggling a bit, too!

If we were having coffee…

…you would’ve known already that I like you, too!

If we were having coffee…

…I’d tell you I’m so delighted to have met you. You’re a lovable guy and you definitely can make me laugh! But I’d also tell you I’m sorry that I have to turn down your invitation for a dinner date and that I refused to give my contact details so we can keep in touch. I do hope though that our paths will cross again and maybe then, I’m ready and if you still are interested to have that dinner date with me, I’d gladly say yes and see what happens next.

Do These Habits Annoy You Like They Annoy Me?

I’m waiting for my flight at the moment and enjoying my first cup of coffee after a few months since I’ve stopped drinking. I love coming early to the airport whenever I travel to be able to roam around the whole place, buy coffee then read. I have read very little this year and I’m not very happy about it. However, I don’t think I can catch up with my reading at this point because this young fellow a few seats from mine is talking too loudly on his phone. I don’t understand a thing he’s saying because he speaks Arabic but man, he’s too loud and he sounds like a frog. I don’t know what better word to use to describe his voice. Froggy? Haha! But yeah, he sounds like a frog. Anyhoo, Mr. Froggy Guy just gave me an idea what to write about instead!

We all behave differently and less becoming from time to time. We all have habits and some things that are normal for us just aren’t the same for others. Now because of this loud, froggy guy, I can’t help but think about the things other people do which I find annoying/irritating. It might not bother other people as much as it bothers me since we all are different individuals and behave differently but do the following habits annoy you like they annoy me?

1. Talking loudly on the phone. (Or just talking very loudly.)

I don’t understand people having loud, animated conversations on their phones in public! They probably get so carried away but come on, keep it down. I’m not in the least bit interested about other people’s conversation and I think it’s always possible to modulate your voice. High-decibel assault on my eardrums are not welcome so please don’t make the whole world your phone booth.

2. Nose picking.

Everyone does this once in a while, alright, but picking your nose in public places? Who wants to see that?

3. Stinking farts.

We all do need to pass gas but that doesn’t mean others should smell it, too. Who wants to smell a fart? You, yourself, don’t want to smell yours, do you? So finding yourself caught up in someone else’s rectal gas is maddening! Go to toilets or empty spaces if you need to release stinking gas.

4. Interrupting when someone’s talking.

I, for one, love to talk. When I say something, I want the person’s full attention on me and what I’m saying as I do the same to other people when they do the talking. It annoys me when someone cuts me off mid-sentence. I get completely miffed when someone butts in when I’m talking most specially when I’m saying/explaining something important and complicated or something that gives me butterflies in my stomach. When people interrupt, they should just tell the other person to shut up because they have better things to say. It shows that they don’t know respect because however I look at it, it is rude to interrupt.

5. Nail biting.

I think nail biting is not just a bad habit but also a disorder in the same category with OCD. I just find it really irritating.

6. Gross eating.

Table manners, please. No one wants to hear the noise people make when they chew/slurp their food/drinks or when their teeth clangs to the cutlery. It also gets me totally irritated to see food scattered all over the table, talking with mouth full, taking too much food like there’s no tomorrow and not eating it all and also burping without covering their mouths and burping intentionally loud because they think it’s funny!

7. Whining and complaining.

Whining or complaining once in a while is normal but when someone does it every single day? Oh, seven hells! Don’t be surprised why I avoid you. I don’t like people who talk as if the world owes them something!

8. Always late.

It’s infuriating that very often nowadays, people think it’s okay and it’s normal to be late in meetings or appointments. Once or twice is fine for sometimes, some unavoidable things happen. But I find people disrespectful of my time when they always come up late.

9. Repetitive noise.

This often happens at work. It really gets on my nerves rather quickly when people make useless, irritating, repetitive noise like tapping their pens on the desk or even sighing deeply all the time like as if they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders when all they actually do is nap/sleep, watch, smoke and drink coffee at work.

10. Taking shit out on other people.

Feeling angry or upset is okay. However, it is unacceptable to be taking your shit out on other people or go and act freaking crazy at them about something that made you angry.

11. Constantly checking or using the phone while in a conversation.

A very common scene anywhere in the world today. This isn’t only annoying but also very rude. It is always important to give your full attention to the person speaking. If you find your phone more interesting than I am, don’t bother hanging out with me again.

12. Being a slob.

Since I started sharing rooms/apartments, one of the things I fight/argue about with my housemates (in addition to noise) concerns house chores. Throwing the garbage, cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, etc. In any living situation where you share the place with someone, there is always the one who cares more and the one who cares less about these things. Obviously, the slobs care less or not at all. We all differ in standards when it comes to keeping our homes clean but leaving your mess behind when cohabiting with someone is unacceptable for me. It’s disrespectful and inconsiderate expecting others to clean your mess.

13. Making everything about them.

There is absolutely nothing wrong about sharing things about yourself to people, however, why or how some bring up unrelated topics back to them or about them all the time is a different thing. I guess this boils down to becoming good listeners. It is very important to listen and understand to what the other person is saying instead of just waiting another chance to revert back the conversation to yourself.

14. The need of being right all the time and knowing it all.

It is so irritating to be with someone who has to be, needs to be and wants to be right all the time. Not to mention always trying to prove other people wrong. Of course there are instances where you can really prove yourself right but so what? I think it’s okay to correct someone once in a while but generally, people should remember that conversations are always a matter of each person’s perspective, opinion or experiences. Respect theirs as they respect yours.

15. Acting like a victim.

It’s totally draining being in the company of people who always complain and think that life is unfair. It’s normal to feel sad and discouraged but life wasn’t meant to be always easy and happy. Life is hard but it’s always up to us whether we let ourselves get stuck to it and act like pathetic victims of this cruel world or make something better out of it. In addition, I don’t like people acting like victims of circumstances they themselves created.

16. Being negative all the time.

It’s exhausting spending time with pessimists. Things do go wrong and sometimes, we have no control of that but it wouldn’t do you any good to stay stuck there and be completely negative about it.

17. Playing dumb.

I’ve known many women who has the habit of playing dumb specially in front of men or their crushes/boyfriends. It’s not cute! It’s just not!

18. Pretending to be friends then badmouthing them behind their backs.

What’s wrong with these people? Why pretend you like the person when you don’t? You don’t have to be friends with everyone so don’t pretend to be friends then badmouth each other after.

19. Invading my personal space.

Crossing boundaries are way too greater nowadays. My personal space or any issue related to it is something very important to me and I protect that probably far more seriously than others. This is my kind of comfort zone where I set/maintain a certain distance from people both emotionally and physically where when it’s crossed, it gives me a feeling of irritability and discomfort.

20. Making personal calls all day at work.

Colleagues can be very annoying in a multitude of ways. Making personal calls at work all day, every day, is one example. It’s understandable to make occasional, personal phone calls but use your common sense. Personal calls should be kept at a minimum. I, for one, am not interested with what’s happening in your personal life. Leave your personal matters at home.

~~~

I understand we all have habits we don’t realize irritate other people and I actually don’t give a damn about it but I also know that it’s also important to be mindful of others. It’s essential to be aware of our bad habits in order to work on changing them and adopting new and better ones.

What habits annoy you? Share them!

A Six-Word Story

I’ll be okay. I don’t quit.

14 Things Restaurant Servers Wish You’d Stop Doing

I am more of an eater than a server but I worked in the food industry for several years, in fact, it’s in the same field where I had my very first job. I was sixteen then. I worked as a restaurant server in a Lebanese restaurant in a 5-star hotel when I first came here before moving to my current company two and a half years later and I can say that I also enjoyed the years I’ve worked there and at the same time had my fair share of restaurant horror experiences. I can tell you several stories about hungry humans during those years I was in the business but I’ll save that for another post. I guess, everyone who worked more than their summer vacation as a server have at least one work-related nightmare.

It’s an easy job for some but not so easy for others. I think there’s no easy job in a restaurant and in my experience, the servers have it the hardest. In one shift, a server can attend to a hundred or so restaurant patrons — some nice, some very hungry and of course, some just plainly rude. In addition, there’s the endless demands of the guests (and managers), the very long time standing or walking back and forth, cleaning, delayed breaks (or sometimes none!), malfunctioning microwaves, juicers or coffee machines, dumb questions from guests, managers and collagues, quick-tempered chefs, lazy workmates and so on. Maybe it would be nice if it would be a requirement to have one-year working experience in the food industry before entering the university. 😉 Just so everyone would know and understand how it’s like.

In between shifts, during breaks, in staff parties or whenever there’s a chance, restaurant staffs (I and my former coworkers included) can’t help but talk about you — restaurant patrons/guests — what they wish (and would really appreciate) you would stop doing.

1. Ignoring the staff’s greetings.

I don’t understand why you choose to ignore the staffs when they greet you. Many of you just immediately demand for what you want instead of acknowledging the staff’s “Hello” or “Welcome.”

Sometimes, servers are cut-off mid-sentence while greeting the guests. Worse still, I’ve never known where on earth do they teach that “Give me turkish coffee, sweet,” is the proper reply to “How are you?” Rude!

2. Letting your children run amok.

I hate this, big time. Letting your children run amok in a restaurant is dangerous. It’s a disaster. It’s chaos. It’s not funny. It’s not entertaining. If the servers trip over your children and dump food or juice or hot coffee or anything on them, the server almost always gets the blame when in truth, you should be responsible for it. You should be responsible for your children. Not the servers. Restaurants are not playgrounds. You are the only ones thinking that your unruly children are cute and adorable. If you can’t control your children, stay at home for lunch/dinner because servers are not babysitters.

3. Treating your servers as servants.

There is a difference between a server and a servant. Servers are not supposed to kiss your asses. While it’s nice to have someone to fill your glass of water or your cup of tea or coffee, or serving you with your meal and other requests, that doesn’t make them your servant. It also doesn’t mean they’re lower than you. It just so happened that their job is different than yours. So keep in mind to treat them with respect. Don’t talk down to them. Servers are not your personal employees and they’re not obliged to do anything other than taking and serving your orders politely and with utmost respect while making sure you enjoy your dining experience.

4. Not asking for the extras you need at once.

Why do servers ask you if you need anything else after you or your companion ask for something extra? Come on, save the server the trouble of taking several trips here and there by trying to tell them what you need all at once.

5. Whistling & snapping your fingers at the servers.

This is something I’ve encountered a number of times when I was still working in that Lebanese restaurant. Unfortunately, guests whistling to the servers and snapping their fingers when they need something appeared to be a common practice! You should never, ever do that to your servers. It’s downright rude!

6. Blaming the servers when your food is late.

It’s perfectly okay to ask the server what’s taking your order too long. Don’t blame them when your food is late though! It’s annoying alright but they are as miffed as you are when your order is taking forever to be ready.

7. Blaming the servers for not following cooking preferences/requests.

What happens between the time the server takes your order and the moment they serve it to you is out of their control. When you request for a dish without garlic, they jot it down and relay it to the chefs. Whenever possible, they also tell the chef directly about your requests/instructions. However, if the dish you ordered still came with garlic, the servers aren’t the ones you should blame. They take your order, they serve your food BUT they DON’T cook your food.

8. Bitching about your food after consuming everything on your plate.

One of the many dick moves diners do is bitching about the food after devouring their plates clean. Servers usually check on you if your food is okay and if you say yes, then the servers really take that as a yes. If there’s a problem about your food, let the server know as soon as you have the issue so they can find a way to make it right. Don’t bitch about it after you’ve swallowed everything already — a common drama to get the food for free. Ha! These types of guests can burn in hell.

9. Not asking for separate checks before/while ordering.

It’s totally fine to ask for split/separate checks but inform your server at the beginning or while ordering. It’s common courtesy. Splitting checks equally among  you is alright but if it’s seven ways for every person’s order (seven hells!), oh, definitely a heads up!

10. Staying too long after closing time.

Closing time means the restaurant is closed. Go home.

11. Putting your cash/card on the counter when the server’s hand is already out.

Your servers don’t have contagious disease, or else, they won’t be working there in the first place. If their hands are out to receive your payment, hand it to them and not on the table/counter.

12. Hitting on your servers.

This is very irritating. You go to restaurants to eat, I believe, not to find someone to mingle with. But it’s a common scenario in restaurants here. Anyway, just let them do their jobs. Don’t hit on them.

13. Anything phone-related.

This is another dick move I personally wish diners stop doing. You shouldn’t expect your server to stand and wait ages for you to be ready to order until you finish your call or finish texting or whatever business you have with your phone. It’s irritating taking orders while your attention is on your phone.

14. Interrupting the server while attending to another guest.

Learn to wait for your turn and don’t be rude to both your server and the other guests. You’re not the only guest in the restaurant so wait for your turn.

~~~

Anything else you’d like to add? Share them!

My Food Quirks

I wasn’t a picky eater, ever! I’d eat anything given, offered or served in front of me. My palate’s never shy. 😉 But still, we all have our little quirks when it comes to the food (or drinks) we eat or maybe never thought of eating. It may be funny for some and weird for others. Anyhow, I thought of making a list of my personal food quirks today.

1. I remove the crust off my toast, I don’t eat them.

2. I don’t chew gum.

3. I don’t eat strawberry-flavored foods/drinks.

4. I enjoy eating sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

5. I love peanut butter and jelly. I’ve met a lot of people who find this a weird combination and I don’t know why.

6. I enjoy my spaghetti a lot more if mixed with mayonnaise.

7. I used to soak coffee beans on my coke for more than half an hour or so before drinking it.

8. I prefer eating ice cream once it’s melted already so sometimes, I first put it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.

9. I don’t like my food mixing up on my plate so I use section plates at home. When dining outside, I try not have them mixing with each other. I know they’ll all get mixed up in the stomach just the same… Well, it’s okay that they touch each other but I don’t want seeing them all mixed up.

10. I don’t eat yoghurt. (And cheese, if I can avoid it).

11. I prefer my coffee warm. I don’t like iced coffee that much. So I usually make (or order) a cup of hot coffee and let it cool down before enjoying it.

12. I won’t eat sharing food without a serving spoon.

13. I always bring with me a lunch box cutlery set (spoon, fork, chopsticks) or a sujeo (spoon & chopsticks) as I use them instead of those in restaurants whenever in doubt.

14. I enjoy eating breakfast foods for dinner.

15. I haven’t eaten pizza for more than a year I think but when I sometimes do, I only eat Margherita and Hawaiian. Yes, I love pineapples on my pizza! And the fewer toppings, the better.

16. I prefer eating bananas with peanut butter.

17. I used to only eat egg whites, then I used to eat only egg yolks. Now, I devour the whole egg!

18. I’m no longer used to eating noodles with a fork, I always prefer eating them now with chopsticks.

19. I eat M&Ms color by color. I don’t like the orange and yellow-colored ones though so I give them away. I eat the brown ones last when I’m alone but eat them first when I’m with my brother because he eats them all!

20. I like eating dessert with my meal whenever possible.

21. When I eat Arabic bread — they call it kuboos, I’m not sure if it’s spelled that way! — I don’t eat the bottom part and I don’t eat it if it’s not made on the same day.

22. I eat apples but I don’t like apple juice; I eat oranges but I don’t like orange juice.

23. I like dipping bread with butter on my hot chocolate or coffee.

24. I only drink laban during the month of Ramadan.

25. I always use matching spoon and fork or paired/matching spoon and chopsticks. I don’t like eating using unmatched cutlery.

26. I still eat baby foods (Gerber & stuff) like once or twice a month. I love the banana flavor.

So there goes my food quirks and I still don’t think I’m weird, do you? Anyway, what’s yours?

Sunshine Blogger Award #5

I’m so delighted to be nominated for another Sunshine Blogger Award and this time from a very kind, young lady’s soul from Nigeria. Thanks a lot, Elly and I’m sorry for doing this way too late. I do appreciate this a lot, thank you very much.

The Rules:

1. Display the sunshine Blogger Award logo in a post on your blog
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you, put a link back to their blog.
3. Answer the 10 Questions.
4. Nominate 5-10 bloggers who you feel deserve this award.
5. Let the nominees know that you’ve nominated them and provide them with questions to answer.

Here are Elly’s questions together with my answers:

1. Name and give a pic of your favorite plant.

Tulips! I love tulips. Its symmetry, it looks almost perfect. Someone once told me that tulips can be used as a replacement for onion in some recipes but I’m not so sure. Better google it. Haha! But why eat them? They’re so beautiful to be eaten!

Photo credit to: http://scribblesandphotos.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-tulip-gardens.html

2. One thing about yourself.. you want to change.

Hmmm, this is a bit difficult to answer but as of the moment, maybe my being too friendly. I want to be less friendly. I’m starting to hate humans. 😉

3. Name your favorite band and link to one of your favorite song.

I have several favorites. I know you asked for one but I’ll give you two. 🙂

First, a popular 90s local band back in the Philippines – Eraserheads. One of their songs I like the most is With A Smile.

Second, I also enjoy listening to Green Day. And one of my favorite songs from them is 21 Guns.

4. Morning or night walks.

Oh, it doesn’t really matter. 😉

5. Simple living or a busy one.

Nowadays, I prefer busy. It keeps me away from overthinking, from being sad and doing/thinking not-so-nice things.

6. Trip with your friends for a whole day or a talk with your best friend.

It’s been a long time since I’ve last seen my best friend so I’d choose a talk/conversation with him. (Yes, him.)

7. Do you know any other language besides your mother tongue. If yes, then say hello in that language.

안녕 -> Annyeong! (Korean)

Marhabah (Arabic)

But I am not fluent in both languages. Just the very basics.

8. Phone or Television with your cousin.

I’m never close with any of my cousins (in fact, I don’t really know them!) and I’m not very fond of using phones or watching television. So neither.

9. Reading or writing.

Definitely reading!

10. Arrogant or a calm up person.

I’m allergic to arrogance so a calm/relaxed individual will do me good.

The Nominees:

Prakhar Bansal

Shaloo Walia

G.c

Shreya

Mvadi

Mbura

And everyone reading this!

The questions I’d love to know the answers to from the nominees (and to all of you reading) are:

1. What’s your favorite food?
2. What makes you roll your eyes whenever you see or hear it?
3. What job do you think you’ll be really good at?
4. What’s your recent favorite song?
5. What languages do you wish you could speak?
6. What book are you reading nowadays?
7. Suggest a book you think I should read.
8. How different was your life 5 years ago?
9. What was the last thing you Googled?
10. What one question would you like to ask me?

I hope the nominees have time to do this as I’ll be happily waiting for your answers! 🙂 Thanks once again, Elly! ‘Til the next one!

Happy day, homo sapiens! 🙂

20 (Bad) Habits I Won’t Give Up Just Yet

Habits take up space in our lives. Good and bad.

Good habits. It usually takes me an eternity to form one good habit. So I always make sure to give myself a pat on the back whenever I form one.

Bad habits. Give me a day and a half and I would have formed several. I don’t know what’s with bad habits but it usually is so easy to make them. Right? Right. Sometimes I tell myself I’d do something about them but well… some habits are just hard to break.

Today I’m sharing with you some bad habits I won’t give up just yet. Read on if there’s something we have in common.

1. Chocolates, ice cream, cakes. In other words, sugar.

2. Alcohol.

3. Picking fights.

4. Skipping meals.

5. Talking to myself. – I don’t find this a bad habit but many people I know judge me for it. I couldn’t care less.

6. Breaking promises to myself.

7. Multi-tasking.

8. Purposely annoying people.

9. Stopping mid-sentence.

10. Scathing sarcasm.

11. Wasting table napkins. (I just can’t help it!)

12. Hoarding.

13. Spacing out.

14. Being argumentative.

15. Not having a routine. – Well, routine is lethal.

16. Staring at an open fridge.

17. Talking during movies.

18. Not paying attention when I’m not interested with what other people are saying.

19. Questioning and complaining.

20. Buying gifts at the last minute.

We all do things we somehow wish we don’t but we can work on changing it to good ones little by little. I guess recognizing these bad habits for now is essential to a positive change but for me, not just yet.

I’d be glad to know about your bad habits, too, so feel free to write them in the comments.

Happy Sunday, homo sapiens! 🙂

Three-Day Lyrical Challenge – Day 3

It’s the third and final day of the Three-Day Lyrical Challenge so let me thank Sonali once again for tagging me. For my readers who haven’t checked out her blog yet, do visit here.

I’m tagging Hiral N., Shreya, and Mark Anthony.

And my third and final song is:

Swept Away by Christopher Cross

I never had anything happen so fast
Took one look and I shattered like glass
I guess I let it show 
‘Cause your smile told me you knew

That you’re everything I ever wanted at once
There’s no holding this heart 
When it knows what it wants
And I never wanted anything more than to know you

I was swept away
No one in the world but you and I
Gotta find a way 
To make you feel the way that I do

I was swept away
Without a warning
Like night when the morning begins the day
I was swept away

And so it begins
This journey of love
The summer wind carries us to places all our own
The words of a look

The language of touch
The way that you want me means so much
And I never wanted anything more 
Than to love you

I am swept away
No one in the world but you and I
Gotta find a way 
To make you feel the way that I do

I am swept away
Without a warning
Like night when the morning begins the day
I was swept away

Away, seeing my tomorrow’s in your eyes
I was swept away

Oh, I hope I wake up soon
Oh, I’m a victim of that crazy moon

The very first time you said my name
I knew it would never sound the same
Something about me has changed forever

Can’t you see I am swept away
No one in the world but you and I
Gotta find a way 
To make you feel the way that I do

I am swept away 
Without a warning 
Like night when the morning begins the day
I was swept away

Away, seeing my tomorrow’s in your eyes
Gotta find a way 
To make you feel the way that I do
I was swept away

Without a warning
Like night when the morning begins the day
I was swept away
We were swept away

Dreaming of you 
Swept away.

This song speaks of love and how its magic could catch you by surprise and well, yeah, get swept away! It gives me a melancholic, nostalgic, delightful and warmly romantic feeling whenever I hear it. It does make me feel good.

Thanks again, Sonali!

Happy Saturday, homo sapiens! 🙂

A Six-Word Story

He’s just a man. Nothing else.

The Mystery Blogger Award #2

This came as a surprise several weeks back but I didn’t have time to do it but… it’s always better late than never, I guess, and so huge thanks to Elly, for nominating me and sorry for waiting so long! 😉 She’s a sweet girl from Nigeria who wants to be a superhero! You can visit her blog here.

Let’s start off with The Rules:

1. Put the award logo/image on your blog.
2. List the rules.
3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
4. Tell your readers three things about yourself.
5. Answer the questions you were asked.
6. Nominate 6-7 other bloggers.
7. Ask the nominees any five questions of your choice.

Three Things About Myself:

Hmm… I can’t think of anything! Haha! Well…

1. I’m not a big fan of social media. I’ve only started using Twitter a few months back and I don’t seem to know how to use it properly. Ha! I don’t have a Facebook account and very inactive on Instagram.

2. I love to talk. When I meet someone I really enjoy talking to, I can talk with them for hours on end.

3. I value space and freedom.

Here are my answers to Elly’s questions:

1. What’s your inspiration for writing?

As I always say, I don’t really consider myself a writer though writing has been a very big part of my life. I mostly write when I’m feeling too much about something or someone. I only get to write things that I’ve seen or experienced. I daydream a lot but I can’t put them into words. 😉 Sounds weird or strange maybe? But yeah, whatever I’m feeling or experiencing are I guess, what inspires me to write.

2. Who is your favorite superhero?

Wolverine. I’m anti-violence but I like his use of deadly force. 😅 I, myself, am a rebel and he brings out the rebel in us.

Magneto. I like his ability to control magnetic fields.

3. Wanna explore the world or sit back and relax?

Definitely explore the world. I’ve been to a few countries for the past nine years and traveling and exploring places I haven’t been to before are truly wonderful, enlightening, heartwarming and sometimes heart-breaking experiences. When I become rich, traveling is top priority!

4. Summer with rain or winter with spring?

Hmm… I would choose winter and spring. I want to see snow. And spring because in my hometown, it always almost seems like spring time because flowers bloom almost all year ’round.

5. Movie or hangout with your friends?

I’m not really into movies but here in Kuwait, hanging out with friends means watching a movie. 🙂 Whether in the cinema or in someone’s apartment, there has got to be movies though I don’t really pay much attention to it.

Now here are my nominees:

Hiral N.

Himani Thakur

Realistic Beginner

Rudraa

Mvadi

Shreya

Elganspo

My questions for the nominees are:

1. What is something you will never do again?
2. What is something everyone should do at least once in their lives?
3. What are you most looking forward to in the next five years?
4. What’s the best thing that happened to you today?
5. What one thing do you really want but can’t afford?

There you go! I hope the nominees will find time to accept this, I can’t wait to read your answers! And once again, thanks a lot, Elly! 🙂

Happy day, homo sapiens! 🙂

People

Ain’t always easy

Some people are difficult

Love them anyway.

A Six-Word Story

Thought he was my answered prayer.