A Cup of Shai

                    A Cup of Tea. Swirling sugar into the brown tornado, Like little magical diamonds,  working their way into the folds of the golden ocean Which softens and sighs,  through the calms and the highs along, with its Drinker. And like the comments and calamities it is privy to, It too feels like a mini storm brewing in a bone-china vessel, The tea-bag being the sail which swirls this way and that, Pushed along, and crashed into the cup. Jabbed with a metal spoon fishing-rod as tears and smiles splash into the cup. The Angry Lover frustrated at the dilemma.  Or else the tea-bag dances this way and that, gracefully, If the Drinker is feeling merry and peaceful. The tea-bag, almost like a ballerina, swirling beautifully, Releasing its passion and flavour into the sea. Caramel drops ooze out again, adding a burst of life to the stale sea. Berry, Mint, Ginger and Appl...

              When my Grandad passed on, it broke me like never before. This probably sounds cliché, but the last thing I remember is seeing the ‘sad head shake’ every nurse probably reserves when telling family that their loved one has passed on, and then my legs gave way, flopping with shock. Just lying there on the hospital floor, like some flimsy, pathetic rag doll that a child had dropped. Sobbing helplessly. Snot dribbling out my nose like an untrained infant. And looks of pity as nurses walked passed me, behaviour they had probably become accustomed to. To the world, he was a strict, super-conservative, educated, well-spoken, upstanding man.  To me? He was my partner in crime :) We had such a jokey, loving, relationship alhamdulillah (Praise to Allah). Too many stories to tell :) Yeah...when you've been sobbing for 9 hours straight, a grey face isn't a pretty sight the next morning when we were showing mourners into our h...

          I say date your friends. Date your family. Date your grandparents. But most importantly, date yourself. Date yourself ;) It is SO important to do this. A 'date' is essentially some precious, allocated time set aside to spend time with yourself and someone significant in your life. To get to know someone better. You are special and significant. And by dating yourself, you become so self-aware, and know exactly what makes you happy. And what your needs are. What makes you tick? What kind of people do you need in your life? By dating yourself, you also become ridiculously emotionally independent. Sure, other people can always add to your happiness. Not create.  Your happiness comes from within you . This significant 'Other' is always assumed to be a romantic interest. Why? WHY wait for a 'Romantic' special Other? Why wait for someone who's thoughts make your heart go all a'flutter, turn your brains to scrambled eggs and your legs tu...

When you hear the word ‘Harry Potter’, you  automatically think of magic, spells and potions. Rarely does anyone think ‘Motherly Love.’ This is really sad because it is actually true, pure, selfless love which drives the entire series and overthrows Voldemort. I’m here to bring to you a theme which I think goes really unrecognised when it comes to discussions about the brilliant franchise. So this Mother’s Day, I’d like to draw your attention to the fabulous, strong, committed and warm mothers whose efforts and actions are just as, if not, more significant when compared to the plentiful wand-duelling and Battles that the series is littered with. Number 1 Lioness: Lily Potter. Lily’s motherly love causes her to sacrifice herself  in an effort to allow Harry to survive. She literally shields Harry from Voldmeort’s Killing Curse, throwing her arms out in despair to prevent her baby from being murdered. The beauty is that even when she dies, her ‘Love’ protect...

             1.        That Greggs makes a mean Tuna Crunch baguette. And Boots’ Ploughman sandwich is THE BOMB. With MAX Paprika crisps and Orange Juice. It's a brill balance of sweet, and savoury and salty.*burp* 2.        How to give a professional Hand-and- Arm ‘Scrub down, Moisturise, and Massage’ routine. 3.        Wearing makeup in no way is a shallow thing. In fact, it can add to your confidence. I applied eye make-up on a Woman once, and she was in tears, because for the first time in 5 years, she'd covered up the vitiligo on her eyelids. *Vitiligo is a skin condition where the pigment is lost, and there are patches of colour. 4.        How to ignore a racist incident, because it’s all about context and things are NOT always ‘Black and White.’ 5.        My extroverte...