A Cup of Shai

                                      Jodhaa Akbar has to be my favourite film in the past 10ish years. It's a collection of history, culture, love, and, politics. Throw in two of Bollywood's most beautiful actors as a Muslim Mughal Emperor and a Hindu Rajput Princess, and I'm surprised that our T.V sets didn't sizzle with hotness. The chemistry between these two was amazing and simply mesmerising.  Jodhaa (Aishwariya Rai) and Akbar (Hrithik Roshan) have an arranged marriage. Jodhaa isn't a happy bunny because she's not your average C16 *nod-nod* Princess. She stands up for what she believes in. However, she has to marry Akbar for political reasons. So she's basically a political pawn in the game of two MEN. She tries to regain control of this arrangement by insisting that a genuine, loving "meeting of the minds" has to ensue before there are any "physical" relationships between...

          I like my tea. Need me a cuppa in the morning. Indian please, with the ' malaai ' (tea-skin thing). And then milky English tea with the tea-bag left in the Mug-cup. "Would ya like some tea with that milk?!" I've been asked :P  I even have a personalised mug-cup I may show you one day! "Miss Sheikh" it says with dots. Ha! A dotty mug cup for a dotty girl :P SO. This is THE OFFICIAL RECIPE FOR....YOURS TRULY :D To make a C up of Shai. You Will Need... *twirly hands movement*  Ingredients: A ladle full of Honesty.  3 elements of Natural Goodness;  A Squeeze of lemon for a citrus-y, refreshing taste. 4 tsp of Mint,  (to help you feel fresh again)...  ...and seasoning:  Sprinkles of dried ginger peelings and dried masala, (because we all need some spice in our life!)  Finish off with 2 tsp of white sugar and a drizzle of honey.  Stir in thoroughly because all ...

             It's no mistake that chocolate is a MAJOR guilty pleasure. When consumed, it releases "feel-good" chemicals, endorphins, which make us feel happy :) And who doesn't want to feel happy all the time? Zat is my birthday cake in the picture. (But this was a couple of years ago now) :) WHOO hooo all the same.  Sometimes, life is good. Sometimes life is bad. That's the nature of Life. That's the nature of Nature. It's all a cycle :) BUT, that's probably another blog post in its own right. My point is, EAT CHOCOLATE all the time. Not like, scoff-down-an-entire-bar and cry when you break out in facial spots! But, everything in moderation :) Treat yourself to a little piece every day. It really IS true, chocolate makes everything better. Read on....  1. (THIS is my favourite chocolate dessert) The 'Chocolate Volcano' from Madison's on Highfield's Street. YUUUUUM. It's an innocent looking cake, and then the chocolate sauce...

As the snow falls softly to the ground, each one a little white ball of magic from heaven, I look upward. My face feels like it's literally smiling at the angels which fly somewhere above, beyond those clouds and wisps of chalky-blue.  The sky is like a sleek navy blue blanket, riddled and sprinkled with the light of a million diamonds. All twinkling happily as they send their rainbow smiles onto myself and the people walking past hurriedly. It's pure bliss to know that in the same way I am awed by the art God has created, someone out there in the world is looking up at the sky, thinking the same thing. The same moon and stars glisten in their mighty pride. Slender strength. The clusters of jewels which sit on the polished glass shelves are nothing, nothing compared to the majesty which does radiate from above.         Medieval art from a church in Nottingham City Centre. Somewhere, in the near distance, Rhiana's ' Shine Bright Like a Diamond ' starts p...

               Thsi year, my friends managed to convince this bookworm to load up some gear and climb Mount Snowdon in Wales, Snowdonia. Alhamdulillah (Praise to Allah), I am SO glad that I did :)  Buuuuuuut...Mountains don't always have to be 'literal.' It can be a concept also. Here is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:  T his definitely supports my theory on money. For example, when our ‘two layers’ are met, we start to concentrate on luxuries, then fine-tuning other aspects of our lives, and then reaching the top of the peak in order to feel very proud of climbing this mountain.  You’ve reached the peak and then there’s nothing that you feel can enrich your life. Wrong. Something will always be able to enrich your life further.  Think about me next time you purchase a top: WHY are you buying it? Because you NEED it, or because you WANT it? There’s a difference. They say ‘money can’t bring you happiness.’ ...

I Dear #MidlandsMassive,  You will recall that nearly a year ago we had our first ever f2f meeting at University. It was during that meeting that the reps from each team were discussing ideas, throwing out words, and then delegating to the rest of the team what they would like the rest of us to do.  Then. Then it was my turn to say something.                                       "Shai...ok. What do you need to say for Team MM?"       "Well." And then I became interested in my bag all of a sudden...  "THIS is what I need to say. *holding my phone up*  Frankly I'm pretty disappointed in the lack of Facebook/Twitter posts and pics. I want live updates. This is the power of social media and communication. We can do better than this. We have a lot of work ...

  Dorothy is bad-ass. I am a die hard Wizard of Oz fan. (Not that you would have guessed already). Watching it as a child made me envious. Gosh, what a brave young girl. She stood up to the mean ol' cow who tried to put an animal to death! AND it wasn't just any mean old cow that Dorothy stood up to, it was the MAYORS WIFE. Wow. Dorothy was an image of wanting more. Of aspirations. (Bearing in mind that L.Frank Baum wrote this during a period in America when youngsters were travelling out to study, and this tale was almost used as a political ploy to keep youngsters 'close by.')  Just the other day, an idea came to me. Dorothy is a metaphor for female empowerment. When you initially watch the film, you think "Ohh poor pathetic little farm girl. She's not well travelled. She needs an escape." But in retrospect, it's Scarecrow, TinMan, and Lion I feel sorry for. Had it not been for Dorothy's agency, these characters would never have achieved the hi...