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Showing posts with label blogger voice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogger voice. Show all posts

I came across the below blogging prompt from The Daily Post free E-Book : 365 Writing Prompts last week.   


If you could get all the nutrition you needed in a day with a pill - no worrying about what to eat, no food preparation - would you do it ? 




Damn right I would !! I'm well aware that a 'nutrition pill' or a 'food pill' can't ever really substitute real food - however, given the fact that I'm not really a foodie - such a pill would make my life easier ! 



I love desserts ! I have a baaaaaad sweet tooth.  I'm one of those people who would happily skip all meals and replace them with something sweet.  Therefore an all-in-one nutrition pill would be quite ideal for me to ensure that I get my 5-a-day.  Mind you, I'm quite sure that I would still eat things such as fruits, cereal / muesli, smoothies, other liquids (coconut water, lemonade, a yogurt based drink known as 'lassi') and of course actual chocolates / desserts. 


There is no substitute for dessert in my eyes.  I'm suddenly craving a small bowl of nutella and crunchy peanut butter along with an apple ! [I'm making it a healthy-ish dessert] 


At the end of the day, I'm the kind of person who enjoys going out to eat (hint - I don't have to cook) and at the same time I enjoy cooking for a group of friends for a brunch / dinner party.  I never really make an effort when it comes to 'food' when I'm looking to grab a bite on my own.  Give me fruit yogurts and I could eat them all through the day. 


What about you ? Would you take the pill substitute and forsake the prep time required in making a full meal ? Think of all the time that could be saved that is spent cooking (yes, I know I'm making it sound like a task).  I know it doesn't take long to actually cook if you plan your meals out or have a stocked fridge (neither of which is applicable to me haha).  

Pop on over to The Daily Post to read more about what other bloggers have to say about the Red Pill, Blue Pill 

Red Pill, Blue Pill

Bad-Blogger

This Diva has been a bad bad blogger.  I haven’t blogged properly since I hit my 600th Century; and I feel like the A to Z Challenge in April just drained me out of any creativity for new blog posts. 

I haven’t really blogged about all the amazing things I’ve been up to, which makes me sad for so many reasons. My head hangs in shame as I realize how much time has passed and how many awesome things have happened since the last time I’ve updated.

My absence hasn’t been for naught, though. I’ve been on this absolutely epic vacation which currently stands at Day 51.  That’s right, 51 days of vacation ! Okay fine I’ve been working as well but it’s been more of a holiday for me.  I’ve been to New York, Bermuda, Montreal and now I’m in London.  The last few weeks have been all about catching up with my friends (and some family) and just finding ‘myself’ all over again.  There hasn’t been a day where there are at least two or three things happening, and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon!

Whilst I have missed blogging, these past few weeks have taken me on an emotional rollercoaster journey; literally dug up every memory and thrown it in front of me and it’s made me think … think very long and hard about the things I have done, experienced, the people I have encountered, the place they hold in my mind and heart and the majority of it all has been absolutely beautiful.  A few bittersweet memories are now just that – because the reality a decade later is that the mind tends to hold onto some more than others.

More on all that later.  I’m back now and it feels good to put my writing hat on and dive back into my blogging world.  Thanks for sticking around and not giving up on me.

VHave you noticed that any time you visit a blog – you can almost ‘hear’ the author through their posts ? A few of my close friends who have read my blog have told me that my blog reads exactly as I speak and that’s what they really like about my blog.

Have you ever thought about how your blog sounds to a reader ? What does the tone behind the words say about your blog and what you are trying to actually convey to readers ?

I read this other article ‘Does Your Blog Have a Personality’ by Heidi Cohen that tells you how to create your writers voice.  Check it out when you have a chance.

Diva’s Tips on Finding Your Blogger Voice :

  1. Be Yourself.  Nothing  you can say is wrong because it’s Your perspective.  Some people will agree with you; others will not; some may start a heated debate. But there’s nothing wrong with that.  Your thoughts are original to you; sure – others may think the same thought – but they process it differently to you.
  2. Edit Your Posts.  Every writing tool (MS Word, Live Writer, down to web browsers) have got spell checks installed.  They are there for a reason.  Use them ! It shows a sign of respect to your readers.   The same way – make sure your grammar is correct.  Use capitalization and correct forms of punctuation when forming sentences.. It gives your reader a better experience.
  3. Commit To Writing.  The more you write – the stronger your voice gets.  If you haven’t already done so – set some blogging goals. 
  4. Ask for Feedback.  Let go of your ego and fears and just ask someone for feedback; and take it with a pinch of salt.  Bloggers are a friendly bunch – if you ask for help – they help.  If you need motivation – they give you that little push to get your feet in motion.
  5. Experiment With Content.  If you’ve got a favourite author, give their writing style a shot. Try a new template / blog design; a writing format; make a few lists; a book or movie review; or just a post linking to your favourite bloggers.

These are just a few tips for now.  Have you found your blogger voice as yet ? Yes. No. Maybe. Somewhere in between perhaps ? Not that I’m an expert – but thought I’d put together a few words of wisdom to help you determine your status.  After all – its Your Voice – Your Blog – Your Blogger Voice.

p.s if you aren’t afraid to do it – you can actually create actual voice recordings and upload to your blog (my friend @DragonBlogger does this with some of his poetry) or You Tube videos for your blog and that way people can put your face to your voice !

ideas 2After countless hours in front of my laptop trying to put together new post topics to keep me going through the Ultimate Blog Challenge, I realized that there are ideas everywhere; you just have to know where to look (which can be pretty time consuming).

So I thought I’d save you some screen time and share 712 blog topics that you can write about and refer to when you’re suffering from a bout writers block or when your creative juices are completely drained out.

  1. 100 Blog Topics I Hope You Write by Chris Brogan
  2. 50 Article/Blog Title Ideas For You by Michelle Shaeffer
  3. 93 Business Blogging Topic Ideas – Things to Blog about When You’re Out of Ideas by Mike Brown
  4. 101+ Killer Blog Post Ideas
  5. 15 List Post Ideas When You Get Writer’s Block – by Tristan Higbee for Kikolani
  6. 353+ Blog Post Ideas to Inspire You by Amy Schmittauer

There you have it .. there are enough topics in there to keep you going for 1 year 11 months (if you wrote a post a day) ! Damn !!

If you have any links or post ideas that you know about, please do share them in the comments so that everyone who stops by can benefit from it.

tipsFor all of you taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge– we’re almost half way there !! I can’t believe that I’ve actually managed a post a day for the past 12 days.

Here are a few tips & tricks to help you stay on track for the rest of the month with this challenge (or any other blog challenge as a matter of fact)

1/ Follow the rules.  The UBC has a rule of a minimum of 100 words a post for the post to count and I’ve noticed that I’ve actually tracked my word count.  Guess what just these few lines have already hit 100 words.  You’d be surprised how many random thoughts can trigger some fab blog posts and it barely takes a 100 words !

2/ Track the challenge hash (#) tag on Twitter  I’ve saved the hash tag #blogboost on my Twitter account to read up on other members of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Not only do I get to read some great posts, it also helps inspire post ideas of my own.  The lovely ladies of UBC have also created a daily paper you can follow and use to catch up with what other authors have to say.  Make a note of the posts that strike a chord within you – maybe you could add your thoughts and create a new post out of it.  You can also find more #blogboost related tweets here.

3/ Stop Lurking and Leave Comments on other Blogs.  You have to comment on other blogs – don’t be conscious about it – just say what’s on your mind.  The blog author will definitely appreciate it; and even if your comment disagrees with what the author has to share – it encourages interaction between you, the author and the other readers too. Come on – it’s time to de-lurk now ! By leaving relevant and engaging comments (don’t just say ‘great post’); other bloggers may wander over to your blog out of curiosity.

4/ Add Your Post to the Challenge Facebook Group.  The UBC Facebook group is pretty awesome.  I’ve been a member of it for a while but today was the first time I added my post to it – and guess what – within 15 minutes – someone had come to my blog and left a comment for me ! If that wasn’t enough, that person also left me a comment on the FB link that I posted.  Double the interaction; easiest form of traffic ever and a great way to discover new bloggers !

5/ Don’t Be Afraid to Pimp Your Blog Post on FaceBook & Twitter.  That’s right folks – one of the reasons you are taking part in the blog challengpimpmybloge (amongst other things) is so that your blog gets discovered (and there’s no point denying that).  Make sure you Tweet your blog and the posts created for the challenge with the #blogboost and include @UBCBlogBoost in your tweets.  The ladies over at UBC will be more than happy to re-tweet your tweets creating more exposure for your blog. 

Don’t feel shy about posting the the UBC FaceBook group and if your blog is a public blog – then why not share it with your Facebook friends ? You never know which of your friends will re-post and share your blog to their circle of friends.  I’m signed up with NetWorkedBlogs on FB which automatically publishes my new blog posts to my FB page without me having to think about it. 

6/ Schedule Your Posts If You Must (And It’s Not Considered Cheating). I’ve never been a daily blogger so I knew taking part in this challenge would be a bit difficult. Over the past year I’ve taken part in a few memes like #MusicMonday, #WordlessWednesday and I created my own #SexySaturday which means that if I stick to a plan I have 3 posts ready each week during the challenge and I just have to focus on creating 4 other posts. In the meantime, if another blog post, photograph or quote catches my attention – I’m jotting them down in Windows Live Writer drafts and just come back to them as and when I can to complete and create new posts.  You can also use the ideas & suggestions from the UBC daily inspiration emails to create a schedule of posts.  I know that between 24th-31st Jan I’m going to be traveling for an event (clients’ wedding) hence I’m writing up posts that I can auto-publish for those dates (in case I forget or don’t have time etc.)

So there you have it – here are 6 tips to help you stay on track whilst you are participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  It’s helped me get through till Day 12.  I hope you’ve found this useful and if you have any other suggestions, please feel free to share your thoughts (a link or two even so others can benefit from it)

Further Reading :

  1. How To Add Your Blog to NetworkedBlogs by Michelle Shaeffr
  2. 7 Things To Do After You’ve Written That Blog Post by Melissa Reyes

p.s if you are taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge don’t forget to share your link below !

anatomy of a hug

I love this cartoon ! It describes the ultimate hug ! One of those hugs that just makes you melt and leaves your legs all shaky … It’s been a while since I’ve had one of those and I reaaaaaaaaaaaaallly want one of those hugs right now !

Since my dating diary is kinda drab – the best hugs I’ve gotten lately are from my boys (and alas these are the best friend kind).  There are some days (especially with the week I’ve just had) I reckon a a hug that makes you want to just let yourself go into another is just what I need for the ultimate pick-me up. 

You know the kind of hugs I’m talking about.  Alright folks – raise your hands if you like hugs ? Gimme a loud ‘hell ya’ if you fancy a good hug right now ?

p.s. I think I deserve a hug right now for completing Day 6 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge !

p.p.s if you are taking part in the challenge, don’t forget to share your link below

Diva Hits The 500th Blog Post Milestone

500 blog postsWould you believe me if I told you that for the last few days I’ve quite literally sat at my laptop just ‘waiting’ to write this very post ?  I can barely keep up with the excitement ! This lil’ post marks the Diva’s 500th Blog Post !! That’s right – 500 ! and all of this amidst the Ultimate Blog Challenge that I’m taking part in (today is Day 3)

Honestly, when I first started this blog, I never thought I’d reach a stage where I’d still be ‘blogging’ 3 years later.  But I am, which is cool and its become a part of me.  I look back at some of the things I have written and I think ‘wow did I actually come up with that’. 

My blog (and me) have grown.  I’ve come to realize that there are some subjects I’m very passionate about and that I have something that could be useful to others.  I feel like I’ve come a long way since my first 100 posts back in July 2009; 200 posts in May 2010; 300 posts in March 2011 (and the biggest surprise); 400 posts in Aug 2011 !

Despite a really hectic schedule with my business, I try to blog whenever I can – and am happy to say that over the past year – I’ve actually averaged about 17 posts per month ! That’s a lot ! The #MM & #WW memes that I’ve been participating in have definitely helped inspire some really deep insights.  Sometimes I also feel like I don’t have enough time to blog about all the things I want to blog about but that doesn’t quite stop my blogger voice !

I’ve gotten to know so many new bloggers, built a rapport with them online & offline and it feels great being able to connect with so many like-minded individuals.  I just want to say a big Thank You to all of you out there in Blogosphere for taking the time to read my very dazed and sporadic reflections; and for sharing a piece of you with me by way of your comments and tweets.  It means so much to me. 

p.s. if you are taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge, don’t forget to share your link below

Some of you might recall that a few months ago I participated in the 10 Day YOU Blog Challenge which was quite a bit of fun and it really got me focused on ensuring I churned out one post a day (every day) for 10 days.

Then in October / November I came across something called the Ultimate Blog Challenge (and being the rock star that I am) I decided to sign up for the January 2012 session.  Little did I know that I would actually get an email informing me that the challenge was about to start and whether I was ready to get my blog on ! 

There are few simple rules to follow :

  1. Post every day for 31 days (duh !).  Doesn’t matter if you post twice a day and then skip a day – but you have to hit 31 posts over the entire month of January.
  2. Each post must have a minimum of 100 words to count – so you can’t just put up a picture or a video and leave it there
  3. Once you’ve posted, then tweet your post with the tag #blogboost so other participants can find you, and come comment on your blog
  4. Go to the #blogboost page and take the time to read other participants blogs (and don’t forget to comment!)
  5. No adult blogs – so keep it PG
  6. Have fun whilst you blog !

Now I just have to figure out how on earth I’m going to manage 31 posts in 31 days given my extremely hectic schedule for the coming few weeks … Wish me luck folks !

Wow ! I can’t believe 2011 is about to come to an end.  The year has flown by (and yet gone a bit slow as well) and in a matter of a few days we will bid adieu to 2011 and welcome 2012 with open arms.

2011 has been quite a journey for me as a blogger.  I lost my guest post cherry; and things have been popping every since ! This Diva’s Guests have also made an appearance and I’m hoping to show case a few more guest bloggers in 2012.

I’ve also crossed 200 posts in 2011 ! Last year I only managed 134 posts in 2010; and 130 in 2009.  What’s even more exciting is that this year alone – I’ve hit my 3rd and 4th century ! Yeah that’s right – 300th and 400th post milestone in the same year !! And I’m almost squealing with delight because I need only 5 more posts before I hit 500 posts in total over my 2.5 years of blogging !).

I’m pretty chuffed about how regular I’ve been with blogging – about anything and everything that catches my attention.  I felt that posts like ‘Let The Sluts Walk’; ‘Suicide & Death’ & Forgive, Forget or F*ck It brought about interesting reactions and perceptions from those who take the time to

I even managed to successfully complete a 10 Day Blog Challenge !  Oh and it’s just struck me that I’ve built up a few hours of tunes by participating in the #MusicMonday meme.  Hmmm maybe I should make a playlist ;) 

I’ve also been pegged as a dating / relationship blogger; which is pretty cool but I don’t think I’m on par with some of the other bloggers I know who cover this subject on a deeper more insightful level.  What the hell is dating anyway ?  When is a date – considered da date ?

And if that’s not hard enough – then we’ve got to think about things like being exclusive or not !  Don’t even get me started on the friend zone or the Indian stereotype that  says that fair = perfect partner ! I say – yeah right !

I haven’t shared enough of the Diva’s Dating Diary but I really shot myself in the foot by following the ‘it’s just one date – go for it’ policy … I can assure you that I had to pull the fade on the Doctor ! (who by the way – has still not gotten the hint !) P4300552

There have been some “OMG I can’t believe this happened” moments which still make me smile … the Roadside Romeo and my topless treat !  And how can I forget the whole connecting with a stranger on flight that lead to a hit or miss situation !

Do these posts give you a reflection of Who Am I ? Did you particularly enjoy any of my posts of 2011 ? If you did – I’d love to know which one :) Come on – it’ll make me smile if you share it with me (unless you are still a lurker)

who am i

Today’s post marks the end of the 10 Day YOU Challenge, and probably the most awaited one as well.  Today’s post is the easiest post – I have to put up a picture of myself !

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And this is what the Diva looks like (on a mad night out) ….

My new mask, Trilogy, 9.2.07

Admit it – you thought I was going to put up a proper picture of myself didn’t you ?  Hey, the rules never said that I actually had to reveal my face – it just said a picture of me hehe and here’s a picture of moi in my element on a mad night out with my boys when Pete Tong was playing in Dubai.

To know more about the challenge and a bit more about me – check out the following posts that reveal my secrets; things I love; my deepest fears, and the things I desperately want.  I’ve still got lots of places I want to visit; lots of foods that I need to experiment with; and one can never get enough of movies, books and songs !

And there you have it – the Diva has successfully completed the 10 Day YOU Challenge.  Hopefully it may inspire you to participate in the same (and just as I say this I see an alert that my friend The Crazy Nigerian has just put up his latest post for the challenge)

If you are participating – don’t forget to share your links below so that we all get to know each other a bit better.

10 day you challenge

fave movieMy heart sank a little when I saw what todays’ challenge was.  3 Films.  Is that 3 films I’ve really liked, or that have inspired me or that I’d never watch again ?

I’ve come to conclude that I’m really crap at names of songs, books and movies ! But for the sake of this challenge – let’s get this list going ..

Films that were a total waste of my time

  1. Black Swan.  WTF ! I wanted to smack the woman ! I don’t know why but I just did not like this movie at all.  It made me want to leave the cinema !
  2. From Paris With Love.  Avoid.  Poor story line and some scenes made me wonder what the director & producer were thinking when they shot the scene !
  3. Inglorious Bastards.  Long, drawn out, and sketchy / weird ending.  I think I even fell asleep for 20 mins during the movie.  Definitely something dodgy about this film.

Films that I can watch over & over again

  1. Ice Age.  Diego is my favourite character !
  2. Pulp Fiction.  Tarantino at his best !
  3. Face Off.  John Travolta and Nicolas Cage – need I say more ?

The first thing that came to mind were movies that I did not like – hence the top list; then I just jotted down what I did like to balance it out. 

What are your favourite movies ? Which movie could you watch over and over again ? Have you seen any of the movies on my list – thoughts about them ?

Don’t forget to share your 3 films in the comments below (think of it as doing me a favour and allowing me to expand my horizons when its comes to movies).  If you are taking part in the challenge, make sure you share your link below !

booksI don’t even know how to start shortlisting books that I enjoy reading ! I’ve read so many over the years.  The problem is that my entire book collection is now gathering dust in storage as I have no space for them in the house – so I can’t even go through the lot of them to pick out my faves !

So here goes my list (which is whatever comes to mind first – including authors I like) and I’m hopefully going to avoid the ones I already have listed in a previous post ‘Books & Beyond’

1/ Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.  I love the authors’ writing style and the main character.  I’ve read about 15 or so books by this author and its great to follow the main character through his adventures.

2/ Any book by John Grisham.  I grew up reading his books and really enjoy his writing style.  The criminal cases, the court systems, learning bits & bobs about the law.  My favourites include A Time To Kill, The Client and The Chamber.

3/ Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.  I love love love the series.  I want to go to Hogwarts.  I want a magic wand, a time turner; but most of all I want the invisible cloak (it would be so much fun!).  Oooh how I wish the magical world of Hogwarts really existed !

4/ Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.  Damn it took me a few minutes to recollect that, not to mention some help from NB and Google !

It’s actually criminal (not to mention super hard!) to just have to list just 4 books !! Now I feel crappy because I don’t have all my books nor do I remember all the authors I have enjoyed in the past.

Oh well – guess this is the motivation I need to build up the book collection again !

What are your favourite books ? Or authors ? Are you reading anything at the moment ? What was the last book you read ? Don’t forget to share your answers in the comments and if you are taking part in the Blog Challenge then make sure you share your link.

10 day you challenge

bread heartNow this is going to be hard considering I’m a self-proclaimed dessert lover and not even remotely close to being a foodie ! Oh and I’m a vegetarian as well !

I’m going to try to go with cuisine here just so that it sounds like I have a more exotic food palate – although I’m tempted just to write dessert for all items on my list !

1/ Italian.  Pizza, pastas and risottos.  I’m a huge fan of Italian food and more so ‘cos my boy Luci (pronounced Lu-chi) really spoiled me on my trips to Italy.  I like my pizza as a plain margarita (extra cheese if you will); a nice mix sauce (or pink sauce) pasta (spaghetti, fettuccini, penne) is always comforting; and a mushroom risotto is the best meal when you want to fill-up the tummy !  Oh, and lets not mozzarella & tomato salad (especially fresh Buffalo mozzarella) ! yum yum yum !

2/ Middle Eastern.  I grew up in Dubai – need I say more ? From falafel wraps, humus & pita bread, tabouleh, lebneh, couscous, rice wrapped in vine leaves – I could live off Middle Eastern cuisine.  My absolute favourite item of food to eat is the Cheese Manaeesh from Al Reef Bakery in Dubai.  It’s a must have every time I visit there.  My bestie Nat introduced me to Burekas when visiting Israel and I find them to be divine !

3/ Japanese.  Ok as a vegetarian it’s a bit hard to really enjoy Japanese food but I love all things ‘maki’ (which is the veg sushi rolls) and Golden Tofu with peanut sauce ! I became a fan after eating at Bento Cafe in London – I just checked the menu out and now craving some Japanese food ! Ohhh bring on the Avocado & Cucumber maki rolls, and some Gyoza whilst we are on the subject !  Oh God I want to move back to London right now !

4/ Indian.  The Punjabi in me loves authentic parathas with yogurt, dal makhani, paneer makhani (only during the day ‘cos I get migraines if I eat it at night).  I do quite South Indian food such as dosas (confession I eat ‘cheese dosas’), idli and curd rice – and I really enjoyed eating off a banana leaf !! Then I like eating some really specific Rajesthani dishes courtesy of my maternal grandma.  But I can’t eat Indian food on a daily basis – it’s just way too heavy for my system !

5/ I don’t know what the 5th type of food would be.  Would any type of eggs be considered valid ? Or can I just put ‘breakfast foods’ ? That could pass for a type of cuisine right ? Or maybe if I have to pick a cuisine I’ll go with Chinese (specifically veg fried rice, dim sums, crispy seaweed with plum sauce)

Like I’ve mentioned before I’m really not much of a foodie at all – so it’s actually quite hard to pin point foods that I like to eat (and having said that – it has to be as authentic as possible otherwise I’m not eating it!)

If I had to pick 5 foods I couldn’t live without then it would have to be :

  1. Potato
  2. Eggs
  3. Bread
  4. Pasta
  5. Fruit

Finally this challenge is done – probably the hardest for me to actually do ! Why isn’t there a dessert list on this challenge ?? (note to self – must change that!)

What about you guys ? What' are your favourite foods / cuisine ? Have you got any preferences or are you a foodie by nature ? What are your top 5 foods that you couldn’t do without ? and your top 5 favourite cuisines to eat ?  Share your thoughts in the comments or put up your link to your own post !

10 day you challenge

Places I would like to visitAs you all know, I'm taking part in this blog challenge, where I am going to write 10 posts in 10 days.  It’s Day 5 and I’m pretty chuffed that I got through the last few days without any delays.

Now that you already know my secrets, my loves & list of fears (don’t hold it against me) and my wants, it’s time to spill the beans on the 6 places I want to visit (I’m assuming they mean places I want to visit)

1/ Hawaii … beautiful beaches, beautiful people, volcanoes and sharks – who doesn’t want to go there ?

2/ South America … Hot men, hot women, salsa dancing, the rain forests, the parties ! oh and I know this might sound nuts – but I’m kinda hoping when I do visit – I get to spot an anaconda !

3/ Africa … given my fascination with wildlife, Africa is definitely a place on my bucket list.  Two friends recently went out there and the photographs they have are just unbelievable ! I would love to be able to watch the migration in Masai Mara (and I really want to just be able to spend time getting close to the big cats !)

4/ Leh & Ladakh … Ever since I moved to India, I have wanted to go and visit this picturesque mountain region – but alas opportunity seems to pass me by.  I’m hoping that before I leave the country I get to visit here.

5/ Central & Eastern Europe … I’ve done most of Southern Europe but there are still so many more places to explore ! My cousin moved to Russia for a year but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to go and visit her – so I’m hoping maybe in the next few years I get to go.

6/ Actually I want to visit every country on the map. I love to travel, and love exploring new locations – so perhaps a world tour would be perfect for me.

10 day you challenge

Have you been to any of the above places ? Do you have any suggestions of what other locations I should add to my ‘Places to Visit’ list ? What about you – what are the Top 6 places (countries / cities) that you would want to visit ?

i wantI’ve decided to take part in a blog challenge as mentioned previously, where I am going to write 10 posts in 10 days. Today is Day 4 and I’m about to share all the things that top my ‘want’ list !

1/ My own dream home.  Who doesn’t want this right ? I’ve always thought of having a house on the beach since I love the water.  My aunt has a gorgeous place on the Palms in Dubai – I’d kill to have a place over there !  If not a house, then a very modern apartment in a high rise with great views; lots of rooms so all my friends & family have a place to crash; a swimming pool and a walk-in wardrobe to put all my clothes, sandals & bags !

2/ Luxury Sports Car.  I love Mercedes as a brand.  My first car was a CLK 230 and I can’t wait to own another Merc – the new AMG has caught my fancy ! Otherwise a Porche, Lamborghini or Maserati would do just fine. 

3/ My own night club.  I don’t know where it’s going to be but I want it and I’m going to get it ! (in an ideal world – I’d own a few night clubs actually in different parts of the world)

4/ A puppy.  I absolutely love dogs especially German Shepherds & Dobermans ! I haven’t gotten a puppy over the last 4 years as I wasn’t sure how long I was going to  sooner than later, it doesn’t make sense to get one here.  I’m definitely gonna get one once I find a city / country to settle down in.

5/ To travel the World.  I love traveling, and there are so many places that I have yet to discover.  I would love to be able to take a year or two off and just go traveling around !

6/ To be successful in whatever I do.  I’ve been an entrepreneur for years now and whilst everything is great – there’s always scope for improvement.  I know my hard work and dedication will pay off – so there’s nothing wrong in wanting it right.

7/ I want a magic lamp with my own personal genie who grants me 3 wishes every day for the rest of my life ! Hell I might as well throw it out in the universe and hope for the best right ?

10 day you challenge

That’s my ‘want list’  – now it’s time to share yours.  Feel free to list them out in the comments or share the link to your own blog post on the subject.

fear (2)I’ve decided to take part in a blog challenge as mentioned previously, where I am going to write 10 posts in 10 days. Today is Day 3 and I’m about to share my worst fears with you !

1/ Losing my parents.  The thought alone makes me tear up and I don’t even know how to imagine a life without them.  It doesn’t matter I’ve lived away from them for years – but to not be able to speak to them or see them again – the thought kills me.

2/ Losing my Memory. I’ve always prided myself on being able to keep track of things far and beyond; my Mum says I have this uncanny ability to remember the randomest of dates and comes to me when she can’t recall something.

3/ A slow painful death.  We are all going to die one day and I’m cool with that.  I just want it to be quick and done with ! The idea of a slow and drawn out death is not only painful but it would hurt my loved ones and I rather not see that happen.  I’ve actually said to a friend of mine & my mom, if that were the case – just pull the plug on me.

4/ Not being able to give my children the life that I have had.  Everyone wants to give their kids a better life if not the same life they have had.  It would eat me up if I wasn’t able to give my kids (when I have them) the life I’ve had (and thinking about it makes me realize I really should save more for that to be able to happen !)

5/ Being a burden to my loved ones.  I know one day I might not be able to do all the things I do for myself on a regular basis.  I’m gonna hope that never happens.  I’d hate to be dependent on someone for my day-to-day needs.  This also holds true for being incapacitated.  The thought of not having any functioning body parts (hands, legs, brain) gives me the shivers and would pose to be a burden for those around me.

6/ Losing all my teeth. I know it’s gonna happen someday but I actually get nightmares of my teeth falling (actually crumbling) in my mouth !! It’s given me many sleepless nights.

7/ Cockroaches. I’m a chicken shit when it comes to cockroaches. I know they can’t do much to me but just looking at them gives me the creeps.  Anything that can live without its head for 9 days needs to be feared !

8/ Losing everything stored on my various Hard Drives.  That is enough to give me a nervous break down !! I have everything from my school work, university papers, photographs (this is the most important of them all), work related documents, music, fav TV shows, fav movies etc stored on my HDs.  It would drive me nuts if I lost any of this – especially the photographs.  We live in a technology driven world and I have no hard copies of anything anymore !

10 day you challenge

That’s my list of fears for you – now it’s time to share yours.  Feel free to list them out in the comments or share the link to your own blog post on the subject.

I’ve decided to take part in a blog challenge as mentioned previously, where I am going to write 10 posts in 10 days. Today is Day 2 and I’m about to share all the things that top my love list  !

1/ Dessert.  To say I have a sweet tooth is an understatement.  I would rather have dessert all day than have an actual meal.  I would pick chocolate mousse over a cheesy pizza (and then eat the pizza after but you get my drift).  It’s definitely one of my guilty pleasures !

2/ Photography.  I am a self proclaimed cameraholic.  I’m permanently attached to my camera.  My friends get often get fed up of my constant need to capture all moments; but afterwards they end up appreciating it.  We only live once, and if I want to capture all the things I want to look back – then so be it.  I already have 8000 pictures from January till present date.  My record high has been 18,000 in 2009.

3/ Water. Doesn’t matter if it is in the pool, sea, river, a lake, a small creek or even a waterfall -  I am an out and out water baby, true to my sign – Aquarian.  Water in any form fascinates me.  I can spend hours floating on my back in the pool, watching the sky and losing myself in my thoughts.  There’s something so soothing about listening to water flow.  For those of you who haven’t been to Rishikesh then you must go and camp out by the river !

4/ Massages & Spa Treatments.  I absolutely love getting massages.  Who doesn’t right ? Alas, it appears that I end up giving more massages than I am getting in return.  I must change that.  Having said that I’ve just booked a chocolate massage for myself (see I really can’t resist dessert in any form) and can’t wait for that divine experience !

5/ Nature. From lush green landscapes, to desert terrains, sunsets and night skies.  I love to watch the sunset whenever I can, especially over water or between mountains.  I love watching clouds and discovering a pattern, object or animal in cloud formations.

6/ Wildlife.  I’m an animal person, and have always been enamoured by wildlife.  Something about them draws me to them and their natural beauty (especially the big cat family) takes my breath away.  I would love to spend 6 months or a year out in the wild just being around the various wildlife and have my camera on hand to capture moments that I might never be able to see again (without the help of Nat Geo or Animal Planet).  This particular advert gives me goose bumps ‘It’s In Our Nature’ – so do check it out when you get a chance.

7/ Dogs.  I grew up with a German Shepherd & a Doberman.  At university I got myself another Shepherd.  I’ve always been surrounded by dogs.  After my dogs passed away, I haven’t had any pets and feel like something is missing.  I can’t wait to get a dog again !

8/ My Family & Friends.  Admit it – you were wondering when this would show up on my list of loves hehe  Mine is a small house – parents, younger sis & bro and only about 30 odd cousins (including their spouses) and 20 nieces & nephews (and that’s just my Dads’ side of the family!) My Friends are my lifeline and support system.  Without them life would be dull and predictable.  I know of women who envy me on seeing just how dashingly suave my boys are ! And my girls – Dee, Nomiswamii, Nat, NC, Vixen, Goldie, NB – they deserve a whole post dedicated to them if not more !

9/ My Life.  Yes, I love my life.  Everything about it.  I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world – growing up, university, work, and for pleasure; a family that cares about me; friends that mean the world to me; a flourishing business of my own.  I’ve had my ups and downs like any other person, and fortunately I’ve kept my feet firmly planted in the ground to stop me from sinking into a bottomless pit-hole or from getting to far above myself.  Damn right I love my life !

10 day you challenge

That’s my list of loves for you – now it’s time to share yours.  Feel free to list them out in the comments or share the link to your own blog post on the subject.

400 postsI can’t help but feel super excited as I write this .. This post is my 400th blog post ! That’s right – I said Four Hundred !

Just a few days ago I noticed that whilst I had hit 300 posts earlier this year; I was already close to 400 posts ! And it hasn’t even been a full 6 months !

It feels great looking back at all the sporadic reflections I’ve had over the last 2.5 years.  It seems like forever since my I hit my first century i.e 100 posts way back in July 2009. 

It’s been an exciting few months on my blog; not only  have I been writing more ..

  1. I lost my guest post cherry a few months ago when I was invited to write guest posts for MetAnotherFrog.com and TheSingleFilez.com !
  2. and The Diva’s Guests are now sharing their sporadic thoughts directly on my blog- so do check out what my neighbours in Bloggerville have to say
  3. but the most exciting and yet nerve wrecking part is that this lil’ Diva ‘may’ soon be blogging for 2 well-known online magazines ! do keep your fingers crossed for me ! 

I’m hoping to spice things up here, and since a few known tweeps on Twitterverse have classified me as a relationship blogger (looks like my blogger voice is growing) – I’m going to be putting together some of my dating (or lack of) escapades. 

A huge shout out going out to all of you out there in Blogosphere for taking the time to read up on my very dazed & sporadic reflections; for sharing a piece of you via your comments – it really means a lot to me ! 

I’ve gotten to know some of my favourite bloggers a lot better; and even have an offline rapport with some of them.  So, for those of you who are still lurking – it’s about time you de-lurk and reveal yourselves.

Here’s a toast to my 400th post – and hoping that you will stick around for another 100 reflections (or more).

A while back – I had a guest post featured on my blog by a dear friend AS.  I was writing about dating and so was he and it made sense to show case a post with male insight.

A few weeks ago, I lost my guest post cherry and got featured on MetAnotherFrog.com; and luckily for me, people quite enjoyed the post =)  I’ve been asked to write another guest post for next month which I’m quite excited (and nervous) about.

guest-bloggers-wantedEver since then – I’ve been wondering about asking my readers and visitors if they wanted to share their thoughts and their own sporadic reflections here on my blog.  As much as I’d like to believe and hope that I can continue to entertain my neighbours here in Bloggerville – it might just spice things up by adding a few new perspectives every now and then.

So here’s the deal and it’s pretty self explanatory.  If you feel like you want to add your Blogger Voice towards my very sporadic reflections – then get in touch via email / comments / twitter.

It could be about anything and everything (let’s just avoid the porn); your favourite song that you want featured on Music Mondays; a picture that took your breath away for Wordless Wednesdays.  You might be a great poet; a great cook with a divine dessert recipe you want to share; or you found a way to take revenge on the ex … you get my drift ?

Drop me a line on dazediva@gmail.com  with whatever you have in mind, a small blurb about yourself along with a link to your blog / twitter account; your avatar / photo and we can take things from there.

I’m being serious !! … Seriously ;P

I’ve been doing a lot of reading this morning (like any other morning) and came across an interesting post by Jeff Bullas titled ‘Why Do You Blog’ (hence the title of my post since there was really no other way of putting it)  which I highly recommend you all read.

I have taken the liberty of putting together a little diagram to summarize what Jeff has said :

why do you blog 

I’ve been blogging for almost 2 years now .. seriously since about 1.5 year .. and I’ve never really thought about ‘why’ I blog .. I blog because I want to.  There’s no real hidden purpose behind it.  It’s more about the ability to be able to express myself and to voice out an opinion.  I’m not a political blogger nor am I a business blogger .. I don’t fall into the dating / relationship blogger category (but am flattered that a few of my Twitter friends consider me to be so) ..

I suppose I blog for all of the above illustrated reasons – more so in the personal blogger category because I tend to write about a variety of things .. hence the name Sporadic Reflections for my blog.

I never thought I’d make money from blogging.  Hats off to those who make a living as bloggers.  I just don’t know if I would be able to do that.  I mean I love to write but I barely have the time that would even remotely qualify me to be able to make enough money to sustain myself.  Having said that, I have over the past few months enrolled myself with various sites that pay bloggers for content.  I’m also quite proud of the fact that I’ve managed to make about $100 from doing what I enjoy in my spare time – writing – or to say it correctly – by blogging. 

Everyone has their own reasons behind why they choose to blog – after all it’s about finding your blogger voice.  As an events & wedding planner – I have been meaning to put together a few articles that I feel would be helpful for brides and grooms and have them put up on my blog.  I’ve even thought about having a separate blog just for that.  I’m still in the researching phase for that – but it’s something I want to do and hope to have up and running soon enough.  Alternatively I will just wait until my company website is live and have the blog as a part of that.

I recommend business blogs to all my clients who come to me for marketing consulting.  I am very pro social media marketing and encourage clients to delve into it if they haven’t already as I feel its a better medium for them.  There are a plethora of ways of business to promote their brand and their products by way of blogging and incorporating a few other social media mediums and use it voice vitaminsto their advantage. 

MySpace introduced blogging quite a few years ago – and created an avenue for music artists to put up their latest projects, gigs, their new music, and also enable them to interact with their fans.  There are a growing number of photo blogs out there that lets photography enthusiasts show off their talents and lets the rest of cyber space enough their photography.  Some of us have never seen the images captured and probably never will.

Now that I have found my blogger voice – what about you ? Have you found your blogger voice ? And lastly I’ll leave you with this thought – does a public or private blog affect your writing ?

So why do you blog ? Would love to know your thoughts on this and if you have taken the time to read any of the other posts linked to this article – don’t forget to leave a comment :)