#blogboost 31 Day Blog Challenge blog challenge blogging challenge memories ultimate blog challenge

So damn true.

I can’t believe that I have to leave London.  I can’t get over that sinking feeling.  Everything about this city has ‘ME’ all over it.  My best friends are here.  My extended family are here. 

It pains me to leave my best friends behind; one of the woes of living such a nomadic life style.  I said that I would stop complaining; this isn’t a complaint, it’s just the way I feel. 

The memories of London are etched into my mind, my soul – something I can’t let go of even when I have tried in the past. These are memories that make me smile.

#blogboost 31 Day Blog Challenge blog challenge blogging challenge memories personal reflections ultimate blog challenge

I saw this and the quote ‘Memories maketh a man’ came to mind.  Are we not a sum of our memories ? There are so many tiny details that go into a memory; and my favourite ones are the ones that make me smile or laugh out loud at the thought of them.

Today as I was packing up to get ready to head over to India for the next set of events that my company is organizing; I came across a few old note books and in it were notes that my old high school friend & flat mate and I used to leave for each other.  As I was flicking through the pages, I got these visuals of particular moments when those notes were written and it gave me such a warm fuzzy feeling.

I’m an extremely visual person and have been told many a time that I have a very good memory.  In fact, I’ve earned the nickname Miss Paparazzi’ by my friends who will agree that I have captured all the memories I have shared with people on camera.  I keep the photos not only to serve as memory forever captured; but for the off-chance that one day if and when I start to lose my memory – the photos will be there as a reminder of the good old days !

What memory makes you smile ? Do you have a favourite one that you care to share ?

guy friends rock guy friends rule interpretations key to happiness looking back memories men and women can be friends platonic friendships reflections relationships the male best friend

I’ve got a huge smile on my face whilst getting the title of this post down.  Once again I have been inspired by Simone to write about something close to my heart.

Having just read her post on Top 5 Reasons Why Every Single Girl Needs a Bunch of Guy Friends (the type who like boobs) – I couldn’t help but grin back to memories with my guy friends who I have spent years hanging out with !

I’m the first to admit that over the years, my closest friends have been my guy mates.  I have a better, more solid relationship with my guy mates than I do with my female friends.  This is not to say that I have trouble being friends with women – it’s just that I am more comfortable with my guy mates.

The kind of friendship that my guy mates have to offer me is very different to that my women friends and I share.  Sure – if I want to have a girls night out; or just whine away about something that is bothering me – the ladies will be there for me.  Luckily for me, I have the sort of women friends who are also able to whack me across the back of my head if I ever need a reality check too !

But my boys … they are just different … and special – and if it were not for them – I would probably be a bit lost.  My closest male friends ALL live in different countries … some of them I haven’t seen in a few years but we are in touch over email, SMS, MSN, Facebook etc.

These guys have been around me through my ups and downs of life – whether it be relationships; career options; personal decisions; and I’d like to believe I have been there for them as well during the times we have been together. 

It’s so clear in my head about how I met each and every one of my boys … I met KAF and JA around 1997, RR in 1999 completely by accident (we thought we were 2 different people on ICQ!) ; and SL during my last few semesters at university so that would be 2002

KAF a.k.a Kimo & JA a.k.a J

I can’t think of one without thinking of the other ! I met J when I must have been about 15 or 16 years old and I thought he was one of the best looking guys I had come across.  He was visiting Dubai – and we became fast friends who even exchanged ‘letters’ (yep – the paper, envelope & stamp kinds) for 2 years. 

Kimo – I met through J and another common friend.  I remember going to his school dance with him – and I still have the rose he got me that day (I’m a sucker for dried roses)

I moved to Montreal for university because KAF and JA were there – we were all living on the same street a few blocks from each other and were always hanging out. 

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I must have gone over to Kimo’s apartment with pasta and sauces to make dinner for both of them in the middle of the night !  These guys were my wingmen !  Even in Dubai whilst growing up – they would point out men checking me out and then hiss at me for turning around too quickly ! I never saw the cute men – only the old fogies eyeing me up ! LOL  

Kimo, J and I have done a few road trips from Montreal up to Boston and they have resulted in the funniest moments of our lives  !  We once had a patrol car stop us in the dead of the night on a drive back from Boston and he was a bit scandalized that between 3 of us – we had passports & nationalities that didn’t seem to coincide with our skin colour ! Kimo – Egyptian with Canadian residence visa; J – Irish Libyan with Australian passport; and yours truly who is Indian with British passport ! We were then stopped at the border as well !

I know both their parents and once made the mistake of offering home remedies for a bad cough & cold to JA’s dad who just happened to be a reputed doctor ! Kimo’s mom would prepare vegetarian Arabic dishes and leave them in the freezer for me to eat at a later stage.   His younger brother took to calling me ‘Aunty D’ ‘cos ‘I took care of them’.

Some of my fondest memories include going shopping for men’s clothes for these two lads – and just a few months ago – Kimo sent me an SMS whilst in Lebanon asking my opinion on linen trousers ! No wonder I love them both to bits !  I’m telling you I could make a career out of being a personal shopper for men =)

RR a.k.a Rockstar

I smile every time I think of him – he’s been a pillar of support and strength through the years – and surprisingly enough we met completely by accident over ICQ ! Yup back in the day when that IM was popular – we both thought we were other people and got talking for a while before realising we were not who we thought we were.  This was June 1999 and we stayed in touch after that.

I met him for the first time in Oct / Nov whilst working at a car exhibition and a really cute guy came over to me and spoke to me by my name (no surprise since I had a name tag on !) but one look at him and I realised it had to be RR ! and it was !

The following year I met him soon after a break up with my first love … and to cheer me up, he offered to take me out … to a SHOOTING range ! Imagine that ! We drove out towards this range, only to realise it was closed on the day that we got there (Mon or Tues if I recall correctly) ! So as not to let the evening waste, we ended up driving up to the beach in his jeep Amber, and lay on top of the roof of the car just catching up with each other’s lives.  There was never any mention of my feelings and mixed emotions about the break-up – it was just about two people hanging out without any preset judgement against them.

Over the years we have shared many adventures – I spent a few days in Boston with him and my luggage never arrived ! We drove down to Cape Cod and rode a golf cart around for fun.  On another insane weekend, he drove from Boston to Montreal – we went clubbing till about 6 a.m, picked up another girlfriend of mine and drove up to Toronto (York University specifically) after a lunch & lake break in Ottawa followed by another night of clubbing; spent the night joining 2 single beds at my mate’s dorm room with 5 of us sleeping on it and then drove to Niagara Falls in the morning .. Instead of driving back like normal people, the four of us decided to go back to Montreal via New York and got dissed at the border for not paying $6 for an entry permit !

RR is truly my Rockstar – we’ve seen each other over the last few years between London (we rocked the Absolut Ice Bar!), Bombay (one year he flew out to my cousins’ wedding and took me by surprise) and Dubai – and despite the limited time we have to hang out – every minute we spend together is worth a lifetime of memories.

SL a.k.a Lucii

Luci is an Italian man with charm galore ! We were on a project for a course together and realised we got along all too well and ended up hanging out almost every other night.  We would watch movies at my apartment, until I would pass out on the sofa, and he would quietly leave my place but NOT before leaving a post-it note taped to my face or eyes and sometimes even on my dog which would tell me Good Night :)

He is also the reason why I simply cannot order food at a restaurant !  This man spoiled me so badly – he used to get appalled by my eating habits and made it his mission to ensure I got proper food for dinner at least instead of just dessert !  He’s also the ONLY guy I have known who has cooked a home-made meal for me and had me eat by a fire place ! 

We would spend hours driving around Montreal trying to find me food that I was craving – right from  Baked Potatoes from Wendy’s (this pic doesn’t look so appetizing) to Taco Bell which was only available outside Montreal and including one random night with a girlfriend MPK where we ended up at  a Greek restaurant and they made fun of me for eating my pita wrap with a fork ‘cos any other way would involve everything falling out !

I made two trips out to Italy to hang out with Luci and his family and friends – and he came down to London to surprise me for my company anniversary party that I was throwing (much to the dismay of my boyfriend of the time ! that’s another drama altogether).  We haven’t seen each other since 2004 but can pick up where we left off no matter how long since the last conversation !

Luci has always been protective of me – especially when it’s come to my relationships – he reckons I can do much better and I shouldn’t have to waste energy on people who can’t appreciate me the way I am.  I’m the same way for him – I can’t for the life of me gather how he lands up dating women with so much emotional baggage that it would take months if not years to actually unload !  So ladies – if you are void of any emotional baggage, enjoy dancing, long drives, beaches and bars, and are looking for the perfect someone – send me your details so I can do some screening for my Shining Star !

….

…….

………..

There you have it … My boys – my best friends – my support system … Words aren’t enough to describe how I feel about them but perhaps you have gotten an insight into the web of friendship I share with these guys.

They have been there for me through some of the best and worst phases of my life – guided me when I felt lost in space; cajoled me in my stubborn phases; made me laugh when I wanted to cry; taken me out even though they were exhausted and had tons of work to do whilst I had a stop over flight; satisfied my cravings with endless supplies of chocolate, Al Reef bakery and sheesha ! And I must say, a Big Hats off to them for putting up with the flash of my camera even though they all probably want to rip it out of my hands and smash it on the floor – only because they know that ‘it’s me’.

There are no expectations – no judgements – no doubt  - just the comfort of accepting each other’s words and actions for what they were and are at face value.

I may not tell you guys enough – but I absolutely Love You from the bottom of my heart ! Thank you … for Everything …. and now I think I have given you all enough of an ego boost to deserve a phone call or SMS telling me that you love me too :P

(Now you have it in B&W that I 'can ‘occasionally’ be a mushball !)

xxx

Interesting Links

1. Guy Friends Rule by Mary Elizabeth Williams which appeared in Salon Life (July 27, 2009)
2. All Women Need Guy Friends says Salon Writer by Anna N which appeared on Jezebel (July 27, 2009)
3. Guys Can Offer Great Friendships, Too by Carrie Wasterlain which appeared in The Frisky (July 28, 2009)

lyrics Magic of Melodies melodies memories music music for the soul musical emotions rhythm

My friend AM posted this link on FB today and I have heard the track at least 5 times already.

‘You’ is the latest single released by Schiller - the main project of Christopher von Deylen. I’ve already written about another track in which Schiller was a part of – Dream Of You – another MUST HEAR track :)

I don’t know the artist Colbie, but her voice is quite mesmerizing.  After a little bit of Googling, I found out that she is basically an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, Calfornia. 

I heard the song and had instant chills with goose bumps all over ! The vocals just flow over you … completely taking over your senses.  The background sounds play upon your emotions.  The echoes are hauntingly beautiful throughout the track.  You can hear the layers of trance with vocal poetry which makes it atmospheric – creating an almost enigmatic feel and draws you in immediately.

The lyrics are deep and meaningful … I know I can relate to it at some level – more than I care to admit … The words caused a flashback of memories that came flooding over me ! I didn’t need them but for a song to evoke such emotions .. that’s some pretty good stuff out there !

In essence this is a love song but not in its most traditional sense.  I get the happy – uplifting sort of feel when I hear this tune, and as much as it takes me to another place – to another lifetime almost – it keeps me rooted where I am. Does that even make sense to you ??

The video clip for ‘You’ was released in Germany on October 31st 2008.  I found the original video on You Tube but couldn’t post it on here as the embedding format was disabled – so do check it out.  I really like how the video starts with the crashing of waves under the pier.

Turn down the silence
Inside my head
Bring back the colours
Of you instead
Further from where I started
Further to go
Keeping my heart under control

Why do I still feel you ? feel you
And all you've got is to feel you, feel you
All I need is you
All I need is to feel you

Why did you change your mind and run away?
Thoughts of you by my side
Starting to fade
I know that you should be by
So I won't let go
Everyday I’m trying to get close

 
Why do I still feel you feel you
And all you've got is to feel you, feel you
All I need is you
All I need is to feel you

Stop running all the time
Don’t fight the feeling inside
Cause when you try it hard
Don’t matter where you go it’s deep in your soul (x3)

All i need is to feel you , feel you...

2008 babies cousins family holidays life looking back memories nephews nieces people perceptions real life reflections vacations

As a pre-note, I must add that I had been meaning to post this prior to 31^st Dec '08 - obviously that didn't happen …. Now we can continue …

Wow – 2008 is at an end .. only a few more hours to go and the world shall be welcoming in 2009. I had thought about what I wanted to write today – and in my head – I saw the many things I wanted to talk about … after dilly-dallying on that for about an hour – I realized there was just SO much to pen down and that I'd probably not have the time to finish it off.

It's been a really interesting year so far for me … I have now been in Mumbai for just over a year – but I like to look at my stint here from Jan '08 till Dec '08 and just recap my experiences. (As an added FYI – I moved here Sept '07 but was working on a client wedding till Dec '07 and really had no life what-so-ever). January was a great month for me – I finally got relax after the wedding season got over – and I was going to be travelling to South India (first time!) for my current boss' wedding. I managed to wear a typical South Indian Sari, took a coach ride across cities, spent a blissful 24 hours on a house boat (the irony here is that I'm a vegetarian who doesn't eat seafood, and my boat comprised of another colleague from work and me – who also happened to be a veggie – the poor chef on the houseboat didn't know what to do with all the lobsters & fish he had planned for our meals!) … Once we got off the houseboat it was followed by a getaway at the lovely Estuary Island. I never thought I would celebrate my 26^th Birthday in an unknown city with people who I had just come to know and were within my work environment. It was actually a lot of fun ! I got thrown in the swimming pool as the clock struck 12 and my birthday began.

The rest of the year has seen me travel a lot .. something I didn't get to do and that I was missing when I was in London (there's another whole background on that) … 2008 saw me visit : Kerala, Delhi – work related events – and the highlight of that trip had to be the 'oily food'; Bangalore – to visit my maasi, my cousin & his wife & my niece – and surprisingly also got reunited with a university friend from Montreal who I hadn't seen in about 6 years either; Goa (6 times !! and really it's a bit over rated but the only place in India where you can go and chill out on a good beach – that I know off!), Israel – now that was a craaaaaaaaazy trip with a girlfriend of mine (Ghulan, Rishon, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Caeseria, the Dead Sea) and then the to the island of Mauritius where I went twice – both times was work related. In one of my earlier blogs – you'll notice that I've written about a whale – yup that whale was spotted out in Mauritius. All of these travels in some way or form have seen me form relations with people and in some instances also come to value some of the relationships we take for granted.

Goa ..the first time I ever went there was earlier this year in February – with my younger sister – it was a time for both of us to do some sort of sibling bonding – how well that has worked out – you'd have to ask my sister – but it was a lot of fun – we actually didn't kill each other over 2 days ! The next few trips to Goa were a bit scattered – in May, I flew there for a day to meet a friend who I hadn't seen for 6 years which was really nice – however sadly this person has now been cut out from life.

In June – I was back – this time with my work colleagues for a bit of team brainstorming and a day full of presentations … Tongue of Fish is all I have to say to that trip !!!

I went back there towards the end of August for an events related conference – and my girlfriend had flown in from London and she joined me for it – it was one of the best conferences I have attended  My last trip to Goa for 2008 was with an old high school friend of mine who I hadn't seen in 10 years but have been talking to over the past year online – and that was quite a lot of fun as well.

Israel … I get goose bumps thinking about that trip … One thing about me is that I normally NEVER travel with people – I always make my journeys on my own and meet with friends in different parts of the world (the benefit of having attended an international school whilst growing up) … however there is a one young lady that I have travelled with to Italy back in 2007 and we linked up again to meet in her home town. The city is simply quite stunning – there are some fantastic beaches out there and it was just such a pleasure to sit out on the hot sands, watch the waves and then take a dip in the water to cool off.

Another thing is that the people – the bulk of them – are just so damn good looking !!! The women have near perfect bodies – and the men – oh lord help me – but the men are just FIT ! Everyone indulges in beach activities and sports – everyone has a tan – and they are just drooooooooool-worthy !!! Ok I must stop now otherwise my laptop will cease to work !

Mauritius … An island of pure relaxation … the lifestyle of the people here is so different to that of anywhere else in the world that I've noticed. It's nice to see such laid-back Asians – the predominant population of the country is Indian. The most amazing thing about the island is that there are barrier reefs surrounding the whole island which allows one to enjoy the waters without getting caught out too deep. There are some exciting things to do that I found out about – zip lining being one of them – where one is strapped onto a harness and just hangs off these lines between mountains and valleys. How wicked is that !!! I went snorkeling there for the first time – and the waters are just CLEAR and Blue – with a huge variety of fishes ! (oh and I'm super paranoid about fishes coming next to me!) My boss – yes – I mentioned this was a work related trip – threw breadcrumbs all around me whilst snorkeling so I was practically assaulted by these tiny fish and was pretty much jumping out of the water out of fear !!!

Just had a quick read of what I've written and damn it sounds like I had a complete blast all year around …. Then again I've not once mentioned any of the work related things that I have to get up to – so I rather you know just how much fun I had instead 

But seriously – it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride this past one year – new avenues at work have been explored; the people who I have interacted with – some more than others – and the impact they have had in my general outlook; gotten to spend more time at home (considering I didn't live at home for 8 years) and that has been a test in itself ! I got to spend a lot of time with various members of my family (believe you me when I say we are a BIG family !!! 25 odd cousins on both my paternal & maternal side !!). As I mentioned earlier – I went down to Bangalore to visit my eldest male cousin and got to hang out with his wife and daughter as well as his sister – that was a fun filled weekend.

As an FYI – the majority of my cousins are older than me and married with kids – and it's been a busy baby season for my family between 2007 and 2008 !! My cousin, PCH, in the States had a baby girl – and she's already 9 months old as of today. In September – my niece ZG turned a year old ! In October my two nieces in London turned 2 and 1 respectively! Then my other cousin RM and his wife BRM in Mumbai had a baby boy in November. For the duration of November – my cousin RC & wife SC from Spain were down with their three kids – and I just got to spend a fair amount of time with my nephews and baby niece. December was super exciting : my nieces AD and RC both turned 1 year old; my cousin MC & wife DC from New York had twin boys in December !

Not to mention that another cousin of mine got engaged in August – and another one got married in December ! In addition to all of this – I have gotten to hang out with another cousin NC for the past 1.5 months as she's recently started working with me. If it wasn't for her – I swear I would forget to eat every day ! And she also reminds me to constantly drink water as I barely get through a quarter bottle of water a day !! She's now helping me get back into yoga (I only got into because of this mad woman – she bugged me for 2 years to join a particular course and I finally did!) and hopefully get me back into shape in time for my birthday (ok so it's a bit farfetched since my b'day is in 3 weeks).

I've always believe that people are not what they seem to be – the way one might be within a work environment is completely different to the way they are in a social setting … so where's the brain wave in that thought you might ask …. Well over the year I have come to realize that the majority of people are just too damn scared to actually let others know who or what they really are and what makes them tick ! I've been a part of a predominantly expat society within the city – that doesn't go to say – I don't mingle with the locals either – in fact some of my best times have been with my more 'localized' friends – who just happen to be on the same sort of mind-set as me.

This city is a hub for millions – to come and make a name for themselves – from the local shop vendors, to aspiring models – people flock to Mumbai to explore opportunities. I'm fortunate enough to be here with my family – and have opportunities come to me on a plate as opposed to me hunting them down. As the opportunities grew – I saw the drawbacks to it all … the stress; the laid back work ethics; the inability to work to deadlines; the constant battle of egos within the same company; the 'motivational' talks that go nowhere; even those who aim for perfection start to show a 'whatever' attitude because the network of those around them can't understand perfection.

With all good things – the year 2008 also comes to an end – and as I wait for the clock to strike 12 and bring in the year 2009 – I can only look back at the past 365 days and smile - I've thoroughly enjoyed all that the year has brought me and can't wait to find out what 2009 has in store for me :)

education high school life memories professors school teachers

Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions.

-- Unknown

Could you teach a classroom full of children ? or pre-teens ? teenagers ? and what about the late teens early 20’s age group ? Do you think you could handle that ? What does a teacher go through ?

We look at schools today and may point fingers at the teachers who are helping ‘mould’ the new generations … but do we really ever think about what they go through or endure through trying times of modern day education ?

A teacher has to not only look after the course curricular but also has the added emotional burdens that come along with the job.

In a classroom environment – you have the shy kids, the spoiled kids, the trouble makers and the nerdy ones. The nerdy ones are probably getting a lot of grief from the trouble makers – and their only way out is to go and talk to the teacher. So one of the things a teacher has to do is actually open their mind and heart to hearing this child talk through their problems and try to help them get out of the rut.

There’s a significant amount of emotional involvement when it comes to teaching. I don’t know much about teaching – never done that professionally but I used to tutor 2 children for a period of 1 year and I ended up getting very close to them.

Talk to a teacher, any teacher, and they’ll have a story to tell. Whether it’s a quick anecdote about a single student or a sprawling epic about the challenges and rewards of life as a teacher, you can be sure of one thing: it won’t be dull.

Since I was always the student but never the teacher (in a school environment that is hehe) – here are some of the fond memories that I have with my teachers.

I’ve had some brilliant teachers who till date – 10 years after I have finished high school – I make a point to be in touch with. I want them to know that even after all these years I have not forgotten them - that they were partly responsible for making me enjoy my school days.

I still remember my 3^rd grade teacher from back in 1990. That lady was like an angel – she was tall, slim, fair skinned, soft spoken and had a certain charm about her that always had me going back to see her year after year even after I changed schools. One day, just as I was coming to my own high school graduation, I decided that I must visit her to let her know that I’m FINALLY finishing high school. I went over to my old school and walked up to her classroom and the look of JOY on her face when I told her that I was officially about to graduate and make my way into the big bad world of University and Colleges.

She introduced me to her current 3^rd grade class and told them all who I was, that I was an old student of hers who hadn’t forgotten her teacher. And I just had to stand there with a look of pride and a sort of smugness on my face (even though they were 3^rd graders!) thinking… I wonder which of them would do what I was doing. Perhaps they will do this – and others might be doing this too – but at the moment – I felt like I was the only one from that batch who had done that.

There’s another teacher of mine that I have only fond memories of – my Arabic teacher from Grade 7 till Grade 10. That lady was just hilarious and super trendy. Here’s an incident I can recall all too clearly …. We were sitting in our home-room which also happened to substitute as the Physics laboratory – and my Arabic teacher was substituting for our regular teacher. I noticed a gorgeous bracelet on her wrist – shining silver, with a snakes head on end and the other side a slight coil to represent the tail – and I asked her where she got it from. She was quite aware of my fancy of all silver jewellery and without hesitation took it off her wrist, handed it across to me and whilst I was looking at it more closely – she told me to try it on (which I more than happily did). Before I could even take it off – she smiled at me with a twinkle in her eye and told me that the bracelet looked very good on me – and that I should keep it.

I wore that bracelet every day from 1994 all the way till about 9 months ago on my left wrist without fail. It’s one of my favourite pieces of jewellery to wear. The only reason I stopped was because work has been getting very hectic and I don’t want to get scratches on any of my jewellery pieces.

This very same teacher – has invited her whole class to her home for a traditional dinner – we used to out once a semester on her personal time for mini-excursions around the city exploring the traditional ways of the Middle East. There was this one time, we went on a lovely Dhow Cruise with a typical Arabic buffet meal followed by some delicious ‘kahwah’ – Arabic coffee at her home.

Nowadays – 10 years after I have finished school – and 13 years after since when she first began teaching me – I drop her an email or make a personal visit to school when I am in the Middle East. Her kids are now about to graduate – I remember the times when they would come up to us in the corridors and treat us 8^th graders as their older siblings – as they saw us at their home so often !

Speaking of trendy – not very many could beat my French teacher –now that lady was all about being Euro-chic !

So a big round of applause to all those men and women who I spent the better half of my school years referring to as ‘Sir / Ma’am’ … thank you for your part in shaping me during my formation years !

flashback images memories photos pics

Photography, fortunately, to me has not only been a profession but also a contact between people - to understand human nature and record, if possible, the best in each individual. Nickolas Muray

I came across this quotation earlier today and really felt that I could relate to it. Anyone who has ever met me, no matter how briefly, will be able to identify me as 'the girl with the camera'

I always carry my camera with me - everywhere ! It's like a daily routine - wake up, shower, get ready for work, throw in last minute things into the handbag - and hey the camera gets thrown in there too !

Ever since I can remember, I have always enjoyed taking pictures .. back in the day, when the digital camera was still being developed, and the good ol' Kodak film rolls were in abundance, I would go through a roll of film each week .. and this was whilst I was still in school.

There came a time, when I thought, 'damn - 36 photos are just not enough' !! Photography was turning out to be an expensive pass-time for me but it never stopped me. I have albums, upon albums of memories all waiting to be explored and commented upon. Whilst at university, I managed to build a collection of almost 2000 printed photographs (yes those 4"x6" ones!!)

And then finally, a few years ago - I got my first digital camera ! This lil' invention is truly a blessing in disguise for people like myself ! I couldn't believe just how many pictures I could take on any given day and all I had to do was upload them to my computer / laptop :) Now I could click away all night long with no worries except for the battery dying out.

The store assistant assured me that it was not possible to run out a battery in one evening .. and believe me one day, I did go back to just to point out that IT IS in fact possible for this to happen ! Ask my cousin - she'll be able to tell you just how capable I am of leaving a party - just to go back home to charge my camera battery ... all because I don't want to miss a single moment of the night !!

Photographs are great ... they capture memories, special moments, and with the new digitals - you can even record videos onto them - so you have instant LIVE FEED from your day / night out with friends / family / colleagues etc.

Some of my friends and family - HATE my camera with a passion - they do everything to avoid getting their picture taken .. and I just have one thing to say to them ... GIVE IN .. they know I'm going to keep the camera with me ... so might as well just succumb to it and let me be in peace for having captured that moment. I'm not one of those evil people who will upload and post up nasty / unflattering pictures of my 'victims' .. I'm really good at censoring stuff like that .. Especially with the dawn of Facebook and other networking sites - where one can 'tag' pictures of people .. I do believe in censoring some images ..

The photographs I take are for me .. for my memories .. should you want to recall what went on at a party whilst you were completely sloshed - check out my pics and you could catch up with what actually went on that day ... I want to be able to look back at my life and really feel that I have 'been there, done that, experienced this, and yes really I did THAT' ...