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Can you think of anyone who would actually use that phrase on another person ? on public television ?

Come on .. give it a think ... who else could do this ... ? Think of all the TV hosts for game shows ... now think of trivia shows .... yes you're almost there .. you know that woman ... you can just picture her right now and her name is at the tip of your tongue ......

You got it ! Anne Robinson of The Weakest Link !!




Whilst flicking channels, caught the show and decided to stay tuned .. and during the debating round for who is the weakest link, she comes out with the above line ...Who has Candy Floss for Brains ?

Priceless ! I quite enjoyed that phrase and couldn't help but laugh out loud :) You see I have a very sarcastic sense of humour - and I really can relate to her verbal bashing ! Don't get me wrong - some of her comments are very offensive and really don't need to be said to a stranger on television.

However credit must be given - she's managed to say things on TV to a millions of people - which probably none of us will ever be able to 'really' do. I say this because most of us are too socially & politically correct to engage in a battle of sarcasm wittiness heaven fobid we might actually offend anybody !

Now no one really wants to go out and intentionally offend another human being - but with the way life goes - there comes a time when all of us have offended someone unintentionally ... having said this - we have also intentionally gone out of our way to ensure that the other person knows what's coming to them.

Think back to some incidents in your life .. perhaps the last 3 months .. what kind of people did you meet and interact with on a regular basis ? did you meet anyone that you would never want to meet again ? did you ever have a conversation with someone who just made you want to scream and tear your hair out in frustration because they just didn't have the mental capacity to comprehend what you were saying ???

And what did you do about it ? Could you say anything to them ? Or were you not able to express your true feelings because you'd just end up having to 'explain' to this person the 'meaning' of what you said !

Here are some quotes that I came across which I think would very aptly describe some of the encounters I've had with people ... I really can't believe that such dimwitted primitive type of individuals still exist out there ...

  • Who has a room temperature IQ?
  • Who at this early stage is already suffering from a lack of brain power?
  • Whose all pastry and no filling ?
  • Who is all talk but no answers ?
  • Whose mouth is in gear, but brain is in neutral ?
  • Whose mouth & brain are getting divorced ?
  • Who has the knowledge of an empty hole ?
Are you able to relate to these phrases ? Do you say what's on your mind no-matter how harsh or do you save those zingers for when you just can't take it anymore and you feel like your intake of garbage and nonsense has reached a choking point ?

I'm quite an upfront in-your-face type person .. I have known to be 'rude' (as my cousin tends to point out) to a point where my poor cousin has had her jaw drop to the ground. She often tells me that I need to tone it down a notch or two .. but really I just can't .. I can't help react in a certain way especially when the person opposite me is the one causing such an outburst.

I don't think I am as sarcastic / mean / cut-throat as Anne Robinson here .. but I think she'll be proud of my one-line zingers - if you know what I mean ;)


How is chivalry best described ?

I did an online search and found these definitions :

1.the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.
2.the rules and customs of medieval knighthood.
3.the medieval system or institution of knighthood.
4.a group of knights.
5.gallant warriors or gentlemen: fair ladies and noble chivalry.
6.Archaic. a chivalrous act; gallant deed.

There was also :
kindness and courteousness especially towards women or the weak

_____________________________________________________________________________________

There you have it ... definitions for the word chivalry.

I was chatting to a friend of mine last night and during our lengthy conversation, the subtle hints of how 'chivalry' is being abused came up. We didn't get into detail on this - but I thought about this some more and realised it's something that has come up in various conversations I have had over the past few years with people, and it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

As an independent working female, I have no qualms on fending for myself. I don't necessarily 'need' someone to go out of their way and be 'kind or courteous' to me just because I am a female.

Chivalry applies to both men and women. It is not just a man's role to be chivalrous towards women - but also for women to return the courtesy in kind to both men and women too.

My friend was telling me about how he had met up with some of his lady friends and had gone out to watch a live performance. To cut a long story short - he had paid for the tickets - and his female friends offered to pay him back for the purchase of the tickets - all save for one of them. He went on to tell me how this particular female was concerned of how she were to get home at night - and he had offered to drop her home and then take a cab back to his own place after dropping her.

I think that's so sweet and very considerate of him to do so - not everyone looks out for the well being of others - and he is one of those souls. Now as he went on to tell me of his experiences, I was fuming at the complete disregard and selfish attitude of this 'female'. She wanted to go and eat, and asked him to stop for food - and instead of paying for the food that SHE was craving - HE ended up paying for it.

Now he's not a cheapskate or anything like that - hardly frugal - however the very least she could have done was at least 'offer' to pay - especially when HE was NOT eating !! He did this for a female that was a) not his girlfriend b) not his good friend - he did it because he's quite the gentleman that way.

This is an example of chivalry being abused and it's not really fair. Perhaps this is why, men nowadays have stopped being chivalrous towards women - they might feel that they are just being taken for granted ??

There was this other scene that unfolded before me last week at a popular nightclub. I notice this girl sashay her way over to a guy and his friends, starts chatting with them, laughing with them, introduces her other friend to them - and they all get to dancing. During this whole time, she's quite flirty with one of the guys, and of course he ends up buying her AND her friend a few drinks (and this nightclub is not cheap!!). A bit later in the night, I notice, that whenever the guy tries to dance with just her, she would make some sort of excuse and move away from him. I bumped into this girl in the washroom with her friend - and they were laughing about how they got these guys to buy them drinks and how they weren't going to have spend any money that night !

That kind of attitude and behaviour is repulsive. If you don't want to be around a group of guys - then why flirt with them, get them to buy you drinks, and then give them a rejection. That's sending out mixed signals - which is not fair to the other party involved. (mind you I've also seen guys doing this to a group of high spending ladies). If you don't have the money to spend, be honest about it - and either don't go out or don't have expectations for someone else to pay for you.

Almost everyone within your own social circles would now be working and earning a decent amount of money - enough for them to maintain a particular lifestyle. It's considered 'normal' to 'split' the bill when out with friends at a restaurant or a bar - or just take turns in covering the bill when out with a common group of friends.

Personally, with my friends - we don't keep 'tabs' on who has paid for what - but we make it a point to at least offer to pay part of the bill that's shown on the table. It might be the case, that today, I pay for a meal, and tomorrow my friend will pay for drinks at a club.

Or it could be the case, whereby I once invited a guy to a bar for a drink to say thanks for going out of his way to give my cousin & me directions - and instead of letting me pay for the drink that I invited him inside for - he paid for it. I thought that was really nice of him to do so especially since I'd made it clear that I was inviting him for the drink.

It's simple things that I have noticed that are really get on my nerves. At work the other day, I came in from the rain, and was carrying my laptop, my handbag, notebook in hand as well as a yoga mat .. the man ahead of me saw me struggling with all of this as he was entering the doorway - and instead of holding the door open - just let it shut !! And I was thinking - what a bloody idiot !

It's not like I asked him to carry my things - I am more than capable of doing that - it's just the simple gesture of holding the door open - considering I was right behind him ! I have done that for tons of people - be it men or women. If I'm about to walk out a door - I always hold it open if I know someone is behind me - and it doesn't stop me from doing so just because there's a man behind me. The same way, when on the UK underground or on the bus, I get up when I see an elderly man / woman or pregnant lady needing a seat. I'm young, fit and healthy, I don't need to sit down - therefore I see no reason why I shouldn't offer my seat to someone who's older than me.

Imagine, in the same office space, there are other men like my colleagues, who will always allow me to go through the door first, or hold the door open until I catch up to them. My cubicle buddy - is quite a few years older than me, and yet he calls me 'ma'am' when greeting me .. and I tease him and tell him not to make me feel like an aunty !

I meet so many people each week - especially at nightclubs - and some of these guys and girls have become 'friends' in a way to me. The guys who barely know me, will offer to buy me a drink - not because they are trying to get me into bed - but because they are just being decent and asking me if I'd like a drink. I don't read too much into these things. In return, when I see them without a drink, and I'm about to order one for myself, I will always ask them if they would like a refill. It's just about being courteous.

Now I'm just ranting and I could go on and on about this .. what I'm trying to say is that ..

Chivalry still exists out there somewhere amongst a certain group of people.

Chivalry is being abused by both men and women in some way and form at different levels as well.


Unfortunately, most people now think of chivalry being dead because the bulk of the people one comes across - are so selfish and pigheaded that they only seem to care for themselves and not those around them.

Just remember .. be courteous ... and courtesy will follow you everywhere.
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' ...

I have always thought the actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.

However I have also found that actions do not necessarily equate or reflect one’s thoughts. It is human nature really to deny our thoughts and act on what we think society or our peers will accept.

The thought is there – and we would like to put it into action – but due to ingrained upbringing, we as people look out for what others in our peer group and society deem up to standard.

Don’t get me wrong – it is a commendable that we as individuals place others before ourselves … but when does one realise that we must put ourselves before others ? When do we stop trying to 'fit in' to our society and just 'be ourself' ?

It becomes habitual that one places someone before themselves … so when is it okay to break a habit ?

Have you ever noticed that the smallest actions can be interpreted in various ways by different people ? A small token of affection, the slightest touch – can be taken to mean so much more if the mindset of the person on the receiving end wants more than what it could mean to be.
I was driving down an empty stretch of road the other night - a rarity in the city - and was flipping tracks on the mp3 player - when George Michael's 'Amazing' came on.

Considering I was returning home from a night of dancing, this was the last song I expected to be turning up the volume to ! Don't get me wrong, I've always liked this track, otherwise it wouldn't be on that particular CD .. but something just sort of sparked in me ...

Have you actually 'heard' the lyrics ? I'm not much of a lyrics person - I love beats ... but after hearing this track that night in full volume, I 'needed' to get the lyrics and just read it, 'know it' .. it felt like I would be missing out if I didn't actually know what this sexy man was trying to let his audience feel ...

I found myself humming to the song - and actually singing at one point with a huge grin on my face ! and the best part of it all once I read the lyrics .. I am completely and utterly single ! And you know what .. It doesn't matter at all :)

I could put the words of this - to quite a few incidents in my life ... Every new relationship we enter - be it with a new friend, colleague, co-worker, boyfriend / girlfriend - are we actually entering them completely openly ?? Aren't we all a bit mixed up ourselves at some point or the other ?

And don't we all hit a point where we look back and just think .. 'DAMN .. that guy / girl / man / woman made me feel AMAZING' ? .. so then why are we not with that person ? There must be enough of reason for that - good, bad or ugly .. and yet, it's 'that' person we think of .. it's a person from your past ...

For me, it is almost a flash back of my past .. a sort of inner celebration that just cannot be explained in words (or perhaps just not at this moment in time) .. This is not to say that I'm not content with my present .. maybe I just feel that way with this song ... I'll explore this some more .. or maybe it's just a random mood phase !

So anyway - here are the lyrics ... I hope you take a few minutes to hear the song yourself, and hopefully let me know how you felt when you hear it ..

I was mixed up when you came to me
Too broke to fix
Said'daddy get you gone, I'm missing my baby'
Still missing my baby

I was stitched up by the hands of fate
Said how you gonna make it on your own
If luck is a lady?
Maybe luck is a lady

I was going down for the third time
My heart was broken, I was not open to your suggestions
I had so many questions
That you just kissed away

Tell me, I guess that cupid was in disguise
That day you walked in and changed my life
I think it's amazing
The way that love can set you free

So now I walk in the midday sun
I never thought that my savior would come
I think it's amazing
I think it's amazing

I think you're amazing

You tried to save me from myself
Said 'Darling, kiss as many as you want!
My love's still available
And I know you're insatiable'

We're like victims of the same disease
Look at your Big Bad Daddy, and your mom
And your mom...was always acting crazy

I was going down for the third time
My heart was broken, I thought that loving you was out of the question
Then I saw my reflection
Saying please don't let this go

Tell me, I guess that cupid was in disguise
That day you walked in and changed my life
I think it's amazing
The way that love can set you free

So now I walk in the midday sun
I never thought that my savior would come
I think it's amazing
I think you're amazing

Celebrate the love of the one you're with

Celebrate, this life with your baby
I think you should celebrate yeah
Don't put your love in chains baby
No no, walk in the midday sun
I thought I was dreaming
I think it's amazing
I think you're amazing

I said celebrate the love of the one you're with

As this life gets colder
And the devil inside
Tells you to give up
Do you know me?
What is my identity?
Who am I to you
amongst all those
you've met?

Will you remember
my name long
after we've parted
ways?
Or will I remain
a hauntingly
familiar face?

How many of 'me'
have you come
across today?

Next time, perhaps,
you'll remember
me by name...
perhaps you'll know
me for me...
A single teardrop
rolled over her face
alone, by itself

Reflecting in
it's glistening
the rawness
that engulfed
those eyes ...

A shattering pain
sketched within
the deep turmoil
held by those eyes ...

If it were not
for that single tear
the raw pain
echoing through
an aching soul
would never
have been
discovered
Release me...
release me from
this world of
hate and deceit

From the pain
and misery
brought to mankind -
by mankind

Release me
from the torture
inflicted upon our
generation

Release me
from the given
ideologies and
the quest for power

Release me
give me my freedom
free me from this world
Release me - for eternity....
Helplessly he shrugged
his shoulders as if to
lift a damned weight
that held him down...

The sudden turn of
his head gave an
indication to his
anxiety

The new lines on his face
were a sign of age
Something new a flash of
pain drawn across the
craggy features
of his jawline

And a small smile
with which he
said goodbye
I stand restless,
ill-at-ease
waiting ...
for something
for someone ...
for an unkown
entity or object

I know not
why I feel so
eventually I will
find out ...

I will stay
this way,
restless,
frantic and
anxious ...
and see what,
it is that awaits me.
The final goodby
is somewhat
similar to a
first hello

Uncertainty, anxiousness
a slight fear
overcomes you

The first hello
is rewarded with
a bright smile

The final goodbye
is said with
the moist glistening
in the eyes;
the hard lump
at the back of the throat

This goodbye is
forever in death
yet not so final
in memory....
What's said has
been said
What's done has
been done

The past is gone
Present almost over
Only the future awaits

I've let go of
the past . . .
I can't undo it
Alas you've condoned
The future
Control thy mind
for 'tis that
is thy future

Control thy emotions
for 'tis that
can place
thee down
in the eyes
of the other

Take control
of thyself
for 'tis is
what makes
ye thyself