davaz

[davaz]

Hair today, Gone tomorrow?

I’ve been wanting to write this blog post for some time now, but could never find the words, with all the emotions that run through me every time I try to …

My Hair … I’ve had a battle with my hair from ever since I can remember.

I think it started out when I was a child. You see, as a child I had a head full of gorgeous voluminous curls that ran wild most of the time and was my father’s pride & joy. We would spend hours together where he would massage warm oils into my scalp and puff up each curl with an afro-comb so that at the end I could stand tall with a perfectly shaped ball of shiny curls.

I learnt early on that my hair was SPECIAL. I was even told that ‘people spend a LOT of money to get hair like mine, and sometimes don’t even come close.’

But as I grew, I struggled with the attention that my hair received and thereby fell behind in my hair regimen and care. This later came to a point when it stopped completely, and to ‘blend in’ with the crowd, I took the drastic step (which broke my father’s heart) and straightened my beautiful curls out.

I didn’t stop there. I kept at it!

Every time a curl or wave popped up on my scalp, I would seek out another more severe treatment that would make them disappear. I went through the entire spectrum of Straightening lotions, Rebonding, Keratin, Ironing ... the works. And I kept telling myself, my hair isn’t SPECIAL anymore … now I’m one-with-the -rest.

But my hair (which always had a mind of its own) decided to throw a spanner in my works.

I started showing early onset of premature greying! My roots were showing!

Again, I stood out in my crowd when no one in my age group was even close to a greying age. My anger at my hair knew no bounds. I sought hair color treatments and decided if I must color my hair, I’m going to use as many options as I can … but my hair will BLEND!

Black, Brown, Mahogany, Highlights, Lowlights, Reds … color appointments EVERY month to make sure that my roots were not showing… ever. I termed it as maintenance and keeping myself groomed, but inside I knew the fight I was having with myself.

‘Which coloring brand would give me best coverage? Which color shade would hide the roots longest before my next appointment?’

But over the course of years (yes, years of coloring AND hair straightening treatments) my hair started to degrade. My hair was fighting back … AGAIN.

It was drying out … falling ... breaking … and I know it was all the chemicals I was using on my scalp and my hair monthly, but I refused to concede defeat. I couldn’t.

You see as a person; everyone I knew considered me to have a very outgoing personality. Outspoken and Jovial is what they termed me. A big Personality. The life of the party. The person with the jokes, quick whips, and conversation starters. When in reality, I would have given anything to just slink away into a corner and read a good book, have a quiet meal with family or friends, watch a movie at home, sit quietly.

But with every battle I fought with my hair, I came further and further INTO the spotlight … finally with flaming RED hair. Oh, the attention it got!

Red is a relatively easy color to carry. It’s the attention it receives that is not so easy. Everyone wants to talk to you about ‘Why Red?’ ‘Red is so striking!’ Sigh …

When my daughter was born, she would grab at my hair and pull at it to put in her mouth whenever I carried her. This didn’t help with my hair fall and I decided to throw in the towel and stop fighting.

I cut my hair short … stopped coloring … let the grey show on full display and even let the curls (now waves) push through.

You would think I would have calmed down but with my new look – The Silver Fox (its called), the attention I received was ten-fold! And I was not ready … not after the fights I had lost with my hair all through the years.

Suddenly everyone was a Fashion Critic!

Family .. Friends … Salon staff .. Supermarket staff .. Taxi drivers … Store staff .. Maids … Strangers in elevators & metro trains or buses … Delivery boys ..

Everyone had an opinion … and all of them were intense!

“You SHOULD color your hair, you are married, what will your husband think?”

“How will your daughter feel?”

“Did you marry late in life?”’

“Am I my daughters GRANDMOTHER?”

“Your hair makes you look old”

“You should not keep grey hair … how old are you?”

I did not CHOOSE a head full of grey hair … IT CHOSE ME.

Did anyone care to ask “How I felt?” “Does anyone know HOW many hairstyles or looks I've gone through in my life, just to find one that made me happy?”

Every night before bed, I catch my reflection in my dresser mirror, and I find myself asking myself “Is it worth the fight? Would it make the attention heighten if I just took it all off and shaved my head clean? Start fresh … with ZERO?” Sigh ..

They say A woman’s hair is her Crown … and I am willing to take off my crown if it means taking away the weight on my shoulders. Even if it is for a little time away in the shadows.

I read somewhere that you cannot expect others to love you if you do not love yourself. I just need a little time to learn to ‘fall in love with myself’ again.

I just hope I’m not too late.

#hairperfection #lovemyselfbeforeotherscanloveme #findmybliss

[davaz]

What I’d give for a day out in the sun ...

I opened my eyes, my hair tangled and knotted from tossing about restlessly through the night; and I lazily stretch out in bed, slowly waking from a deep dreamless sleep.

‘I wonder what non-event is planned for me today’’ I pondered; sitting up in bed as I rubbed away the sleep from my eyes.  

‘’Look at that blue sky and perfectly awesome weather outside … all wasted! Ugh!!’’ grumbling I kick off the blanket and stand up out of bed into another long stretch.

‘’What is today … Thursday! Perfect …’’ I mumble to myself ‘’I have some zoom meetings and calls to sort out … and I hope they don’t need to me to work on any crazy activities because I just do not have the energy or the interest today. Hopefully, I’ll be done by 12 and then its officially the weekend! Yes!!’’

‘’Hmmm … I need to get out of here or I’m going to go crazy! I’ll call Josephine and see what she’s upto; maybe we can catch up at the mall and grab a snack or even try out that new exercise place’’.

Eager to get a start on my day I get washed and dressed and log in for my zoom meetings, while I sip on a big hot cup of milk. But no matter how hard I try; I cannot stop thinking about what plans I could make for the weekend ahead …

·        A trip to the park for some much-needed fresh air …

·        A trip to the mall for a bit of shopping …

·        Maybe a movie at the theatre with some popcorn and snacks …

·        Catch up with some friends for dinner and a giggle ….

·        Go for a spin in Sera’s mustang …

·        Meet Lily’s new cat, Simba!

There are also so many places that I am just dying to check out but thanks to that annoying virus, my life is on hold! I am just so sick and tired of everyone telling me I cannot go out and how I ‘need to stay home’.

Seriously … one would think I was going out there and shaking hands with random strangers, rubbing shoulders in crowded spaces, licking the railing and door handles and elevator buttons … I’m not a baby you know!

I mean for heaven’s sake (fuming) I wear a mask (even though I absolutely hate it!) … I have sanitizer in my bag … I’m never out late and I don’t eat from ‘hole in the wall’ kinda places. I Behave! (sigh…)

*pa-ting!* goes the phone … ‘’Oh great … Josephine’s dad has tested positive and now the entire family  have to home-quarantine! Could this day get any worse!?’’

I’m finally done with all the zoom meetings and the day is mine to enjoy. Or can I …?

Standing at my window I watch the world go by and the many people scurrying everywhere with a deadline or plan in mind and I wonder ... ‘Why am I not out there, doing something… fun?!’

I know that I have had the occasional outing with the family, and they have tried to make the most of it. But somehow, I don’t feel it’s enough… I sit there and sigh to myself. Waiting for the day when I hear those magical words and life officially returns to normal … like it was a year and some months ago … and slowly a tear falls to my lap.

Gently an arm snakes itself around my waist from behind and a face buries in my hair and the voice  says ‘’Hey, my Hannah girl … what you thinking of baby? Why are you crying my love? Mama’s here …’’

*********************************************************************************

Hmmm … you didn’t expect this was the day in the life of my 5-year-old Hannah Bree, did you? Did you find yourself judging me and my tirade about being ‘stuck at home’? Well … as her mom I was slowly and painfully made aware of the fact that she NEVER complained about being home all the time and being kept away from her friends, school, playgrounds ... a regular childhood.

She always wore her mask (begrudgingly at that) and almost always ensured that she sanitized whenever she could or needed to. And she always made sure the mask covered her nose and came off only when she had to drink or eat something while outside.

She openly told family (that told her to come visit cos they missed her so much) that they would have to wait till the ‘Coma-virus’ was gone and that only then it would be safe.

She accepted how certain foods and drinks were regulated, since they would cause her to get the sniffles or an allergic cough or sneeze … just so that she was well enough to beat the odds everyday.

Children astound me (especially mine) at how they so willingly and openly listen and accept whatever we explain to them about their environmental circumstances, and it made me wonder …

‘If kids can do it, why not us?’

How is it fair that the section of society (the kids) that obey the rules and guidelines set down for our own safety are also the victims of injustice caused by the other section of society (the adults) and their constant disregard for the rules.

How is it that there are persons in our community that fail to realise that until WE do our bit as able adults to help curb the spread and growth of this pandemic, our kids will NEVER have the semblance of a normal childhood again, the likes of which WE enjoyed in our yester years??

Sigh … as a mom I feel the pain for my little girl and yes, I am one of those moms that will search for those small treats, safe outings, restricted playdates, special moments and family time … all I ask is that you reach out to the ‘little ones’ in your lives and connect with them.

Give them a HUG

Tell them you LOVE them

CONNECT on a video call

Spend TIME with them

Tell them what an AWESOME job they are doing, keeping their family safe.

And who knows … maybe one day when the skies are blue again and the weather is perfect … we’ll all dance in sun again … but till then, stay safe.

[davaz]

Mama knows best …

‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ - Charles Caleb Colton

 When I was a child, we had this blessing that we received from our parents (which at the time I thought was just a really bad joke), where they said ‘My darling baby girl, I Bless you with all my love and may you have many children just like you, if not worse. Amen’ And of course we giggled about it and shook in fake fear … but today 30-something years later I’m beginning to wonder if there was really some truth to it!

You see, growing up I often found myself muttering ‘when I grow up and have kids, I will never …’ (And, I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one who did!)

But nowadays, just before I go to sleep while I listen to the gentle snores from father and daughter deep in their slumber, I play back the day and the things that happened and the things that were said & it takes me back to the days when I was a little girl myself. And every night there is a wave of dialogues that my mom used to say to me or out just aloud that I realise, I say too!

It makes me accept the innocence of my statement from all those years ago - ‘when I grow up and have kids, I will never …’, and I laugh to myself.

Some of the things I catch myself saying out aloud are -

“Can anyone tell me why; when we have a 2-bedroom house, everybody HAS to be in THIS room when we are getting ready to go out?”

Aaahh yes, the overcrowded bedroom … I can so relate to my mom’s exasperation today. And then I sit back and look at the situation through my daughters eyes – she wants to be where we are … She wants to dress and put on her shoes where we are … she wants to ‘put on her face’ where we are … I just wish she could wait till I was atleast semi-dressed to do all of it!

“Can you please chew the chicken and swallow it and NOT keep swapping it from one cheek to the next? You have been eating that piece of chicken for the past 15 minutes!!”

Sigh … Yes, Hannah has started eating ‘regular’ food and I’m beginning to get ‘not-so-regular’ headaches! But as luck would have it this is exactly the same battle my mother had with me when I was her age … sigh … and like my mom, I too lose my patience and eventually just get Hannah to spit it out! I know … I know … It’s a texture thing. She doesn’t like when the chicken gets dry and stringy … and when it does its volleyball time in her mouth and Panadol time for me.

“You better listen ‘cos I’m not going to say the same thing twice!”

Says both my mom and me for the umpteenth time that same day … sigh! It can’t be a language thing because now when Hannah hears me saying this she replies with “Everyday … Everyday … “(supported by a palm on face action)! It’s like she KNOWS what I’m going to say next under my breath!! Hahahahahahahah…

“Close your eyes and go to sleep … I’m watching you!”

This one gets me the most tickled! My parents used to put me and my brother to bed and then stand at the door of the room watching to see if we would go to sleep, intermittently telling us to close our eyes. And while we thought we were smarter than them and would slowly sneak a peek (which my folks caught and repeated the warning) they KNEW they were smarter cos we would eventually fall asleep. But not Hannah … sigh!

Her logic is “come sleep a me … “(patting the pillow beside her). And now who can say no to a 2 year old with a head of wild curls, adorable pout and pleading eyes? (sucker!) So yes, I will lie down next to her and give the warning statement and she will push her ‘tush’ next to me so she knows when I’ve creeped out of the bed!! Sigh … cos then she turns around and starts all over again with “come sleep a me … “(patting the pillow beside her).

And then after a few runs of this routine, the warning changes to – “Close your eyes and go to sleep or I’m gonna spank you!!” And she sleeps … (aye aye aye)

“Where do you think you are … in a hotel? Come on … pick up all your things and put them in the place!”

Now my mom had 3 crazy kids to deal with and so yes, the house was perpetually in a mess. And even though I have just Hannah (who isn’t all that messy, it’s me .. it’s a mess) I would literally find myself saying this ALL the time … until our trip to Canada, where we both discovered this gem of a nursery rhyme – ‘The Clean-up Song’! It is by far my favourite!

And so now every day, at the end of the day we sing my favourite rhyme and Hannah cleans up her ‘mess’ and I’m a happy mama … (small victory!)

“You don’t want to eat? Don’t eat … stay hungry. Afterwards don’t tell me you’re feeling hungry … cos then you will only get spanking!”

I confess … when I was Hannah’s age, I was a pain when it came to meal times. I would literally turn up my nose at everything … and if I did like something today, it was ‘yuck’ the next day … sigh.

But I digress …

With Hannah starting regular foods, she has also developed what I like to call ‘food critic taste buds’ … and she will not hesitate to let you know if it is a thumbs up or down for your dish. Her indicator – “hmm” with a nod for yes … and immediate spit back into the plate for no!

So yes, after a few trial and errors (mostly errors) I have come to realise the value of my mother’s dialogue. Now if there is any fuss to be made, I simply say - “You don’t want to eat? Don’t eat … stay hungry. Afterwards don’t tell me you’re feeling hungry … cos then you will only get spanking!”

And lo and behold, she immediately says ‘Noooo …’ takes her plate and quickly starts eating her food. Believe me, I’m shocked that it works too!

“Go ask your father!”

Sigh … of all the dialogues that worked when my mom used it, this one doesn’t work at all!

I could be cooking, cleaning, relishing a 2-min sit down, going for shower … and she will still INSIST on asking me or wanting me! Unlike when I was her age and I KNEW that by asking my dad for something, I stood a greater chance of reaping a positive result, she still insists on asking ME. And yes, she will KEEP asking even though the answer usually always stays – NO!

Guess I should be more thankful on this point … goodness know what will happen when she eventually realises the folly of her ways and starts asking her dad for stuff! Sheesh!

So yes, that blessing did come true for me … I did receive a baby girl who is so like me in so many ways (its frightful) and I can only pray that she does not continue on this path but instead maybe … takes after her father once she is a teenager? Or is that another drastic mistake … Hahahahahahahah …

One things is for sure though - I am becoming my mom … and I couldn’t be prouder!

[davaz]

This TWO shall pass …

I would like to thank all you lovely people for your fabulous response to my last post. I was a bit apprehensive about how it would be received considering I was writing about my new role as a mom, and we all know how non-judgemental the world can be with regards to that!

But surprisingly you guys loved the concept I ran with and I appreciate the support.

Well … as mentioned in the last post it has been two years now since the arrival of Baby Hannah Bree and we are now in the throes of the ‘Terrible Twos’! This was a phase that I was warned about when I was still pregnant … so that’s how much time I had to prepare for it! And let me tell you … it is not enough!

I have now come to accept just who wears the ‘pants’ in this house (diaper pants) … sigh! Just to give you an idea, let me break it down for you –

T – Talks nonstop

This starts from the moment she opens her eyes in the morning, it could be at 5am on a weekday or weekend! Yes … she does not discriminate between the days of the week and no … mom and dad still lying in a sleeping position with their eyes closed doesn’t not mean be quiet... it means talk louder!

The chatter consists of random conversations between her and her favourite bear, singing nursery rhymes (the remix version), calling out mama and dada 5000 times while smacking us in the face, jumping on the bed to check the buoyancy of the mattress, empting out the drawers of the side tables to check for any interesting items that can then be dumped into the bed and played with LOUDLY! Sigh …

This chatter continues throughout the day (save for the 4 hours that she attends nursery in the morning) with the occasional shriek and shout. Plus the need to insist for the phone where she can watch her favourite toons (for 5 mins) and then it’s back to running helter-skelter around the house …

E – Energy Unlimited

I do not know why the battery brand ‘Energizer’ decided to go with a bunny as their mascot when a two year old would have guaranteed them more sales and would have driven home the ‘unlimited energy’ message far more clearly!

I mean the child can spend her entire day dancing, singing, playing, shouting, jumping on things, throwing her toys everywhere, talk nonstop … (you get the picture) and yet when it comes time for bed is not tired one bit! I’m tired just thinking about all of it!

R – Rhymes in falsetto

Aaahh yes … the nursery rhymes. With Hannah starting nursery a few months ago she has found a new love for singing rhymes.  But not in the original tune or lyric … she likes to mix things up with blending two or more rhymes together … or speeding up the tune... or better yet changing the lyrics out altogether!

So now the game is ‘guess that rhyme’! And if we can’t guess it, we sing it HER way!

For example –

‘Are you sleeping, are you sleeping … Brother JUNK! Brother JUNK!’

Or ‘Farmer in the dell … the farmer in the dell … eee-ya-eee-ya-oohhh’

Or Johnny Johnny .. yes papa .. eating chodell .. no papa .. tennin nies .. open your mouth .. hahahahahha!’

Or better yet ‘the wheels of the bus go round and round … the cows on the bus go moo-moo-moo … the cats on the bus go meow-meow-meow …’

R – Refuses to accept ‘NO’ as an option

This was the one I was warned most about... cos it’s usually the one that leads to tantrums and craziness.

Well … Hannah knows her mother better than I know her. She isn’t going to waste time throwing tantrums and stuff because she knows that’s only going to make ME more stubborn. But she will not accept a ‘NO’ … so what does she do?

She pouts … bats her eyes … looks at you with that ‘puss in boots’ sad face … and with the most effective tremble in her voice says ‘pweeze’

NOW HOW DO YOU SAY NO TO THAT!?

With this tactic she has managed to haggle free lollipops from doctors at her check-ups, free balloons at the supermarket and even a free bus ride from her nursery to home (when other kids pay a fee!)

I tell you … Hannah has taught ME a thing or two …

I – Independence

Now do not misunderstand me when I say that her new found sense of Independence annoys me … it’s just that she knows just WHEN to assert that need to be independent, and it’s always whenever we need to hurry or when I need things to be a certain way and she wants to do it HER way or at HER speed!

This could be from brushing her teeth (which involves more of eating the toothpaste than brushing), putting on her shoes, eating (or burying her spoon in the food), getting into the stroller to name a few.

And yes, if I try to show her how it’s done or try and help her along, she will scream at me and shout ‘I do!!!’

B – Bullies the adults

Oh yes … you read that right. She bullies the adults or rather commands them around – ‘come’ ‘go playpen’ ‘walk’ ‘gimme that’ ‘what is this’ … all effectively timed with just the right amount of authority in her voice to actually compel the adults to obey.

L – Loves to do housework

Now this is my favourite one and I take full credit for it. Everyone told me that now since I was having a baby I would have to give up my OCD ways and accept the fact that my home was never going to be as clean as I would like it. Well, have I got news for you … Hannah loves doing housework and even sings along ‘clean up, clean up … everybody lets clean up while she does it!’

Every morning she helps me load the washing machine before school … she cleans up her own toys and playpen … she ‘sweeps’ the house with a fly swatter … she will wipe down any spills she makes herself … she will make sure any trash lying around the house will find its way to the garbage bin … she helps fold the washed laundry and out it away correctly … she also makes sure the cushions on the sofa are placed correctly after she is done playing around with them.

So to everyone out there … HA!

E – Eats only what and when she wants

Mealtime is always a painful time at home … if the meal is not as per her specifications, she will not eat it. She doesn’t like lumps in her food... no fish... no to chocolate or too much sweet stuff … LOVES cheese … LOVES anything cold … picky about fruits … LOVES juice …

Thankfully though she came out of the ‘picky cutlery’ phase rather fast … now that was a crazy time. It had to be the right bowl or spoon or plate … or she no eat!

T – Taurian traits

Born a bull and hard-headed like one too! There is no such thing as ‘you can’t’ in her vocabulary … she will try it at least once. Even if it means that mother will gain a few more grey hair in the process.

She loves her structure and knows exactly what the process to follow is when going out... going to school … going for a bath … and so on. Any deviation from the plan and all hell breaks loose!

W – Wants to interact with everyone

Hannah loves to say hi and have a conversation with everyone... from the people who work in the building to the grocery delivery guys... to even random strangers along the way. Always ready with a smile and a quick one-liner leaving everyone she meets walking away with a smile on their face.

Yes, I have had people tell me that I need to be careful as she is too trusting of the people around her … but considering she is never on her own, I’ll allow it for now and revel in the joy she brings to everyone.

O – Out? We go out?

That is by far, Hannah’s favourite thing to ask. My little honeybee loves to roam about … in the bus... the toot-toot... the ‘chexi’ (taxi) … going out is her jam!

And if by mistake you mention (even in passing) that there is a remote possibility of us going out … you had better start making plans for it, because Hannah will not let you go!

S – Silence at the end of the day

And just as every storm has to eventually settle down, so too does Hannah. At the end of every day I relish the peacefulness of the silence in the house while Hannah sleeps … I watch the dust settle everywhere after the flurry of the day. I sigh deeply out of pure exhaustion and let each muscle relax and take stock of the day.

We walk about like thieves in the house, whispering to each other and shutting doors to rooms so that no sound escapes and rouses her from that restful slumber. And as I finally crawl into bed beside her and curl up around her … I smell the mischief of her curls and feel the energy of her heart I prepare myself for the day that is to come and the craziness it will bring.

  So the Terrible Twos … it IS terribly exhausting … terribly tiring … and terribly amazing all in one.

[davaz]

My new chapter in Life

'Change is hard at first, messy in the middle but gorgeous at the end' - Robin Sharma  

It’s officially been 3 years and 2 months since my last post … and I realised that my readers required an honest explanation for my disappearance.

So here it is …

Around the time of my disappearance, I innocently played a part in an ‘under-the-cover’ operation. As a result of which, I had to be placed in the Witness Protection Program. The covert operation name was classified under the file name - ‘Motherhood’, to throw off any suspicions.

Now I have read tons of novels and watched even more movies to know just how detailed these witness protection programs can get … but let me tell you, this was nothing like they show in the movies!

Everything changed!!

At the time I was working as a Senior Training Specialist with a corporate organisation and they changed my title to that of – Mother. They even changed my name from Diahann Carroll to MOM! They decided that instead of changing my location of residence they would give me a makeover of massive proportions, I didn’t even recognise myself!!

I put on weight … I had grey hair, which had to be cut since it had started falling with all the changes… baggy eyes from sleepless nights... terrible backaches... exhaustion. They even did a psychological revamp on my memory … where now I have the memory of a sieve and need lists on lists to get anything done!!

Even my wardrobe was reworked... I had to actually move from wearing clothes that were fashionable to comfortable! Heels to flats (oh the horror)! Jewellery was down to just the bare necessities and nothing dangling or that could easily come loose. All my expensive and fabulous handbags had to be put into storage for later and was instead replaced with this thing called a diaper bag!!

Places in the house like the kitchen where I barely spent anytime, was the only place I that saw me the most! Grocery store shopping events was my new chill out zone... where a discount or bargain sale on food, toys and clothes was my highlight moment!

To help me through the transition process they assigned an agent to partner with me. She would go wherever I would go, to make sure that the identity worked. She is this tiny, 2 foot, hyperactive little gal who is constantly on the go and talks a mile a minute! Her name is Agent Hannah Bree. It took us some time to adjust to each other considering the language gap – everytime I said not to do something, she did it and everytime I said to do something, she didn’t!!

Initially I was so thrown off with all the changes that I did not look after myself very well, but then my agent made sure I always got the exercise I needed … chasing her around the house, dancing, visiting the local soft play parks and staying alert for accidental slips and trips. She also helped maintain my mental acumen with practising numbers, nursery rhymes, colours, puzzles … just your average basic stuff.

It was only recently that on my last progress report to the WPP Team that they decided (with the consultation of my assigned agent) that I was ready to try and step out into the world again and see how I would handle things on my own. My agent would step away from my side for a few hours everyday to attend to business at the local nursery and then report back to assess my improvements. But I needed to test the waters first … I was still unsure of myself.

Would other women classified as ‘mothers’ accept how I had handled the role?

Would I be able to hold a coherent conversation with other adults without reaching for a drool cloth?

Would I be able to withstand the pressures to constantly clean up around me, even though I was in the presence of others?

There was only one way to find out … I was going to start Freelance Training for clients at a corporate level or personal one-on-one level.

It’s still very early days and far too soon to tell if it’s working out … but I’m going to try and keep this channel of communication open and keep you posted on how it’s going.

I may have to go ‘dark’ occasionally, to account for situations where my agent feels uncomfortable, but I will return.

So stay tuned … cos we are in for a fun ride!

[davaz]

Houston ... we have a problem!

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” ― Anita Desai

  Helloooooo Readers!!

  Wow … Is it just me or does everyone feel like 2015 is zipping by!? I mean, when did Life get so busy that I lost track of 4 whole months!?

  Well, atleast I can say one thing – I’m keeping up with my resolutions, or trying to …

  For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, here is the link to my article describing my New Year’s Resolutions for 2015 –

  https://www.facebook.com/Diahanncarroll/photos_all#!/photo.php?fbid=10152696341876186&set=pb.686891185.-2207520000.1431836427.&type=3&theater

  A couple of things to note … after this article was written and posted, there actually was a wave of changes that occurred!

  My role at work changed – from a Training Coordinator to Training Instructor! I’m back at training in a classroom … and I’m LOVING it!

The Training Magazine Middle East (with whom I am a monthly columnist) has recently been taken over by Interactive Media, UK

And, my new role ‘may’ require me to travel … a lot!

  So … to get started on the travelling aspect of my job, I recently travelled to Houston, Texas for a week on Training.

  I couldn’t believe my luck. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to experience everything that Houston had to offer!

  So I packed my bags (light – so I could accommodate any shopping that I managed to find time for), got my flight tickets arranged (Emirates direct flight – 16 hours one way! Ugh!!) and made sure my accommodations were in order at the Sheraton North Houston At George Bush Intercontinental.

  The day finally arrived on 26th April and after a quick hug and goodbye to hubby at the airport, readied myself for a long flight over the seas. Thanks goodness for the ICE facility on all Emirates flights, I managed to watch 6 movies and grabbed not a wink of sleep – yeah … I knew I was going to pay for that later, but I was just too excited at the time.

  Once we finally landed at Houston airport, all I wanted to do was get to the hotel, shower and crawl into bed and SLEEEEEEEEP!

  But Houston had other plans for Michelle (my boss and travelling buddy) and me. Would you believe that after a relatively swift passport control and collection of baggage, we spent almost 2 and half hours in queue to EXIT THE AIRPORT!? The queue literally snaked the short distance from the baggage carousel to the Exit gate and we had close to 500 (if not MORE) people just waiting with their bags.

  Apparently, that happened everyday on a regular basis … I mean seriously … I’d be too scared to know what would happen in the case of an emergency and people had to vacate in a hurry! It was appalling!! And I’m not just saying that because I come from Dubai where we are so HIGH on our level of being systematic, organized and ready for any emergency. (Ok … yes, that’s exactly why I’m saying it)

  And oh! As we exit the airport (finally) there is a HUGE graffiti wall welcoming us to Houston! Really … not impressed … this trip had better improve and fast.

  Anyway, we get to our hotel and I can finally breathe calmer. We have a day to relax, catch our breath and get ready for the next few days of Training.   So we ask around and find that the closest thing we can visit is the Galleria Mall (

our hotel and office is located 10 mins away from the airport and literally miles away from anything sight-seeing worthy

). Now the mall we hear is ‘one of the best’ Houston has to offer. Apparently, they actually have celebrities visiting sometimes, they have an ice rink and the shops are very ‘high end’.   Hmmm … Okie, let’s check it out.   Sigh … it was NOTHING like we were told … I doubt it was the ‘best that Houston had to offer’, the only celebrities I saw were dressed in the costume of a children’s cartoon character at the food court, the ice rick was literally the size of an ICE CUBE and the only ‘high end’ was the sales TAX that was levied on our shopping! It was truly tragic … but we made it work. We hit the Lego Store, the Pandora Store and some others that I cannot seem to remember.  

Starting the next day was the 4 days of grueling training at the Aggreko offices from 8am – 5:30pm … that meant up at 6am, breakfast and out of the hotel by 7:30am. Walk to the office nearby, grab a coffee (which was AWFUL!) and get set for the next few hours in class.

Once done at 5:30pm make the walk across back to the hotel and by 6:30pm catch up at the hotel restaurant for that much longed for glass of wine and dinner.  

It was only on our last day there (the day we were flying back home at 7pm) that we decided we would check out another location. We had heard so much about this place called “The Woodlands” and all that IT had to offer that we thought, we must check it out too.   I cannot begin to tell you what a difference The Woodlands is to the Galleria Mall. The promenade that skirted the little waterway was absolutely refreshing. There were small cruise boats that tugged along taking passengers along the side of the mall.  

Our first stop – Barnes and Noble the bookstore where we both indulged in some light reading with a good cuppa Starbucks coffee (wink!). And that’s when the true highlight of my trip came about … I found my book –

Training the Prism

on their ‘Find a book computer’.  

But as all ‘good things’ come to end, so also did our trip. And believe me, we couldn’t be happier to be heading back home to all things big, bright and beautiful!   Aaahh … Where to next … and does it compare to Dubai!? (wink!)

[davaz]

An angel's work is never done ...

“Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people” – Elizabeth Green As a child I always hated travelling by the bus or train... but now I know that it’s here that lies a wealth of stories just waiting to be captured! My stories or experiences haven't always been of the 'everyday' variety... Of course not... In fact, they range from the outrageous to the downright rare! Like for instance (Episode 1) the time when I was travelling by the bus in Mumbai... I had just finished a tiring day at work, taken an insanely packed train to my neighborhood and now all I wanted was to get home... crawl into bed... and stay there! But noooooo... the day had other plans for me. At some point in the bus journey a male passenger got onto the bus and plonked himself beside me... while I sat next to the window. Five minutes into the drive I began to notice that I could feel a slight nudging in my side... assuming it was the man's elbow leaning into me due to the rash driving; I scooted closer to the window to give him space... A few seconds later, there it was again … a slight nudging feeling. Only now it was more of a prodding sensation! I decided to wait … give the guy the ‘benefit of the doubt’ and only unless ABSOLUTELY sure, create a scene on the bus! I didn’t have to wait very long. A few seconds later I actually ‘feel’ his finger poking into my side and attempting to reach or feel for … something! OMG … I completely lost it! In a flash (I didn’t even know I could move that fast!) I spun around and grabbed his protruding finger and with my other hand slapped him right across his face! And then with a loud shriek I yelled at him and brought the attention of the entire bus towards the pervert … It was only a matter of minutes before the bus conductor and some of the ladies in the bus made him wish he never even got ON the bus in the first place … Ugh!! Seriously!? Or what about (Episode 2) the time in Chennai that my close friend and I decided to take the bus from work to our hotel apartment. It was bad enough that we didn’t know the language or the area that well … so we grabbed the first seat we saw at the front of the bus and decided to keep talking to the driver (as best as we could communicate with him) so that we could yell when we saw our street and get down. The journey was going rather well, until an elderly man wearing the traditional outfit of Chennai – a lungi (long white cotton wrap around skirt of sorts) and a kurta got on the bus and sat on the seat facing us. We didn’t think too much of it and stayed focused on the direction the bus was taking. We did however notice that he kept trying to get our attention … with a smile or look or even say something here and there. But for the sake of sanity, we ignored him. I guess that was our prime mistake … because ten minutes into the drive, he looked at us … smiled … and undid his lungi and literally flashed us!! In the bus!! The man was almost nude with the saving grace of his briefs! OMG … We couldn’t wait any longer for the bus to reach our street … we yelled to the driver and got off the bus from hell, leaving behind a man who looked thoroughly pleased with himself sitting in our seat. Aaaarrrggghhh … Gross! Ugh!! Sigh … after episodes like this, it’s no wonder it took me a while to trust the system enough to venture onto a bus or train again. But recently, I was witness to a whole other level of ‘rare’. After a long day at work, to avoid getting stuck in traffic in a taxi I decided to catch the bus home. As the bus began to fill up at my stop, two men got on the bus and happened to sit together, facing me. Strangers to each other, they settled in for the long drive home. After a while one of the men (Arabic speaking) asked the other (English speaking) if the bus would stop at the Sahara Centre bus stop. That’s what caught my attention … this was going to be fun! A few signals and signs later they managed to understand each other and the message was conveyed that the bus did stop at Sahara Centre. But what fascinated me was that the conversation didn’t end there … the English guy (George) went on to ask the Arabic guy (Ahmed) why he was carrying such a big file … Ahmed: Job. Me … job. George: Ahhh … how long have you been in the UAE? Visa? 3 month? Visit? Ahmed: Yes … visit. You have job? George: Me? Oh yes … I’m working. Show me your CV … give me … CV … Ahmed hands over a copy of his resume to George, who quickly glances over it while Ahmed watches him. George: Hmmm … I might have a job for you. Wait … I call (making the sign for phone) … wait. George goes ahead to make a call to HIS friend Mujid and tells him about Ahmed and his search for a job. He also explains that Ahmed speaks only Arabic and doesn’t know any details yet, but could put him on the phone so they could discuss the job offer. George: Ahmed … speak... my friend … Mujid. Arabic … speak. Ahmed goes ahead and discusses in Arabic with Mujid a possible job offer and hands the phone back to George saying “Thank you. I get job” I was blown out of my mind!! All this happened right in front of me …George went on to speak to Mujid and actually confirm that the job was Ahmed’s and he could start on the coming Sunday! Unbelievable … Now I’m sure it wasn’t some executive position, but for someone like Ahmed who was on a visit visa … that didn’t matter. It just made me realize that somewhere out there ‘Guardian Angels’ DO exist … and on a BUS!! Then strangely, on another trip home this time by the metro, I happened to sit across from two other guys … both also heading home from a tiring day. Document file in hand, one of the guys kept checking his phone … switch one … keep away ... switch on ... keep away … The whole scene begged for someone to ask … “Are you waiting for a call?” And finally someone did. The guy next to him (obviously couldn’t handle the suspense any more than I could) and asked “everything ok? You keep looking at your phone like you’re waiting for something to happen” “Yeah … I went for seven interviews today … and I’m really hoping one of them to call back. I have just 7 days left on my visit visa and I don’t want to leave empty handed.” By 7pm that evening this man had gone for SEVEN interviews and had 7 days on his visa … does anyone else think that’s ironic?! “Wow … Seven interviews, huh? I’m sure someone will call back … what’s your profession? Oh... I’m Jeff by the way” “Thanks … I’m Rajesh … I’m from India. I’m a Banking executive. Mainly with loans, credit lines and cards … that sort of thing. I thought Dubai would be the best place to work, since I have a financial background.” Jeff: Banking? Hmmm … Do you have your resume with you now? Can I have it? Rajesh: Yes! Of course … if you could give one to your HR Team, maybe if there is a vacancy I can apply in your company. Jeff: Actually … I work in the hiring team of my company. Here is my card. Let me check your resume. After reviewing it for a few minutes, Jeff actually starts INTERVIEWING Rajesh! Right there in the metro … I watched in amused fascination … A few minutes later, Jeff tells Rajesh to come to his office the next day for the 2nd round of interview and calls someone from his office to schedule the meeting himself. The look on Rajesh’s face was that of sheer joy … I’m sure the last thing he thought would happen was that he would have an interview in a metro on his way home … I’ll never know what happened with Ahmed or Rajesh … but I do know that I will keep riding the bus and metro in search of episodes like these … And for people who can make an ordinary journey, extraordinary!

[davaz]

Pay it forward ...

“Don’t wait for Inspiration … BE the Inspiration!” - Unknown

  If someone had to tell me, the little girl who sat quietly in a corner with her nose buried in a book all day long, that one day MY voice would reach all corners of the globe through an e-book on TRAINING ... I wouldn't have believed them!!

  But that's exactly what's happened ... Through my blog, my e-book and now via the newspapers!! (OMG  ... I’m still recovering from that one!)

  This journey didn't come easy for me ... And no, I'm not yet done with what I 'really' want to achieve...

  As a child I was terribly quiet (once I got over my incessant crying spells  ... Yes mom I'm sorry about all the crying and fussing)... But once I discovered books - Nancy Drew, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Enid Blyton, Tracy Dixon which later progressed to Sidney Sheldon, James Patterson and others; it was impossible to get a peep out of me!

  Thanks to Sister Marcilia (from St. Mary's High School in Goa) who involved me in debates, singing competitions, elocutions, public speaking, drama and theatre; I finally found my voice ... And I haven't stopped since!

  Now talking and writing are worlds apart... And then there is the so-called 'right way to write things' so as to be diplomatically correct... But for those who know me, that's not me! So I chose a different style... 'Write it as 'I' would say it!' Now who can hold that against me! Heheheheheheh...

  Yes, you can say that I've clearly found my 'bliss' and am definitely going to keep going ... But I've also had an idea that I've played around in my head for some time now .. An idea based on the concept of 'paying it forward'.

  Let me give you a little background to where this idea stems from …

  A few years ago my mum started a venture named “The Goa Talent Seekers”, who hosted shows under the banner of the “Talent Touchdown”.

These shows provided kids from all over Goa an avenue where they could venture into their talents – singing, dancing, elocution, theatre, mimicry, magic and much more.

  Mom would get people, who were experts in these professions to be part of the audition process, where hardly any kids would be turned away. Then, using the same people as mentors, would assign them to choreograph or mentor these kids for an actual show on stage in front of their family and friends.

  These mentoring periods usually lasted for a month, where kids would rush home from school and later meet up in groups to practice and rehearse their acts. The enthusiasm was astounding!! It was like they found their literal “Pot of gold at the end of a rainbow”!

  But the proof of the pudding was the actual live show. Mom would invite people who were a “celebrity” in their own right to judge the show and this also included some very influential people of Goa and neighboring States.

  The proceeds would later be collected, from sale of tickets and other donations, and at the end of the show would be handed over to a selected Charity or Non-Profit Organization. This helped build the community and helped rally people towards an important cause.

  But that was not the only success of the show … some of these kids may not have walked away with the “trophy” or “grand prize”. But they did walk away with so much more … pride in themselves and their talent, self-confidence and sometimes even the business card of someone who (once they completed their schooling) could help them get their talent off the ground and into something more profitable!!

  Till today, I hear kids (now teenagers and older) greet my mom in the street and market place and thank her for whatever she did for them. Even though all she did was give them the push they so needed in the right direction.

  So that’s where I got the idea and wanted to build on it and create it into something more. For now it’s just an idea … I just need to put some structure to it and of course, the finishing touches ... Before I then launch onto the insane task of finding people who would be convinced in my crazy ideas and help take it forward ...

  So, if you heard about a group... Or company... Or ‘team’... That had the contacts and connections to help others (who were too unsure of themselves) to find a way to achieve their dreams, passions and goals too... Would you be keen to be involved or even check it out?

  It could be as simple as joining the company and sharing your skills to help others or joining the company to seek out support for yourself!

  As of now... It’s a 2-person team - Alishia Chandy and Me...

Hehehehehh... At least it’s not just me, huh! Hahahahah... So, what do you think?

  This could range in a variety of things - art, music, fashion, photography, baking or cooking, tattoo art, interior design, make up artistry, DJ’ing... Anything!

  The last time I posted something like this, I was asking people for advice on 'If I should write a blog'!! And see where you've taken me today!

  The power of the people ... Never ceases to amaze me...

  I’ll be waiting to hear your opinion and ideas...

#Talent touchdown #Training #payitforward #inspiration #newventure

[davaz]

Dreams DO come true ...

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt Growing up, like many children I too was faced with the inevitable question from my elders – “So Diahann, what do you want to be when you grow up?” And of course, all the boys would choose – ‘Fireman’ or ‘Policeman’ … and the girls would yell – ‘Teacher’ or ‘Doctor’! For some reason however, my answer never really stayed the same … it went from ‘Teacher’ to ‘Actor’ to ‘Artist’. There has been one aspect that did stay constant through my formative years and continues into my adult life – my love of books! Due to various circumstances, life took me on a slight detour when it came to my career choices, but I eventually gravitated towards becoming a Trainer. And that’s when things began to change … Thanks to my Training position at work, I met and interacted with a variety of people and learnt more from them than they did from me! This provided me with volumes of life lessons that I continuously shared with peers at work and friends. That’s when the concept of writing a book (a collection of short stories actually) came to mind. But of course, how does a ‘nobody’ like me from a small city in Goa, achieve something as unbelievable as publishing a book! Well, using the sound advice of a close friend I decided to ‘test the waters’ and give writing a fighting chance. I started a blog – The Voice of D. www.davaz.tumblr.com This too was a collection of short stories, which are in fact based on me and the various ‘situations’ I land myself in, right from the age of 5 till date. The response was astounding!! And strangely enough I had quite a few people suggest that I start writing a book … So putting pen to paper, I started collecting stories ranging from humor, sadness, curiosity, and sometimes that sense of je n’est ce quoi. The entire draft process took me close to 3 years … and then I started the tedious process of editing, searching for illustrations, proof reading, checking for indianisms versus internationally understood lingo. And last but not least, my search for a publisher who would be interested in working with a first-time amateur author. Life has a funny way of leading you to achieve your dreams. You just have to be quiet enough to listen for the clues and signs along the way. For me, those signs came in the form of people I met along my journey as a Trainer. Both in India (Mumbai) and in UAE (Dubai). They are – • Meenakshi Lokare – introduced me to the world of training • Alishia Chandy – encouraged me to write the book • Richard Scafe – gave me the idea about starting a blog & eventually helped edit the first draft of my book • Himani Ahuja – kept me focused on getting the book out there • Rochel Pereira - helped me clear the last hurdle with the set-up of a Paypal account & ideas for advertising the book • Dwan Abrams – agreed to publish my book Thanks to these people, today I can proudly introduce you to my first e-book which has been published online – Training the Prism: My Spectracular Journey. So … in conclusion … Dreams DO come true!!

[davaz]

“How brave are you?”

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ― Nelson Mandela

  Hey everyone … quick question … If someone was to ask you “How brave are you?” … what would you respond?

  And no … I don’t mean the ‘running into a burning building to save someone’ kind of bravery … What I mean is where you’re willing to let the world see a part of you that you’re not so confident about.

  For some it may be public speaking … for others just speaking up, really! Or what about a unique dress sense … or quirky skill? Well … for me strangely enough, it’s my hair.

  You see when I was a child my hair was literally this ‘ball of curls’ that gave me that mischievous appeal. That combined with my ‘angelic’ face was a lethal combination. Hehehehehh …

But maintaining those curls was another story! They had to be kept damp and oiled just enough that they would shine and look bouncy and healthy! And oh … then each curl had to be opened up with an afro-comb and after plucking out a curl here and pushing a curl there, you would end up with the perfect ball of glistening curls …

  Aaah … but I had a secret weapon those days … my Dad. Oh yes … my curls were his pride and joy … He loved fluffing up my hair and would take hours making sure that it looked perfect before I would be let out into the world – for school, etc.

  Not that I didn’t enjoy the occasional messy head of hair that made me look like I had just crawled out from the medieval ages! But eh … who cared … besides, I looked cute and I knew it!

Then came college and all the insecurities that came with college … Yes the curls still held steadfast but “was that the right hairstyle for me?” was a question that started to play in my head. And before you ask, no … my Dad was no longer my secret weapon. I mean seriously … I was in college … did you actually expect my Dad to do my hair still! (Hmph!)

Then there was the incident in college that was literally the start of the decline of the curls for me … It was a co-ed camp that I had attended, where we had gone to a remote location in Goa and were living in the school hostel of that locality. Our task for the camp was to help the locals build the road near the school to allow for foot traffic and cycles.

  Our living accommodations were separate (guys & gals) and every night we had the teachers patrolling the area so that there was no hanky-panky going on. Well, some of the guys found a way to get into the girls dormitory while we were asleep … but hanky-panky was the last thing on their mind. My curls were!!

  While we all slept they squeezed Colgate red gel toothpaste all over my hair and quietly left the dormitory. The next morning I woke up with hair covered in dried gel toothpaste. It had completely ruined my hair and could not be washed off! I even found a wad of chewing gum in my hair!!! Yes … boys are nasty growing up!

  I eventually had to have a haircut that left me with close to no hair … but don’t worry I took care of the boys – laxative in their breakfast! Sent them packing home completely drained! Ha … teach them to mess with MY hair …

From that point on … I refused to let my curls be subjected to anything or anyone … There was re-bonding … straightening … blow dry straight … keratin treatment … tight high ponytails …

Besides, now that I was staying on my own in Delhi or Mumbai or Chennai or Pune I didn’t have anyone to help me ‘pluck and push’ my curls into place … so maintenance was close to impossible. And with insane work schedules and timings, I was happy my hair looked “respectable”! 

  Sigh … who am I kidding? I just wasn’t brave enough to go back to curls!! I mean I’m not 5 years old anymore … where no matter what I wore or did or looked like, it was adorable. I mean how do I know if I’d still look good in curls? What if it’s something that only suited me as a kid? And now as an adult I needed to move onto a hairstyle more … ‘mature’? (Not that I’m ‘mature’! Hahahahah …)

  So recently I decided to put it to the test. I felt relatively comfortable in my new job and trusted the people I worked with to give me an honest opinion about the curls.

  So I scrunched up my hair into wet curls, clipped a portion of it up top and strolled into the office … I won’t deny it, I was nervous as hell! I was actually contemplating wearing a scarf n my head because I was so unsure of myself.

  But strangely enough I got some very positive remarks … Yes I was in a desperate need of ‘boot shining’ for my greying roots … Hehehehehh … but otherwise everyone was shocked to even see me in curls! Some even asked if I’d gone in for a perm … they took some time to accept the fact that my natural hair was CURLS!

Then of course came the inevitable question – “Why’d you straighten your hair and hide these curls?? People pay good money to curl their hair and you hide it!?”

  Sigh … where do I begin …? Anyway, armed with the knowledge that I’m not a horrendous sight in curls, I’m planning to get the roots colored and then try this out again and check for the reaction. (wink!)

  So … I ask you now again “How brave are you?” If I can be, so can you …

  P.S. Isn’t it ironic that in the Walt Disney movie “Brave”, the main character has flaming orange-red CURLS!? Huh!

[davaz]

Too close for comfort ..... Ewww ...

“Crowds prevent you to see the infinite horizons; get rid of the crowds and open your horizons.” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan

  After a grueling couple of days at work, with heavy schedules and planning an event, I decided to treat myself to a day off. And what better way to enjoy the day than to wake up late, enjoy a late cup of coffee and lounge in front of the television.

  And that’s where one of the talk shows caught my attention … they were talking about ‘pet peeves’. They had asked the audience … “What would you consider your worst pet peeve?”

  And that got me thinking – ‘Of all the things that rattles my cage (and believe me there is a LIST of things), the one thing I would have to consider my WORST pet peeve would be ‘crowds’ or rather ‘invasion of my personal space’.

  I’m sure a lot of people would relate to what I mean … It really varies depending on ‘where I am’.

For example … when travelling in the trains in Mumbai …

  I know they have separate compartments for ladies and the general population, but honestly, I fail to see the difference! There are animals travelling in BOTH!

  There was the time when I had just started working in Mumbai and had to take the train to get to work … but it was so packed that I didn’t know where what was!

One time I had a woman run her hand up the back of MY blouse! I was not sure who was more surprised her or me … when all she said was, “Oh … Is that your bra? I was trying to adjust mine” (SERIOUSLY!?)

  At times the trains were so crowded that I stepped in smelling one way, but stepped out smelling like everyone on the train!! A sweaty mess! UGH!!

  At other times there was not just ‘standing crowd’ … there was ‘sitting crowd’ too! They would sit on the floor of the train with their HUGE baskets filled with fish or vegetables or fruits and look at you like YOU were taking up THEIR space!!

  It wasn’t long before I gave up travelling my trains and decided on other means of travel.

  What about travelling by bus ….

  Some buses have an armrest between seats and some don’t … The ones that don’t weird me out.

  ‘Cos that meant people would slouch and lean as far as they could possibly allow their bodies to go … and that meant they were leaning or falling all over ME!

  And what’s with people sleeping in the BUS!? I know it’s a long journey … I know you’re tired … but really? You have to sleep and fall and drool all over the place in the BUS!? Ugh …

  Also, there’s the few that sit proper but because there is no armrest, they choose to ‘rub shoulders’ with you … literally … I do NOT need to know you ‘that way’ … and I do NOT need to FEEL how smooth your arms are! (shiver)

  Speaking about armrests …. Sometimes I’m confused about that … like in the theatres …

  The armrest is so narrow and it’s to be shared by 2 strangers … how?

  Are we supposed to take turns using it? Is one to get the front half and the other the back half, and then alternate? Hmmm … I’ll never quite figure that one out …

  What about the malls …? The crowd in the malls during the weekend is astounding …

Honestly, it’s like ‘Attack of the strollers / trolleys”!! I thought malls were for leisure shopping experiences. But noooooo … now you have to speed walk! Why you ask? Because if you don’t you could get run over by a stroller … a trolley … a sprinting kid … or ALL THREE!

  I tell you, one time Lino and I had just finished watching a movie at the theatre – Resident Evil (don’t ask ... we wanted to chill at the theatres and that was the best choice of movie option). Anyway, when we exited the theatre and walked into the mall, we actually stood stunned for a few minutes! We couldn’t believe how crowded it had gotten! It was almost like we had walked onto the set of ‘Resident Evil’ and were about to attacked by a crowd of zombies!!

  Trust me … we literally hightailed it out of there … straight for the exits and home for some peace, quiet and refuge!

  But then again … sometimes all it takes is ONE gross idiot to mess with my mind …

  Like the time I stepped up to one of those tiny stalls on the side of the road in Mumbai to buy some gum, but ended up getting one of the men standing there BURP straight in my ear!!

  OMG … He walked away unscathed … I stood stunned in horrified shock …. Lino stood to the side folded over in hysterical laughter!! Ugh!!

  Or the time (and this one I will NEVER forget) when I was walking home from the market in Goa … and suddenly out of nowhere this bike speeds past me and the passenger turns towards me and SPITS chewing paan straight into my eye!!

(Paan is the Hindi word for betel', which is used for a stimulating and psychoactive preparation combined with areca nut and/or cured tobacco. Paan is chewed and finally spat out or swallowed. Paan has many variations. Paan is originally from and native to India/Pakistan but it has spread to other countries Burma, Vietnam. Paan is also consumed in many other Asian countries and elsewhere in the world by some Asian emigrants, with or without tobacco, in an addictive and euphoria-inducing formulation with adverse health effects.)

OMG … I could literally feel my eye on fire! It was by far THE most disgusting experience of MY LIFE!! I ran the rest of the way home …. Banged on the door till my mom opened it … and ran to wash my eye out … while my mom stood in a corner trying in vain to suppress her giggles!! Ugh!!

Sometimes I wonder … Am I a magnet for this kind of crazy?

Sigh … so that my read reader is MY pet peeve … do you relate? What’s yours? And is it as bad as mine? (Please say yes …)

[davaz]

Around the world in '60 days' ... (give or take .. wink!)

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” ― Augustine of Hippo

  Growing up I always wanted to travel around the world … experience new cultures, new places, new cuisines … But somehow, work and other commitments put a damper on those plans.

  So when the team at work hosted a Philippine themed event, I was thrilled!

Did you know that the Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands of which 2,000 are inhabited!? OMG … 7,107 islands, people!!

Well … We had some traditional Philippine dishes too …

  Of which, my favorite was Adobo – a dish that is typically made with pork or chicken, or a combination of both, which is slowly cooked in vinegar, cooking oil, crushed garlic, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and soy sauce, and often browned in the oven or pan-fried afterward to get the desirable crisped edges. Its best eaten with steaming hot rice. (yum!)

Then there was also Halo-Halo - a popular dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold in a tall glass or bowl.

 I even learnt some new words!!

  Oh-Oh (pronounced as O-O)      – means yes

Hindi (pronounced as hin-deh)      – means no

Pewde (pronounced as      pew-deh) – means maybe

Sige (pronounced as      sih-geh) – means okay

Ate (pronounced as ah-the)      – is a term of endearment used for an elder sister

Kuya (pronounced as      koo-yah) – is a term of endearment used for an elder brother

Po (pronounced as poh) –      is a term of respect like ‘sir / ma’am’

Salamat – (pronounced as      sah-lah-mat) – means thank you

 Cool right!?

Well … considering everyone had such a blast at that event, it was decided that we would make it a regular affair!

So the next one was planned for a couple of months later and this time it would be themed – “Incredible India”!!

  This meant that all the staff that was of Indian nationality would be part of the hosting committee. Now thought I AM of Indian nationality, sadly India is one of the few countries that I hadn’t explored much of … yes … Sad, but true.

But with the help of the India Team, we pulled off a spectacular and grand event. We had souvenirs from all parts of India –

  Taj Mahal ‘snow globes’ –      from Monisha from Delhi

Kathakali masks – from      Shahana from South India

Sea shells – From      Christina from Goa

Decorative pens – from      Annu from Calcutta

Decorative potli bags –      from me that brought it all together … India Ishtyle!

  The guests’ tables were decorated with colorful scarves and clay diya’s.

  The guests were adorned with bhandani stoles, garlands of marigold flowers, a welcome tikka was applied to the foreheads of all our guests and the ladies even received bangles to chime at the event.

The journey through India was opulent and lived up to its tagline – ‘Incredible India!’

With the closing of the India event, we realized that we had struck gold with these team building events and decided to give it another try … this time we thought we’d experiment with a theme closer to home – Arabian Nights.

This event we hosted in the desert … which completed the ambience of Arabia.

    It took a lot of planning and back-up planning considering the landscape. The sandy desert proved to be very unforgiving – the heat, the sand and the constantly changing landscape. So much of the preparing had to be done on site and with no luxury of shade or air conditioning, by the time the event was supposed to start the organizing team was exhausted.

But with the magic of makeup and a quick wash in the tiny restrooms, we managed to look fantastic!

We placed low lying cushions and tables as part of the seating arrangement, had camels rides for the guests, shisha and dates with Arabic coffee was another delicacy … and for the more adventurous we had sand surfing.

By nightfall, the weather cooled down and we lounged beneath the stars to watch the glorious sky above us. And we even entertained by a Tanoura dancer!!

Needless to say … it was ANOTHER successful event!

  Hmmmm … where shall we travel off too next?

  Of course! With the FIFA World Cup around the corner, the next location was a clear choice – Latin America (Caribbean, South America and Central America)

There were a few challenges we faced while planning this event.

  (1)  We were a smaller team planning this event – just 4 members (as compared to the 6-7 teams for the other events)

(2)  Of the 4 members, 2 of us knew nothing of Latin America! One of whom was me … and trust me, my geography stinks! (heheheheheh  ...)

  I actually learnt a lot from planning the event … for example:

‘Sombrero’ means hat … and      there are many types of Sombreros. I thought it was just one... the big      floppy one that you usually see at Mexican restaurants!!

  Piñatas are originally      from CHINA!! And the tradition was cultivated in South America.

  The highest waterfall is      Angel Falls in Venezuela … and not the Niagara Falls (the widest falls).

I also got to sample a lot of the authentic cuisine of Latin America, like:

  Ceviche (made with fish      and seasoned with rosemary or thyme)

Chilli corn carne (made of      ground beef and red beans)

Seared fish vera cruz

Aroz Con Pollo (similar to      chicken biryani but with no spice)

Spicy beef with pear,      tomato and salsa verde

Authentic taco’s and      fajita’s

  (slurp!!!) Reminded of home cooked food in Goa!

  Well … since the event was hosted on 19th June and the photographs are still being edited, I don’t have any to show you right now. But you can catch them on my Facebook page in a few days! (wink!)

  Till then, here’s me signing off while I get set to plan the next team building event – Commonwealth Countries!!

[davaz]

The Big FAB Goan Wedding ... Part II

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ― Dr. Seuss

  "Dad ... Have you gone for a trial for your suit?''

  "Mom ... All the family flying in, have arrived … right?"

  "Danielle ... Since you're doing the make up for my bride, I've confirmed the details for your car for the day."

  "Lino ... Can you please keep a check on the all the arrangements we have for the day, please???"

  "Diahann ... Help!!!!!"

  Aaah... the glorious sounds of wedding bells ... hustle and bustle ... and the constant worry of my brother - the 'groom-zilla'!!

  He'd been planning for months ... the family was planning for weeks ... and I couldn't wait for the day!

  Every minute detail, from the decoration at the venue to the design of the invitation cards, proved that this event was truly a labour of love.

  The monogram design by my talented sis in law (the ever cool bride) ... The colours were that of royalty - deep purple and silver ... the centerpiece symbolic of what 'love is ...' ... the choice of music and the church where they were wed. To everyone who was witness to their union was witness to something special...

  The evening before the wedding found all of us (mom, dad, Danielle, Lino, Francis and me) at home ... sharing a drink and dinner and relishing 'the calm before the storm'. As we closed the day and went to bed ... Francis and I reminisced about my wedding day from 6 years ago, and how perfect I wanted it to be. And how just like him, I had made 'the list' of every possible task there was ... and made sure it was taken care of. And then I shared the sage advice given to me at my wedding by our mom - 'you may THINK you have everything in control, but don't get upset when tomorrow you realize otherwise. God will have his say in your day. You just have to accept everything'

  The next morning the family awoke to a glorious morn ... cool, calm and RAINY!! Rain!! On my brother’s wedding day! He was dashed!

  All he could think of was - what am I going to do? The event is an open-air venue! All the decorations! The seating! Will guests still come? Will my bride be as upset as me!?

  And, that was when mom sat him down and said "He will give you a day perfect for you! Don't doubt Him."

  Danielle and I headed off at 8am to the brides house, which was a 2 hour drive one-way. Once we got there it was crazy busy! First make up for the bride’s maid ... then 2 flower girls ... then the bride!!

  Once done, we made a mad dash to the hotel reserved for us nearby to shower and change and zoom off to the church.

  Oh! And guess what … the rain stopped. Just in time for the bridal couple to reach the church. (thumbs up!)

  The nuptials were at the Bambolim Shrine, where the miraculous Cross of Bambolim is housed. The entrance was lined with heavy bouquets of lilies and orchids and carnations! And it was amidst the beauty of these flowers that Francis received blessings from the family before he made his entry into the church.

The nuptials were presided over by Father Shannon. A close family friend, and someone who had actually grown up with Francis, Danielle and me. The service was very special ... where at the reading of the vows 'some' of us were reduced to tears! Hey! The bride cried too!!

Moving on...

  "I now pronounce you man and wife”... Wheeee … Let’s head for the Reception Venue!!

The Reception was held at Palavre de Jardim.

  The entrance looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale … flags of the couples colours and monogram led the path to the grand entrance … that which was lined with silver trees lit with fuchsia and lavender lights dripping with dainty crystals … the dance floor completely bathed in lavender light … with tiny LED lights twinkling throughout … the bridal party seating area looked like it had a waterfall of lights behind it … the lawns were spotted with dress tables and chairs in lavender sashes … and the centerpiece animatedly pronouncing what ‘love is …’

Family poured in and hello’s and hugs were all around … with people seeing each other after years having gone by. With everyone settled with a drink in their hand, the lovely couple made their grand appearance!

As tradition plays an important role at every wedding, we had the official cake cutting followed by a very emotionally layered toast by our Dad.

  Not to be outdone, Francis then sang to his bride … his first to Mrs. Lizann Vaz … the song? Sigh … ‘Close your eyes’ by Michael Buble.

  Care to hear it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoEWmc60wJY

  And then the first dance as husband and wife to another dreamy song … ‘Amazed’ by Lonestar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L27KqRVZPwA

  It was this moment at the wedding that we realized the magic of the evening. Till this point the weather had been on its best behavior, if you consider an evening which was sweltering hot – well behaved.

  But as family and friends got to their feet, surrounded the couple and watched as they took to their first dance … the heavens opened up and brought us some glorious rain! Though it rained, it was the most romantic moment ever!! And what could have been better than the rest of the family knocking off their shoes and dancing in the rain too!?

  Pretty awesome, huh?  Hehehehehh …

  And then we had a surprise performance by none other, than my super awesome Mom!! And she sang “Woman in love’ by Barbara Streisand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ppc_dT-J5E

Sigh … what an evening …

  What can I say my mom was right after all … she did say -

"He will give you a day perfect for you! Don't doubt Him."

  The next day, the family gathered at home for some good old fashioned merriment – good food, drink, song & dance …

  They say that “a picture is worth more than a 1000 words” … so enjoy …

Cheers!!

[davaz]

The Big FAB Goan Wedding ... Part I

“I prefer just being with people I like. That's my way of celebrating.” ― Michael Jackson

  The month of October 2013 turned out to be absolutely superb! It was literally a coming together of good friends and family from far and near.

  What was so special about October you may ask ... well we had a wedding in the family, my brother’s.

  Now this post is 'part 1' of a 2-part episode ... the “before the wedding” and “the wedding” itself.

  The whole trip home was initiated with a girl’s trip with a close friend of mine - Alishia Chandy (from Mumbai).

We got ourselves a cozy room at the lovely Villa Goesa at Baga (which is close to the Baga beach) and spent 4 days catching up on each other’s lives, loves, jobs, gossip and in general having a ball of a time!

Day 1 - Alishia arrived … and with her in tow we spent the morning at my folks place, giggling and laughing and getting 'acclimatized' to the Vaz way of doing things. Hehehehe ... we then headed off and checked in at the hotel by noon and decided to grab some lunch beach side with the family.

With lunch done, we were properly sated and toggled with the idea of 'taking a nap' or 'going for a dip in the pool' ... needless to say, the pool looked more inviting!

After a good 2 hours soaking in the pool we made plans for the evening - dinner with my brother and sister. What was on the menu? Aaahh ... delicious pork ribs at the Horizon Grill Restaurant!

Getting back to the hotel a little after midnight, left us good and tired and definitely ready for bed!

  Day 2 –

  Now normally, neither Aly nor I are morning people ... but on this holiday, every minute counted! And we were up at 9am (yes! That is early for us) and grabbed some yum cheese omelets and coffee at the hotel restaurant while we planned out our second day together. Hmmm ... the Beach! (D-uh)

  Slipping into something more comfortable we trudged our way towards the beach (which we were told was 5 mins from the hotel. Ha!! Yeah right!) We finally reached (our fav) Anthony's Bar and restaurant Shack by the beach at about noon and ordered ourselves some well-deserved beers! Aaahh ... heaven ...

The next few HOURS were spent in a blur of beers, French fries, hysterical laughter and long chats. Before we knew it, it was 5pm ... and my sister and Lino decided to pop across and 'check up on us' ... Hehehehehe ... which only called for some more beers! (wink!)

  By 7pm we had a nice buzz going for us and we made the loooooong walk to the hotel, by which time we decided a 'night on the town' was on the cards!

  We showered, changed and were back out again by 9pm ... looking for a nice place to have dinner. (We weren't going out clubbing on an empty stomach. We're not stupid you know! Hehehehehe)

  By 10:30pm we found ourselves at one of the new clubs - 'Cape Town' which wasn't too far from the hotel.

The crowd was classy, it was semi-open air and they had an indoor air conditioned club in the back. Perfect! The bonus - we found a table at the balcony area overlooking the street. Where we could sit and watch (and comment) on the colorful crowd spilling out of the neighboring clubs. We eventually found our way home later, but by what time is anyone’s guess! LOL! (Hey! We were on holiday!)

  Day 3 –

  Ugh!! What was that God awful sound!? And why was it so LOUD!?

  Oooooo ... (Groan) my cell was ringing (or was it my head) and Lino was calling ... (Groan) what time was it!?

  ''Wake up sleepy head!! It’s almost 11am'' blared off the phone! OMG!! Why was he yelling!? Oh ... he wasn't (sheepish look on my face ... I was suffering from one of my extremely few hangovers) ... sigh...

  ''Don't yell!'' I shouted into the phone. ''It’s too early ... and I'm feeling sick! We drank half of Goa last night!'' Ugh!!

  Yup ... the rest of the morning found Aly and me curled up in bed suffering together ... and after some coconut water, plain toast and the inevitable 'throw up session' we were right as rain! Yippee!! What's the plan! (Shameless, no? Hahahahahahahah ...)

  POOL time!! It had gotten too hot outside to go anywhere, so we all (Aly, me, Lino, my sis and her boyfriend) got into our swimsuits and jumped into the pool, where we stayed for nearly 3 hours! The only reason we finally got out was because it had started drizzling!

  A quick shower later and we had worked up quite an appetite ...

  Where to for dinner? Well ... Dandey's of course (at Sangolda) for some sizzlers and drinks! Mmmmm ...

We got home by midnight and literally crawled into bed ... absolutely exhausted!

  Day 4 –

  Our last day together ... sigh...

  Time really does fly by when you're having fun ... and we were having a BLAST!

  After a quick breakfast, we hit the shops to get Alishia stocked up on her goan masala's, cashew nuts, goan sausages and of course ... booze! (Wink!) After which we packed (or rather I did ...) And just in time for Lino with the taxi to head to the airport.

  Sigh ... I hate goodbye's ... but yes ... all good things must come to an end, so we can begin to plan for the NEXT trip!

  Where to next you ask ... Hahahahahahahah ... silly people ... I'm bringing Alishia to DUBAI! And hopefully (if all goes as per my plan) we won't have to say goodbye! Hehehehehe ... fingers crossed...

  Anyway … gotta run!

  Stay tuned for the next post - the Big Fab Wedding (part II) it’s gonna be grand!

[davaz]

Sleeping Beauty??

“Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.” ― Anthony Burgess

  “Oh my goodness!! You’re so loud! How am I supposed to sleep … no matter how I turn you, it doesn’t stop!” … Hmmm … THIS is new!! (shocked expression on my face)

  Let me rewind this story …

  It’s bedtime. I brush my teeth, wash my face, smooth on moisturizer, and comb my hair back away from my face. As I size up my reflection in the mirror, I know my attention to beauty will not prevent me, once asleep, from turning into a beast.

  Latest development, I snore.

Now, obviously I didn’t believe it at the beginning … and insisted that Lino record me … But he says I wouldn’t want to hear it, that I would be shocked. Hmmm …

  I mean, it’s hard to take ownership of something I can’t hear myself doing. When I am awakened by a "Stop snoring!" I am usually tangled up deep in a dream. Another rude awakening -- "Roll over!" … and now I can’t get back to sleep. Sigh …

  What’s worse … I’m so worried that I’m going to fall asleep and start snoring again that I end up staring that the ceiling for most of the night … only to later grab my pillow and trudge across to the sofa in the living room and fall asleep minutes before my alarm rings for me to wake up again!!

It’s so unfair … When a man snores, its normal … but when a woman snores, it’s not right!

  I remember as a child I would listen to my dad snore in the next room and fall asleep to the steady rhythm, like a lullaby. And now years later, I still seek out the sound of the snore (hubby’s) before I fall into a deep slumber. But at no point did I ever imagine that I would be the source of it!! And somehow I never realized that MY snoring could actually KEEP SOMEONE AWAKE! Huh!! Go figure!

So … what’s the next step, you ask? Well … find a way to STOP snoring!

  Checking online I find that there are a variety of reasons that women snore … and most of them I can take care of …

  -      The height of my pillow … hmmm … I like high pillows since they are usually so ‘puffy’ and I love sinking my head in them. But strangely, those exact pillows tend to cause a particular dip in my throat which causes me to snore …

  Low pillows it is.

  -      I read that a blocked sinus or bronchitis issue can also be a cause. Hmmm … This is gonna be a tough one to rectify. I more often than not have a stuffy nose and sinus issue …

  Nasal treatment (every night) it is.

  Oh … and to assist further, I found these nasal strips at the pharmacy. It’s a simple plastic strip whose ends stick to the nose, pulling it away from the inner passage, thus opening it up better. So I bought a pack and tried it a couple of times … each time waking up thinking that someone was holding my nose!! Yeesh!!

  -      Alcohol can aggravate snoring. Hmmm … No, I’m not gonna “stay away” from alcohol … that’s ridiculous!!

Pass!!

  So … armed with all this knowledge (hehehehehe … ) and the fact that I now go to sleep a whole hour earlier & wake up much earlier too (cos of my shift timings), I’m hoping the ‘sleep’ pattern improves for both me and Lino (poor guy!)

  Anywho … time for my evening drink (wink!) and some dinner and I’m off to bed! Hehehehehe …

  Till next time … SNORE!

[davaz]

Working 'hard' or 'hardly'? ;)

“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Hi everyone...

  How’s everyone been doing? I’ve been having a blast!!

  How's work you ask? Doing well...

  Hectic... exhausting... the travel to work is terribly tiring... the team is super supportive and fun... and unlike my previous training jobs, I spend HOURS glued to my laptop!!

All in all... I love it! It feels so good to finally be back 'on the job’... with deadlines, tasks lists (Oooooo yes  ... the lists!!), emails, meetings and all the craziness that goes with it! And what's better... I haven't had an embarrassing moment... yet! (wink!)

  So... what's the job about you ask, if I'm glued to my desk all day?

  Well... It’s a training coordinators role... So there's the updating of trackers, a million excel sheets (and everyone knows how much I love excel  ... NOT!), arranging for stationary, setting up rooms, supporting trainers, working on data (ugh!), scanning & printing documents, filing reports and other paperwork, writing reports .. the list goes on... but it’s at this point that I would like to apologize and appreciate all the training coordinators that I have worked with in the past 7 years as a Trainer.

  I remember when, once upon a time I had mentioned to one of my coordinators that 'they had the easiest job in the world  ... All they did all day was sit at their desks and color squares on an excel sheet....’ Hmmm... Looks like they're having the last laugh now!! Hehehehehe...

Ah well... It’s been just 3 weeks of doing what I'm doing and I think I'm already on my way to losing my mind. After staring at my laptop screen for close to 8 continuous hours, I feel it’s only natural that the following occurred...

  I got home dead tired and worn out... thanks to the new job, the travel and the summer heat. And, as I lay on the couch channel surfing, I realized there wasn't much on TV that held my interest and decided to switch it off. But for the next 2-3 minutes I stared at the screen in disbelief!! I couldn't figure out how to turn off the TV!!

I mean... I had the remote in my hand... But where the hell was the 'tiny cross at the top right hand corner' to close the page!?

  Sheesh!!

  Sigh... and you thought you had problems... Hahahahahahahah... 3 weeks my friends... We'll have to do a mental status check in a month from now... I guarantee you, it’s gonna be hilarious!!

  Anyway, till next time... Ciao!!

[davaz]

Birthday Cheers!

“You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.” ― Bob Hope

  I'd like to start this post with a great big 'Thank You' to all the people who made my birthday this year, a little extra special.

  Even though last year I celebrated my birthday with new friends in a new land - Chicago... This year brought me another important gift - a new job!

  The day in itself was amazing... It started with a gorgeous gift from hubby dearest... A gold bracelet!!

With my new job, I had a hectic start to the day... getting dressed, opening gifts, answering birthday calls from home and making a mad dash for the office bus. And even though I had been working at the office for less than 10 days, the team made me feel super special!! They got me the most delicious honey layered cake with doughnuts and pastries on the side for a celebration breakfast. After a huge slice of cake and tons of pics, it was back to work! Wink!

'Working' on my birthday was never an option I enjoyed... so you can imagine my thrill when my boss suggested I leave 2 hours early and 'go enjoy my day'! Yippee!! So I grabbed the company bus and headed home.

  After a quick shower, I decided to take a 'short' nap... So that I wasn't too worn out for the evening ahead. That 'short' nap turned into a 2.5 hour deep slumber... And the highlight of my day!!

  (You know you're getting old when a nap is the highlight of the day  ... Sheesh!!) Hehehehehe...

  Anyway... next on the agenda, 'what's for dinner?'

  Hubby had that totally under control... Chillies take out dinner - chicken Monterey with cheese and sautéed tomatoes with a side of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables (for me) and grilled salmon on a bed of black beans with a side of steamed vegetables (for him) .. Yummy!! This coupled with a glass (or two) of some delicious pink Moet & Chandon Champagne (wink  ... Oh yeah). And oh... for starters we went basic... a plate of neatly cut and sizzled cocktail sausages and Thai chili sauce (hehehehehe). Closing the meal with a huge slice of chocolate cake!

OMG!! If that day wasn't RICH enough (gold & champagne  ... Hehehehe), the next day brought another welcome surprise... My 1st salary with Aggreko!! Yup! A whole 16 days’ worth! Eeee... Time for some birthday shopping!!

  Well... That was my 'one day in the sun’... And I relished it thoroughly...

  So like I said at the beginning, a great big 'Thank You' to all the people who made my birthday this year, a little extra special.

  Muuaah! Love you guys!! :)