Palms in a ravine
Posted by Hello

Each time I pass through these mountains and in the scorching heat of the summer look upon the greenery, I am blessedly awed by the divinity in God Almighty's creations...

We then stopped at a canteen in Masafi for some deliciously spicy Indian tea and a paratha with cheese, and as we were about to finish the Paratha we were attacked by a vicious monster in the car, luckily he didn't jump at me rather at the dashboard! (A cockroach decided to hitch a ride!) I think he was hidden in the paratha wrapper from the place that I usually stop at to get Karak tea just before the Friday market... I guess I'm not going there again even if their Karak tea was amazing. EEEeuw!!

Mountain Variations
Posted by Hello

To see the variation in height and shade due to distance, one cannot help but stand in awe of these formations of stone called mountains, they hover majestically, and to me, protectively as we glide through.

But to truly experience their splendour and grandeur one has to see it magnified in the most stunning part of a day ... At nighttime. When they reach to the darkness in full splendour as if showing of their glamorous plumage to the angels and djin.... while occasionally a shy moon smiles approvingly..

Later after arrival in Dubai I went to the movies with my friend at Grand Cinema and saw 'Ladykillers', neither that great nor interesting! I was quite disappointed though it was expected since it was a remake. I did have hope as it was a production made by the Coen brothers (I did like 'Fargo') but this wasn't all there...

The Other Side...
Posted by Hello

Saturday I went to Spinneys (a grocery store) in Mercato (a shopping mall in Jumeirah, Dubai) to shop for my dinner guests. All us girls usually make a dish or two each and gather. So yesterday I made Mango rice with Sardines, white rice (for my friends Moussaka) and canapés for the early arrivals (taramasalata & anchovies, turkey & pickles, Caviar & butter, crab & mayo and turkey cigars) then the stoooooopid A.C. decides to not perform at its best!

We had a nice night, after tea & desserts there was coffee and Clean Up!!!!

To wind down I watched an eighties movie ('Sex, Lies, and Videotape' Andie McDowell & James Spader), had a cigarette, checked my email and went to sleep!

And that, my fellow dwellers, was my weekend...

Cry Me A River...

Last night…

Last night I slept to “Tell me your secrets, tell me your fantasy, tell me what you’re afraid of…” ‘He’ said these were the lyrics to a Madonna song, probably ‘Erotica’. And as he went on to tell me fairytales that I recall none of, I drifted away in to a deep slumber.

This morning I awoke to a million and one calls… And when I answer with sleep in my voice, they apologize shyly for awakening me and having forgotten that I’d taken two weeks of work.

This morning, I awoke to a “He” who decided to tell me the lyrics of another song to express himself, which he found too difficult to do with his own words and told me: 'you know the song by Michael Bolton?" so I asked which song? and fell into that. “… Have I told you lately...” and before he could complete the sentence I asked him to stop... I couldn’t bear the weight of that on my conscience. After knowing each other for nearly six years, he wanted to say it now!?!.

Why now?

He accused me of pushing him away every time he wanted to get closer… unfortunately; this is beginning to sound all too familiar; it seems to be the trend…

You tell me, whom should I whisper my secrets to? To whose voice should I fall asleep and to whose smile I should wake up… tell me to whom should I murmur my honeysuckle sweet love and whose breath should I draw…

Many years ago, in Montreal, Kevin was frustrated with me, frustrated to the point of… aaahhh well … let sleeping dogs lie… He said: ‘you’re a fucking coward, you’re too fucking afraid of commitment that’s why you keep doing these things”. “These things” being, pushing him away, and telling him the million and one reason why I cannot be with him etc… He’d then goes gets drunk and attempts a multitude of follies.

So you again, tell me, tell me your fears, tell me your secrets, ‘cause I’ve got secrets too… Tell me how much you love me, ‘cause you know how much..

"Now you say you’re lonely
You cry the long night through
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

Now you say you’re sorry
For being so untrue
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head
While you never shed a tear
Remember, I remember, all that you said?
You told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me and

Now you say you love me
Well, just to prove that you do
Come on and cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you
I cried a river over you
I cried a river...over you..."

to listen, click on CASSANDRE 159a CRY.mp3

Words and music by Arthur Hamilton,1953.

Twilight Tuesday at Satwa Roundabout
Posted by Hello

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you, you who had been for a while a large part of my imagination, until we met...
Happy Birthday to you, you who forgot mine only two months after we'd known each other...
Happy Birthday Happy Birthday....
Happy Birthday to you, you who burst my happy bubble with life


A Smile
Posted by Hello

A smile is worth so many words, occasionally we may even be too blind to see clearly yet really we must let our intuition kick in and take control, shame on someone so fine tuned in intuition with an acute sense of people to err as such, shame...

Yet what can one say to affairs of the heart, yes we do go occasionally colour blind, at times may be even fully blind, yet it is one of those relapses that affect us for a while and then we heal and come to and realise that, yes we do love, but at this day and age, it no longer is selflessly. Yes we do love, but no longer blindly.

Yes we love, from all our hearts and at times may even drown oh so deliciously, yet we come to, slowly, as the bubbles rise through our chest where it expands beyond our capabilities... and just as our lungs are about to explode, we rise....

Yet again I die, and as the Phoenix I rise...

So honey Happy Birthday to you

I will miss him

Each time I think of when I will leave him, my eyes well up and overflow, till tears roll down my face and on to my chest as though to seek comfort in their loneliness within my heart.

 

I weep.

 

I will miss him, he is not my son (for I have none), he is not my brother, he is not my father nor lover nor spouse though he could be any of them (more so my father, brother and son). He is my boss.

 

Ours is a very strange acquaintance. I read his mind at work, and he proves me right (on occasion terribly wrong, and he shows his displeasure!) That is it. No extra chit chat (only on minor occasions) no special privileges, no unwarranted criticism nor compliments. He is so sweet. Just a regular kind of guy, the kind we don’t find many of nowadays.

 

To be the kind of man who is written about, would be a glory that many seek, yet he would shy away from such a display of his graces. He is human, not an angel nor a saint but may be close in nature. To me that, is but human nonetheless.

 

I will miss his undeniable straightforwardness, his dry sense of humor, his absolute Humanness. He has been nothing less that a positively dynamic influence on my life. Yes I will miss him.

 

I am not moving far, for I am lucky to remain under his wing. No, I am moving to extend my wings at another dynamic department, a place where the mind may be stretched to unexpected extents.

 

And then, over there, I feel that I may well forge a strong and beautiful relationship with many others (teammates) (Insha’ Allah)

 

I will miss him, I will miss his family who have become like mine (though we may not be close in presence but we do understand each others mindset).

 

To him it will always be a pleasure to work for. He is an amazing boss who has the utmost respect for all around him and that is equally reciprocated.

 

Through him I will rise and to him I will look for wisdom and guidance. Now I will go to be alone with my feelings of happiness at the opportunity he has given me and sadness at leaving him.

 

I miss him already….