The Story Of You.

When you grow up,
You meet a lot of people,
People who will write the story of you,
In the book of life.
You will come across the curious souls,
Whose sole purpose is to sketch a mental outline of you,
Once it's done, you will never see them again.
You will come across the users,
Interested in their own journey,
With you as the vehicle to their destination.
You will come across the genuine souls,
The ones interested in your story,
And wish to be part.
They will go as far as lending a hand,
In the writing process.
Fill out their mental sketch of you,
Detail by detail,
Bringing you to life.
Stick with the genuine souls,
They are interested in writing the story of you,
At your pace,
While reading it,
In the book of life.

- Shanah

Photo Credits: google.com

A Pretty Bad Week

Rihanna

 

The past week has been one of the most trying weeks on my journey to financial independence. It almost brought to mind my first month of gainful employment. Everything was such a challenge back then and I never thought I would get through if not for my brother.
It was nothing short of impossible to get through. There were days when I would wake up in the wee hours of the morning just to cry -for a good hour then I would suck it up and get ready after the alarm went off. Go to the one place where I literally have no friends and work with someone bent on making me throw in the towel.
I have hit a couple of rock bottoms but my worst yet is not giving a crap as to who sees me cry: when and where. Yes, tears would just flow at any moment without warning. I haven't been this unhappy in one entire week. What made it hurt the most is the lack of physical and emotional support. I could have used lots of shoulders to cry on and several emotional hugs. But, what I really need is an anchor. My brother used to be it and since he is gone, I have no one. I have to get used to the idea of being my own super woman . Much as I needed a physical shoulder to cry on ; the virtual ones were more than enough. I appreciate each and everyone of my friends for listening to me. It is so uncanny how most of them shared the thought: I have toned down my personality and lost my touch. I am as vocal as they come and to stand what I am going through without so much as a hiccup is not me. Well, I am trying to reign in the temper and tongue that gets the best of me sometimes. You know it's been a pretty bad week when you get involved in a little accident to top it off. Thankfully; my third leg didn't break and all I got was a busted lip and a few sore spots. Everything is so up in the air. My mood, the work issues I am trying to deal with in my own time and my good humor. I have had little to smile about the entire week and it shows. How can I have a perpetual smile on my face when deep down my heart is not happy? Even the romance novels that used to help me deal in moments like these don't seem to cut it.

My 2014 Highlights – A continuation.

From L-R: Eid, manning front office, workshop lunch, lunch with Joy and Birthday Surprise

31/05/2014 – Surprise birthday celebration at home with two of my best friends, Clare & Malcolm. I looked like a hot mess while they were all spiffy. 
04/06/2014 – God will surely punish me for the lies I tell about being married to guys I don’t want to encourage.
- Meeting Mark put a whole different spin on disability awareness.
05/06/2014 – Helped a blind man edit his work. I’m glad we had a chat about what I’d really love to do and where my interests lay.
11/06/2014 – Sad’s birthday.
- Movie plans involving boys never materialise. I should stop making them.
- 30 day blogging challenge, can I hack such an undertaking?
15/06/2014 – Spending time with the keeper of my secrets. I love her.
16/06/2014 – I hate to see her sad; I hope she mends fences with her mum and not let the boy rule her life.
21/06/2014 – One of those days where I wish other people’s good fortune would rub off on me. It is hard being your own hero when you hardly know where to start.
08/07/2014 – 135 views on Simply Shanah.
14/07/2014 – The prospect of seeing an old friend and catching up.
- That sense of accomplishment you feel after finishing the set tasks of the day.
15/07/2014 – Finally finished my braided necklace and thanked God for my creative skills.
16/07/2014 – The compliments on the necklace are overwhelming and heart warming.
24/07/2014 – Unexpected opportunity at work. May it happen as God intended.
- Visit from my girl Belle.
28/07/2014 – Eid. Having one of my oldest friends spend it with me makes it more special.
29/07/2014 – 6 AM inspiration. Another design to add onto my ‘heart’ series.
- An SMS in lieu of the dreaded phone call. Pending interview.
30/07/2014 – Job interview! I’m glad it went better than expected.
- 22OOHRS inspiration visit and going with it.
31/07/2014 – Lunch with OR. It had been long overdue.
03/08/2014 – I feel like I am on the cusp of a yet-to-be written chapter in my life.
06/08/2014 – Utterly frustrating day but a bad beginning made for a good ending.
- My mum and Sad’s excitement on my behalf. It is all so hard to take in.
08/08/2014 – Another design to add onto my ‘heart’ series.
15/08/2014 – Seeing my aunt Asia made me miss seeing her and my ride or die girl on the regular.
17/08/2014 – Check up from the one who started this work journey in my life and his kind wishes made me so happy. I hope it all goes well.
22/08/2014 – Treated myself to a solitary meal at an eatery. I missed these moments of eating by myself in a fancy place.
29/08/2014 – Volunteer workshop at Africana and the meal that followed. A good way to end my volunteer experience.
30/08/2014 – Thoughts of the coming chapter in my life. Absolutely scared and excited at the same time.
01/09/2014 – First day of the rest of my work life. Several things not to like but the work is alright.
02/09/2014 – Chat with my bestfriend from Primary School changed my perspective about work and its challenges.
12/09/2014 – The fact that my crappy handwriting and signature now appear on a few official documents.
15/09/2014 – Got my first work I.D.
17/09/2014 – Gentlemen still exist.
22/09/2014 – If you don’t teach people how to treat you right, they never will.
24/09/2014 – The keeper of my secrets is having a baby!
01/10/2014 – Birthday of the Keeper of my secrets. I think of her as my baby yet here she is having a baby of her own on the way.
- Completed my first month of gainful employment.
21/11/2014 – Celebrating employment with the boys.
23/11/2014 – Artistic inspiration struck yet I’d been in search of writing inspiration.
03/12/2014 – When you’re down in the doldrums, the last thing you need is abuse from a page you go to to chill.
04/12/2014 – So moody lately.
05/12/2014 – Coincidental meeting with a Facebook page mate.
06/12/2014 – Lunch plans with Baby J fell through and I came off looking like an ill-mannered brat because of my mood swings.
07/12/2014 – The knowledge that there is such a thing as Plate Theory.
11/12/2014 – Mariam Nan has been of great help lately yet we have never met. She’s like my sounding board when I need an impartial voice of reason.
12/12/2014 – Waking up to potentially good news and the promise of it coming true. I couldn’t be more happier for Sad.
14/12/2014 – Plumbing with my daddy although I just held the tools and gave orders like a general while he worked.
- Discovered a reader of Simply Shanah. Funny how people come into your life.
15/12/2014 – Contemplating the purchase of Art supplies for my office.
- Celebration with the boys over Sad’s good news.
 16/12/2014 – I succumbed and bought Art supplies for my office. The creative release marginally improved my mood and the piece looks beautiful.
- Catch up session with my friend Captain Jack Sparrow.
18/12/2014 – My mum saying I look thinner due to work.
19/12/2014 – Being provided the opportunity to get to know someone you have been keeping on the peripheral of your brain.
- Counting days to break off time from work.
20/12/2014 – Last day of work until the 5th of January.
21/12/2014 – Finished a design to one of my Works-In-Progress drawings.
- Taking an afternoon nap after several months of work. I had forgotten how taking and waking up from one actually felt like.
26/12/2014 -  Art grind in the wee hours of the night.
27/12/2014 - Created a tribal necklace in a day! Woot!
-Alhamdulilah for creative inspiration.
29/12/2014 - Jewellery editing is hell on my nails but the outcome is always superb.
- I miss my nose piercing a lot, lately. I should man up and see to it because it's been 3 years without it.
30/12/2014 - Getting my hair done. Wonderful way to prepare for the new year. If you look good, you feel good no matter what!

There was so much to be grateful for in 2014 because it has been very good to me. I hope it marks the beginning of many more wonderful opportunities. And that everything happens as it was meant to. Ameen.

A Joyful Day!

Little old me so tired and frazzled!

I had quite the eventful weekend with one of my oldest best friends that took more hard work and planning than it should have.
It took me by surprise when she suggested the do last year. It was quite unexpected. Few people barely remember how good friends you were when kids nor appreciate but not her. From last year’s tentative suggestion and agreement to the actual weekend, it took quite a lot of planning cause of scheduling conflicts on both sides and my health.
At a point, I feared we might never get to but we both had to make a bit of an effort so much so that when I felt 100% better, I asked her for an exact date and time. I felt that if I didn't see her as soon as I could, I might never do.
Everything fell into place and it finally happened. We’ve known each other for give or take twenty years, were best friends in Primary school and would meet randomly at University and chat for a little bit given the time constraints and different studies.
Seeing her after all the years and spending the entire afternoon in her company was such a pleasure. She is so wise and I love the young woman she has become. And you know you are friends when you share career advice and experiences. Most people we call “friends'” never want to share experiences and how they got to where they are but not true friends. True friends have your back and tell it as they see it – which she did. LOL.
We both noted and appreciated how we never out grew each other and the friendship because it happens to so many childhood friends. When adulthood and life hit, the bonds of friendships break and all that's left are memories. With us; the years literary fell away as we found our way to the girls we used to be except as grown ups with mature conversations.
I have such a small number of friends and having one of them be someone who knew me when I was little and remains in my life is not only a blessing but a gift.

The Good From 2013 Continued…

“Everyday may not be good but there’s something good in everyday.”

A continuation to this post:

24/08/2013 – Received a pink jewelry set from my cousin Shakira.

31/08/2013 – My brother’s marriage. He’s wanted to get married for so long that I am glad it happened and seeing him happy makes me happy.

3/09/2013 – Had a jewelry re-sale and made a bit of money from it.

04/11/2013 – Simply Shanah is three years old!
                   - Exchanged numbers with a boy I really like. I last exchanged numbers with a guy I’m into four years ago, I think. Much as I like him, it is blatantly obvious it’s going no where.
                  - My maternal Grand Father’s death anniversary. I’m grateful to my family for the memorial prayers they hold in his stead every year.

6/11/2013 – Positive friends who listen when you need it and give advice when you least expect it.

11/11/2013 – My girl Claire’s generous soul.
                  - Brainstorming sessions with my friend Ama. These get the creative juices flowing and I lover her for her unwavering support.

20/11/2013 – Made a pair of rings out of stones for a necklace. Second time I pimp up a ring or two.

21/11/2013 – Cut my hair into bangs or a fringe.

22/11/2013 – Made a necklace out of black squares from my sister’s dress.

24/11/2013 – Need to nurture my accessories design and see how far I can go with it.

01/12/2013 – New month, wonder what it has in store.

06/13/2013 – Woke up to news of Nelson Mandela’s death who died on 5/12/2013.

08/12/2013 – Attended my cousin Farida’s wedding. Happy to have been there and see it happen.
                   - Love the gifts from Farida’s in-laws.

10/12/2013 – Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. A fitting farewell to Africa’s purest heroes.

12/12/2013 – Grateful for beautifully fierce and its subsequent social media pages. Maintaining it and the pages gives me a sense of purpose.
                 - The possibility of attaining a new phone looms in the near future.
                 -  Hearing from my friend Ossy who I haven’t seen since November.
                 - Time; being in peace and at peace with everything so far.

15/12/2013 – Seeing the Nelson Mandela funeral telecast reminded me of my maternal Grand Father’s funeral.

16/12/2013 – The Whatsapp text from one of my oldest best friends, Joy, made my night. It reminded me of our friendship in primary school then the one at University. I can’t wait to see her after years.
                  - Sighted a butterfly and I remembered  The Alchemist. They are good omens and we should believe in them.

19/12/2013 – Catch up session with my friend Malcolm. A really old friend from Primary School and University.

20/12/2013 – My uncle Uthman’s 40th birthday celebration. I love family gatherings like these because we get to be together in one place with the cousins and catch up on everything as we are all at different stages and paths in our lives.
                  - One of my creations found a new home. I am glad it went to someone who really loves it.

24/12/2013 – I received pretty little accessories from aunt; a little pink purse and a huge cocktail ring.
                   - News from Chingy about her departure from the country. She’s wanted to go for so long that I am glad Allah finally made it possible for her.

29/12/2013 – My aunt Saudah’s graduation dua. So glad to see this was done for her for she has achieved quite a lot. We’re so close that I hardly refer to her as ‘aunt’. I love moments like these because I get to see some of my favourite people in the world like my girl Smooch. Seeing her and catching up with her means the world to me, then there is Shaffy and Baker.

30/12/2013 – What a day chockfull of surprise visits! First my girls Smooch and Baby Jara ( I was aware of their pending visit) then Leila (baby on board) and Shaffy! These are what memories are made of. The thing about family is; however long you’ve taken to see each other, there is always something that binds you and makes the eons of distance slip away.
                - I have been so creative this year that I am proud of my artistic talent. This is one of my best highlights.
                - My uncle Omar made Haj and the one to whom I am best niece is in the process of preparation for the trip. I pray God makes it possible for him and glad for it to have happened for Uncle Omar (both of these are faithful readers)
                - Grateful to God for my life, family and friends. Y'all are everything to me. 
                - Totally unrelated but I am so glad that Justin Timberlake is BACK on the music scene. Yup, this was his year along with Eminem and Robin Thicke.


On that really nostalgic  note; Happy 2014 Everyone. Be Safe.

Third Anniversary!

My baby (Simply Shanah) is three years old now. Wow!
Before it dawned on me that 4th of November is the same day my maternal Grandfather passed away in 2005 and the day I started up this blog in 2010, I had toyed with the idea of writing a birthday post and publishing on the actual day. Seeing that the days coincide, writing an anniversary post on the exact day will not be happening anytime soon. On the 4th of November, we hold memorial prayers for my Grandfather as a family and it is a big thing. And it is what we were doing on Monday.I rarely talk about him because I miss him the most when I do. I miss him a lot.
Well, the day before the 4th, I got out of hibernation to attend my cousin’s small do. She brought her boyfriend to officially meet the family and make things official. I rarely see her but, when I do, it is such a pleasure. I can’t believe she is getting engaged and married. She asked whether her boyfriend passed muster and he did. He is tall, dark and handsome…just like I like them. LOL. I love guys with height. I’m so happy for her. She was so beautiful and she will be even more beautiful at her engagement and wedding.

From L-R: Farida (bride to be) and me, Mayi (my gurl), Maria (Farida's sister)

On the 4th; we had memorial prayers for my Grandfather. I’m proud of my mother’s family for maintaining this event in his memory. It has been eight years and not all of them easy. Being there, on that day makes it hard for all of us but I love hearing stories about my grand father from his friends or people who knew him. It keeps him alive in our memories. May Allah accept all our deeds on his behalf and bless us as a family. Little known fact, both my grandfathers (maternal and paternal) are deceased.
It’s three years of Simply Shanah… I am glad to have a platform where I can ramble on and on and have people read what I put out there. Really, I am thankful to each and everyone who takes the time to read, comment and follow not forgetting tweet. I’ve received a few positive tweets (although I deleted the old account) and they make me happy and appreciative of everyone.
Most of you ask me where I am taking this blog or rather what I want out of it. Right now, all I know is like the idea of having somewhere to keep memories, thoughts and a chronological progression of my life with room for whatever comes.
Happy 3rd Anniversary to my baby and a huge thank you to my friends, family and followers for the encouragement and positive feedback.

B’Day Celebration.

I finally made the trip to the cinema to catch the third and final instalment to the Iron Man franchise over the weekend. I’m not sure if I should say it was better than anticipated or a bit of a downer so I refuse to pick it apart because I am a serious fan of Tony Stark. It was amazing, regardless of the plot. The action and the technology was beyond expected and very delightful. Tears rushed to my eyes when the final credits rolled. I can’t believe it is the end of Robert Downey Jr’s run as Iron Man. I hope he does Avengers 2.

Meal before the pizza with friends

 A lot of people assume I’m into romantic comedies for my love of novels but those movies don’t do it for me. Adrenaline pumping, action movies make my blood flow like no man’s business. I read for the pleasure a story gives my heart not my blood. Believe it or not, I would never ever go to the cinema to watch a romantic comedy, not out of my own pocket. I just love Superheroes and movies out of comic books, that’s all. Now, how about Fast6 next? Huh?
I had to extend the birthday celebrations later on because one of my girls was out of the city and didn’t want to watch the movie alone. It is nice doing stuff with friends especially ones you haven’t seen in a long time. Catching up made for a fantastic time. Sometimes, you need not do a lot to connect and make memories. It is the little things that count.

Last day as a blonde

Speaking of friends, I think the past week was for them or one of them. I thank God for the luck I had in seeing my bff not only once but twice on separate and unexpected days. We didn’t get to talk because of pressing matters but it was good seeing her after too long. Seeing her, however briefly on both days made me happy.

Village belle as of Sunday

Hmmm…after running around as a blonde for a few months, I took my hair out. I’m now rocking my God given afro for now. I missed the feel of the breeze on my scalp. Besides, I want to wear my newest hair accessories without a weave or extensions and I have to think about what I want to do with my hair next.

Good Bye April… Hello B’Day Month!

Despite a few pitfalls here and there, April turned out to be surprisingly good month. Why? Because I got the chance to see my male best friends and we caught up over pizza and drinks, separately of course.
A month into showing up at the new office digs, my cousin once asked when my friends would come visit at the new location. I remember telling her how busy they are and hardly had time to come visit during the week. But you know what? They managed to make time for little old me and I can’t complain.
I’m friends with an Engineer, Programmer and IT specialist. I’ve known the Engineer since 13 years old and he was the first to come visit after months. Captain Jack Sparrow has grown into someone I am really proud of. To hear him talk of his accomplishments, plans and dreams is to marvel. It was hard not to compare the boy he was to the man he is now. I am proud to be friends with him more so now that he knows what he wants out of life and isn’t willing to settle for less. We have fought so many battles were girls are concerned when it comes to Capt Jack Sparrow. Now, he will have to beat them off with a stick when the time comes.
And there is my very best of friends; the IT specialist.I’ve known him since we were pre-teens. I can’t say much because with him, we are still fighting a few battles and soon, we shall concur all. He may not have faith but I do and it is enough. Hey, when crap falls apart, there is that person who is there to help pick up the little pieces and that is what I am. I got to see him bond with my brother and get on like they’ve known each other for years. It is damn easy for boys to make friends with each other than it is for girls.
Let’s not forget the best friend I think I stole from said brother – the Programmer. Huh! It had been a few years since I last saw this one. When he asked to come visit, I thought it was going to be so awkward because he is a Programmer and I am a little out there and the combination of my mother and aunt together was something to worry about. Naturally, Programmers are intimidating even when they are friends. Surprisingly, it turned out to be fantastic. I ate a lot the day he came. My tummy was a bottomless pit!
Seriously, all these boys inspire me. I don’t know what to do with the inspiration though. LOL. I am proud to be friends with all three and it is good to see someone you care about grow into the person they are meant to be. Captain Jack especially. I remember we were talking about something particular and my mind was faraway, which he noticed and not for the reasons he guessed. He said he'd inspired a blog post then and now... How true, Captain? How freaking true? I am proud of the man you have become!
OK, seriously. Aurevoir Aprirl…IT IS B’DAY MONTH! YAY!!

Forever Friends.

I have been cleaning out my yahoo mailbox and I loved finding this forwarded email from one of my good friends. Seeing and reading it again made me miss her so much. As you all know by now, I love sharing a few good things and this is one of them. 

To all my friends

 

A friend is...

Someone who changes your life by being a part of it.
Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop;
Someone who makes you believe that there is really good in this world.

Someone who convinces you that there is
an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it.
This is Forever Friendship.
When you're down, and the world seems dark and empty,
your Forever Friend lifts you up in spirit
and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and full.
Your Forever Friend gets you through the hard times,
and the sad times, and the confused times.
If you turn and walk away your Forever Friend follows.
If you lose your way, your Forever Friend guides you and cheers you on.
Your Forever Friend holds your hand
and tells you that everything is going to be a-okay.
And when you find such a Friend, you'll feel happy and complete,
because you need not worry.
You Have A "Forever Friend" For Life
and Forever has No end.

Thanks And Regards,
Srujana Shree.......

Hello! Hello… Hello?!

This is so random and out there but uh…I always reflect on people’s ‘hello’ whenever I receive and end a phone call. It is something I am sort of fixated with and find vastly amusing, I have observed they are different due to tone and level of excitement.

These are the types of ‘Hello’ I have observed amongst my friends and family during phone calls. For the fun of it, I am going to name the culprits so they can know where they fall.

Hello! My favourite ‘Hello’. The caller says it with a lot of gusto and an underlying pleasure. To me, it suggests; I know who I am talking to and it is a pleasure to do so. My brother Sad, friends Emma, Belle and O fall in this category. I find their tone and excitement very infectious and never fails to make me smile.

Hello… This is a funny one. The caller here says it in a small unsure voice and leaves it hanging as if they are not sure of who they are talking to and want the reply to be a confirmation. This Hello says; “I know who I have called but not sure if I am speaking to the right person?” Clare, Tracey and Ronald are the culprits in this category.

Hello?! A rude one if I say so myself. I say that because I am known to offend a lot of people by how I answer the phone sometimes. My uncle has taken me to task over this on more than one occasion.  So, yeah…I am the culprit here. This hello is said with a lot of curtness and annoyance at the disturbance. It says, ‘WTF do you want?’ IF it is an unknown number and to someone I hardly want to talk to.

Much as I am guilty for using the third Hello,  The first Hello is usually where I fall when and if it is someone I want to talk with.

Are you wondering now where you or your friends fall? Bet you’ll start noticing after this!

…It hurts to dream…

I had the most candid of conversations this past week with one of my sisters. The kind where you let your heart speak for itself without interruptions from logic-for once. It got me tearing up a few times cause of what it meant (I am the sort people come to not the type that seeks others) and made me wonder if she felt it since we were Instant Messaging. This might strike you as strange but whenever I am chatting via Instant Message, I always wonder if the other party is able to detect my mood from the replies or tone?

To get back to the subject…This conversation was about dreams…I don’t want to elaborate on it so this quote will say it all. ‘As much as it is good to dream. Sometimes, it HURTS to dream.’

Aside from that…One of my good friends gave me his cross-body bag because I liked it. I love! Love! friends like these. He neither hesitated nor grumbled about it except he made a promise to leave it to me when he leaves the country. I like it because it was a little large and roomy enough to hold my mini laptop along with some of my ‘can’t do without’ junk. As I write this post, the bag is in my possession!

…I have been ill for a while but getting better, Thankfully. I feel it. When I am sick, I miss looking cute and being the ‘exotic flower’ as my mum calls me. It is one of the first things I think about when I am coherent enough to make sense of my thoughts…pretty girl problems!

Lots of love to all of my friends who take time out to come visit, text and post on my facebook wall simply to check on me. I love each and everyone of you.

Birthday Month!

When the month of May roles by, I always get excited because it is my birth month. I’m never happy with the prospect of getting old really, it freaks the crap out of me. I can’t see myself being 30 let alone 50!
If Demi Moore is taking pills as alleged to stay young, I don’t blame her. Growing old is hard to take which makes me wonder how older people deal with it.
Enough of that.
I recently realised how hard it is to get a date to the movies! You’d think people would be free on an odd weekend, right? That was not the case once I started searching for a friend to go with to watch a movie I am still dying to see.
I could have gone by myself as some of the people I wanted to go with had seen it but I didn’t want to. A movie is enjoyable when watching it with someone. Luckily one of my best friends is yet to see it and so we shall go together when it moves. I rarely watch movies from the cinema but for this one an exception had to be made.

Ps: I don’t know what I am going to do for my birthday yet. Everything is up in the air as usual.

Stories: Sharing is CARING!

This post is actually about friends or friend of mine. He is a man and as usual men have the most interesting things to share. It is about two married friends- men and a female. Let’s call the men Allan and Ben, and the female Cathy.
Allan works as an assistant to a friend of mine who is the manager. Ben is a friend to Allan and he frequents his place of work all the time. They are good friends, good enough to sin together.

Once upon a time...Allan was dating Cathy whom he got tired of cause of her endless demands. She was starting to act like a wife in short. One day, Cathy came to visit Allan at his place of work and Ben happened to be there. Seeing that he was fed up of her and short of outright dumping her, Allan decided to excuse himself from his office and came to mine leaving Ben to hit on Cathy thus taking her off his hands. Apparently Ben will hit on anything in a skirt.
As he told me this, I remembered a certain male friend of mine who told me, 'Sharing is caring'. At that time I thought it was just a quote until Allan came long with this story.
I was amazed to find out that this is how men get over girls, giving them to their friends after using them. Much as I was surprised, I could see why Allan was fed up of Cathy. She had become too demanding and was eating into his money for the family. A good time had turned into a burden and he was having none of that.
Whenever I hear such things, I always ask, ‘why do girls become demanding and dependent on the married men they date’. You have been independent without him, can survive on your own even with him around and yet, they decide to become more clingy and possessive than the wives to these men.
It is such girls that give the rest of us a bad name!!

Worst Week Ever!

I had one of the worst weeks of my life last week. Not only was I robbed of some of my most expensive possessions, one of my good friend’s friend had the audacity to start abusing me on said good friend’s wall!
Why do boys think; just because they want to talk to you, make you focus your attention on them against your will that it is likewise?
I wrote on my friend’s wall and on pops this chap’s silly comment! After the bad days I had been through, I wasn’t having any of that nonsense. Yes! Being a girl doesn’t mean I have to talk to you just because you want to.
Fun-knee is; when you refuse to accommodate them, they start hurling insults which is exactly what this guy did. I gave as good as I could and left it at that deciding to wait for my friend to comment instead of fighting with someone so worthless!
Okay, realistically, why would you comment on a post that is not meant for you especially when you hardly know the person that posted it in the first place? What is the purpose behind the act? I’d presume you can make a post of your own since you want to talk to the person, right? I don’t think you’ll find me commenting on a post that wasn’t addressed to me nor would I write nonsensical comments just to irritate!
On a lighter note, I thank God for my amazing friends and soul sister. Trying times are easy to deal with with you guys. Thank you for the care and the concern. Love each and everyone of you. xo

Lunch with friends.

So me and my friends officially celebrated the new year by having lunch. We have this do whereby we go to different restaurants, hangouts etc and have lunch. As I said before; it is a great way to connect and spend a few hours in each others’ company by catching up, gossiping and people watching.
We went somewhere where there was an endless parade of fashionable teens, show offs and certain people who should know better. The food was good and so was the environment. I think the proprietors thought we were going to spend all our money on their services cause we spent a good few hours there ordering this and that.
Here’s a few pictures of me, my friends and all that we had to eat. Nothing beats good food with great company.

Odd Friend Requests!

I have probably been on Facebook a year or two after its inception when it was a baby. Considering that the Social Network is around 7 years old, I should be amongst those who have 1000+ friends as I am an addict and avid user. But this is not the case.

For a social network where you are supposed to make virtual friends and interact freely, share opinions; I am pretty picky when it comes to accepting friend requests. I always wonder how the person who has sent a friend request knows me and what it is they want. Which kind of defeats the purpose of the social network…I know. I end up ignoring most because; some send to become your page stalkers while others to piss you off if  it happens to be a guy who doesn't know better!

We all have a lot of people on our friend's list who hardly comment on our status updates, posts etc. when only 20 out 500 people comment and make an effort to interact with you; does it not make you wonder what the rest really want from your page?

I made a decision to only accept friend requests from people I went to school with: the ones I actually talk with and also those that I personally give my Facebook username. The random requests, I accept and after a month, I remove them as my friends.

Recently the boy who works for us sent me a friend request which begged the questions; what does he want from me? Is it not an invasion of my privacy? I never want people I hardly talk to knowing my business and they are so many where I work. And what this boy probably wants is to show off to these people my pictures and my page basically.

I have never been the sort that limits privacy on pictures and status updates, well... only my friends can view them. Why exclusively limit one person when you can block the person or de-friend? When I saw the friend request from that boy; I customized my privacy settings immediately and limited everything after accepting his friend request!

My main concern was my pictures and there was no way I could restrict those without restricting the status updates too, of which everyone can comment as they like as long as it is not to be stupid and get on my nerves. But, what is he doing by sending me a friend request?

Some people just don't know their boundaries! But then again; my sister was right when she said every Tom Dick Harry and wheelbarrow pusher is on Facebook nowadays.

My Facebook page is personal and private. I don't care if you are spying whilst I am on it but don't go as far as sending me a friend request to really stick it and show me that you have been spying!

That Guy

Do you have that one person in your life that you have totally no expectations from but manages to surprise you? Someone you talk to for hours and hours without noticing the passage of time?

Someone who pays attention to you and manages to remember every little thing you've told him, however trivial? Makes you feel that; he knows what you're about and you totally understand each other, always on the same page when having a conversation? Trust me, there's nothing more exciting than a guy asking you about something you thought he'd never remember. Something you yourself took to be inconsequential.

Do you have that one guy who brings a smile to your face, just by thinking about him?

Well…I do! And I totally appreciate him for being the person that he is because with him; everything is real, no pretense, no invisible standards to live up to. I can tell him anything and everything and not be ashamed. With him, I can be myself without him getting judgmental.

Best of all; he is my FRIEND which makes me happy. Because of him, I'm now able to put the pieces of, 'what I'd like in a boyfriend' puzzle together. It is shaping out to be a very good puzzle.  And the only expectation we have from each other is making a lasting and strong bond out of our friendship.

I hope you have someone like that in your life because, sometimes, we all need a male friend who is and will always be there for us without judgment and expectations.

xxxShanahxxx

loss

 Why is loss the hardest thing to go through? Why do we have to lose friends, the people that we care about in this process? Why does it turn out that the person you trusted the most is the one that you should have been wary of more than anything in the world?

I wonder if everyone thinks about the loss of a great friend. Loss in the sense that you had to let go of the friendship due to something that happened not because of death

I had a friend who I loved talking to so much, everything was all about laughter and fun with a bit of seriousness here and there. The sad thing is that this friend took advantage of our friendship and did something I least expected. It wasn't a big deal but for some reason I can't move on from that and when I see her, I feel this overwhelming rage. I don't want her near me nor associating with the people I talk to yet we have people we share in common.

When I think about the moments we shared, I end up regretting the loss of that friendship because I do miss her. I sometimes wonder if I handled that situation badly. I can't help think to myself that maybe its my fault, the way things are between us.

However much I might regret the loss of the friendship, I don't feel any remorse in letting go of her because, I feel that, once someone wrongs you and you forgive, they might take advantage of you at some point in the future.

Maybe I just have an unforgiving nature?