Facebook

Before I go back to writing about my Europe trip, I just had to share this!Recently, I've been feeling really iffy about Facebook. Almost to the point where I really want to deactivate myself from it. It's not entirely due to the fact that there is no sense of privacy in the network regardless of how much privacy settings you've altered. It's more of this whole "fake-friendshipism" that it creates. I've seen more fakeness from the moment people adding you to the silence you hear there on after. What's the point in adding then? But then i hear a story like this in the video below and it warms my heart.



As I see this video, I still wonder, is Facebook for me?

The European Adventure, Chapter 1.3

Every once in a while, one needs to step back to think and come to the conclusion that they need a break. To step away from their comfort zone and get a fresh perspective on life, and well also, to appreciate the city they live in a little more. This is exactly how I felt when I left for London and Paris. I'm currently on day 3, and already got accustomed to all tube stations regardless of the weekend changes, although I will admit that it was partly because I met a girl on the replacement bus to Baker Street, who gave me her tube map. It's a funny story really. I asked her a quick question about which train to take to Hammersmith, since I was meeting my friend to watch the play Punk Rock, really funny and is a must-watch. So anyway we got to talking and she asked where I was from because my accent was a little mixed (part Brit and Americano). When I told her that I was from New York, she jumped and said she was going to be in NY for an internship. Instant connection. So I gave her a brief lowdown on the ins and outs of NYC. We exchanged numbers and come January, I will be meeting my very first tube friend from London in New York. Yes, there was one more but will share that much later.

When I recounted this story to my friend, while we waited for the second entry point, he couldn't believe how I could befriend a stranger on the train. Even though secretly I didn't know how I did it myself, but it just happened. (Side note: for those who are wondering what second entry point was, in London, once a show starts you have two more chances to get in and if you miss both chances, you’ve basically missed the entire show without a refund. I know, here in America, we are a little more capitalistic, call it generous or lenient if you will, that if you have a paid ticket, you can enter at any time during the show, quietly of course! But luckily I made it in time for the second entry point!) Anyways, he then shared that he was jealous of the fact how he hears stories like this but can never have the guts to do it himself. What can I say, I'm a natural, or maybe that the very trait I tease my mother about, I found myself committing the same... Am I becoming like my mother? So soon?

After the play and realizing that I haven't had a meal since Nando's for lunch the day before, filling this utter starvation feeling was becoming quite important. Yet, distraction by a wholesale bookstore got us to our lunch destination much later. We ended up in Chinatown at a restaurant I can't remember the name of but recall that it rhymed with something like feng shui. I know it's terrible of me considering how good the food was but seriously I can't remember. We then walked around oxford circus and just enjoyed the rest of the evening because the next day, the friend with whom I was staying with, was throwing a bhorta party and as much as I wanted to save my freshly manicured nails, I was tricked into being the chef for the successful night that it turned out to be in the end. Mind you, the next early morning, my NY friend and I were going to head for our jam packed day trip to Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge. My New Yorker travel buddy finally joined us at the crack of dawn, and poor thing had to deal with the disastrous tube changes as soon as she landed in London which of course would damper anyone’s mood but was soon enough regained when she saw our familiar faces and when we were in Camden Market for lunch. Camden Market is like a bustling hippie area with a lot of shopping and food stalls; a really fun joint and a quintessential avenue where London meets the rest of the world. I recommend all of you to go there when you get a chance to visit London. Soon enough after a scrumptious meal we walked around for a bit to burn off the calories we just gobbled and hurried back to start cooking for the said successful bhorta party.

The next early morning, a.k.a. crack of dawn, I hurriedly woke up to the alarm on my iPod that didn’t ring because I forgot that my iPod was in NY time and not London time (bless the body alarm) and somehow we managed to gather ourselves and rush to Victoria Coach station. Half asleep, all we could think of was coffee, so when we reached there we saw nothing but Starbucks even though there was a Costas right there. So the American that we are, instead of trying some European coffee, we forgot to look left or right and ran to "our nearest Starbucks location", where we did get to see some yummy items apart from what Starbucks had to offer. Heeheehee... Yes distraction yet again but soon after we were running to get to our tour bus which of course had to be on the other side of where we were. We barely made with 2 mins to spare after having to run to the smelly loo which we had to pay for. What's the point in taking money if you can't make it a point to make it smell like peaches n cream?? Anyway, we finally made our tour bus with the funniest tour guide ever. Before I delve into the intricacies of our trip, I have to recommend Evan tours to everyone reading this blog. You can find them on their site or aviator.com because this trip was worth every penny.

Off we were to Windsor Castle first which is known to be the largest inhabited and longest occupied castle in the world by a royal family. How cool was that!! Apparently it is the queen's summer home. Side note: As I find myself to be no less important than any royalty, having a castle as summer home would be quite nice. Actually having a maid and a butler in an any-size home would be just as divine. We strolled around the castle looking at all the bedrooms and the offices. Apparently the only reason the castle started providing castle tours was because they needed to raise money to repair the burnt tower and well cover the expenses... You would think the queen wouldn't be soo cheap but when we heard the damages cost it was quite exorbitantly unreal. We looked at our watch and realized that we had just enough time to grab some lunch and head back to the bus and be off to our next destination, Bath. Funny story. So when I told my friend about the day trip I booked for us and that it included a trip to Bath, she thought I was going to take her to see an exclusive shower...loll she didn't know it was the name of a famous city known for its roman baths dated back to 43 AD. It was quite hilarious pulling her leg about it. So off we were and of course luck would have it one of tour members realized that they had left their really expensive camera back somewhere in the castle. How can one be so careless to leave a camera behind especially when you're on such a picturesque tour!! So lo and behold we had to turn around and were already 30 mins behind because some people didn't understand the meaning of being back by the time we were asked to. FYI don't ever be late on these tours because the amount of beef the tour guide gave the couple and openly made fun of them which was quite embarrassing for them but funny for us. The drive to bath was so scenic that as much as I wanted to take a quick powernap I just couldn't. I was just mesmerized with the vast quintessential European greenery and well the size of British cows. These cows made our Bangladeshi massive cows look anorexic and malnutritioned... I was just in total disbelief with the size…. I’m still in shock….

Finally two hours later, we arrived at Bath and the very second we entered the main town area, literally it felt like we just walked into a painting. This city was sooo pretty that we already started planning our nonexistent married lives being settled there especially when we drove around Nicholas Cage's home. LOL!! But really Bath was nestled on top of many hills and the valley of River Avon and boys and girls there are no words to describe how riveting the view was! We then walked around the King’s Bath which was the principal source of Bath’s hot waters. Apparently you could taste the water in the Grand Pump Room but the water inside looked soo disgusting and shady that we decided to skip it and just stick to our Marks & Spencer Evian bottle. Because it was such a beautiful city, my friend and I were convinced that people just lived here to just enjoy the view and well life because why would anyone want to work there? But apparently it’s a large service sector with growing information and communication technologies and creative industries as well…who knew?!? We soaked as much of Bath as we could while enjoying our cappuccino and dessert at Café Rouge, a very cute French bistro. What can I say; we were getting ourselves ready for Paris the next day. We headed back to our bus, the tiredness slowly creeping on us, and off we were to see Stonehenge.

What can I say about Stonehenge?? I will admit that I was really excited to go there especially after seeing this documentary on it on the National Geographic Channel. But when we got there and heard that we’d be staying there for 45 mins, I kind of felt a little let down. I expected more from it and in the end it was just set of rocks. As sad as it sounds but it was. Maybe it was my tiredness speaking or what but it was quite blah. In a way I was glad that I didn’t do a special Stonehenge tour but expected more from the heritage site; maybe more guides or information, even though I knew quite a lot about it on my own. In fact, I wished we spent more time at Windsor and bath instead and maybe spent 25 mins at Stonehenge because everyone was clearly done seeing the site in 10. Finally we were done as hit the bus and as soon as we sat down, we were out. Nap time because we were meeting my aunt and uncle who were also visiting from Dubai for dinner at Garfunkels for fish and chips! I know we could have gone to a better and more authentic place but it was just convenience at that point. We freshened ourselves at Selfridges where of course I ran in to a fellow New Yorker. Yes, it’s official. Either I know too many people or too many people know me. My brother-in-law would argue that it’s a bit of both and more of the latter. Finally we got some fish and chips into a stomach with of course some stellar company because we laughed and laughed as we recounted our stories from since we last met. We finally reached our friend’s place, showered, packed for Paris the next day and soon enough caught up with all our zzzs while dreaming of the Eiffel Tower and Gilles Marini….or well maybe just I did.

Hope you’ve enjoyed so far and are hungry for more…don’t fret I will be back with Chapter 2: Paris very soon…or shall I say tous de suite….A Bientot mes amis!

Home Sweet Home

Hi Boys and Girls!! I know I promised you guys that I would give a daily account of how my trip went. But let's just say that it has been soo eventful that by the time I reached either home (aka friend's pad) or hotel, I was soo beat that I didn't have much energy to type. But fear not..I am now waiting for my mini london cab to pick me up and take me to the airport. Soon I will be back in the comfort of my own bed and computer and will dish all...till then...A bientot mes amis! Je vous ecris tout de suite!

Europe 2009 - Day 2

Ok its 1230 at night and I was supposed to be partying with my friends right now but this afternoon i was feeling soo ill and jetlagged that i slept and I just woke up. Nothing is really coming out of me now. so here i am posting a random and useless post. However, looking forward to spending time with friends and going to watch a play. I'm going to have to start making plans with all my friends.

oh well...My update is that I am loving this London weather. Sunny with VERY light breeze! I got my eyebrows done by a Turkish lady and it looks great!!
Next stop hair cut....maybe....

Till tomorrow! Adios mi Amigos! Yes I had Nando's today and the Peri Peri Chicken Extra extra Hot was sinfully brilliant!

Europe 2009 - Day 1

The countdown comes to an end and I have finally arrived in London, whilst my friend from NY will be joining me on Sunday. Just like many others who blog about their exotic adventures, I have decided to blog about mine. Destinations for this trip are London and Paris. I finally finished packing literally 10 mins before I had to leave at the latest and barely got some dinner to eat so that I wouldn't have to force myself to eating overpriced and gross airport Mcdonalds food. Finally, all my luggages were kept in the trunk and off we were to the airport. My flight was at 1120 pm and it was already 845. Yes running slightly late.



As we approached the airport, I clearly saw that terminal 1 was for American Airlines only to find out that American Airlines was not in terminal 1. It was already 940 and my father scared me that I might miss my flight as we headed towards to an area that similarly looked like shady noman's land....We finally found our way back to the terminals and found that I misread Aeroflot for American Airlines and that it was in Terminal 8 and not 1. I finally entered, and checked in by just scanning my passport and all my details popped up. this new system is quite cool. Printed the suitcase tags and off were my suitcases to head on the plane. As we boarded, I faintly saw that a crying kid was 4 rows down from me..OH lord!! Did I jinx myself by saying that I always have a good experience with AA??? Anyways, thank God for inflight movies and extra high volume! I started to watch My Sister's keepers and was miraculously able to drain out the screaming and wailing. God sometimes I JUST HATE KIDS! (Side note: My Sister's Keeper is a beautiful movie! and yes I cried in the plane)



Midway watching the movie, the captain had informed us that we will be reaching London 20 mins earlier than as planned. and I thought not bad, I can run to the loo, take my time, beautify myself and then come out of customs and baggage claim looking like I wasn't hit by a bus like most passengers do when coming out of the arrivals. I watched the entire movie as I devoured the surprisingly delicious chicken lasagna. Still not feeling completely sleepy, I started to watch this other movie which seriously I can't remember the title right now and honestly I dont think anyone should even bother to remember. It was with the main duo actors from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Like seriously, it was soo bad that it just knocked me out. Finally I woke up moments before we landed and believe it or not I came to find that not only did we arrive 20 mins earlier, we were landing at London Heathrow Airport 1.5 hrs earlier. My phone didn't work nor did my aunt pick up her Phone calls. I basically had to wait there for 3 hrs, until my aunt showed up.

As I exited the baggage claim area to meet my aunt and cousin, I was thoroughly surprised that for a change I saw more white people than brown compared to the last time I was here. Last time, I literally felt that instead of arriving in London, I had landed in some part of India. Anyways, I'm wondering if it's just me or do I actually look more Arab these days or what?!? While I was waiting at the Meeting Point are, 3 different Arabs came up to me asking for the time or directions in Arabic. Maybe it's just london, I say this as I recall several other incidents in New York and Dubai Airport. Funny thing, the last time I was in London strolling down Edgeware Rd with my fellow brown friends, I was instructed to hang out with other Arabs instead of brown people. Little did they know I was brown myself. They were in disbelief when I told them what I was! It was quite amusing the whole incident. Anyways, I finally made it to my friend's place and immediately devoured my aunt's biryani. Apart from the baburchis of Bangladesh, she makes it the best, outside of bangladesh.

The moment of truth was to now pass the jetlag test. I refused to fall asleep now so, we headed out to hit London town. Walked around the streets of Leicester Square towards Covent Garden. Sat down at this nook and cranny coffee shop to have fine European coffee. It's beyond me why Americans drink and make such shitty coffee!!! I endulged myself to a proper machiato. Divine!
After a long flights journey, I was finally in bliss with my caffeine intake. We then strolled around the streets as I engulfed London town and being whisked around by the London fall breeze, I realized how much I missed it. If only this weather was all year round!

Soon enough, we reached Sandersons Patio, which is a very cute lounge nestled in a hotel. The ambience was nice and felt like we were sitting outside in a patio. Similar to La Bottega at the Maritime Hotel, NY. Had a virgin Martini with Lychees and Chillies. It was quite tasty. As my friend and I caught up even though we had seen each other 2 weeks before in New York, we relaxed and took a few pictures, which is when my body was telling me to call it a night. it was already 8pm. I managed to last this long. After walking around all over Oxford Circus etc, we took the bus and headed home. I showered, we had yet another mouthwatering meal and soon enough I drifted off to my ZZZsss...I'm now awake and writing at 3am, jetlagging away and thinking of what to do...

I hope you enjoyed my first post from London and will be looking forward to reading more...

Till my next post, Lots of Love!!!

Fallen Souls of 2009

Is it just me or have you peeps noticed that too many legends have passed away this year! I'm sure it's like this every year but I guess what I'm trying to say that people with bigger names and larger than life characters have passed away and surprisingly all around the same time!!! Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Ed Kennedy, Bea Arthur, Ed McMahon, Billy Mays and many more! Anyway, I didn't really have a long post ready for this, but just wanted to point it out that soo many people are leaving us....and sometimes it makes me think, are we all coming to an end soon?

A prayer to all the departed souls...

http://www.whosdatedwho.com/celebrities/people/list/celebrity-categories.asp?FD=yod&ID=2009

USOPEN TENNIS!

It's September 2nd 2009 and it's already day 3 at the US Open Tennis Championship!So who are we looking out for this season. Well for the Men's Tennis, immediately I'd say Roger Federer. He is my current favorite. But boys and girls guess what!!! Rafa is back!!!!! And I can totally sense that the fight this time is going to be harder for all the big boys!! Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Roddick, Murray etc...have many new guns to battle with. Monfils, Witten etc.. The new guys have matches after matches to check out what the big boys' weaknesses which I guess becomes the ultimate test if the big leagues are meant to remain there!

Amongst the girls, of course we all expect the Williams sisters to be them warrior selves though i prefer the eastern European girls because even though they screech more, they seem more female like!! I know it sounds mean but hey, if I look like a skinny midget next to a woman, clearly something is not natural there! lol But the woman underdog I will be rooting for this season is Natalie Oudin!!! (As a joke, we pronounce her name as UDDIN..dont know why but it's just funny!)

So anyways, Hope you kids are enjoying the US OPEN season and hope to see some of you there on the courts!!!!

But before I call it a day with this blog entry, I say final championship matches with

M: Federer vs Monfils or Murray

F: Oudin vs. Williams

Bets anyone?

It's the Final Countdown!

My friend and I are finally booked to make a trip out to Europe! I fly out September 23rd and she flies out September 26th! The trip starts in London! Let's see where else this trip takes us!!!!


MySpace Countdowns

Single??

The reason why some girls stay single....

The story is this: a girl was out with friends having drinks on King St (in Toronto). This guy approaches her and won't leave her alone -saying how cute she is. She finally gives in and hands the guy her business card to get rid of him. The attached is an MP3 file of not one, but TWO voicemails this guy left. This goes down in the history books - especially the second voice mail. After hearing them you can clearly see why she didn't call him back - instead she called in to the Z103.5 morning show & had them play this on the air.

Ladies: He is out there... :)

Mohammed Hamaki

Every few weeks, I go through these phases where I have to listen to every Arabic song I have and well also search for new. These bursts usually come out when I miss home! Yes, the good ol' UAE. Earlier this year I was bellydancing to Nancy Ajram's El Dounia Helwa which in my opinion is a fab tune and the chick is hot...(ahem: Boys and a few girls out there, she surely is eye candy!). But now i'm addicted to Mohammed Hamaki's tunes! His songs are equally as hot as he is!!!

Check out his music courtesy of Youtube and his picture courtesy of google search!




Mesh Maool



We Aftakrt

So I've been sick since Saturday and basically since then, I've had limited internet or computer activity since then. Well until today. I felt slightly better today so as opposed to staying hours and hours in front of the computer when i am normal and then barely staying a total of maybe 15 mins per day since Saturday, I've managed to stay for as long as an hour and already I've started to get a headache!

I hate Sinus pressures...I'm actually thinking that I should get referred to an ENT specialist. If you guys know of any, do let me know!

Another thing that i noticed in my limited brain function for the past couple of days that since my lack of interaction with fellow friends and etc....my blog hasn't been getting much hits....does that mean i always have to be on my toes? Can't ppl come to check on me on their own???

Yes im in the mood to nag and demand some love...it's allowed when you are sick!!!

Seriously what's up with that people?