Abi:original - If you aren't original, what are you?

It is becoming increasingly clear that my old photographs are going to haunt me for some time. Who is that girl beaming from ear to ear with a smaller waistline? Somehow I don't recognize her anymore. Thanks to social networking there is always that secret fear that someone somewhere is going to upload a picture of your not-so-glamorous self. A long forgotten class picture or perhaps a wedding you were forced to attend. The pictures are not the problem, but their longevity is. They are uploaded forever. For the whole wide web to see. It is amazing that you may have never felt particularly perky when said pictures were taken. But in hindsight, everything seems so much better. The trees seem greener. The people happier. There is almost a merry tune playing in the background. It is so much easier to gloss over the images. There are those who post pictures with such regular frequency that it makes one wonder if they do little else. Its as if their lives are one big album wi...

Speaking only for my gender I know one thing for sure. You aren’t born a mother. You grow into one, gradually. Not just by virtue of having the tools. And certainly not the second your offspring makes its entry into the world. So don’t let those super moms fool you. It is a very tough job and most if not everyone works at it every single day.  As someone once eager to complete a Ph. D in English Literature, I stopped short after my Masters. That was not because I wanted to have children. It was just because I decided to dive head on in to the working world. While I did juggle job and post graduate school for a few years until then, I felt it was time to give a career my all. The dream to complete my Doctorate soon got lost in the haze of things to do. Before I knew it the poems of Philip Larkin didn’t hold as much value as the timely visits to my children’s paediatrician. Five years on with more than half a decade of full time mother hood under my belt, I’m wondering what ...

Metallica, Metallica, Metallica. Heavy metal, Heavy metal, Heavy metal. Hard rock, Hard rock, Hard rock. Amboli, Amboli, Amboli. Women, Women, Women. Eve Teasers, Eve Teasers, Eve Teasers. Nope, I haven't gone completely batty (yet). Neither have the keys on my laptop gone haywire. I'm just pondering about something deeper and realising how impressionable we’ve all become. Does repeating certain words, create a certain impression in your head? Most people would agree. Being a mother I'm more conscious of what I say and when I say it, especially in front of the kids, whom most believe are rather impressionable. But aren't we all? Try repeating those opening lines at the top for yourself. Sooner or later you too may be forming your own impressions. Good, bad, indifferent. They are there and they will provoke your response. Micheal Jackson called it Human Nature. You certainly remember Micheal Jackson right. That guy who died a few years ago and whose death has been reduce...

If there’s one place my family simply loves to frequent when hunger strikes, it has got to be China Kitchen. The evidence of our repeated visits is shown by the staff who always greet us with hearty smiles whenever we walk through the door. Tucked away in a quiet lane on Hamad Al Mubarak Street, China Kitchen isn’t one of those places that scream for attention. It doesn’t need to. With a steady stream of regular visitors and plenty of take away requests, they seem to be in pretty good shape. This is a cosy little place with a pleasant ambience where the food will definitely be worth what you pay. The line on their menu sums it up perfectly - ‘Small in size, big in taste.’ For starters, we almost always go for the Steamed Dumplings, either chicken or beef. (The restaurant also offers shrimp). What makes these dumplings irresistible is the unique sauce that accompanies them. They also have a number of other starters such as Sesame Prawn on toast, besides soups and a variety of spring rol...

Hello my friends, Thank you for the kindest words I've ever heard. It's so rewarding to hear how the show has impacted your life in profound and simple ways. Thank you for your good wishes. I'm bolstered and fueled by the energy of your every good thought. A week ago, I was saying good bye. Now finally away on vaca. Relaxing. Trying not to eat too much. But had 2 slices of the best pizza ever in life today. WHITE TRUFFLE! Had to stop myself. Could have eaten the whole thin sliced, home made thing. Catching up on reading: UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand I know so many of you have read already. It's as good as everybody says. 72 pgs. in, can't put it down. Will not be emailing or checking emails on vaca but didn't want you to miss SONS of PERDITION on OWN tomorrow nite. June 2. 9E Fascinating doc worth your time. About the young boys forced to leave the polygamist camps to make room for the men to marry the young girls. I love a good documentary, like a good book. H...

Hello my friends, Thank you for the kindest words I've ever heard. It's so rewarding to hear how the show has impacted your life in profound and simple ways. Thank you for your good wishes. I'm bolstered and fueled by the energy of your every good thought. A week ago, I was saying good bye. Now finally away on vaca. Relaxing. Trying not to eat too much. But had 2 slices of the best pizza ever in life today. WHITE TRUFFLE! Had to stop myself. Could have eaten the whole thin sliced, home made thing. Catching up on reading: UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand I know so many of you have read already. It's as good as everybody says. 72 pgs. in, can't put it down. Will not be emailing or checking emails on vaca but didn't want you to miss SONS of PERDITION on OWN tomorrow nite. June 2. 9E Fascinating doc worth your time. About the young boys forced to leave the polygamist camps to make room for the men to marry the young girls. I love a good documentary, like a good book. H...

Oprah Winfrey to me (2 hours ago) Got your email. Thank you for watching the finale. I could feel your beating hearts, along with mine, through the TV screen. I'm off to take a little rest, and then I'll get busy working on OWN. Take care of yourself. I'll write soon, Oprah There it is. Plain and simple. The simplest and most heartfelt reply. Sure anyone could have typed it. That's the ugly fact that's out to burst my happy bubble at this hour of night. Sure anyone could have replied to an email on Oprah's behalf but I'd like to believe that she did read my humble blog and this is her reply. However brief. I quickly did some mental maths and realised its early morning in the US. So it has to be Oprah (or her secretary/publicist) who sent an email out to little ole me. Even so, I'm feeling so happy to have made a connection. I'm willing to admit that I spent quite a few times writing to the Oprah.com website and got nothing. No reply, no make overs...