Travertine pools & sunlit hues!

 

For the rest of the 9 nine days we were in Turkey, our mornings were crazy! The climate being moderately cool to chilly, curling up under the covers be it in our cozy hotel at Istanbul, the cave hotel at Cappadocia, the flirty Ramada at Antalya or while at peaceful Pamukkale was especially appealing with it being a dream vacation. But were we going to go spend the best hours of the day under the covers? Nooooooooo! 

The break of every dawn saw us wake up groggy from the previous late night, craving a few more winks but with absolutely no lack of zest for the day that lay before us. Seeing each other every morning was a reminder that we were doing something incredible that would remain with us for life.  

The one time I woke up first, I tried to crawl back into my warm sheets after switching off the alarm hoping I wasn't spotted but the alarm was too loud! So while I began to get ready first (or was forced to rather!), they got a few extra minutes to shut-eye! Hmphhh!

Merhaba Türkiye!

“Ladies and gentlemen, Air Arabia G9321 welcomes you to Istanbul. The local time is 2:40pm. and for  your safety and the safety of those around you, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened and keep the aisle(s) clear until we are parked at the gate. The Captain will then turn off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign, indicating it is safe to stand. Please use caution when opening the overhead compartments and removing items, since articles may have shifted during flight. Thank you for choosing Air Arabia. We hope you have had a pleasant flight and wish you a wonderful time in Istanbul. Eid Mubarak!”

44 hours after I received my ironed wardrobe, I am in Istanbul, Turkey, the land of amazing history, fingerlicking delicacies & delights, and breathtaking experiences! I sit still, savoring the moment and thank my Almighty Father for bringing me this far. It's quite overwhelming considering the (for the lack of a better word) stress I had, for this journey. A smooth flight via a 3 hour stop over at Sharjah with clear, bright skies to swim through! 

My Brother, My friend…

We've known each other for our whole lives,
From near and from far apart..
We've had moments of anger, laughter, grief and love,
And stood by each other in times that were tough.

I thank God that you are in my life
A face that I can look to in times of smiles and strife
A family is not just about faces, words or physical presence
It’s also about love, care and genuine prayers
Something you've done and shown me how to do.

I've lived in Bahrain till I turned 18. We were just four… me, my dad, my mom and my elder brother. We were a very close knit family… Always went about together, did stuff together as my dad never really thought it was a good idea to roam about the streets of Bahrain without adult supervision. Maybe it was because it was never really safe. Maybe it was safe but he wasn't very sure about it. Maybe he thought, after all the time we spent in school, tutions and for extra-curricular activities, the remaining should be with family. Whatever the reason was, we understood very little of it back then.

When the Going Gets Tough..

Know that song?? Heard it when I was a kid from the Boyzone album...hardly understood it in the naive ages, but had it memorized to keep up with the 'happening' crowd back then....

I think the words are apt for every walk of life... When the going gets tough, the tough get going...  Ever had to deal with situations calling you to stretch to your max that had you almost snap into two like a rubber band? Or even deal with people for that matter who are absolutely closed nutshells? Friends, parents, kids, relatives, people you care about...Yeah, it can be real tough. Especially when one starts to work at the situation for betterment of the same, it suddenly seems to clam up tight and seem to be a tough nut to crack! The door is all of a sudden bolted tight from the inside as if it has a mind of it's own and is determined not to let you in! And then...and then, what course of action would you take chérie ?

My friend's wedding

It's 11:15 am on Sunday the 8th of May 2010.... I m sitting with a cup of coffee in front of me(which is empty already!!!???) and thinking of my dear friend who is in church right now getting married... Are you wondering what am I doing here then? Good question...can't say I don't share that doubt... Was it really the unavailability of tickets that hindered my trip...or was it just the plain fact that I'd hate to see her go in a sense...? Maybe a little bit of both...(I'd say quite a bit more helping of the latter!!!)

I have known her for almost 9 years now and it's been a very close and memorable friendship... Like they say, the older the friendship, the better it gets...just like old wine...