Myopic Vision

I woke up to the sunlight peering through my bedroom window. I looked out, there was thick frost on the grass. The temperature indoors was a chilly 5 degrees. I jumped back into the warm comfort of my bed and burrowed under the duvet. It was Sunday and I took the liberty of being in bed for a bit longer.

I've never learned to make a cake properly. My mum is really good at it and regulalry produced these amazing cakes when we were growing up. Back then, I was not particularly interested in spending time watching and learning or even going anywhere near the kitchen. But how times have changed. I have two gorgeous neices and it is because of them really, that I started making birthday cakes. I wouldn't say it's a passion, but I am driven by sheer love to make them birthday cakes that are memorable and tasty. Over the past few years, I've put myself through a lot of stress (mainly because I had no clue what I was doing) to produce a variety of themed cakes like an animal farm, a fairy toadstool iced with with chocolate and pretty fairies, a ladybug, a strawberry flavoured butterfly etc. The one thing I have learned from all of this is that practice makes better. I only make 3 cakes a year but I've learned new tricks with each endeavour and my last effort even took me by...

I’m quite partial to a good game of soccer. And I really began to appreciate and enjoy the sport when I lived in London. It was 2006, the year of the last World Cup and I was surrounded by soccer mad fans at work and all around. You could not help but get caught up in the frenzy of it all. There are a number of teams I love and will root for (including the All Whites of course), but there is one team, I’ve always had a soft sport in my heart for that is England. Even when they have been the underdog, I’ve cheered them on in the hope that they would triumph. But there is one thing that truly disappoints me when it comes to English Soccer. And it’s not the sport. I hate to see, the “S” in Soccer being replaced by Sandal, Slappers, Spin Doctors and Sensationalism all lacing the pockets of people to who really have no place on the playing field of the sport. WAGS, Ex-WAGS and Wandering Willies and Wise PR Owls seem to have gained more prominence in "Fleet Street" reporting mach...

As someone who will be among the first in the world to ring in the New Year, I thought I'd take this opportunity to post a greeting to you all. I'm going to borrow the words sent to me by my friend Candida Mulrain. I wish that love, peace and joy be yours in full measure. May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had, forget your home address! In simple words... May 2010 be the one best years of your life!!! Happy New Year TO YOU ALL. PS: Incidently if you are at all interested in knowing which points on the globe are the first to greet New Year, then the list is as below: 1st - Kiritimati (Kiribati - Christmas Islands) 2nd - Chatham Island (New Zealand) 3rd ...

Summer finally arrived on Saturday December 5 but not without keeping it's arrival a surprise. The day before (December 4) was dull, windy, extremely wet and freezing. So on Saturday when the sun finally made it's grand appearance I decided to seize the moment and go out to greet the sun, but not before throwing all of my linen into the washing machine. Sadly they stayed soaking in the machine from 10am to 6:45pm due to a massive power outage in my area. On the flip side, they were spotless when they finally came out.

It's the 3rd of December down under in beautiful Aeotearoa. Officially it is the 3rd day of summer. It should be warm, sunny and promising. Instead we are faced with days that are dull, gloomy, cool, wet and windy. It seems like someone forgot to remind the sun to come out and play. If this clearly visible sign of global warming, is not a wake up call for immediate action to tackle climate change, then we ought to bid adieu to the simple things we hold dear. Because let's face it we've abused the planet so much that we've almost lost the right to enjoy it.

I'm a reluctant patient. I only ever go to the doctor when I'm in dire need. But recently in an effort to avoid a potential risk to my EAR (I have in the past almost damaged my ear drum with a cold) I took my self over to see the GP. A quick check of the mildly inflamed ear and a couple of other checks later and I was pointed in the direction of some blood tests. Apparently my heart was racing wildly. This was abnormal because neither George Clooney nor Brad Pitt was in the vicinity. It turns out that I have an HYPERACTIVE THYROID which is impacting on my heart and causing it to beat a lot faster than normal. But the good news is that this is a completely manageable condition and I've been put on some thyroid medication and another set of magic pills to help my heat rate slow down. I guess it was a timely coincidence that let me to the doctors. Now that I'm on my HAPPY PILLS.......I'm behaving loonier than ever. AND MY POOR EAR.......well that's been complete...

We had a fire at work in the wee hours of yesterday morning. It was big and the damage was considerably large. Thankfully no one was in the building at the time. Needless to say it was a huge shock but we all banded together really well. Our emergency contingency plan kicked in and was carried out so seamlessly that even the fire department investigators commented on how impressed they were with us. I am filled with admiration for the entire team - those who took charge in leading from the start as well as those who worked silently behind the scenes. We just drew strength from each other, worked well as a cohesive unit. We are now almost back to normal, very tired but still smiling and determined to move forward and provide our clients with the best possible service we can render. Our people are our biggest assest. I suppose that's what makes us as good as we are. We understand, we care and we deliver against all odds.

I’ve never been a great fan of reality television stars. In fact I find some of these pseudo manufactured celebrities quite annoying. But my views aside, they seem to have ingratiated themselves so deeply into popular culture that they become newsworthy in a truly global sense. You cannot pick up a newspaper or a magazine and not find information on some of these personalities these days. So it was hardly surprising when Jade Goody made the evening television news here in New Zealand. To ordinary Kiwis, the infamous and sometimes controversial former Big Brother contestant means nothing. But to the British public she seems almost iconic. Love her or hate her, you have to feel a bit sorry for the girl. The news that she has terminal cancer is sad. The simple fact that a young, single mum with two little boys is dying has got to pull on the heartstrings of anyone with a heart. My first impression of Jade Goody when I lived in London was that she was pointless, appeared almost irritatingl...

I'm holidaying with my family in the very lovely picturesque town of Mt. Maunganui. The Mt. situated on Tauranga Harbour’s eastern entrance, is also called Mauao by the Maori. According to Maori legend,the hill was a pononga [slave] to a mountain called Otanewainuku. The pononga was in love with a hill called Puwhena, but she had already fallen for his captor. In despair, the nameless hill decided to drown himself and he called upon the fairy people [Patupaiarehe] to assist with his endeavour. The fairies began dragging him toward the sea, however, these nocturnal imps lost track of time, and as they neared the ocean, the rising sun signalled their disappearance. The nameless one was left in the very place where he still stands, and became known as Mauao, which means “caught by the dawn.” Today, Mauao still faces day’s first light; as do many who walk his 3.4-km base, which passes by remote beaches and rocky cliffs. Sea lions and whales are often seen in this area and it remains a ...

T'is the season to be silly. The weather is gloriously sunny. Sail boats are out in the harbour. The Pohutukawa trees (also known as the kiwi christmas tree) are in full bloom. Despite the economic gloom, shopping bags are filled with discounted items. There is a lot to be greatful for this Christmas. And on that note, I'm heading to the fridge for a chilled beer and some steak to throw on the Barbie. Merry Christmas from the land of the long white cloud.

The race for the Whitehouse is finally over. But down under in Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, the race for the Beehive is only days away. Saturday 08 November 2008, is when New Zealand heads to the polls in what is considered to be a financially critical election. They are calling it “Decision 08”. Sadly, yours truly remains “Undecided 08”. This is the first ever election where I cannot arrive at a decision on where to place my party vote. Traditionally I’ve always leaned towards Labour, but I find myself (like a number of others) unable to align myself anymore with its policies. There are 19 political parties contesting the elections. As with most elections, the political mud-slinging between the two major parties – Labour and National have made for interesting and sometimes amusing television and press reports. However, months of this “he says/she says” has also assailed my hearing and completely clouded my ability to make an informed decision on who will best serve my ...

As a single young woman living alone, you'd think I'd make the time to take better care of myself. In fact you'd probably be forgiven for thinking that I owe it to myself to make an enhanced effort with my appearance. For example, one would think that I have all the time in world to pamper myself with massages, manicures, hairstyles and the works really. But you could not be further from the truth. I do love the notion of being able to spend time being pampered. But somehow I find neither the time nor the required "spare change" to indulge in such a luxurious routine. I call it a luxury because with the high cost of living, my mortgage and escalating bills, being pampered is not really high on my list of priorities. Mind you, I don't go around looking like a fat chick in a sack. In fact I make a half decent effort at being presentable, but the truth is I simply cannot afford to get a manicure or be pampered. So when my brother bought me a two hour massage vo...

I seem to be having a really bad run of luck lately. Just when I was starting to take pride in home ownership, I get a sharp dose of reality - an unpalatable medicine that I'd be happier not having to swallow. But sadly unforseen things happen and the costs just have to be borne. I had over the past few weeks begun to take real pride in my house. Making an effort to transition it from being a house to a home. I've put pretty plants all over and begun to adorn the walls with much loved images and I've even been saving for a new garage door as my current door has collapsed on me. All of these were things that I was planning for costs that would be expected. And then it happened....my hot water system developed a leak. I spent an entire night mopping up the place and then had to call in a plumber. The bad news is that I have to replace the entire system. The cost of a new system...a whopping $2,200+ GST. This is not just a dent in the pocket but a gaping hole in my rapdily de...

So I went to see Mama Mia with a few of my colleagues the other day. I have to say this is a true chick flick and it did what it was supposed to ....Entertain. The film was shot in Greece and everything about the location was amazing. As far as the cast goes Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Julia Walters and Christine Baranaki were all pretty good. The fact that the cast included the lovely Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan was one of the reasons why I had waited to see this film. And in the looks department, they did not disappoint. But dear oh dear when the "BOND" one began to sing... I had COVER my ears and think that "one of us was crying, ...staring at the ceiling.. ..wishing she was somewhere else instead".

Ten years ago, on April 13 1998, I lost the single most precious influence of my life - my darling Grandma, Muriel Valladares For as long as I can remember, my grandma had been my whole world. She was one the one I could laugh with, tell my secrets too and just be myself. She was very nuturing and loved me unconditionally. I could write a book about all the reasons why I loved her...but even that won't adequately express all that I feel for her. And so for the sake of this post, all I'll say is that I still think of her eveyday and I miss her. I hope that wherever she is, she is happy. I can only sum up what I feel by borrowing the words of EE Cummings I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) I am never without it (anywhere I go you go,my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) I fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet) I want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always mea...

I’m very childish and a big prankster. So when “April Fool’s Day “rolls around, I find it to be the perfect excuse to go all loony and play as many jokes on people as I can. I must confess that this skill is an inherited one. You see I lived through years of my mum narrating all the shenanigans she pulled at work. And so, in some ways I am a product of my mother’s rearing. This year, I decided that it was about time to cause a bit of mischief at work. Of course I take my job seriously and had to ensure that I did not offend anyone. The thing with office pranks is that they have got to be done in a non-threatening inoffensive manner. A minor error could be serious and the joke could be misconstrued as being offensive and in poor taste. Having thought it through carefully, I chose my victims accordingly. My day began by swapping my poor unsuspecting boss’ cabinet with my own. I don’t think he was all that amused (as he was having a bad enough day) but he’s a tolerant sort of man (thank...

It's a NEW YEAR - a new beginning a time when we examine our lives and try put things into perspective. So we forward plan, set goals, make commitments and pledges. Although made with the best of intentions, some of these vows are met and others are merely created to be broken. But irrespective, we continue to follow in this glorious tradition of making New Year's Resolutions. So what are my plans for the year? I've hitched yet another ride on the weight loss wagon. I'm back at the gym and I hope that I find the resolve to go there regularly. But more importantly, I just hope that the year ahead brings me good health, joy, blessings and peace. That's really all I can wish for - both for myself and the rest of you who read this.

If you've watched the soap "Neighbours", then you will be familiar with the theme song below: Neighbours, Everybody needs good neighbours With a little understanding You can find the perfect blend Neighbours...should be there for one another That's when good neighbours become good friends Ooh Neighbours, should be there for one another That's when good neighbours become good friends. Growing up in India, I knew everyone in my locale. But that was just the way it was in India. Then I moved overseas, and discovered that not everything was quite the way the song went. Neighbours came and left before you even had a chance to say hello. Mind you, I moved a few times, so I did not really get a chance to acquaint myself with any of them. That is, until I met Bill and Linda (surname withheld for privacy, although I can hear Linda bellow in my ear "Privacy, what's that?"). Bill is Scottish (still has a bit of the accent) and Linda is Kiwi. They've been m...

I went shopping......and I bought ...A HOUSE (Well it's mine and the bank's). Now comes all the fun part (read RESPONSIBILITY) of paying off the mortgage and the bills and the council fees. But I'm so looking forward to it all. I've finally got my own private space in the world and I can't wait to move in.