Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts

Monday, 12 May 2014

Weekend Update

This weekend, I wore polka dots, leopard print and snakeskin - all in one outfit, went to a Cher concert and witnessed Cyndi Lauper rocking out with Liza Minelli and Rosie O'Donnell, ran a 10K for kidney health in the UAE and drank red wine that smelled like brussel sprouts.


The outfit actually garnered several compliments (someone famous, can't recall who, once said "if you're going to take a chance, you might as well go big"), the Cher concert was so majestic that there are no words, the race was odd but fun and the wine was pretty good....once you got past the smell of veggies.

My mix was a bit brighter but it totally works!

Memorable places from the weekend are:

  • Berry Park (Great beer selection and the Park Fries are delicious!)
  • Smorgasburg (They have two locations but the Saturday edition in Williamsburg is my favorite)
  • ANYplace Cher is
  • East Harlem Cafe (A tiny coffee shop on the edge of Spanish Harlem with super cheap iced coffee and scones, located conveniently close to Central Park)
  • Gourmet Garage (A foodie haven on 96th and Park, perfect for picnic in the park prep) 

Monday, 5 May 2014

Expat Musings of a Southern Soul

This morning, I awoke to a text from a very good friend, asking me why the last post on this site was from 2 years ago. While I can't believe it's been two years, the answer was simple enough - I stopped because the desire to write and the feeling that my views could be of any value to the outside world vanished.


I left London for NYC by way of Dallas, TX two years ago and left my entire basis for writing - an expat in London - behind. When the dust settled and I finally had the time to re-vamp and re-configure my viewpoint, I found that I didn't have one I felt that strongly about anymore. So instead of filling your notifications with useless gibbering about how wonderful NYC is, I took a hiatus. 

That said, I promise that I haven't come back because I suddenly feel like writing another Sex and The City, NYC hopeful blog - no one needs that crap. Nope. Apparently, this girl, who spent the past 20 something years running from her heritage, has secretly been VERY Southern this whole time and after two years, I am ready to admit and embrace it.

So let the Kate Spade, BBQ, country music, and sweet tea worship begin. My Vera Bradley embossed cards are on the table and I am ready to bring an annoyingly bright and sunshiny piece of the South, mixed in with a jumble of confusing traditions from my other countries, to the rest of you.

Ps.To the friend that called me out and brought me back - Thank You 

Thursday, 1 December 2011

Light and Love

Many people have asked why it is that I stopped writing and disappeared from the blogosphere for so many months.  My first answer was that things had ceased to make me happy so I simply had nothing to write about. 

Life has changed drastically, many times over, since last I posted and while this statement was honest, it was too simple.  Rather, I seem to have lost my way and instead of subjecting you to all the gory details, I will instead talk about the international network of family and friends that helped me back to where I now stand.

I don’t think we ever realize how truly blessed we are by these networks of love and light until whatever crisis we are dealing with is so big that we cease to give anything back.  Instead, it becomes a one-way relationship of unending support, met by the same bleak, negative, pit of despair response.  Far from self-pitying, it is simply that hard to see past the darkness sometimes.  But coming out on the other side of it and realizing that it was those who love you most that kept you going, regardless of what you couldn’t give them at the time, is truly humbling and inspiring.

So instead of describing my woes and the harrowing adventures that brought me here, I would like to thank my family and friends for their endless support and say to you, that it is because of your love and belief in me that I can once again begin to stand on my own and believe in myself.

In short, I am back, no, I have arrived at a new beginning; not because of what I experienced but because of the people who helped me through it. 

Thank you.  I cannot think of a better way to kick off the Christmas season than to acknowledge that I would not be the same without you.

Merry Christmas

~ Let your faith be bigger than your fear; faith in yourself, faith in the unknown, and faith in others.

Thursday, 14 July 2011

Things I Did Not Do Yesterday

Yesterday I did not do an amazing amount of work on my dissertation so that a magical, fully outlined copy is now resting on the desk in front of me....ahem...
One framboise and one pistache macaron from
Paul's Bakery
Instead, I recovered from my bout of under-the-weatherness with my favorite macarons from Paul (only had one because they are huge!  Perhaps i'll switch to Laduree next time), a breakfast pizza for dinner, and a bottle of wine from my absolute favorite region of France, Burgundy.
Attempt number two at this recipe.  I know some people might
be grossed out by the eggs but don't let the addition fool you.
I had this for the first time in Italy and I thought it was going
to be gross as well but it's absolute heaven when you get it right!
It was a strange sort of combination for a strange sort of day but overall it was heaven with a mix of things I have either been meaning to make again or just plain missed.
I don't normally post about wine
or alcohol but it is so hard to find
a good burgundy outside of France
and I missed it so much that I finally
went looking for one.
I hope everyone is having a good week thus far and looking forward to Friday!