The hug given at the right time

After a long flight and a walk at the airport with swollen feet, all I could wish for was to be in my bed with a snap of my fingers. I didn’t actually know what was more painful; the tiredness, the swollen feet, the back or the heart that made me feel that every step I took was on sharp nails. In that instant I realized how desperately I needed a hug. A sense of jealousy crept into my bones when I saw others waiting to welcome their loved ones with flowers and hugs. It was my first flight after a long time spent on ground, and it felt like a punishment.

While feeling empty and sad with my head lowered, trying to keep the decorum of my uniform at the same time, I heard my name. I thought for a second that I was hallucinating or perhaps I had left something behind in my confusion. I looked around me and it was nobody except a few of my colleagues.

Mission Karachi: Taking a Selfie with the Donkey

I was planning the trip for over five months since my friend had invited me to Karachi, Pakistan. Finally, it was the night before I flew to Karachi with my close friends, Miss Cool and Angel. I was so excited that I couldn’t even sleep. I stayed awake the entire night, counting the minutes until my flight. It was such a weird feeling for a person who goes on holidays every other month. I could feel this holiday was going to be different from the rest.

Little did I know that I will be running a marathon at the airport next day. Running a bit late, I had to sprint through the crowd as the aircraft was parked all the way at the end of the terminal. Oh God! I hope I make it on time for boarding, I kept thinking to myself. My phone was constantly buzzing with messages of my friends who were waiting for me on the plane.

Mistaken for a homewrecker in Dubai

After two long weeks of study and hard work, I needed a break. It wasn’t easy to study especially because it had been ten years since I last studied. I felt like my head was going to explode any minute. To freshen up my mind, I immediately accepted my colleague’s invitation to a hangout with a bunch of friends.

I was really excited because it had been two weeks since I had arrived in UAE and I couldn’t wait to explore what the city had to offer. Even though it was the season of blazing summer and the holy month of Ramadan, I was still excited to meet new people and socialize.

The taxi driver dropped me right at the building’s entrance where my friend lived with his brother. All I knew was that his brother was on a holiday with his family and my friend was alone at home. His place was the meet up point for everyone as it was conveniently located in the middle of everyone’s route.

A breath taken day in the land of wanders, Machupicchu, Peru

On a rainy cold morning, I was all set for a much awaited dream to become reality. After a long journey and witnessing many wonders along the way, I was sure nothing would be in comparison with what I was going to experience later in the day. My heart was pumping so hard that I needed to give myself an inner talk so I could calm down.

The scenery around this place of wonders was absolutely magnificent. The fresh air rushed into my lungs. I patiently waited in a queue to get into the bus that would take me to Machu Picchu in Peru. I kept glancing at my tickets anxiously. I had two tickets; one for Huayna Picchu and the other for Machu Picchu. The sight in front of my eyes was not something you would witness every day. The green mountains, covered in vegetation that was exclusive to this place, made me feel as if I was daydreaming. The mist was breaking and I could see all the way down the sinkhole.

A sunny day in Puno, Peru and the Lake Titicaca experience

After an unforgettable bus ride of almost eight hours from Cusco to Puno, I arrived safely at my hotel. I was almost at the end of my trip to Peru and I couldn’t wait to go home, but not before I see the locals who live on water on small artificial islands, handmade from a plant called totora reeds which has multiple uses including teeth whitening.

While trying to sleep, feeling bad for the past three years I had wasted and hating the fact that I still can’t make a decision of whether to keep contact with a man that was not worth my attention, I realized that I was short of breath. It was not because of my regrets, but it had something to do with the place. I was lying in bed, the windows were open, I had also

An adventurous day to Forbidden City, in Beijing, China

After a well-rested night of sleep in Beijing, I decided to go on with my adventure to the Forbidden City, a place visited by 50,000 people daily who desire to see what a Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming dynasty was once until the end of Qing dynasty (1420 to 1912). It is called the Forbidden City because nobody was allowed to enter or leave the walled city without the emperor’s permission.

A foggy day combined with humidity made the palace look even more mysterious. As you walk towards the large gates, thousands of people walk in the same direction as you. It is

The unexpected twist of my first job interview

I was not feeling well. It is not easy to move on. Some years ago, I decided to move on with my life and leave my past behind. It required a lot of strength and the fear that my decision may cause me failure haunted me. I had to be strong and keep myself busy, so I decided in my last year of university to get a job in order to support myself since I couldn’t rely on anyone.

I decided to apply for jobs and got a call for an interview right after which gave me a panic attack. I was not sure if I was prepared as it would be my first job interview. The beat of my heart was so fast that I thought it would jump off my chest any minute.

Sunset in Amsterdam

I don’t know why, but I decided after a long flight to go out to Amsterdam, Netherland. It was a chilly day, and none of us had appropriate clothes to battle the chills. It was funny to watch a group of seven people going out shivering, and if you wore close enough, you could hear actually the teeth chattering!

We were a group of diverse ethnicities, but we all had a common goal to see Amsterdam and have a good meal and freeze to death; no not really. We strolled around the beautiful streets, laughing out loud and capturing the moments in our cameras.

We decided to eat first so our stomach grumblings do not accompany the teeth chattering.

Spartan in Action! – Part II

In twenty minutes precisely, the Spartan rang the doorbell. When I opened the door, I could not stop myself from laughing. He stood all nice, tall and roasted. He was as red as a tomato. His nose was a bit darker than the rest of the body; he looked as if he was on fire. I could see now how hard he worked out at the gym the entire weekend.

As a good “babe”, I offered to apply some lotion to his body. In a coo coo voice, he replied, “Yes please, babe”. I was pressing his body so hard that I could feel him screaming in pain internally, but he didn’t want to reveal it to me. He was flexing like a chimpanzee in order to impress me when I offered to rub some lotion on his chest. Not much to be impressed of, I was more disgusted of his cheapness.

Watch out for Spartan! - Part I

There is nothing wrong in working out and taking care of your body, but there is a lot wrong when you try to use your Zeus like body to get girls.

I met this guy who thought he looks like Zeus and behaved very much like a Spartan. I have to admit, he had a good body. After talking for a while, he asked me out on a date. I laughed out loud with my friends later, thinking that I might need to lose at least ten kilograms so I don’t feel embarrassed while out with this guy. I was actually worried the date will be a disaster and he will only discuss protein shakes, healthy food and exercises.

For all the children around the world

With a smile on my face, I remember my childhood days when I used to play in the mud and come home all dirty, and the next day I would do it all over again. I was never a spoilt child or came from a wealthy family, and I remember how my parents tried their best to accommodate our needs and would at times forget their own needs because our needs were more important for them. Even though I did not have the fanciest clothes or the sweets shown in TV commercials, I was happier than many other children around.

Since I have the opportunity to travel now and I have been to places that you may not consider while planning your vacations, I see how unfortunate some children around the globe are.

Many years ago, I went to Perugia and prayed in a church, and I received a tiny prayer on my way out. At that time I didn’t get its meaning, but I always kept it with me and when I was down, I used to read it. Now with the opportunity I have, I

Three marriage proposals in one day in Dakar, Senegal

I never thought I was such a stunning girl that men would fall head over heels upon seeing. However, in this case, things got a bit different; besides men asking me to marry them, I never thought women would propose me for their husbands. Sounds insane I know, but I took it lightly.

I landed Senegal all excited to explore the beauty of the country, its people, and traditions and of course the food. All set for the day ahead with a trip to the Gore Island, I was ready for my adventure.

As soon as I stepped on the boat to go to Gore Island, I saw a lady staring at me and after a while she
decided to approach me. I was almost shocked when she asked me if I was married or not, and upon hearing that I was single, she proposed the idea of marrying her husband as it would make the entire family very happy. I am sure the fish swimming beneath the boat gasped in shock as well. I started to play a game of Q&A in order to understand her intention. Turns out that I would be playing the role of a third wife and not second. We didn’t agree with the terms and conditions because I told her I want him for three weeks per month instead of one as I

The Blind Date in Abuja, Nigeria

I say it before you will; how do I manage to get myself in such situations. The answer is really simple: life will be too boring without taking chances and trying new things.

My friend landed from Abuja, Nigeria, and she called me from the airport even before she got home. “Love, listen, I went out in Abuja and a very handsome guy followed me all night asking for my number. I told him he was not my type, but my friend will surely like him…of course I was thinking of you”.

Not Everything That Happens in Vegas Should Stay in Vegas!

Some people are lucky in love, some with money and some get away with just about anything. I am not sure in what category I fit or based on what criteria people say that, but I am for sure lucky sometimes in about anything.

While working as a waitress at a famous resort, I had a bunch of happy customers for lunch one day. One thing lead to another and the head of the group decided to tip me a round trip flight to Las Vegas for my birthday. You will think that’s impossible, but trust me, everything is possible. Since they had another upcoming event, he told me a room will be booked for

Driving the Car with a Man Hanging off It

If you think you have heard it all, wait until you hear this one.

I was half asleep at seven a.m. when I walked outside my building. The icy cold breeze woke me up in an instant. As soon as I opened the building’s entrance door to get outside, I felt like a crust of ice surrounding my legs. I rushed towards the car into the snow adventure. I climbed on top of the mountain of snow and tried to get some snow away from my car’s window. It must have been at least below twenty five degrees. Busy overcoming this snowy obstacle course, I saw him at the corner of the building spying on me.

Almost killed while getting robbed as a child in a ice cold winter day

I stood at the base of the mountains freezing cold. Why I had signed up to go for this school trip to climb the mountains in such a heavy winter, I thought to myself. I regretted not going with my parents instead like my brothers had.

It was probably below 20 degrees, and all I could see was a white and beautiful frothy cover of snow hugging the mountain and the trees.

“Class we will all climb together to the top of the mountain where the cabana is, our final destination. To get there we need around three hours,” said my teacher.

Three hours! That must be a joke. At least I hope it was. I wasn’t even dressed for this kind of weather. My boots, within half an hour of walking, were sulking wet from the snow and the

Men in Today’s World

A man wants to look good and it is his right after all. A few decades ago, men did not bother much about appearances and focused more on being gentlemen to impress women or conquer her. Now, however, things have changed. Before we used to write letters and wait breathless for the postman to return with a letter; now we have phones, internet and all kinds of social networking apps.

Men are into fashion and probably know more about fashion than women. They probably know more about cosmetic products than women know, and last but not least, these days they are very much into working out. They would sleep in the gym too if they could. Nothing is wrong with taking care of yourself, wanting to be healthy and looking good; I am sure we all women appreciate a well groomed man who takes care of himself and knows how to dress or what perfume to wear. The problem is when a man looks like Zeus,

Almost Burnt Alive

One hot day of August, I was left home all alone. I decided to go to my next door neighbor so she could teach me how to light a fire. I hated summer and I hated visiting my grandparents in the summer just because of all the animal work we did for almost three months. It wasn’t even a secret anymore. They all knew but I had no choice.

My neighbor’s daughter was the same age as me. I must be fifteen years old back then with a slim body and long black hair tied tightly in a ponytail. I happily entered her house and I saluted her politely. She was busy
working and did not seem very happy to see me. It was a weird family I must say and very secretive. If you were not welcomed, they wouldn’t bother hiding it. At times they would

Sickening Rides in Six Flags, California

You know the days when you just want to try new things? I am pretty sure you know what I mean. An old friend and I decided to go for a three days trip to California for some documents to be signed and have some fun while we are at it.

After a stressful drive on the Californian highways to the six flags, we finally arrived at the destination unbroken and almost kissing the ground that we made it. We went straight to the wildest roller-coaster they had. Oh boy… we couldn’t talk after that ride. We felt so sick. I am not sure if it was the best idea, but it was definitely an unforgettable experience. While relaxing on a bank, we saw a fun raft water ride. After spending a few more minutes to bring us back to our senses, since our legs were shaking, we decided to forget about the ride and continue with the adventure.

African Braids and Nearly Going Bald in Phoenix, AZ

When one is exposed to different things for the first time and when curiosity urges to give them a go, you tend to not think of the side effects. As you would know by now, this is usually my case. I like taking chances in life and living on the edge, and in this particular case, almost shave my head off like so many celebrities do willingly but get paid to do it while I paid for it.

While living in the US about ten years ago, I saw many Jamaicans with dreadlocks and braids at my work place. I thought to myself that I should try the look for a few months since my job back then allowed any look. “If I don’t do it now, when will I?” I thought to myself. I was pretty confident with my decision, except that I will never in my life do it again after the following experience.

The haunted hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia

There are some destinations worldwide that people believe are haunted. I heard so many rumors about the haunted hotel in Jakarta that I almost didn’t want to go to work when I saw it on my roster. I woke up early morning hoping the destination was removed and some other place replaced it on my roster. I was not that lucky, but I checked the people I was flying with and my flat mate was included in the list, so that gave me relief and excitement. In my excitement, I couldn’t even breathe and at 5 in the morning, I went straight to her room without thinking that she must be asleep and jumped on her bed screaming, “We are going to be together on a flight”. I almost gave her a heart attack, but I realized that afterwards.

Invasion of the crabs during a romantic dinner in Maldives

After an exciting boat ride to the island where I got to see the flying fish, I received a warm welcome by the hotel staff who congratulated us for the honeymoon even though I had made it clear from the start that we were not married. I couldn’t wait to enter the room and admire the clear view of the Indian Ocean from the window.

Since it was getting dark and we were hungry, we decided to go outside and check what the island had to offer in terms of local cuisine. Few meters away was another hotel that we initially wanted to book. It had a lovely set up of dinner tables on the beach. Around the table, they placed four candles in square shaped. It was beautiful to watch the sunset from there as the ocean waves gently touched your feet while having a romantic dinner.

Boat Trip and Monkeys in Mauritius

Every month, the most exciting time for me is to see where I will be flying next month. Months feels like days and years feels like months. Time just flies and it feels that I went to Mauritius just yesterday. I did all my research about the place because I wanted to know where I was going. For those of you who might not know, Mauritius is a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean and is very famous for its beaches, lagoons and reefs. What makes me go all crazy and excited is the combination of mountains, rainforests, waterfalls, hiking trails and native fauna like the Mauritian flying fox.

If you are not good at geography, having the job I have will stimulate you to learn more. Every day is a new day and a learning process. Without realizing, you learn more day by day while you don’t make any effort or at least it feels like you don’t.

Losing Track of Time

I felt great. I celebrated my birthday a few days ago even though it wasn’t what I really wanted. Mixed feelings were running through my brain with all kinds of scenarios. I was continuously saying to myself that things will be different; however, deep inside of you, you already know the answer.

I read somewhere long time ago that nobody likes to see a sad face and nobody cares for your problems, and you are more likely to attract people around you by being positive, by never complaining and always showing that you are happy. I followed it for a couple of years and it worked. In fact, people asked, “How are you always happy?” “How do you do it?” How do I do it? Experience comes with practice, so I practice.

Getting Wasted in Phoenix Arizona, US

I bet that I’m the only one here who can say I got wasted out of two mojitos. Let’s say one and half because I couldn’t finish the second one. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I could barely see the glass let alone take a sip from it.

It was a friend’s birthday, so after work we took the smart decision to go out and have something to eat and drink at a bar nearby. We both dressed up elegantly in skirts and heels. I wore a body hugging navy blue skirt from Celyn B with a slit at the back that was complimenting the shape of my body and a satin shirt in a warm purple color. Since it usually got cold at night, I kept an extra blouse.

The Unfortunate Mojito in Milano, Italy

I only got drunk in public twice; once in 2007 and the other in 2011.

If you are wondering why it has happened only twice, it is because on both occasions, something comically-tragic happened, and I don’t want to feel the embarrassment I felt on those days again. 

During winter, I went to Milano, Italy, and because I live and travel all over the world, I have friends everywhere I go. A very dear friend of mine lives in Milano. We planned in advance to meet up and I was tremendously thrilled to go there.

I enjoyed Milano’s night life, but I enjoyed the company of my childhood friend and my former colleague even more. It was getting late and they had work next day. While I

The Raw Polenta

Long time ago, when I was an innocent child of about ten years, and not a devil like I am today, on the weekend and summer school break, we would stay at my grandparents’ house to help them out. I wasn’t very happy about going to my grandparents’ house because they would make me work. I know it’s selfish but children like to play, and not feed the chickens and clean the animals or go in the cornfield to collect special weeds for the animals to eat.

It was very hot outside and since I was always complaining about the work, my family decided to let me stay at home and cook. I was happy with that. They left early morning to work on the land and let me be all alone at home to cook and of course look after the animals. They left an old lady who lived

Floating market experience Bangkok

I have been to Bangkok many times, but my fun activities were just shopping, eating and getting massages. Excited that I had two days in

 Bangkok this time and the schedule of my stay was kind, I decided to do some touristic activities. I booked myself a ticket to the floating market because I always wanted to see how people here float on the boats to sell stuff.

I woke up early in the morning, freshened up and went for my tour. I dressed very summery, with white shorts and a white loose flowery blouse. I was ready to explore the city. So far so good, I had let my hair down to feel the morning breeze run through it, hanged my new camera over my shoulder and head for the adventure. Before the floating market, I went to see a local farm where they were cooking coconut oil. I learned a lot about the coconut business in this part of the world and how hard it was for them to survive. However, it was nothing new to hear. People all over the world are struggling financially, but what

Pregnant Out of Wedlock in Abuja, Nigeria

I landed in Abuja, Nigeria, full of motivation to use the gym facilities the hotel had to offer. I had the whole night to catch up on my sleep, and then head to the gym first thing in the morning. The exercises my personal trainer back home showed me were fresh in my mind and because I had a long holiday, it was the right time to put them into practice.

Once I got to the gym, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the hotel management had paid a lot of attention to it as it was quite big with new equipment, and everything was divided into rooms. I started with my routine warm up of thirty minutes of treadmill, and then I carried on with the rest of my exercises. After my cardio exercise was completed, I realized

I had done nothing when compared to the valiant man running next to me on the treadmill with weights of five kilograms in his hands, working out his biceps too. I decided to go to the weights room to do my new exercises. It was a bigger room and it made me happy that

Baggy Jeans at a Fancy Party

Less than a week ago, Miss Cool asked me to join her for a home gathering at a singer’s place she knows who will perform a few songs. I thought we were going to someone’s place and there will be someone singing with a guitar to pass the time while we munch on popcorn and chips.

I told Miss Cool that I will join her and that was it. I am not sure now if she thought I understood where we were going or what is it going to be like, but she omitted details about this event.

I took a shower before I left the house, not because I wanted to but because I was kind of forced to since I was sweating from all the gym exercises. I threw some blue baggy jeans on and a loose t-shirt with flat brown sandals and I was ready to go. I didn’t even have a look in the mirror before leaving the house.

Behind the Cameras in San Francisco, USA

If you are expecting that I travelled to San Francisco to shoot a Hollywood movie after reading the title, then I’m sorry to disappoint you!

Have you ever had the moment when you took a picture of an amazing view but you missed all the action that happened because you were too focused on taking the picture? I did. And I decided not to anymore.

I was in San Francisco for two days and around seven of us decided to go out and explore the amazing city. The city is on the tip of the peninsula, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. It is not the city itself that is amazing, but it is the surroundings that make it memorable. After food

Women with Expiry Dates

I hardly slept all night because all I was thinking of was the assessment I had to pass for my promotion in the next few hours. I got off the bed around 6 a.m., making all kinds of scenarios in my head. At 7 a.m. I did the last check of my appearance. Makeup looked fine, hair was perfect, uniform was well pressed and shoes were polished; I was pleased with the way I looked. By 7.15 a.m., I was downstairs looking for a taxi. I had thought of everything but forgot to book a taxi. I should have booked one in advance.  “It’s okay,” I thought to myself. There was still time to 9 a.m. and I usually find taxis around my place. Not today. Not when I was in a hurry.

Everything happens for the RIGHT reason

I went to work full of hope and excitement. It was one of those days when you know no matter how hard it would get, nothing would ruin your mood because at the end of the tunnel, you will find a loved one who will be waiting for you. At least this is what I thought at that time. On such days, I take flights that are extremely demanding because I can’t care less. I was going to see my boyfriend and that was all that mattered.

Once everyone was on board, there was a very lovely couple that took my attention right from boarding. They were around the middle age and they both were carrying themselves very well. According to the British, middle age starts at the age of 55 and it ends in 70s.

Rubbing Grandpa’s Leg

After a long week of stressful studies for my exams, my former boyfriend and I decided to go home for a weekend break to stay with my family. When my grandmother heard we were going to visit, she got really excited as usual and invited us over for lunch. One cannot say no to my grandmother; she does not take no for an answer. Also, she really loved my former boyfriend a lot and she still talks about him.

The day finally came and my parents, grandparents, my former boyfriend and I finally sat together at the table in the lounge. Grandma had cooked delicious food according to my boyfriend’s likings and she was highlighting the fact that all the food was halal since he was a Muslim.

The date that took awkward to another level

I was seeing a guy for a week who I felt was very interesting. He was slightly taller than me, well-spoken and dressed very classy at all times. I will not say that he was handsome, but he had some charisma that attracted me. I kept quiet because I believe if you meet a person you like, you shouldn’t jinx it by falling head over heels instantly. Besides that, I like to analyze every move to see if the man meets my checklist or not. Sigh, what can I say, I am a demanding woman!

This so called gentleman disappointed pretty soon by acting inappropriately according to me. Ladies, you know how a man can get on your nerves when you expect to see them on a certain day but they give you a blunt NO.

My Fake Marriage Proposal

When I newly arrived Dubai, my friends asked me to accompany them to a place named Carters. Since I was new to this part of the world, and English is not my first language, I thought we were going for some car racing! I quickly got dressed into a jeans and a t-shirt so I can be comfortable while I defeat everyone with my car racing skills.

I ran down excitedly to meet my friends who were waiting for me. After all the greetings, I noticed how my clothes coordinated with the boys because the girls were dressed more elegantly. I could not be bothered because I did not want an outfit to ruin my mood.

We arrived at this beautiful place with pharaoh figurines nicely placed in sarcophaguses at the entrance and the hosts greeting us. From the entrance, I could hear a band performing. I looked up and I saw the name of the restaurant: Carters.

The confused rapper with his escorts

About half a year ago, four of my friends and I planned a girls’ night out. We do that almost every week, but this was out of ordinary. It gets crazy when we all meet up. But clubbing together can get crazier than that. All dressed up for the party, we all met somewhere in the middle, and we went to the best club in town. Oh man! I could see people lining up just to get in. This would be a great night out, I thought to myself.

We got in with no problem at all; not just because we are the hottest girls in the town (haha!), but they need as many girls as possible in the club to attract men. The secret is that if you go there before midnight, you have all the chances to get in, but they become choosy after midnight. There must be some logic behind that I am sure; I just didn’t get it quiet yet.

The Troublesome Alcoholic Miniatures

I am in the boat on my way to Capri Island, Italy. Super excited, I admire everything; the view, the boat rides and that sunny day. Nevertheless, I am admiring the island’s view. Now, Capri Island is considered one of the most popular islands in Italy for the rich. Besides the fact that everything is new to me and I get impressed pretty much by anything, you should see the look on my face when I see for the first time in my life the massive American rappers, dressed in white and wearing big chains around their necks with dollar signs. It looks like they are ready to party, getting out of a private boat.

Full of excitement, I am getting out of the boat and I feel a bit overwhelmed by the island and by the people. It is very easy to distinguish the locals; they are very simple with a kind face and trying to make a living after all the tourists. The tourists instead are dressed up in the most expensive designer clothes, very noisy and excited at the same time.

A ride in the Peugeot decked out in Pigeons’ poop!

I can hear a voice calling me, “Annamariaaa” with a very lovely Italian accent. I wake up and all I hear is “Annamariaaa, sei pronta?” “Are you ready?” I am not sure where I am as I am still exhausted from last night’s restaurant work. I almost forgot that today is Sunday and I promised him that we will go in the park for a poetry video shooting. I shout that I will be ready in 10 minutes. I can sense the impatience downstairs and hear the grumbling.

When the Chickens Flew Inside my Mercedes ML 250

We wake up early, around 5 a.m., so we can reach home by noon to see my parents. I think it is - 20 degrees centigrade and the entire country is covered in snow. It is so cold that you won’t even want to think of going out of the house. We take the bags, stuff it in the car and here we are ready for the long road trip.

I am driving, somehow excited and annoyed at the same time. I don’t know why there has to be a fight each time I drive. The music is loud, he is unhappy and there is bright snow everywhere, perhaps two meters high on each side of the road. There are too many

The Man of My Dreams

After a month of treaties with my dad, he has finally agreed to let me go for a New Year’s holiday with my neighbor’s son and daughter up in the mountain. Now, you have to know that my dad never allows me to go out anywhere and this is a huge deal. I am so excited that I couldn’t even sleep that night.

The big day has arrived and we are all in the train on our way to the mountains. Here, we meet with some university colleagues of my neighbor’s son, around nine of them, all of whom are couples. The only singles are my neighbor’s daughter and I. I don’t know why but for some reason I feel left out. I feel nobody wants me there.

Kung Fu massage in Jakarta, Indonesia

I decide to go in the city by myself to do some shopping and get a massage. Before I leave the hotel, I ask for a place where I can go for a pleasant massage in town. I have been recommended to go to the best massage center, and I am very enthusiastic about it. I can feel the stiffness in my shoulder and the tiredness in my legs.

  

The roads are jammed on the way to the city and I am in the taxi admiring the view and the people. While looking out of the window, I am thinking how fatigued I am, but yet I don’t want to stay all day in the room rolling in bed. This is my third time here and every time I come, this city fascinates me even more. It seems very pure and the people live very modestly, and they have the kindness that you don’t see in every part of the world.

I just arrived at the massage center and I like what I see. It looks good from the outside, and I can’t wait to get in and finally get pampered. At the reception, a lady greets me and asks me in broken English what kind of massage I would like to do and gives me a few options.

The crazy taxi driver in Jakarta, Indonesia

I decide with my two other friends to go to an amusement park in Jakarta, Indonesia. Everything is new to us, the nature, the people, and the language. It is a hot humid day, the kind that makes you tired and sleepy, but I want to explore more about this new part of the world I am in. So, I find my inner motivation and start exploring. We are all so excited to be there that we take a picture with every bush.

It is getting dark and we want to go to the mall as well. So we decide to take a taxi. We wait on the road waiving at taxies but none was stopping. Finally one stops and wow what taxi is it!? The car looks so used and old that I thought by sitting in it, it will decompose. There are no windows and the side view mirrors were tied to the car door with a wire. It actually has a hole through the door to tie the mirror. Well not many options we think; either we go with this guy or stay an additional hour for another taxi.

The Spooky House in Perugia, Italy

It’s August of 2004, and I am in Perugia, Italy. I have been informed that I must look for another place to stay, because I can no longer stay there. It has been only less than two weeks and I know no one, and I carry with me two enormous suitcases. I am at the bus stop thinking where to go, and I only have 300 euros in my pocket. I want to cry, but crying will not solve my problem. I am thinking what to do, and I hate myself for carrying so much with me.

Out of nowhere, a girl comes next to me and asks me where I am going. I have no idea what to say. I tell her the truth though, that my aunt informed me that I can no longer stay with her and I must go find myself a place. She only informed me two hours ago. The girl is kind enough to offer to keep my luggage at her pub while I looked for a place to stay. Now really, what options I have, I think to myself and laugh. My aunt treated me like a

Grandma’s Apple

The school was going to start in a week time. The thought of it made me fret, but that day I was happy to see my paternal grandma. It was a cold day of October, and it had been pouring for over a week now. Since I was in a village, I remember how difficult it was to reach to my grandma’s place on a day like that. There were no roads or streets with asphalt. It was just sludge, lots of it! A couple of times, I nearly lost my boot because it got stuck in the mud.

I finally arrived to her house; modest with a low entrance door that I had duck to get inside the antechamber. Grandma was not a tall woman. She had a very kind face and sweet voice. She was not expecting me to visit, so I could see the joy on her face when I entered the small kitchen. Instantly, she was

The mystery at the Monastery of San Francisco, Peru

After a good rest in Miraflores, Peru, I decide to visit Lima, the capital of Peru. I have no plan really. I just know that I will spend three days there. I decide to explore the city. While walking on the streets, you can feel a different, vibrant energy. The weather is kind, people are always smiling and the streets are full of color.

I am captivated by a lot of things there, but something about Monastery of San Francisco attracts me by the entrance. It is definitely not the Spanish Baroque architecture of the monastery that attracts me though it’s beautiful. But does it have something deeper than that?

As soon as you enter the monastery, you get a strange feeling, or maybe it is just my brain over analyzing. Walking on the old couloirs, feeling the musky, old scent in the air, looking at the paintings on those walls, it gives a mysterious feel to it.

Fighting for Survival in Uganda

I was always interested to travel and see the world. But there is something that attracts me to the third world countries. It is not the curiosity, but I believe there is something all of us can learn from these countries.

Having said that, if you ask me what my favorite destination is, I will tell you without any second thought…. I don’t have a favorite destination but I love going to Africa.

I decided to swap one of my flights with a destination that seemed very exotic to me, and it was Kampala, Uganda. Soon after, I received an email from a good hearted person

The fisherman has it all

I have 5 days off before my trip to Mahé, the largest island in Seychelles in the Indian Ocean off East Africa. I can’t even hide my excitement. I am counting the days until my trip; I call my friends, my parents to tell them about my new destination. I even got myself a map, in order for me to learn more.

Finally the day has come, and I am on a flight all excited. Now am counting the minutes. I have a large smile on my face that everyone can see. As we are approaching, I can see the island from the window, all surrounded by water. I almost burst in tears of joy; I was thinking how lucky I am to see this place and how many people would like to be in my place right now. Even though I am tired, I can’t take my eyes of the window while in the bus on my way to the hotel. The wonderful scent of the ocean is in the air. I am enjoying the most amazing view, and I have an extraordinary feeling of peace and tranquility.
I forgot about all my frustration and about how tired I was. I couldn’t wait to get to the hotel, change and go to the beach.

Memory of a dinner in Casa Blanca, Morocco

I just arrived in Casa Blanca, Morocco. It is a beautiful sunny day. I meet two of my colleagues in the lobby area of the hotel. We decide to go for shopping in the bazaar nearby and then to find a decent place for dinner.

While walking on the sidewalks, I hear a man whispering in my ear, walking incredibly close to me. At the time, I had long, blonde hair, so maybe this is what attracted him. As we pass by, men from every corner were shouting from the shops nearby after us. All of us hold hands and hug out of instinct. I tied up my hair and put the hoody on to not attract attention,

We are finally in the bazaar. I can tell you this much; this is not something you see every day. There is a heavy smell in the air that hits me right in the head. I wonder what it is. Some big families are having picnics, on the ground, eating with their hands. A certain delicacy I never saw before, is cooking in a massive cauldron….snails! 

The vibrant colors, the clothes, the handicraft, it is all so beautiful except for the fact that a motor bike almost runs me over. I then realize, it is not just a bazaar, it is a home for these families as well.