She loves me - she loves me not

SHE LOVES ME – SHE LOVES ME NOT …… Am sitting here, staring at my computer, and wondering what I should do – so seeking advice from all you “worldly experts” out there. Although I am not someone to “kiss and tell”, sometimes you must say it as it is. It may sound foolish to you, but this is the way I am. I loved her with all my heart (and still do) and she reciprocated the same – there was no denying the fact that there was a very special connection. Whenever possible, I spent as much time with her, much to the annoyance of so many others. I have spent quite a tidy sum on her as well and apparently that counts for nothing in this day and age. If you talk about photographs, well, I have clicked her in every angle and yes, she is quite the poser, extremely photogenic and very pretty too. You should just have a look at some of the snaps of us together …….!! However, now it seems the honeymoon period is over – she has begun to ignore me. This is something I am not able to understand, and it pains me. She has been spurning my advances for some time now – the last month or two, to be precise. Phone calls & Whats App messages were out of the question and hence I never even went down that route. I am positive that age, job title, status etc do not matter to her either. Then what is it? Others have noticed this change too and some of them are probably happy. In fact, looking back, I presume it all started the day I lost my temper with her and made my feelings clear in no uncertain terms. I am not one to beat about the bush. Well- I think the word ‘’presume” is wrong – I am confident I can pinpoint the exact moment this all started. I was determined that she stopped her silly antics, grew up, and stopped behaving like a kid. I probably raised my voice a little too much, and looking back on my actions, I must admit – I feel I overdid the “anger” part and was wrong- after all , she was probably just having a little innocent fun. I must have come across as threatening, although that was not the intention. Nevertheless, I guess it is my fault and now I am paying the price. I did try to apologise in various ways, on quite a few occasions – my apology was not accepted. In fact, when we came face to face, she seemed to look right through me. I swallowed my pride and, as meekly as possible whispered, “sorry baby”. I could swear she sniggered and just walked away. So, no one should fault me for not trying. Coming to think of it, she has always been a trifle cold, but I guess that is her nature, which I had learned to accept over the years. I have confided in a few trusted friends, and they did say that this will blow over and she will come round – it has not happened yet. So, I have to say I am in a bit of a quandary, and not sure what to do now – cats are such lovable creatures but “Chanel”, our little bundle of joy , takes the cake where stubbornness is concerned . Let me go and search for her and see what she is doing !

She loves me - she loves me not

SHE LOVES ME – SHE LOVES ME NOT …… Am sitting here, staring at my computer, and wondering what I should do – so seeking advice from all you “worldly experts” out there. Although I am not someone to “kiss and tell”, sometimes you must say it as it is. It may sound foolish to you, but this is the way I am. I loved her with all my heart (and still do) and she reciprocated the same – there was no denying the fact that there was a very special connection. Whenever possible, I spent as much time with her, much to the annoyance of so many others. I have spent quite a tidy sum on her as well and apparently that counts for nothing in this day and age. If you talk about photographs, well, I have clicked her in every angle and yes, she is quite the poser, extremely photogenic and very pretty too. You should just have a look at some of the snaps of us together …….!! However, now it seems the honeymoon period is over – she has begun to ignore me. This is something I am not able to understand, and it pains me. She has been spurning my advances for some time now – the last month or two, to be precise. Phone calls & Whats App messages were out of the question and hence I never even went down that route. I am positive that age, job title, status etc do not matter to her either. Then what is it? Others have noticed this change too and some of them are probably happy. In fact, looking back, I presume it all started the day I lost my temper with her and made my feelings clear in no uncertain terms. I am not one to beat about the bush. Well- I think the word ‘’presume” is wrong – I am confident I can pinpoint the exact moment this all started. I was determined that she stopped her silly antics, grew up, and stopped behaving like a kid. I probably raised my voice a little too much, and looking back on my actions, I must admit – I feel I overdid the “anger” part and was wrong- after all , she was probably just having a little innocent fun. I must have come across as threatening, although that was not the intention. Nevertheless, I guess it is my fault and now I am paying the price. I did try to apologise in various ways, on quite a few occasions – my apology was not accepted. In fact, when we came face to face, she seemed to look right through me. I swallowed my pride and, as meekly as possible whispered, “sorry baby”. I could swear she sniggered and just walked away. So, no one should fault me for not trying. Coming to think of it, she has always been a trifle cold, but I guess that is her nature, which I had learned to accept over the years. I have confided in a few trusted friends, and they did say that this will blow over and she will come round – it has not happened yet. So, I have to say I am in a bit of a quandary, and not sure what to do now – cats are such lovable creatures but “Chanel”, our little bundle of joy , takes the cake where stubbornness is concerned . Let me go and search for her and see what she is doing !

MY ARTISTIC ABILITIES

For a few years now I have been meaning to do a serious work of art. Something that would be time consuming and tedious, but which would give me a sense of accomplishment & utter fulfilment. Work commitments and often sheer laziness have always come in the way. The lockdown set me thinking, I could have done it at that time, or at least made a start, but then again, the online work kept me busier than ever. In fact, the computer has taken over our lives as we speak. At least that’s what I believe. Now that I am on leave, the urge to fulfil a long-cherished ambition has stirred within me once more – am certainly going for it this time. “It’s now or never”, I have said to myself. In reality, I have said that before as well, but this time am removing the “never”. Its “NOW”! I have made a firm resolve and will see it through. I vaguely remember when I was in Grade one, we were asked to draw an elephant in a test. I drew my elephant and handed in it – proud as punch. The teacher looked at it really hard and asked me what I had drawn. I reminded her that it was “an elephant”! I presume it must have been good, because the teacher showed it to a few teachers who passed by the class. They stared hard at my drawing and laughed out loud - and then she pointed me out to them! Anyway, forget that - this is the plan – this time I want to do a piece that is meaningful and deep – it should stir emotions – it should make people think. It should be something that people will admire , a piece that will have the wow factor – a sort of centre piece which people will look at ,gaze in wonderment, and enquire as to the source – the artist – have always wondered about a moment like that . Have pictured this so very often - We have a get together at home – about twenty friends come over for dinner. As each one walks in, the first thing that meets their eyes is my artwork. Two things here – it will be at eye level and it will have non reflective glass in a gilded frame. So, they look, in fact, they cannot stop examining – they go closer – they tilt their heads and some squint their eyes to get a better and different perspective - they ask about the medium used and nonchalantly I say “oil”. They then look at me and say, “where have you been hiding your talent you evil man” and I just smile and shrug! Not one to sit back, I did some basic research, and this is what I came up with: - Linen is the best of the best canvases to use but a trifle expensive. If you care about permanence (and I certainly do) and don't mind paying for it, (no I don’t) there is no better option. You can save some money by using a high-quality ‘cotton duck canvas’ which should weigh between 12-15 oz. It is cheaper than linen but is still a suitable choice for permanent paintings. So now I am in a bit of a quandary, as to whether I go for the Linen or the Cotton duck canvas but will work that out. It will be one of the two. Paints are a little more technical though and I have been consulting with a few friends and relatives. There is a wide choice in the market, and this took a few afternoons, but I have narrowed it down to any three of the following – Grumbacher, Bob Ross, Williamsburg & Sennelier. I know that I will never be the next Van Gogh but have also done a bit of reading and am now quite familiar with terms airbrush, blending , decoupage, gesso, high relief , encaustic, egg tempera and the like – words which till a month ago dazed me . There is just one major hurdle remaining – I can’t draw to save my life. Even a ball is difficult for me to draw – you see I am bad with symmetry. As for painting, the least said the better – to top it all I am genuinely colour blind. I guess I must start at the very beginning – that’s a very good place to start. As for my painting – have put that on hold for now .

MY ARTISTIC ABILITIES

For a few years now I have been meaning to do a serious work of art. Something that would be time consuming and tedious, but which would give me a sense of accomplishment & utter fulfilment. Work commitments and often sheer laziness have always come in the way. The lockdown set me thinking, I could have done it at that time, or at least made a start, but then again, the online work kept me busier than ever. In fact, the computer has taken over our lives as we speak. At least that’s what I believe. Now that I am on leave, the urge to fulfil a long-cherished ambition has stirred within me once more – am certainly going for it this time. “It’s now or never”, I have said to myself. In reality, I have said that before as well, but this time am removing the “never”. Its “NOW”! I have made a firm resolve and will see it through. I vaguely remember when I was in Grade one, we were asked to draw an elephant in a test. I drew my elephant and handed in it – proud as punch. The teacher looked at it really hard and asked me what I had drawn. I reminded her that it was “an elephant”! I presume it must have been good, because the teacher showed it to a few teachers who passed by the class. They stared hard at my drawing and laughed out loud - and then she pointed me out to them! Anyway, forget that - this is the plan – this time I want to do a piece that is meaningful and deep – it should stir emotions – it should make people think. It should be something that people will admire , a piece that will have the wow factor – a sort of centre piece which people will look at ,gaze in wonderment, and enquire as to the source – the artist – have always wondered about a moment like that . Have pictured this so very often - We have a get together at home – about twenty friends come over for dinner. As each one walks in, the first thing that meets their eyes is my artwork. Two things here – it will be at eye level and it will have non reflective glass in a gilded frame. So, they look, in fact, they cannot stop examining – they go closer – they tilt their heads and some squint their eyes to get a better and different perspective - they ask about the medium used and nonchalantly I say “oil”. They then look at me and say, “where have you been hiding your talent you evil man” and I just smile and shrug! Not one to sit back, I did some basic research, and this is what I came up with: - Linen is the best of the best canvases to use but a trifle expensive. If you care about permanence (and I certainly do) and don't mind paying for it, (no I don’t) there is no better option. You can save some money by using a high-quality ‘cotton duck canvas’ which should weigh between 12-15 oz. It is cheaper than linen but is still a suitable choice for permanent paintings. So now I am in a bit of a quandary, as to whether I go for the Linen or the Cotton duck canvas but will work that out. It will be one of the two. Paints are a little more technical though and I have been consulting with a few friends and relatives. There is a wide choice in the market, and this took a few afternoons, but I have narrowed it down to any three of the following – Grumbacher, Bob Ross, Williamsburg & Sennelier. I know that I will never be the next Van Gogh but have also done a bit of reading and am now quite familiar with terms airbrush, blending , decoupage, gesso, high relief , encaustic, egg tempera and the like – words which till a month ago dazed me . There is just one major hurdle remaining – I can’t draw to save my life. Even a ball is difficult for me to draw – you see I am bad with symmetry. As for painting, the least said the better – to top it all I am genuinely colour blind. I guess I must start at the very beginning – that’s a very good place to start. As for my painting – have put that on hold for now .

Diet and me

Am planning to go on a diet and cut out the following items - some of which I consume quiet frequently .
 1. All meat including chicken 2. Eggs 3. Fatty foods 4. Carbs and starchy foods 5. Junk food/ take aways 6. Sugar 7 Ice cream 8 Chocolates and sweets . 9 Alcohol 10. Cookies, doughnuts and biscuits 11. French fries, crisps. 12. Pizza and Pasta 13 Colas and sweetened drinks 14. Processed foods 15 Smoothies 16 Protein bars 17 Cakes In fact I made this plan about 10 years ago and just found it on an old computer,so am sharing, as it looks good . . Have still not put it into practice.

Diet and me

Am planning to go on a diet and cut out the following items - some of which I consume quiet frequently .
 1. All meat including chicken 2. Eggs 3. Fatty foods 4. Carbs and starchy foods 5. Junk food/ take aways 6. Sugar 7 Ice cream 8 Chocolates and sweets . 9 Alcohol 10. Cookies, doughnuts and biscuits 11. French fries, crisps. 12. Pizza and Pasta 13 Colas and sweetened drinks 14. Processed foods 15 Smoothies 16 Protein bars 17 Cakes In fact I made this plan about 10 years ago and just found it on an old computer,so am sharing, as it looks good . . Have still not put it into practice.

Yippee I am on holiday

So, I am finally on leave from tomorrow till the 1st of August 2020 Yippee – summer is here and its holiday time at last – much desired However, this year like so many others I am a trifle relieved A trifle relieved is putting it mildly I am extremely relieved, oh so light hearted, ecstatic, filled with a sense of hope and joy No travel this time. Tickets already cancelled – that was heart-breaking No itineraries to be planned – no hotels to be booked No wondering whether my credit card will be misused No suitcases to be taken out, dusted, and sunned No finding money in an old bag No old suitcases and bags to be discarded and new ones bought – I love this No locks and keys to be traced. I hate this I have about fifteen small locks and about fifty sets of keys. Will not have to hear statements like – “This suitcase is too big” “why are you taking so many clothes” , “do you need so many pairs of shoes”? What is the luggage allowance – at times it varies while going and returning too “Will so and so place be cold or hot” “check the weather in advance” “Let’s pray there is no rain” is another. “Take an umbrella – you never know” No No No ! No printing of tickets, no ensuring the passport and visa are valid for travel No comments like “see you don’t lose the passports, tickets, keys, money” Also, the ultimate “your father is so careless” I BEG YOUR PARDON MISSIE No checking out what clothes to take with me and what to discard as they are already too tight Another comment “you better get up early & go to the gym in all the hotels” No medicines to be packed for emergencies “take the Digene and Gaviscon for indigestion” No tickets to be bought in advance for trains, tramways, ferries, boats, hotels, entries to various cathedrals, palaces, museums, day trips, amusement parks etc etc etc No money to be exchanged for local currency – how much do we take? No weighing luggage umpteen times and straining my back while putting it on and off the scale No checking if I have a particular Sim card, extra phone, charging cable , multipurpose plug , adapter . No rushing to airports and no arguments about how early we should depart from home. No counting of items of luggage ever so often. No yellow, red, blue ribbons fluttering from all the items – no name tags to be printed No being over polite and requesting counter staff at airports for better seats, sparing a few kilos of extra luggage, fragile stickers. No eating and drinking in the airport lounge after already eating and drinking at home. Dirty habit of mine No having to smile at airhostesses who have that plastic smile pasted on their faces. No hoping that I am not sitting near an adult with a baby No hoping that the person next to me is not unduly overweight No stuffing of bags into overstuffed lockers and arguing as politely as possible with fellow passengers. No wondering which arm rest to use when sitting near a stranger No eating insipid food on the flight – the drinks are okay. What about those cramped toilets where you can’t swing a rabbit? (Now that is a stupid sentence because we don’t have a pet rabbit , I have never taken a rabbit anywhere with me either and if by chance I did , I would not take it to the toilet with me – and if by chance I even did that unexplainable thing , pray why would I swing it ? ) No getting into taxis and wondering if they will take you for a spin ( or kidnap you for that matter ) Not sure why anyone would like to kidnap us, but one never knows. No vague thought as to where I would hide my passport and purse if stopped by thieves. No hotel checks in and once again no asking for a “non-smoking good room with a view” I do not think hotel clerks look at the booking seriously enough No wondering how much to tip, when the bell boy puts the luggage in the room and smiles his simple smile No rushing to have the buffet breakfast and no overeating ! No jumping out of bed early in the morning in a strange city, to go and see a cathedral or a garden or a market or whatever – it’s a holiday for goodness sake. IT’S A H O L I D A Y – I W A N T TO RELAX No staring at menus and wondering what the dish is all about. Not having to bother with irritating waiters who hang around hurrying you to order Coddled eggs, Bubble and squeak, Clootie dumpling, Welsh Rabbit , Priest stranglers, little tongues , little worms, Armer Ritter, Kalter hund , Bienenstich? For goodness sake what ARE these dishes – so confusing. (And menus in foreign languages are even worse) No longing for Dal, rice, mutton curries, chapattis and masala dosa No Selfies, touristy must have photographs and purchasing of souvenirs. OMG – for goodness sake no more buying fridge magnets and shot glasses ( I have stopped buying beer mugs) No more browsing around in old second hand book shops hoping to find a rare manuscript that will make me a rich man No visiting relatives and friends you have not met in decades and did not want to in the first place No silly “check in” or Status updates on FB – no one cares in the first place No uploading of photographs too. It’s sort of mandatory – let’s tell the world we are on holiday No feeling sad when the end of the holiday is approaching, and you must catch the flight back to home sweet home No weighing luggage before flying back and realizing that the luggage is twelve kg overweight No unpacking – this is the worst part No coming home and wondering where to start with the cleaning and tidying Amen