Morning Routine: Morning deserves your attention

The following message was written on January 16, 2021.

Can you believe it?

Never had the time to return. 

And we are in the last two weeks of 2020. It goes fast --although 2020 seemed to have lasted longer. Its 8:30 am in the picture. I love it this time. It's quiet and beautiful. Both dark and bright. May you all be surrounded by warmth and love .....

December 30, 2022

I do not know which image i was going to add, but its been dull and dreary and yet I love Sweden during this time of the year. I am adding a pic from Gothenburg, a city I have been spending time in---for a while now...for the last four months. 

So much is going on...and I have no idea where to begin or what to say. As the year wraps around, the same questions remain, that I had three decades ago. Going through my books I read some old journal entries from 1990-91. Before I went to the US. At the cusp of it. I was in another country at the time. Looking back, did I ever think I will be in so many countries. Have met so many people and yet feel a sense of aloneness --even though there is this joy of having known some really great people?

There are two issues, one is that one has not created their own family, which is always alienating. No matter how much I try to keep up, it is a loosing battle. I used to remember birthdays and anniversaries and send gifts and what not....but slowly...it all starts to slip.  You have stuff to take care of ...and you have only two hands. Then, it gets too much because you have little of your support system.

So being on your own in different countries has you spread too thin and in too many places.  

The other thing is that I have met some of the nicest people. I heard from my friend ST in the US, who was my neighbour at Penn State via a phone message. Then I spoke with my friend EDD in Spain, whom I met at  Penn State --while i was learning Spanish. In some ways, the two things are not connected. Meaning learning spanish and knowing her because she was not my teacher. But we met at the busstop at Penn State, almost every few days, started talking and then started writing. I had a conference in France and I called her to ask to come visit me. Instead she said, no you visit me. That was 2005. She visited me in Fiji in 2006.  And we have kept in touch. Me through four countries since we met. She through a marriage and raising two children and hopping towns for jobs, getting selected for a government job etc.

We talked like school girls only with grown up problems :)

Did I ever think I would have a friend from Spain or one from the US? Or many from the US and some from Germany and from Greece and Cyprus and Brazil and New Zealand and Morroco and Israel?

I had wanted pen pals....but it never materialised. I finally got my real vänner---real friends. 

There is so much goodness.....that I think many lifetimes will be difficult to explain the gratitude I feel.

Yet, a kind of exhaustion at having travelled and gathered little Moss. 

I did not share here but I had a job in the United Kingdom for a year. I will write about it at some point. Among other things that did not work, I missed Sweden to my core. When I returned at easter to take care of a few things I realised how much this felt like home. Even though I do not feel grounded anywhere. 

So as the year turns...and I gather strength again to work on projects and doing new things....I must recognise that life is not as simple as we thought when we were children. We can get what we want and yet feel a kind of angst. A displacement. It can happen even if you stay at the same place...you know, even it is A WONDERFUL LIFE....

So for now, I want to thank all those who have touched my life, be grateful for all the abundance and also be grateful for all that I want...

I try to share something of use towards the end of the year. Here is a link to one of my favorite channels. Pick Up Limes.

Here the creator shares her morning routine.  If for nothing else, it is a peaceful watch. May you have a calm, productive and beautiful year.  The kind that makes you aware that despite all the things that have not happened yet, or despite your disappointments at life, you have still had a great life...at least a few of your dreams have come alive...be grateful and be joyous...

Gott Nytt Âr, Happy New year and here is the link...

Happy Morning Routine...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx_veZygQkU

Memories from Malaysia

Believe it or not, I wrote this post in 2012, but the pictures were taken in 2006....

Since this was all Xmas time....here it is.....

By the way, prepared it all on 12/11/12, you know that special date...or was it 12/12/12...?

Never published before....

A regular jewelry store and these girls could be from any country--despite their slightly oriental looks....you can find them anywhere today.  As a traveller I can vouch for that. So that is why I took this picture--In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2006. 

I take pictures of MacDees around the world!! And especially of any sign of what they call ‘internationalization!!  Terima Kasih---is Thankyou in Malay! 

The following pictures were taken around China town, if I remember well....

And there is ‘dragon fruit’  It is prettier than its taste.  The taste is quite bland, to be crude and quite ‘delicate’ to be subtle.  But I love the way it looks both inside out.  So, in that sense a true beauty!! Dragon fruit, as I guess most of you know is the one that is the brightest in the following picture...and looks like a pretty pink (deep pink) dragon!!

A, my friend who I visited when I was in Malaysia.  She was working on her undergrad during my Phd days.....

Above picture is of A’s pretty daughter.  I remember our first interaction.  She was shy and would not say anything. Then I used my camera as icebreaker. She stared intently at the pictures as I created a slideshow for her.  And then at one point she spoke, ‘McDondalds’!! and we were in business....

I love palm trees exhibit colors other than 'green'

Girls with style are noticeable everywhere...here is a young girl, all in pink...

that thin is actually a 3-D painting and you can see a real person walking ahead...

the bricks and the sailboat...all of it is a painting...this was the time I use to take pictures of murals everywhere...

Ah yes....this was an ad for KitKat!

My friend .....

The famous building in Malaysia....

Someone's getting a ticket....

I love the food court in Malaysia...

This was sooo beautiful and so delicate. I could not buy it, it was too expensive. Close to 500 USD if remember. It was handprinted or something..but I used to wear sarongs at the time in Fiji...and tried it on. Learnt that trick in my student days. Try it on, get a pick taken, be happy with the memories and continue with life...

Here is the sales woman...

Another one...

Memories from childhood, and memories of Asia...the sugarcane juice....you get the best one in India....with spices and all...

Really that’s tradition!! ? Oh yeah, Baju Kurung --the transparent top that the woman is wearing.  But then traditionally, it is not supposed to be transparent, if you know what I mean....

My beautiful friend....I visited her and she gave me the best memories.  I still have all her pics tucked in somewhere. I created a package for her and sent it along with a student, who was visiting Malaysia, but she could not deliver it...I got busy and left Fiji and got busier....I still have the coasters that I got from her...a gift for guests at her sister's wedding.  I still have an old sarong I bought in Malaysia.  Here is her youthful face reminding me of our Good times....

Have a good Christmas everyone....