--- The most wonderful day for Cinderella came when Prince Charming stopped by her house and slipped that glass slipper on her foot. Mine came on that day when I finally held in my hands my first DLSR camera. On both instances, our lives - Cinderella’s and mine- changed forever. Since that moment when I first squeezed the shutter of my camera, I never saw the world in the same way again. Peering through that lens gave me an entirely new perspective on life. Things took on a different image, and gave new meaning to the word “beauty”. I saw the world in a whole new light. ...
Sway
--- Sometimes I wish I was a contortionist, so I’d have the flexibility to kick myself - multiple times! Nobody hates me more than myself whenever I say or do things which I later on regret. Almost as soon as I say something nasty, I want to roll my tongue up and swallow it. By then, it’s already too late to undo the pain I caused someone. More often than not, it’s a case of “What was I thinking?” It’s irrational how I could’ve said something with no basis at all. It’s almost as if something has possessed me, voiding me of all sense and reason. Unseen outside forces seem to have some power to propel me to say or do things which I normally wouldn’t. Once I find myself stuck ...
Nullifier
Celebrities – and some of my admittedly vainer friends - have taken to Botox and collagen injections to keep themselves looking young. Not that I’m afraid of needles, but I just don’t feel that I need to go down that route. Sure, they can do what they want with their money, but I have found a much cheaper alternative to preserving my youth. Worry and stress are the usual suspects when it comes to stripping us of our youthful glow. So whenever I feel a stress attack coming on, I simply look out my window. I guess I’m blessed to have a window in my room which is large enough to frame the beautiful view outside. Looking at the various hues of the sunset gives me an overall sense of ...
Tough to be Gentle
Whenever I have this compelling need to put on a strong façade, I find myself struggling. It’s never easy to look tough on the outside but feel all Jello-ish inside. One animal which doesn’t have that problem though, is the horse. With shiny mane, one that neighs and trots about gracefully, looks so effortlessly powerful. Horses are fascinating. What I especially like about horses is that they look so mighty and yet they can be as gentle as a lamb. Horses can fight wars, win police car chases in movies, and at the same time they are a little girl’s pet. These beasts of burden can likewise be Barbie’s unassuming BFF. That brings us back to the age-old adage of not judging a book ...
Just Grow
The thing about beauty, is that it just is. There are no words to describe what makes something pleasing to the eye. It mesmerizes, leaves one breathless and captivated in sheer awe. Vienna's Volksgarten is certainly a haven of beauty. Its rose garden serves as a respite for weary pedestrians looking for inspiration and probably silence. Benches give beaten up legs some much-needed rest, while the blossoming rose garden soothes tired eyes. The sound of rippling fountains whisks your worries away, albeit for a couple of minutes. And sometimes, a violin playing in the background is a welcome melody. The flowers in this public park found in the Innere Stadt - first district of Vienna greet ...
From Down Low
Band Aids. Those were a childhood staple for me. Looking back, I couldn’t imagine a day go by without me having to put one on my knee or elbow after roughing it out with my boy cousins. I’d spend most of my waking hours at the playground or on one of those steep downhill slopes, throwing caution to the wind. On more than one occasion, I put my girlishness to the test by taking on dares from my manly playmates. I discarded so much of what was expected among little girls back then. My life then, maybe yours too, was all about play, play and even more play. Today, I am a helpless bundle of nerves, often worrying over petty things- from something as trivial as a strand of white hair on my ...
Perception
Being able to see is a gift most of us take for granted. The sense of sight gives us the chance to view the world in all its splendor and natural beauty. Our two eyes become gateways to visual worlds we never before knew existed. Sometimes though, this gift of sight impels us to make rash judgments of people, things or places around us. We inevitably form first impressions of the things we see. These initial notions we have are sometimes positive, sometimes negative. Oftentimes, it’s these first moments of encounter which make or break potential relationships- whatever type they may be. Just like an unassuming red popcorn cart right smack in the middle of a park, anybody who ...
