Archive for July, 2012

Guest Blog – Life Is A Work Of Art By Lucy Curtis

July 31, 2012

Today, I would like to introduce you all to a dear friend and often to me personally, an anchor, Lucy Curtis. I was thrilled when Lucy told me that she was training to be a Life Coach and would be starting a blog soon. I was even more thrilled when she agreed to do a guest spot on Mumchic.

Lucy exudes warmth and compassion as a person, she possesses an innate capability to listen and comprehend. All excellent attributes to have as a life coach. I wish you, Lucy nothing but the best in your new ventures. 

Over to you.

Life Is A Work Of Art

Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets. – Oscar Wilde

Life is an art. And you are the artist. – Anonymous

I very much like Shakti Gawain’s ‘Your Life as Your Work of Art’. I am the artist and my life is my own distinct work of art – a way of opening life to living the best way I can, the way I choose; with creativity, imagination and authenticity. Alongside living with clearly defined values and a philosophy of life, I easily experience a clear life direction and a sense that all parts of my life are ‘in sync ‘, melding together effortlessly, just like an amazing artwork hanging in a gallery.

My ‘life’s artwork’ holds many associations, complexities and depths, as does my life. It has colours, textures and forms that are constantly in flux; flowing and floating like cloud shapes across the sky. My life isn’t unusual, it involves family and friends, work and worries, but the choices and direction I take involve authentic choices and the direction I take means a new form, new colour, and new texture emerges in my ‘life’s artwork’ as parts of my life unfold before me.

To begin Your Life as Your Work of Art, put up your canvas and easel:

Observe your life: Put yourself in the role of observer or witness to your life and look at how you live your life from a new viewpoint. This is the beginning of making Your Life Your Work of Art. As you discover what truly matters to you or ‘where your compass is pointing’ in your life, you will know the beginning key strokes of your artwork.

Create your life: Start to add meaningful pieces into your life, little by little. Once you understand what is imperative in your life’s artwork, you can start to include these in your life. Maybe you feel very strongly about animal welfare, so begin to donate to a charity or volunteer time or energies to a local animal shelter. Using imagination and meaningful actions to your life’s artwork will make it more real and evocative for you.

Authenticate your life: Are there parts of your life that feel as though they don’t fit? Pinching like a pair of ill-fitting shoes? Do you put up with the feelings of discontent, restlessness or low level anger? Perhaps ignoring the feelings or hoping they will change, or just living day by day; merely existing? Is this dimension of your life’s art not authentic or real for you? Changing the focus, the choices or the application of parts of your life that are not your ‘fit’ can shift your life’s towards more meaningful and purposeful life.

Imagine your life: Can you imagine your life to be different? Can you live your life in another way? Can your life be something new and original? Can you follow your heart’s direction and what truly matters to you, rather than following the ‘trends’ of the moment or pop culture? Living our lives in your own way takes boldness and imagination; mixing the colours on your own canvas to create a unique colour, taking risks with new forms, images and textures. Your life’s art can be as exciting and individual as you wish; it is your life, your work.

To live Your Life as your Work of Art is a dynamic, inspiring, ever-evolving process. Living your life with purpose, clarity and direction brings a richness, authenticity and sense of ‘rightness’ that a life without a centre can never realize. By bringing creativity, imagination and authenticity into your life’s work, you have the capability of creating a life of Colour and Light, a life of your choosing, a life that is ‘just right’ for your own individual Life Work of Art.

By Lucy Curtis
Lucy is a teacher, trainer and (beginning) Life Coach based in Australia.

Follow Lucy on twitter @LucyLiving

Reference: Gawain, Shakti. Creative Visualisation; Use the power of your imagination to create what you want in your life. Nataraj Publishing, 1978.

Image credits: http://www.dailypositivequotes.com

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Notes From Pakistan – Taking The Ferry Home.

July 26, 2012

It is the holy moth of Ramadan and the day quietly winds down in Karachi.  Its dwellers who have ventured to the city for work early morning now return home to their families to prepare a feast for “iftaar” – the traditional break of a day long fast at sunset.

Stay tuned for my post and pictures of a typical family iftaar at home.

 

Shot at a local club swimming pool which directly overlooks the Arabian Sea.

Serene and beautiful.

 

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Aam ki botal burns road

Notes From Pakistan – The Bun Kebab, The Botal And The Drive In Dining.

July 24, 2012

Back in the day (and even now), it would not be uncommon for many Pakistani families to pile up on their motorbike or car and go out for a drive and a bottle post dinner to the nearby food and eateries strip. And if it was your lucky day and you lived in Karachi, you might even get to go to seaview. Now you must wonder what I mean when I say bottle – oft pronounced  “botal” , quite simply it is this :

Exactly! just a simple non-disposable bottle of fizzy drink served chilled to you in your car/bike/taxi/rickshaw. Anything to beat the heat and electricity  blackouts Karachi is most prone to.

There are not many countries in the world which will offer you a true drive-in dining experience. Pakistan is one of them and we take the whole casual dining thing to an  exciting new level. You could venture out in literally your pyjamas and be served a full meal right in your car, not an inch of stepping out required (getting in and out of the car excluded – now don’t be THAT lazy). Growing up, drive in dining was our most common weekly family activity, it is affordable, convenient and needless to say delicious. I would pick easy and casual drive in dining over fine and fancy any day. That is not to say I don’t enjoy a fine meal every now and then of course.

So the other night, I convinced my brother to take us out to dinner and no it wasn’t to a posh Karachi cafe. It was to Karachi’s oldest and most popular food strip, Burns Road . Burns Road is considered the authority on popular Pakistani foods/drinks such as Nihari, Haleem, Dahi Bada and Lassi among many more. 6 of us piled up in my brother’s car and headed to Burns Road  for an unparalleled culinary experience. Lip smackingly delicious Bun Kebab (Pakistani style lentil and potato burger/sandwich) served with a spicy tamarind chutney. We polished our bun kebabs with a refreshingly chilled to perfection Aam ki Botal – Thin mango milkshake with delicious fresh mango chunks served in non disposable glass drink bottles. All this food served in the car, for under $5 for 6 people.

 Sure there’s a bit of squishing and nudging and a bit of holding and plate passing but all said and done, in my eyes ;

Drive in dining – Tick.

Happy factor – Big tick.

Have you ever experienced drive in dining? What are your thoughts ? Do you prefer the more formal sit down dinner or are you game for something much more casual ?

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Notes From Pakistan – Ghar Ka Aloo Ka Paratha.

July 22, 2012

ghar – home; the embodiment of love, happiness, togetherness and family.

aloo ka paratha – home made Pakistani style flat bread stuffed with spiced potatoes.

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A trip to Pakistan is officially incomplete if you haven’t had a traditional Pakistani breakfast. It could be the quintessential roadside Halwa Puri or a more simple home made chaai (strongly brewed milky tea) and paratha (thick rolled flat bread). But when you are looking for a bit more grandeur in your breakfast, Aloo Ka Paratha is a quite a sensual delight. Two thinly roughly rolled parathas stuffed with a spicy potato and onion mix , roasted to a light crisp on a flat griddle with a generous spread of oil on both sides. Eaten warm with a dollop of yogurt and home-made mango pickle.

Indeed, its best to forget the word “calories” when you visit Pakistan. 

Yum !

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On The Shores Of The Arabian Sea.

July 19, 2012

For those of you wondering, please pardon my absence as over the past week I have traveled halfway across the world from Canberra’s freezing winters to Karachi’s sweltering summers. So for the past 3-4 days, its been all that dreary jet lag, time adjustment, getting into a routine, adapting to the heat type of boring stuff for myself and the fab 2. Today, finally I feel a bit normal again.

 Often in the west, the media depicts Pakistan as a volatile, war torn country and an illiterate people, largely failing to bring to light its softer,more human side. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you through words and pictures a love for my beautiful country, its people, values, traditions, culture and food.

The sunkissed and panoramic coastline of the Arabian Sea in Karachi.

 

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That Time Of The Year.

July 11, 2012

It is that time of the year for me.

Once, every year round about the same time, I find myself deeply immersed in excel spreadsheets, pens, highlighters, pretty colored sticky flags and a calculator. I work weekends, late week nights, from home..sounds fun right? Heck, even when I am not working, I am dreaming of trial balances and reconciling figures to a general ledger in my brain.

EOFY! or commonly known as End Of Financial Year – every accountant’s nightmare , every auditor’s dream. So come 30 June every year when everyone else is shopping their hearts out at the stocktake sales, us accountants pour our heart,soul and (umm do tears count?) tears on to our spreadsheets – Ok fine! So I snuck in a  couple of handbags at the sales , big deal! one of them was down from unaffordable $99 to totally should not be given up $34.95. That too a Charlie Brown. Ah I knew you’d reason with me when you heard that.

Amidst all that fascinating number matching, forecasting, budgeting and reporting, (no really it is fascinating!) referencing, referencing more (public service perks I tell you), who in their right mind would have the time to write a blog? Yes indeedy, it is after all TTOTY.

Thus the relative silence from my end of late. Like every year, I hope that I will survive EOFY unscathed, like every year, I am wrong. I am already feeling mentally taxed and looking tired and worn out. I simply cannot wait for it all to be over. Sigh..

But but but, the exciting part is that this year it will be over for me sooner than you think. Infact, we are talking hours….aha! curious aren’t you ?

Stay tuned for the next post, it will be much more thrilling than an accountant’s jargon, I promise !

Have a good one :)

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A Blissful State.

July 6, 2012

To experience peace does not mean that your life is always blissful. It means that you are capable of tapping into a blissful state of mind amidst the normal chaos of a hectic life.

- Jill Bolte Taylor

How do you take time out for yourself to unwind, de-stress and find some balance in this frantic and exhausting race?

Location : Koh Lanta Yai, Thailand -Spectacular, blissful and relatively untouched.
Captured with : The humble iPhone 4s
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Never.

July 5, 2012

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life;

define yourself.

- Harvey Fierstein

 

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Urdu, Faiz Sahab And The Desert Of My Solitude.

July 4, 2012

Urdu - my mother tongue. Strongly influenced by the beautiful Persian and Turkish languages, Urdu  is both elegant and immensely poetic.

As a teenager, I was a voracious reader of urdu poetry, a gently sensual mingling of words with love. Sometimes rebellious, other times inspiring. Faiz Ahmed Faiz or as known in the literary circles as Faiz Saahab, is dubbed as one of Pakistan’s greatest poets and one of my all-time favourites.

Today, I would like to share with you a beautiful poem written by Faiz Saahab, Dasht-e-Tanhaai (and its translation), a set of painstakingly threaded words which never cease to give me goosebumps in the raw emotions they capture.This poem was also later sung by popular Pakistani vocalist, Tina Sani. If you are a fan of Faiz Saahab and urdu literature, the song warrants a hearing. You will find the link at the end of this post.

Dasht-e-Tanhaai

~ Faiz Ahmed Faiz

dasht-e-tanhaai mein, ai jaan-e-jahaan, larzaan hain 
In the desert of my solitude, oh love of my life, quiver 
teri avaaz ke saaye, 
the shadows of your voice, 
tere honthon ke saraab 
the mirage of your lips

dasht-e-tanhaai mein, 
In the desert of my solitude, 
duri ke khas-o-khaak tale 
beneath the dust and ashes of distance
khil rahe hain tere pehlu ke saman aur gulaab
bloom the jasmines and roses of your proximity

uht rahi hai kahin qurbat se 
From somewhere very close,
teri saans ki aanch 
rises the warmth of your breath
apani khushbuu mein sulagti hui 
smouldering in its own aroma,
maddham maddham 
slowly, bit by bit.

dur ufaq par chamakati hui 
far away, across the horizon, glistens
qatra qatra
drop by drop
gir rahi hai teri dil daar nazar ki shabnam 
the falling dew of your beguiling glance

is qadar pyaar se hai jaan-e jahaan rakkhaa hai 
With such tenderness, O love of my life, 
dil ke rukhsaar pe 
on the cheek of my heart, 
is vaqt teri yaad ne haath
has your memory placed its hand right now

yun guman hota hai 
that it looks as if 
garche hai abhi subah-e-firaaq 
(though it’s still the dawn of adieu) 
dhal gaya hijr ka din 
the sun of separation has set 
aa bhi gaye vasl ki raat 
and the night of union has arrived.

Bravo Faiz Saahab, bravo !

And here is the hauntingly soulful rendition by Tina Sani

Allow this song to seep into you, I promise you, it will.

Until next time…

 

Translation source : http://www.egothemag.com/urdupoetry/archives/2005/10/dashtetanhai.html

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In Transit.

July 1, 2012

I love transits. Stopping over in a previously unknown destination, spending a few hours experiencing its distinct culture, taking away with me a small piece of some new place. Learning that can only ever be inspired from travel. If you are lucky enough to have a couple of days in transit, that’s even better! But not all transits are the same.Some feel excruciatingly long when all you want to do is be home and stretch out in your own bed, not some uncomfortable, bony seat in the transit lounge of a country you won’t remember the next day.

So what happens when your entire life becomes a transit? Do you embrace each day for all it brings? Or does your quest for the best in normal make you feel anxious and exhausted-everyday?

My life has been in one such long, painful transit for a while now. The decisions and choices leading up to this transit were/are my own and I have no regrets about them. And I am also aware that what to me feels like transit is for a lot of people normal and perfect. Am I then being ungrateful? Perhaps I am. Let me explain.

I have 2 beautiful children, a job that sustains us, a loving family(albeit geographically removed). I would never be classified as rich but we have a reasonable lifestyle and I do my best to provide for the Fab 2. All things to be very grateful for.Yet, in myself I am scattered, my energies furiously focussed on how I can make things better, normal. Oddly enough, the “one day” seems to hold much more promise than the “right now”. Thus stems the feeling that our life is in a constant state of transit. This phase is like a bridge I need to cross to be able to get home. But I am tired. I am human.

I often wonder.

Is there really ever a normal or is normal just a never ending futile search? You decide.

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