A Long-ish Greeting

How do I confess?
'Tis too numerous to detail
The memories still hold sway
The choicest now to regale:

To the Soul that captivated
Ere the voice could enthrall
L' Amour was the beginning
Your testimony had us all

Days, weeks, months went on
And not a word
For how could I know
Of greater things yet to be heard?

Masterful indeed
You were in your field
Wide eyed in wonder
My reservation I did yield

An acquaintance you were
Ere God could reveal
That through Signature would grow our friendship
Not a smile would HE conceal

Your insistence to listen
To Vocal Point's rendition
Of 'O Danny Boy' at Nationals
In a windy yet peaceful condition

Sparked a new interest
In you, I should say
Nothing short of momentous
The whole journey I did pray

That God bless me more
Of lessons from you
And as time went on
The camaraderie, it grew

I thought not of it then
But as I pause to reflect
Grateful am I
That your presence did deflect

All worry, fear and doubt
From my mind
That you took all circumstances
In every stride

For your accompaniment to 'Our Father'
At Woodrock and L' Amour
Deeply honored am I
That you played, skillful and sure

Not having thanked you then
I so painfully regret
Your passion for harmony
I can never forget

CCD moments
And along came J.A.K
Times spent bunking classes
So that we could stack

On Ideas and the brainwave
The Writer's Tongue, it conceived
One look and with ease did you form
The tunes that now echo the words, "I Believe"

How came you into my life?
Not a thought nor a splash did your entrance make
But amazed am I at how God had it all planned
That our paths should cross
Trailing anecdotes at its wake

"What is the purpose of life?!"
I fondly hear you say
Your dream vacation to Switzerland
You'll have to wait for that day

I wish you all happiness
And blessings from above
That YESHUA HA-MASHIACH
Shower you with HIS Love

My thanks to you
Never will they end
For I know that you are
A True Friend!

Tears In My Avocado Milkshake

Every now and then, nostalgia hits me like a cannon ball aimed at my gut, and I unsuccessfully remind myself to get a grip before I am consumed by tears.

This happened quite often last year. A lot of things changed in my life, but it seemed that my 'life' wasn't going anywhere. People changed, situations changed, but I felt stranded, rooted to one spot as I helplessly watched everything and everyone else carry on, while I barely managed to cling on to a hope that things would get better.

One thing good about change in circumstance, you gain experience. And man, did I experience a lot in the past year! That's probably the reason why I haven't been blogging much. So to the readers who kept regular tabs on Wandering Nomad, I do apologise for not being punctual.

With so much changing, I am truly grateful for the few constants in my life. And this post is dedicated to one special 'constant', for being a mighty pillar of support in my weakest and darkest times. Knowing you were there, helped me through. And I can't thank God enough for placing you in my life!

Now you, reader, may ask, "What's with the funny title? Avocado milkshake, what's that about?" I'll explain. It does involve a real avocado milkshake. Go figure.

The Avocado, also known as  Alligator Pear or 'Butter Fruit', in the common vernacular where I stay, is a large berry (yeah, berry! I'm surprised too!) that contains a single seed. It's green-skinned. The fleshy body may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped or spherical. It's rich in Vitamins B and K, as well as C, E and potassium. Consumption of avocados have proven to lower blood cholesterol. I could care less about its health benefits. I just copied that information off of Wikipedia just to add another paragraph to this post.

Eaten raw, the most common use of avocado is as the base for guacamole. However, I love my avocados in the form of a milkshake.

One very memorable night, last year, I was sipping on a deliciously refreshing avocado milkshake, while trying to cram as much information as I could for an exam the very next day. Why was the night memorable? Well, who doesn't get excited the night before ones birthday?! However, my excitement quickly turned to anxiety and panic at the prospect of a looming exam just few hours away. Suddenly hit with a sense of deprivation and melancholy, my brain processed this bizarre blend of negative emotions as losing and never again seeing this constant. And if you follow my train of thought, yes, down poured the tears into my avocado milkshake. At this point, I didn't care about its potentially altered taste. I focused on making sure my constant was real and never going away.

Here, you may think, "Man, you seem like a needy person! What's wrong with you?" Maybe I was that night, but cut me some slack, I'm spilling my guts out here! Fortunately, my constant was a lot more understanding and calmed me down with a few simple words.

"...smile....it'll help you stop crying."

Looking back, I've never had an avocado milkshake since then, not because of what happened, but because the thought never occurred to me, to have another one.

I suppose we all spill tears into our avocado milkshakes (or strawberry, or banana... whatever you prefer to call it). I still spill tears into my own proverbial milkshake. The only difference is, they are now tears of joy and wonderment. How could I be so lucky? I don't know the answer to that question.

I do hope that you, reader, have a few constants of your own, who see you as you are, and love you for it, flaws and all. If you do, you are blessed. They are keepers!

My Sorry Attempt At A Fine Art

For want of having to do something different, I decided to make this a picture post. "Picture?", you ask. Why, yes of course! Well, to be honest, I had a couple of topics to blog about, but I couldn't get around to actually writing them. So, while I wait for inspiration to hit, allow me to share what else I've been dabbling in.

Calligraphy.

Let me just say that I am not great at this! Just started a couple months ago as a means to cope with various .... 'problems'. I love writing prose and poetry. But calligraphy is writing... in style. There's something soothing about watching ink flow in curves and waves on paper. Of course, you'll need proper calligraphy pens to achieve the desired effects, which I don't. Just regular sketch pens for now. 

(Oh! Shout out to the people who've encouraged me to keep blogging. Thanks for reminding me how lazy I've become! Just give me time, guys! Sheesh.... LOL)

Well, without further ado, the pictures! I could have scanned these sheets, but I don't have a scanner and I'm too cheap to pay for such. So these were just taken by a smartphone.

This one was a practice sheet...

Took it a couple of notches down...

Aaaand back to cluttering....

I was inspired to do this after listening to a wonderful cover sung by some very special people...

Oh, look. Colour.

Again, inspired by another brilliantly written song...

So there you have it. My sorry attempt at a fine art.

If you are interested to see some REAL calligraphy, I strongly recommend you to check out this dude :

https://www.instagram.com/seblester/

His work is phenomenal!!

Fare Thee Well...!

It's almost the ending of the academic year for students everywhere. And reminiscing about my time spent in college, I thought I'd share my old farewell speech, as the first post of 2016... after my sabbatical from blogging...

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Earlier today, I was asked to speak on behalf of the seniors. I don't know why I was chosen; I can think of other people who are more suitable for the task. However, since I was asked, nay, begged, a second time, I shall try not to disappoint.

Being a foreign student, it has been the most interesting three years of college. As I look back on my first year, it was a new country, new environment and a new culture. I've had to learn to adapt and it was fun to experience different backgrounds and ethnicities. College is a melting pot of diversity, and I was glad that I wasn't the only proverbial 'fish out of water'. The people here are very relatable, albeit eccentric on many levels. College is usually seen as a center of learning and austerity.... but that is not the case! Folks here are inherently laid back and fun loving, even in stiff situations.

Now in the final days of college, I've learned a few things:

* We have become masters in the fine art of Procrastination. We have this twisted fascination of pushing deadlines for assignments, reports and projects (which is currently in motion).

* We are never prepared for exams. When conversing before tests, we always remark, "Chill maadi!". Our response to pop quiz, "Saar, gothilla!" (Sir, I don't know!)

* We love to share - food during lunch, clothes when our own haven't been washed, or assignments we suddenly realize are due in a few hours.

* Our motto for survival? COPY - PASTE - PRINT

Three years were indeed interesting. And although we can't wait to leave, part of it will always remain with us.

To our teachers, thank you for imparting your knowledge to us, for pushing us to do better, for helping us finish the race, even though you weren't obligated to go out of your way to do so. Thank you for being more than just lecturers. You were our confidants, attentive ears to our queries and our many many complaints. Even though we don't seem to show it, we do appreciate what you've done for us and you will always be remembered.

To my fellow batch-mates, thank you for all the crazy stunts you've pulled and doing everything possible to make classroom sessions interesting, from calling names, punching each other to continuously dropping stuff on the floor to ease the monotony of a boring lecture. If there's anything I've learned from you guys, it is to always find the joy even in the most humdrum of days. All the best for the future that lies ahead of you!

To my juniors, I bid you farewell and my very best of wishes for the remainder of your stay in college. No matter what you hear people say, enjoy these moments. Take everything in your stride because these are the days you'll never get back.

Thank you and God bless us all!