Category: Lifestyle features

Corvette UAE Club & Road Safety

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Our Corvette Drive in Abu Dhabi with me in car number 3

I’m having one of those roller coaster weeks…. After being extremely excited about the upcoming Corvette UAE Club meeting for which I am a board member, I now come to realise that I will probably miss most of the drive and proceedings. Instead I will only venture out for part of the event to celebrate my daughters birthday with the club members at YAS island where I hope to see a lot of fellow car enthusiasts and people promoting road safety.

I am sad about missing the main part of the road safety campaign because I have just qualified for a 2 day intensive camera course which I hope to study from a script writer’s perspective. It was something I have always wanted to do so when I had to choose between this course and the drive, it was indeed painful as I would like to be both in Dubai and Abu Dhabi at the same time. Especially as Ford Middle East has given me the most awesome, state of the art Ford Explorer to experience and be seen in and I really wanted to have a leisurely drive in it behind the corvettes to support the safety campaign :). Very excited though that I will at least make it part of the event.

For people who are passionate about road safety, this is a good time to follow the example of our club and attend the lectures organised on road safety. Members and public will be signing on a roll up presenting the campaign of not using phones while driving.

The CUC gathering is on Friday 28th Oct in Abu Dhabi 3:30pm @ the Abu Dhabi International Marine club parking opposite Marina mall. The parade starts at 5pm after the talks to go to YAS island.

Also the corvettes will have a sticker of the campaign on each car’s rear to support this noble cause. The sticker urges people not to use the phone while driving.

As a speed junkie who has reformed to now release any adrenaline energy on safety controlled race circuits, I am a strong advocate of this campaign. Lucky for us, we have the Autodrome and the YAS Marina Circuit to try our driving skills on without having to risk the lives of innocent people on the roads….speed is NOT for public roads. Its a CUC message.

* CUC’s new campaign slogan is “Your commitment, your safety” – a pretty straight forward message that urges drivers to be responsible of their own lives (not much to ask now, is it?)

Think Pink

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Tash in Pink

Normally when I think Pink, I think of my dear friend Susan Macaulay, founder of www.amazingwomenrock.com. While I’m known as a fanatic of splashes of red, Susan always has a dash of pink on her and she looks absolutely fabulous in it. She has done more for women empowerment and growth than anyone I know. I do digress however….the reason I’m thinking pink is because the calendar has now turned to October and Dubai is starting to see a good amount of Pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

My spa has all their staff wearing pink ribbon bows and  many organizations have become supporters in one way or another to help create awareness and raise funds for breast cancer research.  We may have come across people who have been affected or have heard stories about how it affects people.

With all the research and communications encouraging early screening, we will hopefully start to see a decrease in the amount of women this affects. Check out events that are going to be organised By venues like Burjuman, five star hotels in Dubai such as The Raffles, the pink book sales and walkathons this year.

My favourite event is the pink polo since I love attending my polo events…at least now it will be for a cause and this is on the 29th of October at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club. Enjoy pony rides, falcon shows, photo sessions with polo players, or just relax in the reserved picnic areas. Visit the “The Pink Majilis” and meet medical experts, learn self-examination techniques and undergo free screenings at the mobile mammography unit. Don’t forget to dress in pink and win prizes for the best pink outfit!

It also a great time to head to the retail outlet of Lingerie brand, K-Lynn at MOE. Every woman who takes the pledge at the store will receive a voucher for a breast care consultation at Dubai London Specialty Hospital, along with free mammograms and sonograms where required. Plus the Raffles Spa is another place to head to – get some great treatments while supporting a cause at the same time.

There are a lot more initiatives around Dubai this month – I’ve merely listed my choices based on my personal interests in the game of polo, spa sessions and lingerie. It’s amazing what can be done when people get behind a cause they feel passionate about. This is definitely one of them.

Take your time with Art – An evening with Miro Persolja

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Most people who know me well know I’m a sucker for good art and design – I’ve missed a number of sumptuous fine dining to walk around galleries at DIFC and Al Quoz and that is an ultimate sacrifice knowing that I am a connoisseur when it comes to good food.

Tonight I gave up a traditional Kim Chi and Korean meal hosted by the Korean Consular General at the Grand Hyatt to go to the Burj Al Arab to see the art of Italian artist, Miro Persolja whose name I heard about plenty in the art circles and in particular from Dipesh’s dynamic team. (I did pop in to say hello to the Korean team minus the dinner and with no regrets because Miro’s work was awesome)

As I walked down the stairs of the Al Falak ballroom at the Burj al Arab, I noticed a man in a suit with a long white flowing coat looking as regal as one can look regal. There was an air about him that he owned the place and without asking anyone, I knew that could only be the artist whose work along the corridors upstairs  left everyone in awe.

Miro describes his work as beyond form, beyond tale and is attracted by a symphony of light. The lights at the Burj tonight brought life to his work which I can only describe as an explosion of colors and its a borderline between painting and sculpture, mosaic and stained glass – each piece conveyed through vibrant light and colour.

I had an interesting chat with him tonight on his inspirations that come from nature. I am pretty sure I’ve convinced him to go to Fiji Islands for his next round of inspiration and his team have promised me a mind blowing Italian meal the next time I set foot on their soil.

Miro draws colours from breath taking colored sunsets to the serene colours of the alps. I loved so many of his art pieces tonight….the more subdued ones of course without the glitz. My favourite pieces include the Oro Tagliente (mixed media with crystal dust), I grandi bottoni which is with crystal dust and gold foil and Senza Ali with the horses. While his paintings cost mostly over 100,000 dirhams, it is worth every penny.

I have the most beautiful catalogue of his latest work if anyone wants to have a look…..it was a short evening as I left by 8.30pm but one that was well worth the visit. 

Oh Sydney!!!!!

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Amongst my top 3 cities to visit (after Paris and San Francisco) has to be Sydney. The Mediterranean climate, architecture, walks along the Sydney Harbour, the outdoor life and most of all the cool Pacific people just sometimes make me want to pack my bags and run there. This is aside from the fact that my daughters godmother is permanently based there and a quarter of my family members and friends from school are scattered all over the city – it is always a pleasure to catch up with them.

Sydney is where I aim to stop over everytime I go back home to Fiji. The city’s beauty provides immense indulgent pleasure just by being there and I reckon its because one can be unpretentious and just chill with whatever is most comfortable to each and its all cool. While I lived in KL, it was easy to get there via Singapore (They had the most comfortable flights at that time) although last month I went with Emirates and it was not too bad. (My daughter still raves about the Emirates A380 Business class cabin to whoever will stop and listen – she cant get over the fact that there is a place to lounge at the back while to me it looks like a glorified bar – I’d rather be horizontal on their nice seats watching ICE). But then she is ten times the diva that I am and appreciates the VIP Emirates hospitality and comfort based services a lot more than I do.

My daughter loves  Sydney as much as I do…the chocolates, the weather and the fact that even at the airport we can have a spa session together. We spent 2 hours in August at the airport spa waiting for our flight instead of the lounge. I recall a few years ago when we were cold and chilly walking down the streets near Sydney Harbour while she was giggling away because the temperature was different for her and she loved it. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as we took a cruise with the Sydney Opera House in view.

Australians love the sea….so if you are into watersports, you can consider yourself being in heaven with like minded individuals. The food is awesome and the city is vibrant in every way you can imagine. You just have to walk and get into the smaller streets off the beaten track to discover the true hidden gems.

Speaking of gems, no visit to Sydney is complete without buying Opals. Like diamonds and pearls, getting an exquisite pendant or opal earrings is awesome. My daughter has already told me she is inheriting all my opals….as long as she does not kill me early to get it, I guess I am cool with that.

If you are a shopaholic, markets in Sydney are awesome. Plus get to the area with the IMAX theatre (wish I could remember the name of the place)….it is superb for walks and people watching. If you have kids, get to Taronga Zoo and Sydney Aquarium and your kids would love you to bits. As for me…I shall stick to Bondi Beach, the Opera House and the boutiques 🙂

The Glitz & Glamour of Los Angeles

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The first time I went to Los Angeles was purely for my daughter’s sake heading straight to Disneyland on arrival – I’m not sure who enjoyed Disneyland more, the husband or the child. After that it was a lot more of a grown up holiday as I don’t particularly enjoy kids stuff and my last 2 trips to LA was on my own…must find my inner child for my daughter’s sake.

So what’s nice about Los Angeles…plenty actually. There’s endless fun stuff to do in every part of the city. Who doesn’t love Hollywood – one can walk on the footsteps of the legends and be inspired. Universal Studios and the Arts District are particularly great places to go. I cant remember much about Warner Brothers Studios or if we ever made it to the Palladium so will have to dig through my daughters photos to go down memory lane on that one.

Downtown is equally interesting with great cinemas, the music centre, museums etc. On one visit I was luckily to be there as the same time as AAM (American Association of Museums) conference so was able to do tours of all the museums in LA in the evenings as part of the event. Other than science centres, I did like the Torrance Cultural Arts Centre that has inspired me to one day have my very own Japanese Garden. I would love to see a performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Ahmanson Theatre or the LA Opera which I’m told shows Puccini’s Madame Butterfly.

I was never interested in the Madame Tussauds wax museum…prefer meeting real people although I did have a bit of fun in Vegas (check my pic with Whoopi Goldberg on twitter) when walking towards Venetia and I must say that coming across Johnny Depp on Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco was nice…even though he was all waxed up :).

For evening drives in LA suburbs, my favourite places include Brentwood (my friends who live there describe it as paradise), Robertson Boulevard, Malibu, Santa Monica and San Fernando. I found the people at San Pedro dodgy because a few kept touching my skin as though it was the most exotic soft thing they’ve come across. After the fifth time, I jumped in the car and left the Maritime Museum to avoid the creepiness.

It was interesting to see that Mexicans were treated like God….everyone loved their food, clothes and culture etc. The South Americans were treated like dirt and as low class citizens…they were the maids, waiters, prostitutes and street sweepers. I was hoping I would pass off as a Mexican and be treated like a goddess 🙂 . Although I do love the Brazilians too and would love to go to Peru one day….my only 2 bucket list spots in that part of the world are Rio de Janeiro & Peru.

I was told most North Americans find that the presence of poor South American nationalities lead to increase in crime and prostitution that makes most North Americans look down on people from places like Uruguay, Argentina and Bolivia. Naturally I made sure the LA peeps knew I was an exotic Fijian so got treated like a diva instead.

I missed visiting the LA library which I’m told as a Literary MA student I should have made a priority. Apparently the building has Egyptian style architecture and has amazing literature books. If you love the hustle bustle, don’t miss the California Plaza, the Venice Ocean Front Walk and Griffith park. I didn’t have time to do much retail therapy because of trying to take it all in, driving from one place to another but I’m sure shopping in LA is a lot of fun. My friend and ex colleague Siew keeps harping about The Grove, Glendale galleria, Beverly Center and Montana Avenue – she’s a HOT LA model so she knows a thing or two about fashion. Must compare this with the fashion scene in Paris.

If you  are into cuisine and like pasta (my sister still makes fun of me wanting pasta in LA), Matteo’s Restaurant is an LA institution. I still cant imagine why she ridicules me on this as the pasta there was WOW! Anything Mexican is fabulous and I love the seafood at Kendall’s (this was introduced to me by a make up artist to the Hollywood stars and I was not disappointed). One day I will listen to her advise and actually stop at the Farmers Market for tapas and other world cuisine. Hopefully I will find a travel companion whose appetite for fine cuisine matches mine. Speaking of tapas, I must at some stage write about Spain.

Whatever the case, I feel that driving from one attraction is the best way to see LA – you can really spend time at venues that appeal to you without the worry of having to catch a tour or worrying about transport when exploring the suburbs.

It never stops….learning that is

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A celebrity acquaintance asked me this evening at the OSN re-launch at the Atlantis where I get the energy to keep up with work, travel, dance, child, gym and still buy books to read (this was after she read my blog on the potential near death of the publishing world)….it was a tough question because somehow, when you go with the flow, you integrate activities like reading into your lifestyle with ease. There is no set formula I can share with women who are hip, trendy working mothers who want it all in life and want to make no apologies for their ‘me’ time. I guess, reading falls under ‘me time’ for many, including myself.

It all boils down to how much you love reading. For instance I keep my blackberry on all the time because I love my job and believe in the philosophy that if I can tackle something right away while enjoying the sunset on the beach after work, it certainly beats staring at the computer doing the same thing the next day….it only delays things. There are days I take my magazines to the beach near my office and read it in between swimming – I learnt this by seeing how some Emirati women come to the beach with the Quran, read it just before sunset and pray after that with the sound of the waves in the background….they always look so calm and serene when they do that so it has inspired me now to stop at the beach after work, read and swim before heading home.

When you love what you do….its easy to integrate that in your lifestyle. I dance on days I don’t feel like the treadmill and choose what takes my fancy at that moment….depending on if its salsa, bellydancing, zumba or hip hop, I then decide where I will work out and if I can do my groceries on the way. When I need extra time with my child, I choose a gym nearer to where she is to make it easy and it gives me extra time to read or watch TV because she goes to bed early. Its all about planning your life around things that you enjoy.

Reading, like travelling broadens your horizon, your thinking and your outlook of life. I travel for work but naturally prefer travelling for pleasure…my holiday travel stopped tremendously with my current job because I had taken on way too much than I could chew to my own detriment. But I’m slowly getting back to my normal self where I make time to get out and see places instead of slogging all the time.

A therapist friend told me a few months ago that no matter how much you work there is always somebody else’s business benefitting from it such as clients demanding and getting more and  more and the money doesn’t necessarily go back into the same business unless you work for yourself. I even had a amusing incident last year where I was harassed by a woman from a dodgy country for money for a job she didn’t do any work for. These are good lessons because you learn the hard way that making sacrifices on your reading or ‘me’ time because of working during your personal time does not help you grow – books teach you about the world and going to places you read about enhances the experience.

There is a Chinese proverb that says “Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back”.  Learning new things is not just for personal growth though – in the business that we are in, intellectual savvy is just as important to gain clients confidence as much as the know how of the technical and implementation work. I strongly believe that clients have more confidence in people who are well travelled and have a wider knowledge base because they have better insights and can give different perspectives to different situations.

The business world today with unpredictable economic shifts and changing media keeps us on our toes and makes us become adaptive and savvy to stay one step ahead of the game. So I guess, reading is no longer a luxury but a necessity. And to my friend from tonight….yes making time to read is tough but its got to be done.

San Diego Adventure

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I started September in the USA starting out from San Francisco to San Diego to Las Vegas to San Jose and finishing off again at San Francisco. Although I’ve been to California numerous times, this was my first venture into San Diego. Most resorts in San Diego are thankfully located on the world’s finest beaches (over seventy miles in fact stretching from Harbour Beach to the State Park in San Ysidro).

Personally, I had a wonderful experience and content at just being at the Paradise Point Resort sitting at breakfast looking at people getting off yachts, returning from deep sea fishing, kayaking and surfing, enjoying the sound of the waterfall next to my table and the sound of birds. The best part is that the resort is less than 5 minutes drive from the famous Sea World (check http://www.seaworld.com). I’m told that Knott’s Soak City and Belmont park are just as much fun as the Sea World.

I recall a few years ago we took my daughter and nephew to Disneyland in Los Angeles after a long drive from San Francisco….we contemplated going further to San Diego but there was way too much on the schedule to make it happen. I’m glad we didn’t because I feel to do justice to San Diego, you need a special trip focused only on this city to fully enjoy and appreciate all that it has to offer. My Californian sister said I should spend some time with my cousins in San Diego but I told her there was no way I was going to give up my adventure to get stuffed on home cooked Fijian food as I normally do. I had far more interesting company to make the journey exciting.

I am amazed at the number of academic centres and research institutions in San Diego….unbelievable. I hope my daughter decides to do her university there….what an amazing experience that would be with a world of opportunities at the doorstep for her to delve in…hopefully that will give me a chance to stay somewhere like Hillcrest (Hint!)

My most memorable time in San Diego has to be spending the day at Old Town, which is California’s birth place when in 1769, Father Junipeo Serra established 21 missions that became the cornerstone of California’s colonisation. On the nearby hill is the Heritage Park where Victorian looking houses have been authentically restored to its full splendour.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican fiesta De Reyes with more nachos and salsa I’ve ever had while looking at traditional dancers entertaining the crowd plus a photo session that transports me back to the old times in a saloon, with guns and a dress that will particularly rock the senses out of my Y-chomosome friends .(Hence it will remain under lock and key until its cropped enough to make it safe for public consumption).

Driving along the city port in San Diego is an experience in itself. Looking at the USS Midway Museum with its collection of restored aircrafts is overwhelming….an equally adventurous friend took me to his favourite waterside restaurant to try calamari which was fine but we adored the dish at Paradise Point and San Clemente Pier a lot more on the drive to places like Laguna Beach, Newport and Balbao Island etc. I have the most beautiful art image from Laguna Beach – love it.

The coastal drive on historic Highway 101 was an unforgettable experience – from San Diego to La Jolla to Laguna Beach to Newport and finally to Balboa Park that is home to more than 15 museums. La Jolla was as breathtaking as I imagined and at Balboa, it was fun driving the car onto the ferry, getting across to the other side and sitting by the beach, watching people (I was chilly so we left quickly).

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a Spa junkie….and most Spas in California (Paradise Point, Aria at Las Vegas etc) carry the Pure Fiji line products so I was in heaven. Still have warm memories of my bath with rose petals and bath oil by Pure Fiji and how smooth my skin was for 3 days after…..like a baby according to my therapist at The Spa at the Fairmont!

I never made it to the San Diego Zoo, the Children’s Museums, Ultrazone for laser tag, the Palomar Observatory and Legoland cos of Vegas calling but have left it as something I would do with my charismatic daughter one day. She would love the Discovery, Air & Space, Surf and maritime Museum as well as the science centre while I cant wait to see the Auto museum, being the car junkie that I am.

Till then I have to work on convincing Tash that San Diego is the perfect place for her to do her higher studies and the fact that we can drive to LA …wish me luck – this kid has probably picked out her choice of university, course and apartment already being the diva that she is!

The Onam experience

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Last week I went through memory lane as I saw signs of the Onam celebrations around me in Dubai Supermarkets, jewellery stores etc. Living in Fiji I never came across this festival and had no clue of its significance until I came to Malaysia to study. My parents, being anxious about me in a country where I didn’t know a single soul at the age of 19 arranged with family friends that I should spend some weekends at their sisters house in Subang Jaya.
The family, who I still love and adore happened to be Malayali or Keralite, a community known to be highly literate, cultural and very warm. I thought at first all Indians were the same, spoke the same language etc but instead was introduced to a whole new world of cuisine, dance, theatre and met specialists in English literature that would leave some of the Harvard Professors gaping in awe.
As a Fijian I am used to being hospitable and having an open house policy to guests but my family friends went way beyond that to the point of making my favourite dishes on weekends, taking me to visit the extended family on trips and dropping me off to University (30 minutes away) when I had early morning classes.
Going back to Onam which is a ten day festival…..one of the things I remember in the nine years I spent in Kuala Lumpur was that every September, we ate a dozen or so dishes off a banana leaf in various family gatherings also known as sadya. My favourite sadya dish was payasam of course which is a dessert cooked in milk.
The community organises dances, numerous theatrical productions during this period and famous singers are called on for performances etc. I can almost smell the string of jasmine flowers in my hair when we set off for a dinner performance or a sadya outstation. Women buy gold during this 10 day period and many wear the traditional cream sari with a gold border (known as the kasavu yarn) that looks so awesome on them. I’m told that historically kasavu sari’s appeared in ancient Jain and Buddhist literature and over the years the material may have changed to suit the fashion trends but the colour and look remains the same.
Onam is over but the memories of yesteryears and my time with the Venugopal family, their extended families and friends in Malaysia still linger. I learnt so much from them that I feel I gained knowledge of an entirely new community from their perspective. Another thing I have to thank my parents for – they certainly guided me into situations that helped me learn and understand what the world is all about outside my comfort circle.

Girls’ nights – Food for the Soul

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Some of the best times I’ve had in the recent times have been with my girl pals… I’ve always loved the concept of girls’ nights out and chick flick nights in and find it extremely therapeutic.

A friend once said girls nights’ out is the best way to get over a bad day or a broken heart. After being lied to and cheated on for over a year by a dude who she considered her best friend and soulmate, my friend found a lot of solace in working out and having fun girly nights out with women who made her laugh and see the positive side of her life.

My last girls night in was for iftar at my pad with my girl pals, Maissa, Edina, Wajma, Habiba and my daughter Natasha. It was great catching up with all of them and as I watched everyone chatting, I realised each one of us were unique and came from interesting backgrounds.

Maissa, a local Emirati with an amazing personality is my soul sister. I love her diverse interests in cooking, interesting serious movies + sitcoms, chick flicks and our mutual interest in art, museums and exhibitions. I absolutely love and adore her entire family and moments with her are always treasured.

I was introduced to Maissa by her mum (an amazing writer) with whom I share a passion for publishing and I hope one day in the near future we will venture on a writing project together. I love working wholeheartedly with friends with whom I can build something special that has a positive impact on people around us. It doesn’t feel like work when you do need to go the extra mile. I can just see myself lying on Afra’s sofa discussing a cookbook or the next cheeky alternative reading material for the mixed local audience.

Its interesting to see my daughter and Maissa discussing movies and stuff when they get together. I really believe my intelligent, beautiful and charismatic friends will have an amazing influence on Tash and am glad I only relate to and hang out with very unique intellectuals from equally unique backgrounds.

On the same night I also had my Bosnian Australian friend Edina visiting with Wajma, an Afghani Australian. They are both friends of Natasha’s guardian Amira who is a Lebanese Australian. Edina is an ace HR chick while Wajma’s family owns and runs a TV station and needless to say, they are both drop dead gorgeous. I would love for Tash to learn more about their work and enjoy their company as much as I do.

Visiting us the same night was Habiba, an Egyptian Italian who just moved back to Dubai from London so it was a delight to catch up with her over iftar and introduce her to my other inspirational friends in Dubai. I got to know Habiba through Leila, my French Algerian friend, ex-colleague and confidante who I love to bits and wish she was living here instead of Paris to share my girly nights with.

We sorely missed Rajah, my Fijian chum married to an Emirati, my Italian friend Michela and my gorgeous Belgian Moroccan neighbour Farah who is Dubai’s hottest fashion stylist. I so wanted to introduce Farah to all my regular friends because I think they would have gotten on so well together.

Having these treasured moments with friends are possibly the one thing that keeps me sane in between work and traffic. Whether it’s a Wagamama or movie session with Maissa or bumming on the couch with Rajah, there is nothing as therapeutic for a woman as a fun girly outing that’s full of laughter.

To all my gorgeous friends out there…I love you loads and hope to have more girly nights out…hopefully we shall have a bigger group for our next chick flick night. XXX

 

Turning pages no more

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My 10 year old diva is in the process of downloading iBook on her new generation chic looking ipad 2. As a geek who collects gadgets as often as sexy lingerie, I am feeling a tad bit left behind by the fact that my kid owns something that is far more advanced than what I have and has nailed the process of buying Apps with her ‘BLING’ credit card with more savvy than what I am comfortable with.

Talking about iBooks – I am delighted about the fact that with this application, perhaps I wouldn’t have to weed through the 1000s of books that we have between our small family in the libraries that exist in every room of our villa and pad. But there is a bit of sadness that comes with it as I love the smell of books….love the fact that the libraries in our home make us feel like its our place and comfort zone. With digital books, this is likely to change as I can imagine that my daughter who reads close to 7 – 8 books a fortnight will now download her reading material on her swanky ipad2.

I felt the same way a few years ago when emails became the norm. Instead of getting a romantic poem from hubby every month on a nice smelling paper (all of which I still keep), I started getting them via email instead. It was just as nice but the emailed ones are sitting somewhere in a diskette or usb right now while the ones I received in hard copy is still among my personal stuff in a treasure chest. I guess it meant a lot because as women, we love being being serenaded and worshiped by getting meaningful stuff that comes from the heart and hand written poems and cards mean a lot more than getting material stuff which most men get away with these days. Thank god my daughter still gives me cards with cute messages, girly stickers and coloured hearts for every occasion…there’s hope yet!

I do feel sorry for the publishing industry though….statistics show that more and more people are turning towards digital technology and book sales don’t have the same edge anymore as they did before. On the positive side, more trees will be saved. While this is a good thing, I don’t ever see myself parting with my giant collection of Shakespeare in one edition or my Dante (not even my collection of over 200 Archie comics unless someone offers me a collectors price of a few million)….i think even my daughter would hit the roof if she had to part with her library of Roald Dahl, Lord of the Rings or for that matter, her Harry Potter books.

I guess I should get my young diva to teach me the joys and possibilities of iBook plus other cool stuff she has bought that has left my credit card smoking while I was on my USA adventure. Perhaps its time to buy Apple shares and start designing a digitised smart home that responds to my every need at the touch of a button on an Apple gadget. That certainly would make me feel more positive about reading my next book on an ipad.