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  • Meeting Gagan – 65 West 55th Street: A novel

    At age 53, I like to read autobiography of famous people who in their search for success has been an inspiration to many including myself. I was not into non-fiction or love story.

    65 West 55th Street by: Gagan Suri
    65 West 55th Street
    by: Gagan Suri

    Until one day, I have a new patient named Gagan Suri, after few sessions of dental treatment, during those times that we were waiting for his x-ray results, he mentioned about a book “65 West 55th Street”in which he himself authored it. I was baffled, an international investment banker have written a book?

    I asked, Whats the story about? banking and finance?

    Oh! a story of two people, an Indian and Pakistani who in spite of their differences managed to be together.

    a LOVE story? (i wonder!)

    He chuckled with his boyish smile, I’ll send you the book, read and let me know what you think of it.

    Is it your story? ( I am now puzzled and interested) His reply was just a smile!

    Friday is my off day at work and every morning, my friends and I used to go walking along the sea side for an hour or two depending on how hot the weather is… but this Friday is different, I am in bed, reading the book and I can’t just put it down. My friends kept calling and I told them: Sorry guys, I am just starting and will not get up until i finish reading. What book is that anyway, that you find it more important than us? my best friend shouted on line. Ok, don’t be grumpy! I’ll pass it on to you when I’m done with it, bye!

    Message from the author:

    “Love goes beyond boundaries. To those who go against convention and dare to love someone of a different religion, culture or country, believe in yourself, and stay firm in your belief. All forces against you will gradually wither away, and what will remain is true love.”

    Indeed! A beautiful and absorbing story of love, faith and belief, simply written with compelling emotions that I found myself in love, laughing and crying , every moment I continued reading each chapter. The spontaneity of the characters, strength and weaknesses were clearly felt and I was moved by their love to each other, with every struggles, family interventions, medical conditions, religion differences, they stood together, using their weaknesses as a strength to move forward.

    Message from me:

    Congratulations Gagan! This book is beyond what “Karan and Zeina” had to endured, thank you for sharing, it is always easy to fall in love but to keep it forever is hard. The journey continues and I do hope love will always prevail.

    Gagan Suri, the author and Me
    Gagan Suri, the author
    and Me

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  • Weekly Photo Challenge:Nostalgic

    Our trip to Madain Saleh , Al Ula mud houses and Petra in Jordan, surely is nostalgic!

    madainsaleh-2a ula6 petra-52A petra-128

    Al khazneh (the Treasury)
    Al khazneh (the Treasury)
    the nabataean theater
    the Nabataean theater

     

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  • Weekly Photo Challenge: Companionable

    Oh! thanks goodness! I have plenty of photos of my sons, being away from them is hard let alone in this country but I will survive and will always be!

    my everdearest sons lovely smile
    my ever dearest sons
    lovely smile
    Edge and thea what a beautiful set of teeth and heartwarming smile
    Edge and thea
    what a beautiful set of teeth and heartwarming smile

    note: above photo was taken from Facebook wall of Edge Suarez (with permission) 🙂

     

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  • Weekly photo challenge: the world through your eyes

    ” A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away” – Eudora Welty 

    Since i started blogging and have a camera of my own, these are the places I have been to.. From Philippines to Saudi Arabia to Jordan, Atlanta,Boston,Seattle and to Switzerland.

  • Age 53 : From here to there, the chase never ends…

    photoWho would have thought at fifty and beyond I still have dreams to chase?

    Yes… I am a dreamer…a chaser of dreams… be of mine or my son’s dream.

    When my youngest son’s decided to pursue his passion in Culinary in Switzerland, some of my friends raised their eyebrow to the tune of why???

    Why in Switzerland? Why to spend a lot on just a Culinary course?

    First of all, it is not a “just culinary course” it is a Bachelor’s degree, If he wants to be a chef..let it be, but I will support him to be the best of chef. His education and training in the best facilities and institution will surely give him an edge and a good foundation to begin with. I will give him that opportunity and the rest will follow.

    Now, my eldest son wants to pursue his passion in photography, he already has a Bachelor’s degree in Multi Media (a hundred eyebrows raised) why??? he is officially enrolled in Santa Monica College in California, USA (another hundred eyebrows raised) why???

    It’s all about love

    I am not rich but I have profession that can support my son’s dream. I can buy my dream house and probably live like princess but I rather help build their future than build a big beautiful house. Education is the best lasting gift of love I can give to them.

    During our years (not too long ago 🙂 ) we were taught: in order to succeed and be respected in society,we should pursue a degree like Engineering, nursing, medicine. Doing something you enjoyed or passionate about were not encourage or even discussed unless you were passionate about having MD or DMD at the end of your name.

    A different approach

    Thank goodness! Society had changed, colleges and universities offering more choices. Culinary and photography is now in demand courses. Money perhaps is one of the biggest factors that affects in choosing a career. But money will not give all the happiness if you are not passionate about your job. I am blessed to have chosen a career I am passionate about and at the same time, earned good money enough to send them to college.

    Where to go from here

    I am a registered Nurse, worked for a year but Dentistry is my passion…my dream. If my parents were not supportive, I wont be practicing Cosmetic Dentistry today. It wasn’t an easy journey, I have made a lot of bumps along the way but I was determined to follow my own map to reach my destination. Yes! a road map of where I want to be. It is like getting the entire tourist brochures, mapping out what I want to see, Where I want to go, calculating my time and money so I can enjoy the journey reach my destination and enjoy the place.

    Don’t limit yourself, dream big

    One day, I saw both of my sons mapping out the places they been to ( a lot of pins); who would not dream to see the world? I, too dream that one day, I will have the chance to see it all. Would it be great to make your own “map”of life? See where you are, decide where to go and pin your course? Don’t limit yourself; consider all areas of your life: relationships, financial, professional, physical and spiritual health.

    ” If you can’t dream or envision it, you probably won’t be able to have it.”

    Try to envision your path, what kind of life are you heading at? What it feels like? What challenges? What do I want to experience? Dream a lot…dream big! The “what”would lead you to “why”and “how”will follow. Knowing the reasons why will lead you to better accomplish the “how”.

    Giving them the opportunity to study abroad is my dream and we shared the same dream, then why to limit it? Their father’s dream is to have a business of his own and he did it! He wanted them to have a business of their own too, yes! why not? But they should have that dream too! Owning that dream will let them accomplish something on their own. What about when I got old or got sick? Who would take care of the rest? Honestly, I don’t think of that scenario because when I dream, positivism comes within.

    ” It’s my road map..Want it,dream it,live it! “

    Never ending chase

    I remember the old days, when my youngest son was in the toddler stage and the eldest was only ten yrs old (their father was out of the country,looking for a greener pasture) the elder one could barely carry the groceries bag and the younger one was running around, chasing other babies of his age. I have to hold his hand and my other hand is holding the rest of the groceries bag while keeping an eye to the elder one too. The days that I have to chase them while making pasta for dinner or running away from taking a bath, oh! I miss those days too! And when they turned to adolescent, I got to follow-up where they are, what time they are coming home, who are with them etc. And now that they are grown up and we are all in different part of the world, I go to chase them too, travelling to Europe and USA while working in the Middle East. Huh! come to think of it, my dream of seeing the world comes true!

    So ladies, you can now put your eyebrows down, the chase is on… Dream big, take the challenge and hit it!

     

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  • Weekly Photo Challenge: Curves

    En route to Taif – a city in the mecca province of Saudi Arabia, at an elevation of 1,879 m (6,165 ft) on the slopes of Sarawat mountain. A family of baboons were at the end of the curves, people enjoyed feeding them as well.

    taif taif5 taif2 taif4 taif1

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  • Just look into my eyes…

    Is being alone synonymous to loneliness? Sometimes life is so hard when you are alone but sometimes life  is too good to be alone.sketcharabi1a

    Just look into my eyes..tell me what you see…

    emptiness…nothingness..

    silence of my tears echoed my loneliness

    but look again…feel my happiness

    contentment is all that I seek for…fulfillment is what I look for

    Just look into my eyes…

    fill it with dreams…unlock the truth

    fill my solitude…give me strength

    take me into your heart…

    your love is all what I needed the most

    beyond misery…beyond loneliness…

    just look into my eyes

    beyond reasons…beyond life.

    mi

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  • Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting (2)

    The fleeting moment of catching fish, Pike public market – April 2013

    one
    one
    two
    two
    three got it!
    three got it!

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  • Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting

    While visiting Pike Public Market in Seattle, I saw an old lady teaching her daughter how to paint, I can’t help but take a snap shot of them. A fleeting beautiful moments of togetherness.

    town-53a

    actual painting
    Art is long…Time is fleeting
    Life is fleeting…It is to be enjoyed
    20130608-164458.jpg
    the proud recipient of that fleeting moment

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  • Sleepless in Seattle has been retold otherwise

    seattle-42a

    “Destiny is something we’ve invented because we can’t stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental” from 1993 movie – Sleepless in Seattle.

    From Jeddah to London to Seattle is 17.5 hrs. flight. It is my first time in Seattle, as usual before I travel, I did some research about where are the best places to go, hence I’ll be coming to attend an annual conference of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) my time is a bit constraint. Really? ??

    Nope! For those who knew me, you can’t keep me from roaming around and taking photographs. So here’s my bucket list (before touch down) Of course, I expected that “Sam”will be there with a yellow tulips in his hand, with an open arms and wide smile on his lips, waiting patiently , Ohh “Annie” I miss you so much!,,, Dream on! 🙂

    Seattle has music history of each own so Jazz club is on my list, Symphony orchestra and Paramount theater, yes! I heard New Jersey boys are performing. What about a dinner in Revolving restaurant on top of the Space needle instead of Empire state building where “Sam and Annie ” met. I love “sunset”what about a dinner cruise with a little of dancing.Or just an afternoon stroll along Kubota Garden.Oh no! what about the Tulip festival? Let’s twist (for lack of a better word) the story of Sam and Annie.

    There was no Sam, no flower and definitely no cab waiting, She was alone, checking in at Sheraton Hotel, the afternoon was breezy, decided to stroll downtown and the first destination was Public Market, romantic isn’t it?

    seattle-12aPike Place fish market where fishmongers throw fish and visitors had fun! It would be more fun if Annie kissed the fish and  wallah!  prince charming “Sam” appeared with a bouquet of tulips in his hand. Well. Sam was nowhere near, but  there was music everywhere and there is even the fat pig looking at you, inviting to save some pennies for the sake of community market. Obviously,along the area was a lined up of seafood restaurant, forget the revolving restaurant in the bucket list…, this is real! Cracking the crabs with a wooden hammer, scooping the meat out and dipping it to a lemon sauce, hmmmm yummmy! And suddenly Sam hands, swell in red whoa!, allergy?? there goes Annie’s seafood cravings..:-)

    Moving on…Prince Sam has no intention of being romantic, they continued to stroll, explore the places and alas! decided to go on cruise on broad daylight, what’s in the list?? sunset cruise with dinner and dance,hahahaha you’re not lucky Annie. He is  not in his sweet mood!

    The cruise connects the salt water of Puget sound and the fresh water of Lake union. Would Annie brings freshness to the salty life of Sam?

    Let’s try one more time to be romantic.. yey! Hope in to Seattle monorail to an elevated glide to downtown Seattle,Chihuly garden and glass art  work… to a  spectacular 360 degree view of Puget sound from space needle, and finally lunch at the skycity revolving restaurant, having buttered fresh salmon on the plate and the famous Lunar orbiter dessert…hurray at last  one of Annie’s bucket list is on!

    Well, I guess Sam wakes up finally, took Annie to Music Experimental Project where live band plays to the tune of 80’s but Annie was just a fresh maiden who can dance the night away took Sam by surprise and poor guy, a few steps on the right and left, a little of back and sides steps, hands up and down and finally the night is over.

    And so the story is short leaving the reader to make a conclusion of their own just like how the movie ends in “Sleepless Seattle”.

    ” Choice not chance defines your destiny “

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