My Return?

I tried starting this post a few times, but they were no good. There is a possibility I'm just going to delete this and start over, and for some reason I decided to share that with you.

I really do not know what to say. Should I apologize for leaving this blog with no notice? Should I just ignore that and continue like it never happened? Should I...? That's not the point. The point is that I truly don't know where to begin. Maybe talking about how I don't know where  to start is a pretty good starting point. 

Okay, past that. I am not very sure of where I left of a few years ago. I'm just going to do a quick little recap on my life from 3 years ago. 

So 2011, I moved to Dubai and I went to school there for two years. Last summer, I injured my knee and I had to go to India to get an ACL reconstruction. I then moved to Qatar in September and I had to go to my new school wearing a knee brace. I continued to wear this through December, when I was allowed to take it off. I couldn't really do sports, so for an entire term, I just sat on the benches during PE, and I didn't even go in Sports Day. I went to Steel Pans as ECA and I'm finding really fun. Now, I'm almost done with my first school year in Qatar, and it really has been a wonderful year. I have made a lot of great friends who welcomed me to the school with open arms. Also, as of yesterday, I am now 14. 

So there you have it. A basic summary of the last 3 (?) years of my life.  Along with it, an apology. An apology for leaving the blog I put so much effort and brainpower into. 

I guess this is it then. How do I end these? I should've probably looked back at old posts, but whatever. I'm all up for trying new things. 

Goodbye. For now. 

Things Mom Will Never Say.

I am sure all of you already have a list going on in your mind as soon as you read the title. This post had been lying in the draft for  a long time. The longer it stayed the list grew longer - so before the list becomes a never-ending list , here are a few things you will never hear a mom say, and that's a promise.

• If everybody else is doing it I guess it's okay.
• You know, when you get down to it, I am your cleaning lady!
• Forget about your homework. There'll be plenty of time to do it later.
• If you don't stop crying, I'm going to cave and give you anything you want.
• Keep the door open! We need to air-condition the neighborhood.
• Just because you live under my roof doesn't mean you have to listen to everything I say.
• You are right. You don't have enough clothes. Here's my credit card. you'd better go shopping right away.
• Just because you were too sick to go to school today doesn't mean you can't hang out with your friends now.
• If you can't say something nice about a person, text it.
• I'm not doing this for your own good. I'm doing it because I feel like it.
• To tell the truth, I can't really tell when you're lying to me.
• When you get there, you get there. No need to call.
• You know, I really do care who started it and yes, you have my permission to end it.
• Those starving children in Ethiopia? They wouldn't eat this either.
• Don't worry about getting up on time for family breakfast time,. You were awake too late last night.
• Let's wait and see if your socks pick themselves up first.
• Actually, I am made of money.

Having said that, I do understand (well most of the times) why the above never happens but, that shouldn't stop me from trying. Now, should it?

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Reading now: Hetty Feather

Hetty Feather is a really emotional sort of book that takes place in the Victorian period about a girl named Hetty Feather who is abandoned as a baby. She goes to a foster hospital and gets a foster family whom she loves a lot. When she turns 6, her happiness is threatened because she has to go back to the foster hospital. But she is even more shocked after finding out her family is not actually hers.

When she goes to the hospital, she suffers a lot as she hates it there. She makes friends in the hospital but, she makes enemies too. She tries to look for her mother. Can she find her mother? Well thats for you to find out.

This book is really interesting and almost made me cry at certain times. It's written by the very talented author Jacqueline Wilson.

All Jacqueline Wilson fans need to read this.

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Apologies...

I know I haven't written in a while - no excuses are good enough. However, I do owe an explanation -
so here goes.

Since my last post:

• School is giving us loads of homework. 
• My swimming is important to me and my coaches are tough.
• My music exams keep me glued to the guitar.
• Since I have managed to make some friends in the neighbourhood, I enjoy my time playing. cycling and generally goofing around with them.
• Lately, the weather has changed - and we have had family picnics and BBQ's.
• My baby brother has started making 3 word sentences, so I love to spend a lot of time with him and hear the funny pronunciation.
• Weekend mornings are on the beach.
• We have had friends and family visiting us.
• Sleepovers with friends take up one day of the weekend.
• Had a busy time during Halloween, Diwali.

The list could go on and on. However, I have made a conscious decision to write at least once a week.

Thank you for being there and reading and coming back often.

Annoying Advertisments and Stupid Chain Mails

Have you ever seen one of those ads that say 'shoot the duck' or 'how many balls are bouncing', maybe even ' You won a new iPad 3 ' ? I'm talking about ads that flash, blink an vibrate. Others expand, pop open a window and play a song or video. These ads seem to come alive with no warning or invitation. What about those e-mails that say stuff like 'Pass on to five people or you will be cursed with bad luck' or something like ' if you pass this on to 8 people $20,000,000 will land on your roof '?

Yea? Well, so have I. These drive me up the wall ! Everyday, people make new advertisments which are completely mindless ! The chain mails just keep popping in my mailbox...Sometimes chain-mails freak me out so much I end up passing it on.

I always thought about making a 'stop chain-mails' mail so that everyone realizes how annoying they are but that goes completely against the point!

I have been so conscious clicking ads and making sure I deleted all chain mails after I found out clicking ads might get a virus and that chain-mails are created by hackers that hack you computer/laptop/ phone/ iPad/ tablet...

I don't know about you , but I really hate these things.

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Learning Arabic

Being in an Arab country, I have to learn Arabic. Even though I have been trying to learn Arabic for 6 years, it's still extremely difficult for me to understand.

I'm guessing this happens to everyone who's trying to learning a language. The feeling of complete confusion and baffleism.

Well, today I did something I thought I would never be able to do. There was an Arabic Reading Test for the beginner students. I was one of them, even though people from my class can understand the language with only 2 years of learning. Honestly, I wasn't very confident on acing the test. But the next thing that happened was a stroke of Bad Luck.

"Would you like to b first, Sheneni? He was calling me. You see, Mr Ahmed (Arabic Teacher) has the habit of calling me Sheneni instead of Roshni.

I was a NERVOUS WRECK! But, as I was standing there, I got it. I knew which letter was which and how to say what! I felt as if the 4 years of arabic finally came to my senses. I passed the test with flying colors, but unfortunately, I need to complete 2 more levels until I can finally read Arabic.

So everyone out there learning a new language...I know how it feels!

Message to followers

Dear followers,

I am so, so , so sorry for not blogging in such a long time. I have been so caught up in homework, projects, swimming classes, guitar lessons....and not to forget; having a burning fever and a sprained foot.
I will now go back to my blogging like usual. Once again, sorry for blogging in after such a long time!

xx Roshni

Did you know..

Things you never knew about manure. Did you know that in the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before the invention of commercial fertilizers, so large shipments of manure were quite common.

It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, not only did it become heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by product is methane gas of course. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!

Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening.

After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the instruction ' Stow high in transit ' on them, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.

Thus evolved the term 'S.H.I.T', (Stow High In Transit) which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day !!!!!!!

Bad hair days

Don't you always hate bad hair days? The days your hair will do exactly what you don't want it to do?
Well...today was one of those days for me. So this is how my day went:
I woke up and went to my bathroom and when I saw myself I almost let out a scream. I looked like a mess!
My hair strangled all over the place, I looked like a ZOMBIE! I tried to comb my hair but my brush got stuck there. With struggle I got the brush off! But unfortunately, my hair looked even worse!

So there I was, in my bathroom, afraid to show my hair to anyone but my reflection and myself. I decided to have a shower with an overdose of conditioner. Well, it didn't look as bad, but due to the overdose of conditioner, my hair looked very oily!

So today will be spent with a hat over my head.

Tip to followers: Do not use an overdose of conditioner except when in an EXTREME emergency!

Gemini

People say she's an angel,

But she's got a bad side too,

They say she can do no bad, 

But we only wish that was true,

In the eyes of others,

She's as cute as can be,

But there is a limited view,

A normal eye can see,

Gemini's her name,

And when she's good she's a delight,

But when she's bad... 

She's a FRIGHT!!!!

Wake up shake up Vs Kris Fade

OK , so lets start at the very beginning...do you have Wake Up Shake Up in your school ??? For the less initiated WUSU ( Wake Up Shake Up) is a 10-15 min of easy contemporary routines on a pop song. The whole school  ( along with a teachers ) participates and this is supposed to wake you and shake you before for the day ahead ! It is meant to be fun but  honestly, I was never a fan of it.

And besides who needs WUSU when you have Kris Fade on Virgin Radio Dubai !  This guy is a ROCK STAR .. You have to listen to him just once and you are hooked ! Aired from 6 am to 10 am.. my day starts with my dad's hug and Kris Fade . He brings the smile on my face and even while I drag myself to brush my teeth, my mind is up and about.He's basically the only reason I love my drive to school because I can listen to K Fade. His humor , wit , pranks and uber-cool !

Music is my medicine and have no doubt about it. There are shows when you want to RJ to stop talking and play the music, but here it's the other way round. I love his Harmonica , his crazy calls ,  "What's in my mouth?" ( I actually guessed the answer right once but I didn't win anything). My dad loves " What's Rossi Reading " and my mom loves the Hollywood gossip , while my 21 month old brother just loves the music .

I think all schools who have these WUSU should stop this programme and get The Breakfast Show streamed into the school announcing systems. Then they would get the point of WUSU (since it would definitely wake us up) Now wouldn't that be cool?

For those who have missed out..don't fret you can stream it on your phones and comps and listen live. Just click on the image below.

Listen LIve

Go Kris go....whoop ! whoop !! Make it L-A-R-G-E.

Punctuation and You

Some time back during an English lesson I was momentarily bored and started doodling ... and what was I doodling .. . punctuation marks ! yeah right - punctuation marks . My thoughts started wondering what kind of people would these punctuation marks be .  So , let's have a look at some of them.

Full Stop / Period : Mr Full Stop is the yes / no guy. He answers mainly with a nod . When you are having a conversation with him, he stops right there . He is not shy , mind you. He just hates talking . He will only answer when a direct question is asked . He'll try to get away with eye or hand gestures and if you are persistent , they have a 3 / 4 word sentence answer . He thinks talking is a waste of time .

Comma : Ms Comma is the slow talker. Thinks ... thinks and says something. She evaluates before speaking , takes in a deep breath before speaking the next 20 words . She's not boring. She's quiet analytical and wise . Not easily impressed . Will dig deep within , before making a point .


Question Mark : Are you Mr Question ? Do you always answer with a question ? Do you have a question mark look on your face at all times ? Do you keep asking Why is she doing this ? What will happen if I drink this ? When will my troubles stop ? Basically. Why - me - look all the time. They always look troubled and pull you down so Mr. Question please stop, take a look and live life !


Exclamation Mark : Personally, one of my faves . She is always happy , excited , shouting and a person with a full-on attitude . She loves life . She will start singing at a drop of a hat and has this very positive attitude towards life . " Everything has a solution " is her motto . Where ever she goes there is life , fun and laughter . Long live !!!

Orange Chocolate Fudge

After a very eventful sleep-over with one my closest friends and a very late night, we just had to do something at least a little exciting staying indoors. With temperatures rising at 39-40 F outside, we were def. not allowed to go outdoors and since the pool is not covered we had to just do SOMETHING. So, we raided the kitchen and my mom's baking shelf.... we did have cooking chocolate / icing sugar so we googled and made this very easy no-cook recipe.

Here is the recipe:
110 gms chocolate
50 gms butter
4 tbs evaporated milk
400 gms icing sugar
Grated rind of one orange...( and while grating I scraped my finger up)

Melt the chocolate in a pan, over a pan of hot water. put in the butter. After the chocolate/butter is melted add the evaporated milk and icing sugar.(don't forget to use the sieve here). Add the grated rind . Spread in a flat tray and yeah, you need to butter up the plate before that). Cool it, cut it and VOILA! eat it !!!

Do let me know how it turned out. Ours was AMAZING !!!

Mind Mapped !!

First week of school just got over and we have already used mind maps for 2 subjects , English and Geography. When I was first introduced to Mind Maps by my dad some 4 years ago, I was somewhat clueless. All I remember of those days and mind maps is that it helped me remember my lessons faster ! But now, that I have started to really use this tool..I have not only taken quiet easily to it, I actually have loads of fun making my maps and filling them up with colors / drawing etc. 

So what is a mind map? It is basically a drawing of your ideas, thoughts connected to a central point. To know more about it Click here. The picture below explains it pretty clearly. 

I have been using mind maps mainly for my studies. We are meant to use it in school too. I remember last year I  had missed school and when I got back we were to have this Humanities assessment in a days time. Obviously , I panicked . My dad very calmly picked up a A4 size paper and told me to make a mind map of the lessons..and whoo-hoo I had the lessons down pat !! My mom uses mind maps to plan out holidays and last time I saw one of her mind maps was when we were moving. My dad has this mind map software too. The Tony Buzan's mind map software.  It's truly awesome. 

Made for a write up on global warming

This one is made about Marie Curie 

Kings of Middle ages

William Shakespeare

So, in case you have too many things running in your head try this.If it can work for me, sure it will work for you too ! And in case, you need one for your child..check Tony Buzan's book Mind Maps for kids.

Odd Discontinued Olympic Sports

 Every night before I sleep, I think of what the next blog topic is going to be and this is where I got my topic for today:


When I came back from school today, I found Zeus rolling his cheese stick on a table and I remember hearing something about a sport that started in England called Cheese Rolling. I wanted to find out more about it so I looked it up on the net and turns out Cheese Rolling is when people roll down a hill and the person who reaches the bottom first wins. So I thought about doing a post on odd sports and this is what I got for you.

Obstacle Swimming Race

 A highly unusual, yet undeniably fun race, swam over 200 meters. Competitors first had to swim to a pole, climb up and down the pole, then swim a bit, clamber over 2 boats, swim under two more boats, and then swim to the finish. This was held only once, during the 1900 Olympics, and was won by Frederick Lane of Australia.

Distance Diving

A silly event that almost certainly attracted equally silly people. This was contested only once, in 1904. Competitors would dive into the pool and remain motionless for 60 seconds or until their head bobbed out of the water, after which their distance was measured. The winner was American, William Dickey, who must be very proud. It is interesting to note that all entrants were Americans. No photos are available of this event so I have used a photo of ladies diving in to a pool.

Roque

An American variation on the French sport of croquet, this was played during the 1904 St. Louis Olympics. Understandably, as the sport was virtually unknown outside of the US, all of the competitors were American. The sport was dropped after this Games and is widely believed to have been included for the sole purpose of boosting the USA’s medal count.

Rope Climbing

A sport with the chance of returning, the rope climb was actually part of the gymnastics program, and was contested sporadically between 1896 and 1932. At the 1904 Games, the event was won sensationally by American George Eyser, who competed with one wooden leg. Eyser went onto win five more gymnastics medals, including two more golds.

Pistol Deuling

An aristocratic sport for men of bravery and honor, right? Well not when your opponent is a mannequin, as was during the 1906 ‘intercalated’ Games. Competitors took turns shooting at a mannequin dressed in fancy clothes from 20 and 30 meters. It returned to make a brief appearance at the 1912 games, before being banished forever (hopefully).

Synchronized Swimming

Synchronized swimming already has a somewhat risible reputation at the Games, and its hard to understand the motive for introducing it into the Games, especially when it was preceded by solo synchronized swimming, which was contested during the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Games. A single woman would get into the pool and try to synchronize with the music being played. Yes, it really is as bad as it sounds.

Pigeon Shooting

Contested during the 1900 Games, this was the only time when animals were killed for sport during a modern Olympics. Over 300 pigeons were killed during the Games, many of them from the gun of Belgian Leon de Lunden who took Gold with 21 kills. Understandably, the sport was dropped from the program after the 1900 Games and eventually replaced with clay pigeon shooting.

To Collect or Not to Collect...

Lots of people collect things as a hobby. The items people collect are probably more then the number of people collecting. I collect books, not only because I love to read but, because I love to re-read. If I pick up a souvenir it's for somebody else. My grandmom had these HUGE collection of first-day covers and so many albums of stamps. My family collects fridge magnets from around the world and masks from every country visited by them. ( Soon we will need a mask room !!! )

I have gone through phases whenever I have started to collect. My earliest memory was of collecting soft toys. A monkey used to be a constant companion till recently ! Then came Barbie dolls, teddy bears, stickers. I have this fat album of stickers. Whenever, my father would travel for work I would ask him for a book and some stickers. Then came stick-on tattoos. Again, my eyes would only look out for tattoos in any store we went too. Archie comics I still collect and love my growing collection.

The strangest thing I have ever collected till date are loose tiles from the swimming pool. My friends and me would dive deep in and look out for those loose tiles and come home with plastic bags half full all the time. Now I have a huge container full. Guess of of these days I'll get down to making a collage of tiles. These heavy tiles have traveled with me whenever we have moved countries too...much to my parent's dismay.

Silly bandz, Bucky balls, Polly Pockets, Book Markers...all have a place in my cupboard.

Do you collect things? Have you ever wondered why people collect things? Maybe it's a memory connected to that particular item or perhaps they love it so much..

Chocolate, Vanilla or Strawberry ?

It's an age-old question, Chocolate, Vanilla or Strawberry? Did you know your favorite ice-cream flavor can tell a lot about you...I'll just write about the most common flavors preferred:

Vanilla: There is nothing plain about Vanilla. In fact, if you love Vanilla, you are actually a colorful, dramatic risk taker who relies more on intuition than logic. Emotionally expressive and idealistic, you tend to set high goals for yourself, and push yourself to meet and exceed them. On the romantic front, you tend to rely on secure romantic relationships that fulfill your emotional needs while working toward future objectives. 

Romantic Compatibility: You are most compatible with those who prefer Rocky Road.

Strawberry: A love for strawberry reveals a thoughtful, logical person who carefully weighs each option before making decisions. More a follower than a leader, you are content and effective working behind the scenes and out of the limelight. In relationships, you are often characterized as shy and reserved. Although you don’t fall head-over-heels in love at first sight, once you commit to a relationship, you are loyal and supportive. 

Romantic Compatibility: You are most compatible with those who prefer Strawberry, Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate Chip and Vanilla. Rocky Road: If you opt for the rich, indulgent taste of Rocky Road, you tend to be a balanced mixture of charm and practicality. While you are outgoing and engaging in social situations, in the business world you tend to be more aggressive and goal-oriented. You enjoy being catered to, and appreciate the finer things in life. You are very sensitive to minor slights and respond best to encouragement rather than criticism.  Romantic Compatibility: You are most compatible with those who prefer Strawberry, Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate Chip and Vanilla. Mint Chocolate Chip: As a mint chocolate lover, you tend to be ambitious and confident...yet a little skeptical about your life.You are a realist who prepares for the future, needing a solid plan to feel secure. While your stubbornness is a business asset, it can add a challenging element to your relationships. Nonetheless, your loyalty, honesty and dependability create long lasting friendships and close family family ties.  Romantic Compatibility: You are most compatible with other Mint Chocolate Chip lovers. Double Chocolate Chunk:  If you love Double Chocolate Chuck, you tend to be lively, creative and dramatic. Always the life of the party. You charm everybody. You enjoy being in the spotlight and prefer to be in the company of friends rather than left alone to reflect on life. You prefer passion and excitement in your romantic relationships, and require a lot of attention from your mate.  Romantic Compatibility: You are most romantically compatible with those who prefer Butter Pecan or Chocolate Chip. And if you don't know what your flavor is check it out here:  Know Your Flavor.

Car Dance

Have you heard that song on the radio while driving that you HAD to dance and sing to? Well these are the car dance songs me and my mom share.  - One of the reasons why I love my mom dropping and picking me up from school.

I’ve been car dancing for as long as I can remember. Maybe I got a little more free with my moves when we got darker tints to the car window. I guess I thought I was semi-hidden until someone I knew saw me and never let me live it down. Eventually, I just didn’t care anymore. I busted my moves, cut my rug, and mashed those potatoes – in the car, even in the grocery aisles, on the sidewalks. If the mood struck, I was - DANCING. Did you know there is actually a global car dancing project ? However , I don't know what's it called.

1. I think I wanna marry you-Bruno Mars
2.Hey Soul Sister - Train
3. Someone like you - Adele
4. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
5. Rolling in the Deep - Adele
6.Give Me Everything - Pitbull

Watch this video... you are sure to enjoy and.......DANCE !

The New Toy

Wish I was a toddler again...I have wished this a million times , but this time I am SERIOUS like never before.  look at LeapPad , The latest from LeapFrog. Where were these tablets when I was much younger ? If you have a toddler this is a MUST.. with a built it camera and video, and games, e-books and learning of course. Your child will definitely stop playing with the i-phones and i-pads !

Shopping Spots

We all have shopping spots we love and shopping spots we hate. Somebody might love to spend the whole day in an antique store. Somebody else might be interested in a garden store. But what are the stores you hate going to? Stores that you absolutely HATE entering?

Well, these are the stores that make my B3 moments (bored beyond belief):

Ikea: I dread entering Ikea. There is something about that store that makes me never want to come back. Could it be the long walk? Or could it be the wait while my parents are looking at stuff? I don't know but I do know that I hope I won't be going there anytime soon. 

Carrefour/ Geant: I hate shopping for groceries. I feel a bit sorry for all the moms reading this here who have to go repeatedly to the supermarket for groceries. I used to love going to supermarkets when I was younger. Mainly because I could sit in the trolley and and enjoy the ride. But unfortunately, none of us can be 4-5 forever. What are 11 year old children (that don't fit into a trolley) supposed to do in a supermarket. Other than choose what cereal you want for your breakfast.

Now that I've told you, what shopping spots I DREAD, I'm going to tell you the shopping spots I LOVE.  

Justice:I absolutely love shopping at justice. Justice has clothes that I could live in.

Clare's: My dream is to buy the store and keep it for myself. A Clare's store would be in my dream closet.

I am a big fan of books so I can basically spend the whole day in the library. My two favorite book stores in Dubai are Borders and Kinokuniya. Borders has some of the best books in the world....but not much of a choice. Kinokuniya has loads and loads of books so I have difficulty in finding books that I want to buy ! 

So finally, my mom and me have decided that the next time she goes to Carrefour/ Geant...I'll be waiting for her at either of the 3 places of my choice !