People usually tell me my life is exciting but these last two days steal the cake for this month. Yesterday, 17 November 2010, was Eid ul Adha. One of the times I love most and I love going home, Durban and spending it with the family. This year was no different except that I had all of one day at home to celebrate it. Flew down early in the morning and flew back the next morning. Exciting times!

Eid was a little different this year. Headed out to Inchanga Islamic Centre as usual to cut my Qurbani [sheep] and ended up staying to help my uncle who was short staffed. He runs proceedings at the centre and helps facilitate the entire Qurbani process. Having stayed longer it was interesting to see my cousin who normally would never get involved stay and help as well. She is really a girly girl and even though six months my junior we are like toasted chalk and cheese. So different but so together, if you catch my drift.

Then it was loads of family time and that I love most in the world. I have this motto: “Family First” and so far I’ve always managed to stick with it. So much so that at times I miss out on some pretty exciting opportunities, but family is my life and that’s the way it should be. So happens that my extended family – aunts, uncles, cousins – are so close to me that not spending enough time with them, is sometimes actually bad for me and makes me moody. Go figure!

More excitement arrived today, 18 November 2010. I managed to get pick pocketed at OR Tambo International Airport on returning to miserable, coldish Johannesburg. Sigh. Running around like a frantic chicken with out a head is definitely a sight to see. I’ve been fortunate in the past that this has never happened to me and I am grateful that the incident this morning did not have anything to do with being held up or threatened or confronted in any way. Also I am grateful that the only thing they managed to take was my cellphone and not my wallet also lying in the same bag.

Today is Thankful Thursday and I am thankful, for family, friends and moments that even though bad have a silver lining in them.

My sisters amazing Eclairs - she caters for Durban

Nazar doing what he loves doing

Someone told me that the best way for me to heal is to write what someone means to me. I am a writer and a blogger but sometimes words are hard to put down. How do you say goodbye to a friend? How do you let go even though they’ve only been a part of your life a short few months?

Knowing that the friendship I had for such a short time impacted me greatly, so greatly that hearing of your death all I can do is cry. Writing this is as hard as saying bye knowing the rest of the team and I will never hear your laugh, your wisecrack comments. Knowing that I can’t IM you even though you a desk away. Knowing that I can’t turn to you in one of our insane moments looking for ‘sweeties’. These small things are what I will miss the most.

Knowing that I only knew a small part of your life and not the entire picture. Knowing that I will never have the chance to know the full picture. It hurts! It hurts so much not being able to say goodbye.

You joined the team so recently, as recent as mine, but your beautiful heart, kind smile and willingness to help all of us will never be forgotten.

On another note, your band mates will sorely miss your insane guitar skills and Warthane will never be the same after losing one as great as yourself. Your mates and your family will miss you the most, but knowing how you touched my life will never be forgotten. Dear Nazar, who will sit next to me at lunch and eat everything with tomato sauce. Small memories and small moments make me forever blessed in knowing you.

Love you always… RIP Nazar Berezovsky 8/10/10

It’s not easy losing someone as awesome as Nazar but is also not easy losing old campus mates like Nadeem. To lose two people in three days makes life unbearable. Nadeem, I know that the way you suffered at the end, losing you may be the best thing for you. It hurts knowing I lost touch with you recently but you will always be remembered. Moments on campus, moments at the flat will never be forgotten.

Love always – RIP Nadeem 10/10/10 [11/10/10] Innalillahi wa inna illayhi raaji’oon

To all those who lose people, I know how you feel. Sadly each of us need our own ways to cope and recover. This is mine. This also makes the people I lose forever a part of me.

Was feeling a bit lost since I hadn’t written a blog post in a while.
My down side is that I usually write when I feel passionately about something, and if that’s the case then sadly these days I’m not a very passionate person.

So I visited my old blog home. Went through some deadly old posts and realised that my virtual world has now evolved to a point where my friends who previously just commented on my posts are now what another friend call it: my “21st Century Friends”.

So got me wondering if I truly believe that these amazing, wonderful individuals are really friends or just acquaintances on my journey through life. Well some are most definitely that…mere acquaintances but the others are not.

I have come to meet some wonderful and weird and arb people in the last three years of my life through the Internet. These people I have also come to rely on and to cherish and treasure for who they are. We have gone past the obscene Internet connection communication and moved to deeper understanding face-to-face love and communication. Built over time these friendships will continue to grow and no doubt be friends who my children will refer to as aunts and uncles.

This is not saying that I am leaving my old school, campus and face-to-face non-internet friends. Definitely not!!! But I am saying that all my relationships are unique and significant in their own ways. And when people question me: can you really have true friends over the internet? I can turn around and tell them YES!!! And when I say it I believe every single word, emotion and meaning behind the word.

To all my friends … 21st century or not… you are my world!!!
I may never call, I may forget to even sms, but i think of you and I miss you and love you!!!