A poem for the air conditioner

AC, AC, you really suck. 

For you, my dear, I could not give a f***. 

You make me cold, 

You make me freeze,

You make me wear socks pulled up to my knees.

I long for the days of warm summer sun,

on my face, my legs, even my naked bum.

All I get is severe back pain,

from smashing you up I must refrain.

The irony of all of this (at the very least)

is that I'm freezing my ass off in the Middle East.

In humidity and heat of up to 50 degrees.

Instead of getting a tan, I only freeze.....

Me. Making people laugh. Well, trying to anyway....

Click on this link - http://www.dubomedy.blogspot.com/ - to check out a piece I wrote for Dubomedy - a performing arts community in Dubai - about my experience taking comedy classes and then doing my first stand up show. Once you've read it -  and if you're in the area - take a class! :D We could all do with a well oiled funny bone. x

How to save the world!

So you want to save the planet but you you're a little lazy right now. Okay, a lot lazy. That's okay, for today. Here are five lazy ways to help save the planet - and therefore a cute little polar bear, and a beautiful butterfly and maybe a tree in the Amazon. Really, everything is linked, so no matter how small your contribution, it is still a valid contribution. But, obviously, the less lazy we are the better it is for the planet. So kick lethargy in the butt - even if it's only tomorrow - and let's save the world!

Turn off the lights - I used to get so annoyed when people told me to turn off the lights; I really had no idea how it would make that much of a difference. But it does. Aside from saving energy, it also saves you money. So please, for the sake of Antarctica, turn off your lights when you're not using them.

Stand by - Probably the two most useless words of the twenty first century. Seriously, nothing needs to be on stand by. If your electronic device doesn't need to be on, turn it off. Completely. By the way, that whole thing about turning your devices on and off over and over again being bad for them is rubbish. So, please, for the sake of the Amazon, skip stand by. Turn it off!

Recycle - Recycling does require a little more effort, but really, when you get into the swing of things, it becomes a lot easier. Separate your glass, plastic and paper and then pop them into your area's nearest recycling bin. It takes a few minute, but it really doses make a massive difference to the planet you're living on. With cute little panda bears and baby tigers.

Catch the bus... - ...Or the train, or ride a bicycle. Public transport cuts out carbon emissions and, although it may not seem like it, really makes a massive difference. Plus, you can read your favourite book or catch a snooze!

for aman

once there was a little girl
who laughed herself to sleep
her mother made her bite her tongue
told her not to make a peep

but so happy was she
how warm her heart
she laughed until she burst

tiny speckles of heart
and shimmering giggling dust
falling down to earth

always fire

down at the river
the blood washes off
swirling
like ribbons
then breaking
like red glitter floating
shimmering
glinting in the sun
gliding down the river
in search of peace

the women come here
to wash the clothes
stained from war
wiping food from childrens' mouths
talking of the animals' nightmares
their husbands' habits
and their own fetid dreams

since the bombs stopped
the village is quiet
washed in blue sky
the dust has settled
on the red rooves of houses
baking in the sun

the children wonder
why the silver flying machines have gone
and if the men with guns
will return to share their dinners
and drink their water

they draw pictures
men shouting
screaming
running
and fire
always fire

down at the river

the blood washes off
swirling
like ribbons
then breaking
like red glitter floating
shimmering
glinting in the sun
gliding down the river

in search of peace

the women still come
to wash the clothes
stained from war
wiping food from childrens' mouths
talking of the animals' nightmares
their husbands' habits,
and their fetid dreams
because they have nowhere else to go

Ink

I love kid's stories. I love writing them, I love reading them, and I especially love looking at their drawings, illustrations and animation. Thought I'd share a few gorgeous (and random) images/illustrations/animation with you..... X

PS. Woke up on completely the wrong side of the bed today. These made me feel a little better. ;)

I often fantasise about having a big beautiful house, built on a massive and lush piece of land where I can grow wild flowers and vegetables and, on weekends, drink tea from an antique teapot and write until my head comes off. It's not impossible, but at the moment, it's still a fantasy. My ultimate "yay" moment would be if I bought this piece of land and gorgeous house with money I'd earned from story ideas and writing. That would be amazing.

I've been complaining to people about my surroundings and environment not being conducive to creativity; that some of the people in this city need to make more of an effort in the creativity department. The truth is, I am being silly. Creativity is in my head, and it doesn't matter if everyone in the city was raving on creativity, it would change nothing for me unless I started working on being creative myself. I'mt saying I'm not creative, because I am. And I am constantly working on projects. It's just that I need to stop trying to push everyone else to be creative until I am completely creatively fulfilled in my own. And I'm not yet.

Being creative, for me, means writing. As you probably know, I love writing! I have written several children's stories and concepts and continue to work on those. I love them so much! Writing children's stories and thinking up characters, settings and plots is the most fulfilling thing. It makes me feel alive and it gives me hope. And the most magical thing about this is that it's all in my head. I don't need to step outside to feel this wonderful thing. I've always said, if I was locked up in room, all I'd need to stay happy is a pen and paper. Okay, I'd probably have to have some water, food and a bathroom too, but you know what I mean.

I am lucky to have a job that fosters my writing. I write a variety of things, from coporate copy to magazine writing, releases and so on. And I'm grateful for that. I think, the more one writes, the better one gets. Even this blog is helping me improve my writing.

But one thing I do feel a little guilty about is not writing enough 'adult' stuff, and when I say that, I do not mean porn. I mean non-children books. I have several ideas which I have jotted down the initial points for, but I haven't made enough time to work on them. Aman, my husband, says that I am very busy; working a full time job and then doing my own writing in the evening, and that it must be hard to decide what to work on with so many ideas floating around. And he's right. But that's no excuse. I want to write all the time! I think it's time for me to start spending more time on my big people stories as well.

So, that's what I am going to try and do.

I'd love to learn how to cook delicious things (I am watching Julie and Julia as I write this - how inspiring!) and I'd love to learn how to paint, to sew, to knit, to draw.... But the truth is, for now, my creative skill is writing, and I really need to work on it until I'm living in a gorgeous house on a beautiful piece of land with my gorgeous husband, writing my head off with a delicious cup of tea poured from an antique teapot.

See you in the garden. :)