A game made for the Turks

"Tavla" as it's known in Turkish or Backgammon as we know it, is best played on the streets of Taksim in Istanbul, which is where I learnt it from my Turkish friends. A rather simple game but faster than Chess (Thank goodness!) it is best played smoking "Nargile" or Shisha and drinking a nice cup of Turkish tea.

A tip however if I may, Be cautious about allowing Turkish men to teach you the game. My male Turkish friends loved teaching me the game or rather persistently telling me what moves I should make until I was forced to yell at them to stop so I could stop being their Tavla puppet. Oh how I miss Istanbul. Chok chok guzel.

How to feel beautiful in 5 simple steps

Step 1: Stand in front of your mirror every once in a while and instead of noticing the things you don’t like about your body, don’t! Instead make an effort to appreciate the things you do like. Some examples include; the color of your skin, the shape of your eyes, your fingers etc.

Step 2: Start complimenting your girlfriends on their hairstyle or that new dress she’s wearing. Wouldn't you appreciate a friend saying how hot you looked in those jeans? Well then there’s no reason why we can’t share the love. Women need to stand up for themselves and each other, it’s not a competition.

Step 3: Surround yourself with people and messages that make you feel good. There’s no reason to allow your “friends” to talk down to you or believe beauty commercials. Hundreds of women in India use fairness creams to have lighter skin and a lot of others in Colombia get butt implants. Neither are necessary. If the men in your life only appreciate butts 3 times their size or skin like snow white, then it’s safe to assume you are not the problem.

Step 4: Do it for your number 1 fan. In case you were wondering who that fan was, it’s you! If you want to lose weight, get a nice ass or wear your crazy high heels, then do it for yourself. Don’t do it for anyone else. We all like to look good sometimes, so go for it and love your body.

Step 5: Every time you take a shower, make sure you sing Cristina Aguilera’s “I’m beautiful” as loud as you can, just in case the neighbors weren’t convinced already. For non Cristina fans, you may substitute the song for Bruno Mars “Just the way you are” or similar themed popular music.

The bridge that leads to nowhere

My second photo taken at the Corniche in Sharjah, I love the blurry blues and oranges, gives it such a warm feeling. There's something very symbolic about bridges too, don't you think? Maybe that's why it's used in so many expressions, Don't burn your bridges, We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, Water under the bridge. Know any others? I suppose my 2 cents would be, Bridge the gap between you and the people who love you for you, those are the ones you want to keep.

Smells that spice up the night

My first photo of the day with my brand spanking new Nikon D3000. This photograph was taken at the Bastakiya, which is the name for old style buildings of Dubai near the creek in Dubai. Though I don't know much about how to use them, spices really do add so much delicious flavour to most Asian cuisines.

Did you know that spicy food like curries releases endorphins that create a natural high?