HELLO 2012!

2011 has come and gone so quickly. Many lessons learnt, many obstacles conquered and many experiences added to the list of experiences. I know it is technically, 3 weeks after the New Years, but as I sit in the library, hunching over Circulation and Breathing notes, I still feel that it is never too late to jot down my TOP 10+1 Most Memorable Moments of 2011.

10+1 : New Years at a Kenyan Club


I was going to put up a picture for every entry of this list. But thankfully, I do not have a picture of this experience. It wasn't pleasant but it was definitely memorable. The noise, the people, the dancefloor - mind you, I did go with chaperones twice my age. Looking back, I have no idea how I agreed to this. A few days later when I was asked where I was on NYE by my host dad Karanja, I mentioned the name of the club and he replied, "You were in that hooker club?". Only then did everything make sense. Just once, never again.

10 : Banana Pancakes at Lamu

Yes, Lamu is known for being the hot spot for Somalian pirates, weed and donkey poop, but I still think that it is like heaven on Earth. The skies light up with thousands of stars at night, the people are beyond friendly and accommodating, and travellers get to know one another so quickly that we surprise ourselves by how open we are to strangers. Did I mention our apartment with no walls? Yes, you heard correctly. It was awesome! The delicious banana pancakes are just the cherry on top of the 4-tiered while chocolate macadamia cake for me :)

9: Seventeen Magazine

How can I forget the day my childhood fantasy came true? In high school, we (girls) would buy every issue, reading from cover to cover as we caught up with the latest trends and styles of the season all while getting advice on guys. It was such a blessing to finally be able to write for the magazine! The photoshoot took the whole day and it was tiring, but I still got the adrenaline rush from it all. Alhamdulillah, everything went on smoothly and my two articles were published :)

8: Turkey Time at Manchester

Friends + a whole lot of turkey = fun times! We succeeded to make (from scratch) a whole Christmas Dinner complete with a hugeee turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, jam dessert and yorkshire pudding. The meal was ready at 10pm at night but that didn't stop us and our grumbling tummies from eating our well-earned feast.

7: Harry Potter!

Needless to say, after years of obsessing over the series, watching the last installment of Harry Potter was a roller coaster ride for me. Bidding farewell to a world I knew too well was a task that I long dreaded. But life goes on. Hogwarts will still be very close to my heart <3 Cheesy but true! A game of quidditch during my wedding perhaps? :)

6: Being Hired as an (actual paid) Writer

Fun times at the Office

When I started this blog, I thought that I will be the only one who would actually read it in the end. But it proved to be in handy as through practicing my writing here - I actually managed to land a job as a writer at an actual publishing company. I repeat the word (actual) because I still cannot believe I did it. The 5 months at the company taught me so much, and my short stay hopefully did some good. Seeing my first article being published blew my mind out of the water - so much so that I started thinking about the prospect of becoming a part-time doctor and part-time writer. Haha. Met so many inspiring people during interviews such as DS Tiara Jacquelina and ambassadors from numerous countries - while also bumping into JB and Selena Gomez at the VIP lounge at the airport. Got alot of freebies too - which goes to show that working in the media industry comes with a whole lot of perks! :)


5: Publishing DARE TO DREAM

The sting of Embahyah's passing still gets to me at times. And it is always at odd times in the day or in the week where I find myself crying because I miss him so. I pray that Allah is taking care of him. Thus, to numb the pain, the team and I delved into making this book happen so that his story wouldn't be lost with his passing. After months of editing and designing, I am so thankful that it is finally out in bookstores! All that time and effort pouring over the computer has definitely paid off :)

4: Kids Safe in School - Project Fearless

Another big thing to be thankful for. The kids are safe and happy in school - last year and this year too. I won't dwell on this point as I think too much has already been said so I will leave it to you to explore :)

3: Hell's Gate - Bicycle Trouble + Car Accident

Before everything went down hill

I cannot remember whether this was the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2012 but yeah, I was in my first car accident. I wasn't driving but it was traumatising nonetheless. The gang and I were up at Hell's Gate to take a bicycle ride around the safari planes to see giraffes, baboons, warthogs and antelopes up close. It would have been wonderful only if our bicycles didn't break every 2 seconds, if the hills were not so terrifyingly steep and if the jeep that we were in didn't fall into a ditch and angled itself at 45%. Joelle fell over her bike, Sarah was in the corner crying and laughing at the same time, Katie was scared that we will be hunted down by predators, the guys' brakes didn't work and I was worried that we wouldn't reach the entrance by nightfall. All of that emotions combined, we did finally reach the registration hut, and in efforts to 'rescue' the others who were far behind, I hopped into a jeep which picked up Sarah and Kat. After that, the driver reversed the car and it fell into a ditch. Thankfully it didn't overturn or I wouldn't be typing this right now. So the story ends with the three of us walking back through tall grass back to the entrance. The end. Memorable eh?

2: Seeing the Eiffel Tower

That thing was amazing! Elvina and I woke up bright and early to be the first ones there. It was soooo totally worth it. Eiffel was more breathtaking at night. In awe of what before I only saw in movies and in books, I did what any other tourist did. Took alot of pictures! :)

And the number one memorable moment of 2011 is..... (drum roll)......

1: Surprising the Family with an Early Arrival!

This is my number one because it was so totally EPIC! After about 5 months being away from home, I mischievously told the family that I was flying home from Kenya a week after the date I actually booked the ticket. So no hugs for me at the airport, because needless to say that I was on a mission. Creeping up really James Bond like in my taxi, the mission was accomplished - with me freaking out everyone in my family! My dad was the first victim, my grandma almost had a heart attack, my siblings were overjoyed and my mom was sleeping in bed. You can read more about it in my previous blogpost, but I can sum up this once-in-a-lifetime (because even after I do it again after this, they won't be surprised anymore) experience in two words: Mission accomplished :)


To sum up, I am really thankful for 2011. 2011 = love. Heres to many more years of memories! :)