Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Dreams and Desires?

I have recently been encountering situations whereby people, mostly family members discourage my dreams and desires.

I am proud to say that I am a big dreamer and I desire many things but what I am not is someone who only dreams. I work towards my dreams and desires and strive to make them a reality.  My main goal right now is to do international traveling. The only thing holding me back is money. I am not from a wealthy family where I can use and abuse family financials. So my next option is to successfully save any monies I receive until it add ups to the required amount.

I expected people to be happy that I have the courage to save 500 at a time, that I have the strength to save and not spend but every time I put my money away they laugh at me, saying that it's a long shot and I will never reach my goal. What they don't know is that so many peoples goals were achieved by starting this small, all they needed was courage and perseverance and that is what I have. I recently read Richard Branson's autobiography and it motivated me so much that I felt like I was able to do anything I wanted in life.

I believe that I will achieve what I want in life. No one can stop me. Not my parents. Not my family. If traveling is what I want to do then I shall do it. Allah created this world for us to see it so why waste that chance and stay in one place your entire life.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The unknown

Today I shall be meeting with a well established actuary. As I am broke and in need of a job to save up for future travel plans I have decided to use some of the contacts at my disposal. I was able to score a sit-down with a friend of an uncle (lol) who might have a possible job opportunity for me. But I feel a bit anxious, I am supposed to go and speak to him about myself, where I see myself, and also, about how serious I am with regards to my chosen career path.

But you see, I am currently studying B.Acc Sci in financial accounting which will lead me into a career of a Chartered Accountant but I am not so sure that's what I want to do anymore. Now I know there are lots of other job opportunities  that can be exploited with this degree but I still don't know exactly what I want to do in the end. Basically I cant decide now, as it's too early for that and I have no first hand experience in any of the related fields, so how do I speak to someone about my life if it's like a bizarre unknown factor even to me?!

I feel so unsure. Like I have nothing figured out and I am just going by every day with no specific reason. It is like I am afraid that I will not be a success after all this studying is over. I hate feeling clueless, I need to be in control of my life and my career.

I will never know the unknown.
Until the day comes for me to face it.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Resentment

This past weekend has been miserable for me. All I did was fake smile and fight back tears. At times people could see my anger, they could see my pain. I denied it all and put up that fake wall.

My younger sister has brought home a friend, a boy. This is the first time she has done this and everyone is a little surprised because she has always been somewhat of a tomboy. I met him first. His nice and decent and there's not much wrong with him. The day I met him, so did my parents. And to my surprise both my parents were chilled about it. At first I thought, well they wont reprimand her in front of him so they"ll do it when he's gone. But no, they leave her alone with the boy at home, obviously I was home too, and they decide to go and tell the entire family about this 'lovely boy' who came to visit for more than 5 hours. Like what friend visits so long?! Must be more than friends right?!

What bugs me the most is not the fact that she has a 'friend' before me, but the act that my mom and dad is SO chilled about it! especially my mom! when I think about it, I just want to cry! My sister is only in grade 11. When I was exactly her age and had a friend my mom literally made me promise to end it! I had to stop something that made me happy, something I looked forward to, something that I loved, all because she did not like that something and because she said I was young and she made as if I was naive and not mature to handle it. I was not going to marry the guy, I was hanging out with someone that made me happy and whose company I enjoyed a lot. I am still the person I was a few years ago, so I cant say much has changed, I have always made good and well-thought-out decisions and I have never disappointed my parents or been a disgrace to them.

Now my mom wants me to have a boyfriend. Now when there is no one I am interested and and who is interested in me. Now when I have given up hope on all things male. And my family looks at me with sad faces, like "oh shame, you're so alone and have no one special while your sis is having a good time."

What I would ask my mom is, why do you accept hers so easily? Is she not too young? Is she not immature? doesn't she have to wait until after Matric? And then when Matric is done, doesn't she have to wait until she has finished studying? You did this to me. You made me give up hope. You made me feel rejection over and over. You made me lose confidence. It is because of you that I am afraid, that I push people away, that I am a loner, that I cant express myself and I cry at night just to let out my frustrations without anyone seeing!

But I will let go.  

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Going down memory lane of Mr Straight Peaked

Recently my mind has been on full blown day-dream mode. And this while I'm in the midst of my final exam! Every passerby with a straight-peak cap on, makes me think of him.

The first time I laid eyes on him was in grade 2 at my primary school. Abdullah and him were new to our school and were introduced to our class. That year we were all in Mrs. Tape's class. My cousin soon became friends' with him and that's how we got to know each other. In the next few years, the three of us would walk home together because he lived in the same road which my aunt lived. They were like my two brothers that I never had. I enjoyed their company a lot. Like when I was with them, nothing mattered and I felt safe with them. In grade 5 my family moved from Mitchell's Plain to Surrey Estate. Surrey Estate being the area in which Imraan lived, and the area my school was situated in and more so, my close friend, Asheeqah. Yet when I moved in, Imraan was the first to come to the house, raw and all! I will never forget that day, him and Yusriy (my cousin) came, and the three of us walked down to Asheeqah, fetched her to come and study at my oh so raw house which we ended up not doing anyway! There were quite a few afternoons spent at my house. Some weekend afternoons maybe too. I think I was like one of the boys because I did most of the things they would do and I even played Play Station with them. The time Play Station 1 was still the bomb! LOL

I guess it was after grade 6 when everything changed. In December 2002 I went on Pilgrimage and when I came back everything seemed different to me. I came back and school had already started. Everyone stared as though it was the first time they saw me. I felt out of place. And when I finally got comfortable again, I realized that a lot of my surroundings has changed, in merely 3 months that I was gone. We were (with the exclusion of myself) in that stage were things like the opposite sex, and looks, and clothes mattered. It mattered, but it didn't matter to me. That is just how I've always been! My cousin was into girls, Imraan was into girls and there I was, lonely girl, shoved away like a piece of under-cooked meat. Even though I had girl friends to hang out with, I felt down because the two boys that I loved hanging out with, were occupied with other things.

It was this time in my life, that I realized that I actually had a crush on Imraan. I know it seems weird because  I regarded him as my brother, but that was how I felt. We were still friends, but not as it used to be. And I could not tell him how I felt, mainly because I was extremely shy and I could never express my  feelings, but also because I did not know what to expect. Rejection was going to be so embarrassing! So I decided not to say anything and ended up hating on every girlfriend he dated.

When high school started, we went separate ways. I went to Rylands High and he Bishops Dicosean. Contact was lost for almost 6 years with the occasional bump-in at a mall or Surrey Primary School carnival. It wasn't until 2011 when we properly reconnected. Things were going good with me. I had finally overcome my big crush over him. I found myself chatting to him as though he were just another close friend of mine. As though I never ever had a crush on him before.

BUT I thought too quickly! This year, or more like 3 months ago, I started developing feeling for him AGAIN! :( .. I did not want this to happen at all! We were getting along so well and these feelings will just come and mess things up! I tried so hard to shake it away but I cant. I find myself thinking of him every day now and when I'm chatting to him it makes me smile. Like I'm happy! and honestly I haven't been this happy since the beginning of 2011!! Which is SO long! And I don't know what to do, because my mind is saying "leave this alone" and my heart is saying "give it a go".

...its so complicated...    

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Do I move on and forget, or continue and hope?

I recently had a few encounters with an old friend. Lets just say that long ago, I had THE biggest crush on him. That even my best friend tells me that she cant believe that my feelings for him could fade. Now, a few weeks ago, I knew deep down that this was a dangerous thing, I knew that I would easily fall for his charms again, and I did! At the beginning I told myself that I cannot fall for him, whatsoever! Yet, now I cant stop thinking about him. The smallest thing reminds me of him, and I don't want this, or that's what I'm forcing myself to believe.

The thing is that I know that if I continue with this, I will just be more hurt in the end. More damage to my already damaged heart. By now you'd think that my heart will be able to handle situations like these, after being rejected by my true love, but it can't. All it does is just make me despondent towards opening up to the next guy that comes along. And its bad, because now I am left scared and I push guys away.

I am so confused. I don't know what to do?? If only there was a manual for situations like these! It would make life so much easier. My mind is saying don't and my heart is saying go. And I'm stuck between the two arguing with very valid points :(

love sucks!
xx

Saturday, September 8, 2012

life's omission's

Lately I have been very down inside. I have trained myself so well to always keep smiling that nowadays not even my own family members know when I'm feeling down. I could say this feeling has been coming on for weeks but I would be lying, it's coming on for months. Every time I will force myself to feel happy and move on, but its taken its toll, and needs to get off my chest and written down. I cannot find the proper words, let alone form a sentence, to correctly describe how I feel. If I think about having to say it aloud, makes me feel crazy. So here it goes: I need someone in my life.

I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I feel like now is the time to have someone in my life. I went through high school and half of varsity without anyone serious and usually ending it because my family was never ready and I was too afraid to let them know because I was afraid to disappoint them, that I feel like now is the right time to start getting what I want.

I look around me, and all I see is happy people. On the outside I am smiling and laughing with them, but on he inside my mind and soul looks in from a distance. Take for example tonight, we had a family evening and everyone is on their own buzz, the kids are playing games; the big people chatting about the rugby game we watched; some cousins sitting and talking, and there I was: looking in and watching them. My mind was in another place.

It's not that I want something serious. I just want someone there that I can have alone time with, that I can break away with, that can be there for me. I know some people, especially my family, would argue that they are there for me and that's why I have best friends and so on and so on. But sometimes I just need more than that. I want someone that I can get to know, I want someone that I can go out with, away from the usual faces that I am always seeing. Sometimes we just need more.

I do hope that when I wake up tomorrow morning, I will feel much better. And if I don't then I will have to make another plan to get myself back on track once again!


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Paris 2014??

Last night my friend, Alia, and I made a pact to save up enough money so that we can head to Paris!! We would prefer going next year, however, these trips are costly and 2013 is SO close! Thus I think we should either do it end of 2013 or in 2014 :)...#Excitedness

Suddenly my day seems brighter, because I have something to look forward to! Ahh! I am so hungry for this adventure, that I think I need to find me a proper job so that my saving could go faster! But more so, planning a trip like this with my friends is going to be awesome!! We could explore a foreign city on our own! no parental supervision as I will be long over 21 by that time :)

Crazy me, decided to do some research on flights, accommodation and tours! Flights from Cape Town is from R8500, and I also discovered that booking a tour will be much cheaper as tours includes accommodation and other little things, and tour prices starts at R4000.

I really want to do this! Somehow I need to start living my life and what better way to start with Paris!!!

xoxo


Saturday, August 11, 2012

Travel?? oh yes!!!

Yesterday, while having dinner with a few of my cousins, an interesting topic came up while deep in conversation. Careers. Reason for this topic arising is that I was, as always, sitting and doing some studying while in the company of my family. Talk about multi-tasking!!

We joked around about what each of our first dream job used to be, where we were in life now, and what each one would become in the future. It was my sister, who blurted out that I in fact wanted to be and Air- Hostess!

Now I did not want to become an air-hostess because I loved the adrenaline of driving on an aeroplane, or the awesome cute little suits with matching neck scarves the ladies wore. No, these people get to see so many amazing places, cities and towns. And my ultimate dream was (and still is) to Travel :)

When I was about 5 or 6 years old my parents bought me a set of books, it included books about animals, plants, the body, sciences, technology, 'mathemagic', nursery rhymes, classic fairytale stories, arts and craft, the History of South Africa, the world, the universe, the dictionary, and my most favourite: The World Atlas Book. I loved this book. I would play games with the book, pretending to be an agent advertising and selling tickets of various cities around the world to tourists. I would learn so much about each of the continents and various cities within the continents, because this wasn't your ordinary little atlas, it was a Picture Atlas and included vast amounts of information on major cities around the globe. This was how my passion for travelling, and hunger for discovering the little wonders of the world came alive. I wanted to see these cities with the naked eye. I wanted to see the architecture, the ancient buildings, experience the interesting and amazing cultures this world has to offer.

Until today, this still is a Top Goal of mine. Funny thing is that I also still have that set of books :) keeping my dream alive. Although I do not play with my atlas any longer, but each time I walk past it and take glance at it, is a reminder of my childhood memories and my future goal that will definitely be achieved. Insha-Allah.


Aspiring Traveler
xoxo Sweetcheeks

p.s Below I have compiled, in no particular order, my Top10 cities  as well as the Top6 wonders  I would like to visit one day, or even settling down in one of them :)

Cities                                                                      
1. Dubai and Abu Dhabi
2. Makkah and Madinah
3. Paris, Rome and Greece
4. Los Angeles
5. Bora Bora
6. New York
7. London
8. San Francisco
9. Barcelona
10. Sydeny

My Wonders still to be experienced
1. Madame Tussauds- Las Vegas
2.  The Grand Canyon- Arizona, United States
3. Taj Mahal- India
4. The Pyramids- Egypt
5. The Great Wall of China
6. Machu Picchu- Peru

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Loss of Passion

Recently my Bestfriend and I were speaking about my Dubai situation, one of our almost a dozen topics of conversation in one afternoon. And for me the one thing that really stood out the most, after she left, was that I actually admitted to her that I lost my passion until the Dubai thing.

In one of my previous posts you would have noticed that I have had a huge knock in my life. I stopped studying for just over six months for academic purposes which is basically that I failed big time. This made me lose so much confidence in terms of my future and where I was headed towards next. I was free to do anything yet I decided to stay home, where all I did was sleep, eat, and watch television. I could have gone to work but I didn't. I had so many work opportunities yet I just passed on most of it or my brain would automatically just block it out. 

I was so stressed yet mellow about everything at the same time that the two emotions clashed and in the end nothing seemed as important to me as it would before. And when I opened my eyes, six precious months has passed and I had nothing to show for it, besides the fact that I applied at UNISA to continue my studies at a pace that I am comfortable with.

Then my Dubai ideas came along :) ... now day in and day out all I think about is Dubai. How my life would be there. All the things I would do. The different culture environments I would experience. The things I would  be able to learn over there. About what an awesome opportunity it would be. 

I haven't been this excited about anything in a very very very long time. I haven't been this sure about anything before. I haven't been this crazy to want to move away from family and friends so obviously I am serious about it. 

I feel like the passion I lost, is slowly being found again. 

Sunday, June 3, 2012

How about Dubai??!

So this crazy idea popped up in my head one afternoon reading, a book titled Postcards by Rayda Jacobs, : I want to go to DUBAI!

Cray Cray because I will be leaving my friends, family and life behind to start a new temporary life on an entirely different continent.When I told some family members about it, they looked at me as if I was going mad. The most popular responses were : "You? Dubai?", "You're gonna come running home in less than two weeks!", "Your father will never let you go", "How will you be able to cope over there?" and best of all "What about your studies??".

One thing for sure is that I do not make hasty decisions. I lie in bed for a couple of nights thinking things through. I browse the internet for any information that can help in my decision making and I scout for certain responses by certain people in my life before I decide that it's time to let people know what is really going on in this head of mine.

I just feel that I need a getaway for a while. So if I make it a working/studying/travelling experience then I will be having my bread buttered on both sides :) I always wanted to travel and it feels like if I don't get a start at it, then it will never happen. I am almost 21 years of age and I can clean and cook, I am responsible to look after myself. And it's not as if I will be gone for the rest of my life, I just need like a year and I will be back.

I feel like here is not much for me back home, I feel like going away will change my life, change how I see things in life, make me more confident and independent. Because here I am constantly under the wings of my parents and the four walls surrounding me that I feel like a cannot grow as a person.

I guess most of all is that I want the chance to show everybody that think I am still ten years of age, that think that I am still young, vulnerable and soft that I can be independent, I can be strong, I can be away from them only missing them a little, I can make positive changes in my life and that anything is possible if you just believe.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Something New

I have recently had a change of heart concerning my choice of career path.

Since like forever! did I want to become a Chartered Accountant CA (SA), well I think it was in grade 9 when I finally realized that it's what I want to do for the rest of my life. I like being in control of my life, so I like basically had this whole life-plan planned out; from the age that I was going to get married; to possible honeymoon spots; to the amount of kids I will have; to the firm I was going to work. Yes! As any normal girl would have their life planned, mine was just detailed!

Until recently, I am suppose to be going into my 3rd year of studying and I hit rock bottom. 2nd year wasn't all that rosy. I started struggling, yet giving it my all. So basically I did badly. I became somewhat a hater of accounting and I just was (and still is) demotivated from continuing to pursue this particular career path. Some might say that I feel this way just because I did badly but it has been coming on a long way now.

After everything settled in I had a lot of time to think. I began researching different options I had in case I needed to change. And believe me, I do not have that many, as my interests only went as far as accounting! So the next option for me would be Teaching (Education).

Teaching would never have been my first choice, as my mom is a high school teacher and automatically she would want me to teach at high schools too. The thing is, I am not up for that. I know what hell the senior scholars put high school teachers through, as I noticed this daily. So my choice would be to teach the intermediate and senior phases which is grades 4-9. Its not that tough of a job, I can switch from high school to primary school and so on.

I can see myself as a teacher one day. A lot might not know it, but teachers have great perks. They get to leave work earlier than most workforce's, they have weekends off, and school holidays they get to spend it with their children! Since I am so used to having my mother home with me during school holidays, I would never, one day, want to deprive my kids from that feeling!

I will also not be lost with my Teaching Diploma. I know of quite a few people who teach, and later goes to teach in places like Dubai or London! Places where English is spoken but a bit weirdly! So like because South African are so fluent in English and with our word pronunciation, those people practically grabs the opportunities to get us to work for them! And at the same time I will be getting my 'traveling experience's' goal sorted! :)

I just feel so optimistic about this career path! Like I have something to live for again. Something that can make me happy. All in all, this situation I got caught in really made me realize that I should stop wanting to be in control of everything, I must take it as it come and in time I will achieve success in every part of my life!

xX Sweetcheeks

Monday, January 23, 2012

Just a VERY close friend..

So lately everyone has been bugging me about the fact that I don't have a boyfriend. I mean come on! I enjoy being single! If they not tormenting me about not having one, then I find myself in a conversation where I am told that I should in fact be dating one of my closest guy friends (Who's name I shall not mention, lol).

Firstly, If I was in any way interested in him I would have certainly made my move in the seven years that I've known him. Doesn't mean we are great friends we should automatically fall into the "romantic novel category"! He is THE closest guy friend I have, and no his certainly not gay!, we share our deepest darkest secrets, our most embarrassing moments, and we are each others "go-to" person for advice on every aspect of our lives. Doesn't mean my parents were best friends who fell in-love, that automatically the two of us will follow the same route.

It's not that there is anything wrong with him, I feel that there is no sparks as most people say. Like my stomach doesn't get instant butterflies when I know his on his way to me, or I don't see the "fireworks" when I speak to him. We have the most craziest times and inside jokes together but that's where it will remain, on the Friendly Road.

I guess what I am trying to say is that doesn't mean you're best friends, you should automatically become best lovers, people are different in many ways, you don't want to ruin something awesome with complications and titles. Right now our title is JUST FRIENDS and we're both happy. I will find my guy, it's just not now...

xoxo Sweetcheeks