Fall, Leaves, Fall*

Shorter days, crisp mornings, dewy grass and golden leaves. It's official - we're well into my favourite three, or even six months of the year. Yes, you do get the same post at around the same time each year. Look, here's last year's. Oh, and another. Navratri, Halloween, Diwali, Fireworks Night, DECEMBER, birthdays, a new year, SALES(!), all that Valentine's Day paraphernalia and then, of course, a chocolate filled Easter! 
I'm very excited about getting my Indian suits and sarees out - they mostly sit around gathering dust bar the odd appearance for a wedding or the temple. So you'll have to forgive me if I get carried away blogging and 'instagramming' my outfits and bangles and shoes and scarves and jewellery... ah, I'm starting to feel like Cinderella already! 
SL x
*From Emily Bronte's Fall, Leaves, Fall.

Change of Heart

Jodi Picoult has long been a favourite. And whilst I wish I had a more plausible explanation as to how I've been whiling away an abundance of time during this long summer recess... I'm at a loss, really, as to how laying in bed or on the couch or in the park or anywhere else for that matter, reading novels, can be glorified. Yup, even flowery language fails me here as it's been nothing but indulgence. Here's what it is - bar my weekly dose of Devious Maids (I admit to being one of those clicking, re-clicking, reloading and refreshing freaks, awake in the early hours of Monday morning awaiting the finale to materialise online) and the odd soap here and there... well, I guess I've felt a certain void in my relentless show-watching-marathons. Yes, you remember. Now, as tempted as I was to embark upon the Breaking Bad Bandwagon (how did I miss this?!) I figured I should give it a break and... well, you've probably gleaned, read instead.

Change of Heart, the latest of my Picoult conquests, makes for truly compelling reading - I couldn't tear myself away, even on holiday (hang on, I'm getting there!) - any free moment on the bus, train or plane and I was straight onto it. Now, I'm not saying you should read it... but you know... I'm just informing you that it's a good piece of writing, y'know? And I wouldn't want you to miss out. Oh no. That'd be awful...y'know? Say no more. 

I've just come back from Rome and, incidentally, with a change of heart too. More tomorrow. 

SL x

Well...

...in case you didn't catch it, a BIG hello to all you lovely people! How have you you all been and what what can I say other than how time just seems to fly on by?! First half of the year's all but done, dusted, brushed under the carpet and... I pretty much left y'all hanging for most of it didn't I? 
Fear not, for I am back for bigger and better things - and this time for keeps - it is summer after all and whether it's a BBQ on the beach or a picnic in the park, a holiday from heaven or a garden party to gloat about, whether it's sandcastles or sunglasses, ice-creams or iced coffees, there's something we all love about the sunshine finally being around! 
So here's hoping you've started your summers off with a bang - 'til t'morrow, xoxo
SL xx

...And the New Job

So what exactly is it that I 'pretend' to do in the City day in day out, I hear you ask. Well, you already know I job-hop like there's no tomorrow (described at my last work place as a job-market floozy!) but it seems I've finally found something I can live with - campaign coordination, fundraising & social media.  Here's some food for thought. 

x

New Year, New Page

Life's about to change all over again - I'm moving home, starting over in a new place and best off all, got a new job - with a TV channel! Yaaaaaaaaay! *jumps up and jigs*. Aaaaaaanyway, going back to new starts, The Diary seems to be receiving more page hits by the day. Now, I'm hoping that's because more people are tuning in and not because it's so godd*mn boring readers fall asleep mid-page and have to refresh when they wake up (clarifications welcome). And so in a bid to make new posts and updates slightly more accessible, I've set up this wee FB page 
http://www.facebook.com/TheDiaryOfMissRaj
for all ye avid readers (haha, am I just delirious from happiness?) to follow. Be kind now, the page has been set up... ooooooooooh precisely 36 minutes before this post. It's a work in progress. For now, that'll be all. Have un weekend fantastico.
xx

Another Phoney Apology

Considering January's meant to be the longest & slowest month of them all - y'know, cold, dark, drab post-Christmas lull - it's shocking we're onto the last day so far out of it already. When did this happen? I still (yep, STILL) have loooooong overdue posts to get up here (can you tell, this one's six days late) but I've been unwell to say the least. SO, whilst I get right onto those (and I do hope you've been missing me!) here are a few things that kept sick Sim some company as she lay moping in bed. :'(. [Cue to cry]

1. Waffle-eating. Just general, eating. Did you expect any less?
2. Quote-reading and soulsearching. If you're on my FB page, you'll probably have gathered. 
3. Citizen Khan... and I missed this HOW? :/
4. It's V-Day soon. The usual suck it up/snub it dilemma. Owwwww but look at all the pretty little pink things!?

xx

Top 5 in 2012

With 2012 less than 12 hours away in most parts of the world  With New Year's done and dusted, all things Christmassy packed up and put away, I thought it might be a little fun to recap on some of my, and your, favourite diary moments of 2012. 

1. My First Time... at Yo! Shushi (what were you thinking?!)

2. The day the Instagram bug bit.

3. A quick trip to Amsterdam

4. Putting together a full Indian

Aaaand 5, Numerous Trips to WW.
Do you agree? Belated, but Happy New Year to you all. 
xx

'Spring' in My Step

New layout. My OWN domain (www.thediaryofmissraj.com). Tons of sun. Blossom everywhere. Cuddles with my boy. Giggles with mum. It's Friday. It's Spring. Dad's birthday weekend. Cannelloni for dinner. Blue Zenzer. The Hunger Games. Enough said. Thank God It's Friday!

xxxx

Hang-Up

Well as they say, all good things come to an end - so as we wound up the last of his holidays and my freedom (I'm now near enough a month away from my first exam - though I may as well be on summer break, the way I've been gallivanting!), we decided on Monday to do it with a bit of a bang; when you were younger, nothing quite denoted "school holidays" like a trip to the theme park - and so we thought, why the hell not?

As a kid, I can't say I loved theme parks; while my brother dragged us from ride to ride, I'd stand, nervous and wary, counting the loops and turns, watching peoples' distorted expressions, assessing whether or not I could hack it - soon enough butterflies and a mild sensation of fear would take grip so mum and I'd be left peering up at the huge loops and big falls, waiting, as dad (unwillingly, trust me) and brother were whizzed around. So I quite surprised myself on Monday, then, when I started on Stealth, which accelerates from 0-80mph in under two seconds. It felt like the undoing of 22 years of unnecessary hang-ups. #soproudofmyself! Wishing you all a sunny Thursday.

xxx

Tickets for Thorpe Park cost a ridiculous £42 pp - make sure to shop around, 2for1 deals are often easy to come by. Alternatively, booking online and in advance can save you some pennies. We learnt this the hard way.

Why Think Twice?

It's funny, sometimes, how we only realise the value of something when we're about to lose it or give it up. I handed in my resignation at work last week, fed up of the repetitive, robotic nature of the task. The six month itch is coming to be a recurrent event in my life. How ironic, then, that the day immediately after I've resigned is my most pleasant shift at work yet; the most challenging, and engaging, requiring more than mindless shelf-filling and customer-serving of me? Oh the irony. But I suppose it's onwards and upwards really - following hundreds of job searches, tens of applications and a fair few responses, I have another offer on the table before I've even left the last; as mum would say, we've one life, so why think twice?

Speaking of giving things up - it's pancake Tuesday tomorrow. What is everyone giving up for Lent?

xxx