Melissa

thinking about inking.

I’ve decided to go and get my second tattoo done this week. I’m looking at getting my mum’s name ‘Arun’ inked behind my right ear.

Initially I had planned to get my next tattoo behind my left ear but as it turns out I actually have a sizeable beauty spot/mole there which will kind of protrude into the tattoo.

I also was initially planning on getting an Egyptian ankh (symbol of life) tattooed behind my ear however I also realised that the space I have behind my ear is quite minimal so trying to fit a symbol there may be a bit of task.

Now that I think about it though, I think I’ve made the right choice to settle with my mum’s name. Firstly because she’s my mother and of all people in the world, I know she is one person I can always rely on to be there for me. Through our ups and downs she still manages to meet me half way and understand my point of view which is much more than what other parents tend to do for the children. She’s really done everything in her power to make sure she provides my sister and I with everything we ever need, even if means spending a whole heap of money.

So what could be possibly sweeter than getting her name forever tattooed on my body. I also thought, considering I already have one tattoo dedicated to my dad, it would only seem equal if I gave my mum the same privilege.

Now onto the more physical side of things. I hear tattoos behind the ear are more painful than regular tattoos. This is primarily because there’s less fat behind the ear to cushion the needle so that means I quite possibly will be in pain for the inking session.

With my first tattoo I really couldn’t feel much and it’s been over a year now since I got it so to be completely honest, I’ve kind of forgotten what the pain (if any) felt like.

So I guess on Thursday I will find out and report back. Over and out, till then!

Bucket List

When do you realise you have lived your life to it’s fullest and embraced everything life has to offer?

It’s kind of hard to decide what makes life worth living and ultimately classifies your life as being fulfilled. I realised that recently when going through those certain little and big moments in my life which have either inspired me or been forever etched into my memory as an unforgettable event. But when reminiscing, it hit me that I had no way of measuring my happiness and satisfaction in terms of my life and it’s fulfilment.

After watching a video on the popular site TED.com delivered by Neil Pasricha (author of ‘The Book of Awesome’), I discovered that life’s happy moments and excitement is actually unmeasurable. In some sense it’s almost impossible to put a value on happiness because for every individual happiness means something completely different to the next person. In such cases then, how do you determine how happy you are?

I think the only way to even come close to measuring how happy and satisfied with your life you are, is to draw up a bucket list!

Yes that’s right, a bucket list. At times people think this is just something you should write up when you’re about to die so you can determine those little and big things in life you want to do before the day dawns on you for good. This in not true though!

People don’t realise how great bucket lists really are. They help you come up with little wants, desires and needs you should aim to tick off in life.

Devising a bucket list is as simple as getting a pen and paper and just listing down every little and big thing you want to do in life.

The bit that helps you realise and attempt to measure your happiness is when you actually begin ticking off everything you’ve done. Before you even know it, you will find yourself living a more fulfilled and satisfied happy life and in doing so, you won’t even feel the need to have to measure happiness anymore!

My top 20 bucket list:

1. Visit Egypt and sit in front of the Giza Pyramids- CHECK
2. Visit one of the most wealthiest countries in the world (Dubai, US, China, India, Europe)- CHECK (minus China & Europe, next to do in my list)
3. Scuba Dive
4. Bungy Jump
5. Skydive- CHECK
6. Ride a horse, elephant, camel- CHECK 
7. Do an African Safari
8. Get a tattoo- CHECK
9. Write at least one influential article
10. Learn to meditate properly
11. Master the art of at least one video game
12. Try a snail- CHECK
13. Learn one other language other than Hindi or English
14. Honeymoon in the Maldives (even if it means multiple marriages)
15. Learn to rap Busta Rhymes verse in ‘Look at me now’
16. Attempt to surf- CHECK
17. Attempt to snowboard and ski- CHECK (minus the snowboard bit)
18. Own a Mazda, VW buggy or Mini Cooper
19. Learn to apply eye make up perfectly
20. Go on a road trip with no destination

When do you realise you have lived your life to it’s fullest and embraced everything life has to offer?

It’s kind of hard to decide what makes like worth living and ultimately classifies your life as being fulfilled. I realised that recently when going through those certain little and big moments in my life which have either inspired me or been forever etched into my memory as an unforgettable event. But when reminiscing, it hit me that I had no way of measuring my happiness and satisfaction in terms of my life and it’s fulfilment.

After watching a video on the popular site TED.com delivered by Neil Pasricha (author of ‘The Book of Awesome’), I discovered that life’s happy moments and excitement is actually unmeasurable. In some sense it’s almost impossible to put a value on happiness because for every individual happiness means something completely different to the next person. In such cases then, how do you determine how happy you are?

I think the only way to even come close to measuring how happy and satisfied with your life you are, is to draw up a bucket list!

Yes that’s right, a bucket list. At times people think this is just something you should write up when you’re about to die so you can determine those little and big things in life you want to do before the day dawns on you for good. This in not true though!

People don’t realise how great bucket lists really are. They help you come up with little wants, desires and needs you should aim to tick off in life.

Devising a bucket list is as simple as getting a pen and paper and just listing down every little and big thing you want to do in life.

The bit that helps you realise and attempt to measure your happiness is when you actually begin ticking off everything you’ve done. Before you even know it, you will find yourself living a more fulfilled and satisfied happy life and in doing so, you won’t even feel the need to have to measure happiness anymore!

My top 20 bucket list:

1. Visit Egypt and sit in front of the Giza Pyramids- CHECK
2. Visit one of the most wealthiest countries in the world (Dubai, US, China, India, Europe)- CHECK (minus China & Europe, next to do in my list)
3. Scuba Dive
4. Bungy Jump
5. Skydive- CHECK
6. Ride a horse, elephant, camel- CHECK 
7. Do an African Safari
8. Get a tattoo- CHECK
9. Write at least one influential article
10. Learn to meditate properly
11. Master the art of at least one video game
12. Try a snail- CHECK
13. Learn one other language other than Hindi or English
14. Honeymoon in the Maldives (even if it means multiple marriages)
15. Learn to rap Busta Rhymes verse in ‘Look at me now’
16. Attempt to surf- CHECK
17. Attempt to snowboard and ski- CHECK (minus the snowboard bit)
18. Own a Mazda, VW buggy or Mini Cooper
19. Learn to apply eye make up perfectly
20. Go on a road trip with no destination

Project Father.

On April 10th 2011, it will be the 8th year anniversary of when my father passed away back in 2003.

I haven’t really done much to honour him and remember him as the great individual he was. SO I’ve decided I’m going to do something special for him this year.

From the 10th of April up until Fathers Day in September, I will be working on Project Father.

I haven’t given it much thought as of yet but I’ve decided I want to do it. It will be a documentary of me asking randoms, strangers, family members, friends and acquaintances… What does ‘Father’ mean to you?

So many people go on in their lives giving minimal or no recognition to all the great and wonderful things parents do for them. I personally have met many individuals who forget to take a minute once in a while and remember how important parents are, especially fathers. Having just a mother (don’t take me wrong, I adore her and love her with all my life), I’ve learned that having one parent act on behalf of both is no where near adequate to the amount of love and care you need from both your parents. Mothers and fathers are equally important, both teach you different lessons for life and warp you into the unique individual you are today.

I thought I’d try this little project out and blog about it beforehand just to set it in stone.

I’m not sure how successful this will be but I’m keen on getting started and hearing about the things people have to say about their fathers.

So here’s to you papa, my first attempt at honouring you.

Heartbreak 101.

Fore-note: This will be a rather pointless post today because in actuality I should be blogging for my Journalism course but my mind seems to be in procrastination mode.

In discourse analysis you learn there are various ways of interpreting the same object and each individual has a different view point on that object. For eg. Shoes and underwear for 99.99% of the female population are not only a basic necessity but an object of desire, comfort and style. Where as the male species beg to differ and see shoes as merely something you wear everyday to keep your feet from touching dirt and underwear… well that can be something that’s changed once in a week, no harm in that!

On a similar basis, the heart, can be viewed in many lights. Medically, the heart is seen as a pump which delivers oxygen rich blood throughout the body.

Emotionally, the heart is the core of your being, it’s quite evidently the strongest and weakest organ.

And finally through a patriarchal view, you would see the heart as something that happens to beat in your chest (rapidly after strenuous exercise- yes that includes sex and masturbation) and something that women often like to talk about… cause I mean, after all women are all sentimental little fragile beings who care about emotions and heart break right?

WRONG! Men seem to think women are incapable of holding their heart together! This is in fact significantly incorrect. 

Women should be held in higher regard when it comes to matters of the heart. Not all of us are crying over heartbreak all the time! Okay a fair portion of the female populous are, but there are also those who have the, mind my language, BALLS, to be the heartbreaker and not the breakee.

Seems like patriarchal views are coming back into play in main stream society and us women, are doing jack shit to prove men otherwise on their misled interpretations of us.

End-note: So like I said, this was more so just a random rant I thought I’d have seeing as I am procrastinating from my Language and Discourse essay. Take no offence any men reading this and women… GROW BALLS ALREADY!

Return of the Tumblr.

Back to blogging seeing as it may be my only means of training my brain back into a freestyle form of writing in preparation to begin my journalism course.

Okay that is all.

Over and out.

30 DAY CHALLENGE: Day One.

Middle name: ?

Don’t really have a middle name but I can say that I really don’t like my first name (Melissa, which immediately gets shorten to Mel).