Today marks the end of Eid Al Adha, a two-day holiday in the Muslim tradition characterized mainly by the sacrifice of sheep, prayer and forgiveness. Sacrifice there was, resonating minarets there was, holiday cheer, not so much. The nostalgic in me misses the days my late grandpa rose early and headed to the mosque wearing his best clothes. I remember him sacrificing, unassisted, his own sheep and my two uncles' in the backyard, surrounded by my aunts working like bees to pick and thorough... Read Full Story

Friends and heartaches will forever go hand in hand! In fact, whenever there's a breakup, there are friends ganging up to eradicate its side effects and soften up its aftermath. Indeed, friends are so there for friends in need that they become family; in the absence of a family, how much they mean quadruples. Not only that, friends don't need to be asked for support to show any, right? If so, where did I go wrong?{Photo Source}This past August, I went through the most sudden and shocking brea... Read Full Story

Forget Swine Flu, there is a much more dangerous disease in town: the Chanel Syndrome!Chanel is known by millions the world over as the iconic French designer who revolutionized fashion and created of one of the most famous perfumes in the history of fragrance, Chanel 5 — a symbol of elegance and rebellion. But do these millions of admirers have the Chanel Syndrome? I know I do. Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was an impulsive, intuitive, self-demanding, rebellious and lonely perfectionist. S... Read Full Story

Chanel is known by millions the world over as the iconic French designer who revolutionized fashion and freed women from the tyranny of corsets. She is also known as the creator of one of the most famous perfumes in the history of fragrance, Chanel 5 — a symbol of elegance and rebellion. But do these millions of admirers have the Chanel Syndrome? I know I do. Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was an impulsive, intuitive, self-demanding, rebellious and lonely perfectionist. She was known for tea... Read Full Story

... of the house, that is! What did you expect? That I sit my mom down on the sofa and declare loud and clear, all wrapped up in a rainbow flag, that I am gay? Why not sign my own death certificate while I am at it?! No, I just left the house for a second long expedition on foot that turned out to be great! I ran into people I haven't seen in a while, and got spontaneous warm embraces as well as genuine expressions of happiness to see me again. { Source }B ack to coming out. Truth be told, t... Read Full Story

... of the house, that is! What did you expect? That I sit my mom down on the sofa and declare loud and clear, all wrapped up in a rainbow flag, that I am gay? Why not sign my own death certificate while I am at it?! No, I just left the house for a second long expedition on foot that turned out to be great! I ran into people I haven't seen in a while, and got spontaneous warm embraces as well as genuine expressions of happiness to see me again. { Source }B ack to coming out. Truth be told, t... Read Full Story

I will lack originality saying that high school was not a heavenly place for many of us. We all went through that awkward phase when our bodies seemed to have undergone alien experiments, with nascent continents of acne creeping up on and disrupting the geography of our faces, uncontrollable hormones playing tricks on our moods, and the whole world watching us transform with a nosy eye (do eyes have noses?) We all discovered the joys of falling in love as well as the woes of losing friends an... Read Full Story

I will lack originality saying that high school was not a heavenly place for many of us. We all went through that awkward phase when our bodies seemed to have undergone alien experiments, with nascent continents of acne creeping up on and disrupting the geography of our faces, uncontrollable hormones playing tricks on our moods, and the whole world watching us transform with a nosy eye (do eyes have noses?) We all discovered the joys of falling in love as well as the woes of losing friends an... Read Full Story

I was just waking up when the idea of going to the cemetery visit my grandparents' graves popped in my head. Grandma joined the Eternal on my Grandpa's 84th birthday in 2004 and grandpa followed in 2005; it had been a while since I last went to say hello.The idea of leaving my bed, and the house, was not spontaneous; the night before, I had resolved to go out after 3 months of seclusion, interrupted only by swift errand-running necessary for my survival. Wanting to visit my late grandparents ... Read Full Story

I was just waking up when the idea of going to the cemetery visit my grandparents' graves popped in my head. Grandma joined the Eternal on my Grandpa's 84th birthday in 2004 and grandpa followed in 2005; it had been a while since I last went to say hello.The idea of leaving my bed, and the house, was not spontaneous; the night before, I had resolved to go out after 3 months of seclusion, interrupted only by swift errand-running necessary for my survival. Wanting to visit my late grandparents ... Read Full Story