Author Archives: Shanella

Until we meet again

Until we meet again

Today your body was placed in a box and placed in the earth. I stood, watching as the earth accepted you to herself, and grieved that you have left us. You were too young.

Listening to stories from Danny’s past reminded me of the times we’d drive out to the edge of the island and he’d tell me stories of his childhood. The main theme that ran though all these stories – something I don’t think he even noticed – was his selflessness when it came to his friends and family. It’s not hard to say good things about him because he was inherently good.

I’m very glad to have known him and to have so many great memories of Danny. Even in his death he still inspires. It’s hard to imagine that someone could be so swiftly taken from this world, but it happens all the time. I want to make sure that no matter what, I always have time for my family and friends.

Danny, you are missed, but your stories live on and one day, I am so happy that I will see you again. Until then…

 

~*~

To my friend …

Posted in Thoughts by

I don’t believe it’s true. Even with the evidence in front of me and the pounding headache that tells me that I’m awake and not dreaming, I still don’t believe it’s real.

You were a good person. You were generous, you were kind, you cared deeply about the people in your life. You loved seeing your friends happy – even if it meant driving an hour and a half  out of your way to get the best ice cream in CT.

Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for the memories. I am sad that you’ve left us, but you’re in a place where there is no more pain, and for that I am thankful.

dannyandi

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

On Chivalry

Posted in Thoughts by

It is a rare breed of men who will treat all persons in a gentlemanly fashion. Whether it be holding a door, offering to help with bags or even being assertive about doing something for someone; more and more finding a person like this is a rarity.

I wonder, why is this so?

Five Things (2)

Posted in Thoughts by

Can you believe it’s already February? January was so busy for me it seemed to fly by; and there have been so many changes in 31 days that 2013 is turning into a mini whirlwind. But, with the wind there have been little quiet moments that I am grateful for, so, today’s five things feature on the quietness (and fun-ness) of friendships.  

— Thing One —

Mondays get a bad rep, they are the first day of the work week, the weekend is still fresh in our minds causing the next weekend to seem so far away. However, I’ve found that Mondays can be fun when you have something to look forward to, and having some plans (or spontaneous movie outings) on Mondays made them, well, fun days! =D

Also, any day is amazing with good and cheap food. The Hummus Place is wonderful!  I absolutely loved it and since having some hummus there  I find that I really want to go back … soon!

Tomorrow I’m looking forward to another fun day, where I’ll be having tea with an old workmate! Bring it Monday!

— Thing Two —

I went wedding dress shopping with J; and WOW, what an process! Going to appointments, trying on tons of dresses to find the right style, dealing with pushy sales people – or none existent ones – how do brides deal with this? Wedding dress shopping is anything but quiet, but when you see your friend picking out THE dress for her big day, well, it’s definitely something special. I’m so happy that I got the chance to share in this special moment.

— Thing Three —

Which leads me to thing three! Girly time!! I grew up among a lot of guys. It’s not that difficult being friends with guys. Like the same things, talk about those things and you’re pretty much golden. So it took me a while to develop decent female friendships because females like to talk about topics that guys don’t necessarily sit around chatting about for more than a minute. Females tend to dissect a topic, dig deeper into it, and all of this is done over appetizers.

The female friends that I have are all brilliant! I just loved the time I got to spend with so many of them in January. Hanging out, talking about life, sharing intimate details and desires, it’s really wonderful and refreshing 🙂

Also, I do love the way our conversation has evolved over the years, from school and assignments to more grown-up things. I also love the topics that haven’t really changed over the years – will we ever understand boys enough to stop discussing and dissecting them? “So every time I turned around he was standing next to me, regardless of where in the room I was, yet he didn’t introduce himself or talk to me? What’s up with that?”

— Thing Four —

I’ve always been a fan of board games. Growing up, I’d play them with aunts and uncles from time to time; one of the favourites was Pay Day. When you have the right set of people and a fun board game, time seems to fly by.

It was a busy week leading up to MLK day, and even busier weekend. Unexpectedly so, since I double booked the weekend then had to do the most uncomfortable task of canceling and rebooking. When Monday came around, I wanted to lay in bed all day and do nothing. But, I am so happy that I got myself up and out of my house to M&J’s place for some board games! I think my friends are the right group of people for playing games; Clue and Electronic Monopoly have never been so fantastic on a wintry day!

— Thing Five —

January ended with an old schoolmate, visiting from Guyana. We went to Tea & Sympathy, watched Warm Bodies – I have no idea what genre THAT movie falls into – and then hung out in Barnes and Noble.

One of the things we did in B&N was read children’s books. I pulled out all of the books that I found entertaining and made her read them; it was fun! There is something about children’s books – especially great ones – that make me smile. I love the quirky ones and the ones with really great art. The next time you’re in a B&N go to the shelves and read a few medalists, I promise you that you’ll leave with a smile on your face.

~ * ~

Five Things (1)

Posted in Ballet, Cultured, Thoughts by

Oftentimes it’s difficult for me to keep resolutions because, despite the plotting and scheming to get things done, the change I want is frequently so tremendous that I become disillusioned when I can’t obtain my goal (or close to my goal) within 30 days.

I want to say that I will blog more, that I will talk more about what I observe in the city I call home, but the truth is, I don’t like sharing my thoughts and emotions with everyone. Blogging will always be difficult because of this; while I love the idea of the world wide web and the connectivity we have online, I will always prefer the casual anonymity of being a browsing wallflower.

In an attempt to write more and be more thoughtful and expressive, I’ve decided to start with a small step in blogging – I will record 5 things. And, keeping with small steps, these 5 things do not have to be recorded every week, but, I must records 5 things at least once a month. I’d like the things to be positive things, because life is too short to settle on the negatives. Maybe they’ll be things of interest to me, I don’t know what they will be, the only thing they cannot be is negative.

So … without further ado, here are five things.

— Thing One —

After the downer called 2012, the year started off on a great note when, while texting that my service ended late and that I would probably be heading home, I found out that my friend proposed and his girl said yes! It was such great news to hear at the onset of a new year. Thankfully I got to see them for a bit and express the full extent of my excitement for them.

— Thing Two —

I saw a swift answer to a prayer. Without getting into too much details online (but, you can ask me about it offline, I’d love to share), I found myself in a tough situation and I sent up a desperate cry for help and it came, in the form I requested. It was just the boost I needed and I’m thankful for the reminder of the all-knowing God that I serve.

— Thing Three —

Earlier this week I went to Carnegie Hall for the first time. I am constantly astonished by the culture that oozes out of the pores of New York City. Where else can I see Wicked on Broadway, then take a train north to the Met and then go a bit west to find Lincoln Center and see an Opera? I love that it’s brimming with art in its many forms.

I am often surprised by the inner workings of humans as expressed through the things they build so, when John and Hank Green were hosting a Night of Awesome at Carnegie Hall, I hopped online to get a ticket. They entertained a sold out hall, just two brothers from the middle of nowhere, one a bestselling author and the other an internet intellect. Both brothers started a community called Nerdfighters through their Vlogbrother YouTube channel.

Now, before you think that this is too geeky for your tastes, the core message of the Vlogbrothers is being true to yourself. I would rather my teenagers watch their channels as opposed to the constant barrage of low level entertainment that forces them to be something they are not – to confirm to a societal norm. The fact that they sold out Carnegie Hall is astounding in and of itself. This means that there are enough young people in New York City (and those who have access to NYC) who have been influenced by these guys, enough to sell out Carnegie Hall. For me, this is mind-boggling.

These guys are the influencers you want to pay attention to.

— Thing Four —

On the same vein of expression in arts, I also saw a ballet at Lincoln Center this week! They were presenting Tchaikovsky/Balanchine pieces. Tchaikovsky is a great composer who composed the famous Swan Lake piece and Balanchine is a famed choreographer. I actually read the biography of Gelsey Kirkland, Dancing on My Grave, for a Ballet class that I took in college, and since then, I’ve always been interested in George Balanchine pieces.

It was a beautiful night, first they did a shorter version of Swan Lake, the ballerina was amazing and I was very impressed with her cavalier. The second piece was the  Allegro Brillante, the lighting on this piece was pretty neat and I loved the costumes on this piece the most. Finally they performed to Suite no. 3. During this piece there was a little fumble, a company dancer got in the way of the male principle and I thought, for a moment, that they were about to do a lift (which was confusing as I’ve never seen a female lift a male). However, they had a speedy recovery and the show carried on.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I’m such a fangirl of the Lincoln Center, I love the complex, love the theater, love every bit!

— Thing Five —

Another yes! Or two! This weekend has been packed with surprises and proposals! First, my lovely friend, J, was proposed to on Friday night. Then, on Saturday I found out a college friend proposed to his girlfriend, only to discover that the girl was a friend from my old High School in Guyana. This world is such a small one! Overall, a wonderful end to a lovely week.

Well, that’s five, it’s late and I’m falling asleep…

~ * ~