Ajman and Kempinski…Echoes Of My Neighbourhood # 17

May 5, 2016May 5, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha19 Comments

Today’s echoes experienced an unexpected delay because I’ve been on a road trip and for some reason, my photos couldn’t load up on my pad. My apologies.

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

Every Thursday, share a photo of bits and pieces of wherever you are at any point in time. It could be a house, backgrounds of your neighbourhood, activities and so forth and you can tag it Echos of my Neighbourhood, add my link to your post so that I will get the ping from your post.

Every other Thursday, I will publish a post with the links of all those who participated the previous week.

This is just a fun way of getting to see more of the World around us through your eyes since we cannot all be at those places, we could, at least, see them through you.

Watching them off-load made me think of smugglers and pirates 😉

Last weekend found us visiting Ajman which is one of the Emirates (the smallest member State) that makes up UAE which comprises of 7 Emirates.

It’s a leisurely one-hour straight drive from Dubai if there’s no traffic, so it’s easily a day trip of 2-3 hours to and fro, but to enjoy the benefits of the pristine Gulf as well as getting a feel of the Emirate, an overnight stay wouldn’t be a bad idea.

A direct opposite of Dubai’s energetic pulse, it’s calm and much slower. Good for a quiet family weekend away.

There are several beautiful hotels to choose from, though we got a deal at Kempinski by making an early booking.

Last Week Echoes took us to different neighbourhoods, hop on let’s go see and we will be glad to see some of yours.

Giggles and Tales You’ve got to love Europe’s architecture and it’s passion for cycling. I remember my awe years ago, the first time I visited Amsterdam and saw all the bikes at a bike station.

Spring is in the air The only words to describe this is ‘gorgeous and fabulous’ 🙂

Boys come out to play Boy’s will be boys no matter how small they are 😉

Mercury Colliding Kat has a nice fairy that works very hard. I wouldn’t mind one myself.

Earnestly Debra joins us with a sea ferry, whale watching adventure that I wouldn’t mind experiencing.

Munich Lady Lee shows us spots of Munich through her lens and a sumptuous meal to go with it.

Do show us just a peek of your neighbourhood, please 🙂

Until Thursday, next week, have a good weekend.

For ease during our road trips, we use:Garmin nüvi 2597LMT 5-Inch Portable Bluetooth Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps and Traffic

Below is my first Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha’s poems portray images that stare us right in the face. Images of love, joy, death, pain, challenges, violation, and freedom. She writes in a language that’s rich in imagery, earthy, honest, vulnerable, yet full of the promise of hope, of loving and of Grace. A collection of light and dark soulful prose.

Musings · The Daily Post

Thin thread of hope

May 5, 2016January 27, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

To that fragile
thin thread
of hope
do
h
o
l
d
on.

I am a die-hard hopeful-realist – if such a word exists. I believe in putting in my best in anything that I do and holding on tight to the hope that it will turn out well, even when it all looks dim.

Somehow, that little mustard seed has never failed me.

Hope, The Daily Post Prompt

Below is my first Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha’s poems portray images that stare us right in the face. Images of love, joy, death, pain, challenges, violation, and freedom. She writes in a language that’s rich in imagery, earthy, honest, vulnerable, yet full of the promise of hope, of loving and of Grace. A collection of light and dark soulful prose.

Life · Musings · My Thinking Corner

Tuesday Trickles.. My Thinking Corner # 20..

May 3, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha9 Comments

Every Tuesday, I share snippets of thoughts that I call ‘My Thinking Corner.’

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

Each Tuesday, share your very short snippets of positive, inspiring, motivating, health, spiritual, writing advice, clips, posts etc, that can serve as a prop to motivate others and simply add my link to your post.

I call it my thinking corner because, I actually take out a bit of time just to think through things, encapsulate my thoughts as much as possible and detoxify my mind. It helps give me clarity of vision and might help you too.

It might work for you in a different way, but the idea is to get the positive thoughts flowing.

Please send in your little thoughts. You never know whose life you might inspire.

Today, I will share some proverbs with you.

♦ It is when you say I have reached my destination, that you should watch your steps lest you stumble.

♦ My people say that when you wake up is your morning, which means that whenever you start to pursue your purpose is good enough. I however, say that you should desist from oversleeping and waking at night, lest you may never see any morning.

♦ The fruits of the harvest can be identified from its seed. What seed are you sowing in your life and the life of others in your circle of influence?

♦ When you dim your light, please remember that you are probably leaving some people in the dark.

♦ You can’t afford to sleep when you are riding your bicycle called life.

Today’s thoughts came in from beautiful thinkers:

Yesterday’s dreams, today’s reality Oba’s reality of dreams of yester-years is delightful. Dreams do come true when you latch on and go through the process. Are you latching on?

Sow Positive Seeds Such a beautiful quote from Dehan: When your soul is filled with positive thoughts it blooms…

Friendship what manner of friend are you? Are you a friend or foe or frenemy? It’s worth knowing…

Continue the journey Don’t tarry in the valley of despair, hold on, hold on…my dear Noififre says it so well.

Today’s Nuggets are for you, take your pick…

Leadership Do you know what you are doing? Are you a leader? What is your vision…a short thought from Modupe.

New Sweet, absolute and unshakeable truth from Rosema.

My thought for the week from life mutated…

If you find your body to be up in arms sit back, relax on your bed and quietly explore your imagination for inspiration.
If you find your mind being uncooperative, I take those ideas and bring them to life.

I hope that you find these little drops useful now and again. Do check them out and please share snippets of your thoughts with us.

Thanks and blessed be.

Guest Posts · Inspiration - Motivation · Life

The Compass Of Your Life..Guest post from Alicia James.

May 1, 2016May 1, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha4 Comments

Vipassana, Yoga, Consciousness, Meditation, Practice

THE COMPASS OF YOUR LIFE

Permit me to say: Your life’s a product of your THOUGHTS that become BELIEFS, BELIEFS that become ACTIONS, and ACTIONS that form CHARACTER. That’s why sages advice against accommodating filth as a tenant in your mind because of it’s ability to transform into the landlord of your mind.

Sadly enough, a lot of us sail through life without a Life Compass. We either adopt a ” go with the wind” or “choose to have a one-dimensional view of life” mentality. Hence, my problem with people who conform to certain principles without questioning their existence. There’s a possibility that with changing trends, those principles have developed loopholes and are in need of modification. That’s a topic for another day.

Let me explain the beauty of your life. As individuals, we require a Life Compass and a Life Map to navigate through life successfully. Why? Maps were created as guides to unfamiliar territories explored by foreigners, eliminating the probability of getting lost along the way. Thank God for technology today, we have Google Maps and GPS systems.

“But it still doesn’t explain why I need a Life Map”. From birth to death, every stage in your life has a guide to ease your transition from one stage to the next. At every juncture, your Life Map serves as a guide to your final destination.

“Sounds like a Life Map’s all I need, why include a Life Compass”? Your Life Compass gives direction and intention to your life; it’s like a pen that fills the blank pages of your life. When you’re torn between making certain decisions, your Life Compass can guide you in making your choice. It will shock you to know that most of the confusion, guilt, lack of purpose and dissatisfaction we feel and experience in our life’s journey are caused by the absence of a Life Compass. Simply put, The Life Map serves as a guide; the Life Compass keeps you on the true path.

“Ok, I get the message, so how do I develop a Life Compass”?

Well, it’ll require lot’s of self-reflection (as cliché as it sounds) to enable you determine your Life Purpose and evaluate your Life Principles. For those that struggle with self-knowledge, this helps you connect with your inner self.

Understand that your Life Purpose is different from your Life Project. Your Life Purpose is not: ” To be the next Ben Carson” or “To find the cure for AIDS” that’s a Life Project you assigned to yourself. Your Life Purpose is the reason for your creation, what’s most important to you, successful

Your Life Purpose is the reason for your creation, what’s most important to you.A compass has four cardinal directions which in this case represents the four most important principles that guide your life. The most important of these four is your North Direction which is your Life Purpose. This serves as a reference point no matter where you’re headed in life. Therefore, this determines your other three directions.

A compass has four cardinal directions which in this case represents the four most important principles that guide your life. The most important of these four is your North Direction which is your Life Purpose. This serves as a reference point no matter where you’re headed in life. Therefore, this determines your other three directions.

The most important of these four is your North Direction which is your Life Purpose. This serves as a reference point no matter where you’re headed in life. Therefore, this determines your other three directions.

The beautiful thing about your Life Compass is that it’s not set in stone i.e a final representation of your life but it is the best reflection of your values and belief systems in the present moment. As you journey through life, you revisit it and modify it.

It may sound difficult and confusing right now. You probably don’t know how to start, that’s okay. The answers you seek are within you. No one can give them to you.

At the end of your life, how would you like your story to be told?

Alicia James

Hey there, I like to call myself as a delightful soul.
I am on a journey of self discovery and I enjoy blogging because it helps me connect with the world through my words as I share my thoughts and experiences as well as that of others

Alicia is a young budding blogger (a fine blend of a Niche Expert & Lifestyle blogger) with a lot of enthusiasm and inspiration. You can meet her at her blog Alicia James to get a better glimpse of her World.

Would you like to guest post or an interview? Feel free to contact me through my contact page or on email: JacquelineObyIkocha@gmail.com

Echos Of My Neighbourhood · Travel

Milling around Souk Al Bahar…Echoes of my neighbourhood

April 28, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha34 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

Every other Thursday, I will publish a post with the links of all those who participated the previous week.

This is just a fun way of getting to see more of the World around us through your eyes since we cannot all be at those places, we could, at least, see them through you.

Sitting on the staircase and enjoying the warmth of others

We had some guests over the weekend and visiting Dubai Mall was top on the list for them since it’s their first time in Dubai.

Close to the Dubai mall and the Burj Khalifa is the Souk Al Bahar. One of Dubai’s destinations for Al Fresco dining at its finest with it’s Cafe’s, Pubs and exclusive restaurants.

When you have August visitors in April, you play nice and give them a little treat if possible. So we mixed up the entertainment of showing the landmarks that time would allow, people watching, and enjoying a noisy meal and karaoke in the Cuban restaurant Cafe Habana.

They did the daring zip lining but I didn’t. Maybe on another day when the thought does not send my tummy plummeting 😉

Last Week Echoes took us to different neighbourhoods, hop on let’s go see and we will be glad to see some of yours.

A walk in the village A totally refreshing amble, good food and beautiful things to see. My kind of good time 🙂

Temptation gallery When you visit Jericho and Temptation Mount, prepare your mind to see just anything, even a smart local speaking your native language. It’s a small world.

Jazzy tower I think I can be naughty and if I had the film crew hanging around my backyard, I would probably use the opportunity to do my own filming 😉

Kat of Mercury Colliding takes us on a wander through the museum. I love visiting such places. You get to see an eclectic mix of interesting stuff.

Boy o boy He’s such a big boy that you have to see him for yourself.

Please do share a peek of your neighbourhood/ World with us. Regards

My regards,

Jacqueline

Memes · Midnight motivation and musings · Musings

Midnight Motivation and Musings 73

April 27, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

At no age does the learning of the mind stop except the strictures that we place on ourselves.

Most times the term being set in our ways that we loosely use is actually a self-imposed and nice way of saying, I don’t want to be bothered to change.

For as long as we can keep our minds open to assimilate knowledge, our inner core is rejuvenated, constantly growing and the perspectives of our horizons remains broad.

Life · Midnight motivation and musings · Self Help

Midnight Motivations and Musings 70

April 24, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

Not all soil is good for planting due to its acidity or other toxic properties.

Likewise, not all circumstances that surround us will be supportive in nurturing you to the best of your potentials.

Sometimes, you have to make the smart decision and keep your dreams alive but away from toxicity.

Once you recognise such traits, it might not be easy to discard of such circumstances (they might be your family or job), but with wisdom, you can circumvent such characters and keep moving on without relent.

Everyday People · Photographs · Quotes For You

Work it out!…Every day beautiful people

April 21, 2016April 21, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha9 Comments

‘If you want to go fast you go alone, but if you want to go far, you go together’ African Proverb

#Team work. Sometimes we go it alone, but we wear out easily. When we join forces with others, we go a whole distance further because of their support.

I walked at my own pace and took photos here and there, in-between this time, teamed couples jogged past me, individuals jogged past me and I am not exaggerating when I observed the individuals like me leaving faster and those together stayed longer at it.

This observation was done over several days. I like to call it social engineering aka people watching 😉

Hope · Life · Midnight motivation and musings · Quotes For You

Midnight Motivations and Musings 65…

April 19, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha16 Comments

At times, out of fear of the unknown, we hold ourselves hostage as we hold on far too long to things that have ceased to work.

Those relationships that leave us ill instead of enriching our lives, no satisfaction from jobs that drain us while on the highway to nowhere, a lifestyle that has gone bankrupt and done more harm than good…there are so many crooked lines.

For as long as we hold onto those crooked lines, we don’t free our hands to draw and hold on to better ones.

It’s not always that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. A bird in hand might peck your hands bloody and finish your seeds, yet it’s neither singing nor hatching meaningful stuff.

Sometimes, not holding a bird for a while might be a better deal. It opens your mind to think on how to go after the two in the bush.

Life · Midnight motivation and musings

Midnight Motivations and Musings # 64

April 18, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha31 Comments

When you are committed to doing something, you wait for no one, especially when it’s something that you are meant to do by yourself and for your well being.

Don’t sit waiting for love or life to find you. Go out and get the life and the love will follow.

Sometimes, in order to move on, we need to cease waiting and get going.