a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
I am on a short trip to Lagos, Nigeria. 5 days or thereabouts.
Flight from DXB to LOS (Dubai to Lagos) is about 8 hours plus.
Just in case I’m unable to log into my blog, I set a couple of posts to publish (if WordPress behaves itself).
However, if I can log into my blog during my trip, I will surely do my thing. This blogging is an elixir of sorts you know.
Don’t miss me too much 😉
Love and Light
Jacqueline
It feels so strange to get back to my blog after four days of been away from it. The longest ever that I’ve been missing in action.
I’ve been on the move around the Middle East, Bahrain-Qatar, and connecting was giving me so much stress that I decided to chill and let it be. I’ve missed the banter and you guys, that it felt like aeons to me.
I love this community of friends and as I catch my connecting flight back to DXB, I will quickly add some snips and snaps of my walkabout.
Stay blessed and talk to you tomorrow.
Jacqueline
On Thursdays, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.
I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.
During the course of last week, I ventured further than my immediate neighbourhood – Dubai to another Emirate, Ras Al Khaimah (which means the top of the tent in Arabic) for a couple of days with my family.
RAK is one of the seven emirates that comprises the UAE and on a steady, leisure drive, it took us two and a half hours to get there, though I hear some can drive there at the break-neck speed of an hour. RAK is pretty and quaint with the rugged Hagar mountains, desert, healthy hot springs, the Arabian Gulf and oasis that surrounds it. Their lifestyle is also not as fast paced or as diverse as Dubai.
Below are just some of the photos I took. Will possibly share more another day.
Lady Lee takes us to India for her son’s wedding. Beautiful, vibrant, and auspicious ceremony; do take a peek 🙂
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
On Wednesday an Emirates plane crash-landed at DXB tarmac and burst into flames. Thankfully, all 300 passengers made it out alive but it was all so surreal to me.
It felt surreal because less than half-an-hour before the incident occurred, I had just picked up my husband from a long haul 19hrs flight from the US where he went for an Award ceremony – he’s also an award recipient. As we watched the plane blaze on television, I couldn’t even imagine the horror the passengers must have felt when they knew that their plane was going to crash-land.
It dawned on me that though a minute might seem so small, a minute can change everything. Things that we take for granted like a loved one saying, “see you soon,” just the way my husband did before he boarded his flight in NewYork, might very well be the last words exchanged forever.
It drew it close home to my mind that not only should we live fully in the moments that we are given – not just existing, but love living and never fail to let those who are dear to us know how we feel about them. I am not trying to sound like a prophetess of doom but to face the reality of the life that we live.
I am grateful that the crashed plane’s situation was contained and well managed. I am grateful for my husband’s safe return even as I watch him reschedule his travel plans to Lisbon since all flights from Dubai have been suspended in the interim. I hold onto hope that as Grace kept him and brought him home safely, journey mercies will also proceed to Portugal with him.
Let us never forget that a thankful and grateful state of mind is to have a great attitude and a whispered prayer that keeps our earnest hope bright in our hearts.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
P.S: There are several gratitude/thankful platforms in the blogosphere that you can tune into and get your ithankful going on. I can’t express in words the enormity of Joy and fulfillment that comes from having a heart of gratitude. Please check out Maria’s blog, Colline’s blog and Bernadette’s for thankful/gratitude challenges.
I hear the reverberations of the magic that’s hidden within.
![1456149614808[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/1456149614808121111.jpg?w=652&h=652)
‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’
Today’s featured blogs posts are:
Do step in and show some love.
Travel theme indoors: when we talk about travelling, some of us imagine it’s only when you depart for an expensive and exotic journey to destination Paris, Amsterdam etc. Your neighbourhood can be a good point of contact and knowledge if you care to indulge and benefit from your surroundings. Nice one Deborah 🙂
Wednesday’s visual writing prompt: this is a captivating read. I hope she expands it.
Where’s the love: a brief and true form of love.
Peasant and her King: when your King walks with you, you never weary because when he is beside you, He gives you strength. Beautifully said, Martha.
Despondent: depression and despondency can steal in at times like a silent thief to rob you of your joy, but know that you are not alone.
‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’
Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.
P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.
Thank you for your understanding and regards.
Below is my first just published 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.
Jacqueline writes from her heart on passion, pain, suffering, loss and LIFE. I have been incredibly moved by her poetry and I know I will return to “Out of the Silent Breath” again and again.
If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee
On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.
I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.
The sweltering heat and blinding Sun keeps one from venturing out much during the day right now, but the great thing is that Dubai’s lifestyle is a bit different in that the city really comes alive at nights till the wee hours of the morning when the weather is just a tad cooler.
There’s living to be done and being cooped up indoors inside air-conditioned facilities doesn’t cut it always. I took a walk around City walk with the children, took them to Hub Zero to play a bit and having an ice-cream to cool off certainly helps 😉
City walk houses lots of haute couture boutiques, a promenade, cinema, restaurants, indoor theme games and lots more. A lovely place with quiet spots where you can sit, enjoy the ambience and watch passersby.
Seeing the Berlin wall expose through Lady Lee’s eyes is an education. How much do you know about this divisive structure of the past and how the citizens lived through such perilous times? This is worth a visit. Pamela took us to downtown Jacksonville, Florida with its budding art scene. This is just my kind of place to wander happily 🙂
So, when do we get to visit you? Now, don’t be shy and invite us over
Jacqueline
Below is my first just published 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.
“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda
On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.
I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple and you can find out more about it through this link.
This week, I bring you some bits of night life in my neighbourhood.
I don’t exaggerate when I tell you that this city is sleepless and as the weather heats up more and more, night business grows longer into the night and runs quite efficiently. The entire place glows with light therefore belies the true sense of the lateness.
I went to a Ramadan night market exhibition and up till 1 am, people were trooping in and out of the venue.
For a Middle Eastern city, it’s quite safe and people are comfortable to mill around that late.
On our e-travel on Echoes, Lady Lee brought us a smile and took us to Wales on caravan cabins and a tree house, the greenery at Giggles and Tales were quite lush, then those doors of faith from Making Peace with Life did give us some pause before we took off to Charles Waugh’s beautiful, story book neighbourhood .
This is total fun and you shouldn’t be left out. Do share some bits and pieces of your World with us, please. Thank you
P.S: You can join our online party this weekend. It’s always a good time
Below is my first just published 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.
Wonderful, evocative poetry by a talented writer. Left me hungry for more. Jacqueline can write! Linda Bethea
If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee
“Take action! An inch of movement will bring you closer to your goals than a mile of intention.” Dr. Steve Maraboli
“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” Deepak Chopra
“The more I traveled, the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.” Shirley Maclaine
‘One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are.” Edith Wharton
![airport_1[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/airport_11.jpg)
![airport_2[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/airport_21.jpg)
![airport_3[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/airport_31.jpg)
![airport_4[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/airport_41.jpg)
![airport_5[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/airport_51.jpg)
![airport_6[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/airport_61.jpg)
I can’t say it enough, there’s nothing as interesting as observing people. You wonder who they are, where they are going, what’s their story etc.
In a microcosm such as the airport, the train, the buses, the malls, anywhere you can find a throng of people, it’s quite informative what you learn about someone just by looking.
Are they fussy, tantrum throwers, are the fidgety, composed, smiling, frowning?…. It’s a free movie!
Below is my first just published 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.
‘A Richly Layered and Passionate Read.’ Jan Cliff
If you enjoy my works, you can fuel my creativity with a cup of coffee or a slice of cake
‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’
Today’s featured blogs posts are:
Do step in and show some love.
Blue Jasmine: a candid post laced with humour.
10 good reasons to discover Madagascar: beautiful, fascinating Madagascar. On my list of places worth a visit 🙂
A walk from Kranzbach to Elmau to Fernchensee Lake: Someone should offer me this for my vacation. Totally wonderful.
‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’
Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.
P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.
Thank you for your understanding and regards.
‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’
Below is my first just published 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.
‘A Richly Layered and Passionate Read.’ Jan Cliff
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.
These are some bits and pieces of my past week, from taking children to Shotokan-karate classes, work, dinner blah, blah running helter-skelter, my wheel of life keeps rolling.
I absolutely love vintage and antique stuff. Unfortunately, I don’t have the pocket to afford them, but at least I can enjoy a good look at them, so it was a delight to run into this vintage cafe, where I can go and satisfy my eyes with eye-candy and take loads of photos 😉
I am happy that this week which has been so and so for me is coming to a close. My emotions hurtled from one end to the other all week, but a warm evening spent last night in the ambience of beautiful, intelligent friends does make one feel a lot better 🙂
We e-zoomed around various neighbourhoods on our laptops, pads, phones, and got a peek into what lovely folks are doing.
A beautiful season, London calling: yes I agree with you Lady Lee, London is calling me in the winds. Gorgeous photos.
Some bumper snickers from Kat: Ha, ha. This is a good exercise when you are stuck behind the wheels. Take a look and see what you can find 🙂
A beautiful evening: we all need this right now. A chance to destress and unwind. Simply serene.
Thoughts and entanglements: I love happening on such incidents. Makes you wear a smile all day long 🙂
Giggles and tales: So much beauty of nature, people and fat gorgeous Cows and Geese. I like 🙂
Rosses of Donegal: absolutely gorgeous and dreamy views of Rosses area in County Donegal in North West Ireland.
Don’t horde the beauty of the life around you, just for yourself. Do share with us
Below is my first just published 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.
She is amazing at describing love and life in her poems. She creates such beautiful images with her words. Truly, she is a talented writer and I’m so excited to have her poetry book and to continue reading through it.
a cooking pot and twisted tales 