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Friday, 6 April 2018

F is for Five of my favourite things #AtoZChallenge

Few words today for F post as family is visiting and it's Friday: it's the weekend here in Doha which means... well you know what family weekends mean:)

So, sharing five of my favourite things, in no particular order:
1. Flowers 

2. Friends (especially the ones who give hugs that last and last)

2. Fish and chips (in beer batter, with a glass of chilled cider)

3. Funny jokes and funny people (including Ricky Gervais and Trevor Noah)

4. French :I only know 3 phrases but I love the sound of this language. It's so damn romantic.

In fact, I did try to learn it one time. It was 1992. I had joined British Airways. I was posted in Madras (now Chennai). Alliance Francaise was not too far from the city office. I enrolled for the morning classes, from 7 am to 8 am. It gave me enough time to practise :
Bonjour
Merci
Au revoir
before starting work at 9.

But then, romance blossomed without warning. Within two weeks of starting my French lessons, I fell in love with the man who had professed his love for me a few months earlier. Even after 25 years, he still refutes the sequence of who fell for whom first. But I know the truth.

The irony of it! Romance killed my chance to learn this romantic-sounding-language.

Instead of learning French before work, I ended up astride on his bike, riding pillion, holding him tentatively at first and then very very firmly, to find a coffee shop or any place open at that hour to hold hands and talk. Love can be mushy, no? And this brings me to my fifth favourite thing:

5. Family (with all its ups and downs, tears and hugs, shared meals, laughter and silences, lounging-in-pjs-on-Fridays, getting-ready-to-go-to-work-in-the-mornings moments.) I've asked my daughter's permission to share her song here on F day. Her name is Arshia. She writes her songs and her music, plays her strings and sings and records and fills our hearts with gratitude. Have a listen : (yes, I chose this one coz it's called 'French Song.')

Do share one of your favourite things today. Or more than one, if you like.
Mandvi beach, Gujarat, February 2017
Going for long walks is another favourite thing of mine, but it begins with G...
at

28 comments:

  1. Iain Kelly6 April 2018 at 13:07

    Fish and Chips - yes please! :-)
    https://iainkellywriting.com/2018/04/06/f-is-for-famagusta-cyprus/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jz6 April 2018 at 13:32

    I love that romance buggered up your romantic language lessons.
    But maybe it's sort of the same thing...? ;-)

    (For an F note: My Finnish is like your French. Four words. Good girl, bad boy. ;-p)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:27

      Your Finnish vocab has hints of a hot pursuit Jz;)
      (I don't have an 'h' yet, so all the 'h' words are pouring out!)

      Delete
    2. Jz7 April 2018 at 22:13

      Nothing so exciting - Grandma.
      And did I mention I have a brother? ;-D

      Delete
  3. Unknown6 April 2018 at 14:06

    I enjoyed your post today. I would put Family and reading among my favorite things. Lately I would add cooking with my Instant Pot pressure cooker as it allows more time for the other favorite things. Visiting from
    If I Only Had A Time Machine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:29

      Thank you for visiting Maryann.
      Pressure cooking saves time and energy and is good for the environment. We use our pressure cooker every day for daals, gravies and sometimes even to cook rice.

      Delete
  4. Yamini MacLean6 April 2018 at 15:03

    Hari Om
    My favourite thing today is that you managed to sneak in six things 'cuz your fold was over-flowing with those little effers!!! &*> Fun.
    YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:31

      You know Yamini, I had to read my post again after reading your comment. I hadn't realised I'd done it. But, of course, I had. I have mentioned you in G post:) Thank you for noticing. Love the way you say 'fold was over-flowing'.

      Delete
  5. Sharmila6 April 2018 at 15:05

    Another lovely blog Arti ! Liked your list and the order it was put in !

    French of course was my favourite(st?) because of the entry of the naujawaan ,albeit not astride a stallion but a bike ! I really didn't know how you both had met till now -sorry ! Very,very romantic indeed !
    What is even more lovelier is Arshia's velvety French song -tres bien ma cherie !! (Our,my French is truncated too !)

    Fish and chips happens to be our son.Dhanajay's favourite too- remember our trip to London where he savoured it for six out of the ten days that we were there !

    Thank God its Friday and a very good way to end the week was with this lovely blog .

    Shukriya !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:33

      I will pass on your compliments to Arshia. And for lunch today, we will be oven-baking pre-made fish and chips. Thank heavens for M&S food which is now available in Doha.

      Delete
  6. Emily in Ecuador6 April 2018 at 15:09

    Arisha is talented with an amazing voice! Please let her know her French song has made it to Ecuador.
    How funny that romance ruined your chance to learn a romance language! Trevor Noah is great.

    Thanks for another fun post, Arti!

    Emily In Ecuador | Fish Market - Puerto Lopez

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:34

      I'm sure Arshia will be thrilled to know:) Thank you Emily.

      Delete
  7. lissa6 April 2018 at 17:54

    these are my favorite things too, I can't speak a single word of French but the language is beautiful to me.

    my favorite things is a long list because there's always things to add but today my five favorite things are a good book, rain, blogs, music and chocolate.

    have a lovely day.

    my latest a-z post is:
    firmament

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:35

      Hey Lissa. Long lists bully me, so I tend to keep them short:)
      Thank you for visiting.

      Delete
  8. Doree Weller6 April 2018 at 20:57

    Yes to all of these!
    Doree Weller

    ReplyDelete
  9. Shilpa Garg6 April 2018 at 20:57

    Friends, Fish and Chips, Family and Funny Jokes would feature in my list too!
    Aww your love story is so sweet and oh-so-romantic, Arti! ♥

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    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:37

      Cheers Shilpa. What can I say? I'm a hopeful romantic:)

      Delete
  10. Deborah Weber7 April 2018 at 02:19

    What a lovely post Arti. And I think the love language you found tops French any day! :-) Happy Friday, and happy weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Su-sieee! Mac7 April 2018 at 05:46

    I've enjoyed your post. Sweet and fun. Your daughter has a beautiful voice and sound.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:38

      Thank you Su-siee. I shall pass on the compliment to my daughter:)

      Delete
  12. Seema Kohli7 April 2018 at 05:48

    Loved your post and especially Arshia's gorgeous song and her beautiful voice! You're right my top list is family, friends and food. Trevor Noah is my all time favourite!

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    Replies
    1. Arti7 April 2018 at 11:39

      No wonder we are sisters, sis. love you. xx

      Delete
  13. Mail Adventures7 April 2018 at 12:11

    I love the song!
    Bests things or life aren¡t things. So I can say that family, friends and French are also among my favourite things, now I come to think about. I could include my sister, whose name starts by F.

    There is never too late to learn French!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti8 April 2018 at 10:25

      I will let Arshia know. Thank you Eva.

      Delete
  14. Pinkz Passion10 April 2018 at 12:28

    Catching up on your posts at this early wee hours here in Toronto. Until I give you a warm hug in person, sending an e-hug for all your beautiful writings. Love and blessings for Arshia ❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti3 February 2019 at 08:32

      Thank you Pinkz. Reading your comment today: 3rd Feb 2019! Glad to get the e-hug and blessings for Arshia. Sending you love back via this comment. xx

      Delete

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