Prezzo

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life.

For years now (or what has felt like years), I have wanted to do a presentation to my team. We have safety meetings every month and at each meeting, there is a section where one of the staff members go up on  the podium and introduces themselves.

They talk about what they do, where they come from, what their interests are and I have always been so keen to present. To share with them my side of the story. To showcase the talents of others. I wanted to play the guitar while Sumitra serenades them with her jazzy smooth like voice.

I finally presented yesterday and it was exhilarating! When I stood up there, I felt all fear subside and I was at peace. The thoughts flowed through my mind with my ease and I found myself staring at a crowd of audience that was interested in what I was saying. So I kept talking and talking. And there were times when they laughed. When they laughed a hearty laugh.

They were intrigued. Astonished. Amazed. Proud. And I felt at one with myself.

It took me a few weeks to prepare for the presentation but in fact, I have been mentally preparing myself for years now.

The thing is, I did not realise the significance of the event until I was collecting my clothes earlier. Because the same day, I met up with a staff member from the communities team. I have been wanting to shift across to the communities team for years. Years! To get back to what I really want to do. To write stories. To work with people. To help people. And there I was, sitting across from the superintendent of the communities team finding out what it was that they do.

That very evening, I hosted a ladies dinner for 9 of my friends. One of them was a guest speaker from GAIN. We talked about everything under the sun. From gynecology issues to sex to the effects of the pill to cultural impacts on the perception of female anatomy and the things that we as women never talk about. Things that are so close to us but are too afraid to talk. Maybe we do not know that it is okay to talk about it. Maybe we do not know that there are other people who are going through or who have gone through the same things as we are going through. Or even, that they will learn from your experiences and know what to do when they go through it themselves.

It was an night of revelation. A night of truth.

And degustation.

We had the dinner at my friend's restaurant which best seats up to 12 people. It was a seven course Japanese meal and it was amazing! Each dish was an explosion of flavours in the mouth and oh, it was oh so beautiful.

I have so much to be thankful for. So much.

But I did have a challenging day today. I had my first ECG. I had an electric shock from the photocopier and as part of my work's safety protocol where safety is paramount, I was sent to the GP for a check. It makes us take things for granted when a company looks after its staff so well.

Aside from that, I am in the process of understanding and being understood.

No, no tears will be shed today.

Here's to finally living.