Oh what a day!

So … left the house just before 7am allowing plenty of time to get to Earl’s Court. Ready for Day 1 of the LBF 2009.

5 hrs later, still in car … Got there just after midday (A4 had issues as did a road near Earl’s Court which seemed to bring that part of London to a complete standstill … bah humbug)

5 hrs and 15 mins later arrived at the now polished and utterly fabulous looking interiors of Earl’s Court. Stands painted, carpeting laid out, everything looking like a book world mini-city! 

Approached stand Y285, greenbirds, to find that 8 copies of Catch a Fish from the Sea (Using the Internet) had been stolen.

Was advised by a colleague to not display them on Sunday as we were setting up stand.

‘Oh no .. come on! No-one will help themselves, people have too much respect here,’ I remember saying.

I don’t know who it was, members of the public or contractors (although from the transformation of the interiors, to be honest, I doubt that the contractors had time and probably worked through the night to get the place looking the way it is looking right now), but I must say am extremely disappointed…

If that wasn’t bad enough, cannot remember if entered Congestion Charging Zone but have paid the £8.00 charge ‘just in case’, during that period that was driving around whilst trying to find alternative routes due to Talgarth Road being closed I may have entered the CC zone. Bah humbug again.

Mayor Johnson, Sir, Boris .. oh the lengths you go to to gently ease me into using public transport …

The first steps are always the hardest

 

As I mentioned in another post today, went to set up the greenbirds’ stand for London Book Fair 2009.

greenbirds is a first time exhibitor at the annual and prestigious industry event that is the London Book Fair. Been a day of mixed emotion; there was a part of me that didn’t want to go ahead with the exhibition. And nearly stayed in bed when it came to trekking over to Earl’s Court for stand build-up.

Walked in and everything was bare. The greenbirds’ stand (Y285) is opposite the Cook Book stand and the contractors were still installing the equipment when we arrived at 8am. I looked over to our stand … what were we going to do. How were we going to prepare it??!  No-one was there, the carpet had not been laid out, everyone was running late, how would they get it finished for tomorrow morning when the visitors start pouring in through the doors???

PANIC MODE !!! Arggggggggggggggggh!!!

But … there was no other solution but to deal with it, and so reluctantly .. found myself trying to figure it out.  When I left the stand earlier today, it looked like in the picture above and I walked away proud ..  ♥

I am glad I did not give in to my fear. You don’t know what something will be like until you face it. And that is always the scariest part, but then again:

When just starting out on a new journey it’s only natural to feel vulnerable. After all, it may seem that you have much to lose. But may I remind you that never again, at any other point in the same journey, will you have so much to gain.”

Mike Dooley

 

( … That reminds me: Mayor Boris Johnson is at the opening of the LBF tomorrow …  hmm … will be a good chance to confront him about that parking ticket that was enforced upon me recently – hmpff! )

British Muslim and … love?

Dean Collins (aka Jummy Corkhill from British soap of long ago, ‘Brookside’) asked me recently, when I was on his radio show (he is now a DJ for City Talk 105.9fm) that people may find it strange to come across my story: a British Muslim who sets on a journey to find love.  Yes folks, it’s true, Muslims also love and they seek love too (we just go about it perhaps in different ways).

If you don’t believe me, here is the Author Personal Note from Catch a Fish from the Sea (Using the Internet):

Life is an amazing thing: a blessing, test, gift, teacher, mentor, friend, enemy, emperor, gladiator, passing phase… a mirage. Most of us seek the meaning of life during our short existence.This search will encompass a myriad of delights.One of these delights is finding someone who will journey with you through the splendour of this amazing thing we call life.

This book is about one woman’s search.A search of hope that one day a heart, by Divine Will, would come to honour her with love and mercy contained therein. It is a true story.It is my story.

This book has been the result of much heartache and pain, laughter and tears, disappointment and fears, dark days, darker nights, spells of sunshine, roller coasters, and a whole host of other emotions that I cannot even begin to describe; some I dare not imagine.

This book is for all those who have ever experienced that endless maze of trying to find a hand to hold and, despite their despondency,still carry in their hearts that stubborn hope that someday, someway, they will find that one person …

 

So here’s to dreams; those realised, those yet to conquer, and those that will never come to be.

 

Legal notice 

My baby is 1 years old today!

If someone had said to me years ago that not only would  I write a book but I would design and illustrate the cover too;  that with help from the Prince’s Trust I would set up the publishing company that would publish that book;  that the broadcaster and journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown would write a glowing foreword to that book; that it would go on to be nominated for The Book to Talk About 2009;    that the media would dub me the ‘real life Asian Bridget Jones’;   and that my autograph would appear on the other side of the page to Sir Paul McCartney

 ... then never would I have believed them.

 (It is amazing how far a little drive and an ounce of determination can get you isn’t it?)

 

 Life is strange.  You just don’t know what is in store for you. One thing is for certain though: you must always keep reaching out for your dreams.

 

 On February 23rd 2008 my baby, my book ‘Catch a Fish from the Sea (Using the Internet)’ was born. A year later, today on this day, I look back and I am quite tearful that what was once a dream is now a reality.

 

 Getting to where I am now has been an amalgamation of much emotion. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes something in between. But throughout I am so glad that I listened to that voice inside, telling me that I had to carry on, no matter what happened.

 My article entitled ‘Living the Dream’ for Open magazine can be found here

So for now, my darling, take my wishes and may life be kind to you. I pray that you are safe, safe from harm and hatred and that you bring joy to all those who are touched by you, because without doubt, you are one of the best things that could ever have happened to me. I love you, thank you for loving me too.

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