discovering solace

• Eating rice and curry on a rainy Sunday afternoon. There's nothing that warm basmati rice, dhal, pol sambol and chicken curry can't cure. Besides, nothing and I mean nothing tastes as great and fulfilling as rice and curry.

• Sitting on the beach at Buba on a Sunday evening. Breathing in the salty air and the soft breeze rippling through your hair whilst watching the sea is quite relaxing.

• Curled up on a chair in boxers and a huge tshirt and watching Nigella Express.

• Ditto for Gossip Girl, Bones and Glee. Friends too.

• Walking by myself on the road while on my way to work in the morning. Allows me plenty of time to just think about anything. I love how the voice inside my head sounds at that time of day.

• Catching a whiff of really great perfume. Something that makes you stop in your tracks and look wildly around for the person wearing it.

• Hugs. Warm. Safe. Breathing in the person's perfume and letting it linger in your memories.

• Sitting on the wall at Galleface Green and watching the sunset with your friends' laughter in the background. Always makes me feel happy.

• Curling up on bed with soft pillows at Nanna's place during cousin sleepovers.

• Plus playing childish games with them cousins like Robin Hood, Boys and Girls and Hora Police.

• The warmth and aroma of Mama's brownies baking in the oven.

• Looking out the window during long car rides to Seenigama and listening to the Beatles.

• The first few days of a developing crush. When text messages make you smile unknowingly. When smiles from the 'other' make the butterflies in your tummy seem as though they're on a Red Bull high. When the very innocent flirting takes centre stage in your life. When, all of a sudden, you love how your name sounds when he talks to you or calls you. When eye contact with him keeps you wide awake at night, still thinking about it. When you are aware that the attraction is mutual but silence and exchange of shy smiles is all you need.

• Paying extra close attention to the tortoises and their antics.

• Cream crackers with ice cold strawberry jam. Fresh out of Nanna's fridge.

• Those occasional moments when inspiration hits you hard and you're frantically typing down thoughts into your phone. Almost giddy with excitement and scared that the inspiration will perhaps fade away.

• Suddenly waking up in the middle of the night, hungry and in desperate need of comfort food. Usually taken care of by shifting feet downstairs temporarily for warm soupy noodles or a mug of chocolate icecream sprinkled with Milo powder. Mama always finds this activity of mine rather strange.

• That awesome time of year when your school besties come down for vacation and you can spend hours catching up on school gossip, boys, life and that irresistible piece of chocolate fudge cake you had the last time vacation rolled around.

• Whipping out my camera and getting close-to-perfect shots of food.