CRISTINE FARINAS

From taking that leap of faith to living the peaceful life that I have always dreamed of, 2016 has been one amazing year. There were small challenges here and there but nevertheless, I've had the best year of my life.    There are so many great things to be thankful for in the last year but I am especially thankful for a couple of things: J, for taking the risk with me and taking me under his wings, and New Zealand for giving me the opportunity to reset my life, and  for the chance to build the "home" that I have always wanted with the man I love. New Zealand opened my eyes to a great deal of wonderful things and taught me a lot of valuable lessons. New Zealand will forever hold a very special place in my heart because it is where I found peace and genuine happiness. It is where I was able to spread my wings and lived a little more.  And with the good life that  I lived in the past year are the wonderful people around me who infused so much positivity into my

My Welly friends have started posting their summer photos and I can't help but wonder how it's like to be in Wellington in December.   I was looking forward to spending at least the first two weeks of December over there but unfortunately, our circumstances changed drastically. Summer Christmas was ruled out even before we left because we were coming back to England for the holidays regardless, so two weeks would have been enough for me to get that "summer Christmas feel". The last time I spent Christmas in a warm place was in year 2000 and I sort of miss it. For  now, all I can do is use my imagination and think of those things that I would probably see if I was in Wellington this time of the year. Before we left, the flowers were already in bloom. The lilies, dahlias and the daisies at the zigzag walkway by the church were flourishing. I've always wished I could pick those flowers whenever I passed by but they are privately owned. They were so beautiful i

There. I've said it. Yesterday I said something that drew concern amongst my friends and family. Since I wrote those strong words, I couldn't stop thinking whether I have done the right thing or not. What was I expecting to get from all that? Affirmation? I don't know. I just felt that I needed to be heard. To defend myself. I know that I am a very emotional person and I have the tendency to put my emotions into writing (publicly), but not to the extent of  dishing out something that perhaps people did not need to know. Recently though, I have been quite disturbed by some recurring events in my life that almost drove me to emotional distraction. I was over thinking and feeling like I have never done anything right in my life. Whoa! For a moment, I thought I was losing myself. But then I searched deeper and realised that it's all been about how people have made me feel in the last few years. Something triggered that nagging feeling that no matter what I do, I wi

Two nights ago, for the first time since 2001, I felt homesick. I suddenly missed Wellington so much that I actually cried. But instead of making myself a cup of tea to "make everything better", I found myself flicking through my camera and was comforted by photos of beautiful treats. It was that time when we went for a NZ$37 High Tea at the much raved about Louis Segeant in Featherston Street. As soon as we entered the Salon de The, my eyes caught an array of what I could only describe as edible art. It was like going into a museum of desserts. They looked so beautiful, I wouldn't even want to eat them.  I originally booked a table for four but at the last minute, one of our friends decided to join us. When I informed the staff, she immediately dressed another table. She was very accommodating. I would say that Louis Sergeant is a contemporary tearoom with a classic touch. When we went there, only a couple of tables were made for High Tea.  T

I have been staring at my computer for the last four hours, completely unsure whether I should even bother writing about our challenging move from the "coolest little capital of the world" to er, "smokey" London, or just forget all about it and move on to writing about my New Zealand experience instead.  But here I am now. I somehow managed to write that long opening sentence so I might as well continue. Time has surely gone by pretty quickly. It's now more than a month since we arrived back in London. Everything is good now but seriously,  it has been quite a stressful four weeks. I was already uptight even before we left Wellington, but my anxiety only grew deeper as days went by. As I watched stress unfold before me, I became more and more distant. I consciously blocked every positive thought about this place that I once called home.  I just didn't want to be here. I wasn't ready. It didn't help that I was constantly being reminded of t