 In the past, Memorial Day weekend marked on our calendars the start of summer, with scheduled or impromptu BBQ sprinkled on our summer calendars. Bodies had been honed for summer, ready for exhibition at your local pool or beach and summer great escapes just on the horizon. Now, the world is in chaos and the medical field is falling victim to a virus that they are fighting so valiantly to try and combat. Hopefully, there will soon be a day that honors our medics on the frontline of healthcare. On this day, however, we should take the time to honor those who have fallen in an effort to serve their people and their nation doing a job that is all to often a thankless task. During times of war a soldier is praised, during times of injustice a police officer’s reputation can be destroyed, and during times of a pandemic a nurse should finally received the elusive praise and spotlight that has long been deserved. Amongst this global pandemic, our military members are still serving abroad and with flight restrictions some deployments have extended into an unforeseeable end date. Some would say “this is what you sign up for”, yet it still doesn’t make it any easier for them to know they will miss out on birthdays and family celebrations or be able to assist loved ones who have suffered from the virus. Along with the uncertainty of a future return date, lies an ambiguity of what the situation will be like once a solider returns home. Where do they start? Who is still around? And what is the schedule to be able to go outside for a walk? For those people who fought this cruel battle and sadly did not survive, they won’t have to worry about those new nuances of life. Instead, their poor families will now have to figure out how they host a funeral service, whilst applying social distancing rules and deciding who can attend a greatly reduced church service.  Whether it’s the front lines of combat or the front line of a pandemic, the loss of life is still a heavy burden to witness.
Being a military brat during the gulf wars, I have witnessed losses. Being an adult in the middle of a pandemic we are all touched by this disease and many of us are now experiencing losses more close to home. At one point during this crazy weekend, we would take the time to show our respects for those who’ve fallen, but I suspect this time we will take the time to show our respects to those who are still fighting. Fighting for their lives. Fighting for their rights. Fighting to survive. Let us take the time now to pay our respects to those who unfortunately didn’t win their fight. For those whose loss burns so effervescently in our soul. For those who no one knows, unless you handle their tombstone. Thank you for your service. Thank you for all that you have done. Thank you for the life you gave; it’s true what they say. Freedom is not free. #MemorialDay #SummerTimes #Isadoraland #WildIsadora
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 I’ve just hopped in the Uber, I’ll meet you there in about 15 minutes. After a long exhausting week and several rescheduling attempts with my friend, requiring careful coordination between his night shift and my day shift we were finally able to meet up for lunch. Being a fine dining chef in his previous career, he still holds on to his passion whilst working abroad. Any opportunity he gets he researches new upcoming restaurants with vibrant menus, broadening his knowledge and giving him new ideas for creative new plates. It’s no surprise that I’m a foodie (more of an eater than a chef), I naturally get invited on such adventures, which can sometimes make my wallet a bit lighter. Like they say though…YOLO! We organized to meet at a restaurant inside The W Hotel – Doha, Qatar. Upon arrival I was greeted with a rather nice minimalistic design throughout The W lobby. The hotel itself is situated just across the bay of The Pearl, however this location is a bit out of the way for us, meaning we need to travel there via car. As mentioned earlier we were using Uber, which would allow us to partake in an alcoholic beverage, since this is one of the few hotels in Doha that serve booze. “Great, I could use a drink after this week,” he said as we arrived at the concierge desk, “ We’re going to the Spice Market. I read they have a good selection of veggie options.” I was sold! MY ORDER: Once entering Spice Market I noticed the Asian influenced décor paired with the low lighting throughout. The natural light coming from the floor to ceiling windows allowed the blazing afternoon sun to overflow into the dining area contrasting this subtle lighting. After much deliberation, we decided to order a la carte and along with a couple drinks to hold us over during the waiting period. I glanced over some options, but could honestly say there wasn’t as much vegetarian selection as I thought. However, I did ask the server if some of the main dishes were able to be adjusted to a vegetarian option and was informed yes, however there would be a wait time with the curry. As I was starting to verge on hangry, I thought it in everyone’s best interest to stick to the vegetarian dishes off the menu.
Upon arrival of the dishes, the smell of the freshly grilled King Oyster Mushrooms fused with the aroma of the red finger chili from the green curry filled the air. At this point I realized I ordered with my eyes instead of my head, but it was worth it. The minimal spiciness of the curry (I don’t do spicy…because… #heartburn. Just saying) mixed with the crunchy texture of the grilled king oyster mushrooms was the equivalent to a nice sauced up steak from a summer barby. Yes, I was once a meat eater. Almost simultaneously, the seared mushroom & rocket dumplings (which were originally meant to be our starters) appeared. I can’t remember if we asked for them to be served before the main course, but from what I could remember the server asked if we would like all the dishes served together or separate. Regardless, the dumplings were coupled with a sweet and sour sauce, crunched with every bite and peppered the taste buds with a sweet array of herbs, consisting of rocket and parsley. Then came desert, by far the most important part of any meal in my opinion. A beautifully crafted, delicately arranged delicious treat. Every bite consisted of a citrusy flavor married with the soft sponginess of the cake, whilst the meringue provided a cool wispy breeze across the taste buds. Such bliss that almost melts you with delight into your chair
Overall, there wasn’t much of a wait time; however, that could be due to the fact that we went on a weekday for lunch, in an area that normally has high traffic in the evenings.
The décor matched the Asian style of food of the restaurant; however, I am not really a fan of low-lit areas as it makes me feel too relaxed and the last thing I want to do is somehow fall asleep in a high-end restaurant. Not that I have narcolepsy, I just capitalize my time however I can and find a spot to take a nap. True story. The servers were very attentive and helpful with our orders, making sure to keep me abreast any non-vegetarian items, but most importantly made sure my chef friend was topped up with drinks. Hey, when you have a week like we do, you need a few. After finishing our meal, next came the bill. Although lunch may be the cheapest option in this restaurant, I would recommend going with a set menu. Between the drinks we ordered and the options we chose, I believe you would get more bang for your buck with the set courses. Even though it may not seem like it, go with the set menu. Trust me. As we parted ways from The W and I tried to not fall asleep in the cab from a food coma, my belly was very happy and full with my taste buds still dancing under the influence of the Asian flavored dishes. All this seems like so long ago, considering the current climate we are living in and although nobody knows when the new “normal” will take effect, this will definitely require a return visit. For more information or to book a table at the Spice Market click here. #MobileFeasts #SpiceMarketDoha #WHotel #WildIsadora #Isadoraland This article is not sponsored by the restaurant nor does it reflect the views of the restaurant or represents the restaurant in anyway. All effort has been made by the writer for the authenticity of the information herein about the restaurant. For up to date information, please click on the restaurant's website.
Thank you. These two simple words will never be enough to express the amount of gratitude I have towards a woman, who not only gave birth to me, but also gave me the encouragement to believe in myself no matter how I was feeling. The older I get the more I realize how fortunate I am and how demanding the role of motherhood can be and that I should count my blessings. The reason for this epiphany, you may ask? It’s quite simple. As of late I have been in a fortunate situation that has allowed me to observe my surroundings, working alongside the armed forces and I have come to the conclusion that the life of a military spouse can be hard most of the time, if not all of the time. Yet, my mother somehow managed to make the best of it. During a time when the Internet didn’t exist and career programs for military spouses were non-existent, my mother gave up her pursuit of a career in law after realizing that it would be impossible for her to fulfil the university requirements. This was a particularly bitter pill to swallow, only three credits shy of her final exam. After much contemplation and reluctance, she put her career dreams on hold and concentrated her efforts on motherhood. Fast forward a few decades later and I find myself travelling with my mum, on what I like to call her version of an Eat, Pray, Love Morocco edition. Key difference between the film and real life was that I was a tagalong. She was going through a particularly rough time and had asked me to come join her on this quest. I obliged, since she had been longing to go back after her first trip a few years earlier. This was the first trip that my mum had asked me to accompany her, since her remission of rectal cancer. She may have been in remission, however all was not well, as she had developed a hernia from the life altering cancer surgery. A hernia which no doctor, to this day, has ever been brave enough to remove due to her obesity. As a result, she is no longer able to walk long distances in continual stints and needs to take a break every once in a while, and sometimes needs assistance going up steep hills, which occurred a lot whilst we were trekking Morocco. Since this was a last-minute trip, we booked affordable flights due to budget constraints. We tend to live on a YOLO mentality; good for experiences, not so much on the wallet. My mum flew with one airline carrier and I flew with a variety of airline carriers, to ensure that I travelled via the cheapest route possible. After several hours of traveling across continents, we finally met in Casablanca.  From then on our trip was full of adventure. We were learning new traditions and customs, and like the film we were gaining a better understanding about ourselves each passing day. Along the way we met an assortment of different people, varying from traveling couples with a new-born baby, a large travelling family consisting of fifteen or more people, a wondrous soul, siblings traveling together, and mother-daughter duos who were on a similar physical and mental journey that we were on. The trip, surprisingly, ended up being the kind of backpacking trip I had always wanted to partake with my close mates. Sadly our trip came to a close and our departure date arrived, we gathered our belongings and headed to the airport so we could go our separate ways via different flight connections. My mum had to go back home, and I had prearranged a mini birthday celebration in Paris before going back home for the holidays. Once we arrived to the check in desk, I requested RAMP assistance for my mum to make her travel experience easier since she was already spent from the weeks of travel. A request that ended up turning our departure day into a nightmare. This one simple request raised questions about my mothers’ health, which snowballed into the decision that my mum was subsequently barred from her flight. As you can imagine I was distraught. My flight to Paris was leaving in just a few short hours and my mum had no way of boarding her flight. My mum who simply wanted a recovery-celebration-vacation would be stranded alone in a foreign country, if I boarded my flight. Since our trip was so last minute, I forgot to remind the banks we were going out of country and to top it off I forgot to pull cash out the cash point before leaving the hotel. All rookie mistakes I know, but lessons learned, nonetheless. I went into full panic mode (it resembled the five stages of grief really) and within an hour I eventually arrived to the final stage: acceptance. I accepted that my mums’ airline, for whatever reason DID NOT want my mum on their flight and had made it impossible for her to board. I had four hours before my flight was to depart and due to the time difference back home had no time to arrange alternative routes. Did I mention it was a holiday? With what felt like a full deck of cards stacked against me, I had to make a Miracle in the Airport happen and quickly. Then I had an epiphany and a plan was hatched  If I could get my mum on my flight to Paris, which with a different airline carrier, we could meet in Paris and then go on our separate ways. This would buy some time whilst businesses opened, and funds were released into my account again.
What I realized on that trip (more than the multitude of trips I have taken with my mum) is the power of a mother’s sacrifice. My mum fought tooth and nail to avoid boarding the Paris flight and leaving me by myself without a ticket in hand. She wanted to stay in airport in Morocco until she could get a flight, an idea I refused profusely. In the end I was forced to lie to my mum so she would board the flight. Once the changes were made and my mum left on the flight to Paris, I contacted United for the next available flight. My only hope and my last chance to get out the country was with an airline that I usually avoid booking. The service is great; however, the prices don’t agree with my wallet at times. Nevertheless, United Mileage Plus came through and I was on the red-eye flight to Pairs via the Star Alliance Partnership. After returning from Morocco, my mum had a renewed desire to go back to school to pursue her law degree. The trip as well as her big birthday, gave her pep in her step to continue living and to fully pursue her future. Long conversations with admission clerks and a daunting registration process followed; however, after month long communications she’s finally enrolled for her degree which would allow her to pursue her career in law by becoming a law student. Fast-forward to the present day and my mum’s tenacity is still going strong. Anything she sets her mind to, she accomplishes. Most of the times she brings her kids along for the ride. At the end of each journey we are able to look back and realize how much she has taught us in the process. For me the trip to Morocco was definitely one of these journeys. As for what ended up happening in Paris? I arrived the day before my birthday. I met up with my mum and managed to spend the day with her at Le Tour Eiffel, it was one of the best birthdays I have experienced. Mercí mama. Mercí pour tout. Mercí beacoup. Click here to read more of her adventures. #MothersDay #EiffelTower #SundayReads #WildIsadora #Isadoraland This article is not sponsored by any of the aforemention companies, nor does it reflect the views of the companies mentioned or any members of the Star Alliance or represents the member's of the Star Alliance in anyway. All effort has been made by the writer of this blog for the authenticity of the information herein about the situations herein listed.  Production still from a university project titled "Quarantine". You read it correct. Exactly 10 years ago, I was walking the uninfected streets of South London and attending class about a block from where I lived. Around this time, my classmates and I received our brief on our new spring term module. The objective of the module was to discover the art behind sound design; having most of my background in photography or illustration, sound design seemed extremely foreign. As the weeks progressed and things didn’t go to plan (as tends to happen in production), we finished our short film and were assessed on our project in the shark tank, as I so affectionately named our review room. I thought shark tank was an appropriate name, as within this room our films would be reviewed, assessed, and then we had to defend our projects from being ripped to shreds; it built character. Despite how awful we thought the project might have been we finished our assessment unusually unscathed, to which we later celebrated at our local pub, as was the norm after an assessment. We thought nothing further of the film. Ithought nothing further of the film…until now. With the current pandemic and the state of the world, I was reminded of the short film that was long ago archived in my brain. After trying to find a copy of the short to no avail, I managed to find copies of our production stills instead. The title of the production, you ask? Quarantine. Who would have thought 10 years ago this short would be so relevant today. Moreover, who would have thought we would have used a name that precisely expresses the worlds current situation. Ten years ago, zombie apocalyptic themes were rampant in the film production industry. Everywhere you turned there seemed to be a new apocalyptic movie or TV series coming out. In fact, if I remember correctly, 2010 is when the first season of Walking Dead aired. I have always said art mimics life when it comes to what gets released to the general public for entertainment purposes, but it has never hit me as much as it has now as I think back throughout the years. As a result, I bring to you the top five films that were way ahead of their time and also gave us some know-how on what to do during a contagious global health crisis. TOP FIVE QUARANTINE PREDICTION FILMS Contagion (2011) : Number one for a reason. This is art imitating life for a reason, because this is our current reality at present. Who knew that something created 9 years ago could be used as our basis of knowledge for today’s pandemic. Weird how things always start with bats…  World War Z (2013) : Although taking place in the aftermath of contracting a virus, i.e. zombie status, there are a few gems of information that are beautifully expressed in the film, if you’re paying attention. For example, throughout the film Brad Pitt’s character, Gerry Lane, is exposed to a variety of external fluids on his skin which include, zombie blood on his face. In the film Gerry counts 5 seconds to see if he will have an immediate response from the virus. After realizing that the virus is not transferred through glands Gerry continues running. A minor, yet, highly informative scene that is helpful in today’s environment.  The Andromeda Strain (1971) : I have to admit I haven’t thoroughly watched this film as I would love to claim. However, from what I have watched there are some informative scenes that have carried out in almost every epidemic movies I have seen. Although a bit extraterrestrial, it is very much deserving of being mentioned.  Resident Evil : Since I could remember, this has been the source of all my zombie nightmares. I’m talking about the video game, as I vowed never to watch the films. Until I watched the first Resident Evil and remembered why I didn’t want to watch the film in the first place. This film will always be a cult classic. Although massively apocalyptic, what we’ve learned is that you should never work near a test lab.  28 Days Later : Some would argue both 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later are to be mentioned in this list; however, I have only thoroughly watched 28 Days Later to offer an opion. Although, it has been a while. Brief synopsis, highly-contagious rage-inducing virus is accidentally released to the general public in Great Britain after animal liberation activists release infected chimpanzees into the populace. The film then follows four survivors who have to find a way through a societal collapse to live another day. Moral of the story? Don’t take virus tested animals out of a test laboratory. Ever. BONUS!! Survivors (1975 & 2008) : Although this is more of a TV show, the similarities to current day life qualified this BBC show onto the list as an added bonus. The show was originally written by Terry Nation with the 2008 version based on Terry Nation’s novel, Survivors. I never had a chance to watch the 2008 version, however, from what I noticed on the 1975 trailer, the TV show is as accurate as Contagion. There you have it folks, a little reminder that we’ve thought ahead of this pandemic and have left each other hidden gems throughout our entertainment media. Hopefully, this list also provides a new list of things to watch that is, if you haven’t re-watched them already.
Stay safe out there everyone and wash your hands ya filthy animal. #Qarantine2010 #CoronaVirus #SundayReads #WildIsadora #Isadoraland This article is not sponsored by any of the aforemention productions, nor does it reflect the views of the companies attached to such productions or represents the productions in anyway. All effort has been made by the writer of this blog for the authenticity of the information herein about the productions herein listed. For current information on each production, please visit their perspective links.  Moon Party by Leonardo Katz “Easter is the only time when it’s perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket.” For some, this weekend is a bank holiday.
For the majority, it’s also a lockdown. Around this time of year, I usually don my Easter bunny ears and attempt to get a bag of chocolate eggs, to distribute to anyone who is lucky to be around me (minus a couple for taste tests). I believe Easter is one of those few times of year, were it is perfectly acceptable to take candy from a stranger, besides Halloween. If I happen to be instructing during this time of year, I have the privilege to participate in an Easter egg hunt, which lets be honest is the highlight of any person’s day. I may not meet the age restrictions, but the child inside of me is so excited when I get to join in the in the hunt for those elusive treats. Today we have to celebrate Easter in a different way. Instead of physically going out to a community Easter egg hunt or attend a church service, we will say hello to our loved ones via some form of video chat. Maybe we thought ahead and ordered the Easter baskets before the lockdown. Families with little tots will have become creative and hatched (see what I did there) their own version of an Easter egg hunt. Those who normally attend an Easter Sunday service will do so virtually in their homes. If there is anything that can be learned from this pandemic is that we, as a species, improvise, adapt, and overcome. Life will carry on. Before the pandemic it was predicted that our lives would transition into a virtual lifestyle, constantly connected to electronics, in which our daily lives would be similar to a scene in Wall-E. However, I disagree. We have learnt throughout this period that as humans, we are social animals. Social animals that find it hard to survive without the warm greeting of a hug (for those of you that do hug) or a causal meet up with a neighbor or friends. We have all learnt that although virtually connected, we still crave physical contact with our loved ones and that communal gatherings, even just in a bar, makes us feel less alone. The thread that ties our core being is our social interaction and social bonding. We can innovate our interactions and adapt our approaches, but at the end of the day there is still a yearning for human interaction. A yearning that will hopefully soon be resolved. So post those pictures of Easter baskets, made with whatever you have spare in your homes, arrange a virtual Sunday roast with the family and enjoy your chocolate eggs. No matter what life brings us, we will adapt, we will carry on, and we will thrive. We will get through this and in future we will be better humans for experiencing it. Stay safe. Stay strong. Happy Easter everyone!! #HappyEaster #SundayReads #WildIsadora #Isadoraland |
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