Well today's Father's Day and I just wanna scream out from the top of my lungs:

I have the best father in the world. And I care not what you think about this. He is EVERYTHING I could ever have wanted and if I had the chance to trade him, I. WOULD. NEVER. He has made me into everything I am today and people still say I look just like him, so looks are included in that package. I remember when I used to get him upset or flustered and he used to say this man called 'Chiney Bunny' (DON'T ASK) was really my father and I should go find him. Well Dad, if I am a jacket, THE JACKET FITS. To this day, he is one of my closest friends and THE man in my life. He gets the news first. He gets my love. He gets the two hour conversations talking about everything and nothing. *tear*

Being in Kingston and him in MoBay, I'm not able to celebrate this day as I want to with him but I just thought I would share this poem with you guys. I wrote this for Dad on a Father's Day past but I think it's still as relevant now as it was then.

The World's Greatest Dad

In the world we live in, it takes a special man to

Love his daughter, without condition
Older she gets, the more it grows
Value she has to him, makes his heart glow
Even in the worst days, his love always shows

Young and carefree she may be, wild and running about
Older, wiser one is he, always telling her not to shout
Upset though she may get, she even starts to pout

Dad is always right you see, that's without a doubt
Any day he calls on her, she'll be right by his side
Deathbed though he could be on, she knows he'll never hide
Due love and affection from a father to his child
You are very special to me, and I am very glad
    Because God truly blessed me when he gave me the world's greatest dad!

I'd also like to take the opportunity to wish a Happy Fathers' Day to ALL the fathers I know and even the ones I don't. Every man that steps up to the plate and takes care of his child as his full responsibiliy, even though the world today has it as an option, I salute and deeply respect you.

A very very ultra special shoutout to the top 3 father/child combos (sounds like a Happy Meal) I've seen in the past year - Javette (@jah_vetted) and his son, Garth (@ohGarth) and his daughter and Gareth (@garethmdaley) and his daughter. You all are awesome men, amazing friends and even greater fathers! One needs to know you for only a few hours to witness the radiating love and care you have for your child. Keep up the good work. *applause*

This is one of the personal blogs. I’m letting you into my life a little bit.

Considering several factors including my current job situation (that a few of you may be aware of) and the fact that I am getting to loathe the 9-to-5 day job system, I have found a new job. While it’s still in the marketing field, perhaps even more so, its not exactly what I was doing before. I can say however that it is not a traditional ‘day job’ and I’m loving every minute of it. I really think I could have found ‘my thing’ with this one...but not a lot of people know and I’m still working at my other job so don’t tell anyone. (And we now wonder why I’m sharing it here right? Well, hardly anybody reads my blog anyway, LOL.) So if anyone has been asking why I haven’t written a post in so long, this is the reason. I’m swamped. Hardly any sleep and very full days. But when I can see a goal clearly and know how much my input is needed to get there, I do whatever I need to do.

I know some people might be surprised at hearing about the ‘new home’ but calm down. I love where I am living and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon (I hope). The new home I am actually referring to is... Wordpress. Yes, you heard me, I’m moving the blog folks! While Weebly weaned me into blog creation and I had fun moving elements around, I do think it’s time I graduated, and Wordpress is calling my name. Not so sure exactly when the final transition will be, what will be kept and what will stay here but I know one thing, I’m changing the name for sure. It’s no longer ‘Growing Pains’ cuz truthfully, regardless of the down days, my life is pretty awesome. So since you guys have been observing and you know me so well, I’m gonna ask you to help me come up with a name. I’d love if we kept the Strange Individual part though, because I still think I’m strange and people keep telling me that everyday. It could be a play of the current name or maybe my Twitter name, @Iamthestrange1. I really don’t know. You guys decide and let me know! Comments are more than welcome. As a matter of fact, COMMENTS ARE MANDATORY! Grrr....just playin’....no I’m not...maybe.

And finally, yes I have grown. Much of it in the past year which I’m dubbing my transition year, out of school mode and into working for the rest of my life. The Bank of Fred (aka daddy’s pockets) has officially closed down and I’ve expired my loan limit, and I am here fending for myself. While it’s exhilarating to know I’m making my own path now, sometimes it gets downright scary. At those times, I just wanna reminisce to the good ol’ days. Nowhere better for that than Facebook pics. While scanning through these the other day, I came across some gems that I really adore. This one I particularly love because it screams so much in just one image: my best friend and I, partying; me, one of the slimmer versions; fun, fun, fun, fun (Rebecca Black style); acting crazy and silly without a care in the world – that ‘cup’ is actually a fixture at the venue and we broke it (oops, did I say that out loud?). Overall, I just miss these days...

PS. How random is this post? I just wrote anything that came to my head. Hope ya’ll enjoyed it anyway....NOW COMMENT...pretty pwease?!

Here’s to wishing we could have a relationship resume.

No longer would we have to question, is this person suitable, competent, fit to be my man. Does her past experience match with mine or is something I’m interested in?  Are we compatible? Do we share the same likes and interests? Do we have the same goals; can our lives work together in the future? No more!

The Relationship Resume will give you all this information. From place of birth, to favourite subject to current job to ability to WRITE A PROPER SENTENCE to penis size (or vagina diameter, LMAO); it’s all included. Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Some people claim the joy is in finding out all these things together. Me, I don’t think so. Since I am a huge fan or practicality and logic, I see no reason why the relationship resume should not exist. After all, we do create a resume for our professional lives, right? To eliminate the guess work of our future employer, we get all our abilities and experiences down on paper. These are the things that have shaped us into what we are today. A relationship is no different.

Quite frankly, I’m tired of talking to or dating a guy for two or three months to realize there is that one deal breaker, the significant hurdle that we just can’t overcome. Today’s relationships have so much ways they can go wrong – there are no set laws governing, people are getting increasingly more risqué and outrageous with their cheating habits and both marriage and divorce rates are higher than ever. Wouldn’t it be great to eliminate some of the factors that attribute to this? Why waste your time dating a guy and falling in love to find out that one thing that makes you run away and get heartbroken?

For me, it’s not worth it.

Now I acknowledge that the resume idea may not catch on so easily and some people might be lazy to create one (just like their professional resumes). So from now on, all guys interested in me will have to fill out this...

I present, THE OFFICIAL BOYFRIEND APPLICATION:

Tell me I’m not crazy here. Am I the only one who thinks this would be a perfect solution to some many of our complicated relationship problems? I mean, don’t we all want to eliminate the clutter and find the perfect candidate for the job?

I went on one of my legendary Twitter rants this morning. This time, it was about the fact that females tend to get way too involved with other people's affairs. I don't care if a woman is fat, ugly, bald and taking ten men at a time, unless one of the men is my own. I'm of the strong belief that if it doesn't affect me or my life, it's not something to concern myself with. Rather than misquote myself or changing the tone/mood I was in when tweeting, I'll just copy these tweets here...

Blast technology to hell!

I was just two seconds away from finishing a beautiful blog post about my love for Latin dance (and all things Spanish really, including the men, va-va-voom) when GOOGLE CHROME becomes 'unresponsive' and asks me if I want to kill the page. In my head, I am saying 'YES I WANT TO KILL YOU. TORTURE YOU SLOWLY THEN STAB YOU IN THE HEART!" but my hand clicks the 'Wait' button instead because I really, really, really didn't want to have to rewrite that post. Unfortunately for me, Chrome was thinking the same thing I was thinking. It did not want me to 'wait', it wanted to die - so I killed it. Now I restart it, breathe new life into it and what does it do for me? Oh, only lose EVERYTHING I WROTE FOR THE PAST 20 MINUTES! Grrrr.....

To top that off, my dumb phone has not been working all weekend. Serves me right for depending on a Blackberry (oh please, like you haven't heard the stories). Now I have three batteries because of this unreliable thing - not that I can use any of them because di ediat phone nah charge! Apparently it become so stush and temperamental that only a wall charger is good enough to be stuck in its opening. And common old USB's are all I have. Oh well...if you trying to call and can't get through, that's probably why (well that and I probably don't want to talk to you anyway).

I am sick and tired of technology. I'm going Amish I swear to you. I can't stand it no more...

By the way, I know I'll regret this in the morning. Truth is, I love technology, I love the internet, I love my Blackberry (not my phone of choice but its mine and it has served well #teamiPhone) and I really really seriously love you Google....but you guys just get me really upset sometimes. What? You want to work it out? How you plan to do that? Exactly, see what I mean...you can't change the past and I don't see you doing anything to rectify the future.

What a wonder I never lose this post too...

Gone a my bed yah....

DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE COMMENTS! ;D

I am!


See, I've never gone to a gym in my life. Sure I've glimpsed a few in passing, seen 'em on TV a couple times but I've never actually used one...ever.

Not that I haven't had reason to though. See, when I was younger, up until about age 17 or so, I was ALWAYS the fat girl. Being fat is a personal problem all in itself, but listening to classmates tell you that you're fat and then coming home and having your parents tease you all the time does NOT contribute to healthy psychological development. My self-esteem was gone before it ever came.

So yeah, I could have done with a gym. It was only natural then, that once I got the opportunity to make the decision while in college, I started looking for a gym to go to. Then I found out, oh my WOW, gyms are expensive as hell! I'm supposed to pay that much money for all the torture devices they have in there and the pain they are putting me through. At that time, the only income I earned was an allowance from my dad and that was just enough to keep me alive. Hell to tha no...

Then something miraculous happened -- I started shedding pounds like a mother*. Yay! I got skinnier, I got attention, I got to shop in the regular section of the department store, things were happening to me. And I wasn't doing a damn thing! Life was awesome...

Until school ended. I started working a NINE HOUR A DAY job, sitting down at a little cubicle all day long except for that one special hour where I got to eat food. And due to my choices of some meal with oil-soaked french fries or othere equally unhealthy jun, wouldn't you know it, my ass got fat again. Only this time, my weight gain was off the charts. I was gaining back the weight even quicker than I lost it.

Adding to these weight gain factors, I was going through a rough personal phase of my life. As a result of this rough personal phase I decided that celibacy may be the key to unlocking my true destiny (I know what you are thinking, trust me, I think I'm crazy too sometimes). But that topic is for another post.

Now since the sex was my only form of activity whatsoever, I was now left severely lacking (in more ways than one). I started looking for weight loss alternatives. I found out about a dance class and decided that I would get involved. Did it for a month and while it was super fun and awesome, the weight has not budged. I. Just. Can't.

I'm through the revolving door and I'm now back at the gym starting point. Only now, I'm afraid. For several reasons. I'm afraid to have to walk into that place with my fat ass and get judged by all the skinny, in-shape people who've been going to gyms all their lives. I'm afraid that after paying for the gym costs AND personal trainer (cuz I would have no clue what to do first) that I would send myself into a poorhouse. Most of all, I'm afraid that it may be too difficult and I will bail out and not go back.

So now what do I do?

Pls, it's not that I have a problem with fat. OR even that I think I'm all that fat *jiggles thighs*. I just wanna fit into my nice clothes again...

*waddles away*
DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE COMMENTS! ;D

Mi nuh usually do di patwa ting and mi a try real hard nuh fi promote suss and drama but NOOOOOO SAAAAAAHHH! Dis girl need fi have a seat >>. {\__/}

Now explain to mi how dis work...

Yuh man si mi, like mi, want up mi good-up, good-up baddy. Obviously him neva did a tink bout you when him did a PING off mi phone fi one year straight and me neva even know seh you exist...

Mi tell him up front seh mi nuh want him. Him still a pree mi like the Earth a guh collapse and a me alone can save him. So wah, a nuh my fault...

Den you just happen fi move come inna my house. Mi nain know you and you nain know me. ACCIDENTALLY mi find out seh you and him deh from way back when. If mi did want him, mi nain haffi tell yuh but di nigga was of NO CONSEQUENCE and mi did glad fi get him offa mi case so mi delete di likkle dutty bwoy PIN and tell him don’t call back mi phone...

Afta you well get heated a talk bout yah guh pizen him because a bare bun him a gi yuh, and him act like seh fi deh wid one woman and look one nex one when di two a dem inna di same house a nuh no big deal, YUH GUH DEH BACK WID HIM AND BRING HIM BACK A DI YAAD...

Mi not even a pree yuh cuz IDGAF. But one fine vacation day morning mi get up outta my room fi see one random man a pass through my house when NUHBADDY ELSE NUH DEH DEH and him have your key, a bathe inna fi yuh bathroom and a put on clothes inna fi yuh bedroom AND YOU DEH A RERK???

Plus di mount a time mi see man guh inna yuh room a night time and den hear seh u lef dem a di yaad when yuh gawn bout your business and nuhbaddy nuh know seh dem deh deh? (Bitch, dat’s how people get RAPED by the way, not that you give a flying rat’s ass)

So when you have di AUDACIOUSNESS (a wah, a nuh LA alone can mek up word) fi come faas inna fimi private conversation fi come tell your man bout how mi a write up bout him (when dat nigga don’t even cross my mind since him show him true dogging, whorin colours), and him com text me wid some VERY CHOICE WORDS bout how him betta nuh see nutten bout him pon mi blog, mi did WELL SHOCK!

Suh when mi guh mek di move now fi return your ‘wide open mout’ fava and tell him seh him fi stop pree mi and mi business and start pree him nasty whorin gyal and di nightclub list a ppl she hav a roam bout inna mi yaad, yuh fi SIDDUNG AND TEK IT!

How dare you com a tell di werl and him raas modda bout MI A TRY LOOK YUH MAN???

Me...university degree having, not-short-of-suitors-F-Y-I, paying my own rent wid a job ur ass could only dream of....

Looking...

Your...still in school, not earning a friggin cent, can hardly chat much less write a full sentence, country-bumpkin ass, whorin, dutty, stinkin, cheatin, lyin scoundrel of a man?

BITCH PLEEEEEAAAASE!!!!!!!! GET A HOBBY – fix yuh face, find out why yuh man need fi fling him dick inna every corner a di planet, plait di hair dem pon yuh pumpum....SUPP’N!

But DONT DWEET! Yah hear mi, DON’T DWEET!

DISCLAIMER: I’m rarely ever like this but some people just bring out the worst in me.

I know what you're thinking. 'Day 16? Where the hell is Days 1 through 15?' Well, you can find those here. See, for a while I was doing the 30 Day Blog Challenge but then I stopped. I don't remember why. So since I no longer have a valid reason for stopping (and I probably never did anyway), I will continue.

Generally, when I see a man and his child, my heart melts. I think its the most beautiful thing in the world and I can't help but smile. So naturally, when I read this topic, this is what came to mind. So I was about to Google to find the cutest father/child picture I could find when it hit me. I saw the perfect one not so long ago...

Why does this photograph make me smile? (No, not because the cute guy is shirtless.) It's because I think the strongest and most beautiful love is that of a father to his child. And in a society where fathers abandon their responsibilities so often, it warms my heart to see the man that not only owns up to his creation, but will do anything for his child.

The picture above is of a person I recently met (friend of a friend). From the moment we had our first conversation I immediately respected him for the way he spoke about his son. Not as another responsibility or task, but truly like an extension of himself. And although I am not yet a mother (knocks on wood), it is moments like these that make me want to have a child to have this experience. All it takes for me to feel an overwhelming sense of joy is to see a picture just like this one.

Another reason it makes me smile to see this is because of my father. He is the most amazing man. No matter the circumstances or how stern he may have been when he didn't approve of my actions, he was always there. And I know he didn't have to be. Everyday I think of him I realize that there is absolutely no way I could have been half the person I am today if that man wasn't in my life. He has taught me too much of what I know. I am so happy he decided I was worth the trouble. Up to this day, he's the first phone call in the morning and the last phone call of the day. We spend hours sitting and talking about anything and everything. Words cannot express how much I love him.

It is my wish that for everytime I see a picture like this, that child grows up knowing what I know. And that child respects, cherishes and loves their father as much as I do. It doesn't just take a functioning reproductive system to be a father, it takes moments like these.

PS. Thanks Jav for allowing me to use this pic. It really did make me smile.

So you know how I've always said that by age 30 I want to visit Dubai. Well, when I do (hopefully it will be sooner cuz I'm itching like crazy to go), this is where I'll be staying...

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you....

HYDROPOLIS!
The world's first and (currently) only underwater hotel.
The most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time.
The place that plagues my ever wandering thought.
The dream vacation that most pleasantly invaded my dream from ever since the first day I heard about it.

So in closing, I ask the following:

1. Do you know anywhere more beautiful?
2. Who's coming with me?
3. Do you know of any way I can get there anytime soon, job opportunity for example?
4. Would anyone like to sponsor my trip?

*goes off into Dubai dreamland 

I love this...

I’m a lesbian, so I must have a crush on every girl I see.

 I have alot of guy friends, so I must be fucking every single one of them.

I smile alot, so I must have the perfect life.

I listen to reggae, so I must be a stoner.

My opinion matters, so I must be a snob.

I’m black, so I must be ghetto.

I’m black, so I must be stupid.

I’m Mexican, so I must be low class.

I’m bisexual, so I must get around.

I’m straight up blunt, so I must be a bitch.

I like to drink, so I must be an alcoholic.

I don’t hang out with guys, so I must be a lesbian.

I cut myself, so I must be emo.

I’m bisexual, so I must be fucking my straight best friend.

I laugh and smile, so I cannot be depressed.

I like spending my day at home, so I don’t have any friends.

I am gay, so I must be bullied.

Most of my friends are dudes, so I must be a tomboy.

I’m on Tumblr, so I must have zero friends in real life.

I’m a Muslim, so I must be a terrorist.

I make alot of mistakes, so I must be stupid/retarded.

I strongly defend LGBT, so I must be gay.

I’m from a broken family, so I must be a rebel.

I like rasta colors, so I must smoke weed.

I’ve had sex, so I must be a slut.

I’ve made mistakes, so I must be untrustworthy.

I’m a Filipino, so I must be a maid.

I’m a Politician, so I must be corrupt.

I’m Blonde, so I must be really stupid.

I’m wearing a black shirt, so I must be emo.

I wear make up, so I must be a flirt.

I am a teenager, so I must be misunderstood.



Not my own words, I found it on this site (sorry I cant quote the actual name, I promised myself never to swear on this blog). You can also follow them on Twitter here.