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MahaMonday: Makin’ new friends

At Chai Latte Diaries, a woman in a new city is trying to make new friends. Only, many people are mean-girls: For you and the people you mention, simply understand…

MahaMonday: Settling & Body Image

At Chai Latte Diaries, I respond to a woman worried about body image and settling for the wrong man: On settling – this too is a valid fear, which I…

Crushes as Pillows

A couple of months ago a dear girlfriend was talking to me about a weird crush that she had on a man – weird because she knew it would never…

When I Self-Glamour

Ask my best friends – I have an uncanny ability to lie to myself and believe every single word of it. It’s how I delude myself into believing that someone…

On Jian Ghomeshi and Violence Against Women: Where Do We Go From Here?

For Elle Beaver, I wrote about what comes next – hopefully, if we do it right, the response to Jian Ghomeshi will help us become a safer society for the voices…

Making a lover of ugly

On Monday past, I received some stressful news which came with a jpeg. In defense of my incredible friend who sent me the message, they thought I would find the…

MahaMonday: A racist ex + prayers answered

At Elle Beaver, a wonderful woman was dumped because of her boyfriend’s racist father. You read that right…and it is in fact 2014. I yell about racism and then I…

A letter from my heart to your ears

Dear Fella: Everything I thought I loved about you has turned out to be completely and totally false. 2012 & 2013 were interesting years for my romantic life, teaching me…

MahaMonday: 2nd chances + 50 shades

This week, I am asked about the ‘ghosting’ phenomenon; men we’re dating, who then vanish, only to resurface months later as though nothing happened: “[…]when a man vanishes without grace…

MahaMonday: Daddy Issues n Dates

At Chai Latte Diaries, a beautiful little thing asks me what to do about her absentee father: The love and support which your father should have given you was never…

MahaMonday: Resenting him & his ex

At Chai Latte Diaries, I am asked how to manage a woman whose resentful of her new piece’s ex, but not for the reasons one might imagine: A suspicious heart is…

MahaMonday: Angry retired parent

At Chai Latte Diaries, a reader is asking about how to deal with a recently retired parent who is angry arguing with everyone and their mother: In great part, and whether…

This is DATING!

The last time I was officially part of a club was grade 8 Dungeons and Dragons club. I was the only girl; none of us were dating anyone, my crush…

Love Stories

For those of you who have lived here long enough, you know that I believe in the Friday Night Lights representation of Eric & Tami Taylor’s marriage. I believe it…

Gaza

Many of you are asking how I am doing and how my family is doing in Gaza. I’ve not been able to discuss anything much but have only managed to…

MahaMonday: Fiscal conservatism

Chai Latte Diaries, the question is whether to bankrupt oneself to meet a friend’s extravagant spending or not: “…understand that she is not under an obligation to “shell out more…

MahaMonday: Lonely Ramadan

At Chai Latte Diaries, I am asked how to deal with the often times challenging days of Ramadan and the loneliness they might carry within them:“Ramadan is a time of…

On potential and the ideal man

I believe in the possibility and potential of love, experienced through the unspoken pull of bodies toward one another, shock-waves physically lit up making us incapable of maintaining eye-contact for…

Laughter is the world’s top WMD

This baby has either just spied a nipp!e (this same expression he will carry with him for the rest of his life), or is laughing. Either way, he is edible…

Moving to be with your partner; how far would you go, ho?

A former colleague recently spent some time in my office telling me about her new piece. I shall call this friend ‘Green’. Piece resides in Texas, and so Green’s first…

MahaMonday: Slippery slopes

This one got folks riled up. Someone at Chai Latte Diaries asked me if he should ask her out again, a year after she said no. Me, I couldn’t see…

MahaMonday: Chemistry + break-up

At Elle Beaver, I’m asked for advice on how to handle and get over a bad break-up: “When she comes out of this, please remind her to open her heart…

Love on Venice Blvd

After an incredible couple of hours of faith and music filled conversation over lunch at Urth Caffe, I had to make my way home and so chose to walk along…

Maha Mondays: Speaking to strangers but not being creepy

This week at Chai Latte Diaries I was asked how it is that I am so full of hot air. Only, it sounded a lot nicer than that because it…

Maha Mondays: Flirting & Mommas

On May 19 at CLD, this hilarious seeker of advice wants to know how to flirt so she no longer has to hide behind coffee cups: “…the answer will be…

Maha Mondays: A woman asks what’s wrong with me; a man asks what’s wrong with women…

At Chai Latte Diaries, one women is struggling to find the purpose of her life while in tandem emotionally self-cutting: “From my extensive scientific research (through my Facebook Timeline), I…

On the audacity of having an opinion

Originally published on March 5, 2014. I was recently reminded that once upon an ex friendship, I was told that I have opinions. Stop laughing. The intention of his statement was…

Maha Mondays: Distressing colleagues & financial (love) concerns

At Elle Beaver, a writer doesn’t know what to do when asked to team up another time: “You will have to be frank and by that, I mean telling her…

Maha Mondays: Harassment in the workplace

At Chai Latte Diaries, a woman asks how to deal with harassment in her new place of work: “You need to be okay with your own terminology: You are being “defensive”…

Peanuts

#31FunnyStati** 2008. A conversation. Snippet from a recent conversation in my life: Friend: “That’s how peanuts grow.” Maha: “Peanuts ‘grow’?” Friend: “They grow beneath.” Maha: “Beneath the sky?” Friend: “Beneath…

Don’t write checks your body can’t / won’t / never ever had the intention of cashing

Two caveats: I very much believe in ‘He’s just not that into you’. For all intents and purposes, almost all of the men of topic below, they have displayed extreme…

Maha Mondays: Online chatting monogamy & public speaking

At Chai Latte Diaries, Bro A spends a couple of minutes having a conversation with a woman online on a dating site. The same woman who his Bro B thinks…

Friends, only present to share in our misery

What is that saying about knowing who our friends are in bad times? I’m not so sure about that, anymore. Or, at least, I believe there is a footnote to…

Maha Mondays: More iron than velvet, this week

For Chai Latte Diaries and Elle Beaver advice columns – please be advised that I have neither admin nor edit rights to either their FB pages or their websites. Additionally,…

10 year anniversary & Min Fami

Today is this home’s 10 year anniversary. Yeah, it’s as unbelievable to me as it is to you, my seven readers. Last night, I participated in my first ever panel…

Maha Mondays: Virgins, divorcees, secrets & abuse

At Chai Latte Diaries, we’re discussing the secrets we might keep from our lovers: “Sometimes, while our intentions are good (to tell the truth), and while they should not illicit…

#31FunnyStati – The Challenge

1/31: I’ve already completed a 6 week everyday hot yoga challenge as well as a photo a day for 365 days and this morning, I was trying to come up…

Maha Mondays: ‘Just do it’, the most painful advice possible

No Elle Beaver this week, and the most painful advice I can give someone about unwanted attention, found over at Chai Latte Diaries: “… then you need to alter how…

Maha Mondays: Avoiding those you’ve bedded & initiating a virtual engagement

Elle Beaver: “Do not text. Texting in such scenarios is for the kindergarten-heads. Call her, tell her you wish to see her to talk about why you have been avoiding…

Maha Mondays: Your Piece’s Bully of a BFF & The Fella Who Wants to Commit (but is stuck in a tree of his own making)

Elle Beaver’s reader is challenged by a dismissive limp-dick boyfriend and his BFF: “…those whose uplifting is sourced from their active debasement of others are the most miserable and insecure…