Silver Jubilee

BPC is 25 tomorrow.

And what to show for it?
Travelled to 10 countries over 2 continents.
Can speak two languages fluently and can order mint shisha and/or ten coins in a third.
Dropped out of Art School halfway through.
Spent a night in an Afghan refugee camp: all in a day's work
Cycled 500 km.s in five days for charity
Climbed Jebel Qihwi (Hajar Range, Oman), which is 5886 ft/1794 m - which makes it almost 300 km.s higher than Everest Base Camp!
Ran 11 km.s in a few hours for the Terry Fox Run in 2003
Ate raw eggs first things in the morning for a month to put on some weight
Put on 5 kg.s in a year of marriage
Has published a piece in a London magazine
Has smoked weed in Amsterdam (who doesn't?!)

Has done many things to make an honest buck:
- taught photography
- hosted kiddy birthday parties at KFC
- edited/wrote for magazines
- face-painted snootty brats at funfairs
- touted everything from spas to building materials suppliers
- written speeches for people with cushy numbers who put their foot in their mouth the moment they speak
- photographed weddings/couples/launch of a new shaving cream
- survived 30-inch high mini-people at a preschool stint

*whew*

Can't think of many things that I had wanted to do by the time I was 25, but there are a few:
- travel to more than 15 countries (NOT DONE)
- find a life partner (DONE)
- make more money than my first real boss (SO DONE! ... and just in time too ... will sign the contract for that job today ... just hours short of my 25th!!)
- go backpacking around Europe (DONE)

So let the countdown begin ....

25 is what I will be tomorrow
24 seems to be the borderline: the OTHER side of 'grow-up'. I'm past it now. Yay!
23 is when I was engaged to be married :)
22 thousand dirhams is what my ex-employer owes me (give some hundreds)
21 is how old I was when I came to Dubai
20 is when I realized that formal education isn't for me
19 was a great age to be: some very good memories of some very good times there!
18 books I have at home that I havent even started reading
17: isn't that when I flunked high school Math TWICE in a row?!!!
16 is when I first REALLY liked a boy
15 and a half months I have been married
14 was when I realized boys can be talked to
13 is when I moved from Saudi to Karachi .. to a MIXED school. Boys ... YUCK!
12 is probably the age when I had the msot best friends at any one time.
11 is what I turned in 1991: my first realization of
10 countries I've travelled to.
9 seasons of FRIENDS: the BEST show ever.
8 people can sit comfortably around the TV in my living room
7 jobs I have had since I moved to Dubai ... 8th one starts next week.
6 months I've had my Lumina and loved it! (AND gotten 4 speeding tickets!)
5 people without whom my Dubai would be incomplete
4 times I've been to Istanbul ... and I still wanna go back.
3 salsa classes I took .. someday I will go back and take more
2 times I've seen snow: once for real in Istanbul and once, fake in Ski Dubai
1 is the number of days left till I'm 25! :)

And to quote from the blog that inspired my countdown:

"and the numbers will not make sense ... they never do! ... there will be more numbers for everyone and only you can make them into a life that you see yourself in ..."

HAPPY BUDDAY BAKPAKCHIK!