Food for Thought #2

"I am not your ordinary unordinary.
I am not your normal abnormal.
I am not your indifferently different.
I am not your insignificantly significant.

but if you become the beat of my heart,
you will understand what makes me magnificent."

- Michael John Walters

What love means to me...

For a very long time, I have struggled with understanding love. I always had this clear picture of what I thought it would be. You know - the fairytale kind - love that last forever - the passionate, consuming kind - lots of love with a lil adventure and a happy ending. But it never actually lives up to your expectations.

I recently read an article and it summed up what I mean to say:

"In our minds, we have an idea of what we think love is or how we think it ideally should be. We picture it to the extent that when it comes to our real-life experiences with love, it can’t seem to compare to what we had anticipated or hoped for, leaving us disappointed."

Anyways, moving on - my ideal love has always been what my parents share - constant, unending & ever growing. They have lived up to all their marriage vows, been with each other through better & worse. And from what I see, if there was no love in their relationship - it probably wouldn't have lasted all these years.

So drawing from what I have seen with them and what I feel, this is what love means to me:

It means no ultimatums or threats to the person I love (cause love shouldn't demand or pressurize).

It means putting his needs before my own (cause love needs a lil compromise). 

It means wanting to make him the happiest person alive (cause if he is happy, I'm happy).

It means I'd be happy by just being around him - being in the space he occupies, the air that surrounds him.

It means I would hug him & kiss him every morning before he leaves to work (hoping it makes his mornings better).

It also means I wouldn't mind waiting the whole day for him to get home (cause its comforting to have someone to come home to).

It means that he doesn't need to touch or kiss me, for me to feel close to him.

It means feeling peaceful while lying in his arms when he sleeps - hearing his heart beat and his rhythmic breathing.

It means feeling safe in his arms when he hugs me (cause he gives the best hugs and bonus - he smells so good).

It means listening to his worries, his dreams, his desires and just being there for him. But it also means giving him space when he needs it.

It means understanding that we are both humans and we make mistakes - so forgiveness is important.

It means sometimes I need to take his yelling/snapping cause I know he's stressed about something else.

It means forgiving all his broken promises and the times he didn't live up to his word.

It means not giving up on him even if he sometimes makes me feel like I should.

But most importantly - it means  - loving him unconditionally, passionately & with no expiration date!

 

Love At First Bite

It has been a while since I blogged, to be precisely 8 months. My excuse - too many things happening in my life and well - just plain lazy!

I actually started writing this one in March, right after my birthday but never got to completing it -  just like my pending Hampi post! *sigh*

Anyways moving on, "Love at First Bite" - a true delightful experience! And no, I'm not referring to the 1979 Comedy Horror Film, but the restaurant here in Oman.

Opened in April 2012 by Khalid Al Suwaid, his first venture into the culinary world has definitely been a hit in Oman's food scene. I can say without a doubt it is one of my favorite restaurants in Oman.

The first time I went there was for a Rakshabandan dinner with my cousins and I really liked it. Went there a couple more times and was more than happy with the food & service. So what better way to celebrate my birthday this year than by taking my friends to "Love at First Bite"!

I wanted to do something different and special - a set dinner with place cards and personalized menus etc. - a fine dining experience. And when I approached the staff at Love at First Bite, they were more than accommodating to my requests. Not only did they do everything I wanted, they did even more.

In all the planning, I completely forgot to print the menus for the dinner. But I didn't have to worry about it cause they took care of that for me. Everybody loved the personalized menus at their seating.

Also, everyone was served their starters individually which was a really nice touch!

They also gave all my guests the option of choosing one main or both if required.

Definitely, two of my favorite main dishes - "The way you look tonight" & "Denial"! Creamy and Delicious! :D

If I had to choose, "The way you look tonight" is my favorite dish on their menu. I always have it when I go there. I highly recommend it!




And it wasn't just the food that was really great, the staff were very helpful and coordinated. They gave us an amazing dining experience. And it wasn't just cause it was my birthday. Every other time I have been to the restaurant - I have never had any complains.

 I always recommend "Love at First Bite" to all my colleagues, family & friends for the experience that it is!

Mother's Day at Love at First Bite

Taking it to the next level with my favorite people

My best friend's first visit to Muscat

My Favorite dishes are as follows:

Appetizers:
She loves me not - Crispy Sesame Chicken
Speechless - Cripsy Cheese Parcels

Mains:
The way you look tonight - Chicken Breast in a Creamy Basil Sauce
I Found you - Chicken in a Plum Sauce with Mashed Potatoes
You & Me - Lamb Chops with Pepper Sauce and Mashed Potatoes
Denial - Signature Pasta in a Cream & Tomato Sauce

Desserts:
Take it to the next level - Chocolate Mousse with a Crushed Biscuit Base
Addiction -  Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

LOVE AT FIRST BITE stays true its name and if you are in Oman, you should go and experience it!