June 2016

Hello everyone.

We are in the 6th month of the year. I hope you all have loved last month’s blog and had a good second Bank Holiday Monday.

We are in June.

First thing first, as I’m sure you all have heard about Muhammad Ali passing on the 4th. Only just yesterday night, I read a report about him being on life support and I was surprised as well as shocked because I knew how much he meant to so many people especially in my family who looked up to him. And then come to the next day, he passes away. It’s sad especially when you look at his life and what he has done especially by breaking barriers. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from him is that he stood up for what he believed in and that to me gets my approval. I’ll share with you one of my favourite quotes from him.

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

My thoughts and condolences are with his family during this horrible time especially as this year we have lost so many heroes as well as legends who have made an impact not only to their lives but our lives as ordinary normal people. For that, he will be sincerely missed.

On the next subject, my thoughts and condolences go to Christina Grimmie’s family and friends and also to the Orlando shootings that has happened recently on the weekend on the 12th which is just so sad and heartbreaking. The world needs to learn how to love and treat people the way they want to be treated without all the hate and judgement. You can only choose to love and have a welcoming heart. Violence is never the answer no matter who you are as an person. It’s just not right. I send nothing but my love and thoughts to the victims’ families and friends.

On the 16th, a woman called Jo Cox MP got shot and stabbed in broad daylight whilst doing her job as she works for the political party Labour. What she believed really struck a chord with me is that she wanted to change the world for the good and for the world to be a loving and accepting place. My thoughts and condolences are with her family during this horrible and difficult time.

On brighter news, it was the Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip’s birthday as well. I was watching the parade and it made me feel proud to be a Brit so among others as they have taken the Royal Family into their hearts and especially those who weren’t born in the UK, it’s really humbling. Here is the Queen and her husband making a speech about the day’s events:

On the 14th, I have received an email stating that I’m going to have an job interview. I can’t reveal where so I want all of you to wish me all the very best of luck and fingers crossed.

On the 23th this time last week, I went to go and vote for the EU Referendum poll in my local area. I’ll share with you a picture of me being the good and reliable citizen that I am which I am proud, of course so yeah I do my bit.

On the 25th, I went to London to a birthday party jam for a singer called Mike Hough. He’s such a genuine and a kind person. He’s just got it as an artist. He’s talented as well, what more could you ask? If I were you, you should look out for him. Here’s some of his work for you to listen to and enjoy.

Here’s how the day went. I got dropped off at Finsbury Park station and took the Southbound to go to Oxford Circus and then changed at Bakerloo line to stop at Piccadilly Circus. I asked a member of staff that I wanted to know where Glasshouse Street is and he said that he doesn’t know because it was his first day on the job. Bless him. I just found my way around and luckily I found the exit I was looking for because in Piccadilly Circus station, there’s 4 exits in different directions especially as you walk around. I walk up the stairs and found my way around as I’m new to the area especially as I haven’t been around Soho before. If you don’t know about it, it’s one of the most popular places in London. If you were to visit, definitely go there. Whilst I’m walking, I see all sorts of things especially as there’s London Pride around so I see so many people in the pub and on the street. Very colourful indeed.

I make my way to the venue which is called the Sanctum Soho Hotel. Lovely place. Went to reception to discuss why I’m there and I get told to go downstairs and then I hear Mike singing with his band as they are doing soundcheck for his birthday jam. I go in and then I have no words. I say my hellos. Mike tells me I have to go upstairs as it’s soundcheck and he’ll call those who are waiting to come downstairs to the cinema room to hang out before friends and family of his start coming along so I waited outside of the hotel and sat down. A few minutes, I saw Josh Daniel walking like 1 metre away from me. I was nearly said hi and even waved, that’s how starstuck I was. If you haven’t heard of him, he auditioned for X Factor last year in 2015. His audition of ‘Jealous’ by Labrinth has reached over 80 million views. Everytime I watch it, I start tearing up because I feel like I can relate to the song especially with my own life experiences. This shows how much music can be so therapeutic and healing at the same time, that’s very rare. If you feel you can relate to a song, that’s a start especially when life doesn’t go your way and you feel like you just want to give up and not trying. Music creates hope.

Whilst being outside, it starts to rain and I go back in to the hotel. I start waiting for like nearly a hour or so to be called. I hear a woman shouting and chanting and that nearly gave me a heart attack and made me jump. Turns out it was the Wales match against Northern Ireland as there was a TV in the restaurant. That was all the commotion was about. I was sitting down at the restaurant. It even got to a point where the chanting had to come to a stop where one of the employees tells the woman to stop and then afterwards she started crying after leaving to get up to wait with the others which I didn’t see as I was distracted by the game and meeting new people who are fans of Mike. When I first heard that she cried, I wasn’t actually expecting it because she’s a grown woman but I guess everyone has their reasons for getting a little emotional especially when it comes to football and their passion of the game. I found the whole thing hilarious. Anyways coming up to half 6, we started coming down to the cinema room and finally meet Mike, his band and guest performers as it was a birthday jam so you can actually imagine that you are in his living room just jamming out and getting to know those who are around you like you’re meeting them for the very first time like a house party. It was fun.

Mike introduced himself to everyone and did 2 performances from soundcheck. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to take pictures and interact. It’s nearly time, everyone is ready for the first support act. Her name was Angel. I haven’t heard of her before but her voice is something else. She sang two songs, one of them was a cover of Jill Scott’s song ‘Golden’ and the other song was an original called ‘Better’. When you listen to her voice, she is destined for great things. The next act was Juliet Hudson. She did two covers, the first one is Rihanna’s song ‘Diamonds’ and the second one is from an artist called Bonnie Raitt and the song is called ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’. In the first song, a member from the audience decides to sing and get taken to the main stage. His name is Graham. Everyone went crazy when he sang especially his falsetto. Oh my goodness. I don’t think I can explain. It was just perfection. Beautiful. He’s a star. As much as I wanted to stay, I had to leave unfortunately due to another birthday celebration that was happening.

Before leaving after having said my goodbyes, Josh Daniel came up to me and said thank you for my support for him and how it helps him to keep motivated. He says all these nice things and at one point I was going to well up as he was talking to me. I didn’t know what to say. What nearly made me set off is when he asked me whether I’m in London and I told him that I’m in MK. He says to me that when he does a gig there, he’s going to let me go free of charge instead of me having to pay. Still talking about it is making me well up in a good way because I didn’t realise how much someone can be so generous, understanding and kind at the same time and can see past my disability and look at me like I’m a normal person, it’s really overwhelming. I won’t forget it. He’s amazing and blessed, I tell you.

I have never been so overwhelmed especially with the amount of love and appreciation seen it was Pride. Seeing so many people who have courage and strength to just be themselves is really admiring and inspiring at the same time.

 

 

Another highlight of the day was when I was on the Tube making my way back to Bethnal Green station, I made friends on the Tube and even helped a tourist by telling them which station we were at each time when the train stops at each station on the Central line. She said thank you to me twice. The 25th of June will remain one of my favourite days this year. I’ll leave you a video of the whole day, hope you’ll love and enjoy.

Please share and like. Spread the word.

As we come to the end of the post, I hope you all have had a good June. Here’s to next month’s post.

Until the next time….