April, May and June 2023

Hello everyone.

Welcome to a brand new post.

Hope you all liked the previous post. If you have missed it, go down to the end of the page and look for where it says: Previous Post and it’s there for you to click and read.

As always, I appreciate you all so much for your patience when it comes to waiting for a new post. As I discussed on the last post, I have been going through my mental health and also having a lack of motivation more times than most. I’ll make the effort to put time aside to make sure that you give all the best blog I can give as much as there is so much going on in the world right now which is nothing but distractions. It does get to me sometimes. With everything, it’s important to me to always give thanks and to not dwell on things I can’t control. I feel like with writing and journalling, it helps me and creates this haven for me to be able to note how I’m feeling and what happens in my day to day life. In a way, it helps me be better and I feel better for it. I thank my Mum for introducing me to journalling and giving me my first ever journal. Without that, I wouldn’t be writing on here for the past 9 years.

Here is the continuation.

In April, my cousin and her boyfriend came by to visit which was lovely. We went to a restaurant called the Fourteen. If you ever go, you need to. This isn’t the first time I went there. The last time I went there was with my sister and my mum to celebrate Mother’s Day. The restaurant is on top of a hotel. When you get to the 14th floor, you will be amazed by the view. I’m just saying. Sadly it was a short visit as they needed to get back to London the next day to catch the train back to Belgium. I showed them and gave them a tour of Milton Keynes.

On the 10th of May, I went to Cyprus. This was the first time ever going on a plane by myself. It couldn’t have come at a better time because to be honest, we all need a break from time to time. I know for myself I needed the break after the past few years. I was just so thankful to turn up at the airport and going inside a plane, it’s been a long time. Whilst making my way to the arrivals, I had my sunflower lanyard and the Cyprus security staff were very helpful and accepting when it comes to helping me and my brother by making sure our experience was good. They did that. The first person we saw was my mum. She just arrived to the airport at the time. You can say that it was perfect timing. Seeing Cyprus for the first time, it reminded me of being in Ghana with the roads, palm trees and the surroundings. The traffic light system is like the one in the UK. I went to the main city centre which wasn’t far from where I was staying. There is a place called Eleftheria Square where there is shops and restaurants. It even has a downstairs where there are water fountains. The main thing you have to know about Cyprus is that you must always carry cash the entire time.

I walked through some pigeons. There were a lot of them like a lot.

The day after, we went to Larnaca Beach. Which was absolutely amazing. Spent a few hours there enjoying the sun and the surroundings. Whilst I was in the beach, it felt so nice to be able to embrace being sunkissed and being comfortable in the skin I am despite not having the six pack. All I know is that I’m comfortable just being me and being in the moment which is what you are meant to do when it comes to being on holiday. It was very busy. Luckily we had a umbrella and a beach chair to just relax and chill. I went inside the water. I didn’t know at the time that it had salt water so I tried not to swallow it or even open my eyes because it can sting. I just laid back and relaxed. The water was so cold. Other than that, I enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went around and went to a church which was called the Church of Lazarus. For those who don’t know, Lazarus was brought back to life by Jesus 4 days after his passing. It was a quiet atmosphere as there were a lot of people and especially those who were in prayer. My highlight was me lighting up a candle and putting my candle alongside the others which were there. After doing that, I just closed my eyes and went into prayer. That experience made me feel humbled and emotional at the same time. When you are in the house of God, it can humble you and make you think. It’s like the place where you can just shut yourself off from what is going on in the outside world.

2 days after, we went around the city centre of Nicosia. I went for a walk which was lovely. I went to a Greek restaurant where I had their mushroom ricostto and I also drank Kefo beer. Though I’m not one for beer. It was actually nice. Afterwards, I met up with my Uncle and spent some time. Just a few hours, it’s back to the airport to basically come back to reality. The Cyprus security people took me to a special lane which was in front of where most people who were queuing up to have a look at my passport and then go through the security checks. I arrived back and I was taken to another lane which was empty all because of my sunflower lanyard. There was two people who also wanted to come by but they weren’t allowed to so they had to be sent back. I thank the Cyprus and the Luton Airport staff for being considerate and helpful towards those who have a disability wear the sunflower lanyard. I never thought that in my 32 years that me being on a plane by myself would bring so much advantages. Talk about a big milestone. I’m happy I did it. I’m thankful there was no issues or problems the entire time going and coming back.

Coming into June, I went down to London to go and see Harry Styles perform live at Wembley. It was my first time going to a concert there. For those of you who know me, London will always be my home. Proud to be a London boy. Whenever I’m there, it just gives me lots of nostalgia. I just know my way around. On the way to the concert, I went on the Tube and there were people who had feather boas looking fabulous and ready to have a good time. By the time I got to Wembley, there were crowds and crowds of people around. Made it inside and went to my seat and it was at the back where you can just see everything. The atmosphere was good especially when it came to the Mexican wave and singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody in unison. You can never go wrong with a bit of Queen. I guess that’s the best thing about music is that it brings people together. Altogether, the concert was amazing. Harry is incredible performing live. Seeing him just took me back to when I first saw his audition 13 years ago. He has come such a long way and is reigning supreme ever since. I’m just happy I got to see him perform live. It didn’t take me until nearly 1:30am in the morning to get back. Long story short, I got to Euston at 11pm and there was a train. It was fully packed. Had to wait for another 20-30 minutes to get on the next one and I found myself a seat. When it comes to the last train of the day, it takes you to each station until you get to the station you want to get off. It was a long day, took me 2 days to recover. Sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of me time.

 

As we come to the end of the blog, I thought I’d share with you all a little something. I met Percy Pig outside of my work. Here are some pictures. It was worth the wait.

Hope that has made you all smile. I instantly thought what a perfect way to end the post.

Hope you all have liked this post.

Don’t forget to like, share and comment.

Your support, love and appreciation is everything and is something I will never take for granted. Just you all reading and enjoying my posts is what helps me make the best blog.

Sending you all lots of love and positive vibes as we move into July.

Until the next one….

June and July 2018

Hello! Hello! Everyone.

I hope you are all as always good and enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having recently with the sunshine and the heatwave.

First of all, I just wanted to say since posting the previous post, I have received so much love and support from my colleagues at work and have been so overwhelmed and grateful. Just speaking about this right now is making me tearful and happy. At the same time, knowing that this is the reason why I wanted to write and create my blog in Voice of the Autistic. Being able to share my experiences of life on the autistic spectrum and for you to be inspired, encouraged, read and learn something from each post, that’s everything I could ever want. Just knowing that I have your support and love is really humbling. I’m always appreciative of your support and want to thank each and every one of you all for standing by me. I’m taking this opportunity to welcome those who are new to my blog, stay tuned. I appreciate and love you all very, very much.

First things first, the World Cup. What a journey it has been. Not one for football at all but I’m happy how it’s brought people closer. This is our reaction of when England scored against Colombia through penalties. In all the years, I have never ever experienced so much anxiety and nerves whilst watching the game, it’s like I couldn’t even breathe. That’s how it was and the fact that England were going to lose at that game was very worrying. The unexpected happen. Here’s the video to prove it.

Then a week after on Wednesday the 11th, myself and the family went to our local Wetherspoon to watch the England v Croatia game to experience the atmosphere in a public place instead of watching it at home. It was nice to share that moment with the punters who cheered at the goal and near misses. Altogether, England did us all proud. It’s all thanks to Mr Gareth Southgate. As a non football fan, it was lovely to see everyone smile and come together in support for not only football but the support of England. Not forgetting the time where we scored 6-1 against Panama.

World Cup 2018 was one to remember for sure.

On the 26th of July, I celebrated my mum’s birthday. We went to London. She spent a day at the Spa and this was a gift from myself, my sister and my dad. After work, myself and my brother made our way to London to meet up with my mum and sister. The four of us checked at a London hotel and then we went to The Big Easy, an American restaurant in their rooftop garden in Canary Wharf. I would recommend that you try their Lobster Mac and Cheese. During our time together, this is what happened….

Coming back to London, riding on the London bus and feeling the buzz of Oxford Street and Aldgate brought back memories of my childhood. It’s a reminder for me especially having been a born and bred Londoner. London has always had a special place in my heart, that’s real talk. For me as a person, it’s home. That’s something that will always stay with you no matter where you are in life.

As we come to the end of the post, I hope you all are enjoying August so far. As always, don’t forget to share and spread the love and awareness.

Until the next time…

April and May 2017

Hello everyone, here we are again.

New month, a new double blog post.

On the 30th of March, I went to the O2 to see Olly Murs. And boy, did he steal the show. This was my first time going to one of his concerts. The lady who sat next to me said that she had seen Olly live 5 times before and even has a tattoo showing her love and support. It was a good night. I didn’t get back until midnight.

 

Other than that, I had a good time.

So much has happened since I last posted the previous two blogs. Driving has been going good, practicing as the days go by. Work is good as always.

On the 17th of April, my mum decided to plan a last minute dash  to the airport to surprise my dad who was away for some time. At first, he thought he was going to take a coach but he thought wrong. It was worth it at the end to make the journey and seeing the smile on his face.

As we come to the end of the post, I’m sure you are all aware of a terrorist attack that has recently in Manchester last night so I would like to take the time to remember those who have been affected by the attack. This happened at an Ariana Grande concert. I was awake when the news came in and knew one of my mates was going to the concert. My take on what has happened is that it’s just sad how evil is now acceptable in this day and age. To even think that there were school kids who were with their parents, aunties and uncles going to the concert and then to have everything turned in the worst possible way. It’s just horrible. Concerts are meant to be enjoyable and especially for those who have jobs and work continuously to be able to have fun and enjoy themselves without having any worry. It’s sad.

My thoughts and condolences are with those who have been affected, dead, injured and still missing. It just breaks your heart, really. This kind of random act of evil. And to even think I have never been to Manchester despite having dreams to go there one day on a visit. Makes you think about life. We should never ever ever live in fear. Togetherness and love are the two most powerful things we need in this world right now.

By the way if you don’t know who Ariana Grande is, here’s one of her songs for you to listen to.

 

I hope you have enjoyed the second double post. Please share, comment and like.

Sending lots of love and positivity to you all.

Until next time….

February and March 2017

Hello everyone.

Welcome to February and March’s post. It’s been a while since January’s post as I’ve been so busy with work so I thought to myself why not put two months in one blog post. The more, the better. February has been a good month, as always I was watching the BRIT Awards. Chris Martin’s duet with the late George Michael made me cry.

When I first heard the news of George’s passing, I was in shock as well as disbelief. My earlier memory of George is when I was watching a music channel and then this song came on and it was called “As” feat. Mary J Blige. I thought to myself I like this song and that George had a gift. Since then, I’ve listened to his work. He was the most versatile artist. To this day, I listen to his duet with Aretha Franklin which was one of my third fav songs of his discography. The song is called “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me”. If you haven’t heard of it, look no further.

He will be sadly missed. I’m not just speaking of myself but I believe I speak for everyone who has ever been a fan of George Michael and that he will be sadly missed.

 

For some good news, Steps are back and Dancing on Ice maybe coming back. Fingers crossed.

I remember watching DOI every Sunday and rooting for my favs over the years. My earliest memories were of me watching Series 2 or 3. As the years went by, the show was a lot of fun. I even pictured myself being a special guest and just performing. Dreams of a young kid, eh.

Let’s talk about Steps coming back. I remember listening to their music while growing up. They were the definition of a band. My fav songs of theirs are Tragedy, Deeper Shade of Blue, Chain Reaction, Stomp, Love’s Got a Hold on My Heart and Say You’ll Be Mine. Fast forward to 2017, they have a new song called “Scared of the Dark” and a new studio album called “Tears on the Dancefloor” which looks like their first album but older and slick.

Where have the past 18 years gone?

Earlier last month, Little Mix performed on the BRITs. I’ll always have praise for those girls. I remember watching their journey on X Factor in 2011. Boy have they come a long way since that time. They kicked off the show in style. Every performance they do, I get so excited. They are living proof that if you work hard, you will achieve so much. Their friendship is real. Also on that night, they won their first ever BRIT Award for British Single. I’m so glad they are getting the recognition they truly deserve.

 

 

Work as always is good. Keeping myself busy and occupied. So far, so good. Whereas for driving, I’ve done my second practical test last week and didn’t pass again but this time I got 15 faults which is highly serious. I’m working on the manoeuvres and putting in the time to make sure that everything goes well next time I do the test. I’m looking at some new dates.

Recently there was a news report about a shooting in Westminster so I thought it would be ok to think and reflect on those who have been injured or lost their lives especially one of the victims being a police officer who was doing their job and then paid the price for it. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and to all the victims’ families. You just never know what the next minute holds. One question I always ask myself is “Why is there so much violence and hate in the world?”. It’s just too much. Even to the point where I can’t watch the news anymore because there’s always bad things happening in the world. You start to question what goes through a person’s mind for them to do actions that will hurt others. That’s not the only way to live a life. I believe in a world that is filled with peace and love, I hope one day we will have that as I truly believe in humanity. One thing to take in is that those who have a roof over their head as they are about to rest for the next day to always consider your blessings because there are those who don’t have what we have so always be thankful and considerate of others. Never take what you have for granted.

As we come to the end of this post, I’ve also seen in the news that on Sesame Street there is a new puppet called Julia and she has autism. As soon as I heard the news, it just made my day. Not only for me but for those who don’t have an understanding of autism. I’m happy that Sesame Street are portraying the condition in a fun way for its young viewers who watch the show.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this double blog post. As always you know what to do, please feel free to share, like and comment.

Until the next time….

I promise I won’t leave you all hanging for the next blog post.

October 2016

Hello all,

Welcome to October’s post which is a bit late.

On the 8th of October, I went to see Jake Quickenden in London at the Borderline. If you haven’t heard of him, here’s a video of him performing on X Factor 2 years ago.

This was my first time ever going to his concert and actually meeting him in person. I was so nervous knowing that I was going to meet him. When it came to my turn, it was so worth the wait I have supported him for 4 years after seeing him on X Factor when James Arthur was the winner in 2012. He gave me a hug and took a few selfies on my phone. Alex Green and Bailey McConnell were the special guests for his concerts. Both are incredibly talented. It got a bit emotional for me and for other people when he sang ‘Blindfold’ which is one of his original songs. The beauty of songwriting. He wrote that song for his brother who was being diagnosed with cancer and who later on passed away at the age of 18. I love it when someone writes a song and you can instantly relate to it.

The only negative thing on the night was one person in the crowd who thought it was funny to behave badly. It just happened that this person was standing near me and two women. Even though alerted did nothing at all to help with the situation which was getting out of hand and scary. Luckily the troublemaker was taken away, it was just crazy. It was lovely watching Jake perform live. I’m definitely going to listen to his songs. He’s an amazing songwriter. When he sings, you feel something. I like that in an artist. He’s got that Craig David kind of voice which I have grown up with, it’s refreshing to see that in 2016. Craig David’s music inspired me especially ‘Walking Away’. It meant a lot to me knowing that an artist who is talented can write a song that makes you have that reassurance and makes you think that ‘It’s going to be okay. You are fine just the way you are. You don’t need to change for anybody.’ That is a beautiful saying.

You can only be you. Never try and be someone else you are clearly not meant to be. Other than that, I enjoyed myself and had fun at the concert.

On the third week of the month, I went to not one but two weddings on the same week. The first one was my sister’s which was in Surrey in Guildford. It’s called Northbrook Park. It’s just beautiful. We stayed in a chalet and had fun till the late hours. Altogether it was a good day knowing that I have gained a new family. I’ll share with you some pictures. One thing that set me off was in the reception when my nephew who was the ringbearer went up to his parents during the reception. Just beautiful.

The second wedding was my Aunty’s. I stayed in a place called the Crown Inn in a lovely town in Suffolk called Westleton. The town is so pretty. Everyone was lovely and would say hello as they meet you. Apparently the royal couple The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate stayed there on their first wedding anniversary. Talk about royalty at its best.

Both weddings were lovely and joyful. I’m happy that I’ve been able to witness and have some good memories.

As we come to the end of the post, I hope you have enjoyed October’s post.

Please share, like and comment. Spreading the word always helps and can make a difference.

Until the next time….

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….