Hey Y’all

As you will come to know i’ll be off on my jollies in a couple of weeks with the amazing and beautiful Miss BG.

Ready and waiting to be packed into my hand luggage is the TOTALLY AMAZING Roopa Farooki’s latest book ‘Half Life’ which I am just dyyyyyying to read! Roopa is simply a brilliant writer.

“The Way Things Look To Me”

I read Roopa’s last book ‘The Way Things Look To Me’ early this year after hearing it reviewed on The Nikki Bedi show and probably finished it in about 4 days in between all this working and gymming i’ve been doing lately. Even though the main focus was Yasmin’s Asbergers Syndrome I was drawn to Lila’s character. Never before have I identified with a character as I have Yasmin’s sister Lila. Lila, the amazing Lila, I felt a part of her was me.

As you all know I suffer from Eczema and in my teens/early adult life, to put it simply, it was really distressing and made me SOOOO miserable. There were days I would not want to get out of bed and face the world. 3 showers or baths a day was normal for a period of time. It is probably to blame for the confidence issues and the tough and rough exterior you see today. Imagine when you are aged between15-19 and have no boys looking at you, no one asks you out to the school or college disco and your hormones are running around like crazy psycho bitches. The last thing you want to think about it the itching, irritating, atrocious uglyness that covers your face, arms, neck, scalp and backs of your legs!

It was hard for me to talk about it at the time especially with my mother, bless her, trying to find a cure and trying every homeopathic, steroid, indian/desi medication available. It was the famous african Wawa cream that did the most good (who knowes what was inside it!!) The scars are still physically there maybe even emotionally in a small way. My cousin RG is probably the only person I know in real life that could relate to my experiences. I think the older I become the better it gets and it just pushes to the back of my mind and I forget it is there.

Lila’s character in The way things look to me just perfectly described the feelings and issues I have faced with my image in all those years up until now and the jealousy I feel towards some people with perfect skin! Even though now it is not so bad I still cant have a shower and not have to lather and immerse my whole body with moisturiser afterwards – its not just a vanity thing, it is a way of life. I do it for sanity and comfort! (Aveeno for extra dry, irritated skin is my fave! http://www.aveeno.co.uk/)

We are just simply beautiful. If you read this and think you are alone in the scrubbing, peeling, flaking, weeping skin, not wanting to face the world and just staying in bed all day I dont blame you, I was the same but you can’t let it affect you and you wont! The more you try and hide it the more damage it will cause to your insides and in turn the itching and scratching and weeping will just spiral. Just believe it and you will feel amazing and beautiful…inside and out.

Help and support is available regards Eczema at – http://www.eczema.org/

Or if you have/had eczema i’d love to talk and share with people so feel free to contact me on priyamuljiblog@hotmail.co.uk for a chat!

Get more info on Half Life and The Way Things Look To Me:

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20355856_20358746_2,00.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Half-Life-Roopa-Farooki/dp/0230745857

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Way-Things-Look-Me/dp/0330463152

xxx