When I heard the news of David Bowie’s passing, I was devastated. I was saddened by the shocking news and at the same time I felt weird that I was mourning the death of someone who I have known for a long time but at the same time someone whom I have not met and spoken to at all.

Especially when only a day prior to his death that I liked his picture on his Instagram account and wished him happiness on his birthday.

The last time I felt this way was when Michael Jackson left us. Ever since, to me, the world has loss, yet another shining star that had never fail to paint the world with multi coloured coatings that screams originality and creativity.

My friends told me that I have an old soul only because my favourite boy band is The Rolling Stones and my ultimate fashion icon is David Bowie.

READ: David Bowie: His life and career in pictures

My parents were once hippies (of course they denied it, but I got proof). And so, I grew up having parents singing lullabies that consisted of songs from the albums produced in the 60s and 70s – the Beatles, Supremes and David Bowie.

Space Oddity, Dancing in the Street, Under Pressure, The Man Who Sold the World. All these great tunes of all times have been playing in my ears ever since I was a baby. And these are the songs that I bring with me everywhere, throughout these years.

Especially so when the world does not produce songs as great and as meaningful.

I have to thank David Bowie too for being my English tutor. As a kid, his songs had made me look up the dictionary for words that sounded rare to me. But most importantly I have to thank David for teaching me the meaning of being a unique individual - that it is OK to be one of a kind.

David Bowie was a man with so many semblances. Who can forget Ziggy Stardust, the magic dance by Jareth the Goblin King and the Spider of Mars?

His androgynousity has shown the world that normalcy is boring. That it is all right to express art in any form that you may only if you believe in it.

And the bit I love most about Bowie is that he is a real humanist.

To me, David Bowie meant more than just a passing icon. He has influenced the way I look at the world.

David Bowie was my style guru, my cult actor and my tutor.

May you rest in peace, Starman.