The year that Winter did not end…

October 28, 2009 · Filed under American Adventure, The Husband Files · Tagged , , ,

I’m having a full year of Winter.

Sure, there were a few hot days in between, but not that many.
It started off in the South African winter, which normally really comes knocking around April/May.

I then moved to the US in August, where it was the end of Summer – a few hot days, but not that many.

When we return to South Africa, it will be Winter AGAIN!

Right now, we’re in the middle of Fall (Autumn), and guess what?  The US version of Autumn is the South African equivalent of Winter.  One jacket and some socks needed.

I went up to Canada, where a Fall day = Cold Front Day in South Africa.
I went into ‘freak out mode’ (“Oh how will I cope?”)
The Canadian relatives, who are originally from South Africa, had to give us some guidance with finding our winter wardrobe.  I have a jacket that makes me look and feel like an eskimo, massive winter boots which are waterproof and have been tested in below freezing weather.  Ahh, the joys :)

I love my winter boots :)

We returned to Boston, prepared and confident that we will be able to choose winter clothing with the knowledge we received in Canada.

So we went on a shopping expedition in Boston.

My greatest amusement is when Husband tried on the Hoser hat.

It's a Hoser Hat!!!

Husband tried this on. I had to stifle many giggles.

I think I snorted at some point.

Husband loves it and I have a feeling that he’ll try to sneak it past me on our next shopping expedition.  I can’t deny that it’s not warm, it’s like a furry animal on your head!  Being warm and practical about the weather is very important this side of the world. They say, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!“  Heck, they even tuck their pants into their winter boots to keep the snow from getting it!  So, I suppose buying the hat is something that will make us remember our year-long voyage with Winter.

Perhaps I should join Husband and get one for myself as well?  :)

Happy Spring/Summer all you Sucky South Africans.  You people better eat braaivleis and pap and I hope you get fat on it!  Just joking – or am I?  ;)

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Of missing Woolworths and Spar…

September 7, 2009 · Filed under American Adventure, Family, South Africa, The Husband Files · Tagged , , , , ,

I know, I know.  It’s been a while since I’ve blogged but I do have reasons!

I moved!

And you’re thinking, “Woman, you’re always moving!“

No no, this time the move was of an intercontinental type.

From South Africa to the US of A.

“Now what are you doing over there?“

Well you can read some of it over here, in this shameless plug for Ramadan.co.za and I can tell you in a nutshell.

I married someone with a Brain.  Husband is somewhat attached to this Brain. and sometimes you know, it has a need to Study.  This Brain decided that it needed to go to Harvard Law School, and so yes, it dragged Husband and I along with it.

Moving everything into storage was indeed a small annoyance, but it was the easiest thing to do.  Leaving family was quite difficult.  I now know what certain family members go through every year.  It’s not easy at all.  Ok enough with being sentimental.

So here we are, in a country where we knew absolutely no-one, save for the few Facebook contacts.  We had to set up an apartment on our own, figure our way around a strange city by ourselves and above all, figure out where all the Muslim essentials are.  The Mosque and Butcher that is.  The essential spice shop was found quite easily too.  I found a pukka Indian spice shop nearby and was exported to Fordsburg the moment I entered it.

Alhamdulilah, we had help from Google and the Facebook contacts and found those places quite easily.  Aah, but the first week had quite a few surprises in store for us.

On our first night in our apartment something strange happened.

Husband flicks the light switch in the living room.

Nothing happens.

“The electricity is off?” I ask.

“No it’s not, the kitchen light is on.”

“Mmmm, then what?”

We both look up and to our amazement and to our crazed laughter, we found out that there was NO CEILING LIGHT.

Apparently, it’s standard in US apartments, they don’t have ceiling lights in the bedroom, living room and dining room.

Can you imagine how hilarious this was to us?  Not so much when we realised that we had to now go and buy LIGHTS.

So we sat and ate supper in darkness for a while, which was quite an adventure as you can sometimes miss your mouth as you’re trying to eat pizza.  Actually I think that has to do with the fact that everything is SUPER-SIZED over here.  Very large pizza slices and very large milk bottles and very large packets of crisps (think 3x the size of Lays packets back in SA).  I love to eat, but my appetite does have limitations.

Not to mention the large over-compensating variety of food that you get.  I honestly wished for Pick ‘n Pay, Woolworths, Checkers and Spar as I looked at the millions of brands of Brown Bread.   “Quit over thinking it and just pick one!” my mind screamed.

Speaking of bread – there’s seriously something up with their bread.  Bread is not supposed to last two weeks.  And there is a Best Before date of 2 weeks in advance.  Mmm.

So I decided to go to the  “organic” stores for my staples like bread, tomatoes, onions, potatoes.  These organic stores are incredibly overpriced and I don’t get the point of them being “green” when half their things are imported.  Ah, but that’s a gripe for a different day.

At the end of this grocery shopping post, I have learnt that even though I complain about Pick ‘n Pay, Woolies and their limited selection on things, I am very fortunate as it’s usually good quality and I know what I’m dealing with.  Over here, I don’t.  I’m clueless, I’m doff, dumb, stupeeed!  I have to sit for what seems like hours, reading ingredient labels.  Yes, perhaps Pick ‘n Pay and Woolies are a tad bit overpriced, but not in comparison to the supermarkets here in USA.  My wallet is not a happy chappy.

I have to admit, my latest find has made me very happy.  I found CINNABON bread.   CINNABON bread.  Oh yeah.  Sehri time I am a happier person indeed :)

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Ramadaan in the words of Rumi….

August 21, 2009 · Filed under Islam · Tagged

There’s hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less.
If the soundboxes stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and belly are burning clean with fasting,
every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
The fog clears, and new energy makes you run
up the steps in front of you.
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.

Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen.
When you’re full of food and drink,
Satan sits where your spirit should,
an ugly metal statue in place of the Kaaba.
When you fast, good habits gather
like friends who want to help.
Fasting is Solomon’s ring.

Don’t give into some illusion and lose your power,
but even if you have, if you’ve lost all will and control,
they come back when you fast,
like soldiers appearing out of the ground,
pennants flying above them.

~ Rumi ~

Ghazal No. 1739 from the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi

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Top search of the day….

June 10, 2009 · Filed under Weird · Tagged ,

This just made my day…
Lol…

What is the top search to get to my blog?

mangos using flying mounts everywhere

:D

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I spy with nephew H

June 10, 2009 · Filed under Family, Feisty Foursome, aww nunu · Tagged , ,

Scene:  The car

People involved:  Mum, Dad, Sister, H, A and of course, myself.

What are we doing:  Playing H’s favourite car game, “I spy”.

H:  “OK Nani, your turn”

Mum:  “I spy with my little eye something beginning with B”

H:  “Broad?” (pronounced like brrrroad as in the road…but with a B in front)

(Sister and I in fit of giggles as he asked so innocently)

Mum: “No”

H: “Ok, let me think”

After 5 minutes, there’s no talking…yet….

Dad: “BRIDGE!”

H:  “Oh, Nana!  I’m supposed to say it!”

Dad: “But you didn’t!”

After 5 minutes….

H:  “Ok, let’s play again.  This time, without Nana and Nani because they don’t know how to play.  Fati Khala, your turn.”

Me:  (mumbles) “Oh crap”

Let me explain why the hesitancy.  H has a different way of playing the simple game of I Spy.  Nobody else can give the answer except him, unless he makes the statement of “I spy….”, then of course someone else has to answer.  He’ll ask for clues, even though it’s so obvious what the item is and he refuses to believe that it’s really that!  Honestly, try to argue with a 5 year old…it just doesn’t work.

Car rides with H.  Gotta love it.

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Just pointless…

June 5, 2009 · Filed under Weird, they call me crazy · Tagged ,

I’m trying to move on from my previous post and so I thought a mind-numbing, pointless post would help.

Here goes:

  1. Going to the gym, coming home and having a giant Magnum Death By Chocolate would definitely defeat the purpose of trying to tone up.
  2. I need to glaze my pottery creations, fire them up and send them to family members who will probably laugh at them.
  3. I need to cook…man, when was the last time I did that?  This living around the corner from family members makes one very lazy!  I need to stop doing that.
  4. I need to pack.  I’m going to Plaasland for a few weeks- in a few weeks :)   I can’t wait!  I haven’t been to Plaasland in a while :)   I can sleep in and wake up at 9am again (yes people, I am incapable of sleeping past 9am…something is seriously wrong with me)!
  5. I need to get over my fear of entering the CNA in Sandton.  Don’t ask.
  6. Before I leave for Plaasland, I’m going to write a nasty letter to my upstairs neighbours.  I’ll be leaving Husband to deal with the consequences, but I think it’s time that they know what a bunch of noisy twits they really are.  I mean really, who drops a whole lot of crap on their floor at 5am?  WTH?  Ugh!
  7. I’m contemplating getting a Siberian Husky for my sister (ZK’s e-mail has prompted me to research this further).  Mmm….

Pontless.  Just pointless.  :)

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Protected: The day they made me paranoid….

May 31, 2009 · Filed under Family, Feisty Foursome, I am seriously ANNOYED, South Africa, Terrible · Tagged , , , ,

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Tales of the Feisty Foursome (2)

May 18, 2009 · Filed under Busy-Bee, Family, Feisty Foursome, The things that go BUMP in my head, aww nunu, they call me crazy · Tagged ,

Kiddies playing in freezing weather....applaud them!

Yeah, it’s another “I love those buggers so much, but they drive me nuts” post.  There’s more to it though…brace yourself or leave :)

Every Sunday morning, soccer teams descend into a Johannesburg neighbourhood for their weekly league matches.

This time, I watched, with great amusement (there were moments where I was literally ROFL), the little kids from each  team play against each other.

Some look at the sky and the ball whizzes right by them, others have this crazy grin as they run for the ball, some are insistent that they will not play until you get them goalie gloves (even though they’re not goalies!), some do a few karate chops in the middle of the match and some want to talk to you while they are playing.

I have to say, I admire my little nephews for waking up really early on a Sunday morning, in the blistering cold, and even though they are still learning the rules of soccer, they have this determination and enthusiasm for the game (However, the above scenario’s do apply to them too..which amuses me greatly..am I a bad aunt for laughing at my nephews?).

I have to add something here…the girls that play in these teams put all the boys to shame!  Really, 3 goals scored by one girl?  And it’s not even only in their team, it’s a lot of older girls in other teams too!  Way to go!  Girl power! :)

Yes, the Feisty Foursome are still what they are, rambunctious at times, but very surprising in the adorably sweet department.  When I wrote my previous posts regarding “What my sprogs should know”, I have to admit a lot of those things were there because of the Feisty Foursome.  They were my inspiration for a lot of the things I would like to tell them as they are growing up.  They’re still really young and a lot of those things don’t apply to them yet, but it’s strange how, even though they’re not my kids, they have a few weird tendencies that I have.  e.g. My nephew H, has my toes (strange) and he is very ‘headstrong’ -we will not call it stubborn- issues and anti-food moments- which, I tell my sister, will do a complete turnaround once he hits teenagehood and realises food is AWESOME! My nephew E, and I have this tendency to eat ‘chevro’ without realising that other people would want some too and eat the whole thing – I think we black out when we eat it and he LOVES carrots just as much as me – will eat a whole bag in one week.  My nieces (Z & A) are still in the development stage of strange habits, so I can’t really comment on that – yet.

I love kids, I really do.  I actually prefer spending time with kids than with grown ups…which is really quite funny since I’m supposed to be an adult.  I love listening to their squabbles, their competitiveness and watching the love and respect that develops between family kids (it’s strange how they automatically like their cousins).  Their logic astounds me.  The way in which they get things done their way amazes me.  Kids are fun, they’re amazingly intelligent and we should never underestimate their intelligence, because they can tell you amazing things, even though they are only just 5 yrs old.

So here is to all the Mommy’s and Daddy’s (or about to be) out there….I wish you patience, I wish you sanity, and I wish you the happiness that this journey provides.  I know I probably drove my mother to the brink of insanity a few times over absolutely ridiculous things, I see my nephews & nieces doing that to my siblings today, yet I can’t help but think that one day I’ll be getting my own parental revenge on me.  Circle of life.  Gotta love it :)   It makes me scared because, my sister will even call me and say “This child is just like YOU!  He does the same things to me that you did to Mummy!”, and it terrifies me because my sister was the good, sweet, well-behaved, always listened to the parents and never ever disobeyed child – so what kind of kids am I getting?!  Lol!  I wasn’t badly behaved, but sometimes my parents did wonder about my sanity as I had some ridiculous ideas going on e.g. let’s keep the cat in sister’s bedroom, lock him up in there and tell NO-ONE, it will be a surprise for her when she comes home after school!  Surprise it was indeed – the cat made a helluva mess in there.  And it wasn’t a hygienic mess!  Yuck! 

I still attempt to irritate my sister, even though she’s married and a mother of two.  I have put Coca-Cola in my nephews water (the planning of that was priceless) so that he gets very hyper and drives my sister nuts.  But now that I’m married, and will one day probably start my own family (inshAllah) makes me a little bit worried that my sister will be plotting some insane revenge on me.  The circle of life again….

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Things my Sprog Should Know…..

May 13, 2009 · Filed under Family, The things that go BUMP in my head, Wife-Goodness, aww nunu, they call me crazy · Tagged , ,

I deleted this post by accident, while trying to edit some bits afterward.

Luckily, I had it in Word as well (yeah, it was such a fun post that Husband had to get into it as well!  Try to spot his comments….:)

I’ve had a strange week, which included messing up everything I’ve cooked (even though I’ve made the dishes many times before), so much so that I don’t trust myself near the stove for a while and said, “yes” to almost every dinner invitation, saving over an assignment I’ve worked really hard on, chevro all over the couch, thinking up ways to infuriate the upstairs neighbour and some insane occurrence that involved the curtains, a chair and my butt on the floor.

To top it off, Husband displayed his unique sense of wit and bought me, a “CUTE BUT PSYCHO” badge. Thanks Husband :)

Azra tagged me yesterday, asking me what I would tell my future offspring.

To my Sprog:

  1. I am your mother! Listen to me! Always! (Just like how your Nani told me, your Kalaa and Mamajee..deal with it.)
  2. If you are indeed my child, you will walk into walls, hurt your arms in weird ways which are too embarrassing to mention here, fall in a non-graceful manner hurting your backside, display admiration at decorated Metro buses and blonde moments will probably define your life. Don’t worry, you will still find someone who will love you even with those crazy quirks. After all, your father does. :)
  3. If you display any sense of neatness then I know you are not my child, but your father’s. Make a FUNCTIONAL mess, I don’t mind :D As in, you know what’s happening in that mess and you can find what you’re looking for in 1 minute flat, I will not shout at you. However, if it looks like a complete pigsty then there will be a lot of scolding and suspension of allowances until it gets organised.
  4. You will not be getting a cellphone/teleportal device in your high school years. You will get those cellphones where you can only send and receive phone calls from your parents. The only reason you need a phone at school is to call your parents after all. And if you need to call a friend, there’s the home phone. There is no negotiation on this! Don’t even try.
  5. It’s ok to be selfish with your finances now and then, but not always. Always give Sadqah & pay your Zakaat. There’s no excuse for not paying that.
  6. Protect your imaan, read your salaah, look after your honour, your dignity and your respect for others and treat people as you would like to be treated. I will not tolerate a rude, uncouth, disrespectful child. And if you are, just remember, it’s Nani’s house for you! (Haha plaasland banishment!)(but daddy will save you!) Have taqwa, pray to Allah, follow your Islamic principles and you won’t go wrong.
  7. Study Islam and Secular education with zeal. REALLY. I don’t believe in only educating you in just one sector. Study EVERYTHING, read about EVERYTHING. If there’s one thing that as parents we would have taught you, is our love for books. However, don’t believe what you read in fiction & romance novels. If you want a love story, read about the devotion between Nabi S.A.W and his wife Khadeejah R.A. Now that’s a love story.
  8. If you’re a girl and feel pressurised to study secular education and really don’t want to, DON’T FEEL BAD that there are girls becoming lawyers, doctors, etc just because society is making them do it because they MUST STUDY at a university and have a back up plan. It’s about what makes you happy. I would advise you to something, anything which can help make this world a better place and to keep your mind active, but not just because everyone else is doing it.  (edit)You CAN live a full and happy life without a degree - many of your female family members have done it (daddy says he’s not letting you out of the house anyway- this may be negotiable, we’ll work on it ok? ;) (yeah right about not letting her out….you know how daughter’s get their way with their fathers :P )
  9. Do me a favour, don’t follow the herd. Try and stay away from Fordsburg on a Sunday night (unless you really have a need for those hotwings!), Zone on a Saturday night (unless you are really going for a movie/bowling), Zoo Lake on a Sunday afternoon(unless you’re taking kids to the jungle gym/having a braai). I don’t like the mindless walking and I was bored stiff when I did do it (I used to actually sink in my seat at times…did not want to be seen as opposed to those that did). In my late teens, I’ve done Zoo Lake once, Zone a few times and Fordsburg so many times that I’m embarrassed. Thankfully, I found friends that were Anti-Herd and they saved me from being a typical idiot (otherwise Mommy would be a Glamour Mum only worried about her GHD). PLEASE DON’T BE TYPICAL! Go climb Mount Everest or something. Seriously.
  10. Everytime you want something that isn’t necessary, there will be methods of repayment, even if you have to just wash the walls in the house. There will be repayment!
  11. When you hit the age of puberty, the opposite sex still has cooties. They have such BIG germs, they will make you sick within 5 miles of them..stay away from them until I say otherwise :)   (girls this won’t be a problem because daddy says he’s still not letting you out the house!)
  12. Travel. Even better, study AND travel. Apply for study on a different continent. See the World. Heck, leave your father and I alone and just go away! Send us emails and photos, call us, but TRAVEL EVERYWHERE! Just remember my next point:
  13. If you are my son, I expect you to come live with me when I’m old and grey( i fooled your dad into it and he says he wont be the only one!)  Heck, I will even build a cottage for you (and your father) on my property. There is no way around this. I didn’t carry you for 9 months, go through intense labour, look after you, feed you, take you to school for nothing! There’s a reason why sons get majority share of everything. Live up to it. If you are my only child and you are a girl, I will stay near you but not with you, simply because your husband has his duties to his own mother first. However, you, your husband and your children have to visit me everyday :P (daddy says thrice a year is ok)
  14. And because this is my blog and I can go over 10, remember something. I love you. No matter how insane, how quirky, how crazy you are, I love you. You are my child and I will love you and will want the best for you no matter what.

Reading this, I think Husband might end up being a pushover and I will be the strict one…or it could be the other way around.  Oh well, time will only tell….. :)

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Elephants on top of my home….

May 11, 2009 · Filed under I am seriously ANNOYED, Terrible, Uncategorized · Tagged , ,

I really do not want to complain.
I really don’t.

My upstairs neighbours are freaking ELEPHANTS.

That’s all I’m going to say.

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