Feeling that I owe you guys a Blog at least.....

So I know I was supposed to blog after effects well lets just say that encounter was "unsuccessful"...I wonder why...nothin' to do with the fact that I am a 5 times darker shade than the prospective....hmm and his mother could not stop rubbing it in my face....


Anyways besides the point....History. End. of. Moving on.......(very slowly).


So lets update everyone on the last 6 months to date....can you believe we just had 2010 start and already we are less than 1 month away from half way through the year....time is going superfast...SubhanAllah. Anyways so the big age change will occur in 1.5 months - 27 , still not married, still looking for a job ....oh but have perfected my in-house cuisine skills so that has to count for something. 


So I have not really progressed personally....except I think I am stepping into the "I dont care anymore" zone. 


So whether I do care in the next couple of weeks...will determine whether I choose to post another blog....hmm


anyways....I need to go cook.....Toodles. 

Am getting Cold Feet....(Literally)

Yes in the literal sense of the word....my room is bloody freezing and my feet are numb cold with two pairs of socks on!


Jokes aside though.....I have a potential rishtha engagement this weekend and well its been a while since I have "played the field" so to speak and I am nervous so yeh cold feet in the non-literal sense as well.  


I just recently have been attending some practimate seminars which gives women (mainly 25-35) tips on how to approach a guy in the "halaal" way and ask the right questions and answer the questions to what he wants to hear....i picked up a few tips I must say. I learnt that my personality should not be a job application .... well this is a bit dubious...I mean if you have sat through one then you know that the mother in law interviews you like it was a job application!


Well I have been unemployed for nearly 4 months now so although i knew this day was coming...I somehow felt this urge to not really be serious about it and just wing it? I am slightly annoyed at the situation though..I mean I really am genuinely busy this sunday and next sunday with an ALM course but these two sundays are the only days that they can come...I cant even begin to tell you how I cannot miss this one as my mum will literally unleash the apocalypse on me and that my friends aint going to be pretty, considering last time I was also at a course and I said no. 


But its timing right? and Qadr right? well thats what I keep telling myself. 


Okay so I have literally a few days to not only plan a seminar and make sure everything comes together but also get my interview mode and questions in check ... plus my mum wants me to lose a stone in 3 days?! lol...I mean seriously...why do I even bother? I am only going to put it back on after I get Married? innit? I think all Married women can attest to that?


So I guess I will blog the after-effects? Till next week....

Leme 'splain you.....

So yes I have not blogged for a while and not because I didn't want too just because I could not be bovvered and I was busy....


Anyways the thing is right, I have all of a sudden become a social butterfly - yes - me. I know its hard to believe as those of you who know me...I prefer "me-time". I have just come back from an exhausting 10 days of pure Ilm...and yes people the one thing that has stayed in my head is: 

"The Ilm is in the Ilm" (not in the text) - AE

I have now realised that my social diary is packed for the next few months to say the least. A friends' mehndi is this weekend her walima the following and then another mate is getting married last weekend of Jan. Then our next seminar is last two weekends of Feb and I am sure I have to fit in a rishta meeting in there between then. 

But lo and behold I get news that maybe my baby sister "might" get married before me....hang on...that situation is familiar...oh wait...my other baby sister DID get married before me. Hmmm....so my mum asks me if I would mind coz the possibility at this point is that my other sister will probably get married before me....and so I say: "no mum I dont really care" - was that my defence mechanism to say "yes I do care?" and I am doomed never to get married?! maybe a lil melodramatic but I sit here thinking to myself "does it bovver me?"

[5 hrs later]

Still thinking......lol. We can weigh up the pros and cons of this situation...

Pros: 

* I finally get the master bedroom after 26 years and cupboard space beyond my dreams

* I have my parents to myself.....

* Always save the best till last...my husband best be tall, handsome and rich (in no particular order) 

Cons:

* People think there is something wrong with me I am not married therefore I must like girls...?! lol [ note: I dont!]

* more housework? always a bummer

* people still think there is something wrong with me 

Hmm interesting scenarios. I think this whole thing is giving me a inferiority complex which I need to now work on before my mum thinks I am falling into depression and afraid I will start jumping out of windows again. The crux of the matter is that I am okay with it. I am enjoying the benefits of being single and not turning into the "Surrendered Wife" ( a book that I got as a gift). I am not succumbing to the annoyances of the male gender. I am thinking about number 1 and that is me. I like the idea of not having to share my bed with someone because he is is intruding into my personal space. I like the idea that I have a certain freedom that my parents give me and I like my own company. I can see myself criticising my husband because he did not put the toilet roll the right way or why did he put the dishes in the sink when the dishwasher was empty or why he didnt call me when he decided to have a night out with the lads.


Not the type of wife I want to be but hey thats why I am reading the "Surrendered Wife".


Until the next blog.......

Pre-Travelling Blunders

SubhanAllah everything that can go wrong before flying in 10 hours does go wrong...


I was worried that I am not running around panicking about whether I have everything only to find out that my suitcase is overweight and I have literally chucked everything out of it and still overweight!!


In one day I have been back and forth doing last minute shopping....and visited 5 peoples houses and still managed to get the heat for not seeing two people who will not be named but like people would think that I am going to emigrate to another country...even when you are going on holiday you dont get any rest.....whats that all about? 


Typical asian right? 6 boxes of quality streets weighing in at 1 Kg each!! When I think about it...I have not taken a lot so I think....well...I need the bare essentials right? I packed and repacked about 7 times only to find that I only saved myself half a kilo of weight. 


The joke thing is not my situation though....my younger sister is the ultimate plonker...she has just locked the combination lock on her suitcase without actually knowing what the combination is on the lock so now she has a locked suitcase a night before we fly and no combination to open it with -- lol -- and now she is sitting in the next room trudging through each combination from 300 - 399 to hopefully get a result. She is currently on 305. 


For now this is just the beginning...I am sure that I will wake up tomorrow morning and find that something else is wrong......Make Du'a. 


Anyways next time I blog I shall be on the other side of the Atlantic......


Till then.....Alvida. 

Consider Charity Helping Yourself.

Trudging through my old paperwork and stuff...I come across some notes I wrote down on Charity. I dont recall  the name of the course shamefully, (okay actually I do...it was an AlKauthar course in Fairfield halls:) but I am glad I stumbled across the notes, because reflecting on them was a great reminder.


" Consider Charity Helping Yourself: Tawfique Chaudry"

1. Charity comes from Sidq. Truthfulness attests to the truth of Emaan that you have
2. Charity extinguishes the anger of Allah and He becomes merciful to you.
3. Charity protects you and your progeny from harm
4. Through charity you are giving charity to the bones in your body
5. Charity shows signs of love for your brother
6. Attain a higher level of righteousness
7. Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala increases charity level x 100
8. Amount of charity = amount of shade in Jannah
9. Defends you from the punishment in the grave
10. Ground you safety from the fire
11. Sign of Tawakkul 
12. Giving in charity you get reward 
13. Sadaqa Jariya - continuous benefit and ajr until the day of Judgement
14. Charity is better than individual nafl deeds because it helps and benefits others
15. Allah causes charity to grow 
16. Give charity and protect your wealth in the Akhira
17. Giving Charity is Sunnah

** Chicken and Mango Salad **

Yep you read it right....I am going to post my fav receipes...This one is just too good! And I keep going on about it and then my goofy cousin keeps telling me to make it but something always comes up. So here it is....and well you know...make it yourself! :p


Ingredients:
- cooked chicken cubed or shredded (either left over chicken or cubed boneless chicken seasoned with garlic, ginger, salt and pepper)
- ripe/raw mango - you can either get the ready made ones or you can buy one and cut it yourself.
- mixed green salad leaves and spinach leaves
- celery
- cucumber
- avocado
- salt/black pepper
- cayenne pepper
- parsley and/or coriander
- lemon or lime juice
- Lemon/Lime wedges


How to make the salad:


This is the easy bit. 

1. Take the salad leaves and spinach and put in a mixing bowl - shred as you see necessary
2. Chop up into cubes the mango, avocado, cucumber and celery
3. Chop up finely the coriander and/or parsley
4. Mix up the lime juice or lemon juice in a bowl with the mango, some salt/pepper and the cayenne pepper
5. Add the mango mixture and all the remaining chopped ingredients and herbs to the mixed green salad leaves and toss
6. Add the cubed or shredded chicken
7. Add any remaining seasoning to taste
8. If you are like a masterchef style cook then arrange beautifully on a plate and voila....enjoy!

This is IT.

Yep you heard me. This is IT. This is not a movie review of the incomplete concert documentary film of Michael Jackson although many of you thought it was. What if this was it? Life, I mean and tomorrow was Judgement Day. Are we ready? 


I find it bizarre that soo many people around the world have gone crazy over this whole Michael Jackson death and apocalypse mentality. Like its the end of the world that he has passed away. I mean death is a reality. Its crazy though I swear I heard a story today whilst chilling with my cousins that one guy actually got plastic surgery to mimic Michael Jackson's face and appearance - I mean come on seriously? He dont even look human. Astagfirullah. 


Elvis. The Beatles. Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Michael Jackson and even Amitabh Bachan are treated like gods in this day and age. People die over every little thing that happens to them. I even heard when Michael died, there were people committing suicide. 


So is this not like worshipping an idol? I mean at the end of the day, they are all humans....they are going to die one day and then the they will be questioned in the grave....they may have had ALL the success in this world with the fame and the money but then when they cant even answer three simple questions..... then what? Thats it. Aint no pound or rupee in this world gonna save any of them. And next man next to him in the grave aint gonna be wanting his autograph either! Buoy...the world is a funny place. 


Shortlived happiness v Eternal happiness...that my friend is the question.