Familiarity

Yesterday I invited a friend's kids over to swim.  Her eldest, teenage son didn't join us and when I thought about it later it was actually the best option.  Being a young man, I would have to cover in front of him and even his presence wouldn't be appropriate.  

We come from a culture where we grow up in other people's houses and that is fantastic, but we became too familiar with mixing company.  We forget that we are NOT related or even if we are - even in the company of my cousins, mixnig is still prohibited.

Being 3 sisters, we didn't really have issues of mixing with boy cousins. We'd only see them on Eid. If we went away on holiday we could take one cousin with and we mostly chose a girl.

Little kids are encouraged to kiss the elderly at family functions. But no one says "STOP!" .. so teenage boys or girls are seen kissing aunts and uncles (inlaws) and cousins.

Algamdulillah that this has popped into my head .... it is a new year so it is a new aspect of Islam I could implement in our lives.

A parent's brain

Scrapbooking

Recently I had my PC re-installed nad lost ALL my mail.

So I am saving my "want-to-keep-for-possible-scrapbooking" emails on my blog !

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Scrapbooking fills my days - not to mention my living room, bedroom and closets!  ~Author Unknown

Blessed are the children of scrapbookers, for they shall inherit the scrapbooks.  ~Author Unknown

I scrapbook therefore I am - broke.  ~Author Unknown

I could keep on scrappin'
or I could go to bed,
but then what would I do
with all these layouts in my head?
~Author Unknown, "My Addiction"

Just as pieces stitched together in a quilt warm our bodies, scrapbooks bind together memories to warm our hearts.  ~Author Unknown

My grandmother made me a scrapbook because I was once too young to remember; I am making scrapbooks for my family because one day I may be too old to remember.  ~Author Unknown

No scrap of paper bigger than my smallest punch shall be thrown away.  ~Author Unknown, "The Scrappers Creed"

When life gives you scraps, make something with them.  ~Author Unknown

Keep some souvenirs of your past, or how will you ever prove it wasn't all a dream?  ~Ashleigh Brilliant

We gather up pictures and bits of our past
and scrapbook them into a gift that will last.
~Kimberly Rinehart, "Scrapbooker's Verse"

Scrapbooking isn't about scraps of paper and photos.  Scrapbooking is about scraps of life - yours and those special to you.  ~Rebecca Sower

To crop or not to crop, that is the question.  ~Author Unknown

She glances at the photo, and the pilot light of memory flickers in her eyes.  ~Frank Deford

Scrapbooking is cheaper than a therapist.  ~Author Unknown

My husband lets me have all the scrapbooking supplies I can hide.  ~Author Unknown

Time flies... scrapbook it.  ~Vivian Perez-Espinosa, owner of Let's Scrap!, a scrapbooking store in South Miami, Florida (www.lets-scrap.com)

A person is neither whole nor healthy without the memories of photo albums.  They are the storybook of our lives.  They provide a nostalgic escape from the tormented days of the present.  ~Patrick Garry

The album we've made is much more than a book.
It's worth even more than the time that it took.
~Kimberly Rinehart, "Scrapbooker's Verse"

A true scrapbook addict is one who stages photographs to match paper she likes.  ~Author Unknown

So many pictures, so little time!  ~Author Unknown

[Mama] follows us around
hoping we'll sneeze
So she can have the tissue
"For my scrapbook please."
~Toni Sorenson Brown, "She's Out of Control" 

Gaza

I haven't posted anything about this issue yet, mainly because I feel too much pain and too much anger.  In Cape Town we march for everything and it never seems to make a difference.

Each day I go to this blog to read what is happening and I hope you do too.  

Aisha has also been writing about it and I enjoyed her article which is usually on her blog but isn't ;-)

So, what can we do ?  or I do ? Boycott !

Carimah with a "C"

For some or other reason my daddy named me Carimah and decided to spell it with a C rather than the traditional K.  And most of my life I got flack for it ! Some doubted I was even Muslim because of the "C" !!  The oddest statement was "oh, you must be an English muslim" WHAT ??  

Anyway... at school we'd always play this game where we'd select adjectives for each letter of our names... my C was always cute..... but tonight, while

 I was applying the hairdryer to the puffy paint I got a flash ... C is for CREATIVE !!!

So Creative Carimah (with pride in my voice) - defied the devil grip/claw in her chest and got busy with some lycra !!

As DD officially comes to the end of being part of Playgroup when she starts school in  23 days time (yes I Am counting !) I made her last costume - theme is Sea Creatures ......

 

puffy paint on

the skirt.

mermaid pose -->

my other sea creature .........

From sew mama sew I made DS this teepee..... now I have to explain to DD that the "tee" in teepee has nothing to do with having a tea party for her dolls ! 

Bother bother bother

I do not like this time of year in Cape Town !

A few years ago we went camping over this "festive" season and it was fantastic!  I vowed that THAT was the only way to spend it and I would do it every year !  But I haven't.

So what gripes me - firstly the drivers - the foreign to the city drivers, then the locals who get upset with the foreign drivers - it just makes driving horrible !  The best time to drive is before 9 - but where could I possibly go at that hour ?

So I have been having cabin fever and asked DH to take us out - we went to Sea Point/Moullie point - there is a new playground activity set which was fantastic for the kids to play on. (Nice spot for a party!)  The kids were thirsty so we decided to go to the Waterfront .... it wasn't as bad as I thought - we found parking and it wasn't crowded. We opted to go to Dodge Diner for Milkshakes. Since DS is such an adventurous little boy  sitting inside was NOT an option, so DH ordered our milkshakes and we sat outside. Big mistake - Big, HUGE !! DS was running all over the place ! After his little tour de V&A, we came back to our table. Surprisingly our milkshakes weren't there yet..... DS followed on with his tour and after 30 min there still weren't any milkshakes ! Hello ?? Milk, ice cream, blend - ta daaaaa !!!  DH went to enquire - they were busy with it.  A few minutes later still NO milkshake !! 

Now I can understand if there are LOADS of people - but it wasn't even busy ! There was an excuse of new workers - who hires newbies in this season ?? and at the busiest tourist spot of the city ???? So we left ! Well DH gave them an earful first!  So he probably won't take it further - but please if YOU find yourself at the Waterfront DON'T go to Dodge Diner they are in training !!

Islamic Survey

Name: Carimah

Age: 33

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Background: South African

Spouse (if so, name and background): Marwaan, South African

Even though our ancestors are not from here - we do not hold attachment to where they come from as it has been MANY generations ago !

How long have you been married? 9 years

Kids? Aasiyah - 5, Muhammad 20 months

Are you a revert? No, but I would call myslef a new Muslim.

Have you been to Hajj or Umrah? Yes, Algamdulillah in 2001/2

How many masaajid have you been to? Many locally - BoKaap alone I think I have been to all. Internationally - Toronto, Rome, Paris, London, Malaysia a few.  Wherever we travelled we went to the local masjid.

Have you ever been involved with a masjid?  Not really - too much drama and politics !

Who are some of your favorite lectures by? Imam Anwar al Awlaki, Mufti Menk, Dr Abdullah Hakim Quick, Hamza Yusuf, Zaid Shakir

Who are some of your favorite recitors? Abdul Basit, the one that cries - I can't get to his name ..... Sudais is it ?

Some of your favorite Islamic books? Islamic Creed series, Tafsir of Quran I received recently - can't get to the author, Ideal Muslimah, *****

Decribe your most memorable Eid: Lunch with my family - mum making 3 different dishes and going the evening to my granny and seeing ALL my cousins.

When did you first start fasting? My dad wouldn't let me until I had to :-(  So I was what - 13/14 years.

When did you start hijab? The day my mum died - June 2000

What's your usual outift like when you go out? Abaya and hijaab

What do you like about blogging? If I have something to say I get to say it and not interupted or disagreed with. ALso serves as my memory bank as the brain cells fade.

Describe your first feelings wearing hijab
Hijab: I needed proof of it being a requirement and when I found it that was enough for me and I never took it off since!
Abayah: Only after I read From my sisters' lips did it occur to me that I could wear this way. Locally we dressed like Malaysians and abaya etc was kept only for praying.  It was FANTASTIC to wear abaya as Ididn't have to replace my wardrobe!
Niqaab: I wore it on hajj and I like the anonymity.

How do you pin your hijab? Due to the kids I mainly wear mini-burgas now. But generally a long scarf twisted around.

Highlight the countries you know Muslims from:Antarctica, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Chechnya, China, Denmark, Dominican Republic,Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia,Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine,Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, SriLanka, Spain, Taiwan, Trinidad Tobago, Turkey, Yemen,Yugoslavia

What was on the last prayer mat you made salah on? My Palestine one - I bought it at the International fair to support Palestine and I found it too thin so stitched it onto an old padded mat

What's your ideal iftar? Fruit

What type of adhaan really gets to you? The one in Medina

What's something that annoys you at Jummah: Old aunties who act like they own the masjid becaue they come every week 

What was the last surah you read? (not recited in salah) Yaseen

Do you dry yourself after wudu?  Yes

Do you brush your teeth for fajr salah? No - sometimes I barely awake !

Whats the last Islamic thing you've been involved with? Odd question .. erm .. teaching DD to pray .. everyday is Islamic - helping a neighbour, giving charity at the door .....

What was the last convention you went to?  MSA in August

Have you ever been part of an Islamic matrimonial site? No. 

What color is the rug in the masjid you usually attend? I don't go to a set masjid

Is the masjid you usually attend separated? Most of the masjids here are

Have you ever stood in a minbar? No

Have you ever washed a dead body before?  Yes, both grans and my mum

What's the last thing you ate in the masjid? Either an eclair or chocolate cake ..... it was something I eye'd

Where's the strangest place you've seen a Muslim working? I heard of a guy who worked at a bar and gave dawah there - mash'Allah!  

Have you ever posted a flier in the masjid? No

Rate your masjid's bathroom: Always clean

Have you ever used a bidet for istinja?: Yes

What's the weirdest thing that happened to you in salah? Getting stuck under the lady's abaya infront of me !

Isn't it annoying when the imam tells everyone to shut off their cell phones and someone's phone rings in the middle of salah? Yes, especailly if it is the imam's !

What's some of the best halal food you've had (from a non Muslim country)?Popeyes in Canada! Oh YES !!!

What was it like when you found out skittles were haram?  Odd question - I don't eat it.

What's something haram that you think most people don't know? Cousins !

What's the craziest hijabi fashion you've seen? This pirate style scarf iritates me !

What did you like about this survey??