The Graduate
‘Rauf, we will all be there for your last day of school, you’re going to have yummy snacks with your friends and give away goodbye presents’ ‘Okay, mummy’ When Joe received notice for a job secondment in the Netherlands, we knew the best decision to make as a family was to move together. He was…
The Holiday
Back in 2019, my dad was hinting here and there that he wanted a holiday with the family…’somewhere cold if possible’ he said. So after some research we decided to go to Melbourne. Joe couldn’t make it in the very last minute (thinking about the burnt ticket still makes me sad till this day!) but…
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The Gold Slippers
When I was in early Primary, my relatives performed their Hajj. When they returned there was a huge gathering at another relative’s house for their welcome. It was the best time because I had like 10,000 cousins and this was the time everyone got together. Ah, pre covid days. While everyone was busy catching up, I realised the relative who came back was arranging all the souveniers on a table. I saw her arranging a line of beautiful gold slippers…
The one about Margaret Thatcher
I remember growing up, when my sister and I shared a room and we would ask my dad to tell us a story (sometimes more than 1). He would never say no and for that I am grateful. Sometimes his stories would be fictional. Sometimes his stories were about his childhood and sometimes his stories were about biographies on his favourites singers, authors etc. Stories – the special ones will always make room in your heart and mind, even after…
Who Moved my Cheese
With my 31st birthday nearing, I’ve been thinking a lot about my grandfather. About how almost this time last year we still had him around. I had a Beyonce theme birthday dinner at home with family and friends and I still remember vividly how he came out from the dining room holding a picture of himself and a baby me. He approached me and showed it to me and I could see it in his face that he was proud…
The 18th Jar
When Rauf turned 1 year old I decided to collect all birthday notes he would receive from our friends and relatives, to keep them in jars labeled by the year and will pass it over to him when he turns 18. It wasn’t until my Grandfather passed away recently that I realised how cherished and priceless these time capsule messages are. I found the note that my Papa wrote for him in 2019 and I could not stop crying for…
The man who gave us wings
I once knew a Man who gave us wings, Throughout his life he taught us many things, An extraordinary man, no, not a stranger, This man was my beloved grandfather. Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman was his name, A hardworking man who played a few games, Born in Kelantan in 1933, A quiet kampung boy who enjoyed climbing trees. Married Wan Zakiah, 4 children they had, Each grew up strong through happy and sad, Aziah, Azlan, Anita, Adina are…
Midnight Picnic
My son taught me something about communication today. Rauf refused to go bed. I gave him everything I could think off without overstepping the boundaries. Nothing worked. It didn’t make sense because he didn’t nap the whole day. He was yawning and moody and everything seemed to have checked all the boxes for being ‘sleepy’. I was so tired. Husband’s jet lagged. I was on my own and it felt like Rauf was new in this world again and I…
The Beautiful Mess
Charles Darwin once said that’ “The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man”. But, Darwin also once wrote “But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything” Darwin must have had a bad day. That was when I realized he and I had something in common at one point of our life. The month of Ramadhan came and went. The celebration of Eid was fun but it felt short this…
Of Bitter & Budget
Not long ago someone I knew called me a cheapskate and mocked how much I ‘wanted to save 5 dollars’ for suggesting to play Secret Santa during Christmas. The truth is, playing secret santa was a way I could still show someone I still care even though I barely had the money. But what started as a bitter remark actually had a huge silver lining behind it because I realized it was time to put my foot down and got…
The People Project: Fatma Al Baiti
Fatma. Yemen. Foodie. Friend. Passion. The heart and mind behind ‘Meet Me at Fatma’s’, London’s first Yemeni pop-up brunch’ I first met Fatma when many years ago during our Global Village program in Lehigh University, Pennsylvania. It’s been so long, but If I could have one word to describe my fondest memory of Fatma during the best 6 weeks o my life, it would be: SAMOSAS (Don’t laugh, Fatma) I can explain. Here’s why. One of the many programs we had…
THE ROCKSTAR
Rauf is 2! After bouncing off ideas on how to have his birthday party this year, we decided to cancel it and have makan makan with our families instead. As much as I was tempted to have a petting zoo and a pool party and people dressed up as Big Bird and Elmo and a luxurious desert spread for this birthday with a gigantic backdrop that said ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAUF’, I brought myself back down to earth and asked ‘who…
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