My Birthday: February 28

I was born today. Yes. That's my birthday. I turn 89. Ya I am thinking in future--2066, when I will be that old. By that time the world will have changed a lot. I wonder what it will be like.

I saw the newspaper and in the column, 'Today you share your B'day with' found Steven Chu and a pop icon born today. Chu is a physicist who won Nobel Prize in 1997. It was an eventful today. My old neighbours came to meet us. Sravani brought a nice recipe book for me.

My brother journeyed this long to reach to my city for the occasion. Though he left by evening train. My husband took his off today. And my daughter remained busy in learning new words and playing with papers, utensils and whatever she could lay her hands upon.

I have learnt that astronomers, embryologists, physicists and similar experts in science either were born or died today. Cooper and Pauling, I share my saalgirah with. Even Blondin, the legednary acrobat, was born today. On February 28, Egypt regained Independence from Britain in 1922. Of course, nothing great in this but I feel it is good to know the happenings on your saalgirah (b'day).

Gotta change house & latest news

I am too occupied with the thought of changing the house. The lanlord has asked us to shift as he has to sell the house urgently. The urgency came suddenly!

Anyway. What's the use to fight? We have decided to search a house and pack our bags at the earliest. Inshallah we will get a good house soon. I haven't posted for a longtime here. Was really busy with so many things.

My Tin Tin has now learned to Clap and so many other things. She runs in her walker and even otherwise manages to stand up. Inshallah, she will be walkng soon. Once she starts talking, we will be great friends [already we are friends :) and talk, I in Urdu and English, she is her own zabaan, with lots of mama, ta, da and cute sounding words that elate and enchant me.]

That's the pix of just a house....I found on internet.

Honest People Do Exist

During my recent tour to Lucknow and Hyderabad in connection with my brother's marriage one very important incident took place. Infact I was very much shaken by it.

What happened is, On the wedding day, as we all got ready to go to my brother's marriage we came down from the hotel rooms to get into the cars I sat in the hotel lobby for few minutes. There as I sat, I just took out my hand bag and kept it beside me on the sofa. Then everybody hurried to get into the cars to go and even I got up and left for the function hall.

After reaching the function hall I realised that my hand bag was missing. I searched around if I had kept it somewhere and forgotten but couldn't find. Then I thought may be I forgot it in the hotel room itself. So I just kept quiet.

That bag contained very important things like Aleena's milk, her pampers apart from that my ATM card, money and some jewllery. I was growing panicky as time was passing and praying that I must find it in the hotel room. I did not tell anyone thinking that it may cause unnecessary commotion and the whole joy of marriage and the party atmosphere may be spoilt. But surely I was not able to involve myself into the whole ceremony.

Then soon after everything was over, I hurried my husband to get back to the hotel. The moment we entered the hotel room I first searched for my bag but to my surprise I did not find it . It was not there ! ! Oh, God ! I was shattered .

Then my husband asked me to trace back where all I stopped before getting into the car. It's then I remembered that I sat in the lobby for few minutes and I must have forgotten my bag there. But getting it back from there as it was a public place , chances were almost next to impossible that too after so many hours (must be around 5 hrs). But we thought lets take a chance and ask at the reception. that time it was midnight 12 O'clock. So we rushed there and asked, that receptionist started shooting questions on us regarding the contents in the bag.

Let me be very frank, I did not expect at all to get back the bag. But the person on the counter who initially appeared rude was actually testing us whether we were real owners of the handbag. The elderly man later told us that how anxious they were on seeing the bag containing jewellery and other valuables. The entire staff sat together and made a list of the contents that was signed by them and kept at a safe place.

We were told to come back in the morning when the lady with whom it was kept, would be back. I can't tell my feelings then. I was so tensed earlier but felt very light after we got the handbag. They were really honest people who looked concerned. My husband later wrote a letter of appreciation for the staff of this state government's hotel. Even today when I think of that dreadful hour when I had forgotten the handbag, I shudder. Thanks Nooruddin Sahab! (He was at the counter of the hotel).

Yasir's Marriage

I was out on a holiday for around fifteen days. I was busy in my brother Yasir's marriage. It was quite a hectic tour, as first we went to Lucknow where the marriage was performed(as the girl is from Lucknow) then we flew to Hyderabad where we hosted a reception. Now I am back home in Bhopal.

Every thing went on well there. Almost all my relatives came to attend the marriage. So it was like a family reunion. Infact, one of my uncle gave us a surprise as he flew over from USA just to attend the marriage, another Aunt came from Sweden. It was really nice to see them almost after a decade.

They come searching 'Pakori'

I have a sitemeter on my blog that tells me about the frequency of visitors, where they come from and searching what apart from other trivia.

Most are friends and relatives who know me and my blog. Rest come via Orkut and some through blog directories. What I find strange is that many come searching the word 'pakori/pakoris' that I had mentioned in a blog post about Ramzan and Iftaar.

Apart from my name, it is the most used search term that brings people from faraway places to my blog. Thank you Pakori (or Pakora). These are snacks of sub-continent and to know more about Pakoris. Click the link on wikipedia here.

My Brother Is Leaving Bhopal

My brother Yasir whom I call 'd', [just a li'l sibling secret :)] is presently working as service engineer in Hero Honda. For past one year he is posted in Bhopal. So, he was staying with us.

Now he is offered another job so he is quitting the present one, as the new company is paying him much more. Of course, I am very happy about it that he is got such a good offer. I feel proud of him that masha allah he is climbing the ladder of success day by day. And I pray to Almighty Allah that may all his dreams come true. Amin.

But what I feel bad is that he will be leaving me. Because he will be posted somewhere else but surely not in Bhopal. Actually right from childhood we have been quite close to each other, infact three of us. Arshi is my elder sister. We shared everything with each other, we laughed ,talked for hours together and also fought. So now I will miss all this.

Yeah, I forgot to say the most important thing that he is getting married on 3rd December 2006. So I was very excited about it as I thought after his marriage my sister-in-law would come to Bhopal and we will have a nice time here. but now I will miss all that.

Anyway, I just pray now that may he have a very Happy Married life ahead. Amin.

Caption: Above, an illustration of me, my brother and sister in our childhood. Nice pix na!

Cleaning Spree

For past few days I was busy in cleaning up my house. let me tell you I had litrally messed up the whole thing. Both my bedrooms had a sight to see. Oh my! It was terrible. I myself could not bear my own carelessness.

May be I should not have done this, but my in-laws were supposed to come so I decided that I should do it now. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to face them. And it took almost three to four days to finish the whole thing.

At last I am done with it. And let me say now that my house looks really great ! !

Iqbal's diwan

Aleena loves newspapers and books. The moment there is a book nearyby she leaves the toys and rushes for the book. Here she has managed to crawl up to Allama Iqbal's diwan. When she grows up, will she read Iqbal or other poets. My husband is a poetry lover and I am not a great literature lover. Let's see if she gets into poetry or physics--or both!

I Have Measles

For past few days I was having itching all over my body. Initially I thought may be some insect has bitten me, then after a day also when it did not subside I thought it may be due to some allergy and I asked my husband to get me anti allergic tablet. He got it after two days. I took the tablet very same day but next day morning when I woke up the problem persisted so I took another tablet.

But inspite of taking two pills still the itching continued and when I saw there were very small boils all over just like prickly heat. Since this is not the season to get prickly heat. It is only then I realised there is some major problem for which I need to consult someone. The first person I can take advice is my mom. I asked her over my next telephonic talk . I described my symptoms to her. she said it is surely Measles. Which even I suspected and all my fears came true.

Actually I feel like laughing at myself that I get the problems which are usully heard amongst children. I think I am strange in all senses physically as well as mentally.

But now I just pray to Allah that my daughter Aleena should not get this . As this is an infectious disease and I can't keep away from her as there is no body to take care of her other than me and my husband. My husband's timings are so odd that he just can't take care. Anyhow, I have left things to God alone.

Aleena Has A Walker Now !

We bought a walker for Aleena. When we first made her sit in it, she seemed to be scared may be because she found some thing new,she tried to look at every part of it and examine it keenly. Then after sometime she realised she can move with the help of it.Then the joy on her face when she made a first move is unforgetable for me. She was infact screaming with joy and was very happy. I am still unable to forget that face of hers - that joyfull beaming face.

Actually, as I am alone to take care of her and I have to do the rest of the work as well, and now since Aleena has started crawling she would go anywhere, try put any thing in her mouth so it was becoming difficult for me to manage. Even to go to bathroom I had to think twice because I was scared to leave her. So we decided to get her a walker through which she can move and may be it is less risky(thats what I thought). At the same time she also wanted attention all the time the moment I leave her alone she would start crying.

So, now she just comes after me, wherever I go she comes and stands by my side holding my kurta. She has the satisfaction that she is around me and at the same time I am not scared all the time that she would put any thing in her mouth in my absence. And ofcourse, she is enjoying walking with it.

Lemon Pickle - II

In my earlier post I had written about the lemon pickle I made some time back in September, and there was some problem with that pickle. It had a slight bitter taste.

All thanks to the suggestions given by Sravani and Radhika I added little sugar to it. Actually to be very frank, when I, myself tasted it soon after I made, that bitter taste turned off my mood . After that I never dared to taste it again. Then last month I sent one bottle full to my mom and dad, and asked them to taste it and give me the feedback. But,because of ramzaan even they did not taste it then. As, in my family none of us are pickle lovers. Actually I made it for my husband whose meal is incomplete without pickle.

Now after my mom tasted it she told me that it tastes superb. And she asked me to taste it myself and see, that it has taste of traditional pickle and no pickle can be better than this. Then yesterday I tasted it and I found it extremely delicious. I really felt very happy. I felt a sense of achievement.

I always felt that to be a good wife and mom one should know to make good pickle without it you just can't be called a good one!!!!!!!

Shahanas of Kakori

Kakori is a small town 15 Km away from Lucknow. It is quiete famous for dacoity during the freedom struggle and The Kakori Ke Kabab. Apart from this there is one more thing which are just made that is hand made in kakori alone, they are a kind of bangles made of clay and then they are beautifully decorated on the top with finely cut tiny mirrors and coloured paper. They are called as Shahana. These Shahana are not found any where else, not even in Lucknow. They are the speciality of Kakori.

This time when I went to Kakori I wanted to buy a pair of these shahanas as I wanted to gift them to some of my friends as this would be a unique thing to be gifted. But to my surprise when I went to buy them the kind of shahana I was showed simply aroused my temper. they were so badly made that I just can't describe. There was no delicacy in the work done on it with mirrors and coloured paper. Usually the mirrors that are put are all cut in same shape and are of equal size. But now what she was showing me had each mirror of different shape and size.

I was so much disappointed to see that work . It simply infuriated me. Infact, I told that lady who was selling it, that it doesn't matter if you increase the price but please do not bring down the quality. I wonder why the neatness , delicacy and finneness of of work is not taken into consideration while any thing is bought by the customers of today.