A fly on the wall

She's Here!

2012-01-28T22:34:00.000-05:00

Alhamdulilah my second daughter has entered this world, healthy and beautiful beyond the scope of my own limited duas. It's incredible to know that my own mother loves me so much to make these incredible duas for me. How else could I blessed in so many ways?

It's been quite the week. On Sunday, we thought perhaps I was in labor, feeling what I thought was contractions, so we went to the hospital to get checked out. It turns out I was not, but from the moment we got into the labor triage room, I felt annoyed, especially because the biggest football game was on in a few hours, and I really wanted my husband to be able to watch it at home, especially if we did not really have to be at the hospital. (I know, how selfless of me; actually I did not want to fight with him during labor for ignoring me)

After being okay'ed by my doctor to leave, they decided only moments later to keep me for a few more hours and put me on an IV because the baby's heartbeat was high. Stupid, stupid coke zero. Why did I drink you on the way to the hospital? After arguing with the nurse and the doctor I gave in, mostly because Moustafa convinced me to go with it, since we were there already. I lay on the bed another two hours until they finally allowed us to go home. I was praying for this the whole time, but really did not expect it to happen, as I know how hospitals like to control the situation, and in almost every situation, the patient is kept and induced (and I was a mere 24 hours overdue). Luckily Moustafa was able to catch most of the game at home, but heartbroken when his team lost.

The next day, I moved up my doctors appointment because I wanted an update on what was going on with this baby and to make sure my doctor knew about the false alarm. While I was there, she did something known as stripping of the membranes (I will leave you to google that). I read that it works for some, but usually makes little difference. It did however cause me to cramp and spot, which was expected.

So the day went on, I continued to have cramping and spotting. Around 8 pm, I asked my sister to come to Target with me; I just had to have hand soap refill before this baby came. Funny how trivial things can weigh you down like it's the end of the world. As we were walking through Target, I was in so much pain at times, I wanted to lay on the floor. Darn cramping, I thought.

So we didn't stay long. Came home and the "cramping" got progressively worse and more painful until 9:30 when I called my doctor. I don't expect her to remember every detail about every patient, so I didn't blame her when she said I didn't sound like I was in labor on the phone or in crazy pain. I am just not that kind of person (until later). So she said hang out at home another hour or so, see how it goes. I decided to take a bath, hoping to ease the pain, forgetting that my pseudo ob/gyn (Dr. Mona) told me that warm baths can also help relax and body and bring on labor. By the time I got out at 10:30 the pain had only gotten worse. This whole time, Moustafa is as doubtful as I am that this was worth a hospital trip. But by now I was red and sweaty from the pain I was in. Pretty soon, I begged to go to the hospital.

We got to the hospital and the guard at the labor triage room showed us to the waiting room, to wait for a nurse. As I am waiting, I can barely breath, in excruciating pain and pacing and panting.

Finally a nurse grabbed me coming out of the bathroom. This whole time I am going to the bathroom every 15 seconds, thinking I had to. She started to take me to an evaluation room, thought the better of it, and took me straight to a labor and delivery room. After some yelling, at the nurses, at my husband, at anything in front of me, I demanded the in house doctor. My doctor had been informed at this point, but I could not wait any longer..

The on call doctor delivered me at 1:06 am. No waiting. No medicine. No epidural. Somehow, the nurse managed to get an IV in me.

Aside from my sister, we spoke to no one as we left for the hospital. The next time they heard from us the baby was already here. My mother thought it was a joke, as she did not even know we left for the hospital. Welcome Iman Badreldin. 7 pounds, 11 ounces. 20.5 inches tall.

We're home now, just a few days later, in the same week. Still in disbelief.

The final countdown

2012-01-09T22:06:00.001-05:00

Somehow, by the mercy of Allah nearly ten months have passed, and I am possibly days, or less than two weeks from my due date. I am anxious to know more about and meet my second child.

The past few months have been uneventful, and for once I am grateful for that, Alhamdulilah. Of course barring the birth of my beautiful nephew, Hamza, not much else has happened.

Except that every morning I wake up with a different toddler. Every morning, Noor, who is nearing two years old, does/says/learns something new. And while I bask in the beauty of her rapid growth, I feel sadness underneath and miss the Noor from the day before. She is growing up entirely too fast. Should I listen to my sisters, and record every cute thing she says and does? If I do will I miss out what is happening in front of me? Forget wielding a camera, even if I blink I know I've fallen behind.

I fear I have already missed too much.

What happened to my resolution to read?

2012-01-09T21:53:00.000-05:00

Remember way back when I said I would do more reading, and briefly review the books I read for you, my lone blog audience member?

The last book I read was The Hunger Games, and it was fantastic. How fantastic? Well you can go back and read the review. What happened then? It took a few more days to get my hands on the two sequels to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and The Mockingjay and each one I read in a day. I should also mention that my husband was also unable to put these books down.

And that is the last I read. In fact, since then other books I had ordered through the library, The Immortal Life ofmHenrietta Lachs and Clockwork Angel, came in. But I have no desire to read them. Suzanne Collins, your books have ruined reading for me. Ok just kidding. But it will take me some time. I just renewed Henrietta Lachs for the third time, partly because I hope to still read it, and partly because I am too lazy to go to the library and return it.

The Hunger Games

2011-11-08T15:12:00.002-05:00

A friend recently invited me to a new Meetup group for Muslim families in Bergen County. I know my husband will have little interest in this, as it is another social media network, and he says he hates social media (or at least pretends to, while he does have a Facebook, LInked In & Twitter account).

So I am attending their first book club meeting next weekend. Husbands are invited, but I won't extend this to my husband as I know he has too much on his plate for me to even ask. On the other hand, I have been overjoyed to start picking up books again. I am loving reading again, and while the baby does not make it easy, there are those rare moments where she grabs a book of her own and joins me on the sofa. Plus she has recently started "reading" out loud herself, which is a series of words she knows, intertwined with babble. But to my ears, it is music.

The first choice of the book club is "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. I have to admit a while back I read a quick summary of this book on Wikipedia and it did not interest me. In fact I would not have read it now, except that my friend Maleeha handed me her copy, so I had no reason not to. That was yesterday. Less than 24 hours and 374 pages later, I am done. Perhaps this is a recurring theme with me, but I could not put it down. Now that I think about it, it is recurring, but often has little to do with the quality of the book, just my need to know the ending NOW.

But in this case, I loved the book. I believe this book is aimed at an audience at least a decade younger than me, but since I've never really grown up, I really enjoyed reading it.

I really don't want to give much away as it is a long story, and shocking story at times. However the author has done a great job of making it real; I feel like it can happen, must happen in some part of the world. Not in my neighborhood, where survival means driving to the closest supermarket, and turning up the thermostat. But I know in other parts of the world people have to do whatever they can do to ward off starvation, a major part of this book. Could I do the same, where I pushed to struggle for my own existence? I pray to Allah that I never have to find out.

The Screwtape Letters/ The Help

2011-11-08T14:56:00.001-05:00

Next up on my reading list was C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters." I read the first chapter, and about half of the second, and felt I was done, I had read the whole book.

The book consists of chapters, which are actually letters written from the Devil to his "henchmen" on how to deceive and mislead men. An interesting point was made in the first chapter, and that was not to allow man think or reason, to keep his distracted and focused on trivial, worldly matters. That way there would be no room in his head for the constant reminder of God. I liked the chapter well enough.

The first half of the second chapter seemed practically identical, the same tone, the same vocabulary. That's what I decided to move on to the next book.

The next book recommended to me was "The Help" by Katheryn Stockett. I could not put this book down. It was written very well, flowing between the viewpoints of different characters, so you could almost imagine what each person went through. And that made it hard to hate anyone. Well almost anyone.

It's the story of a white woman working with the African American help in well to do white houses in Jackson, Mississippi, telling their stories. Among them are bad ones and good ones, stories where the help is treated with kindness and generosity, yet all the while maintaining their position as the help. Never ever really on the same field as their employers.

As you can imagine, the characters trying to tell these stories were at great danger of being found out, though it wasn't something stressed in the book. As I read, my heart was constantly on edge, praying for them to succeed without being caught in the act.

I'd like to be more in depth with my review, but it's been a few weeks since I finished it. I loved it, and now that I have read the book, I want to watch the movie. I am sure it will pale in comparison, but I still expect to be entertained.

More book reviews on the way

2011-10-21T22:30:00.001-04:00

I got around to reading a few more books recommended to me, The Screwtape Letters and The Help. I will review them in further detail later.

For now I have picked up what I beleive is the latest installment in the Shopaholic series, Mini Shopaholic. Thought it has not been over two or three years since I read the earlier books, I am already annoyed with the main character, Becky. I have become a mother, as had she, but she has not grown up one bit. Ugh.

So the other shoe drops. Sort of.

2011-10-21T22:25:00.001-04:00

Vacations scare me. The thought of going away and having a great time is something I always look forward to. But something nags me in the back of my mind, "how could I be so lucky?" I usually expect to return home to some sort of sickness or catastrophe, and Alhamdulilah by the grace of Allah it has not happened yet I can never let go of this (irrational?) fear.

As I try my hardest to settle into sleep on Wednesday night (I say try because the wanna-be Beckham inside me has other plans), I cannot help but smile from excitement over the next day's plans. Storytime at the library, high tea with my best friend, followed by meeting up at Girl's Night Out, a shopping event in downtown Westfield, NJ. I know it is not a Disney cruise, or a weekend in Paris, but I know how lucky I will be to have the time to enjoy my famly, friends, and beautiful weather, living in a place with no fear of open air violence or political turbulence. Perhaps it is because I am a mommy now, but I have learned to appreciate and enjoy simple days.

We return home, and I have a fitful night, with very little sleep, not because of my daughter, but again, thanks to David Beckham. Around 6 am, I hear my mom's car alarm go off. It is still dark outside, so as I look out the window, nothing looks unusual in the driveway. An hour later, as my sister prepares to leave for work, she discovers the car window smashed and her optometry kit, full of expensive tools, stolen. It was the first and only time she had
left it in the car.

So that was the other shoe dropping. Reading this now makes me feel silly. We were so blessed that our home was safe, we were all asleep (well not I) in our warm, cozy bed, and any real danger did not befall us. So really, it was a blessing, not a misfortune right? Still I think I should plan a few dull days ahead of me, and try not too have too much fun.

The one about the book

2011-09-26T21:03:00.018-04:00

I vaguely remember when I had started this blog wanting to do book reviews. I am not sure when I forgot about doing that, but here goes another try at it. The other day I was hit with the realization that I have not read a book, a real book, meant for my age group and without pictures or pop-up characters, in nearly two years. At least this was an easy fix, or so I thought.

Often my eighteen month old and I fight over the use of the laptop, ipad or even my cell phone. Naturally I assumed it was because kids love screens. I hate that she wants these things so I try to limit my use around her. A book would be different, right? Wrong! Every time I sat down with my first book in two years, Noor would run over, say "I want book", taking my book to the nearest sofa and plop down to read with the book in her lap. As frustrating as it was, I must admit I was proud of her.

On Saturday we took a family trip to the local library. I recently received many book recommendations from a few friends, via facebook, so I had decided to work my way down the list. The first book was "Mornings in Jenin," by Susan Abulhawa. Fiction, which is usually what I prefer to read.

Despite the battle over the book with my toddler, I was able to read it here and there and within 24 hours I got through its' 325 pages. In truth I had trouble putting it down or thinking of anything else until I got through it. I had forgotten how time consuming reading can be when you are someone like me who has the need to know how it ends.

I started off reading the book like it was any other piece of fiction. I was immediately drawn to and immersed in the lives of the characters, spanning several generations of a Palestine family from the 1940's and onwards. I planted myself on their farm, in their home, gathering their harvest by their side.

Then in 1948, the Israeli regime began threatening their homes, their lives, their livelihoods. I was engrossed in the world of guns, violence and the fear that they lived in, interspersed with happy moments, a marriage, a child being born. As I kept reading I was unable to remind myself that I was not in Palestine with them.

Halfway into the book it hit me hard. I really was not in their world. I looked around me, suddenly thrust into my reality, four sturdy walls, a soft bed, a ceiling not ridden with holes, listening to the sound of crickets chirping outside my windows, not bulldozers or guns.

And the it REALLY hit me. This was NOT fiction. These were characters based on real people in real situations. How could I have been so numb, so stupid, as to forget that I was not just reading a piece of fiction, I was in fact reading history. The realization was heartbreaking. When I hear or see the news of Palestine in the media, I am sad for them, but watching these characters who I had placed myself next to go through the actual events put everything in a different light. I could not be the same person after reading this book.

Realisation

2011-06-12T13:55:00.002-04:00

I am sitting in my car waiting for Noor to wake up so we can attend a baby shower. I browse Facebook on my phone and someone posted a status about a salah how to chart for kids.

And then it hit me. Up until now my concerns have been making sure she has enough dresses, gets her naps in, has enough playtime with other kids. But so far this has all been the easy stuff right?

As she gets older, how will I teach her right from wrong and modesty in her actions? For now prayer is a fun exercise for her, but how do I convince her it's her entry to jennah? How do I even get her to believe in jennah and the akhirah and look past this life? How can I get her to love the Quran? How do I get her to love learning?

Perhaps the when is as important as the how. When do we parents look past the tickling, play fighting, ABC 's and silly songs? I don't believe in sending our kids to preschool with $20k a year tuition either, but I have not yet decided what will be best for Noor.

I know there is no ONE right answer. And in the grand scheme of all this, it falls back on the nature vs. nurture debate, with no clear conclusion. While I continue to try to work it all out and determine what is going to be best for her,there is one thing I can do right now. I can, God willing, be the best version of me there may be (I hope). I can just be in front of her as an example. Maybe, just maybe, she will pick something up, on her own time. But I won't push it. For now we'll work on mastering wheels on the bus.

Wake up, Sameera

2011-06-12T00:11:00.000-04:00

My dear A.A. told me once she read somewhere that sometimes you see people who have passed away in your dreams, that it means that your souls are meeting. It was a sweet and beautiful thought. We stumbled onto this discussion because we were talking about Rehab.

I wonder if it's true. I would imagine my encounter with Rehab to go like this:
"Rehab I missed you so much"
"I missed you too Meera, how have you been?"
"I am good Alhamdulilah"
"Are you sure"
"What do you mean?"
"You are the same person I left behind. How can that be? Have you learned nothing from me?"

And then I'd wake up, and feel the guilt and disappointment in myself all over again. For forgetting the lessons Rehab worked so hard to teach those around her. And losing the gifts she left for me along the way, leaving my compassion behind, forgoing any ounce of patience I may have in me for the impetuousness I am more inclined towards. And most importantly, putting my faith in Allah last in times of need, trying every possible way to ease a situation and asking Allah for help as a last resort, when it should be my first step. How could I forgive myself for forsaking her biggest gift to me: total and utter reliance on Allah. Without this, I stand no chance in this world.

Well, I won't be too ambitious, because I know I may not wake up tomorrow and start building a school from the ground up, or travel to a far away country to help feed the needy. But I will start tonight, God willing. As the Bible states "Charity begins at home." I can do this. So can you.

Vacation Plus One

2011-05-30T16:21:00.020-04:00

I have recently started to appreciate the numerous blessings of travel. To see and experience new places and things, see how diverse our world is. To eat awesome food. Maybe the best part. Having the chance to spend the time traveling with my husband, getting to know each others' likes and dislikes, developing more patience for each other, as we work through the stresses that travel can bring. And finally to come home and appreciate all the comforts I have waiting for me. We have indeed been blessed to have the means and opportunity to travel over the course of our marriage. Not big trips all the time. But even a 1.5 hour drive to Mystic, Ct. was memorable in its' own way.

As the weather heats up in New Jersey, people around me are heading out on "holiday". I guess our generation is still young enough that we associate summer with vacation, as if we were still in school, and with June around the corner, the "summer vacation" bell is ringing loud and clear. My brother left today with his wife for Florida. My friend A.A. and her husband are traipsing around Italy.

We were very fortunate to have just returned from London with our daughter. It was a wonderful 6 days, and I like to look through our 500+ pictures every few days. I don't always do that with vacation pictures, but something's different this time. Our Plus One. Vacations in the past always felt like something was missing. The husband and I would take pictures of each other in front of landmarks, or shyly scour the crowd for a kind stranger who would take our picture, without running away with our camera. It was awkward. And sad, to come home from vacation but look at pictures of each of us alone, as if we were on the trip by ourselves. Where was the proof of all the cool things we did together?

At least this time we had the baby in our pictures, her face capturing the excitement and adventure of our London journey. We even managed a few family pictures, courtesy of my awesome host, A.A.

I thought having a baby would make the journey more difficult, but it was not the case at all. It was nice to plan things for the three of us, and wonderful to see her enjoy herself. It made us enjoy what we were doing even more so.

So to my brother and A.A., take your next vacation with a baby, I promise it will be even more fun ;)

(Noor seeing the world through her own eyes at the Museum of Science)

English Fish and Chips in the Garden State

2011-05-23T20:41:00.016-04:00

Since being back from London, I have been craving fish and chips. We had it once, and it was quiet delicious. So I scoured the internet for a traditional recipe, hoping for something to recreate the light, crispy, non-oily batter I was treated to in London at Ahmed and Areeg's favorite chip shop. As it had happened many times before, I found what I was looking from one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Tyler Florence.

I tried to be as authentic as possible, so my fish was accompanied by chips (a.k.a. American fries) and mushy peas.

Here is how you can recreate the meal.

Let's start with the chips, which was handled beautifully by my sister. I was skeptical at first when I heard her method, but they turned out delicious.

Peel and slice potatoes into finger sized pieces, about 1/2 inch thick, by 2 1/2 or 3 inches long.

Add to deep fryer, or pot filled with oil you want to deep fry in, WHILE the oil is cold. Turn stove on medium and let potatoes cook several minutes, until almost cooked through.

Turn heat up to medium high, and cook a few minutes more until chips are brown and crispy. Drain on paper towel and season with salt.

On to the fish, courtesy of Tyler Florence, from Food Network. This recipe makes a ton of batter, perhaps enough for 8 pieces, so cut in half if you need to.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (12-ounce) can soda water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 (8-ounce) cod or haddock fillets, cut in 1/2 on an angle
1/2 cup flour, for dredging

*Tyler uses rice flour here, instead of regular, but I did not have. I thought mine was still great with the substitution.

Directions
Heat 3 inches of the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Combine soda water and egg and pour into the flour mixture. Whisk to a smooth batter. Spread the flour on a plate. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour and then dip them into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry the fish and chips for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy and brown. Drain on paper towel, and serve immediately.

One last thing: the mushy peas. The real English mushy peas are some sort of dried peas, soaked overnight...blah blah blah. I bought home a bag of frozen, organic peas, cooked it on the stove top for just a few minutes.

They would have been delicious as is, but I wanted mushy peas so I mushed them. They were still delicious.

Bon appetit.

The one regret from my London journey

2011-05-22T15:25:00.029-04:00

The title is misleading really. I have few regrets, as my friend Areeg saw to it that we experienced everything there was in the city. It was a busy and tiring few days but it was worth it. From the Tower of London, Harrods, and onwards to the wonderful, amazing (and free) museums, my feet were not happy, but I was.

Especially when I saw what a wonderful time my daughter had. This was Noor's third vacation. At the ripe old age of 14 months, Noor had several stamps in her passport. London was probably the most child friendly city I have ever been in. From old gentlemen, to teenagers, everyone seemed to love and appreciate kids, always turning to smile and play with Noor, and Areeg's daughter Sulafa. At one point a woman and her son were running to catch their train, when they caught Noor's eye. They both stopped to play with her and make her smile, before they went on.

And what a kind city it was. At one point I waited at the top of a stairwell for my husband to help me bring the stroller down, 6 (yes SIX, I counted) people asked me if I needed help bringing it down, including one man who was limping himself. It was a great renewal of faith in the kindness of strangers.

We were fortunate to visit the Mosque of Central London, while not an impressive building from the outside, it was quiet different on the inside.

The East London Mosque on the other hand had a great presence on the outside. But the inside left much to be desired.

At times it felt like we were not in London, but an Arab country. Walking through the parks, we would see groups of women in flowing jilbabs, congregating on the grass, enjoying a picnic lunch. At one point we saw a few girls with a portable hookah in the gardens at Regent's Park. This next picture shows a storefront we walked past a few times. In the midst of expensive hotels and pristine residential buildings on the posh Cromwell Road, it seemed both out of place and right at home at the same time.

So back to my one, teeny, tiny, forgettable regret: I did not eat enough. I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to food, as London does not have a reputation for good food. Though food was an afterthought on our trip, as we were too busy trying to make it to all the sites, I quickly caught onto the fact that while British food was not so desirable, the ethnic food was simply amazing. Especially anything with lamb. I am not a big chicken person, so I can't say if that was as delicious, in fact I did not have chicken once in six days.

We had some fantastic meals, delicious Arab and Pakistani food, classic fish and chips, mushy peas, good sushi. We became addicted to the flat white, a delicious concoction between a cappuccino and a latte, with two shots of espresso. And spent the entire week devouring delicious croissants and pastries, which were as delectable as you would find in the best bakeries in NJ/NYC. Except in London you could find them on any street corner. And how could I forget my first taste of French macaron, amazing cookie type creations. Thank you Areeg for introducing us.

(not my own picture)

But I know I missed out on what is apparently an amazing ethnic food culture. I thought perhaps it was just us who loved the food in London so much, after hearing the opposite from friends. But then my husband told me about an article, where the great Joël Robuchon himself, a man with 25 Michelin stars to his credit, shared my enthusiasm for London cuisine. In an exclusive interview with a London newspaper, The Standard, he said said he 'would argue that London is very possible the gastronomic capital of the world.' If you know who Robuchon is you would know the gravity of that statement. I hope to one day be able to return to London, this time to take the foodie tour of the city. Until then, my mouth waters.

A new project

2011-05-22T15:14:00.015-04:00

My newest project is to write proper, picturesque food blog entries. Please send your critiques my way.

Mercimek Corbasi - Turkish Lentil Soup

I find that lentil soup is almost as universal as rice and meat dishes around the world. There is adas in the Middle East, daal in the South Asian cuisine and in Turkey, Mercimek Corbasi, one of my favorite soups, when made well. I have tried this recipe several times and it always comes out delicious, and always the same. Having a recipe turn out the same way every time is not a gift of mine, so I respect this soup for tasting the same every time. I also appreciate that the soup is made with water, as I do not always have chicken broth on hand and do not like to use dried bouillon cubes, they don't seem entireley natural.

I also made a few tweaks to the original recipe, such as turning down the spice level, but that's entirely up to the cook. I also added one of my favorite ingredients of all time to the recipe, Turkish red pepper paste. It's a delicious, subtle and versatile flavor and I add to almost anything, from meat marinades to curries. I would definitely keep a jar in the house if I were you.

Mercimek Corbasi - Turkish Lentil Soup

Ingredients (servings 6)
- 1 medium sized onion, diced
- 1 medium sized carrot, finely chopped
- 1 medium potato, finely chopped
- 1 cup red lentil
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 ½ tbsp butter

Heat olive oil in a pot. Sauté onion, until soft, less than 5 minutes.

Add carrot and potatoes. Saute another 3 minutes.

Wash red lentil, drain and add it to the pot. Saute it for 3 minutes.
Keep stirring. Add spices and salt to taste (go easy on salt, as you can add later). Add the red pepper paste now as well.

Add six cups water, and bring to a boil. Let it cook until the vegetables and lentils get soft enough.If they can easily be mashed when you press with a spoon, it’s done. It takes about 30 minutes over medium heat.
Do not cover the pot during this time as it can rise and overflow.

In a small pan, melt the butter. Add flour and mix it continually. When it becomes creamy, pour it into the pot with lentils.

Depending on how thick you want the soup, blend the soup in a blender, or with a stick blender.

Cook for another five minutes.

Traditionally, this soup is always served with lemon wedges. I also melted a teaspoon of butter, and added to it a tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, 1/4 teaspoon paprika. It didn't put it over the top in deliciousness, but it looked pretty on top.

Mother, not martyr

2011-05-16T23:27:00.005-04:00

From Suhaibwebb.com. I love the title. I heard from one of my favorite mommies, H.A., with some comments on this article, particularly about how it is difficult for mothers to take this "advice" without having the right support system. What do you think? What do you need from your men to put this into practice and not lose yourselves? I will post my thoughts later.

---

Being a mother is certainly not easy. As Allah describes in the Qur’an, “…in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning…” (31:14). These travails are often referred to as pregnancy, birthing and nursing. But that is just the beginning.
Mothers are in the daily “trenches” of changing diapers, helping with homework, cooking dinner, disciplining and running between work, picking kids up from school, and soccer games. These daily acts of service to her family can encompass her so completely that she loses balance and perspective of herself. When a woman loses the deeper spiritual significance of motherhood, she may feel that the duty of a mother is to martyr herself for her family by putting everyone else’s needs ahead of her own. But carrying all the burdens and difficulties is not the path to being a good mother. In fact it only depletes a woman, and may even build resentment, making her think that her children and her family “owe” her, as payback for her “martyrdom.”
As the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that: “A person’s wealth shall not decrease with charity.” What better charity is there than the charity of a mother helping her family? However, as with all forms of giving, the reward is in the giving, not in what is paid back to us by those we give to. Indeed all forms of giving benefit the donor, when done right.
Motherhood is a journey that allows one to witness the growth of a child as well as instill growth in women by making them stronger and wiser. Allah blesses women with children and in turn mothers make a promise to Allah to nurture children into adulthood. Through the process of parenting children, one realizes that it is also about role modeling a balanced and healthy lifestyle to children. Being a mother is not being a martyr. Rather it is respecting the trust and responsibility of raising children as well as respecting yourself as a strong woman. Children will respect their mothers as women who service their families for the sake of Allah. The responsibility of motherhood makes a woman grow stronger physically, mentally and spiritually because she is tested in all areas. She learns to stretch herself to serve those around her with the ultimate purpose of pleasing Allah, while at the same time not losing herself. A mother should not simply become weaker through her giving, but stronger and more balanced.
Here are six ways mothers can find balance and stay focused in order to get through the tough days of parenting as well as enjoy the journey of motherhood:
1. “I will remind myself daily that my time with my children is precious.” Childhood will end one day and my “baby” will soon be an adult. Our children are changing daily and maturing into an adult. Parenting is celebrating the everyday moments more than focusing on the milestones of our children’s life. Spending quality time with our children and making time to communicate and share with our children is what will be remembered. The mundane activities in our life are the ways we connect daily with our children, so we need to see them more as experiences of connection rather than activities we just need to get through and move on to the next.
2. “I will take care of myself.” Physically, mentally and spiritually. By constantly giving attention to our children and husband, we many times forget to take care of ourselves or we put our needs at the bottom of the list. Some mothers don’t even put themselves on the list at all. But as mothers we can only give as much as we have, and if we do not refill our own tanks then we will have nothing left to give. Taking care of our bodies through exercise is vital for our physical health as well as boosting our overall mood and energy. Spending time exercising is not selfish, unnecessary or extra. It must be seen as a priority in order to be able to do our duty as a mother. Taking care of our mental and spiritual self is also vital because this is the area that is most challenged and drained from us when raising our children. The intention of our daily prayers is to help us refocus and slow down our hectic lives, especially as mothers. Since women are the “heart” of a household, we must find inner peace in order for the family to feel in balance. Finding and sustaining self-confidence and happiness will manifest to our children and husband.
3. “I am not a perfect mother.” Many Muslim mothers have extremely idealistic views of parenting or high expectations of themselves as mothers. Our children do not need us to be perfect and they actually will easily forgive us when we acknowledge our mistakes and show our imperfections. We must accept that we will make mistakes which will be opportunities for us to grow and become smarter moms for future challenges. We need to forgive ourselves and release ourselves of the burden of striving for perfection. We need to eliminate the thinking that other moms have attained perfection and they do everything right. We can only do the best that we can with what we have and we should focus on the things that matter – our relationships with them. Dinners won’t always be amazing, the dishes won’t always be clean, and laundry will pile up, but when our kids become adults they won’t remember any of that; rather they will remember the time they spent and the conversations they had with us.
4. “I will make my marriage a priority.” Children place a huge strain on a marriage, especially for mothers of young children. Many mothers focus entirely on the needs of their children and in the process neglect their relationship with their husband. Physical and emotional exhaustion leave women with little energy left to give to their husband and this attitude of “nothing left to give” can cause disconnection in the marriage. It is vital that we find balance in our marriage alongside parenting because not only is it good for our children to witness a healthy relationship, but it is also good for our mental health. The companionship of a spouse is one that will supersede our relationship with our children, especially as children grow older. We must maintain a loving connection to our spouse so that we can grow old together and be further bonded to one another after the children are grown and married. This means we can’t put our marriage “on hold,” rather we must maintain a bond of friendship and love through the trying times of parenthood. It is vital we spend time alone with our husband so that we can see each other through the lens of a spouse and not only as a caregiver to our children. Going on “date nights” and weekend outings as a couple is vital for the bond to be maintained and sustained.
5. “I will value my friendships.” Connecting and sharing with other women helps us to realize the commonality in our struggles as mothers and women. Having sisters and girlfriends in our life makes us stronger because these relationships nurture us emotionally and help us manage the stress in our lives. Our girlfriends and sisters have a special place in our lives that even our husbands cannot fill or replace. Making time to connect with our friends will help us feel happier and recharged so that we are able to give to our children and husband. Talking to and going out with girlfriends is vital for mothers to boost their connection to other women. It will improve our moods and fill our tanks so that we can give to our children and better connect with our husbands.
6. “I will prioritize family dinners.” Eating together as a family is a daily activity of bonding. Routines in children’s lives can foster a deep sense of security. Creating traditions such as eating together is meaningful to our daily lives because it is a time the family comes together to share their day and connect with one another. Research has shown children who regularly have dinner with their families are more likely to do better and make good choices with regard to friends, drugs and sex. Bringing everyone together daily will create a more communicative family dynamic, and the tradition of food, conversations and joy will be the memories that everyone will cherish

I was right.

2011-05-14T04:14:00.002-04:00

I was right. I love London, just like I thought I would.

See everyone back home next week.

London Bound

2011-05-07T09:35:00.013-04:00

I am going away next week, to see London, Big Ben, walk alongside the Thames River, and wish Kate and William well on their recent marriage (since I missed the wedding). What I am looking forward to most is spending quality time with my dear friend Areeg.

What Areeg is most looking forward to is having proper British afternoon tea. What is afternoon tea? According to a quick google search it is "a light midafternoon meal of tea and sandwiches or cakes; "an Englishman would interrupt a war to have his afternoon tea." I've always wanted to go and what better place to do it than the city where it all began.

It will be our first time, and our concern right now is "what to wear?" So I googled that too: The dress code for traditional afternoon tea is still smart. Ladies don't have to wear dresses, hats and gloves anymore, but gentlemen are required to wear a jacket and tie in most places. Whew, good thing we are not gentleman (and we will not be accompanied by our gentlemen on this outing), but we are fairly certain that our collection of sneakers and comfort shoes will not do. In fact most of my wardrobe is not "smart". It's more "mom." I wish I had a tiny violin right now to lament the state of my wardrobe.

After some thought I've decided to wear a long dress. I will now turn my attention to my sister's closet, since I do not own long dresses. Having sisters is such a blessing, for so many reasons, but I really appreciate the sharing of the wardrobe, the style advice and the often heard back and forth "You're wearing thAt?"

Having sisters is just one of the blessings I've had growing up in a big family. Like most kids, I did not appreciate my family growing up. Many times I was held back from things I wanted to do because my parents wanted to make an example of me. My siblings were able to do everything I did, about 5 years sooner. And I was usually angst ridden, focused on what I could not do, and overlooked what I could do.

In retrospect I was so blessed. I always had a friend (though we were not always friends). Between six children, we were never short on company. In fact, I know at times we desired privacy from each other.

Now that I am a mother, I sometimes tell myself what I would like to do different form my parents. But all in all, I loved the way we were bought up. While we were growing up it all seemed abnormal and crazy, I now see how it was more normal than I could ever hope for. I wish for the same, and even better for my daughter. I pray for a big family for her, so she always has someone by her side, Inshalah.

To be or not to be..a cynic that is

2011-05-05T12:56:00.015-04:00

Without going into the details of who, one of my sisters got a rishta recently. It came from what seems on the surface to be a normal, well educated boy, from a decent, down to earth family. So why is my first thought be "what's the catch?"

I have to thank A.A. for reminding me today of how lucky I was to have had a marriage process that was neither drawn out, difficult nor full of drama. By the mercy of Allah, I married someone who was good for me in every way, bought out the best in me, and continues to do so every day. My mother reminds me of this every day though, so, thank you Mom. I love you.

So why the cynicism? Part of it is because I have wonderful friends and family, perfect in every way, having a hard time getting married. It's not as if they are holding out for a prince. So why are they having so much trouble finding a decent, respecting, religious man? Where are all the good men?

The other part of it is from what is going on in our society today. I wish I could shut my ears and eyes to everything around me. There are pre-marital affairs, extra-marital affairs, abuse, divorces, and all kinds of drama ripping apart the community. Young men and women are going through several relationships, before deciding to just give up. Are people short on faith? Is it a lack of humanism in people, that they turn to the person who should be the most beloved to them and betray them, emotionally or physically? I don't have any insight, but all I know is every time I touch my forehead to the ground I fall short of expressing my gratitude to Allah for all that my loved ones and myself have been blessed with.

On being 3*

2011-05-02T22:45:00.008-04:00

This past month, April 1st, I turned 3*. If you don't already know, in addition to being my age, I am two years older than my husband, which I never feel except when I am reminded of it.

I guess I have had a rough couple of weeks with my daughter. She turned one on march 7th, and sleep has become even more elusive. She hasn't been sleeping well at all, often ending up wedged between my husband and myself on our *gasp* queen size bed, in my desperate attempts to lie down for more than one consecutive hour. Getting out of bed constantly was not cutting it. In her defense, she is going throughout a LOT. She just started walking recently and cannot rest for a second; she is a bundle of energy. And then let's not forget her newest additions, two adorable front teeth coming in; she's been pretty miserable at night teething, which means I've been pretty miserable at night. At this point I would do anything for a night of quality sleep. Almost anything.

I didn't know how bad it had gotten until I shared my feelings with two dear friends recently. I asked them if they ever felt as old as I did. They are also in their 30's, but several kids ahead of me, and I have seen them with their kids. Loving, energetic, willing and seemingly able to go to any length to play with, entertain, or even just hang out. And here I am on my first child, feeling overwhelmed more often than not, wondering on some days if I have the energy to take care of her until bedtime. Or hoping someone would come home soon to help keep her busy. And if I am this way now, by the time she is 15, I might as well be following her around with cane. I know of a friend whose father told her "having children ages you", but in my case it seemed to do so exponentially.

Well I want to thank you, M and J, for reminding me that I am ONLY in my thirties. I may feel like this off and on, but it does not mean I am already old. And that one day, inshalah, I may feel young again. In fact you were right. She started sleeping a teensy bit more decent, as did I, and that gave me an extra ounce or two of energy throughout my day. It wasn't much, but a big help.

Bless you both for reminding me that I am not a senior citizen.

However I had a relapse yesterday. I went to sleep shortly after the baby did. Missing what was possibly the biggest news in months: the demise of Osama bin Laden. So note to self: do not sleep at the same time as a one year old. It's just sad.

Moms nite out

2011-05-02T22:44:00.001-04:00

Great perspective

2011-04-28T14:21:00.002-04:00

"I'd rather take a thousand small tests than one big test"

Thank you Mona Younes for that great reminder of how lucky we are each and every day.

Food gawking :)

2011-04-24T23:14:00.016-04:00

I have a daily ritual at the end of my day. I spend a few minutes engaging in what some call food porn, a term I dislike strongly.

It is one of my favorite websites, www.foodgawker.com

I spend some time going through recent recipes, my mouth watering as I carefully study the culinary adventures of people from all over. I envy two things: their courage to take on new foods and their photography skills. The pictures are out of this world; even a boiled egg becomes a thing of beauty in the perfect lighting.

As I peruse the pages, I bookmark every recipe I want to try. The wish list gets longer each day, too long, I'm afraid, to ever get around to cooking it all. Maybe I should take a break from bookmarking, and get cooking.

Today's adventure in food gawking is a constant reminder of Rehab, often bringing back a flood of memories, reminding me of how our love of food bought us to each other. A recipe for braised leeks reminded me of the time she made a dish of baked leeks, with heavy cream and loads of gooey cheese, and her husband ate the entire tray. "Of course it was good, it was covered in cheese."

Another recipe of rhubarb jam reminded me of her fascination with this bizarre celery looking fruit. I eat rhubarb pretty often now, in the form of my strawberry rhubarb jam, and alhamdulilah it reminds me of her every time.

Mini muffins. Rehab would have loved these, in fact anything mini. Eating a falafel earlier today reminded me of her mini falafel sandwiches.One falafel patty stuffed into a tiny cocktail pita. Maybe the taste was not all there, but in true Rehab fashion, the presentation was fantastic.

Then I found a recipe from a blog called Baked, from the authors of the Baked cookbook she gifted my sister on our road trip to Boston. I loved it so much, I bought it for a friend a few weeks later as well.

Somehow I feel as if Rehab is with me tonight. Thank you for that food gawker.

My struggle with hijab

2011-04-23T16:03:00.014-04:00

Stay with me; by the end of this post I hope to have found some peace with my hijab.

On most days (ok practically everyday) I am bothered by it. The extra piece fabric requires more thought to make simple daily outfits, the challenge to dress myself becoming only more annoying. Running to Trader Joe's for a loaf of bread becomes a public display of religion. Blending in is not easy, as I am often the sore thumb sticking out in a sea of blond, brunette and red. And that's just the part on my head. Hijab encompasses me head to toe, my entire wardrobe, and hence the challenge continues.

Come summer, my life becomes even more difficult. Heat and hijab just don't mix. My general unhappiness only increases.

Over the course of my teenage and adult life, I have always been told nice things about hijab. It's your mark of honor as a Muslim. It's an invitation to non-Muslims to learn about Islam. It's a sign of modesty. It protects you from all sorts of things. But here I am 15 years later, and on most days, I still have trouble coming to terms with wearing hijab. So my conclusion is all these people who have told me these things over the years are not speaking to me. That is not the point of hijab, and that is not why I wear hijab.

I wear it because I have to. It is undoubtedly an order from Allah, and we as His subjects have no choice in the matter. I know many scholars have their reasons about why Allah had chosen hijab for women, such as the ones mentioned earlier.
By the way, my least favorite reason for hijab has always been "because it protects us from men." Why in the world would we have to suffer for the intentions and actions of others? It never made sense to me.
My reasoning takes a different path. I believe we have to wear hijab because, like everything else around us, it is simply a test. This is the part where some girls may object, but I hold that we woman are in constant need of vanity. We like to look beautiful, feel beautiful, be told
we are beautiful. We like to have and hold beautiful things. Our confidence, our comfort in situations, and our self esteem is all tied to how we look, to ourselves and to others. I've known simple girls, girls who aren't into the latest fashions, or purses, or shoes, but even those girls have the need to be appreciated.
Being that Allah created us, He of course knew this fact about us. He took what was precious to us, and is testing us with this fact. Just like He is testing the opposite gender with us. Why put so many beautiful woman on Earth, then tell men to behave with them?
So in conclusion: it's just a test.

P.S. The picture is logo from Pink Hijab Day 2011.

The workday

2011-04-10T16:21:00.009-04:00

I have been applying to jobs here and there, asking former employers to keep an eye out for me. I have days where I thoroughly enjoy being at home, then days where I am down on myself, feeling like a loser because I don't have a job. Then I quickly remind myself, if I can't find a job, it is surely the doing of Allah who is guiding me towards my daughter and the precious time we have together. Alhamdulilah.

And here I am, for the first time since Jan. 2010, at work. It's not permanent, who knows if I'll even be called back, but I am working an 11-7 shift today at CBS News.

I got the call last night around 9 pm. Even though it was late, and I had plans for Sunday, I jumped on it. You see I have not yet resolved what it is I am. A stay at home mom or a working mom?

Even though it's only one day, I am looking forward to reuniting with my daughter in 3 hours, to see the look on her face. Of course I have left her before, but never for this long. Will she welcome me? Or will she be upset, confused, where could I have gone, left her for so long? The clock hand is simply not moving fast enough.

For all the mommies out there

2011-04-05T22:46:00.004-04:00

This is a poem from one of my favorite poets, Khalil Gibran.
Gibran was born in Lebanon in 1883. His family immigrated to Boston, where he began his literary career. Though he was also an artist, he is perhaps best known in the English world for his book "The Prophet."

History lesson is over, here is the poem.

On Children
Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Watch out for the rabbit hole

2011-04-04T14:27:00.007-04:00

I'm sure we all know the story of Alice in Wonderland. A young, naive girl who is so curious she falls down a rabbit hole, becoming engulfed in a world of fantasy.

Sounds familiar in our day and age. At some point in our life, we all fall down that rabbit hole. We become curious about something we are unfamiliar with, something we have never experienced, and lean in, hoping for just a taste or a brief touch, only to end up falling in head first.

I've seen it many Muslims around me. It all starts with baby steps, a few innocent moves. In a flash, they are partying, drinking, dating. But they don't know they are doing anything wrong, because the old version of them is buried inside so deep, lost, unable to speak out in protest. And so the fantasy begins, where we tell ourselves to have all the fun we can, pretending that we will not be held accountable.

This is why in our religion we are told to stay away from sins. Even seemingly innocuous acts may be forbidden, as they can and WILL (mark my words) lead to something much worse.

The are many lessons to be learned from this story, which is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Another character in the book reminds us "Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction." Wise words Doorknob, wise words indeed. Let's all remember to read the Quran.

April 1st

2011-04-01T21:47:00.001-04:00

32. Eh.

Come join the club

2011-03-29T22:00:00.004-04:00

My friend Dalal shared this fantastic website recently.

http://growmama.com/

It's an online community for Muslims moms. A club I am proud to be a member of, Alhamdulilah. Please join. Noor needs more friends.

My weight loss secret

2011-03-29T21:43:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not I weigh less now than I a little over a year ago. My amazing diet secret is...are you ready for this?... my daughter.

I knew children can be challenging, albeit rewarding, sometimes drive you up the wall, and generally cause your hair to turn gray. But someone should have told me about this very positive side affect. Hearing about how much energy they take, and experiencing it for myself are two entirely different things. My daughter Noor is absolutely non-stop, around the clock ball of fun, wanting constant play and interaction. I find her need for play most rewardng for those of us who love her the most. She loves us back and shows it in her constant smile and laughter. May Allah always keep her smiling.

But I must admit, it it hard for me to remain grateful for this, especially around 4 pm, when my back hurts, and my eyes are getting droopy, and Noor is (of course) full speed ahead. It's time for me to push myself to keep going. Just as if I'm on a treadmill. But weight loss is not my motivation, really. It's that big smile, with those two tiny teeth proudly on display.

A visit to the chapel

2011-03-27T09:13:00.000-04:00

Last night we had dinner in the city at Persian Grill, declicious Persian food. It's located on 1st ave and 67th street.

Right across from Memorial Sloan Kettering. As I approached the exit for the hospital I felt a tightening of my chest. Coincidentally we parked right in front of it. I could not help but glare at it. Has it changed, is this still the same building where Rehab spent her last few days? Perhaps I dreamt of it, those five days spent shuffling between home and hospital did not happen.

We walked to the restaurant, where we were greeted by the world's slowest servers. As we waited for them to take our orders, I put on my coat, told my husband what to get for me and walked out. I walked down 67th street, with it's parking garage, children's playground and school. A quick left at the corner put me in front of the hospital. The security guard greeted me and asked me what floor I was visiting. I was speechless, so he asked if I was a visitor. "Kind of." Finally I went up to that lobby. I thought perhaps I would see Zaied, sitting alone, or Hend and her husband taking a walk. Or Rehab's mother in law, doing work on her laptop. But it was empty. A ghost town. So I went to the chapel, read Quran and made dua for Rehab and all those in the hospital, before her, and those who were yet to come.

As I stepped outside, I took in the deepest breath I had since we arrived in the city. It was a frigid day, but did not bother me. I was enjoying my ability to breath.

Jam reminds me of Allah's blessings. And life reminds me of death.

2011-03-24T22:47:00.000-04:00

Recently I have found what I consider to be the best jam I have ever tasted. Ever. It has only 4 ingredients. Strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, acid. It's that simple. It's comes from a chef in New York City,Sarabeth. Aptly, the jam is named Sarabeth's.

By the way, did you ever hear Rehab talk about rhubarb? Thanks to a Jamie Oliver cookbook chapter, she was obsessed with it for a short while, trying to buy it (as it was not an easy supermarket buy), looking for rhubarb recipes. I can't remember if she ever got around to making it. But I bet Zaied would remember, as he was often her taste tester. Lucky him ;). If anyone would have appreciated this jam as much as me, it would be Rehab.

Anyways back to this jam. It's sold in select supermarkets for *gasp* $9.99! Sometimes it's on the same shelf as Smuckers, which is a quarter of the price. I know that the price is preposterous, but I have only bought it a handful of times, on sale for $6.99. You are probably thinking what's the big deal, it's only $7.

But to have this jam is a reminder to me of all the blessings from Allah. That I am able to go safely and conveniently buy it. That I can have it whenever I want. That I am able to spend that amount of money on a condiment, without thinking twice about it's weight on my (however meager) pocketbook. It's much more than jam. Alhamdulillah.

Now onto the second part of the title. Before I begin, let me tell you that today, march 24, 2011, my daughter Noor started praying. She held onto the ottoman, for the earlier prayer, and later the sofa, and bowed down repeatedly, mimicking my ruku. And she mouthed non-words, I guess her version of the Quran. It's so amazing how kids pick up everything we do.

So Noor recently turned one. What a blessing she has been over the past year, full of life, love, energy, and so much more. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined her to be the way she is, let alone thought to ask Allah for such a beautiful, tiny being.

I distinctly remember an afternoon about a month ago, when Rehab was not yet in the hospital. Noor was playing on the bed with some toys, jumping on me from time to time for a hug and a kiss. I can still feel how my heart ached, and my eyes began to sting as I realized Rehab does not have this. I begged Allah to give her something to love as much as I loved my own daughter. I pleaded and rationalized with Him how her and Zaied would be such excellent parents, that this world really needed them to put some great kids amongst us.

But in my moment of weakness, I overlooked His power and mercy. I doubted (may Allah forgive me) that what Allah gives, or doesn't give, is with reasons beyond our understanding. And I forgot that every soul will get what he or she deserves, that Allah is most just.

I am slowly realizing that Rehab's passing was a blessing to her. Why was I asking for her to have a child in this world, when I know that any being here would pale in beauty and perfection to her family in Jennah.

All I ask for now is to have many, many playdates with her in Jennah inshalah.

Leggings are not pants

2011-03-23T14:14:00.002-04:00

Age old debate. Not.
Here are some links, the second one is particularly humorous.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bunmi-zalob/leggings-are-not-pants-an_b_761958.html?ref=fb&src=sp

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1946405

Is it so hard to see the bad in something, when all we want to do is fit in?

Spring is in the air

2011-03-17T22:48:00.000-04:00

Goodness gracious today was the most perfect spring day. It was 60 degrees, the park was full of moms and kids, but not too crowded. It was the first official day at the park for toddler Noor, who is now a one year old, by the grace of Allah. She is learning to walk, so no crawling, no picking up, no stroller, and no even to her neat little tricycle. Noor the one year old will only accept your hand if you help her walk. I am grateful my three sisters were there to help her walk, or I would have been even more exhausted than I am. It was a beautiful day spent with my beautiful family and dear friends and their sweet kids.

But as my day wraps up I reflect on the fact that it's been just under two weeks since Rehab has passed away. I miss her dearly. If she were here, I know we would be making plans for a picnic, perhaps searching for the perfect picnic basket, trying to make the perfect egg salad sandwich to go in it. My problem is not that it's been hard for me; the problem is it's been too easy. I don't know how to fix this. I don't even know what to make of it. Am I that shallow? Why am I so easily distracted by this world that I can go on almost like nothing has happened? And how can I forget the biggest lesson I learned from Rehab; that every second is a blessing from Allah. How dare I forget this when I spend practically every second of my day with my daughter, who is a blessing beyond words. Perhaps I forget because I am so caught up in the moment, enjoying myself, having fun. So I wonder, what would Rehab do?

Rehab's Voice

2011-03-14T11:53:00.000-04:00

I listened to this blast from the past this morning.
http://eliegardner.com/rehab/

I've heard it before, years ago, when Rehab and I googled our names to see what came up.

My sister asked me how many time I've listened to it recently. So far: 1

What I learned was I have been pronouncing homogeneous wrong all these years. Thank you for correcting me Rehab.

For the love of sleep

2011-03-13T12:46:00.000-04:00

Not mine. I'm talking about my daughter. We had one of those mornings, where she woke up yawning, and continued to fight going down for a nap for a long time.

Its strange that my daughter taking a nap refreshes me. I guess because in the time she sleeps, I get a little rest, do some work, (write a blog). And also because I know (God willing) she will wake up happy and cheerful.

Her sleep at night is another story. You know when you are studying for an exam and stay up for two nights, cramming? You are all but salivating at the thought of the sleep you are going to indulge in once the exam is over? Well that's how I feel. Except I have been waiting for that sleep for 12 months now.

Really it's all okay. My daughter is the biggest blessing in my life, and as I look around me, I also feel that she is also my biggest reminder of Allah. She never let's me forget for one second that Allah has blessed me in a million ways, and then tiny tests I get throughout my day are nothing. But I pray that they do help me rack up some good deeds.

When I put my forehead for the ground in prayer, I have a steady stream of duas (prayers) I make everyday. After Rehab passed away, I had to think twice about my duas, for example my request for Allah to cure Rehab was replaced with "give her family patience and reunite us in heaven". As I moved down my list I realized that so much of my dua was focused in the wrong place. I should be asking for more to benefit me towards my afterlife, less in this life. But it was hard to change. I am too scared to being without the blessings I have become accustomed to, I am too fearful of being tested.

Ya Allah give us the strength to face what may come our way, and the patience to endure it, even if we may not be able to see the good in it.

Taking it back (sort of)

2011-03-11T23:50:00.000-05:00

I am about to hit the sack but I don't feel good about my last post. The truth is I'm not denial or anything like that. I hope.

But I cannot reconcile the emails/posts/articles about this amazing Rehab, who has become a lesson to those living, with the Rehab in my head. Yes, of course she is an amazing individual. But she was also just my Rehab. My dear, sweet, innocent Rehab who would give anyone the shirt off her back if she thought they needed it. Who bought cookbooks for the pictures, and obsessed over chicken Saab and pretty lamps.

I'm not going to lie, I feel possessive of her and her memory. So whenever I sign onto facebook and see a new article about her, I think to myself "that's not MY Rehab.". My Rehabbie is with me.

Rehab who?

2011-03-11T23:06:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, March 6 2011, a day before my daughter turned one, I lost a dear friend. Within 24 hours, I faced with a heartbreaking loss and tried my best to appreciate the life and blessing that is my first daughter. I did not do either one justice.

Over the past week, there have been Facebook pages and messages dedicated to Rehab El-Buri, countless articles, a foundation started up in her name and much more. I've read all over the Internet "What an inspiring person", "I did not know her personally, but wish I had", as people described her as pious, faithful, generous, patient, dedicated, and all kinds of amazingness. And sure, mashalah, she was all that. I have no doubt that she died clear of sins and will be in the highest level of heaven. But the more I read about her online, the greater the divide grew in my head. This incredible woman people keep talking about online, she sounds great, but she's not my Rehab. She cant be, because my Rehab is here in this duniya with me. I just saw her, remember we drove down south together (ok it was only 35 minutes away, but we agreed anything past Newark in south). We talked about my hate for navigation systems and her utter dependence on them (when she first moved to NJ). Who is the Rehab they keep talking about? And Rehab, when are we going to give persian food another try?

My First

2009-04-20T10:12:00.001-04:00

First times are always great, right? First roller coaster, first trip overseas, baby's first steps (or so I've heard, not that I can remember my own).

Yesterday was my first time baking cupcakes from scratch. I even made the frosting on my own. My absolute favorite- red velvet with brown sugar cream cheese frosting.

This might surprise most people, but I don't bake. It's so easy to buy desserts. I love food and I love to cook. But baking was always out of my reach.

So, what would then compel me to start a dessert catering business with my best friend Abeer? Well, she is an excellent baker. She makes delicious treats and is an talented decorator, after taking classes a few years back. She's practiced this skill many times over. I am the apprentice, she is the master.

So, she's the baker, and I'm the big mouth. Mashalah she's also got a great business mind, so this seems a very imbalanced partnership. But Inshalah, with time, she finds that I am as much a contribution to this partnership as she is.

So, with some duas, and some resistance from naysayers (my own mom), we've registered our new business: Haute Cakes. We' currently working on the website and business card, but you can check out the facebook site we've created for it. At the end of this month we have our first gig; it's not paying, but will be a great opportunity to get the word out. We are baking 300 cupcakes favors for the Wafa House fundraiser. It's a wonderful cause and I hope many people make it out. Click on the word fundraiser for details.

So that brings me back to my first time. It went a lot better than I anticipated, and it wasn't a disaster, thank you very much. I made the cupcakes for a dinner party, and my husband honestly thought they were great. But what other people thought I may never know, as my hosts and friends are probably too polite to be brutally honest.

Food Trip Recap

2009-04-08T10:47:00.000-04:00

Asalamu Alaykum,

This weekend, after turning the big 3-0, I went on what was dubbed a food trip, for the amount of eating we planned on doing. My friends Rehab, Samina, Lobna and I drove 5 hours (thank you fog and rain) to Boston, MA for a weekend visit with my sister Saria.

I haven't been to Boston since graduate school at BU until my sister moved there. I find so many things astonishing..that my baby sister went to college..that she graduated college..that she's in grad school (I was in grad school!) and that she left home..and she's actually growing up..she's living on her own, learning to cook..and,unbelievably, surviving away from my mom. Really, if you knew Saria, you'd be as impressed as I am. I am so, so, so proud of her. I'm surprised that she ended up in Boston like I did, but Alhamdulillah she certainly seems to like it more than I did.

By the way, I blame that on reading Jhumpa Lahiri for writing extremely depressing novels based in the city.

So it was a great weekend. I love girls trips. Husbands are awesome, but it's just not the same. Both are wonderful in their own way.

You don't stay up talking until late into the night with your husband. Okay, maybe you do sometimes...but you always do it with girlfriends. Husbands don't like to take as many pictures as we girls do. And girls are just so outgoing. We ran into old friends, and made new ones. We cooked meals together, we shopped, we ate and ate and ate, and we talked. Not gossiped of course! We just talked about what bought us to where we are, what we hoped for the future, what not to wear :) etc. etc.

Of course, being that we're girls, and we were traveling, there was a bit of friction. And the indecisiveness was over the top. "I don't know, I'm fine with anything, whatever she wants to do, I don't care what we eat, whatever you want." A group of non-decision makers don't make an effective bunch. We spent much of the time deciding what to do next, but it was still fun because we were together.

Thank you ladies for a great weekend. Alhamulilah I feel so blessed to have amazing family and friends, and opportunities like these to enjoy it all. I can never hope to match my gratitude to everything Allah has given me, but I will certainly try.

Sameera

Blogging is the New Blogging...?

2009-03-29T16:06:00.001-04:00

Lately, everyone around me has a great blog..I tried starting one of my own a while back, then grew tired of it. Now that everyone is blogging again, I think I will try to update mine once in a while. For myself, no one else reads it right? :)

So...what's my angle? Let's see I I don't have a hobby, or a job, and I don't write poetry. So perhaps I'll try out a few book reviews.

I am probably one of the few people out there that reads food books. I read cookbooks before I sleep (I know, weird), chef biographies, food essays, articles, the New York Times Food Section, etc. I love all things food related, and reading about it only makes me happier (not to mention hungrier).

The bad thing is the more I read about food, the sadder I get. I realize most of what we eat is crap, and improving one's dietary habits is difficult. It takes a lot to eat right and eat fresh. This capitalism driven country we live in does not want us to eat fresh...there's no money to be made off it. So they make it annoying and expensive for you. It's dirt cheap to buy mac and cheese in a box, you can buy it at the supermarket, the pharmacy, the corner 7-11, or even the convenience store at the gas station. But if you want healthy fresh fruits/vegetables you have to seek out a farmers market and put down a good chunk of change for it.

It's especially hard to eat well when you're out, which is quiet a bit for most people. That's a whole other post.

So one might be thinking how boring it must be reading about food. What can possibly be interesting about it? I can see how food is a fairly dull topic; most people just eat what's in front of them. They don't realize how much more is out there, how many frontiers they have yet to explore, how rich and plentiful the world of food is.

For me, food is a religious exercise. I'm not a very spiritual person, yet every time I taste something new and incredible I think Subhanallah, Allah has created such perfect and excellent foods. If you only knew how a strawberry off the field really tastes, or how delicious garlic can become by simply roasting it, or what fresh fish should taste and smell like, you would be shocked. Then perhaps you could appreciate it as much as I do. Or you can continue to sit back shaking your head, thinking "Man, Sameera is such a glutton". I know, I know, gluttony is a sin.

I've discovered so much through my reading about it, and I am constantly surprised. Do you know making homemade chicken stock is a piece of cake? And speaking of cake, making one from scratch is as easy as using a cake mix? And yogurt has 2 ingredients: milk and bacteria; so what is all that crap in the cup of supermarket yogurt?(I won't mention company names to avoid any potential trouble). And organic is not always better.

In my next post, I'll start with my latest read: Around the World in 80 Dinners by Bill and Cheryl Jamison. You can find it on Amazon.

Of course I didn't buy it. My library and I have a great relationship, Alhamdulilah. We're practically BFF (no offense Moustafa or Rehab). But that link is in case you want to see what it looks like, or read more reviews.

Until then, Bon Appetit :)

Project Comunity

2008-08-31T16:15:00.001-04:00

Donate here:

A Cup of....Ugh...

2008-08-26T10:19:00.000-04:00

It's Aug. 26th and brisk, chilly day in the city. I need a jacket. Preferably a classy trench.

So I decided to get coffee on the way to work. I stopped at Chock Full o' Nuts Cafe inside Madame Taussaud's Wax Museum. I know..weird..but it's still a bonafide coffee shop. or so I thought. Chock Full o' Nuts supermarket coffee has pretty good reviews and I thought the coffee from the cafe should be good. I was wrong.

Which brings me to one of my pet peeves: bad coffee. Bad, muddy tasting, weak, burnt, cold, disgusting coffee; that cannot be saved by any amount of creamer or sugar. What makes me mad is that in a great food city such as New York (or so it's known to be, I don't exctly agree), anyone can sell coffee. And 99.9 percent of the time it's bad coffee. If I was a lawyer, I'd sue them for bad coffee and shut down these places for passing their stuff off as "coffee".

And then there's the size. My two choices were medium or large. Medium being a whopping 15 ounces. I wouldn't even want 15 oz of coffee, even if it was good coffee. It's just over the top. I don't care if it's a better deal or I'm saving money. Stop supersizing me against my will. Is it any surprise that the a growing number of people in this country are defined as obese?

For those coffee fans out there, I highly recommend making you coffee at home, for so many reasons.
1. It costs pennies, as opposed to nearly $2+ it costs to get a cup of coffee these days.
2. It tastes MUCH better and is much fresher,

A few tips from Cook' Illustrated:
-- Drip coffee makers, the machines most people have in their kitchen, are useless. The water doesn't get hot enough to be at the optimal temperature for a good cup of joe. Opt for a french press and bring the water to a good boil before pouring it over the coffee. Let steep for a full four minutes.

-- Purchase whole beans and grind at home. The best coffee flavor is released by grinding coffee right before using it. When you buy pre-ground coffee, it is vacuum packed, so it still remains fresh when you open it for the first time. But once you open that package, it loses it's flavor over the course of just a few days.

Oh and when you make your fresh cup of coffee, remember to invite me over to share it with you.

Sameera

Me vs. Corn Syrup

2008-08-06T13:48:00.001-04:00

(this is a repeat blog from my own blog)

Salaam ladies,

So lately everyone around me is dieting..which I consider to be impractical, unreasonable and unrealistic (for me). Hence is is forbidden in my dictionary.

You can guess how I feel about dieting. But why is it so hard to eat healthy and moderately? I ate some sushi for lunch, which felt pretty good about it; I wanted to eat something else since I had a small serving. So I went to the cafeteria at work and against every fiber of my being walked past the (awesome) onion rings.

I wasn't feeling salad. I know salad is really good for you, but it's cold, and light, and I never feel like it can be my meal. I wanted something hot but nothing was appealing, so I though...great, cereal. Grains and dairy. Wrong. Every cereal, Total, Special K, raisin Bran, and even healthy Start had high fructose corn syrup in it. What a shocker! These are the healthy cereals, or so I would think to put all those on that list.

What's my beef with corn syrup:

Read this. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/does-fructose-make-you-fatter/
It's just one of thousands of articles on the Internet about corn syrup.

And then start looking at labels; there's almost nothing (and I mean NOTHING) you can find without corn syrup. It's surprising some of the things it's in.

And my other beef with corn syrup is it's so secretive and most people don't know the truth about it but take in obscene amounts of it in every day foods, under their very own nose. It's completely unhealthy, unnatural and does not exist in nature!

on another note; most diets are based on avoiding foods high in preservatives, corn syrup and unrefined flours. These are things that are highly bad for you. But that's exactly why diets are so hard. There are very, very , very few foods that do not have these ingredients. Just pick up something as simple as a loaf of bread and read the ingredient list. How many of the ingredients do you recognize?

What are some foods you can recommend as easy healthy eats? What are some things I should watch out for?

Bliss from Bliss

2008-06-10T23:21:00.000-04:00

I know...long time.

So I recently placed an order with Bliss...yeh the spa and body products company.

It was pure...Bliss. I'm a sucker for marketing and pretty packaging.

It came in a beautiful box. You must admire it with me.

Oh and do I love samples!

They came aplenty, and everything came with adorable cloth Bliss bags, which should come in handy when traveling.

So since the products seemed great, I thought the spa should be great too! I checked out the website to see what facials they offered. Did I mention I am in desperate need of one. So they had many options, but all of them $200+. Ouch.

Well maybe when I'm rich. Or we're not in recession/inflation/whatever excuse for the economy.. Or gas doesn't cost more than my car. Or rice and flour don't cost more than twice they did last year. Ouch again.

Dear future president/eight ball/ tomkat (Umara's special navigation system):
Will I be rich?

Sameera

Chicken Pulao Rocks!

2008-05-15T12:13:00.000-04:00

I heart chicken pulao that I get at my friend's pakistani homes, especially Amina Chief with her very spicy, very flavorful, absolutely dreamy pulao. Yesterday I decided to try my hand at it and found a good recipe online that I made several adjustments to. The end result was delicious!

I'm posting the recipe with my adjustments here:

Chicken Pulao

3 cups rice

1 cup natural, low fat yogurt

1 whole chicken

1 large tomato, diced

2 medium onions, sliced fine

2 potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces

2-4 green chillies, chopped roughly

chili powder to taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 star anise

2 tsp whole cumin

2 inches cinnamon

2 large bay leaves

3/4 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 cardamom pods

1 inch ginger and 4 garlic cloves, pureed

3 tbsp sunflower oil

Salt to taste

Handful chopped cilantro

Handful chopped mint

---

In a large pot, bring the oil to heat over a high flame. When it is hot, add the whole spices.

As they sizzle up in seconds add the onions and fry for five minutes until golden brown.

Then add the ginger and garlic and fry for another five minutes until the whole mixture goes a darker shade of brown. Add the turmeric, chili powder (optional), the chillies and the chicken.

Stir vigorously for five minutes until the chicken is brown all over. Now, add the yogurt and leave the chicken to cook on a high flame, stirring regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. If it does, add a little water.

When chicken is halfway cooked, add potatoes and tomatoes.

After 10 minutes, stir in the rice and fry for a minute or so.

Add about 4.5 cups to cook the rice.
(Very important: If the yogurt has let out a lot of water, then adjust how much water you add here; you don't want to end up with too much liquid or mushy rice.)

Once you have done this, don’t stir the rice because it will get all mushy.
Turn heat down, cover and cook until rice is cooked through. Take a peek to make sure there is enough water once or twice.

When the water dries up and the rice is cooked, the pulao is ready.

Add cilantro and mint and serve with raita.

Next up on the book club list...

2008-04-22T11:58:00.001-04:00

The next book club read is "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan.

Here is the review from Amazon.com:

Amazon Significant Seven, January 2008: Food is the one thing that Americans hate to love and, as it turns out, love to hate. What we want to eat has been ousted by the notion of what we should eat, and it's at this nexus of hunger and hang-up that Michael Pollan poses his most salient question: where is the food in our food? What follows in In Defense of Food is a series of wonderfully clear and thoughtful answers that help us omnivores navigate the nutritional minefield that's come to typify our food culture. Many processed foods vie for a spot in our grocery baskets, claiming to lower cholesterol, weight, glucose levels, you name it. Yet Pollan shows that these convenient "healthy" alternatives to whole foods are appallingly inconvenient: our health has a nation has only deteriorated since we started exiling carbs, fats--even fruits--from our daily meals. His razor-sharp analysis of the American diet (as well as its architects and its detractors) offers an inspiring glimpse of what it would be like if we could (a la Humpty Dumpty) put our food back together again and reconsider what it means to eat well. In a season filled with rallying cries to lose weight and be healthy, Pollan's call to action—"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."--is a program I actually want to follow. --Anne Bartholomew

A Near Perfect Food

2008-03-18T15:59:00.000-04:00

Not many people may feel the way I do about falafel. Perhaps it's because it's vegetarian and therefore feels healthy. Perhaps because it's Middle Eastern, therefore lending an exotic air to it. Perhaps because it's deeply seeded in my childhood, with weekly meals of falafel with all the works prepared by my mom and dad together in the kitchen; the family then gets to sit around and assemble our falafels. It was one of the more functional moments of growing up. Just kidding. Really.

For those who don't know what a falafel is (do you live under a rock?), according to Wikipedia:

Falafel (Arabic: فلافل‎ falaafil (help·info), Hebrew: פָלָאפֶל‎; also known in Egypt and Sudan as ta'meya, Arabic طعمية), is a fried ball or patty made from spiced fava beans and/or chickpeas. It is a popular form of fast food in the Middle East, where it is also served as a mezze (snack or tapas).

The best way to eat it is as we did growing up; I suspect this way of eating it is Saudi in nature as we lived there for several years.

Split pita pocket..stuff with falafel, lettuce, pickles, fried eggplant, fries, top with tahina and hot sauce...unfortunately if you don't do this for yourself at home (or head to the restaurant I mention below) you'll only come across the dry or pasty falafels served in most Arab places here.

This weekend I found my dream falafel restaurant. It's an international chain...slowly expanding in the U.S. It's called Maoz Falafel and you can visit there website here at http://www.maozusa.com/

They served it just the way I love...with the fried eggplant..and Belgian fries (yummmmm) on the side..with amazing sauces. The place is small but known for the salad bar, which is a selection of pickles and salads to top your falafel with. It's really delicious. How I found it was quite fortuitous...we headed into the city for the farmer's market in Union Square and on the way I was mentioning to Moustafa that I've been wanting to try this place (since I heard about the fried eggplant). We parked our car, came around the corner and Subhanallah there it was.

True love indeed...

If you love falafel, or don't love it yet, you MUST MUST MUST visit Maoz.

Take me with you. Please. Pretty please.

Sameera

In Search of Bliss

2008-03-18T15:54:00.000-04:00

In my own search for happiness, I chanced upon the book "The Geography of Bliss,", recommended by Abeer. It's the latest read for our paltry book club of four.

So far it's a fantastic. During a car ride through Bhutan, the author chances upon this billboard:

When the last tree is cut,
When the last river is emptied,
When the last fish is caught,
Only then will Man realize that he cannot eat money.

I think that verse speaks volumes about our outlook on money..and how frivolous it is. Your toughts?

Sameera

A Night in France

2008-03-05T11:58:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to appreciate the beauty in French cuisine...it's touted around the world as the fanciest and best tasting, most sophisticated cuisine. In America we can't appreciate the full beauty of it...French restaurants are hard to come by, very expensive and off limits for Muslims...they cook with a lot of pork and/or wine.

Lately I've been reading the autobiography of a New York magazine restaurant critic...every few months she goes on an eating tour of France. She writes mostly about French restaurants, in New York and in France. Reading her book, I'm compelled to think French food is the epitome of food. And that's not just her opinion, she's been working since the 1970's and that is what's going on in the food world around her. But her to each his/her own. I wouldn't put it at the top of my list.

So I revisited out salad nicoise and french onion soup, (see last month's post for the recipes).

Our main dish was Chicken with forty cloves of garlic, and trust me, you'll want every last clove, because it's absolutely delicious. And yes, I went out and bought a Dutch oven for this occasion. We're in love, my dutch oven and I. It's a beautiful red Tramontina from Target and was highly rated by Cook's Illustrated. I'll try more dishes and keep you posted on our relationship.

Here's the recipe for the main dish, which should be served with a great loaf of bread to sop up all the amazing sauce. It's from Ina Garten of Food Network.

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
User Rating: 5 Stars

Copyright 2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved
3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

3 Cups of Tea

2008-02-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace...One School At A Time

That's the subtitle of my latest read "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

This book came highly recommended to me by my friend Lina who drove down from Virginia just to meet Greg Mortenson.

This is the story of a regular white guy, Greg, who's a mountain climber. When he fails to climb one of the world's highest peaks, K2 in Pakistan, he lands in the impoverished village at the base of the mountain, Korphe. From this point on his entire life changes.

Without going on forever, this book was, simply put, amazing. And the most amazing part of it that it's a true story. Every mountain (figuratively) Greg faces in his mission to build simple schools for the children in the villages he comes across will blow you away.

You will never encounter a more selfless group of people as the Americans and Pakistanis who help Greg's mission. The generosity, sincerity, and absolute selflessness is heartwarming and motivating.

If you've ever thought you could not help people (you're just one person), or that perhaps whatever little money you can donate to a cause couldn't possibly help much, this will change your mind.

Greg Mortenson has a website, where you can read more about his cause and how you can help.

I hope you read the book and purchase it from his website so that some of the profit can go towards his cause.

If you're looking for the next great read, next on our book club list is "The Geography of Bliss : One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World" by Eric Weiner. I've heard great things about this as well and can't wait to get started.

Happy reading,

Sameera

The age old question

2008-02-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

How can a college MSA balance the deen and student life?

There's no answer, but there is a great article that explores the issue.

While I do think some of the MSA's mentioned here went too far with the gender relationships (such as co-ed dodgeball) I think most MSA's do a good job of balancing the two worlds and accepting the fact that Muslims are to fall types. The point is that after all they are an MSA and Islam is their main objective.

Read this New York Times article for a good look at the both sides of the conversation.

Let me know what you think of it and what your own experiences have been in your MSA.

Sameera

Late Night at work

2008-02-20T10:04:00.001-05:00

Good Day friends,

Last night I worked until 10:50 pm...not bad but I was supposed to be out at 10. We were covering the latest primaries and the plan was to wait until Wisconsin was closed and the winners called. Hawaii also had their primaries last night but seeing that they only have 20 delegates and polls didn't close until hours later, ABC News didn't deem it necessary to wait around.

Rather early in the night the Republican side was called for John McCain who had a rather haughty victory speech, now certain the presidential nomination would go to him. He said "I may not be the youngest candidate but I am the most experienced," which has actually been on my mind. When I look at him I see an old man, and that doesn't represent change or the future to me. I mean it's true Bush was old, but when I looked at him I just saw a _______ (insert insult of choice here) man.

Shortly after 9:30 the Democratic winner Barack Obama stepped up to the podium. Still tasting the fresh victory of 9 straight primaries, I guess Obama was feeling very chatty. Usually I find him a charismatic speaker, despite the recent copycat allegations (yes this is what politics has come down to- see the article here).

But tonight Obama would not stop talking. He talked about ALL his plans for the presidency, from the war, to economy, health care and education. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but this was just ONE primary. He spoke for over 40 minutes (I'm guessing since I stopped watching the clock after 20). Our election coverage was thrown for a loop and we had to let guests go left and right rather than have them sit around that long. The night ended rather disastrously when we lost the video of our anchor from Washington D.C. and ABC News Now became a gaping black hole for a few seconds.

Obama, if and when you get the presidential nomination, how long will that speech be?

Of the Political Process

2008-02-06T12:08:00.000-05:00

I find that most Muslims are not inherently against voting...they're just too lazy.

My bottom line is this : if you don't want to have anything to do with America..then just leave.

For anyone who really questions whether they should vote here is what I found on Islamonline.net.

Dr.Anwar Hajjaj, President of the American Islamic Information Center, writes:

Muslims should be active wherever we are. When we as Muslims unite as a community, our chances of being heard regarding the issues that are relevant and important to us are far more significant than when a small number of us are trying to make a difference. By being politically active, we can seek to better the lives of all Muslims living in the United States.

Our involvement within the political system is also a great way to present to the public an accurate image of Islam, and of Muslims as supporting the issues that are important in our lives, and maintaining high morals and standards. For example, we can show our deep concern over the decay of the family system in America by supporting candidates for whom family values is a high priority.

Muslims speaking out, showing up in numbers and being involved in the political process will enable our vote to be sought-after by political nominees. We will then be taken seriously, and considered a vital consituency by candidates of all political parties; thus, requiring them to address issues of great concern to our community. American Muslims are increasing in numbers; hence, we stand to make an increasingly significant difference in the outcome of elections.

We need to become educated about the governing process, and the laws and issues that affect us as this will allow us to understand American political proceedings, and encourage our participation in a vitally important activity that greatly impacts our lives as well as the way we are viewed by non-Muslims.

Being able to vote and participate in the political process is a privilege that no one should forsake. If we as Muslims feel we are not being treated fairly, or that important issues are being neglected, we must exercise our right to participate and vote. We can then progress and make a difference in our lives, and in those of our families and communities.

As Muslims, we must take advantage of our rights, and become involved - as members of school boards, in mayoral offices, on city councils, and running for government positions and offices - while maintaining our duties and obligations to Islam. Imagine the great status this will bring to us, and the great message we can send to others!

Not taking any sides..

2008-02-05T21:32:00.000-05:00

I'm not endorsing anyone (not that anyone would care)...but this is a cool video we premiered on ABC News Now (remember, the place I work...)

Read about the exclusive release :
ABC News Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

Watch the video here on you tube:
Video
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=4231523&page=1

Nothing to report here

2008-02-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

Hello,

It's been a few days since I've updated my blog...it's been an uneventful week...

So there's really nothing new to report here..

Except that my Sprint phone was cancelled this morning due to non-pament..Oops.

Here's to being an adult.

Ciao,

Sameera

Heath Ledger's Death..and Gaza

2008-01-25T14:44:00.000-05:00

Good Afternoon Friends,

You may wonder what the two events could have in common..the only answer to that is that they're both newsworthy.

Heath Ledger's death was breaking news across the board. Every major cable news network, including us at ABC News Now broke into our regularly scheduled program to report this news- even though at the moment the only detail known was "Heath Ledger is dead".

It's a constant battle in television, trying to determine what's newsworthy, what's not. Although my bosses think that O.J. Simpson's preliminary trials are so television worthy that we show the entire proceedings in court for hours, I would have to disagree with it.

But Heath Ledger...there's no arguing with. He's young, he's a movie star, and drugs (albeit prescription) were involved. And although I like to think I have lofty journalistic principles, this is news, even in my book.

Now onto Gaza...here is a news story I wrote on that today:

FOUR PALESTINIANS WERE KILLED IN AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE LAST NIGHT...
MEANWHILE A BULLDOZER HAS WRECKED A NEW PART OF THE FENCE BETWEEN EGYPT AND GAZA.

THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS FROM THE IMPOVERISHED STRIP OF GAZA ARE RUSHING TO STOCK UP ON GOODS IN SHORT SUPPLY. ONE-POINT-FIVE MILLION PEOPLE RESIDE IN GAZA.

THE WAVE OF PEOPLE BEGAN WEDNESDAY AFTER A BARRIER WAS BLOWN UP BY MILITANTS.

ISRAEL SAID IT HAD TIGHTENED ITS BLOCKADE LAST WEEK, MAKING IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR FOOD, MEDICINE AND SUPPLIES TO REACH RESIDENTS OF GAZA.

--

It's short because it's for a news brief. I felt it was fair. Later on I came across an ABC package by a reporter in Israel, who interviewed Palestinians crossing into Egypt and buying items such as cartons of cigarette, laundry detergent, and motorcycles. What's going on? What happened to the humanitarian crisis I was hinting at? Don't these people need food and medicine?

What's really going on in Palestine?

My co-worker Rehab helped me feel much better about the situation by explaining that some reporters are fixating on the smaller, more visually novel aspect.

That made me feel much better. Once again, with ease, I can dismiss the motion that the media is Anti-Muslim. I still stand by my belief that it is not.

She further explained the situation by saying that the media is so heavily entrenched in Israel that they have trouble seeing it any other way. In short they're Israel oriented because they haven't had as much exposure to the other side.

What are your feelings on this?

au revoir,

Sameera

Today's Blog

2008-01-23T14:01:00.001-05:00

I am cold. Very cold.

Closer to Allah

2008-01-13T15:33:00.000-05:00

Salaam friends,

I'm sick, yes again. Apparently me and old man winter do not get along. I woke up with a terrible, terrible head cold, and it came out of thin air.

So I spent a few hours feeling bad for myself, then I remembered there were at least three deaths in my community in the past two weeks; I remembered my dear friend whose daughter was recently diagnosed with leukemia (unfortunately I could not visit her due to my cold); and I thought of my friends going through major tests in their lives...a friend who is pregnant with complications, and others who sad that they are not yet pregnant.

And then I remembered my dear friend who had a beautiful little girl last week (see the pic of Amira above and please say Mashalah), and another good friend who just found out she's pregnant with her second child.

Life moves much faster when you're older. Life and death comes full circle at a faster pace and things change in the blink of an eye. Is this what growing up is really about? Because I am not sure I like it..it's too scary.

The upside to growing up is I remember Allah a LOT more..His name is constantly on my lips and I feel more connected, as I know how much more I need Him now, Alhamdulilah.

And if anyone is in need for some inspiration, Amira's mom had her last week and is requesting that we hold our weekly Halqa at her home tomorrow, less than a week after giving birth. Now that's dedication and Iman, Mashalah. May Allah always keep her family under His shade.

Let this be a reminder to all of us to make dua'a for every event, no matter how small, in our lives, and the lives of those around us. And even for those who we may not have met yet but are in need of dua'a.

With my love and duas for you all,

Sameera

A Culinary Tour De France (revised)

2008-01-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

Salaam Friends,

Ever wonder why all the great culinary schools in the world are French? And why every cook, no matter where he or she is from, studied French cooking and techniques and talks about French food constantly. Why is French food known as the ultimate food experience? Could it really be all that?

My fellow foodie, Samina, and I had a brief tour De France, culinary style, this weekend..we prepared 5 French dishes...four were successful...one not so much :(

It was a fun experience and going all out with one cuisine really made it feel new and exciting..I really recommend it...next up..Moroccan night!

I'd like to share our recipes with you...I hope you try them (and invite me over). They may seem labor intensive but they're well worth it!

We made French Onion Soup, Salad Nicoise, French Fries (from scratch and trust me it is a big deal!), Steak (the only failed dish) and chocolate mousse (SO worth the effort).

SALAD NICOISE (from Recipe Source with our OWN variations)

Serving Size : 8

Ingredients:
8 oz green Beans -- green, top and tail cut off (or one can green beans)
16 Potatoes -- new, small, peeled
4 Eggs -- hard boiled, sliced
1 tuna steak, simply seasons with salt and pepper and seared or grilled to your liking.
3 Tomatoes -- cut in wedges
1/2 ts Mustard -- dijon
1 Garlic clove- finely chopped
2 tb Vinegar
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 tb Parsley- finely chopped
1 tb Chives -- fresh chopped
8 Anchovy fillets (opt- prefer to omit)
16 Olives -- black

1. In pot of boiling water,add green beans and boil till tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Refresh with cold cold water and dry. Or do what we did- use one can of french green beans.
2. In large pot of salted water, bring potatoes to a boil. Cook till tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Combine green beans, potatoes, tomatoes in large bowl.
4. In small bowl, whisk together mustard,garlic and vinegar. Add oil slowly, then parsley and chives. Season with pepper and pour over ingredients.
5. Top with eggs, tuna, anchovy fillets and olives.
---

French Onion Soup

Serves 4

2 Tbs. butter OR margarine
4 med. white onions - sliced
3 cups beef or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
½ Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 dash fresh or dried thyme
1 dash fresh or dried rosemary
½ loaf Sourdough or French bread
1/2 cup sliced provolone, mozzarella cheese, Munster or Monterey jack

1. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat
2. Add onions and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add beef broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and thyme to pot
4. Increase heat and bring to boil, then reduce heat
5. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes
6. Divide into over safe bowls
7. Cut the bread slices into the size of the bowl and toast
8. Top the soup bowl with bread, then cheese
9. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, in the oven or toaster oven (alternate: broil bread and cheese on a baking sheet then top soup with it)

---

French Fries

4-6 russet potatoes (do not substitute this kind of potato for another- these are fantastic)
Salt
Oil for frying

1. Rather than peel the potatoes, you want to keep some skin so cut off one slice from each side of the potato, resulting in almost a rectangular shape.
2. Cut into 1/2 thick slices, then cut into matchsticks.
3. Fry in hot oil for 3-4 minutes, until it's almost cooked through.
4. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool down for 10 minutes.
5. Fry one more time, this time allowing them to brown and crisp.
6. Drain again and season with salt and pepper.

---

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse
from Cook's Central

Dark Chocolate Mousse

When developing this recipe, we used our winning supermarket brand of dark chocolate, Ghirardelli bittersweet, which contains about 60 percent cacao. If you choose to make the mousse a day in advance, leave it out at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with very lightly sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings. A hand-held mixer can do the job of a standing mixer in this recipe, though mixing times may vary slightly.

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons water
2 large eggs , separated
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 cup heavy cream , plus 2 additional tablespoons (chilled)

1. Melt chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso powder, water, and brandy in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk egg yolks, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and salt in medium bowl until mixture lightens in color and thickens slightly, about 30 seconds. Pour melted chocolate into egg mixture and whisk until combined. Let cool until just warmer than room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute. Detach whisk and bowl from mixer and whisk last few strokes by hand, making sure to scrape any unbeaten whites from bottom of bowl. Using whisk, stir about one-quarter of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it; gently fold in remaining egg whites with rubber spatula until a few white streaks remain.

4. In now-empty bowl, whip heavy cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 15 seconds more. Using rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into mousse until no white streaks remain. Spoon into 6 to 8 individual serving dishes or goblets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set and firm, at least 2 hours. (The mousse may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

From the news world....

2007-12-28T20:28:00.000-05:00

When you work in a news environment any breaking news becomes your life for the entire work day. And so it's been for the past two days in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto's assassination... every minute bought a new fact, a new detail, a new development of the day's events.

Sadly, every minute also bought news of more and more innocent people dying in the aftermath of the political turmoil Pakistan has been thrust into.

You would think that I'd have all the inside scoop into what's happening, with reports coming in from ABC reporters in every corner of the world.

But after two days of non-stop Bhutto news, I know nothing. I have no inkling of who's right or wrong in the political battlefield of Pakistan, who's innocent, guilty, who's honest and who's corrupt. All I know is the Pakistani public is the only one paying for the actions of its leaders.

5 minute soup!

2007-11-07T19:49:00.000-05:00

I came home today and wanted something to eat with the pasta my husband made...lately I've been getting very efficient about having a real dinner after work, and planning and starting meals the night before. So I found a recipe for Stracciatelle , an Italian egg drop soup)

it came out delicious..I omitted the farina because I didn't have any..try it..it also benefited from a dash of black pepper..

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons semolina (farina or Cream of Wheat), optional
5 ounces (half a 10-ounce package), frozen chopped thawed and well drained

Have soup simmering gently.
Beat eggs lightly in a bowl with grated cheese and semolina, if you opt to use it. Slowly stir in 1 cup of the hot broth and mix until blended.
If you are using spinach, add it to the simmering soup and cook for 2 minutes.
Bring soup to a gentle boil and beat in egg mixture with a fork so it breaks into clumps.
Let cook gently for another 2 to 3 minutes and serve immediately.

Afnan's Eid Poem..Allah’s mercy is greater than his wrath....

2007-11-03T13:31:00.000-04:00

This is a poem from Afnan Altaf..a brother I met a few year's ago thru the MSA who freestyles and is an incredible talent...obviously I'm the whitest girl you know..but I can appreciate his style..I think you'll enjoy it too Inshalah..

Allah's Mercy, Hofstra Eid Poem

Allah’s mercy is greater than his wrath....

That doesn’t give you the right to deviate from the path
Or live in the present
With the sins of your past

Your living for now, but how long will you last?

The battle for self, is deep and relentless

Before the calm, we must face the rising tempest
Don’t be alarmed, but shaitaan’s in the trenches
He’s got heavy artillery, striking with such energy
Steadily just tempting me
To drive me astray
Riding shotgun is no option
With shaitaan and what he’s concocting
Steadily he’s plottin’
But readily I’m blocking...

With prayer and patience
Faith and recitation
Of the Book of God is vital
To ensure my soul’s survival
For every sin I’m liable
So I face off with my rival
My hand’s cupped in supplication
Asking for salvation
Indeed,
Time is something man is truly spending wastin’

We must walk with humility
Talk with simplicity
embark spiritually
to a place of delivery

There is one thing I know for sure above the sun
No matter where you’re from
Or the places you may run
God is watching you and God is only one.

Far from the norm

The average spirit gets an image
That his lifetime is infinite
When really it’s been written
The duration of our visit
Is short-lived and short winded.

Dajjal has one eye, so he’s lacking depth perception....

So why don’t you perceive the thing that he’s neglecting?

It seems I have to step on egg shells to avoid hell

You think you’re free
So don’t put your body on sale
But you walk around with short skirts and halter tops
Lettin’ scum bags plot
To get digits to your spot

Mom and dad thinkin’ you’re such a good kid
But if they saw this mess you’re in,
They’d collapse from the deception
And become recluse in depression

So imagine the disappointment
You cause to your Creator
Disregardin’ his appointment
Thinkin your selfish cause is greater

Put life on a pause

Analyze and prioritize

It’s alarmin me
That to attain harmony
People go to such lengths
Livin for this world
Selling short your strengths
All for some kicks and some laughs
Not thinking this will not last

But there are those that return
Before they let their spirit crash
Within Allah’s Blessings, they begin to bask
And for those people.........

Allah’s mercy is greater than his wrath.

About Girls Parties

2007-10-30T16:09:00.000-04:00

Some would consider it a weird phenomenon..but in our Muslim world, WHY NOT?

Who says you need to be ogled at and flirting with guys to have a good time?
I LOVE, TREASURE, VALUE, and ENJOY the company of my sisters...

All I need is good company, good food, and good music to have a great time. Boys are not part of this equation.

I just wanted to say a bazillion thanks to everyone who helped, contributed, came to, and enjoyed themselves at this weekend's Eid Party at Montclair...you really made the party FaBuLoUs !

Today

2007-10-23T12:54:00.000-04:00

Is a crazy day..
I am losing my mind and it is only 1 pm.

What does on do when they feel overwhelmed?

Sameera

My Neighbor...

2007-10-19T09:37:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Everyone,

I found out this week that my neighbor Mrs. Dunn had passed away.
She was an elderly woman, who lived by herself and a caregiver came by everyday.

I only met her once briefly, it was more like "hi" in the hallway. But once I took over some lemon bars for her once and since she wasn't home, I left them at the doorstep. The next day I got a beautiful hand written note from her, introducing herself and telling me how much she enjoyed them. She asked for the recipe or the name of the bake shop where they came from, and gave me her phone number in case I ever needed anything from her.

A few days later, I went to talk to her, and give her a box of Krusteaz Lemon bars mix (yes it was a mix!). Her caregiver opened and door and so I asked for Mrs. Dunn, and she told me she was sleeping. I told her how she had told me she enjoyed the lemon bars and I wanted to give her the mix. She was quite annoyed, and told me that Mrs. Dunn had Alzeihmers and would not remember me, the bars, or her note. She told me sometimes she'll find Mrs. Dunn walking outside on the street, not remember where she was going. I insisted on giving her the lemon bars mix and she said it would be a waste and Mrs. Dunn could not make them. Nonetheless, I left them there.

I was profoundly sad that here was this old, lonely woman, living by herself. I wanted to be her friend, I wanted to cook for her, have meals with her. Sadly, I now have another missed opportunity to add to my long list. I look back now and wish I had done more, had i been able to get past her caregiver.

Now that she's passed away, I don't know what to do. Anytime I hear of a death I want to make dua' for that person, to be admitted to Jannah, to be saved from the punishment of the grave, for their forgiveness. But Mrs. Dunn was non-Muslim...do I make dua' for her? What kind of dua' can I make for a non-Muslim? I'm going to try to find the answer to this today...but please send me a note if anyone has advice on this.

Sameera

For my Foodie Friends

2007-10-18T15:20:00.000-04:00

I made this fantastic recipe for the day after Eid, we had an informal gathering...guys played Halo and the girls played Cranium, it was lots of fun (low river???)

So anyways, this tasted great, it's from my Cooks Illustrated cookbook , 30 minute meals (my favorite cookbook!) and the next day I took it to work and everyone who walked by couldn't stop smelling it (it smells fantastic cuz of the fresh ginger) and I've received requests for the recipe..so I wanted to share it with everyone else..

stir fried chicken and vegetables w/ spicy Thai basil sauce

1 pound boneless skinless chicken cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons soy sauce2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 recipe sauce1
8 oz package mushrooms, sliced
4 oz (or 1 1/2 cups) sliced or julienned carrots
1 bell pepper, cored and sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced/grated fresh ginger

(while chicken cooks, prepare sauce. Mince garlic and ginger while vegetables cook)
1. toss chicken with soy sauce. stir fry in 2 teaspoons oil until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. transfer to a clean bowl.
2. add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and return to high heat.add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, then stir in carrots and peppers, cook until tender.
3. clear the center of the pan by pushing the vegetables to the side.add remaining oil, and garlic and ginger, crushing the mixture into the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. cook until fragrant, about 30seconds.
4. stir in cooked chicken, whisk sauce to recombine, add to pan and bring to simmer, cook until sauce thickens, 1 -2 minutes.
---
Sauce makes enough for one stir fry-spicy basil Thai sauce
1 cup basil leaves coarsely chopped ( i believe they mean Thai basil but i used regular)
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoon fish sauce (closest substitute for this is soy sauce...)
1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
--
mix together...then use in recipe

Eid Mubarak

2007-10-18T14:57:00.001-04:00

Hope you guys had a great Eid..a belated Eid Mubarak to all..
I plan on extending Eid for as long as possible..

There's a sisters Eid Party I planned with some friends on Oct. 28th..hope to go to Eid breakfast on the 27th...having an Eid dinner for my cousins this weekend..

that's how Eid should be! Forget the 10 days of Christmas..this is much better...

oh and I got a beautiful J Crew coat for Eid..it has thinsulate which is more precious to me than a bag of diamonds in a harsh winter (that's every winter to me) If you've never tried on a coat with thinsulate you're missing out!

---

And one another note-- Fasting outside Ramadan? Is it because the Shaitans are unchained again?

It's impossible for me..I believe it's one of the hardest things to do...

Anyone else have this problem? Any advice?

ABC News Now

2007-10-18T14:19:00.001-04:00

I know the point of a blog is to periodically post on it..but I don't have the time..nor the inspiration. So here's my second post today..

I recently started freelancing at ABC News Now...this is now my third freelance gig...freelancing is good because I get to turn down jobs when I feel I need a day off...or want to hang out instead...no guilt involved.

So this new gig is at ABC News Now...it's ABC's 24 hour cable news channel, to compete with the likes of MSNBC and CNN...it's still young, and not really available on television. I hear it can be watched on broadband and Sprint (I don't know how)..so it's limited access, but someone must be watching because they put a lot of work into it. Once it's more widely distributed, I shall let everyone know so you can watch what I work on.

Since it's still in it's baby phase, there's great opportunities there to have ideas picked up, produced and turned into something great..fantastic right? Except I haven't had any ideas...if you do please send them my way!

Last week I also met two on air reporters/anchors at ABC...who both wished me a Happy Eid on ...they both spoke Arabic fluently..and were not Arab..or Desi..or Muslim. One of the reporters (who has reported from Iraq, Lebanon and is the new Russian correspondent for ABC) told me she was meeting with her Arabic teacher the next day for Eid lunch. So sweet.

I am seriously inspired to commence serious Arabic studies within a month Inshalah. I have always been interested but held back because all other Arabic studies in my past have not been as fruitful as I had hoped. Over the years I took several courses, some intensive, in and out of college. My Arabic is still pathetic...the two weeks I spent in Egypt this summer were extremely beneficial (even though it was Egyptian Arabic), but now that I'm back, I need to put some serious work into it.

I will study Arabic with the Rosetta Stone program. I hope I have the self discipline to really benefit from it. I have been turned down from a job once because it was given to a candidate who spoke Arabic. I can't let it happen again. Arabic will benefit me in every way, professionally, socially and in my religion. Please make dua' for me that I finally learn!

On the down side of my new gig, yesterday I had to watch President Bush's presser. Usually I can change the channel, but since it was going ot be part of my news brief...it made me cringe..Luckily I had Rehab (fellow hijabi at ABC) amusing me with emails as I watched it.

Seriously?

2007-10-18T14:13:00.001-04:00

I was walking home from work the other day in the city near Central Park ..I was wearing my usual uniform- big fat sweatshirt, jeans (baggy as I am between sizes and always go for the larger)..and sneakers..

I saw a woman walking her dog and the dog was wearing a brilliant blue striped sweater in what looked to be a very nice wool blend ..

I thought to myself.... "Seriously..this tiny dog is dressed better than me"...

Needless to say...it was a sad day..

MAS Youth Give

2007-09-27T16:33:00.000-04:00

On a recent Sunday morning this Ramadan (Sep. 16th to be exact) I helped with our second yearly run of MAS Youth Give Project CommUNITY. Read more about the project below.

(p.s. I wrote this article in like 5 minutes as I was sitting bored at work) ---

Click here for the slideshow: http://www.masyouth.net/default.aspx?siteId=44
---
What do you do on a Sunday morning? Watch cartoons, sleep in, go out for brunch? For some people, the need to give back to the community took precedence on one Sunday morning. Nearly 30 volunteers convened at the Islamic Center of Passaic County on Sunday, Sep 16th. They were not deterred by the harsh sun or their grumbling stomachs. These volunteers were all motivated by Project CommUNITY 2007. Now it it's second year, Project CommUNITY was started by MAS Youth Give in New Jersey, under the guidance of Areeg Abbassi, former head of MAS Youth Give. As they sat down for Iftar last Ramadan, taking in the sight of a table full of fruits, dates, and everyone's favorite foods, they knew in their hearts "not everyone is this fortunate." Project CommUNITY was created as way to help Muslim families across New Jersey. MYG volunteers collected several thousands dollars for Project CommUNITY from friends and family. This money was used towards some of the goods in the baskets, although most of the goods were donated or given at discounted prices from local businesses. MYG volunteers worked with masjids in Newark, Paterson and Jersey City, to discreetely distribute baskets to families who needed a little help. These baskets contained rice, olive oil, dates, milk, bread and vouchers for nearly $100 worth of meat at local meat stores.
Project CommUNITY would like to thank the following businesses for their support and generosity:
Baraka Grocery and Deli - Paterson, NJ
Fattals Syrian Bakery - Paterson, NJ
Unity Halal Meat - Newark, NJ
A.K. Market - Paterson, NJ
Paradise Wholesale - Paterson, NJ

My First Blog Ever..and maybe my last

2007-09-26T19:50:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: I am not, nor have I ever claimed to be a writer. If you've read some of the incredible blogs out there, let it be known that this is where it stops. My blog will mostly consist of bakwaas, things I want to write for no other reason that because I am probably sitting somewhere bored.

As I'm writing this I'm listening to the newsroom chatter about a reporter here at News12 being kicked out of a meeting at a public school. It's at moments like this when people start spewing journalistic ideals...freedom of the press...freedom of speech...people's right to know...the truth will prevail. I love these ideals. I believe the reason I went into television is because I believe that these ideals (henceforth referred to as these powers) DO EXIST IN TELEVISION.

I find the title of my blog humorous...I went through several years of studying "journalism"...followed by several years of what I call "slave work"... actually I still am a slave..working terrible hours for terrible pay. So does that make me a journalist? Perhaps spending tens of thousands of dollars and going against my fathers wishes do? On that thought, I don't think we would have ever come to an agreement on any chosen path.

Journalist is such a catch all phrase really. It can be someone who seeks out stories, someone who goes out and interviews people, someone standing in on the roof of a building in a war zone reporting on the scene, someone who runs out shooting things with a camera, someone who takes other people's stories and rewrites them, or someone who sits at a desk and read off a television screen.

For me the ideal journalist does all of the above. That's what I hope to do, except the on screen part of it. Maybe if I was better looking...haha.

After weeks of talking about working in television, conferring with higher up, months spent looking for that "perfect job" and realizing it's not out there, I have decided to stick with journalism (against what some, inluding me, may believe to be my better judgement).

This much I know : I'll never really make money. But I hope to find contentment in what I do in other ways.

Keep me in your duas.

Sameera