Squeeky's Sanctuary

Alhamdulillah ... Alhamdulillah ... Alhamdulillah ...

2008-05-13T21:52:00.002-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

Saturday April 26, 2008

Squeeky got married

*Alhamdulillah*

It was a beautiful and magical wedding .... couldn't have been more perfect. Once I get my computer/internet situation dealt with in my condo .... I may post a picture!

Course 1, Lesson 4

2008-02-27T11:10:00.002-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Okay, so I had my last class on Sunday for Course 1. In this class, we focused upon leaves, vines and mastering the Wilton Rose. Oh yes, we even practiced a flower called Sweet Pea. It looks simple to do ... but it's not! It was so difficult at first but once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad. I didn't take a picture of my attempt at those haha so no pictures here for that one.

We had the option of placing our roses in the center of the cake or at the side. So I gathered mine at the side of the cake. Our instructor taught us how to mound the roses so that it produces a nice lift. I thought that was amazing because it gives the roses and the cake a great look.

My cake doesn't appear as big as it usually does. It was so late when I baked the cake, there was no way I was going to add another cake layer. So instead, I layered the one cake that I had. I noticed it is much easier to ice a lower cake than a higher one!

A closer look: The roses would be much better if there weren't so many cracks at the ridge of the petals. I'm gettin' there!

The final product! I must say, this is my favourite cake from all the ones I decorated in class. I just wanted to freeze it forever *sigh*

Yet again, I was able to use this cake in the evening for all my family to share. My cake was an anniversary cake for my aunt and uncle who had come over. I gathered quite a few people over to help me pack the wedding favours. I absolutely LOVE my wedding favours and I absolutely LOVE my wedding invitation cards. Alhamdulillah! Things are crazy hectic but it is all coming together, yay!

Yea, so, that's how the planning is coming along. I haven't turned into a "bridezilla". I believe everyone is waiting for that moment haha Maybe during the last month ... maybeee. Right now, I'm slowly starting to feel the stress of getting everything together ... it's not so easy, my friend.

Next week, I signed up for Course 2! Can't wait to see what other new goodness we will be learning! I was just incredibly thrilled when we all were awarded with certificates for completing Course 1. I was almost in tears ... *sniff*

Stay tuned!!

Course 1, Lesson 3

2008-02-23T13:44:00.003-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I had my 3rd class last Sunday and it was just too much fun! NOT as stressful with the last class because this time ... I came prepared! I did feel a bit rushed because I had to decorate my cake while we were taught new techniques at the same time because I had to leave right after class to visit my cousin. She bought a new house with her hubby and it is so beautiful, masha'Allah! I was glad there was another excuse for me to take my cake somewhere ... don't have to worry about leftovers!

Our lesson today was to create clowns. I did a practice run at home and it was pretty simple to do. We were to buy Clown Heads and place them on top of the body. The clowns without heads looked pretty creepy ....

I tried to do a Brush Stripe effect in the icing. It was my first time trying it so it didn't turn out as great as I was hoping but hey, close enough!

Placed the heads on the clowns and added some roses and balloons! We continued to practice the Wilton Rose so I thought I would accompany the clowns with them :)

I had to complete the cake when I got home and brought it to my cousins ... ta da!

"If you should die ... before you wake ... *evil laughter*"

- The Simpsons: Bart's Clown Bed

I couldn't believe how easy these classes were. It's only been a few classes and I feel like I have leared so much. I love it, alhamdulillah hehe This particular cake was a lot of fun. Now I'm waiting for a kid's birthday party so that I can provide them with a fun cake like this :)

Course 1, Lesson 2

2008-02-17T13:02:00.004-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I'm really getting lazy with these posts! ahh. I'm posting a new entry very soon!

In this post, I am going to share the steps I took to make my cake for my Cake Decorating Class. We were told to bring a cake that has already been iced. We had the option of following one of the templates given to us in the Decorator book but our instructor advised that it would be better to experiment with the tips that we have been taught so far.

Alright ... so I have made cakes from cake mixes so many times before but this time, it was different. Maybe it was because of the new oven or the fact that I didn't place the oven rack in the middle ... I don't know ... but that cake kept rising and rising ... until it was humungous!

Here were the steps I took to make this cake ....

For some reason, my cakes are baking in my oven as if they were on steroids. I don't get it. Anyway, the top dome needed to be removed so I finally used this Cake Leveler tool. It did the job!

After leveling it, I used medium consistency icing to create a dam along the cake so that when I fill the middle, it won't droop out.

I didn't have time to make fancy filling so I just used the thin consistency icing which I will be using soon for icing the cake.

Didn't I tell you it was a huge cake? I placed the second leveled cake ontop and now it looks like a big cake sandwich! Mmm mmm!

I used Wilton's Icer Tip (an amazing tip) to cover the cake with icing, instead of using the spatula technique. This way ... I felt I was able to use the right amount of icing to spread upon the cake. Now, it doesn't look great because my icing wasn't thin enough! But I will learn from this mistake, insha'Allah next week it will work! It will!

Ta da! I smoothed out the icing with the off-set spatula. I will not get into how difficult this process was for me because of the wrong icing consistency. The correct icing consistency is important, people!! Oh, and my cake is placed on a turn table which really helps with the icing.

I tried so many times to succeed with this Wilton Rose. This was my last attempt and yes, I did it! Again, it only works if the icing is at the right stiff consistency.

Now ... for my Cake :)

And there it is, folks. My first cake after my decorating class. I cannot stress how much fun it was! I am definitely going to be using these techniques for many more years to come :D

Stay tuned for my cake from the next lesson. Coming very soon!!

Course 1, Lesson 1

2008-02-03T18:30:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Description - Cake Decorating Class
Level - Course 1
Location - Michaels

It's true! I have finally enrolled in these classes! For the past 2 years I have been eager to join but it just was not meant to be .... until NOW! Another friend of mine really wanted to take these classes so we decided, it had to be done. It's every Sunday and there are 4 classes.

We had the first class and it was basically an Introductory class. Of course, I was late. My day wasn't really going too well and I left the house later than I wanted to. I missed the first 10 mins and that was when she was explaining the beginner points to Icing *hmph* Thank goodness for my friend who passed me her notes. It was just really strange because I have not been in a classroom in a really long time and the first thing I had to do was fill out a scantron! I'm like, why is this here? I started panicking because I couldn't remember how to fill one out! And I kept saying to myself, "make sure the circle is filled completely!" That was quite the experience. Anyhooz, our really cool instructor was showing us how to make the icing we will be bringing to class next week and how to cut, ice and smooth a cake. It was just amazing. Since I have baking experience, I was familiar with most of what she was doing ... except for making the icing. I only made icing once and that ... umm .. needed some practice. But I think I should be able to do this! The way she was showing us how to fill the cake with icing and covering the entire cake with the most SIMPLEST icing tip, was just amazing. I cannot tell you how giddy and excited I was throughout that 2 hour class and afterwards ... eeh!

We were told which supplies we will be needing for class. You spend the most money in the first course and then not so much later on. I thought I would hold off a bit and shop around for better deals. Bulk Barn has practically everything for less! There was this amazing carry case that includes everything you will ever need for cake decorating ... I am *very* tempted to purchase it!

Homework for Next Week:
We have to bake a cake at home, fill it with icing, cover it with icing and bring it to class along with separate containers with coloured icing so we can decorate.

Maybe I can take pictures of my process during this course ... I think that'd be nice. I'll just have to see how this month is for me. Baking every weekend, yay! So many get-togethers, baby showers ... I am ecstatic :D

So stay tuned for my up-coming adventures ;)

Busy Bee buzzzzz

2008-01-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Yes, I have been busy! Which is expected from me because I have so much to do and there is so little time! I am actually feeling the crunch, eep. Okay, I lied. Not really ... to me, I feel like I have all the time in the world until I see my "to-do" list. It's still quite long, ahh. But I think we're doing pretty good! All this wedding planning is so much fun because we've been going here and there ... looking at such beautiful things ... making crazy decisions! It's great :D

I must say, wedding invitations are a big pain in the behind. But alhamdulillah, things are on their way with that as well. What I really want to get out of the way are the wedding favors. I find it a little more difficult because we have something specific in mind and sometimes, it's hard to find things when you're limited to one idea. Oh well, I got faith! Recently, we have just been concentrating on condominium shopping! That's not too easy either but I feel we'll find something perfect very soon, insha'Allah.

It will be February soon and I consider this month to be my most busiest baking month! Something is happening each weekend and of course, I am going to do my best to provide something for the parties. There are a couple of baby showers to attend to! I am really excited for that because one of them is for a good friend of mine and I have been meaning to make something special and cute for a baby shower. But you will have to wait for the end of the month to see pictures of that! ;) However, I will entertain you with pictures from my parent's wedding anniversary. I decided to make the cake (which I feel wasn't too attractive because it was the first time I made icing and I didn't make enough :/ ) The guests enjoyed it so that's all that really matters, no? I made more cupcakes too!

Enjoy ...

The 3 layers were: Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Cake & Brownie bottom! mmm

* Happy New Year *

2008-01-01T18:32:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum!

It is the first day of 2008 ... wow, time is flying. I wanted to write an entry earlier, which was the plan, but so many things came up that I did not get the chance. What came up, you ask? Well, here's the list.

Sick
I fell really sick last weekend. Alhamdulillah, I don't get sick often but this was just horrible. I had a terrible fever that lasted for a couple of nights and on top of that, I had the flu. A terrible one too! Then again, whenever I get the flu, it's always terrible. That weekend was quite busy too so I wasn't really able to get some rest. I had to go to my fiance's place for dinner and then the next day we had to attend a party. I am finally getting over it now but the cough is still present. Go away cough! *cough*

Baking
I was able to get myself to do some baking:

Since it was Eid-ul-Adha, I decided to make my baking treat. Eid this year wasn't the same because a lot of my relatives were somewhere else. My aunt and cousin are away for Hajj at the moment so not everyone was able to gather the way we used to. But that didn't stop me from baking! I tried to make Boston Cream Pie Minis. They turned out really good! I think these little guys got the most positive review than anything else I've made hehe Yummers.

I thought I'd try to make my own chocolate tee hee It actually worked! I was so proud of myself. I melted chocolate, poured it in a plastic sheet (which was for chocolate bars) and then kept it in the freezer. It was pretty cool :) I used it to decorate my fiance's cake.

This was his Collector's Cocoa Cake. Now, this was not how it was supposed to look. I had issues with this cake from the beginning :( But hey, it was nice and chocolatey so that's all that matters!

My sister's birthday was the day after my fiance's. She wanted cheesecake so I made her a Triple Layer Cheesecake. It was pretty cool to make because I had never made a layered cake before. I did a little mistake with one of the layers but since I know what the mistake was, I can fix it next time and it'll look much more better! Boy, was this cake rich! Verrry sweet. I used Chocolate, Butterscotch and Vanilla for this cake.

I think that was all the baking I did so far. Well, actually, I did bake with my cousins last night for New Years Eve. Umm ... it did not turn out at all. I think it's because we didn't have the right pan. I am determined to try that recipe again and make it work!

RIS

This past weekend, I attended Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference. I've been to it quite a few times and each year had it's fair share of good lectures but I the topics and theme didn't really appeal to me that much. I was really excited to attend this year's conference because of its Family theme. Not only was it on family, but the rights of men and women in marriage. It was just very appropriate to attend with my fiance hehe We learned so much, alhamdulillah and pray that we are able to implement everything we learned from the lectures. I found the lecture on Divorce to be interesting too because we were told of how a husband and wife should treat one another during the marriage and how to make it strong and last. I really enjoyed myself this time at RIS ... great lectures, great company ... it was lovely :)

2008

And now ... it is the New Year. A new year that holds so much for me, insha'Allah. So many changes that I will experience but insha'Allah everything that happens will be wonderful and happy. There has been so much going on ... I really want to focus on taking advantage of my time. Concerning Islam and how I practice it and how often I have been practicing it and also, worldly pursuits. I want to do as much as I can and am able to.

It's been a crazy year .... insha'Allah this year will be even better. I hope and pray that all those who read my posts have a very safe and happy new year ... filled with so much happiness and adventure!

The Baker Has Returned

2007-12-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I have finally set up my baking section and started baking :) Friday's will be my Baking Day but this week I will make some exceptions. I will be baking quite often this week it seems. It's a busy week! Eid is coming up, my fiance's birthday and my sister's birthday! And yes, I intend to bake for each occasion tee hee Let's see if I get the time or the patience. It should be fun, nonetheless! I'm looking forward to it.

I have always loved Chocolate Truffles. When I was a little girl, my mother used to make them and they were definitely my favourite, mmm mmm! So it had been a while since I had them and now I felt it was time I made them myself. I took a stab at it and it turned out pretty good! They taste much better the next day with this particular recipe. I'm still going to try out another recipe I stumbled upon. I think those will turn out better.

Chocolate Truffles in my new 3-Tier Stand

Up close and personal

The treat inside, oOo la la

And these were the toppings I had to work with

It was really cool making them. Especially when I had to dip it in white chocolate or milk chocolate and witness the shell harden. Simply amazing.

I got this recipe from Anna Olson's Sugar program. I was never one to watch the Food Network or cooking shows but for some reason, for the past few weeks, I've been watching them quite a bit! I love Sugar ... she makes yummy desserts in that show.

I need to decide on what I will baking this week and once I know and make them ... I shall post it here for all you wonderful people to see! Insha'Allah :) If I don't write a post before Eid ... then I will wish you all a very blessed Eid and may you all spend it with the ones you love!
Eid Mubarak!

P.S. - Here is a my adorable telephone ♥

Moved Out & Moved In

2007-12-11T23:37:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I've been meaning to write a post but my computer hasn't been hooked up yet. I guess I will have to add the pictures in later!

It's done. I have officially moved out of the house I lived in for 20 years of my life. It's strange, I'll tell ya that. I'm adjusting better than I had expected but it just feels as if I'm staying here only temporarily .... okay wait, technically that is true but what I meant was ... it feels like I am eventually going to back to my old house to live in. It doesn't feel like I have left it for good. Maybe because I can still visit whenever I want and look at those empty rooms we left behind but a day will come when I will not be able to see it again. That, makes me really sad.

My new house is beautiful ... I really like it. My bedroom is slowly starting to become my new sanctuary. There are *a lot* of boxes that still need organizing but that will be done in time, insha'Allah. I fear that by the time I organize and set up my bedroom ... it will be time to start packing again :S haha

My first night in the house: uncomfortable. Maybe because I was not used to sleeping in a bigger bed or the mattress was nothing like my old daybed ... I couldn't get a good night's sleep. Oh and when I woke up for Fajr! I can't tell you how scared I was to walk in that big house at night with the lights closed, eeh! The bathroom is a bit further away from my bedroom and I have to walk by something that is like a balcony which looks down on the main floor. Too many shadows :S I do not like shadows :( But I managed to get to the bathroom, perform wu'dhu (ablution) and pray Fajr salaat, alhamdulillah.

Remember that phone I was desperately looking for? Well ...... I found it! Yay! It's beautiful ... I'm in love with it. I found out it is called a Princess Telephone too, awww! I'm a princess! *bats eyelashes* ... *everyone else rolls their eyes*

I just need to get used to everything and adjust to my new surroundings. I already seem to have familiar neighbors which was a nice surprise. One of the students at the school I taught lives a house away from me :) awww.

I'm looking forward to the nice memories I will begin in this new house of ours. I have already dubbed Friday's to be my Baking Day ;) May Allah Swt make the new memories to be pleasant and sweet, insha'Allah!

The Wait

2007-11-25T00:23:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Okay ... my bedroom didn't turn out exactly the way I had envisioned it but hey ... it looks pretty nice! It's still pretty empty because ... well ... I haven't moved in yet .... haha Insha'Allah by the end of the week!! We still have time to move so I think my parents are being lazy which is making me lazy which I don't mind because I just don't want to leave this house. Even though I feel I am ready to take that leap and make another room my own ... it's still hard *sigh* It's difficult watching this house become emptier each day that passes. My brother has already moved into the new house ... he's enjoying it quite a bit. Who wouldn't with a big house like that to themselves? He better not be having parties there without our knowledge!

My bedroom set is cute ... and my dresser is just lovely. When we bought the set, I was a bit nervous because I was unsure if I would have any room to walk in my bedroom with all that furniture but alhamdulillah, I got more than enough space! I bought such pretty bed sheets and comforter that match my room colour puuuurfectly. All I need to do is find that perfect drawer for my hijabs :) Oh and I can't seem to find that phone I want :( I shall not lose faith! I will find it! One day!

Wedding planning is going good, alhamdulillah. Who knew there would be so much to do! Okay fine, I knew there would be so much to do ... it just seems like too much now and all I wanna do is scream because I feel I have no time to do anything AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. Okay sorry about that ... I have my moments.

Baking is still on hold unfortunately *sigh* Although I did get a chance to make cupcake cones for my cousin's daughter's 5th birthday. The kids had a great time with those because I made a little cupcake cone sprinkles station ... they went crazy with the sprinkles :D

I'm still a GoodLifer ... and now my fiance will be too *evil laughter* I was pretty lazy during the summer months when it came to the gym but now I'm going more consistently. It really makes you feel ... good :) I didn't realize how much of an affect it was having on me until I had to get my ring re-sized way back when. The jeweller wanted me to try a size 3 ... :S Which actually fit perfectly but I didn't want my ring to be that snug on me so he made it 3 1/4. I used to be a size 5 ... crazy.

And now ... I shall end this post because I am going to be internetless for a while. Not sure for how long but knowing me, I'll get a hold of the internet from somewhere.

Toodles!

Decorate & Design

2007-10-24T15:20:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Haven't moved yet ... for certain reasons. We have enough time to move in and live there. We have been transfering a lot of our things into the new house which has been strange for me. It's a little sad to see my current room being emptied and my new room filling up with boxes. I haven't put any furniture in my room yet. I need to map out my room and figure out how I want to arrange things. As much as I don't want to leave my current purple room ... I'm pretty excited to decorate this new room of mine. The colour is something I am not used to. It is a lighter shade of maroon. I was a little iffy about the colour because it makes the room appear darker than what I am used to. Hmm ... just need to put in more lights, I suppose. I decided to stick to that colour but my dad said to re-do it only because the previous owners nailed in soo many pictures and frames on the walls. It looks pretty messy. So my brother and I went out to look at sample sheets of paint to choose colours for our room. He wants his room to be a light shade of yellow and I chose a similar colour to what was already there ... only a bit lighter. It should match my bed spread perfectly and I *love* my bed spread .. it's so pretty!

I have a pretty good idea of how I want to decorate my room. Since my room will be a shade of red, I'd like to have an elegant theme where I am able to experiment with antique furniture. I am a huge fan of canopy beds but ... I think I'll save that for my other future room hehe I tried to look around for a nice bed frame but couldn't exactly find what I was looking for! Most of the styles were just too modern for me. I guess I will have to keep looking! I know what I do want though ... a phone similar to this:

But not in white. I have seen this type of phone everywhere and always wanted it :D This is my opportunity to take it!! While I was browsing through pictures ... I came across this phone:

haha Why am I surprised to see this! I don't really understand how it would work but hey, I'd still take it!

It's funny ... when I think of the many things I can do with my new bedroom, I automatically think about how I am going to decorate my room after I am married. We're going to live on our own insha'Allah so it gives me the opportunity to decorate a whole new place! Now that's exciting because I never thought I would have to do that yet. I have some ideas for my future new room haha Too many rooms, I'm getting confused! I'm thinking of painting it blue ... not just any blue ... but a lighter shade of neon blue. I want there to be a red and blue theme. Uhh, I haven't discussed this with him yet tee hee but I'm sure he will not have a problem with it once I give them the reason as to why I want to paint it those colours! :D

So much work to do ... but I look forward to every moment of it ...!

Trial & Error

2007-09-27T15:26:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

****** WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IMAGES MAY CAUSE A FASTING PERSON'S MOUTH TO SALIVATE .... BEWARE, BEWARE NOW!******

How is everyone's Ramadan coming along so far? Alhamdulillah, I consider this to be the best Ramadan, ever! There is just so much more going on and I am able to make the most of the days I have. I always make certain goals for myself during this blessed month and do my best to meet them. Alhamdulillah, so far so good! It just makes you feel so good knowing you are able to successfully reach those goals. The iftaar parties have been fun too hehe Even though I've missed quite a few of them due to prior engagements but oh well, I'll make it up to them later! I love meeting up with old/new friends during this month and just reflect upon its beauty. Ramadan is going by sooo fast :(

I haven't been baking as much because my dad packed away most of my baking supplies, argh. So I'm working with what I have. I made an imitation version of Hostess Cupcakes. It was really cool making them because I had never made something with filling inside ... it was a cool experience! I made the cupcakes and then was told to cut little cone shapes from the bottom to create a hollow:

Now, I was to make the filling ... which did not work the way it should have because I didn't have the ingredient they had asked me to use. I couldn't find it in the grocery store!! So I improvised and attempted anyway. Didn't work at all. Not knowing what to do ... I went online to find any basic recipe for a filling and used that instead:

I plugged the holes and covered the cupcakes with frosting. I even messed up with that part too. I was supposed to frost the top only but had thought the entire cupcake was to be covered with frost. No wonder I didn't have any left over for the last two cupcakes. I was getting annoyed.

This was the final product:

Yes ... they may look good ... but I wasn't too impressed with the taste of the final product :/ Don't know ... maybe because I didn't use the right filling or I surrounded the cupcake with too much frosting and I'm not a big fan of dark chocolate. Oh well ... there's always next time!!

~* Ramadan Mubarak *~

2007-09-12T21:15:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Ramadan Mubarak/Mabrook/Kareem ... etc! you get the point!!

Alhamdulillah ... the blessed month EVERYONE looks forward to is finally upon us once again. It is the month of Patience and Blessings. And the month where the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed.

Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." - Sahih Bukhari

This is the time for us all to take advantage of this beautiful month. Every year, when Ramadan approaches us ... I involve myself in more ibaadah (worship) then what I normally do. While continuing to recite as much Qur'an as I can, recite and memorize Surahs and study more on Islam ... I find myself continuing these practices even after Ramadan has ended, subhana'Allah. That's exactly what I am aiming for. I do not just want to worship Allah Swt for only this month and then not continue with it afterwards. I want to do as much as I can even after Ramadan. I want to make it seem that every month is Ramadan so I can do as much as I can to increase my Imaan.

Notice how we are able to do so much more during this blessed month? How we're able to stay away from things we should not be associating ourselves with in the first place? It is easy because we do not have Shaytaan whispering in our ears to do something which would displease Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. But also, if we do notice ourselves still taking part in things we should not be ... it just shows us how much of an influence Shaytaan has had upon us. With that realization, we should be able to overcome it and please Allah Swt instead of the shayateen, insha'Allah.

This Ramadan is going to be so special. It will be the last Ramadan I spend with my family *sigh* It's a little unbelievable when I think about it and it does make me sad but I want to make the most of it. Insha'Allah, next Ramadan I will be spending with my soon-to-be hubby and it will be just us in our own place. This Ramadan is going to be a little hectic as well because we will be in the process of moving, eep! May Allah Swt make it easy on my family. I'm coming to terms with the whole moving thing ... I'm excited to be in the new house.

Another thing I love about Ramadan, is the many people who are in the masjids, subhana'Allah. I just love it! Especially for Taraweeh. There is such a beautiful feeling in this entire month. What do you love most about Ramadan?

I make du'a that everyone's fasts and good deeds are accepted by Allah Swt during this month. Take advantage of it. Do as much as you can to please Allah Swt. Insha'Allah we will all be rewarded and will have a wonderful time :)

...Basketball?

2007-08-23T13:39:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I bought myself a PINK basketball the other day ....

I know, most people are thinking ... "uh, Squeeky's associating herself with sports?! Has the world gone crazy?!" Alright, calm down! It's no secret that I'm not a sporty person. The last time I participated in any sport was during highschool gym class. Not that I don't like sports, I do, but I'd rather be there watching the sport live rather than sitting at home in front of a television set. As for playing ... hmm, never got into it, I suppose.

So, why did I suddenly buy myself a basketball? Because of my fiance. He's a "baller" and participates in basketball tournaments. He says he's good but I guess I'll have to judge that for myself tee hee Well, he convinced me to start practicing so we can play a game together ... eep. I suppose I'm in for A LOT of practicing! But it's still not fair! He's got quite the height advantage over me :( I don't stand a chance against him. I'm only 5' and he's 6'3 ... he could step on me if he wanted to! *sigh* I'll just have to act like a mouse then ... scurrying around ... I'll be too quick for him!

I guess I'll go 'shoot some hoops' before I head to the gyme ... wish me luck!

Best. Weekend. Ever.

2007-08-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I told myself that I wouldn't write any wedding-related posts only because ... well, I just didn't feel like it. But now I'm rethinking that. I think I should write at least some posts of my wedding planning because in the future, I would be able to come back here and remember the memories I had during this time.

My weekend was simply great, alhamdulillah. On Saturday, my fiance's family came over to my house so that we can go together to the banquet hall we are interested in for the wedding. It was a really nice setting ... we were going over the menu for each day. My goodness, so much food! Finally, after completing that list, we were off to the banquet hall.

Mind you, we left around 11pm and there was a sikh wedding in progress. It was soo funny because we were all under dressed! And it was a pretty huge wedding too, about 700 people, so my dad says. Loud, it was very very loud. I honestly couldn't hear myself think! I had been to this place a couple of times in the past but I never really paid attention to it so I was finally able to really see the place. I like it! Now, it doesn't take too long to check out a hall and my dad was busy talking about prices, etc. The rest of us didn't know what else to do. So we'd walk outside and stand there for a while because it was just too loud for us inside. And then we'd walk back in because it was getting chilly outside! Luckily, there was a couch available for our mothers to sit on.

I noticed a picture on display of the bride and groom and told my fiance that I was going to go look at it. During that time, I noticed the guestbook on the table .... tee hee I went back to him and asked him, "dare me to write in their guestbook?" haha So he dared me and we went and I wrote "congratulations" and he told me to sign it with our names haha Then he added something too. We ran away from there as soon as we were done in fear that the bodyguards present would kick us out. Our families must have looked so odd, just standing around ... we were probably the only Muslim family standing in the lobby looking uncomfortable.

The next day, we all met up at the Markham Fair mella ... such a crappy mella. I wasn't pleased with anything I saw there. Then again, I wasn't looking for clothes so maybe if I was, I would have seen some nice things. But I was more interested in something else which I could not find *sigh* I guess it is off to Gerrard I go! My family had to leave the mella earlier because we were going to visit my lovely cousin who lives close by. We had sooo much fun because we were playing table tennis in her basement. I was extra excited to play because my fiance is always telling me how he gets together with his co-workers and plays ping-pong just before the day is over ... now it was my time to shine!

Alhamdulillah :)

It's a GIRL!

2007-08-17T13:21:00.001-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

Oh, my little blog ... kinda missing it.

Anyhooz, wanted to express my excitement here! My cousin's wife just gave birth to a baby GIRL, masha'Allah! Ahh ... we're so happy and excited! Alhamdulillah, they have been blessed with another girl. So that makes one boy and two girls now .... which is good because their son is already a handful haha But I love him.

I just want to run over there and see them but I need to control myself *sigh* I'm just glad that my cousin's wife didn't have to wait too long for the baby ... if I'm correct, she was born near her due date.

Alhamdulillah, both baby and mommy are doing fine. Please keep them in your du'as.

Can't wait until they name her! Yay!

~New Beginnings~

2007-07-28T04:30:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Moving

About a couple of weeks ago (maybe a little more?) we found a house that we all really liked, alhamdulillah. Yes, even I approved of the house! The layout is just what my family was looking for and it's just so beautiful from the inside. As soon as my mother and I stepped in the house for the very first time to see it, we were overcome with a serene feeling ... it was amazing. So, we bought it! Yay for us! But we're moving very soon ... near the end of September, which means, during Ramadan ... eep! It's okay, it's better than the previous moving date we were going for which was the 7th of September. I think that was stressing everyone out because there is so much to be done in this house ... we've been here forever! There's a lot of things (mainly junk) that we need to sort out and get rid of. But alhamdulillah, now we finally have some more time and insha'Allah we'll be able to move in nicely .... *sigh* Yes, I'm still kinda depressed and very sad that I'm leaving this house but this new one will bring us much more better things, I can feel it!

Engaged

*gasp* It's true! haha Alhamdulillah :)

Little Squeeky is finally engaged ... and on top of that, to a Yorkie dorkie! haha But alhamdulillah, patience really is the key and without expectation, he came into my life and literally changed it for the better. Oh gosh, so I'm guessing it's time to start planning! I don't even know where to begin!

Here's the cake I made for him when he came over. It's called "Brownie Bottomed Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Chip Cheesecake" ... boy, I never prayed so much for a cake to turn out good haha

Please remember us in your du'as ... may Allah Swt accept your sincere and kind prayers ... jazaakAllahu khairaa!

Alhamdulillah

2007-06-29T17:58:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Okay, so obviously I won't be updating that birthday post of mine hehe Which is too bad because it would have been a real nice post. Oh vell, I guess it just was not meant to be *sigh*

Alhamdulillah ... I just completed my first year of teaching :D

Honestly, I cannot believe it's over already. Yesterday was my last day with all my students and it was the most saddest day of my life :( I think I'm in a little bit of depression. Kindergarten students are tough but when you stop and think, they're so cute and precious masha'Allah. They always kept me entertained with their stories. This one girl would always tell me about her bunny at home and how it always scratches and bites her. When she gave me a gift, she drew a picture of me, herself and the bunny! haha It was so cute.

I got such wonderful gifts too, I was so surprised. The parents are so kind and sweet to me, I truly feel blessed ... alhamdulillah. I thought it was really nice for one of the parents to invite me to my student's birthday party this summer .. aww! Apparently he wants me to come so I will definitely make it for that ;) Then again, I might have second thoughts because of what one parent told me. She said last summer, the previous teacher attended one of the birthday parties and whenever the kids would get into a fight ... instead of running to their own parents, they would go straight to their teacher saying, "Teacher! Teacher! So-and-so isn't sharing!" Oh gosh, do I really want to be hounded again ..? Aww I think I would, just one more time during the summer hehe

Their graduation was on Wednesday and that was so adorable to witness! We had most of the students perform a little song for the parents. It's called I Look I See by Yusuf Islam. Such a nice song, masha'Allah ... we had hand actions and everything :D They really enjoyed it. We also created little graduation caps.

Today was my clean-up day in the classroom. My desk was in dire need of it. Even though I missed the kids terribly at the school, it was still nice to have a day to myself and just to do things that I need to around my classroom. Sometimes, time just flies by you ...

I'm going to share some cute pictures during our last few weeks at the school:

We did a Mice Unit (eww) and we all made mouse visors and visited the other classrooms :)

This is hilarious ... my student drew a picture of us and she told me that the one with the red hair was me. Then she stared at me for a while and went back to her seat. She came up to me again and added my nose ring haha Too cute!

That's about it! Now ... FINALLY, my summer has begun and I can FINALLY sleep in! Yay! I have been looking forward to this for a looooong time. I'll be pretty busy with weddings and such so I will be well entertained.

Hellloooooo Summer holidays!

Pathetic me ...

2007-06-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum

I had a post in mind to write here about how my birthday went but I have become too distracted to write it at this moment. I made a cake for myself :)

I had to post it since it's the only thing that is making me smile right now.

Insha'Allah I'll complete this post soon :) so stay tuned!

~ 24 ~

2007-06-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

IT'S 12:30 am!

SQUEEKY

24 YEARS OLD!

oOoOoOo

No, I am not that excited about my birthday haha Just really wanted to do that.

There's just something about that age. I don't like the sound of it *grr*

Anyways, I think back to everything I have gone through, have accomplished in these years of my life and I must say, I am so pleased with myself. Ever since I was little, there were certain things I wanted to attain for myself and I feel I have finally done so with most of them. Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed me with another year in this world and insha'Allah I will do my best to make this year more fulfilling than the last.

I feel like a grown-up. I think that is why this age is taking a while to settle with me. I will always consider myself young and silly and immature at times because it makes me feel youthful :) It is so important to keep yourself entertained and happy. But I have come to realize that I'm not a little girl anymore (even though I still look like I'm 16 and am still mistaken for one, which, is not a complaint ;) )

I am so happy with where my life is taking me. I don't ever question myself: "Where is my life going? What am I doing with myself?" It is such a blessed feeling. I feel I am blessed because of the opportunities Allah Swt has provided me with and I am using them to the best of my abilities. My professional life is showing strengths in me which I did not realize existed. Teaching Kindergarten students has not only taught me so much about children, but most importantly ... life. How to deal with everyday situations. It is all related. This is the first time I feel age is actually making me wiser tee hee Alhamdulillah. I have been expanding my knowledge upon Islam on a regular basis and it really is a spiritual high. Subhana'Allah, I have always wanted to better myself as a Muslimah and I actually feel I am doing so. I am sure anyone would understand what a great feeling that is. I have a beautiful family and relatives, which I have now realized look out for me a great deal. Oh, and the love of my life! The gym. I am so proud of myself for going so regularly. I thought I would be good for the first month and then just drop it after that but the results I have been seeing encourages me to continue. It not only helps you physically, but mentally as well. It really makes you feel good! haha That reminds me of something one of my co-workers said about her brother making up his own motto for the gym: "Get a life ... at GoodLife" ...

I have been expressing myself through this blog for a couple of years now. And I feel it is time to give it a break. I will not be terminating the blog, of course not, it's too special to me to do such a thing :) hehe But, updates are not to be expected unless something crazy happens in my life and I'm just dying to share it with friends/strangers haha Knowing me, that only happens about once every few months. I won't be going through this transition abruptly, but gradually, insha'Allah. Now that I'm thinking of writing in here less, in the next couple of months I will just flood it with posts ... la la la ...

I feel it will be a good year, insha'Allah. Even if the number does not really appeal to me hehe I will make this year a wonderful one :)

Oh, 24 .... what do you have in store for me?

Accommodate me! ..... plz?

2007-05-28T20:10:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

So, I have been going to the gym for a few months now and I'm telling you ... it has been great. I feel like I'm going to become some sort of Super-Hijabi! I use most of the equipment available in the women's area (although the co-ed section has some pretty tempting weight machines, grr) except for one. This lat machine:

Since my attendance at GoodLife, I have only attempted to use this machine, once. Why, you ask? Because I'm a weakling? Well, that too but the story just gets a little more interesting than that.

I have been able to convince a couple of my co-workers to go to the gym with me. A friend of mine decided to work out with me one day and we looked long and hard at this machine. We were sure it would be able to do wonders in our work-out routine. We probably stood there for about 5 mins just looking at it. Not that we did not know how to use it ... but we weren't sure if we could reach it :S Darn that bar for being so high!

We quickly became discouraged. I was ready to just walk away with a *sigh* because my plats were not availabe for help. But my friend was determined, oh boy was she determined. We went up to it ... stood beside it ... looked up (because we're quite little) and tried to problem solve as to how we can reach up to catch the bar. Our itty bitty arms were not helping the situation :(

So I had a plan! Yay for plans!

Squeeky: Okay. I will hold this end of the bar and you reach the other end.

Friend: Okay! Good idea.

I reach up and take one end ... but ... there's a problem

Friend: My end is tilting up higher! I can't reach it!

Squeeky: Oh shucks ... the weight is too heavy maybe, let me put it on a lighter notch.

I change the weight and give it another go ... which didn't really help

Along comes a nice lady who saw us struggle and brought the bar down for us

Squeeky: Awww ... she's so sweet! Now we can finally use this thing!

Friend: Uhh ... how about you try it first.

I sit down and with the help of my friend, I have the bar in my hands and here I go ..

Squeeky: Umm ... this weight is a bit too easy :S We need to change it and add more pounds.

Friend: Uh huh ... but how are we supposed to change it without leaving the bar?!

Squeeky: Ohhhh crapulants! *cries*

We decided to try anyway. I got off and changed the weight to something more challenging

Squeeky: Alright, done! Now ... where's that lady?

Friend: This is hopeless ... I'm going to stand on the seat to reach it.

Squeeky: haha No! Everyone's already looking and laughing at us within themselves, if we do that, we're just going to seem more pathetic.

Friend: Who cares, we need to use this thing.

Friend climbs onto the seat and pulls down the bar

Squeeky & Friend: Success!

Who would have known that simple (for others) machine would cause such a ruckus? I must ask GoodLife to do something about this ... I deserve to use it too!

Home sweet Home

2007-05-12T12:40:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

My parents have been discussing the possibility of moving. This discussion has been going on for quite a while but when your mother tells you that your father wants everyone to start to pack things up in the house ... you know it's serious. I ... don't ... want ... to ... move! The house I currently live in is small and cute. That's how I like to describe it. It's not a big house where everyone would be all "oooh"ing and "aah"ing. Alhamdulillah, so far, it's been perfect for my little family. I suppose my family has come to a point where it is growing/will be growing and a bigger space would just be better for us. I mean, I have literally grown up in this house. It will be about 20 years .... 20 years?! Oh my goodness ... that depresses me even more. I'll be 24 in a matter of weeks insha'Allah and knowing that I spent so much of my life in this house, it will be so sad to move away ....

I don't work well with change at all. I can't help it. I always imagined that when I would move from here, it would be when I leave my home to go to my hubby's. And to be perfectly honest, that is what I prefer. I don't want to move to a new house that I will be living in temporarily. Everyone says it would be better that way because the attachment would wear off and all my belongings could be kept in boxes and ready to go when the time is to come haha I gotta admit, it makes sense. I am very attached to my house. Everything about it. There are just so many beautiful memories here and I looove the location of where I am. My work is about 7 minutes away from me, how amazing is that? Oh and my room ... do not get me started on my room :( I'm going to start crying. Now *that* is my sanctuary hehe It's my space. I can't imagine leaving it for something else *sigh* It would be nice to have a bay window in there though ...

We have even looked at a couple of houses already *sigh* Actually, my parents went to look at more houses without me because I was causing such a fuss. As a matter of fact, we will be leaving soon to look at more houses *sigh* (yes, I know I'm sighing a lot but that's how I'm feeling!) Then again, I should check these places out. I know I am going to be super picky! Right now, I am definitely not going to be looking for my 'dream house' because that is what I will be wanting for my own family, insha'Allah.

Moving is a big deal and I know whenever it happens, I will not take it well. I will probably go into hysterics haha Oh dear, now that is a sight no one should be subjected to. I just pray that we find that perfect house and move in happily. I feel it would be good for my family. It is a bit exciting when I imagine being somewhere completely different ... but when I really begin to think about it ... there is no place like home.

♥

Slow Realization

2007-04-18T07:24:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

A friend of mine is going through a very tough period in her life. Her father had suffered from a stroke about a week ago. He is currently in Riyadh and she flew down there with her brother a few days ago to be with her family. Insha'Allah, her husband will be able to join her next month; he's in Ottawa. For a while her father was in a coma but she says that his level of coma is changing. He is now able to open is eyes for about a minute and he even attempted at lifting his hand. Unfortunately, he is still not fully conscious.

My heart goes out to her. My du'as go out to her father and the family. She was describing her feelings when she first saw her father in such a state and it was just unbearable. It is so difficult to see your parent that way. Especially your father. To most children, myself included, they see their father as some sort of a "superhero". Someone who can do anything and is capable of doing anything. I always think to myself, "I don't think there is anything my father can't do" and alhamdulillah, he is reaching an old age too. To be able to do so much at that age, it truly is a blessing. And then ... to see that man you have always considered to be unbreakable ... lying in a hospital bed, unable to move, speak or even keep their eyes open ... is heartbreaking. I make du'a that Allah Swt blesses her father with a full recovery where he is able to regain his mental and physical abilities. And that my friend and her family are blessed with patience so they may be able to be strong for him during this time. Ameen.

I have many posts which relate to my feelings towards parents and children because I see myself as a very family oriented person and care so deeply for them. Everyone has their ups and downs with parents but we need to remind ourselves to be patient because they reminded themselves of patience during the time they brought us up and put up with our shananigans :) (hehe I had to throw that word in there) Our treatment towards parents is always discussed within Islam and Allah Swt commands us to be kind towards them. Let us follow that very simple teaching, insha'Allah.

Her situation just got me thinking a lot ... and I feel I need to take advantage of the time I have with my parents right now. It's not like they're getting any younger. I can only pray that Allah Swt continues to bless them with good health and have them with me when I raise my own family in the future, insha'Allah. My parents would make amazing grandparents and I would like nothing more than to have my children around influences like them.

Take advantage of the time you have right now with your parents or any loved one ... you never know what tomorrow will bring.

*~* Today's Virtue *~*

Faithfulness

Faithfulness is being loyal to our beliefs, remaining firm and steadfast regardless of what happens. When our faith is tested, we stay strong, and learn from the experience. We do our work with meticulous care and excellence, faithful to its true intent. With the people we love, we are abiding and trustworthy. They know we will not abandon them or violate the sacred trust between us. Faithfulness through the changes and tests of time is a sign of lasting love. Faithful friendship is one of life's greatest treasures.

The Yahoo! Me

2007-04-08T17:09:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

So a few of my fellow bloggers have the Yahoo! Avatar to express themselves for that day or entry. I have always found it to be a nice method to get your mood across and pondered whether or not I should include one for my blog. I thought about it ... even played around with it ... but it just wasn't me. Where was the hijab?! I could not possibly post up a little character with hair showing! That would not be representing me at all haha So I *sighed* and put the idea on the backburner once again.

But then ... as I was exploring ... I came across something that did look somewhat like a hijab! Actually, it was labeled as a "grim reaper hood" but to me, it looked perfect and appropriate. I just loved it and I really want to share it. Who knows, maybe I will even add it to my blog in time. It's just so cute! :)

Introducing ... *drum roll please* ... Squeeky the Avatar:

Anyhooz, update on my life. It's been busy. The toughest week just left me and I am ever so happy. For the entire month I have been preparing my students for the Science Fair. Yes, my itty bitty Kindergarteners were expected to participate in the Science Fair. It was difficult but fun as well because they just love doing experiments so I tried to give each of them something easy yet fascinating. The day of the Fair, we rearranged all the classrooms and set up their experiments. Before the parents were to come, we did a rehearsal for the entire school. My class was first. I was basically with each of my students nudging them along because of course most were unable to remember what to say next. It was just a great opportunity to aquaint themselves with scientific terms like Purpose, Hypothesis, Materials, etc. After going through each one and finally reaching the end ... I stood there and thought, "Oh great, I will have to do this all over again once the parents arrive". Argh! The first time around was tiring enough! But I held it together and we did it. I was so proud of my students and each of them were so brave. I remember becoming so nervous when I would do presentations and these little ones ... were up there literally making everybody laugh. Subhana'Allah, may Allah Swt preserve their innocence.

Since I don't get a "long weekend", Friday was the Parent-Teacher Interviews which went quite well, alhamdulillah. And tomorrow, the teachers have a little party for a teacher who recently left on maternity leave. It should be nice. Each of us will bring food so I'm thinking I'll make cookies and get samosas.

Speaking of cookies, I made Chocolate Chip Cookies yesterday. I have always wanted to master chocolate chip cookies and yay, I did! Enjoy.

I finally received my pack of 100 Virtue cards. So I decided each time I write an entry (how ever often that may be) I will randomly choose a card for that day and post it. Like I am doing right now ...

~* Today's Virtue *~

Righteousness

Righteousness is living by a code of moral rectitude. It is practicing impeccable integrity in light of what we know is right. We don't allow the fads of the day to sway us from doing the right thing. Nor do we stand in judgment of others. Righteousness is one thing. Self-righteousness is another. We don't shame ourselves when we go off track. We discern the lesson in the teachable moment and gently call ourselves back to the virtues. We resist being driven by our egos. We choose to be led by our souls. We live the good life.

The Virtues Project

2007-03-23T21:37:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

What is The Virtues Project?

The Vision of The Virtues Project is to serve humanity by supporting the moral and spiritual development of people of all cultures, by helping them to remember who they really are and to live by their highest values.

The mission of this project is to empower strategies that inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life. The project offers personal and professional development programs, trainings and materials which are helping people around the world to create a culture of character in homes, schools, prisons and corporations.

"Imagine a world where no child is without mentorship and friendship. Picture a community in which everyone, from parents to police, has the will and the skill to teach respect, foster kindness and model integrity. The Virtues Strategies are being widely applied for prevention, intervention and healing. They inspire hope, even in those who are most hopeless."

At the school, the teachers were given a workshop about this specific Program so that we may be able to incorporate it within our teaching practices with the students. Sometimes, there is the habit of commenting upon the bad habits of another person but the good qualities are rarely mentioned. When acknowledging another's good virtue, it keeps them aware of that virtue and encourages them to act upon it more often. You become more conscious of it. I was so impressed with this project because its goal is to bring out the best in people.

Virtues are the essence of the human spirit and the content of our character. Within this program, there are 52 virtues that are used in a few different books.

Before the workshop began ... we were each told to randomly choose a card from the Virtues Card pile. Surprisingly, the card we chose for ourselves related to us in some manner. I had received Endurance, which reminded me the power of withstanding hardship or stress. It was a beautiful write-up about never giving up hope and to always go on strong. Alhamdulillah. This is the quote it gave at the back of the card:

"Endurance is not just the ability to endure a hard thing, but to turn it into glory"

- William Barelay

In an activity, we were asked to pair up with a partner and to interview them with questions that were provided to us. By using the Virtues from the first list, we were told to practice using them within our language in the conversation. Seriously ... it was like therapy haha If you have time, definitely try this out :)

Choose a partner and take turns interviewing one another. Be present and listen.

1. Name someone you admire. This person may be a figure in history or a person in your life. What is the core virtue this person practices? What attracts you to this virtue?

2. What interests you about this workshop? What do you hope to gain?

3. Name one of your own core virtues, one which is strong and well-developed in you. Say a few words about how it is needed in your life.

4. Name a virtue you need to cultivate, one that is under or over-developed in you. Say a few words about how it is needed in your life.

5. What is one of the biggest challenges in your life right now? What virtues would help you to meet this challenge?

6. What is a source of joy in your life at this time?

7. Virtues Acknowledgement: Interviewer, please give your partner a virtues acknowledgment by telling them a virtue you notice in them and specifically how you see it. "I want to acknowledge you for the virtue of ------ and the way you show it is ----- ."

It was a great activity. You feel so much more better afterwards and don't realize how much you needed something simple like this. The Director of the school was also present during this workshop and she announced that she admired a virtue within one of the teachers. I was surprised to find out that it was me :) She told me that she acknowledges the virtue of Patience within me and has seen it in the way I have handled the students from the beginning of the year. I was able to take a very difficult group of boys and girls and have them behaving the way they do. Awww ... it was so sweet, I was truly touched.

The beauty of this project is many of these virtues are taught in Islam. And if we were to just act upon them, it really would be a better place, especially for our Ummah, insha'Allah. We can all benefit from this and I really do feel that it would make a difference. We all need to know that we're acknowlegded :)

Bowling with the Young

2007-02-22T20:55:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

We took the students to the Bowling Alley as a part of their physical education. I just could not help wonder: "how would it be like to bowl with 4-5 year olds?" It was more fun than I thought! I figured it would be a lot of work because when I can barely hold the bowling ball myself ... how can the children?! Oh, but they managed well and some even bowled better than me.

It had been about few years since the last time I went bowling and forgot how much fun it can be. Whenever I did go, I could never get more than one strike. I would get one strike and then I would try and try and try but ... no more :( I broke my own record today ... THREE strikes! Weeeee! I was so happy with myself haha And the best part about going bowling wtih your Kindergarten class is that they become your personal cheering section tee hee Whenever it was my turn, the girls would chant: Go Sister R! Go Sister R! .... awwww ... I felt so special.

I did have an embarrasing moment though. Actually, it wasn't so embarrasing only because I tend to do this now and then. I went a little further into the lane to pick up a ball that one of my students threw very slowly ... as I went to pick it up ... I slipped and fell :S It was a hard fall too! I had no idea the lane would be so oily! Once we returned to the school, the older boys found out that I fell and just could not get enough of it *sigh* I'm going to be hearing about this for the rest of the term. It doesn't matter ... I got THREE strikes so it was worth it!

I just have to add that this morning was the most beautiful winter morning I had ever witnessed. Subhana'Allah. I am not a fan of winter and I am not a fan of snow but when it was falling today, mainly in clusters ... the white surrounding my street just looked so stunning. I was in awe ... my camera could not capture the beauty.

ATTN: Gym Regulars

2007-02-15T19:22:00.001-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I need advice from the blog world ... specifically those who go to the gym regularly. Even if you don't ... your input would be greatly appreciated!

I've been going to the gym for a couple of weeks now. I take advantage of most of the equipment and I tend to stay on the Elliptical a bit longer (I love that thing). My concern is, the next day I don't feel pain. And when you work out, you should feel it at least the next day. There are exercises I do at home and I feel those more than my actual gym workouts. For example, I went to the gym on Monday ... didn't feel a thing the next day. I did my home exercise on the Wednesday (there was no work due to my very first SNOW DAY so I had to use that time since I was not able to go to the gym) and I'm in pain right now. The exercises done at home target specific body parts and really work at them so you can feel it the next day. The gym workout ... uhh ... not so much. So I think I am just doing it all wrong. Or maybe I'm not doing enough reps.

The difference I see here is that the program I have for home exercises makes me repeat the circuit. At the gym, I usually just do one round and then I'm out. I don't really have the time to go back and do the same ones over again. Maybe that's my problem ..?

Should I repeat the exercise I do on each of the equipment and if so, how many reps should one do in order to make their workout successful? I don't want to go to the gym knowing I'm doing everything wrong hehe I tend to watch and listen to the advice that the trainer's give and incorporate that into my workout tee hee Thanks for the help I may receive :)

You will be missed

2007-01-31T21:10:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

It was a busy day today. It was a sad day today.

It was the last day for one of the teachers at the school because she will now be on maternity leave. She has two daughters who attend the school. The eldest is in grade 1 and the youngest, Leah who is 3 years old, is in my class. Well, was in my class. The youngest will be staying at home with her mommy because she is very young and a handful. I still have not grasped at the fact that she will not be in the room early in the morning tomorrow. This little girl was something else. Masha'Allah, I have never come across a young girl with such a dynamic personality. She is the type of kid that everyone loves and adores and will miss greatly. I already miss her :(

Her mother has been preparing her for a while and telling her that she will no longer be coming to school. So now and then she would come up to me saying, "Teacher ... I'm going to miss you." Awwww. Well anyway ... the rest of the teachers and I decided to throw a little farewell party for the teacher and her daughter. I made brownies for all the children and puff pastries for the teachers. Another teacher brought in the most amazing baklava, mmm! Her mother made it from scratch and it was simply divine. One of the other teachers also brought in Chicken Biryani. It was the first time I ever went for seconds haha The party was quite successful.

Since it was Leah's last day in our class, I decided to make her a card and have all the students in the class sign it. I was a little iffy on how it would turn out but the card is TOO cute! This is definitely something her mother is going to keep for a very long time tee hee I still do not think that my class understands that Leah will not be coming back. When I tried to explain it, they seemed pretty sad. We are all going to miss her dearly! Don't change, Leah!!

Allow me to show some pictures of the card:

The front cover to the card

Inside the card: signed by all the students & yours truly :) adorable

Back of the card ... ;)

On to other news. I finally found a gym close enough to my house for me to join. I don't know why I never thought of inquiring about it before. Today was my first day working out at GoodLife. When I first went in, I asked them about their women's accomodations. It was excellent! And I was quite impressed. It is completely away from the co-ed area which was wonderful for me because I have no desire to be around men while working out ... eww. I loved it ... you walk straight into the women's change room which is huge and on the opposite side is the entrance to the women's fitness area. A very nice area might I add. I went to see another gym before this and they had a women's area too. I thought it was very poor quality. The equipment was not even up to date :S Alhamdulillah, I am very pleased with this place and the fact that it is so close by ... insha'Allah I will take advantage of going there as often as I can. Yipey!

Keep Fit and Have Fun! ... and a nice wave to February :)

Sleeping In Weekends

2007-01-21T03:54:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

It's been great. Sleeping in on the weekends for the past 6 weeks. Uloom class has not been in session because the 'alima who teaches us went for Hajj and then a visit to England. Insha'Allah next weekend we will be back at the classes early weekend mornings. I really miss the classes. I cannot explain the feeling I get each weekend after I leave because I always leave with something great to remember and can actually implement it into my life. Alhamdulillah. I believe it's so important to continue to have such doses in our lives daily. I must say... this past year has been one of my best. I feel that I have grown into a more mature and educated individual, especially when it comes to Islamic knowledge. I finally feel like I'm doing something with myself.

One of the last things we learned in the class before our break was about Salaah and its importance in our life. One of the first things we will be asked about on the Day of Judgement. The moment a person reaches puberty, their salaat becomes fardh on them. We had discussions about how at such an early age, most children don't understand the importance of Salaat and do not take it seriously. Every fardh salaah we miss must be made up for (khadha salaat). We further discussed about how to raise our children so that they will understand the importance of Salaat. By having them read it with you even before it becomes fardh on them would really have them to understand how prominent prayer is in our lives. It really got me thinking. I don't want my children to have to worry about making up all the prayers that they lost when they were younger because they didn't realize how important Salaat is in Islam. I truly want to make sure that my children, insha'Allah, will see Salaat as something special instead of something that just has to be done. I mean, the doors of Jannah open up when you stand in Salaat and Allah Swt is right in front of you.... subhana'Allah. If I put enough dedication towards this, then insha'Allah my plans will become successful. I think about my future kiddies a lot in this way haha May Allah Swt bless me with the opportunity to fulfill this desire of mine.

Anyhooz .... so yes, sleeping in ... I'm going to miss that too :( I realized, teaching little children really tires a person out and is in desperate need of good sleep! So I think I shall use this last day to sleep in as much as I possibly can hehe (watch, I'll probably wake up at around 9am and won't be able to go back to sleep, ugh)

Good night!

Ice Cream Cones & Cupcakes

2007-01-13T12:18:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Before anything, I don't appreciate being called an Old Blogger. Just because I choose not to update to the "new and improved" Blogger, does not mean I should be called old :( *sniff*

Alhamdulillah ... first week after the holidays is over! Goodness, am I ever happy. I never realized how difficult it would be to get the students back into the routine of things. Children between 3 - 5 are H-Y-P-E-R. They're cute, I love them to bits, but they can be such a handful! Anyhooz, I received two new students this week so it was a bit tough for me to get them to settle into the classroom. I think they're doing well so far. Well, actually, there was another student who came into my class but because he wasn't completely potty-trained ... they decided to bring him back in September. He was sooo cute though, I miss him already. I'm satisfied with my bunch though ... they keep me so entertained and make me laugh everyday with their little antics. I just really need to do something about a student who just cannot stop going potty in his pants ... :S No water breaks for him!

Today was my cousin's daughter's birthday. She is two years old now. The sweetest little girl ever ... too cute, masha'Allah. Her daddy visits my blog tee hee so let me take a moment and give him a shout-out because I know he's going to come here looking for my cool baking pictures ( ahoy-hoy! :) ) I shall carry on. I decided to bake something I have always wanted to try. I had seen it before but just have never gotten around to it.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

I must admit, I was a bit nervous but alhamdulillah, they turned out great! It is such a great snack for kids at parties and very fun to make.

And now, the weekend is upon us ..... finally! :D Enjoy. Toodles.

Dora the Explorer

2007-01-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Each of my female students are very big fans of Dora the Explorer. What little girl isn't? I have never heard of Dora until my cousin had a baby girl and she is obsessed with her. So this past winter break, I decided to see what all the hub-lub was all about. There was an episode that happened to be on television when I turned it on and gave it a chance. It was quite interesting. Dora would ask the viewers a question and she would even pause for a little while just to give the children the opportunity to reply hehe It was pretty cute. I liked the interactions. As the show was progressing, a character by the name of Boots was carrying a little toy. Guess what the toy's name was ...?

Squeaky!

Awwww. I felt so special that the first Dora show I ever watched had a link to me tee hee "Squeaky" was Boot's bath toy and they even had a song for it! A song for me *sniff* How very sweet. I would have posted the lyrics but I can't seem to find it.

Anyways, I now feel like I can relate to the little girls in my class. I finally know what Dora is all about. I was drawing on the chalkboard with my cousin's little kids and ended up drawing Dora.

Eid Mubarak & Happy New Year

2007-01-01T23:25:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Alhamdulillah, Eid was nice. I love getting together with family especially when I get to spend time with my cousin's little children! Masha'Allah, each and every one of them are so cute and precious. I was not pleased with my mehndi though :( We were unable to buy the henna cone we usually do and decided to try out a regular store bought one. Big mistake. It was thin and watery *sigh* You live and learn! Anyhooz, I decided to bake something for Eid and I did.

Apple Cinnamon Pecan Cake

It sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try. It actually turned out to be good. I think it is meant to be served with tea which made sense after I tried it. The whipped cream did wonders for it :) Yummers!

Out Of One's Control

2006-12-29T00:15:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I decided to take a trip with my mother to her weekly specialist appointments. My mother doesn't have the greatest of health, may Allah Swt bless her with good health soon. She suffers from muscle spasms over her entire back and has to get about 15 - 20 (maybe even more) needles at a time in order to freeze/numb the muscles so that she does not feel as much pain. Not just once a week ... she goes twice a week. Alhamdulillah, Allah Swt has blessed my mother with such strength ... only she knows the pain she endures and the way she is able to handle it all, it is just simply amazing. It's just a very hard thing for a daughter to see her mother go through such pain on a daily basis.

Anyways, the specialist she goes to is a very nice man, masha'Allah. He is a Chinese doctor and is always interested in speaking with my parents, especially my father. My dad is the type to always start up some type of conversation haha It's interesting. My parents talk to him about religion often too. He always shows interest in Islam. He is a bit familiar with it because he used to have a Muslim roommate.

It just so happened that during his hoidays, he cut his right hand very badly from glass. He must have cut an artery and due to that, he has a pretty long splinter attached to his arm to keep his hand steady. Because of this inconvenience, it is really affecting his work because he has to do everything with his left hand. When my parents were speaking with him, he was asking my parents to pray for him, that his hand gets better. He says, "Allah will listen to your prayers, right? You pray 5 times a day, He will listen?" Aww ...

It's amazing how an individual's routine changes in an instant due to an accident which is out of one's control. Especially a doctor's hand which is vital for their profession. Subhana'Allah, how vulnerable my mum's specialist may be feeling because everything for him has remarkably slowed down. In one instant, Allah Swt can take so much away from a person and in another, bless them with so much more.

You really don't know what the next day will bring you or where it will take you ... this is why I feel we should always be thankful to Allah Swt for everything He (swt) has provided us with. May Allah Swt only bring us happiness and comfort in everything we do, ameen.

P.S. - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASMAA!!

And the Holidays begin ...

2006-12-22T19:20:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Winter Break is here!

And I am very pleased that it hasn't snowed yet ( I don't like snow too much ). It was the last day before our winter holidays began and although I was very excited for this upcoming break ... I realized that I am really going to miss my students :( They have become a part of my daily life ... they keep me so entertained. I can just see it now ... the second half of my break will be so dull and boring. First half, my relatives are visiting so that's going to be pretty nice.

I was explaining to the kids that today was the last day and they would not be seeing me for the next two weeks. Well, I didn't say "two weeks" because they are still understanding the concept of month/week/day. I said, "you will not be seeing Sister 'Squeeky' until these many days go by *pointing at the calendar*". That was when I saw all the confused little faces ... "but where are you going?" ... "who will be here for us?" haha I'm sure they will be expecting to be at school on Monday, so cute.

Since it was the last day ... I thought I would bake them something. We have been doing a unit on Transportation: Land, Water and Air. I was especially enjoying the Thomas Engine activities we were involved in because I used to looove Thomas Engine! haha I still do ... tee hee So I baked a cake for them and tried to incorporate Thomas into the cake. It was an attempt and apparently a good one since all the kids ran up to me saying, "that cake was sooo delicious! mmm mm mmm" ( they really like to express sounds haha )

I still have trouble believing the first terms is over! Alhamdulillah ... where does the time go? Soon, the year will be over :( The Director of the school was complimenting me on my good work and the improvements she has seen in the children and mentioned to me that one of my student's mother gave a generous donation to the school because she was so pleased with her daughter's improvement ... specifically behaviour. She a tough child, I won't lie. I have never come across a little girl like her haha But alhamdulillah, Allah Swt has blessed me with patience so I have been able to handle her. And I suppose it is working! Her mother was very happy to hear her daughter reciting the surah's and kalimah's we have been practicing in class. The Director of the school was telling me that she would recite a surah or kalimah and then immediately after would say, "masha'Allah!" "alhamdulillah!" And so she tells me that obviously it is the voice of the Teacher. Aww ... hehe ... whenever they would recite beautifully ... I'll be so happy with them and say masha'Allah. It was very sweet ... a very nice moment for me.

Anyhooz, I pray everyone has a safe and happy holiday and are making preparations for Eid-ul-Adha!! I'm so excited :D

Fi-aman'Allah

P.S. - HAPPY BIRTHDAY APA !!

Simpsomaker

2006-12-16T01:13:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Awww ... I can make my own Simpsons Character! Yay!

Give it a try: Simpsomaker

The Final Drink

2006-12-14T21:57:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Suicide drink for Snowmen ... tsk tsk What are you thinking, Frosty and friend?!

( this was a Hot Chocolate ... I'm not a Coffee drinker ... eww )

Kara Mia!

2006-12-10T19:04:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I went to a halal Italian Restaurant by the name of Kara Mia this weekend. It is located right by Vaughan Mills. My cousin-in-law and sister have been hearing a lot of good things about this place and have been so interested in trying it out. So we made the plan to finally go and check it out. I didn't start hearing about it until my sister mentioned it. Oddly enough, one of the students at the school brought me the flyer of the restaurant and encouraged me to try it out haha And I must say .... it was delicious! I was impressed with the food and with the service as well. Our waiter was so nice!

We arrived there earlier than our reservation time but decided to check if there would be any seats available for us, just in case. It was a nice, small place. The waiter told us to wait for a while so he could make room for us. We decided to hang out outside instead and told him that we would be out for a bit. He told us that he would come and get us once there was a table available (aww, so sweet!) We took a trip into Vaughan Mills to kill some time and when we came back to the restaurant, the waiter runs up to us explaining that he had a table ready for us and he even came out to look for our car haha I felt so bad! This guy really cared about his customers. Since we were away, he had to give the table to someone else so we had to wait around yet again. But he did his best to provide us with a table. Finally, we got one, and were ready to order :D

Chicken a la Creme

I'm a chicken lover. I absolutely love chicken. So I just had to have the Chicken a la creme. I consider myself to be a very slow eater (everyone would agree to that) but I was devouring that down so quickly! At least I thought I was, my cousin-in-law and sister still completed their dishes before I did. Anyway, it was pretty fast for me. I would definitely recommend that dish. These are the other dishes we ordered:

Steak Sizzle

Fettucini Kara Mia

Both were very tasty. Finally, the best part came! I was so eager to try out the desserts because they sounded so delicious. And I was right, very scrumptious. The desserts were perfect concerning taste because some desserts tend to be so filling that you want to throw up afterwards. These two desserts were the perfect way to end a great meal, alhamdulillah! *drool*

Truffle Royale (excellent for chocolate lovers .... mmm!)

Caramel Latte Mousse

(this one was just incredible ... A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!)

It was a great place. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a real nice place to eat. Having such great service is important as well, they take care of you so well :) Thanks waiter!!

Zabihah Information

Kara Mia Website

Please Welcome .....

2006-12-04T20:07:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

The new addition to my family!!

Unfortunately, I have not come up with a name for it yet :(

There are so many names that are running in my mind but none of them really suit it. What a task. He is the cutest thing ever, I love it to bits hehe

Yes, I am 4 years old.

Meet the Parents

2006-12-02T09:36:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Yesterday was a P.D. Day for the students .... so I had a break from running around after my class for a day haha It was Parent-Teacher Interviews.

I think a little part of me was nervous because I would have to sit down with these parents and discuss their child's progress and behaviour. Then again, I felt okay because I have spoken to most of these parents on a daily basis when they would come to pick up their child after school. For some, I didn't really have anything new to share. The parent's of the naughty boys definitely had to be told of their behaviour though! Oh dear goodness.

Alhamdulillah, it was a real nice experience. Each parent had something very kind to say to me. They told me that they saw a positive improvement in their child and the interest they have been showing in the school. Which could only mean that the school is being run well and the teacher is doing a good job. Subhana'Allah ... it made me feel so good when the parent's would tell me this. Made me feel a lot better about how I was handling the class and it is always great to be given that reminder. I am doing the best I can do and it was nice to know that my efforts were being appreciated.

I came home and told my parent's that I had my first Parent-Teacher Interview and all they could do was snicker haha They were happy for me but at the same time, I think it was difficult for them to imagine me as the teacher speaking with parents. If you knew me, you would understand a little more. Little 'ol Squeeky.

Oh, and it has started to snow :( *sigh*

~* Pashmina Princess *~

2006-11-28T19:55:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Don't you just hate those days when absolutely nothing is going right?

I had one of those days today.

I was expecting to receive something I needed from the Director at the School today. Unfortunately, she did not have it ready so my plans were delayed. That did not make me happy because I really wanted to get that out of the way. Insha'Allah, in a couple of days.

Due to that, my trip to York was a waste. Actually it wasn't. I was able to meet up with a dear friend whom I rarely see because she just has to live SO FAR from me. It was a nice time to chit-chat just before her Marketing Exam ... dun dun DUN! Anyways, before I met up with her, I stopped by Inkblotz. I had to, I always do. It does not help that they display all their beautiful Pashmina scarves right outside of the store. I become so entranced with it and walk in that direction even if I am not interested in purchasing them *sigh* my weakness ... what can ya do? Now that I am not at York, my trips to that store have greatly decreased. So, I take advantage of it whenever I do make my way there. I bought two more! (I have quite the collection, they make such gorgeous hijabs!) One of them was a white one. A white one. I don't do white hijabs. I don't think it goes well with my complexion but I have been itching to have one so I bought it. And you know what, it was not so bad. I am sure the people who know me are aware that they have never seen me in a white hijab and when I begin to wear it, they'll question me haha I rarely did black as well but I have been wearing it a lot more often these days. I love dressing up as a goth sometimes ... yes I know, you didn't need to know that.

Where was I going with this story? Oh right ... so I entered the store with my two Pashmina's and the lady working there has my face ingrained in her memory now because I used to go there so often. She starts to laugh as soon as she saw me. Okay lady, I am not that goofy looking :( I asked her why she was laughing at me and she says ...

Lady - Do you know what my husband and I call you?
Me - Umm ... no ... ( at that point, I'm thinking, "why are you even calling me anything?! )
Lady - the Pashmina Princess
Me - *giggles with an aww*
Lady - We don't know your name so that is what we call you ...

I liked that. I think I will legally change my name to Pashmina Princess ... hmm, maybe even change the name of my blog!

Stay tuned!

Your Friendly, Neighborhood Blogger,
Pashmina Princess

It Starts Young

2006-11-25T00:35:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I have made some observations of the students since I started working at the school ...

One of them was finding out how the parents of these children can pressure such young minds when it comes to their education. The other day, I had a 4th grade student approach me, eyes filled with tears and fear, because she did not complete her homework. She was afraid of what her teacher would say (who is already pretty stict about homework) and what her parent's would think once they found out. Apparently it was her second time doing something like this.

It was clear to me that she is pressured about bringing home very good grades and I feel it is bringing her self-esteem down because she says she is surrounded by intelligent people in her family and she does not seem to compare to them. Her mother continuously tells her to be the "star student of the classroom" and it is something she really wants to achieve. If she does not, she feels she would let her mother down.

She was pouring her heart out to me and I felt sad for her because at such a young age, she already had so much on her mind. So I tried to console her and explain that if these were the goals she was determined to meet, then it would happen for her insha'Allah. All she has to do is try her best.

One of my students, aged 4, was telling me one day that his mother told him that he has to do really good in school so that when he gets older, he can make lots and lots of money haha

I agree that children should understand the importance of education because it will make them successful in the days to come, but I do not appreciate how parents will pressure such young minds. I know most people have had their parent's question their marks if it did not reach the 100% level. A student would come home with a 98% and instead of their parents beaming with happiness ... they will wonder "what happened to the other 2%?" I had many of my friends tell me that. I just don't agree with this.

Alhamdulillah, I never felt such pressure with my parents. My mother always told us to do our best and if we did happen to struggle with something, we should not hesitate to seek help so we could improve ourselves. I carried that with me throughout my school days knowing that I just had to do my best and alhamdulillah, I turned out to be a real good student when it came to marks.

Every individual is different and I feel it is the parent's duty to understand their children and speak to them about marks and education accordingly. Some people naturally have the ability to understand certain material that other's may not. There are other children who may need a little more help to understand. And if to that child, they are pressured to bring excellent marks immediately ... it is not fair to the child.

Children are precious. And at a young age, they take in everything anyone says. A child should always be encouraged in a positive way and reminded that their parents will always be proud of them. You'd be surprised of how much a child could accomplish with simple words of encouragement like that.

EDIT:

My DESSERT COOKBOOK just came in! And it teaches me how to make MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM! .... I am in heaven *faint*

Scrumptious

2006-11-18T01:28:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

It's almost 1:30 am and I figured I should post this entry now before my laziness catches up to me and prevents me from doing so. I have been meaning to post this for quite some time.

My baking break ended a few days ago when I baked some scrumptious brownies. Mmm mmm! I always wanted to master brownies because I absolutely *love* them and it seems like I finally have :D Brownies with walnuts are just too yummy ... I wish I could have shared it with all my blog buddies. Instead, just drool over the picture teehehe Since so many of you miss my baking posts :P

It was very quick to make so I think I will prepare these for the next "house party" we attend. I'd be nice. Anyways, I just got home from my friend's wedding and I desperately need some zZzZz's. I am on 3 hours of sleep ... not good! I couldn't help it ... we had bridesmaid outfits made and mine was just too plain to wear to a wedding so I spent last night and all of today sticking sparkley ... things on it. I would call them "chumkiyan" but most of the people out there would not know what I'm talking about. It was a beautiful wedding, masha'Allah ... she looked stunning. May Allah Swt surround their marriage with love & happiness, ameen.

G'nite! zZzZzZzzzz

EDIT:

Here is the outfit that I wore to the wedding .... with the sequences I added on during work :D So many of them fell off during the party since I glued them on teehehe (except for the very first line at the very bottom, those I stitched)

Friendship Never Ends

2006-11-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I went to a gathering of family friends yesterday ... it was so nice, masha'Allah. To see everyone together and enjoying themselves.

It was a "pot-luck" so all the mother's brought in some dishes. If I had known earlier that I would be attending this gathering as well ( I had other plans which were abruptly canceled ), I would have baked some brownies which I am very eager to try. But do not fear, I will bake them and post a picture because it has been a while since I have done so. Wow, that's very bad Squeeky ... bad! It was so much fun to hang out with all the girls. Unfortunately my cousin could not make it so she was dearly missed. I was so shocked that we stayed there until nearly 4 am... that is something we rarely do haha My parents must have really been having a ball.

One of the women brought this cake haha It was the cutest and funniest thing ever. Very sweet too. All the people that gathered have been friends for over 30 years and are still together after so long. I really admire that about our Hyderabadi parents because they always make a point to meet with each other as often as they can. Friendship can only last or strengthen when there is dedication behind it. Without that, how can one expect to have friends who will stick by you through thick and thin?

This is what I want for my future, insha'Allah. I am not one to keep a huge group of friends. I have a good amount of friends whom I consider to be so dear to me. I feel anyone who enters my life gives me something positive but there are certain people that leave such an imprint in my life and I cannot even imagine what would life be like without them in it. They do so much for me .... cheer me up when I am down or participate in my silliness.

I look forward to the days where we can also meet with one another years ahead from now, with our own children. Aww. Insha'Allah.

Name That Plant

2006-11-06T18:48:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

For the plant lovers out there ... seen one of these?

I think it is simply beautiful ... subhana'Allah. These grow in my aunt's backyard. She noticed them a few years ago ... a neighbor of hers must have planted them. The plant does not grow like this. I believe it is a green plant with these types of leaves, only the treasure lies within it. You would have to tear away the outer layer after drying the plant to find those pearly leaves.

I love it. I just don't know what it is called :( So if anyone has ever heard of this or seen them or even have them in their own backyard ... do help me out :D

Appreciation & Humiliation

2006-11-03T19:40:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Appreciation -

Sometimes the time feels as if it is just zooming by me ... other times, it just drags on and I just want to scream my head off :/ It has already been 2 months since I started teaching as a Kindergarten Teacher. When it comes to work, I have no clue as to where the time is going. The children especially keep me so busy that before I know it, it is time to get them ready for home.

There are times where I feel frustrated because children aged 5 and under can be very challenging to control (especially the boys! ugh) When I begin to feel like that, I wonder if I am doing my job correctly at all. I don't know ... it makes me a bit sad at times because I really want to do the best I can for my students ... they are so precious, masha'Allah.

But then, the Principal approaches me now and then complimenting on the good work I have been accomplishing with the little ones. Apparently, I have been controlling them pretty well. September is said to be such a difficult month because that is when the students are most rowdy haha Whenever someone happens to observe the way I handle my students, usually during the times they are out of control, I am always complimented on my patience and ability to stay calm haha That is what I hear the most, "I admire your patience". Hmm, sometimes I just feel I am really running low on that these days. But it is real nice to hear such things, especially from the staff at the school. May Allah Swt give me the strength and patience to continue with my good work :) I can't stress how cute they are haha I find their expressions on wanting to go "potty" very interesting. They all have these cute names for it ... I wonder what nicknames I will have my children identify it as ....

Humiliation -

We had one of our Hyderabadi Eid parties the other day .... they're annual ... but the older ones used to be much more meaningful. Now they're a bit blah. Anyways, my dad sometimes has a hand in the arrangement of the parties but this year, I believe someone different had made their attempts. Umm, it was okay I suppose. The best part of the evening was meeting up with old friends, all the girls were back together ... it was beautiful! The worst part of the evening was when some lady was walking around, hunting single women and handing them this:

All the single girls had to wear these ribbons. Why? Don't ask me, because I'm still trying to figure that out. She came over to my table (which was filled with single girls) and asked each of us if we were single. If we were, she asked us to put those ribbons on. She did not even bother to explain if there was a purpose for that. If there was a purpose, then it would be for those aunties seeking daughter-in-laws. We were all shocked that this was even happening haha That day certainly went down in history. It made me uncomfortable and I was not going to advertise my singleness, thank you very much. Although I must say ... it's not fun being a "single 23 year old Indian girl".

Eid Party

2006-10-28T17:17:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum ...

I'm not really in the mood to sit here and write so I'll just post a few pictures from our school Eid Party. It was such a lovely experience and an amazing event! The students had a great time and so did the teachers ... but it was also very tiring. We had a half-day on Thursday, so the party began at 12pm. Some of my students bought me the most sweetest gifts hehe

Anyhooz ... here's what happened ...

Some of the decorations in my classroom. My classroom looked sooo different because it was completely cleared out. I walked in that morning to find NO toys :o It was quite the sight.

I don't really want to post pictures of my students, I think that'd be a bit strange but they looked so amazing in their Eid clothes! haha I couldn't recognize half of them without their uniforms. I just had to take a picture of my youngest student's shoes ... hehe ... look how cute they are!

These are a couple of the prayer mats that my students worked on as their Ramadan Project. Aren't they beautiful? It was so hard to work on these with them but I think they did a pretty good job, masha'Allah :)

This is what the older boys were working on. They were provided with a wooden Qur'an stand and had to paint it themselves, how ever they wanted. My student's mother sent this and the prayer mats for us to work on ... I'm going to ask her if she has an extra Qur'an stand so I can paint my own too! hehe

There were many games that the children played. Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Musical Chairs, Hot Potato (so funny haha) and this Pinata which literally took an hour to even produce a dent. Ahh, the frustration.

All in all, it was a success, alhamdulillah.

~* Eid Mubarak *~

2006-10-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

It's Eid!

To be honest, for some reason this Eid was very unexpected to me. I was not prepared for it at all! But alhamdulillah, I'm so happy this day is here ... because everyone is just so happy! The best in Muslims seems to shine during Eid. Relatives calling each other to wish one another, even those relatives you only hear from a few times a year. The elders smile down on the young children and the young children grin mischievously towards the elders (obviously for some Eidie hehe). Most of the women have their hands covered in pretty henna with such beautiful intricate designs (to see mine: scroll down). And everyone walks around in their best clothes!

I was very excited to find out that Eid would be today and I began to do my routine preparations. But then it hit me ... Ramadan is officially over :( No more fasting ... *sigh*

I wanted to use this time to wish every single person who takes their time in reading my entries. May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala fill this day with joy and happiness for you and may He (swt) surround you with the friends and family that you hold dear. Insha'Allah we will be here to see another blessed Ramadan again ... ameen.

*~*~*~ EID MUBARAK ~*~*~*

I applied mehndi on my two little cousins

Meet the York Alumni

2006-10-21T17:40:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

... Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Aalameen ...

Given on stage ... I'm going to use it as a hijab pin

My convocation at York University was today :)

I had such a wonderful time! It really feels like I have finally become a graduate. I didn't find the ceremony boring at all ... only because I was involved in it hehe What made the day even more nice was that I spent some time with a friend of mine. She is now living in Ottawa but returned to attend the Convocation. So we were basically going through everything together which I am very grateful for because it would be pretty boring if you were there by yourself with no one to talk to. Then again, I didn't find that to be a problem anyway because everyone was just so kind there. I was talking to the girls around me in line most of the time anyway. Anyhooz, the ceremony was great and interesting. Throughout the whole time I was praying that I wouldn't have to shake anyone's hand on stage because there were about 4 men standing up there. I thought I did well, I just folded my hands together and smiled at them, while saying "thank you so very much" haha They got the hint, thank goodness. And my friend was quite thankful too because she was able to do the same. It got a little scary at the end because when the last graduate left the stage, all the other graduates started cheering, hollering, stomping their feet on the floor boards and they actually threw their caps up in the air! haha Classic.

After the ceremony, I became even more happy .... I got roses!!! :D I never get flowers and there was my brother and cousin ... standing ... with roses for me *sniffles* It was the sweetest thing ever. I just could not stop myself from saying "aww I got roses!". The most scariest part of all was when I received a text message from a friend. "I saw you graduate!" haha It was so cute, she was there in spirit :) I still find those webcasts a little scary ...

It is such an odd feeling to realize that my Undergrad is finally complete. Alhamdulillah. Most people who know me are well aware of the fact that I really enjoy school and will miss it dearly. We spend the majority of our lives attending classes and learning new things on a daily basis. And now, knowing that I will not be sitting in any more lectures is a little sad *sigh* Okay that's not completely true. My plan is to work towards Teacher's College, insha'Allah, so maybe it isn't over just yet. Still, this is all too much to take in!

I am so thankful that I am teaching at the moment. It keeps my mind off of a lot of things. If I was a bum sitting at home (which I miss dearly time to time!) , I would have probably visited York more than 10 times by now haha Yes, I'm a geek. Hmm ... that is my plan for this coming week though. At the Islamic school, we have a 3 day holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr (yes!) and when we come back, it will be a half day due to our Eid Party :D It's going to be SO cute! To see all the cute munchkins outside of their uniform and very dressed up. I am definitely going to go picture crazy tee hee

Now I must take advantage of my sleep time ... take care lovelies.

P.S. = The diploma was not very attractive ...

'Alima Program ..?

2006-10-08T12:46:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I just got back from my Uloom class that I attend almost every weekend morning. Today's lesson was on Ihtikaaf during the last 10 days of Ramadan and Zakaat, since most people give it during this month. Subhana'Allah, there is no limit to knowledge.

Which comes to my main topic of thought and discussion. The 'alima who teaches us was mentioning that she may possibly start up her own 'Alima Program early next year, insha'Allah. She mentioned this before but I didn't really give it any thought. Today was different. I think it was because she further explained that she would be teaching complete Arabic as well as Urdu. This really grabbed my attention. For the longest time now, I have been yearning to learn how to speak Arabic. This course would help you to learn how to speak it, write it and of course recite it correctly (which I am already learning at the moment). In 'alima courses, Urdu is taught specifically because it is the only language that can express true respect for the words of the Qur'an ... it's that beautiful tee hee This was another thing that had me thinking because I really want to work on my Urdu speaking/writing/reading skills. Then of course, you would be learning an incredible amount on the rules and regulations that are within Islam.

Now I'm sitting here thinking ... should I go for it? She will be offering Introductory classes after Ramadan and then, insha'Allah, the course would start up after Hajj. I asked her if she knew what time of the day these classes would take place because I was hoping it would not conflict with my current teaching hours. If anything, they would begin at 6pm ... not so bad. The 'alima still needs to confirm things about the program herself. Once she does, I will then seriously think about it.

Hmm, I'll discuss it with my parents. I know exactly what my mum will say haha

Squeeky - Mummy, I'm thinking of attending an 'alima program. And it will most likely be every day in the evening ...... *waits for response*
Mummy - Okay wait ... you already come home exhausted and cranky from work and whine about your lack of sleep and now on top of that, you want to join another program?!
Squeeky - Umm ... yes ....
Mummy - ....

I'll let you know what she says hehe
Please remember me in your du'as ... :D

Taraweeh in Makkah

2006-09-29T22:12:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

One of my favourite things of Ramadan is the amount of time we spend with family that normally would not be spent otherwise. Which is, quite unfortunate. But anyway, there is something else my mother and I always look forward to when Ramadan approaches. Watching the Taraweeh that is performed in Makkah. It is broadcasted everyday on ARY Digital and I cannot express how my heart feels while I sit there and listen to such a beautiful recitation. To my advantage, the translation is written on the screen while the recitation is being recited.

Subhana'Allah, my mother and I always begin to have that sense of longing to go back and experience being in the presence of the beautiful Ka'ba. I was 18 when I went for Hajj, alhamdulillah, and I wish I could have captured every moment, every feeling, every thought that went through my mind while I was there. But unfortunately, I cannot. One thought, one moment and feeling that I will never forget is the first time I saw the Ka'ba right before my very own eyes. I don't think anyone could forget such a moment, that is how awe-inspiring it was. I sit here, and I can honestly remember the weather, the sound of thousands of people shuffling by me to go in tawaf, the sweet scent that filled the air ... it was just a serene feeling altogether. I wish I could capture that moment and allow you to view what I have viewed. Well, I can do the next best thing and that is to pray to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala that each and every one of you will be given the blessed opportunity to go sometime in the very near future and capture the same moment as I had, ameen :)

I long to go again. I really do. I especially would want to visit during Ramadan, now that would be a dream-come-true ... insha'Allah.

Ups & Downs

2006-09-26T23:05:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu :)

How is everyone's Ramadan coming along so far? Alhamdulillah, mine is going well. I have been able to continue my ibaadah even with such a busy schedule I'm not used to hehe I just pray that insha'Allah I can keep this up even after Ramadan comes to an end *sigh* I am at a very rocky stage in my life at the moment and I am *so* thankful that I have this blessed month to keep me going, because honestly ... I am just a little tired with a lot of things. I am also thankful for the fact that I am working and am not at home drowning in my never-ending thoughts. If that were to happen ... I would have ran out of my house screaming by now .... no joke. teehehe Maybe I am just going through a moment of weakness and I should remind myself not to stress myself out so much (I tend to do that a lot).

Another thing that has my mind off of stressful issues is ... my Convocation Invitation!! It finally came in the mail and I can finally say that I will be a graduate soon, insha'Allah :D That thought alone has me smiling like a crazy woman. Do crazy women smile a lot? Anyways, it will be a few days before Eid ... yes, during Ramadan. I told my sister about it because I had to confirm guests and she says, "what is the point of going when you can't eat anything there?!" ... :( ... I thought I was the point *sniffles* I do understand that the ceremony will be unbearably boring but is it not enough to see the excitement and joy on my face?! argh My sister has already given me my graduation gift ... and I love it dearly. It is a digital Qur'an along with Hadith. It's amazing to listen to on bus rides, reciting the Qur'an, reading the translation and also reading the many hadith's that are offered. Alhamdulillah :D May Allah Swt bless her with years of happiness and accept her du'as, ameen.

Work is going to be a little more fun from now on. One of the teacher's will be leaving on maternity leave early next year so we needed someone to take over for her. Before I started working, I mentioned that a good friend of mine was looking for a position and if anything opened up, let me know and we can arrange something. So the Principal asked me about my friend and before we knew it ... she accepted the position! Aww! She will have to volunteer for a while first to get a feel of the place so she will start next week :D I am soo excited! We went to York together and rarely saw one another ... now we will be seeing each other a lot more often. Yay.

I will be posting some pictures later in the week of a current Ramadan project I am doing with my students. It is the cutest idea! One of my student's mother suggested it to me actually and provided me with all the material ... it is going to be a lot of fun :) So stay tuned!

~ Ramadan Mubarak ~

2006-09-23T23:18:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Narrated by Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." (Sahih Bukhari)

Subhana'Allah, another Ramadan I am blessed to experience. Without a doubt, my most favourite time of the year. Why? Well, why not ... it is the month when the Holy Qur'an was sent down to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallahu alaihe wasallam). This blessed month contains a night that is better than a thousand months. It is obligatory upon every Muslim to fast in this month and the rewards received from Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala during Ramadan is more than enough reason to take advantage. Insha'Allah, I am completely focused on doing as much as I can, to work on things that need serious improvement and also, just to strengthen my Imaan and fill my heart with more love on this beautiful Deen. We should all have the intention of performing good deeds this month :) So my du'a to everyone is that Ramadan will insha'Allah bring out the best in everyone and insha'Allah we will be able to continue our practices even after Ramadan comes to an end, ameen. Have a wonderful Ramadan with all of your loved ones, family & friends!! Please remember me in your du'as, I need them :)

Update on Working -

Ramadan at the school I am teaching at will be very hectic. Good hectic, but hectic nonetheless. Alhamdulillah, it has been going great. I'm enjoying every minute of it, even during the days I want to run out screaming haha All my kids are balls of energy hehe so cute though. I had my first Parent-Teacher meeting this past week. Actually, it was more for the parent's to come in and go through the work that their children will be involved in this whole year. But of course, I had a line-up of parent's waiting to speak to me! It was so weird. I have never had so many people want to speak with me haha It was nice to know that their children have taken a liking to me and talk about me a lot at home aww I also found out one of my students has a crush on me aww haha Which is surprising because I am hard on him the most, the boy just does not listen (at times). Yesterday was a P.D. Day so no children were at school but all the teachers were, whoopdi-doo. We were discussing class trips and our up-coming Eid party! They have Eid parties! Soo cute ... I gave some of my ideas for it and they loved them, so insha'Allah I'll start working on that soon enough.

Update on Life -

Umm ... not too much. Very "blah" at the moment and a little "meh" in there as well. Did not have a computer for a week which was not so bad. I have been drooling over the Fall collection of clothing these days: hijabi approved. My grandmother left for India/Dubai for 6 months so missing her greatly :/ May Allah Swt bless her with good health and a safe return back to us, ameen. That's ... pretty much it.

Exhausted ...!

2006-09-10T13:00:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

It has only been my first week (and it wasn't even a full week either) and I'm so exhausted from being a Kindergarten Teacher! Children 5 and under can really keep a person busy. But alhamdulillah, I am also having such an amazing time. I cannot stress how cute and adorable these kids are! My class is a bit bigger than what I was expecting but I think I am handling it well. It is always great when the Principal compliments the good work that she has been seeing :D Aww ... I'm doing something right! She was impressed with the fact that I was able to keep all the children quiet and still during naptime (which isn't easy, by the way) and there were less children crying this week than most years, yay! What I really love about Islamic schools is seeing the kids pratice how to pray salaat and reciting surah's. It's so beautiful and they're so cute when they do it too! Oh my, I can go on and on ... I'm going to share some of my memorable moments from this past week:

Water leads to Potty
What I enjoy about being in this environment, is that I can say "potty" and not be looked at with a raised eyebrow haha For those who know me, know that I never use the term bathroom or washroom but "potty" instead :) But these children, my goodness, all they do is drink water and go potty! Especially one kid, he's rarely in the classroom because he's always rushing to go to the potty. Stop drinking so much water!! Anyways, so I had to set a rule for them stating that they can only drink water when they are very very thirsty because when one child goes to drink water, the whole crew follows ...

My Home
I thought I would show everyone my desk in my classroom (it feels so weird to say my classroom hehe)

It is filled with children books, some that I remember reading when I was in Kindergarten aww. Especially one called I Know and Old Lady, it was about a woman who swallowed a fly for some reason. "I don't know why she swallowed a fly ... perhaps she'll die!" That line has stuck with me since. But anyways, in the corner, is the little toy potty that I have to demonstrate for the class haha Eww. It is a part of their Taking Care of Your Body theme and I have to make sure that each child knows the proper way Muslims go to the bathroom (goodness gracious) I have been observing this past week and noticed that they need to know ASAP!! Some children just don't know tsk tsk

The Danger Zone
This is absolutely the most dangerous area in my classroom. Everytime I look at it, I want to scream because it attracts children like light attracts a moth *frustration* I really wish I could throw some sort of cloth over it to hide all the toys from the eager eyes of the children.

My first day there, the two phrases I heard the most were "Teacher, can I go to the bathroom?" and "is it time to play yet?" haha No! Their playtime is at the end of the day so I need to make sure they have done all their work and then reward them for being patient. There was no patience the first day. I think I spent my whole time running back and forth from the toy area to bring a kid back to his/her seat argh As the week progressed, they were becoming much better, alhamdulillah!!

Older Crew
I became friends with the older girls in the school. They are real nice and love to talk haha So they keep me very entertained during Lunch and Recess. During Lunch time, one of the girls ran upto me, giggling and said, "...we just wanted to tell you that we think you're verrrry pretty" (awww) I thought that was so sweet of them, but then later in the day the same girl says, "I bet your students weren't paying any attention to you because they couldn't stop admiring your beauty" haha That's when I gave her a look ... they're only 4/5 years old!

The Odd Ball
There is one student who was a bit troublesome for the first couple of days. I assume he was a bit afraid being in a classroom by himself, so he decided to stick around with his brother who is in grade 1. I didn't even realize that kid was a student of mine. Anyways, if he was in my room, he would not leave the toy area, so I had to let him be for a while. Eventually, his mother gave him a talk and Friday, he was very good. He sat with us the entire time aww But the strange thing about him, is that he speaks to me in Urdu. I figured he must not know English, which would be weird. During Snack time, I heard him speaking to one of the Principals, and he has him a question in English! In English! This boy speaks to *everyone* in English but me haha Something I just cannot understand ...

Bed Bugs
I found a cute method to get the children to be quiet during naptime. It worked, but I only used that idea once :S

These cute little things are called Bed Bugs. You have to explain to the kids that Bed Bugs are very quiet creatures and do not like to be disturbed and noises scare them so everyone has to be very quiet. It comes with little song/rhyme as well that you sing. The kids were very interested in the little creatures but since they're made up of cotton balls, some of them were tearing them up :( haha So I think I'll have to make them out of something else. Either way, it was cute and the kids liked it!

Ever-so-cute Moment
It was Friday and almost time for the children to go home. So I had them clean-up after Play Time (the most hardest thing to do). I gathered them together and said, "You guys aren't going to see me for two whole days, are you going to miss me?" And from each child I see blank faces haha "Why aren't we going to see you for two days?!" Awww They don't know. So I explained to them that it will be Saturday and Sunday, and school is not open on those days. One of the girls asked me "will we see you again?" haha I said yes, in two days. They're so precious, masha'Allah.

These are some of the things that stuck in my mind from the first week. I know I will have so many more stories and before I know it, the year will be over :( I already miss the kids! I look back on this and just realize how blessed and lucky I am, subhana'Allah. I used to whine a lot about how I would be getting so bored this September with nothing to do and I even planned to visit York numerously to meet up with some friends. Now, meeting up with anyone seems difficult :( But I'm happy, and enjoying every moment of this ... :D

The Unexpected ...

2006-08-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

The unexpected just happened ... I am now a Kindergarten Teacher.

I think my mind is still trying to process the entire thing. I mean, the idea of entering the field of Teaching only recently came to mind and I have been debating whether or not this is what I want to do. I started to seriously consider applying for Teacher's College this year so obviously I would need to get more experience in what I want to do since I don't have much as it is. I thought I would volunteer at an Islamic school nearby so I can get a feel of what to expect.

The Director of the Islamic school attends the same Uloom program as me so it was easy to bring it up to her. Before I could mention anything, my cousin's wife (who also attends the class with me & worked at the school) made it known to her that I would be available to work for her if she wanted. And since this is a real small school, they would love to receive help. That's when I came in and asked, if she needed any help, I was available. All the while keeping in mind that my main focus was just to volunteer for a few days in the week. I was advised to call her to make an appointment for an interview ... that was interesting.

They need someone to teach Kindergarten because the previous teacher had to take time off due to a recent surgery. I suppose they got a bit excited when they found out about me and wanted me to teach their little ones instead. I gave it a thought ... and, why not? I love children, I spend time with a lot of children ... I think I can do this! I mean, how hard can it be?

It can be hard! It might be! I'm SO nervous *sigh* I went for my interview today and they were content with everything. They explained everything about the school to me and let me know what to expect with the Kindergarten students. It never occured to me what a task it would be to handle children aged 4-5. I became quite nervous when they mentioned my job to teach them how to go to the potty properly ..... ahhhh haha Oh great, just my luck. I can tell, I'm going to have such a great time with that haha Alright, well, the reason I'm so nervous is because ... *sigh* this will be my first job, ever. Major heebie jeebies coming on.

I began to feel more comfortable about everything when I went over day-planners and activities for the kids. Such as, what to do during Circle Time and Nap Time ... aww! I just need to get used to the routine and insha'Allah ... I'll be able to make that classroom my own. Du'as would help me greatly hehe And, if I reeally need help ... I can always run to an experienced teacher for some advice/help *ehem* Aaliya *ehem* :D

It's a real nice school. Actually, it was because of that school that I decided to pursue teaching. I visited my cousin when she used to work there and it was just so lovely! The kids took an instant liking to me which was nice. Eventually, the girls began saying, "can Sister Rafia be our teacher instead?" .. awww! I found one of the drawings the girl's did for me:

"I love you S. Rafia"

I can only wish that I looked like that

Well, maybe this won't be so bad. I have faith in myself ... I can take on little children ... right?! Please excuse me while I go practice my "I mean business" voice ....

Squeeky's Moment:
Alhamdulillah for such good friends. I'm so lucky to be surrounded by caring and considerate people. Every person in your life leaves a positive impact in you and help you in ways that you only realize later how much you needed that. Thank you :)

~*~*~*~* H A P P Y_B I R T H D A Y_R A J *~*~*~*~

Sorry Pluto ...

2006-08-24T13:40:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

The news is out, Pluto, the last planet in our Solar System has been stripped down of its status! *gasp* For further reading, please review the article presented in The Star. Due to the new criteria of what a planet must consist of ... Pluto just did not make the cut. Instead they demoted it to a separate category, "dwarf planets".

Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a planet: "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit." - The Star

I'm sad and a little disappointed. Not too sure why because Pluto wasn't really one of my favourite planets so I never gave it much attention. I am more of a Saturn girl but Pluto was like the baby of the family! How could they do such a thing :( Silly astronomers ...

I think the main root of my sadness is because the Planet song I learned in elementary school will be changed a bit now. Let me sing it for you ... *ehem* ...

Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars

They are planets, they're not stars

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus too

Neptune, Pluto, then we're through

la la la la

I guess now, we're through after Neptune *sigh*

I will still love you Pluto!!

Canada's Wonderland

2006-08-21T14:00:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Insha'Allah, anyone reading this is in the best state of health & Imaan, ameen.

One of my best friend's and I finally spent a day at Paramount Canada's Wonderland. I'm sure no one will understand what a big deal this was but we do! We've been friends since we were 15 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer brought us together aww) and before Sunday, we never had the opportunity to go there together. Yesterday it happened and as usual, whenever we make plans to go out, somehow, there is rain in the forecast *grr* The same thing happened yesterday so all I could do was pray that we didn't have to deal with rain droplets because then the park would shut down the rides and we would not have any fun at all! But alhamdulillah, it did not rain at all during the time we were there. Instead, it was just a bit chilly but I would rather have it be that instead of walking around in very humid weather. So we were quite happy!

We went really early ... we were there before 11am. Something I'm not used to because when I would go with my family or anyone else, it's always after noon. But I liked this, there weren't as many people around and we had access to the rides without those irritating lines. For my personal entertainment in lines that ended up being longer than I liked, I bought Power Poppers to eat so that I could stand there with crackly noises coming out of my mouth haha It was funny. Really, it was. The text on my friend's shirt also received a lot of attention, but I won't go into further detail as to what it said teehehe For the first time ... my friend really heard my voice. I scream on rides like there's no tomorrow ... she calls them "shrills" haha I even scream on rides a person wouldn't dream of screaming on ... heh ... heh ... it's still scary!

Altogether it was a very pleasant day and to commemorate the day, we bought matching bracelets! I'll be sharing some pictures and one of them will reveal the *true* reason as to why we wanted to go to Wonderland so badly ... yay!

The first rollercoaster ride we went on!

My future hubby will win me one of these one day *daydreams*

The time arrives ... we enter Hanna Barbera Land!

I took this picture because when my brother was young, he thought it was a candy wall or made out of marshmallows and licked it eww

*~*~* DRUM ROLL PLEASE *~*~*

SpongeBob! Squeeky! Friend! Patrick! aww our dream came true

There was some Penguin dude there but we didn't know which pre-school show he belonged to. Poor guy wasn't receiving any attention so he started dancing about haha

P.S. - I lost my voice :(

- MuslimFest -

2006-08-13T23:55:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I had a pretty nice time at Muslim Fest. I went with my cousin's and sister so I spent half the time with my sister and my young cousin and the other half, I spent it with my aunt and my cousin-in-law, along with her two kids.

The first half, we arrived there just before the Sister's Extravaganza show was about to begin hehe I was curious and wanted to check it out. I am glad that I did because it wasn't so bad for a first sister's show. Masha'Allah, there's quite a lot of talent out there! A sister by the name of Sophia Baig shared some of her poetry and she discusses some very strong issues, such as women, the hijab and the obsession with finding Mr "tall, dark & handsome" haha She comes from a Chinese, Pakistani (?) and Spanish background ... I thought that was quite diverse! Anyhooz, the main attraction I wanted to visit was the Art Exhibit because I just love viewing Art :) Especially these type:

I thought this was so amazing! It reminded me of my sister's, she made the Ka'ba out of toothpicks haha It was quite good

This, as well as the next one was done by a fellow hydro. I had no idea she was such an artist!

The second half of the day, I spent it by spending some time with my cousin's little kids, masha'Allah, I just love 'em! We went through the bazaar to see what was new and happening. A lot of pretty hijabs were being sold at a good price so I took advantage of that teehehe Later, we took a break and sat outside in the beautiful weather to get something to eat. My aunt and her daughter-in-law left me with her kids so they could go purchase some food so I was the babysitter for a little bit. Those kids are cute, but very energetic! Oh my goodness, they wouldn't stay on the bench with me and instead wanted to run around on the grass so I told the elder one that we need to guard this table so no one else would take it from us. He found it to be an important job so he decided to help me, aww.

I did have an odd encounter outside though. This random woman approaches me and stares at me for a bit and says in Urdu, "tum bohot achi dikri" (you look really nice), something like that, it was quite sudden so I don't rememeber too well but I replied back with a "jazaakAllah", thanked her. But she continued to look at me and then finally said, "did you understand what I just said?" Now, I'm assuming she doesn't think I'm from a South Asian descent. So I told her, yes I did understand and she further went to ask what my background was, if I was Pakistani. I told her, "my parent's are from Hyderabad, India and I'm from here". She said, "ohh, then you did understand me" haha and said I looked nice again and then left ... nice woman.

Oh, and I took a picture of this building because it reminded me of Vari Hall at York University *sigh*

Overall, I had a lovely time. Bumped into so many people I knew so it was also a little reunion with friends that I rarely see now-a-days. Also had some run-ins that I could have definitely done without but ... oh well :) It just added to the experience I suppose.

A Mississaugian for the Weekend ... umm, yea

2006-08-08T02:20:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

I had such a beautiful weekend. I spent it at my khala's (mother's sister) place with my cousins. I knew I would have a good time but I didn't realize it was something I really needed for this never-ending summer *sigh* The men in the house were away for the weekend so my mother and I decided to stay with her sister for a few days. It would also give us the chance to spend some time with my grandmother (mom's mommy) because she is leaving for India in September.

Saturday:
We arrived this day and there wasn't really much to do because we got there in the evening time. It just gave my cousins and I time to figure out what we would do for the next couple of days. So we rented a movie to watch that night. Fun with Dick and Jane ... it was actually amusing, I enjoyed it. Oh, we also hung out with my other cousin, who has a little boy, 2 years old and it took him a while to get used to us but he loosened up a bit later. He's so adorable, if you ask him "what happened to you?", he will respond with "aashiqee", meaning "in love" haha Now who is he in love with, I have no idea. Silly.

Sunday:
Since my older cousin would be working most of the day ... my younger cousin and I decided to to spend our time in Square One. I love going there, only because I never seem to get through the entire mall in just a matter of hours. You need to spend an entire day there it seems. Okay, well for me, since I like to take my time to look at things and I'm also a picky shopper so it's hard to decide on anything *if* I even do end up liking something. Overall, it was a nice experience because I don't get the chance to hang out with my young cousin too often. Masha'Allah, she is a gem! What shocked me the most was through out the whole time we were in the mall, I actually forgot to visit a Dollar Store. A Dollar Store! If you didn't know, I love them. I think they're wonderful. Especially Dollarama and since Square One has both of them ... definitely something to drool over. So just before we were about to leave, we ran to one of the Dollar Stores (which I wasn't very impressed with). While we were eating in the food court, a guy approached us (we noticed he was stalking us quite a bit earlier). He was a Pakistani man and was going on and on about how he had no way of getting home and had absolutely no money for food etc etc ... I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth because unfortunately there are a lot of incidents taking place like that, only Allah Swt knows but I still tried to help him out because he identified me as a Muslim and really seemed to need help. Poor guy.

We finally had the chance to do some baking at home ... mmm mmm goodness. What did we make? We made chocolate cupcakes! My cousin loves to experiment a lot so we topped them off with M&Ms. Wasn't so bad, actually ... it was quite addictive. While making it, we basically put all the ingredients together until we realized we had no eggs haha So we had to borrow some from our cousin (who lives in the basement). We needed three and she only had three left, aww. We considered this time to be a slumber party so we had A LOT of junkfood with us ... voila:

We also played Carrom board for a little bit too! I was sooo happy because I just LOVE that game for some reason. It was so much fun ... of course my team kept winning hehe My uncle was pretty good too, he reminded me of my dad and I was thinking they should definitely play against one another.

Monday:
This day was just lovely. One of my cousin's, he dropped by the house with his 3 sons, his 3 hyper sons haha And it was an entertaining time ... especially his youngest, who is 2 years old. This kid is so cute masha'Allah, most of us call him "sumo" because he looks like a sumo wrestler teehehe The plan was to stay at the Heartland center for most of the day but ... that didn't happen so we hung out there for a little while instead. Went back to Square One and did those photo-booth pictures haha hilarious.

Cute Moment:
Has nothing to do with our weekend but my aunt was telling me that she was teaching her grandson Dawud how to play Hide-and-go-seek. She told him that he has to go hide something and she will come to find him. He agreed and hid. My aunt calls out, "Okay Dawud, I'm coming to find youuuu ..." And just then, emerging from his hiding spot, she heard a cute little voice saying, "I'm right here, dadima*". Awww :) He's so precious, masha'Allah.

*dadima - grandmother

A Rose ... pour vous ...

2006-07-16T01:37:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

To keep my mind off of the loss of my beloved fish ... my young cousin and I decided to be creative. It was so much fun that I thought I would share the joy with the rest of my blog-pals. Follow each step and try it yourself! I know you'll have the time *evil laughter*

~ * Tissue Rose * ~

Step One:

Get yourself a 3 ply facial tissue

Step Two:

Using the corner of the tissue, separate each of the tissue pieces from one another

Step Three:

3 pieces completely separated

Step Four:

Stack each of the pieces back on top of one another

Step Five:

Bring each end together as a half from the center

Step Six:

Take one corner and overlap a bit on top of one another right until the end

(like you would do if you were to make a paper fan)

Step Seven:

Like so, it should be scrunched up in this fashion

Step Eight:

Twist the bottom to make a stem

Step Nine:

Now the concentration is on the rest of the soon-to-be rose! It is time to make the petals so begin to carefully separate each of the tissue ply's from all sides (bottom, middle, top)

Step Ten:

Here's another view of where you should be going with this. Use your imagination, make it work so that the petals begin to resemble a rose!

Step Eleven:

Try to join each end together so that it is more circular (may be a toughie)

Step Twelve:

There is the finished product! Now don't tell me it looks like a scrunched up tissue ball *grr*

Really, it's a lot of fun working on this. My cousin walked in on us making these and she was really impressed and thought it was quite cute. So she wants us to make them as decoration pieces for her wedding next year, insha'Allah. Aww. I will use coloured tissue paper with those of course, and make it more creative and attractive ;)

This is my life. Alhamdulillah.

~Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Illaihi Raji'un~

2006-07-10T01:10:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum ...

Blinky

June 3, 2005 - July 9, 2006

I'm still in denial that you have passed on but ... insha'Allah we will meet again :(

I miss the days you would give me attitude ... I miss the days you would get excited to see me because you knew I brought food for you ... I miss ... oh, I just miss you *cries*

New Path leading to New Beginning

2006-07-08T03:00:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Date: Friday July 7, 2006
Time: after Jummah salaah
Location: IMO (International Muslim Organization)

We arrived a few minutes late for Jummah salaah and quickly rushed in to catch the khutba given by Imam Hamid Slimi. As his voice was echoing off the walls, my mother and I parted from my father and brother and headed straight for the women's section. Alhamdulillah, so many women were seated, listening and absorbing in what the khateeb had to say. It was actually difficult to find a place to be seated because the area was close to being packed but my first priority was to find my mother a chair so that she would not have to be seated on the ground. Due to her condition, she would be in great pain if she had to. We walked straight to the other end of the room, all the while I was trying not to step on to any of the sister's hands or feet or any children. Unfortunately, all the chairs were taken and my mother decided to just stand against the wall. I didn't want to disturb anyone so I quickly took a seat inbetween two young sister's, the one on my left gave me a warm sweet smile. It was nice. I looked over at my mother to check up on her and just then, a woman got up from her seat and offered it to my mother. I could tell my mother was refusing but the sister insisted and gave her seat to my mother. Subhana'Allah, the kindness of strangers.

I had heard this Imam speak before and really liked the way he would deliver his message. It left a positive impact on you and he was able to relate his topics that could be understood by today's young generation. He was speaking of how Muslims come to a point in their life where they need to re-energize themselves in terms of their Deen and feel that closeness once again. So he used the example of how the navigator page for the internet sometimes breaks down when there are just too many other distractions ( ie. popups) and therefore, the page may slow down. In order to get things going again, an individual would have to "reload" the page or "refresh" it haha He used this analogy in relation to a Muslim's need to "refresh" themselves if they encounter a time where they begin to put so much importance on worldly things and less on their Deen. It is all about balancing the two ... only then will we reach a beautiful aakhirah, insha'Allah.

Finally, the time came. The Imam made an announcement after prayers, indicating that there is a brother who is ready to take the Shahadah:

"I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger."

It was a very special moment. To witness a new brother enter this beautiful Deen of ours. But this moment was more special for us, our family. This new brother will be marrying my cousin in the near future, insha'Allah. He is a very kind and humble individual and has been studying Islam for a couple of years now. He was introduced to Islam by his cousin, who is a revert himself and now, he has decided to take that very important step ... to become a Muslim. It really was a great moment for us all and we make du'a that Allah Swt will always keep him on Siraat-ul-Mustaqeem, ameen.

O Canada ...

2006-07-01T01:13:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

No, I do not consider Canada my father. It is my daddy's birthday today as well as our lovely country Canada's :)

May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala always bless my father with good health and a long life filled with love, happiness, success and Deen ... ameen!

My dad is getting pretty old and alhamdulillah, the things he is capable of doing at such an age! I can only pray that I can be just as active at his age too, insha'Allah. I'm going to make a cake for him but since I was not smart enough to buy ingredients beforehand ... I'm going to have to wing it somehow. Eep. It better look splendid and scrumptious!!

It's tradition for our families to gather at Chinguacousy Park to watch the fireworks in the evening. I rarely visit in the daytime with all the activities but maybe I will try to do that this year. I just want a piece of that HUGE Canada Day cake that they distribute ... never get there on time! D'oh! It will also be the last day my cousin will be here from New Jersey *sigh* She is heading off for home Sunday morning ... I can't believe a month went by so quickly. Her children were oodles of fun ... I was so happy that I was able to spend some time with them. It makes me sad knowing that I don't have the opportunity to watch them grow up. It's okay though, I have their cousin's to watch teehehe

Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend, insha'Allah. May it be a safe and happy one :D

EDIT:

Here's the cake that I tried to whip up ... I had to work with a vanilla cake mix, cool whip and sprinkles hehe ... tasted yummy though *phew*

And I wanted to show the group of roses that are about to blossom insha'Allah! They'll bloom into a bouquet ... awww ... I'm so excited! Hopefully I will remember to take more pictures of it as the days progress ...

Without Flash

Flash was used so that the stems would be visible

Complete Devastation

2006-06-22T23:08:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I am devastated. My mother just informed me that Fabricland will be leaving the Bramalea City Center this summer :(

How can this be? Why would they even attempt at doing such a thing?! Argh, I knew I would lose something special once the American's took over the mall. They changed the entire look (which I am only now getting used to) and to my disappointment, one of the few stores I enjoy at the mall, are now being taken away from me *sigh* Where will I buy my broadcloth material from now? Last summer, I visited Fabricland quite a bit because I was being very inventive with my hijabs. Making my own bands to wear underneath and such. Good times, they really were. So since I am off of school now forever *insha'Allah* (I'll discuss that later), I thought I would continue with my work. But everything is leaving me! What am I supposed to do?! Either I stalk up on material now or just get my brother to take me to another location because I certainly am not ready to drive there on my own just yet (I'll discuss that later as well).

Yes, school is over, finally, insha'Allah. I refuse to get all excited and giddy about it until I have received a letter from York affirming that I am "eligible" to graduate! But alhamdulillah, so far so good, I think it might be it this time! I was so depressed during the week of the June convocations because I desperately wanted mine in June too, now, must wait for the October one, eww. Anyhoo, it's such an odd feeling. I really do enjoy attending school and right now, I feel relaxed that I don't have to worry about it anymore. Though I can assure you all, come September, there will be a lot of whiney posts about how much I'm missing school ...

Oh, another thing that's leaving me ... the gym. I have written about how I'm trying to be good and doing my best to stay active and keep the gym as a daily occurance in my life but alas, that may come to an end too. Well, at least in that location. Exclusively Women's is moving from the location I regularily go to and they have teamed up with a bigger location somewhere a little further. There is no way I'm bussing it that far, so my aunt told me about another gym that I can join instead. Better than nothing I suppose.

One of my goals for the summer is to finally go for my driver's license! *gasp* I know, what a shock, I don't even have my G1 yet but I have good reason. I have had traumatic experiences concerning cars/wheels. And when I did decide to be bold and brave, we got into a car accident, eep. Enough is enough, the time has come for me to conquer that one fear and go for it! I just feel sorry for anyone who will be sharing the same road as me though teehehe

Life is keeping me busy. My brother and I have been helping my mother with the gardening which has been quite fun. I'll share the pictures of our roses and flower that have bloomed once again since last summer ... awww! They're so beautiful ... subhana'Allah, I love nature :D

My beautiful Purple Rose!

A Red Rose that looks plastic in this picture

An absolutely stunning picture of our White Rose

One of our many Tiger Lilly's

STRESSED out of my MIND

2006-06-15T15:46:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum everyone

Why does it feel that when I'm told "my best interest" is being taken into consideration ... isn't really in the end? I'm just so sick and tired of other people making decisions for me which I clearly have no care for at all. When I don't want something ... I really don't want it. Yet the world will look past my thoughts/feelings/opinions and tell me "you don't know what you're talking about".

I have spent most of my life giving in to what other's have wanted, especially when it concerns things that have to do with me specifically. I have come to notice that my opinions don't really matter to anyone and are asked from me just for the sake of asking and knowing.

I'm just stressed out. About everything. Life, school, etc.

Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala is the only One I can turn to for clarity and peace of mind ...

It's best to just disregard this post, if anyone is reading it haha I have my moments where I just need to let things out and my 'sanctuary' just seemed like the best place to do it. And I know so many lovely people read up on what's going on with Squeeky so I know that insha'Allah you will all remember me in your du'as ... I just need a re-fill of Sabr.

Other than all that silliness, I have my (*insha'Allah*) last exam ever tomorrow, please make du'a that I pass and am finally able to graduate! Argh! ............... gonna miss York though :(

Fi-aman'Allah!

Woo Hoo

2006-06-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

12:30 am

Squeeky is now 23 years old

Alhamdulillah

May this year be much better than the last, insha'Allah

I don't have too much planned for myself but it will be a very lovely and memorable day insha'Allah. I have been looking forward to this day for quite some time and it will definitely be a day to remember :D Also, it is Blinky's 1 year anniversary today too ... aww ...

Just pray that the food I plan to make is edible :S

What have I been upto? Not too much ... my summer course has been keeping me super busy though. But alhamdulillah, I'm really enjoying. So let's just re-cap this past week on my week off from school! (York was closed down due to the Literary Congress that took place)

Weekend (26-28)

It was a lot of fun! My cousin's wife's brother got married that weekend and the wedding was just absolutely beautiful, the bride was stunning, masha'Allah. I guess I was the photographer for most of the evening because my cousin-in-law wanted me to take pictures for her. I didn't mind, I liked being a part of the events but when you're running around in very high heels, can be a bit painful *ouchies* It was also a friend's mehndi that weekend which I attended and it was also nice. Small and intimate. I would say the highlight of the evening would be Saturday, when my cousin and her family finally visited from New Jersey! It's been 4 years since she's been home and boy, things have changed here greatly since she left. I personally saw her last summer but still, I missed her :( I was thrilled to know that her eldest child (of two) remembered who I was. We played playdough together teehehe

Thursday (June 1st)

My friend and I went to Square One for the day for some good shopping! Wow, I really needed that and we always have a great time when we go out haha we're nuts. We also watched X-Men which was a lot of fun because we make such stupid comments during the movie teehehe Afterwards, while waiting for a Mississauga transit (btw, I can't stand those buses, gross!), we were deciding what our abilities would be if we were to be X-Men. My friend is "Sarco" because she would be able to destroy everyone with her sarcastic remarks. As for me, we decided my name would be "Bansshee" haha Don't ask why ... I was screaming in the mall for some reason and she said "stop screaming like a bansshee!" ... So since my screams are ear-piercing, that seemed nice :) We were getting such weird looks from the other people waiting for the bus.

Anyways, I'm too tired to write more ... may Allah Swt bless each and everyone of you :D

Happy Birthday Mum

2006-05-15T16:49:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Another year where I have been blessed to spend with my mother.

It's my mum's birthday today! Can never remember her age because she refuses to share hehe Mothers. Just wanted to dedicate an entry for her because she deserves it. There is no one like my mother. Alhamdulillah, she is one of my greatest blessings from Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. I feel that your mother has a great deal of influence upon you and I am proud to say that I have received a very positive one from her. There is no one else in the world that I look up to more than my mother. If I can be half the person she is ... then I would consider myself even more blessed. One of my goals is to be like her. No one is more beautiful, wise, pious and silly as her. Boy, is she ever silly haha

I love her

I have mentioned before the high position that Allah Swt has kept for our mother's. Heaven is said to be under her feet ... so that alone can just show you how special and important she is. If you have upset your mother in any way ... Allah will not forgive you until your mother forgives you.

We have a tendency of taking people for granted ... and unfortunately, that is usually the love that we receive from our mothers. We will never understand the hardships she endured just to bring us into this world and raise us to be good people. Respect and love your mother, because only then will Allah Swt do the same for you. Her prayers are always accepted :)

So mummy, I know you don't read my blog but maybe I'll read it to you ... I am truly blessed to have a mother like you. May Allah Swt bless me for many more years with you, insha'Allah.

Six Feet Under

2006-05-09T14:33:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Death.

How do you feel when you read that? And then how do you feel when you start thinking of everything that comes with death? Such as standing on the Day of Judgement, alone, questioned by Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala.

But before we are all together on that Day, awaiting our punishments or rewards ... we must remember that we may be experiencing punishments before that Day even arrives. The punishment of the grave.

How often do you think about that? The very moment Allah Swt decides to remove us from this world, it begins. Depending on how one lived their life, their actions will be either punished or rewarded the very second they have taken their last breath. We may be motionless or unfeeling to the seeing eye ... but our body can still very much feel a great deal when we die. It is why we are to be gentle with a body while preparing it for its grave because even the slightest touch may hurt it.

Allah Swt is so Raheem (merciful) and Kareem (generous) ... it is our duty to obey the commands of Him (swt) and live our lives accordingly to the way our beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wasalam) has taught us, insha'Allah. If you are a sinner, the moment you enter your grave, the punishments will begin. This is where the Qur'an plays a great role. Yes, you will be alone during that frightful time in the grave but if you make a point of reciting the Qur'an daily ... it will be present with you and protect you from any punishments that may come your way. Begin your day by reciting the Qur'an and end your day by reciting the Holy Qur'an. In the grave, the Qur'an (usually said to come in the form of a handsome man) will keep you company and will not leave your side even during the time the angels come to ask you their questions about your faith. On the Day of Judgement, when you will be questioned about your deeds, the Qur'an will be there to defend you stating that you took the time to recite it and make it a part of your daily life.

I'm afraid of so many things ... well, basically everything. It's so silly, I'm silly. When I start thinking of the punishments of the grave, that is what I fear the most and beg to Allah Swt that He (swt) pardon my sins and have mercy on me, insha'Allah. Just the thought of being there, alone, unable to do anything but take what will be given. I can only pray that it will be comfort instead of pain. If you are a sinner during your life, the ground will punish you by squeezing your body from all ends, among many other things. If you have lived a life in devotion to Allah Swt ... insha'Allah you shall experience the most beautiful rest during that time and wake up on the Day of Judgement from a peaceful nap.

This is not a light issue. Many people don't take the punishments of the grave seriously when it should be. A sunnah of the Prophet (saw) is to recite Surah Tabarak (also known as Surah Mulk) each day so that you may be protected from what is to come during the grave. Insha'Allah, Allah Swt will reward our efforts.

May Allah Swt save us all from the punishments of the grave, ameen.

Happy Summer

2006-05-04T19:52:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

I'm not really in the mood to write an entry but I feel I should update those who care what is going on in my life, aww :D

Blinky
Alhamdulillah ... that little fellow is feeling better! Unfortunately, we never got the opportunity to take him to a fish doctor. Two attempts were made, but no luck :( Either the store closed before we arrived or schedule's were not matching up between my brother and I. So that did not happen but I went by Blinky one day and noticed that he was looking much better! The nasty bump decreased greatly and he began giving me attitude immediately after seeing me. It was both a happy and sad moment. Why must he hate? I think my mother was feeding him too much. Beta fishes can go weeks without food but still, they should be fed so we started feeding him a bit everyday. My mom has a big soft spot for him and whenever she feeds him, she always ends up giving him some "bonus" meals. I think it's those "bonus" meals that have been getting him sick haha We should feed him a little less ... since it won't affect him too much I hope, insha'Allah. Yay for Blinky!

School
Anyone remember me continuously complaining about a summer course that I was dying to get into? Well alhamdulillah ... I kept at it and I got enrolled! It was a VERY happy moment for me. I was meant to be in the course anyway because the following morning, the secretary from the department called me saying that there was a spot available for me, wee! If I was not able to get into this course, then I most likely would have had to come back in September and stay for a whole year. Which in a sense would have been okay, but I still wanted to graduate this year :) Insha'Allah that can happen now ... granted that I pass the course hehe

The summer has been looking good :) It's my last month being 22 so I feel I should make the most of it ... party time!! House party that is ;)

Blinky sigh

2006-04-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

I'm all panicky.

This morning, I went to my fish, Blinky, to feed him. As I was doing so, I noticed that his behaviour was more strange than usual. Usually, he starts swimming around frantically and when he sees me, he gets into his "attitude" mode. I have been meaning to take a picture of that but it's been difficult. Anyways, he was not swimming around, rather he was just moving from one end to the other very slowly. When I sprinkled some food ... I noticed something quite puzzling. Blinky has some sort of bump under his neck. I have never seen it there before! And it's getting me worried. I showed my brother to make sure I wasn't seeing anything and he noticed it too.

I'm getting worried :(

Blinky's Current Condition

Close-up of Blinky

This bump that he has does not look normal. You can judge for yourself. I wish I had a before and after pic. Oh wait, I think I do, there it is:

Blinky when I got him

The pictures make me want to cry *sniffle*

I've been praying that it is not too serious, insha'Allah. It's a male fish, not like it is pregnant because it's been a loner in that tank since I got him. Unless he's able to impregnate himself, eeh. Maybe I should visit my local Pet Store? Does anyone else own Beta fishes? Also known as fighter fish. Hmm. Blinky is at least supposed to last until my birthday in June! I got him on my birthday :(

Make du'a please ... he needs them.

Keep Fit and Have Fun!

2006-04-24T22:40:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

I have been very happy with the way my summer has been progressing alhamdulillah. I do not feel lazy at all! (okay well, I do have my moments hehe) I have been keeping up with the gym for the past few weeks at the Exclusively Women's Fitness center. I mean, I have a membership, I think it should be put to some use! I only go a few times a week, yet I am now thinking that I should make it a daily occurence. Preferably every morning because I feel it would be a great way to start the day. That way, I can also catch my breakfast on time because like we all know ... "breakfast is the most important meal of the day"!

It is really important to make sure you keep yourself active because it will surely help you in the long run. One of the reasons why I am at the gym is because I have no muscle apparently :( And the women who work at my gym love to remind me each time I go for my fitness evaluation which happens every 6-8 weeks. Eeh, I'm working on it! I keep a routine for myself when I'm at the gym. First, make sure to do stretches! Once I began my workouts without doing so and it was a bad mistake ... was in so much pain *ouchies*. After that, I go straight to the Cardio Cinema room and use the bicycle and then the Stairmaster hehe It helps me to relax so that I may go to the Circuit Training room and feel good enough to attempt at those weight machines.

Along with my building muscle plans, I am planning to work on my eating habits. I think my eating habits are very poor and need desperate work on. There will be a day where I can go without food except for a little thing here and there ... and then there are days where I just cannot stop eating :S So I plan to follow the Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Keep up with that, and you are good to go! Well ... at least that's what I'm hoping for.

Anyone else in the gym scene? What do you usually focus on?

note: "gym" pronounced as "gyme"
Homer: Gyme? What's a gyme?
He enters the gym
Homer: (looking at the weight equipment) Ohhh ... a gyme!

Broaden Your Horizon

2006-04-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

After much demand, I have decided to write yet another entry. Even though I have absolutely nothing to discuss here. My life is getting weird these days, all I can think about is "will I get into that summer course or not?!" It's frustrating *sigh* But the best will happen for me so insha'Allah, I'm good.

Allow me to express some observations of mine. I have been noticing my father's behaviour towards my 20 (soon-to-be 21, insha'Allah) year old brother who is currently with Seneca @ York University in the Digital Media Arts program. My father can be your typical desi parent and I feel that he holds some disappointment in my brother for not pursuing a career path that is so stereotypical in our culture, unfortunately. Why are you seen to be most successful if you are a doctor? A lawyer? A dentist? I admit, those are some pretty great professions but only if these individuals are pursuing it out of their own interests instead of being told that this is what they must do in order to be a name in society. It is a big pet peeve of mine. I LOVE it when people study what makes them truly happy because that is what matters in the end. You will be the one living this profession so why not enjoy what you are doing? Masha'Allah, my brother is very talented at what he does, very creative. He isn't much of a "school kid", meaning he does not do too well when it comes to school but when it concerns something that interests him and he has great skill at it, it's quite impressive what he is able to accomplish. I know he feels that he may be a somewhat failure in our father's eyes and that is what really bothers me. My dad is proud of what he is capable of but because he rarely shows it, how is my brother to feel that what he is doing, is making his father happy? It is so important for a parent to encourage their child in whatever they are interested in because you do not know what success may come out of it.

Which leads me to my next and final point. I had an interesting discussion with someone of the past that relates to this. We were discussing parent's encouraging only the specific and typical professions of today for their children. Doctors, etc are very needed in today's world, where would we be without them? But sometimes you need to look at the big picture here. Considering our Ummah, we need to focus on making it grow and become stronger so that we are able to handle whatever comes our way and maintain it. And what this individual was telling me, is that we really need to broaden our horizons, and have Muslims in every field possible so that we can make this happen. How much can we do if we are told to limit ourselves in specific areas of professions? I found this to make total sense and I completely agree ... alhamdulillah, there is so much talent among our Muslim brother's and sister's and we need to encourage one another to do as much as we can because in the end ... it will result upon our Ummah's growth, and it should only do so, positively. Insha'Allah.

Happy?! haha Wow, I praised my brother quite a bit in this entry. It's a good thing he never reads my blog hehe Anyways, I hope everyone is well insha'Allah, please remember me in your du'as that I am given permission to attend that class :( *sigh* JazaakAllahu khairaa!

Almost Over ...

2006-04-09T19:36:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

How are the exams coming along, my lovely blog readers who are in Uni ...? Insha'Allah they will all go well. As for myself, alhamdulillah, the year is over. Which at one point would have told me that school is out forever but events seem to change with me last minute. Apparently, I am missing some credits so I will not be able to graduate in June, but in October, insha'Allah. That is, if I get into the summer course that I want. I'm sure I can make it happen :) I was a little disappointed that I would not be able to experience that June convocation but I am okay with it now. You just need to watch what you wish for sometimes haha I didn't want to leave York, now York doesn't want me to leave! I have never taken summer school before except for last summer, but it was an evening course (which I never take either). I found that to be such a different experience from the daily daytime York life. I liked it, actually. Now this summer, I have the opporunity to experience York in the summer time, during the day! I'm very excited because I think our campus looks absolutely beautiful in the summer time and whenever I'm in school during the year, it is always at the time when Fall begins and Winter rolls in. So no greenery and pretty flowers :( I just really need to focus on getting into the course I want. I'm on a waiting list but it is not necessary that I may get in so I'll just resort to Plan B. Get into a class that is for the whole summer instead of a couple of months. However, I would appreciate du'as to get me into my preferred option :D JazaakAllahu khairaa!!

That, is my academic situation at the moment. There is so much to look forward to for the summer. My cousin who lives in New Jersey is finally coming home to visit! She has not been in Canada for a few years now and we are all excited to see her as well as her adorable little girls, insha'Allah. I think that is the only thing I am truly looking forward to for the summer. Her girls are so cute masha'Allah ... it makes me sad that I cannot be a part of their daily lives *sigh*

As for my Uloom courses, they are going amazingly. I love them to bits. We have been discussing the importance of parents quite a bit in class. It is is so frightening the punishments one will receive if they are disobedient to their parents, especially when they are in their old age. Your parents are blessings to you, they have been there for you through all the bad times ... moments that you yourself are not even aware of. Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala commands not to associate partners with Him (swt) and the next sin is to be disobedient to your parents. It is your mother that deserves to be treated with love, care and respect because she spent 9 months of her life, carrying you ... taking care of you ... experiencing such pain, just to bring you into this world and raise you into a good human being. After all, under her feet lies Jannah. Allow me to share a hadeeth :)

Mu'awiya b. Haida said:

"I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, towards whom should I be dutiful?' He said, 'Your mother.' I asked, 'Then towards whom?' He replied, 'Your mother.' Again I asked, 'Then towards whom?' He answered, 'Your mother.' I said, 'Then towards whom should I be dutiful?' He said, 'Your father, and then the next nearest relative and then the next nearest.' "

I love my mummy

Before I end this, I would like to share some of my flowers that I am eagerly waiting to bloom this summer. I hope they do, the package did say seasonal :/

Q.Q.C.

2006-03-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum! :)

Hope everyone is in the best health and Imaan, insha'Allah.

I should have written this post earlier but I have been trying to be good ... studying for my last set of exams. Remember me in your du'as please *nervous*

The day arrived, Squeeky and Weebee met up by Ryerson University so they could both walk to the Student Center together. It was about 10:40am and we knew we would be a little early but realized much later ... that we were about 45 mins too early! We seriously thought we had been at the wrong place because the plan was to meet with a bunch of Ryerson sisters and brothers and a few York sisters, so that we may all get on the SCHOOL BUS (awww yes, we rode on the Magic School Bus!) going towards McMaster for the Qir'at Qur'an Competition. There are random pictures that Weebz and I took during the long wait. We were bored out of our minds because for some reason, the crew decided to leave later than scheduled. The bus ride was long and .... long haha But alhamdulillah, we made it to the University. Oh the giddiness we were experiencing!

It was quite foggy on my way downtown

This picture was to show our confusion at Ryerson. We weren't sure if we were at the correct meeting spot

This little statue man gave me quite the scare while Weebz and I were walking around the streets

When the sister's finally arrived, each of them had yummy smelling Coffee. That was when we too had our cravings for some Hot Chocolate. But to both of our unfortunate luck, the little flap would not snap down. So we had a plan, tape was our friend!

It turned out that we were both losers :(

I had never attended this event, and apparently it was their 8th annual event! I just have to say that I was very impressed with everything ... especially the beautiful arrangments for the competitors. It looked so beautiful! And the colours were co-ordinating so well aww

This was the program for the night

It began first, with the Sister's competition. This was the first year that the sister's had the opportunity of participating and wow ... masha'Allah they were incredibly good! I favoured a few who had the most beautiful Qur'anic recitation. It was just simply amazing, to have the courage to sit in front of a room of people and begin your recitation right at the point where the judges ask you to. I wish I had such beautiful recitation *sigh* Insha'Allah ... we'll see after my tajweed classes haha McMaster sister's won, by the way.

The second part was the Junior competition. One word/expression: Awwww! Masha'Allah, may Allah Swt always bless these little children and strengthen their Imaan. I think they inspired me the most ... children between the ages of 5 to 14 were reciting surah's in front of everyone, without hesitation. And yes, I did say 5 yrs old. He was the cutest little boy ever, masha'Allah. And recited a little surah for everyone. I thought it was funny when he prayed "Bismillah hir-rahman nira'him" and then paused, waiting for the audience to stop "awwing" at him!

Unfortunately, we were not able to stay and listen to the brother's recitation competition. The bus was leaving right after Maghrib salaat so we went to pray and I wanted to make a few purchases before I left. Nope, did not get the chance to buy anything from

Maniac this time hehe

An interesting sign was posted in the room we had our lunch

The duck tape really brings out the shirts :)

Although ... there was one very memorable and surprising experience ;) I will never forget this:

Weebee: Squeeky, I want to introduce you to someone

Squeeky: Aww, okay!

( a sister emerges from behind)

Weebee: This is Asmaa

Squeeky: Oh, Assalaamu Alaikum

Weebee: Asmaa from your BLOG!

Squeeky: Oh! My! Goodness!

It's so nice putting a face to a name :) Masha'Allah.

I had an amazing time at this event and I wish I had taken my family with me. Insha'Allah next year for sure. Oh and my red York sweater definitely did it's job teehehe

IAW

2006-03-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

It is Islam Awareness Week at York University and I was helping with a friend to direct people to the pretty displays that were up. I didn't have my camera or I would have taken some pictures of it. They provided everyone with free books, pamphlets and two men were there, who were skilled in Arabic Calligraphy :)

That's right. I had my name written in Arabic as well. I needed a sample piece to walk around with and try to direct the students to where the action was.

And yes, when Squeeky begins to go on a blog-a-thon ... it means that she is preventing herself from studying :(

Rice Krispies ... Squeeky Style

2006-03-19T23:49:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

End of the weekend mubarak!!! ..... umm, don't ask.

So, it was Sunday evening ... and Squeeky had a craving for some dessert. But the unthinkable happened. There was no dessert in the household! Her mind was spinning ... her heart was aching ... what was she to do without evening dessert?

It felt like the world was crashing around her :(

Her brother was too busy on the computer to go out and buy her a hot fudge sundae so she figured, if anything had to be done, she would have to do it herself! After rummaging through the cupboards, she found a packet of halal marshmallows and had an idea! Why not make rice krispie squares? There was more than enough Rice Krispies. So out came all the ingredients and voila, it was made :) Even though it still looked tempting ... Squeeky just had to make it a bit more special. There was still some vanilla icing left so she carefully spread it upon the thick layer of rice krispies and to her satisfaction, it did not look so bad.

It's my cousin's birthday tomorrow insha'Allah so we called him over and offered it as a pre-birthday sweet. He liked it! yay.

P.S. - I'm bored.

Beautiful Weekends

2006-03-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum my dear brothers and sisters in Islam :)

I have enrolled myself in a 2 year Uloom Program offered at the Brampton Makki Masjid. It is every weekend morning (except for the 3rd weekend in a month, our break weekend) and just for a couple of hours. It started in late January and I cannot stress how thankful I am to have found out about it. I literally feel like a different person, a much more happier person, alhamdulillah.

We have some classes that run for about 40 minutes each. First is Tajweed. I'm in LOVE with this part haha I have been craving to work on my tajweed for a very long time now and I have finally been given the oppportunity. It's so much fun, our teacher, Sister Fatima, had us go over the Arabic alphabets again and each of us have to recite them outloud. A friend of mine has a little trouble with pronouncing her "hah"'s haha So she would have to repeat it over and over again until she got it right awww I like to think I'm Arab so that I can get myself to pronounce it correctly :D Weird, but it works.

We focus on Hadeeth, Hanafi Fiqh, Aqeedah and Seerah of the Prophet Sallallahu alaihe wassalam. It is a nice collection of knowledge that every person should be aware of. I have been learning things that I had no knowledge of before. We think we know so much, but in reality, we really don't know anything unless we take the initiative and further our knowledge. There's a hadeeth I remember which was oh so nice:

The Prophet (saw) says:

If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion. Sunan of Abu Dawud (Book #25, Hadith #3634)

For the longest time, I've been starving to learn more about my religion and our beloved Prophet (saw). It's a blessing to be in surroundings where there is always mention of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala and Islam because it only strengthens your Imaan and helps you to focus on what is really important in this duniya. I especially think it is very important for me to understand and know my religion as a muslimah because my biggest concern is raising my future kiddies right, insha'Allah. Honestly, that's all I care about haha And finally it feels like I'm doing something about it. May Allah Swt bless my efforts.

Narrated 'Abdullah: Allah's Apostle said:

"Do not wish to be like anyone, except in two cases: (1) A man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously. (2) A man whom Allah has given wisdom (knowledge of the Quran and the Hadith) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others." Sahih Bukhari (Book #89, Hadith #255)

Fi-aman'Allah :)

NOT from ATKINSON

2006-03-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Oh what a lovley day, alhamdulillah!

Even though the weather wasn't, but ... oh well. I acted a bit rebellious today. I know, me from all people. My dear friend Wahiba and I decided to skip tutorial *gasp* I never skip until I really have to but this was just a spur of the moment idea because we had just left the MSA after praying salaat and realized there was only two more minutes for tutorial to begin and the building was quite far from where we were. Since we don't do anything too important during tutorial, we decided ... why not just skip one class? And besides, these are my last few weeks at York, I needed to do something out of the ordinary for myself teehehe

It seems to be election time at York, especially for one of the colleges, Atkinson. So there are students EVERYWHERE representing Atkinson and asking everyone that passes by, "are you from Atkinson?" I was asked this same question about 20 times or more. It was getting annoying! That's when I said "I feel like carrying a sign that says that I am not from Atkinson *grr*" That's when Wahiba came in with post-its! haha As you can see from the image above, we wrote "NOT from ATKINSON" and stuck it on our jackets. So whenever we would be asked that same question, we would look at them, point at our sign, and carry on muahaha. Let's just say, it amused a lot of people.

I have this need to buy a whole bunch of York memorabilia. Just some things I can have to reflect on the good 'ol days *sigh* So we bought sweatshirts!! I really like mine, soo soft. Wahiba and I are planning on attending the Qiraatul Qur'an Competition on March 25th (that is, if anyone from York will represent us) ... perfect time to show our school spirit!

And we cannot forget about Red. Red is my balloon that was floating in the sky, waiting for me to take it. Awwww. And lastly, my Yorkie Water Bottle ... it just looks too cool.

Bye Bye Celly

2006-02-27T14:14:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

My dad finally did it ... he convinced me to change my cell phone service provider to Rogers from Bell Mobility *sigh* The reason is that everyone in my family is with Rogers, except for myself. Which was fine with me because in a way, I always wanted to get away from Bell but I held on because my number would change if I were to switch companies. And the bill for keeping numbers has not really been passed yet. I believe at the moment, only businesses have the option of keeping their numbers. Anyways, not only did my phone number change, but so did my cell phone :(

I was in love with my old phone ... because it was small, silver, and just so cute. And it was an Audiovox but I didn't care, I don't need too much in my phones ... I just need to like them, and feel that 'bond' with them. Umm, yeah.

So my current phone, which I have already nicknamed Knight Rider is the Samsung p207

It is offered in White as well but I chose the black since it seemed very different. I like it, don't get me wrong. I just need to get used to it. What I did was teehehe since I'm going to miss my old phone terribly, I took a picture of it with my camera in the phone and placed it as my wallpaper! Aww! The thing is, I don't really work well with change, it's a problem and I'm working on it! It's my brother who I feel sorry for because I go straight to him if I have complaints about my new phone not having certain things that my old phone had.

for example ............

HOW DOES AN ALARM NOT HAVE A SNOOZE OPTION?!

I always use my alarm and realizing that this phone does not provide me with a 'snooze option' has been really getting to me haha I just wanna cry.

Yes, these are the kinds of dilemmas I go through. But overall, as I have been exploring with the phone options, it's been growing on me. So far so good! So, thank you daddy :)
G'day!
Fi-aman'Allah

Back to the Past

2006-02-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

*~*~* Jummah Mubarak *~*~*

*sigh* I can't stress what a wonderful day I had yesterday. Alhamdulillah. It was very much needed, to just get away from my very routine world. A good friend of mine is visiting from Ottawa for the week. I had not seen her since she got married over the summer. We used to go to York together, we attended a class together ... and we would always have our regular snacks at Wendy's ... the baked patotoes ... awww how I miss it! York brought us together, it really did.

Anyways, so she's finally here and whenever she comes to visit, for some reason our plans always conflict. I can never seem to go and see her. When a perfect opportunity arose the last time she visited, I had an exam :( But I was getting completely sick of this! I had to do something, I had to make sure that we saw each other at least once on her visit home! So we talked and realized that Thursday was the only good day for the both of us. But even then, I would have to really work hard because of the circumstances haha

She had to go out for her mother's doctor's appointments and since my dad was not able to make it to her place before she left, I just met her at the hospital. From all places to meet someone. So I hung out with them and then we ended up going to ... are you ready? Wendy's!! For old time sake. It brought back soo many memories. We would talk about anything and everything while eating that haha and trust me, there was A LOT of time because it takes me a LONG time to finish eating. heh ... heh ...

Next stop was Food Basics haha And then back to her place where I assisted with the cooking for today's party that they will be having. Okay, all I did was peel carrots and watch her make guacamole dip but hey, I did something! Hmm, I just realized that I didn't even get the chance to taste it. Darn.

Whatever, the moral of the story is ... I am so blessed to have such wonderful people surrounding me and to have friends like her. I would be lost if I didn't have friends like that. It's a beautiful thing to consider friends your family ... may Allah Swt bless us all with such good people in our lives, ameen.

Facing Reality .... with treats :)

2006-02-15T18:25:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

Oh how I've missed you all, and my blog. I pray you are all doing well by the grace of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. I haven't had a very pleasant couple of months unfortunately and the things that happened, and the decisions that were made, were very difficult to endure. But something happened last night ... which also was not pleasant to endure but it happened, and now I clearly see ... that the decision that was made was actually done by the will of Allah Swt. I have never felt so sure about something in my life and now, I can see things peacefully because "everything happens for a reason" and I understand now why things happened the way they did. Allah Swt saved me from something and I am so grateful to Him (swt) for sending me just the guidance that I needed. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alameen. It's just very unfortunate that things had to end up this way ...

Anyways! I'm not going to let anything interfere in my life ... I need to live it in such a way where Allah Swt will always be pleased with me, insha'Allah. So I finally went into the kitchen after a really long time haha had to spread some barakah :D

Mrs Field's Cookies!!

Thats me mixing all the ingredients together ... it was a toughy

The Final Product

I was so scared that it wouldn't taste right because this recipe was targeted for 9 dozen cookies! But alhamdulillah ... it tastes just like Mrs Field's Cookies *mmm* I shall update later for other things insha'Allah, until then ... take care

...absence...

2006-01-23T20:58:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum

Just wanted to post a quick note to the people who take their time to read what I have to share now and then hehe Umm ... I will be away from my blog for a while. Not sure how long but I need some time for myself so I feel this is what I need to do.

I'm doing okay alhamdulillah, so no need to worry :) Insha'Allah with Allah Swt's help, everything will be more than okay.

Fi-aman'Allah ... wasalaam

~Eid Mubarak~

2006-01-11T14:22:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :)

Just wanted to wish everyone out there a safe and beautiful Eid Mubarak. I hope you spend it with the ones you love and care for dearly insha'Allah. And those who have just had the amazing opportunity of performing Hajj, may Allah Swt accept it! Brings back lovely memories *sigh*

Funnies

2006-01-03T17:25:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum! :)

My first post in 2006. Insha'Allah it will be a beautiful year for all of us.

Yesterday, my family went to a rehab centre to visit my uncle who is recovering from hip replacement surgery. Alhamdulillah he is getting better by each day so it was real nice to see him improving. But since only 2 visitors are allowed at one time in the room, my brother and I were kinda kicked out. So we hung out in the "rec room" that provided us with a computer, a big television set, couches with many many magazines and a monopoly board. I decided to look at a Reader's Digest because of the interesting jokes. So interesting that I decided to share a couple which had my brother and I "laughing out loud!"

Funny #1:

In Israel to cover the fighting, a young reporter
decided to look for a human-interest story. In
Jerusalem , she heard about an old man who's been
going to the Wailing Wall to pray, twice a day for a
very long time.
So she went to the Wailing Wall and there he was!
"Sir," she asked, "how long have you been coming to
the Wailing Wall to pray?"
"For 50 years."
"What do you pray for?"
"For peace between the Jews and the Arabs. For
our children to grow up in safety and friendship."
"How do you feel after 50 years?"
"Like I'm talking to a wall."

Funny #2:

Police cadets are being trained in the fine points of
recognizing suspects. To test their skills, an officer holds
up a photo, then quickly hides it.
"This is your suspect," he tells one cadet. "Describe him."
The cadet says, "he's an ugly-looking one-eyed guy."
"You only see one eye because he's in profile," the
officer explains.
He flashes the photo at a second cadet. "Here's the perp.
What do you do?"
"I'd round up all the one-eared crooks."
"I told you, it's a photo of his profile," the officer repeats.
A third cadet pipes up. "The suspect wears contact
lenses.
"That's true," says the officer, relieved one of the new
recruits is on the ball. "How'd you conclude that?"
"Easy," says the cadet. "He can't wear glasses because
he only has one eye and one ear."

teehehe! (if you did not find any of these funny at all ... humour me please)

Umm ... eww.

2005-12-29T22:48:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

How's everyone doing? Hope you are all enjoying the holidays! In a matter of few days, we'll be in 2006 insha'Allah! May this coming year bring happiness to each and every one of us.

Okay I'm getting a bit annoyed. As I'm sure my brother is too. It turns out that we can no longer hang out in public anymore. Why, you ask? Because people think we're married. Can I get an "eww" please? *waits* ... Thank you. It's just getting more funnier these days. It really amuses me that people will just jump straight to that conclusion. If we happen to go out to pick some food for the family ... the workers will think we're married. If he tags along with me somewhere, people will assume the same thing. I went to the bank today and my brother had to come along as well ... the teller thought we were newly weds. HAHA ugh. But, she said that each of us were cute so we felt special teehehe She told us her reason for thinking that was because we looked a like. Umm ... so wouldn't you think we're related instead? It was just too silly!

I don't know why I'm sharing this with the world. I felt like it :) So, sorry brother dear ... no more quality sibling time.

I Am Revived!

2005-12-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-alameen

I attended the Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference this past weekend and I must say, it really did it's job by reviving my spirit. Subhana'Allah ... I feel we are so blessed to have events like this right at home. And it felt even more great to see the amount of people who were present, for the same purpose as I was, to feel good about being a Muslim. Alhamdulillah! I wasn't able to go on Friday because I was invited to a friend's wedding. Masha'Allah it was beautiful, may Allah Swt shower their marriage with many many blessings, ameen. I heard that day was amazing and that Ms Shabazz was definitely not to be missed. But I was able to attend the lectures that I was looking forward to (except one) so it's completely alright. I'm quite happy.

Dr. Zakir Naik is one of my favourits. I get so giddy when I listen to his lectures haha I was quite impressed with the way he handled the questions that were being asked of him during the Q&A session. I really wish I could regurgitate everything he said because it was definitely remarkable. One of the young men asked a question concerning the divisions in Islam, mentioning the feuds with Shia and Sunni. And all Dr. Zakir Naik had to say was there is no such division in the Qur'an. And he further went to ask, "what was our Prophet (peace be upon him)?" It saddens me to see such things happening within our Ummah. And my du'as are that we really do understand what needs to be focused on here. Believe in Allah Swt, believe in Allah's Word, the Holy Qur'an and believe in the last Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh) and hadith. Subhana'Allah, our community can do wonders if we just put aside the differences. May Allah Swt grant us all hidayah ....

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and Imam Zaid Shakir were also brilliant! These speakers, they have such a gift of getting the message across to the listeners. And I thank them from the bottom of my heart to spend time in inspiring ourselves to become better and to make a difference. I also enjoy listening to Shaykh Sulaiman Mulla because he really keeps you captivated with the message he is trying to convey. It was the first time I heard Shaykh Riyadh Ul Haq speak and I found it to be quite interesting! His topic on being selfless was masha'Allah well done. He spoke of Ibrahim (alaihe salam) and that his whole life was sacrifing in the name of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. I love lectures that really make you think! On the 3rd day of the conference, last part was hosted by a man named Moez Masoud. I really wish he was given some time to lecture on a topic because he was just incredible. I think it was the amount of love and passion he put into his words when speaking of Allah Swt and the Qur'anic verses that really moved me. Wow. Apparently, he is from Cairo and has his own show. I wish I could see what it's all about it! hehe

Anyways, all in all, it was just great this year and I am so thankful that I was able to make it. I really miss it :( Insha'Allah those who were not able to attend RIS 2005 ... will be given the opportunity next year! I met with a lot of wonderful people, can't forget to mention that teehehe Such lovely sister's whom I do hope to see again in the near future insha'Allah. It was great to be with people who were just as interested in learning more about the Deen.

Definitely a memorable weekend :) And now I can focus on my goals for the holidays! I'm back into my Qur'an readings alhamdulillah and will keep up with that and studying hadiths. I want to work on my tajweed so I hope my aunt has some time for me hehe May Allah Swt bless my efforts, ameen.

P.S. = Hapy Birthday Weebzie!!

Candy Canes and Chocolate yum

2005-12-23T14:12:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

I hope everyone is well insha'Allah! Well it is finally done ... I made that cake for my sister's birthday which was yesterday. I originally had seen it in a Kraft's magazine and wanted to make it the second I laid eyes on it. When my sister was with me one day, we both saw that same magazine with the cake in a commercial and she agreed that it looked delicious! So that got me thinking. Her birthday is coming up and she's really difficult to shop for haha why not just make her a cake? Lovely idea, no? It was a hassle to make this cake though. It's called Candy Cane Chocolate Cake ... and crushing those candy canes was such a difficult job! I think my little hands are all bruised up now :( It was worth it though haha My sister arrived at my house earlier than planned and my cake was not completed yet! So I yelled and screamed telling her she is not allowed to step foot into the kitchen muahaha

Cake from the outside

And a peak of the inside!

I finally finished it. Took a while to decorate it with each little piece of crushed candy cane but I did it! And alhamdulillah, it was oh so yummy :)

Free for the Holidays

2005-12-18T18:01:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

No exams. No last minute cramming. No worries. Nothing ... until next semester of course teehehe I can finally relax for the holidays and carry on with the activities I have been waiting to do. For example, cleaning my room oOoOo it's a mess! Something must be done AND I'm hoping to get new lighting for my bedroom because the lamp that I have right now is too gross and old. I plan to make a cake for my sister's birthday which is coming up this week, insha'Allah. It's a cake that I found in a Kraft's cooking magazine ... I'll be sure to share it ;)

Next on the agenda, is to attend the Reviving the Islamic Spirit (RIS) conference which is on the 23rd all the way through to the 26th. I'm pumped! It wouldn't hurt to revive more of my spirit. I'm hoping to enjoy it this year as much as I did the last. The plan at the moment is to stay at my dear cousin's place and go to the conference with her that weekend, so it would be a bunch of us girlies attending the lectures awww. I hope to come back here and share the topics that I found most interesting!

If anyone else is attending, have a great time!

It Is NOT a Winter Wonderland

2005-12-09T09:33:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum all my exam-writers,

Lucky bums who don't have to write any haha Anyhooz, I'm relaxed right now, because I just finished my second last exam of the semester. Alhamdulillah, wasn't so bad. But just studying for that exam was not a joyous event. Due to an essay that had to be submitted today, I lost valuable study time. Just had a day to study ... I know ... a day! But I did it, granted didn't sleep at all during the night but I did it. Okay fine, I slept for 20 mins but it just was not enough. I had my whole bus schedule times planned out for the morning so that I would arrive at York a half an hour earlier than my exam. What ends up happening is ... we have a little snow storm. Somebody please tell me why did it have to snow on the day of my exam?! I really wanted to give winter a chance this year, I really did. But from today's experience, I'm sorry, it's just not happening. Instead, winter reminded me why I dislike it so very much. We don't mesh well together, with all the brrring and all. Since my brother was grouchy this morning, I had to shovel the snow off the car ... it really gave my arms a workout ... *ouchies* But I quickly ran into the house because our neighbor let his hyper dog out and it was about to chase me .... stop chasing me!! I was one grouchy lady this morning, was not pretty.

Finally, we got rolling. Obviously the roads were horrible so there was a lot of build-up on the road. My exam was scheduled for 9am and I was still trying to get myself to the GO Station at 8:10am. By the time I reached the station, it was 8:30am and the bus came in at around 8:40am. Now, it usually takes 20 minutes to get to my university .... but since it was a snow day (yay snow! *cough*) I was delayed another half an hour. And not only that, I had to STAND on the bus! I hate standing on the bus! It's hard to study that way ... I almost knocked the guy down infront of me, it could have been a dominoes affect.

Whatever ... I was 20 minutes late for my exam but I was okay with it because it's a 3 hr exam and I knew I'd finish with it earlier ... which I did :D

I have yet to see an exam day where I'm actually happy .... still waiting .... almost a graduate but I shall still wait to see that day ... insha'Allah .... so many dot dot dots ....

P.S. = boooooo winter!

murmuring

2005-12-02T22:58:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum! :D

It took about four weeks to get here, but alhamdulillah, it has arrived! Drum roll please ... thank you :) I ordered a Marge Simpsons mug and it has finally come into my possession. There was a Homer one as well but I already have him on a tall glass which quotes "Trying is the first step towards failure". Wise words, Homie ... very wise.

Without the Chai

With the Chai (mmm ... whipped cream and cinnamon)

Doesn't it look darling? Aww. Now I'm going to transform myself into a chai drinker just so that I may use this mug over and over again ;)

Oh! And because the order was so late ... due to high demand of the product (teehehe), I received an apology gift! Cute earrings ... ooh la la ...

Baaaa Baaaaa

2005-11-21T22:53:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

I'm so excited! Care to know why? Welll ... last night, the family got together for some bonding time and decided to clean the basement! Ooh la la and ewww. But, I was well rewarded for my work down there. I found slippers! Slippers that have sheep heads on them! Over the summer my parents bought a mattress from Sleep Country Canada and with the mattress, we received many free items. One of them being, slippers. I think they're completely adorable and I was so excited to try them out. Not only are they cute ... but they're sooo comfy! Just wearing them makes me wanna drop and sleep ... zZzZzzz's ....

I hope you were all enlightened with today's post ....

2005-11-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

~Eid Mubarak~

2005-11-03T15:19:00.000-05:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

E I D M U B A R A K !

I'm sad ... because Ramadan is over, once again, in a heartbeat. But I'm happy because Eid-ul-Fitr is upon us once again ... yay! A day for us to be rewarded for the fasts we kept, for the ibaadah that we did for Allah Swt and for controlling our nafs ... alhamdulillah.

I love the Eids in our family. All the families come together and spend the entire day with one another. It really is the most beautiful experience, just being around your loved ones. And the mood is always so serene and cozy. Also, I miss the ones that are not here with us, but they're in our memories and sometimes, a phone call away :) My most favourite part, is seeing my cute little cousins and my cousin's children in their best clothing. haha Ya Allah, may Allah Swt preserve their sweet innocense! Usually the night before, I'm the mehndi (henna) lady haha If I have the time, I'll apply it on all the girlies in the family or just my mum and then do mine for last. It excites me more than anything haha Mehndi is my art.

I also look forward to the food on Eid. Particularily, Sheer Khorma. It's the most sweestest dish ever and it's very drool-worthy. I feel sorry for anyone who has not been given the beautiful opportunity of tasting it. Mummy makes it every year ... I wanted to do it this time but school got so hectic right at the last week that I was unable to *sigh* Basically, it is very sweet milk syrup with stringy vermicelli. Then you top it off with assorted nuts for crunchy flavour. Served Hot ... mmm ... *drool* Here it is ....

Some people have already celebrated Eid on Thursday, others are doing it today, on Friday. But no matter when you did it, I pray that you all had a wonderful day with your loved ones and have reflected on the past month. Insha'Allah Allah Swt will accept our fasts and our efforts and we will be able to keep up with our practices and bettering ourselves as Muslims each and every day. Ameen!

Bhajias

2005-10-27T19:12:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

I made bhajias today for iftaar. What are those, you ask? Well, let me edumacate you! I believe they are also called "pakoras" but I use "bhajia" because I was brought up hearing that so ... there! They come in many different kinds, whatever pleases you. Such as onion bhajia, potato bhajia or even tomato bhajia! It is simply covered in batter and then fried. We prefer to use chickpea flour and mix in ingredients such as ginger, garlic, red pepper, baking soda and salt. I find the mixing of everything quite difficult and tiresome because once you add water, the batter must be a perfect thickness. And just mixing all of it really pains my hand ... ouchies :( Yes yes, I can be a weakling.

I was du'aing that it would turn out right because I wasn't sure if I added enough amounts of the ingredients! So I kept doing dhikr while preparing hehe And I honestly believe "dhikr" is the best secret to a successful meal because you are spreading barakah (blessing) into your cooked food which will insha'Allah be passed to the ones who are brave enough to try it out! Alhamdulillah. So ... ta da! FYI: it was yummy. On the right side are the tomato bhajias, on the left are the potato ones and in the middle is the onion with coriander and a pinch of mint. I made them jumbo size haha Here you go bawarchi ... :D ....

Also note, you know Squeeky is procrastinating with her schoolwork when she begins to write daily entries. Yes, I deserve some tsks right about now.

PS = I spent sehri in the dark ... it was very very eerie

...down...

2005-10-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum

Ugh, what a day ... what a week! My hormones are going insane, I have no idea what is going on with me. I've just been getting so emotional over every little thing. It's been quite unusual. I don't mean to. Just this morning, before we began for sehri, my father sat beside me to have a simple conversation. I was just not in the mood to speak to anyone. I'm just feeling ... really down. The problem is that I cannot figure out why. Alhamdulillah everything in my life is just perfect, so happy, and it's Ramadan! I'm literally having the time of my life ... but this week, just seems to be different. Whether it has to do with school (assignments are slowly beginning to pile-up, tests etc) or the events that are occuring in the world these days or just personal issues that my friends are experiencing ... which may also be taking some sort of toll on me, I do not know. All I do know, is that I want this feeling to end! It's normal, right? hehe This isn't new for me, I have my days when things just don't make sense and don't intend on making sense. Maybe I'm thinking too much? Vatever ...

Well, I thought I was doing fine until today. I was sitting in my Intro to Arab Culture class waiting for a young brother to begin his presentation. He expressed that he wanted to make an announcement before he began because it may affect his performance while delivering his information. I will not go into detail as to what he shared but whatever was bothering him, it will result in him moving to Pakistan. Just as he said those words, you can tell the pain he was feeling with a simple look at his expression ... he was about to burst into tears. I don't even know the guy, have never spoken a word to him ... yet, I could not help but feel his pain. It appeared to be recent news too because I remember him leaving the classroom for a little while. If only you could have seen him, how distraught he appeared.

It only made me realize, that my little problems, are nothing in comparison to others. You may think that whatever you are experiencing is the worst feeling ever but I feel it is real important to remind yourself that there is ALWAYS someone out there, experiencing something far worse. Unfortunately. And we should always be thankful to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala for everything He has given us, because everything we have ... is a blessing from Him.

Anyhoo, my du'as will be with him, may Allah Swt ease his pain and help him in his time of need, ameen.

Felt nice to let that out. Alhamdulillah :)

I gotta go catch my bus now ... *runs away in a frantic*

Trick?...but not even Treat?

2005-10-25T05:40:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

This question has been running through my mind so often these past few days because of the approach of Hallowe'en. Clearly, participating in this event is haram. But ... giving candy to cute little kids in darling costumes ... is that haram as well? I read up on an article and my answer came out to be "yes, it is haram". The only reason I look forward to Hallowe'en is just to see these adorable kids in the most cutest outfits. Especially when they bring little babies awwwww All I want to do is just see these little children that I won't see until the following year. But, I must understand that this is a pagan ritual and participating in any way would be haram.

Majority of us, as children wanted to participate in Hallowe'en because of one main reason, the candy. I was definitely one of those kids, I'm a complete sugar freak. So what my mummy would do is make us do something Islamic related and then she would reward us with a BIG bag of goodies. My goodness, she put everything in there! Just so we would not feel left out and instead of doing something in the way of a pagan historical ritual, we would do something that was a practice of Islam and would benefit us in our learning. Subhana'Allah. It is definitely the duty of the parents to make sure that their children are aware of the facts and help them understand why Muslims should not take part.

I will just highlight a couple of points from the article I read, just so everyone is aware of the upcoming occasion.

"Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) issued a stern warning: "Whoever imitates a nation is one of them!" (Abu Da'oud). Muslims should heed this warning and refrain from copying or imitating the kufar in their celebrations. Islam has strongly forbidden Muslims to follow the religious or social customs of the non-Muslims, and especially of the idol-worshippers or those who worship the devil. The Prophet (s.a.s.) said: "By Him in Whose hands is my life, you are ordered to enjoin good and forbid evil, or else Allah will certainly afflict you with torments. Thereafter, even your du'a (supplications) will not be accepted." (Tirmidhi)"

I found these hadith's to be quite strong. Even though these days, the practice of Hallowe'en usually is not based upon the original ideas of the ritual and the thought only revolves around "fun" is still no excuse to participate. This ritual originated from somewhere and it is very important for every individual to educate themselves about the significance of it. And if it is something that goes against Islam, as Muslims, it is our duty to be aware and distance ourselves from such practices, no matter what it is ... insha'Allah.

"We have established, beyond doubt, that the celebration of Hallow'een is absolutely forbidden in Islam. It is HARAM. The question arises as to what to do on this night. Muslim parents must not send their kids out "trick-or-treating" on Hallow'een night. Our children must be told why we do not celebrate Hallow'een. Most children are very receptive when taught with sincerity, and especially when shown in practice the joy of their own Islamic celebrations and traditions. In this regard, teach them about the two Islamic festivals of Eid. (Eid-ul-Fitr is fast approaching, and this is the perfect time to start preparing them for it.) It must also be mentioned that, even Muslims who stay home and give out treats to those who come to their door are still participating in this festival. In order to avoid this, leave the front lights off and do not open the door. Educate your neighbours about our Islamic teachings. Inform them in advance that Muslims do not participate in Hallow'een, and explain the reasons why. They will respect your wishes, and you will gain respect in the process. "A person who calls another to guidance will be rewarded, as will the one who accepts the message." (Tirmidhi)"

For further reading, check out this link:
http://www.themodernreligion.com/misc/hh/halloween.html

May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala guide us in the right direction, enhance our knowledge and stay on Sirat-ul-Mustaqeem ... ameen.

IN ADDITION:

I would like you all to check this link out too, it has to do with Homer, that says it all *sigh*
http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/celebs/articles/1335169.armx

A Possible Strike? ... NoOoOo

2005-10-16T01:50:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

Hello lovely people of the blogworld. How are my fans doing today? I do have fans, right ...? *sigh* Anyways, I'm in a dilemma. Okay well it's nothing too extravagent but enough to be a dilemma. The Teacher Assistants of York U may just go on strike! *gasps from all over the world* I know, I know, what shall we ever do. There is a big possibility that there will not be an actual strike. Every 3 years, apparently, the TA's get together with the big people and discuss their needs. Last time they did this, there were major conflicts that the board of York could not find themselves to meet the needs of the TA's. For example, tuition fees. What they are asking is once the asked tuition fee is paid, the TA's should be able to receive most of that money, in the form of bursaries. That strike occured when my sister attended York and it was the longest in all of the universities. So, I believe this week there will be a vote taken by the TA's whether or not they are satisfied with what the board has concluded for them. If there is a higher vote on "no", it doesn't mean that they will follow with a strike right away. It only means that if the TA's get the higher number, it gives them a dominating opportunity to, in a sense, make the board see things their way haha It is more likely that a fitting decision will be made and life can go on happily ... tra la la ... but if not, and the board decides that these issues they are having cannot be dealt with, a strike will occur! And that means, most classes will not be in session, and that means, I will miss out on school, and THAT means, I'm gonna freak. This is what happens when you're a goodie good, irrelevant things like this start to itch at you ... *sigh* ...

Honestly, I would not mind that much if there is a strike but I really don't want to miss out on all those days of school and have an extra month added to my school year. We pay so much money to attend these classes ... SO MUCH money and then to leave us in the cold like that? It's not very nice, especially since I don't like the cold. So if anything ... I'll find out the verdict in about a week.

Other than that, life is beautiful alhamdulillah. Ramadan is going so great! This month just brings out so much happiness in me, and each day I feel my imaan strengthening. Insha'Allah, you all are experiencing the same.

NOTE: my hand is doing okay :( poor little thing (it got cut by a knife ... I hate you knife!)

And yes, that is a Simpsons bandaid

~Ramadan Mubarak~

2005-10-04T03:25:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum! :D

Finally ... the month we have all been waiting for has come upon us, subhana'Allah! In this month, we should all make it an obligation to increase our practices of our Imaan insha'Allah. It is said that during this blessed month, the gates of Hell are closed and the gates of Paradise are opened, and the devils are in chains. We are finally rid of Shaytaan's ceaseless attempts to have us stray from Sirat-ul-Mustaqeem during this month and it is quite evident too. Notice how easy it is to prevent ourselves from doing anything that would not be permissable by our religion and Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala? We make the intention to complete the Qur'an during Ramadan and alhamdulillah, usually it is accomplished without a problem. Regular visits are kept when attending the masjids and remembering that we are all brothers and sisters in Islam, preventing unnecessary squabbles between one another. This, is the beauty of this Holy month. We can see what we are actually capable of accomplishing as Muslims and the sad part is that we are also able to see our weaknesses. If we find ourselves unable to avoid doing something which we know should not be practiced, it allows us to understand the impact that the Shayateen has had on us for the past year. Observe these weaknesses ... and work on them. I had heard in one lecture that in order to know if your fasts have been accepted, observe your behaviour after Ramadan. If you find yourself keeping up with the same manners as you had during the blessed month, consider your fasts accepted! Eventhough it is known that we will not know if our fasts had been accepted, it just seemed like a pretty good guideline. Though I wish I had more of a referance to that. I'm just going to leave this entry with some hadiths regarding Ramadan. They are taken from Faza'il-e-A'amaal.

May this blessed month bring each and every one of you peace and success, may Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala shower His blessings upon your homes, may He (subhanahu wa ta'ala) accept all of your fasts that will insha'Allah be easy on you and your efforts in bettering yourself and may Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala shower His nur over you.
Ameen, ameen, ya rabbil 'alameen!

Please remember me in your du'as and if I have ever said or done anything that has upset anybody, please do forgive me .... JazaakAllahu khairaa ... enjoy!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Salmaan (Sadiyallahu Anhu) reports, "On the last day of Sha-baan Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) addressed us and said,

'O People there comes over you now a great month, a most blessed month in which lies a night more greater in virtue than a thousand months. It is a month in which Allah has made fasting compulsory by day. And has made sunnah the Taraweeh by night. Whosoever intends drawing near to Allah by performing only virtuous deed, for such person shall be the reward like the one who had performed a fardh in any other time. And whosoever performs a fardh, shall be blessed with the reward of seventy faraa-idh in any other time.

This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Jannah (paradise). It is the month of sympathy with one's fellowmen. It is the month wherein a true believer's rizq is increased. Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break the fast (at sunset), for the feeder there shall be forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of Jahannam (hell), and for such feeder shall be the same reward as the one who fasted (who he fed) without that persons reward being decreased in the least."

Thereupon we said: "O messenger of Allah, not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast." Rasulullah (SAW) replied, "Allah grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of water, or a sip of milk."

"This is a month, the first of which brings Allah's mercy, the middle of which brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the fire of Jahannam."

"And in this month four things you should continue to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity bear witness that there is no deity to worship except Allah (ie. recite the Kalimah Tayyibah Laa Ilaaha illallaah) and make much Istaghfaar (beg Allah's forgiveness with Astaghfirullah)." And as for those without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah, entrance into paradise and ask refuge in Him from Jahannam."

"And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that giver to drink from My fountain, such a drink whereafter that person shall never again feel thirsty until he enters Jannah."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Abu Hurairah relates that Rasulullah (SAW) said, "My Ummah were given five things for Ramadan which were not given to anyone except them. For them, the smell from the mouth of a fasting person is more sweeter to Allah than the fragrant smell of musk. On their behalf the fish in the sea seek forgiveness for the fasting persons until they break their fast. Allah prepares and decorates a special garden in Jannah everyday and then says (to it), "The time is near when faithful servants shall cast aside the great trials of the world and come to you". In this month (for them) evil-minded Shaytaan is chained so as not to reach unto those evils to which they normally reach during other months besides Ramadan. On the last night of Ramadan they are forgiven".

The Sahabah (RA) thereupon equired, "O Messenger of Allah, is that last night Laylatul Qadr?" Rasulullah (SAW) replied, "No. But it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his service."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Anas (RA) reports, "Once when Ramadan commenced, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, 'A month has verily dawned over you wherein lies a night better than one thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its blessings has indeed deprived of (almost) all good. And none is deprived of its good except he who is completely unfortunate.'"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Aa'ishah (radiallahu anha) reports that Rasulullah (SAW) said, "Seek Laylatul Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten days of the month of Ramadan."

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'oon

2005-09-23T20:37:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum

Just found out that one of my cousin's from Hyderabad ... her husband passed away today :( And I am just overwhelmed with sadness at the moment because I know that she has had a very difficult life, it is her second husband. This one, had treated her the way a woman should be treated by her husband masha'Allah ... and now, he's gone.

My du'as go out to him, that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala may pardon his sins, save him from the punishments of the grave and bless him with a beautiful spot in the highest ranks of Jannat-ul-Firdos, ameen. And my du'as go out to my cousin and her little 10 year old daughter and the rest of the family, anyone who has been affected. May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala grant them Sabr and ease during this very difficult time and make this experience help them to increase their Imaan ... Ameen.

Du'as would be great appreciated ... JazaakAllahu khairaa ... may Allah bless you all

Get 'em Out!!

2005-09-21T07:29:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

There have been squirrels in our roof. For the past week. I thought there was only one but apparently, there might be a family. *sigh*. First the birds, now this. Please, someone ... get them out of there, they're so annoying. All you hear is them scurrying about and moving things around. Mummy says they're moving their furniture around, getting themselves nicely settled in. eeeeeep

Although, the squirrels seem to be mainly in the area above my parent's bedroom ... the attic door is by my bedroom and that's where the trap was placed :( I'm scared!! I wanted to take a picture of the trap ... it's big and scary looking. Poor squirrels ... but yeesh ... the roof of a house is not a home for you guys! Off with you ... please!

What scared me was when our neighbor told us if you don't get them out soon and if they happen to die up there ... their stench is the worst! NoOoOoOo, stinky home!!

Hmm ... well at least they're not racoons I suppose ... *shudder* Anyhooz, here's a silly cartoon I found.

Best Time for Du'a

2005-09-15T12:07:00.000-04:00

Assalaamu Alaikum :D

May these be beneficial to all of you and may Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala accept each and every one of your du'as that are being done with sincere intentions. Ameen.

Late at night:
When people are sleeping and busy with worldy pleasures, Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gives the believers an opportunity, or an answer hour if they can fight sleep and invoke Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala for whatever they need.

The Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: 'There is at night an hour, no Muslim happens to be asking Allah any matter of this world or the Hereafter, except that he will be given it, and this (occurs) every night.' [Muslim #757]

Middle of the night:
The Messenger (Peace and Blessing be upon him) said: "The Gates of Heaven are open at midnight, and a caller calls, 'Is there a supplicant that his supplication may be granted? Is there a petitioner that his petition maybe granted? Is there a distressed person so that his distress may be removed?' At that time, no Muslim makes a du'a but that it is answered, except for an adulteress who trades with her body, or a person who gathers his money unlawfully." [Sahih al-Jami' 2968]

Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu) narrated that Allah's messenger (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: 'In the last third of every night our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer: Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala) descends to the lowermost heaven and says; "Who is csalling Me, so that I may answer him? Who is asking Me so that may I grant him? Who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?" [Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith Qudsi]

At the time of Azaan and between it and the Iqamah:
The Messenger (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) said: "A du'a between athaan and the iqamah is not refused, so make du'a at that time." [Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban]

The Messenger (Peace and Blessing Be upon Him) said: "Two kinds of du'a are not rejected - or rarely are they rejected - du'a at the time of the call for prayer, and du'a at the time of fighting when the warriors are engaged with each other." [Abu Dawud]

On Friday after 'Asr The Messenger (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) said: "Friday has twelve periods. Among them is a period when no Muslim asks Allah for anything but He grants it to him. Search for that period late after 'Asr." [Sahihal-Jami' 8402]

When it is raining:
The Messenger (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) said: "Two kinds of du'a are not rejected: du'a at the time of the call for prayer, and du'a during rain." [Abu Dawud]

Being a parent, while fasting and while travelling:
The Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: "Three types of du'a are undoubtedly granted: a parent's du'a for his children, du'a of a fasting person, and du'a of the traveller." [Abu Dawud]

While Making Sujood:
The Prophet (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) said: "The servant is closest to his Lord while in sujud, so ask Allah in that time."

Laylatul-Qadr:
Aisha (RA) asked the Prophet (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) what should I say on Laylatil-qadr? And he replied, O Allah, indeed you are a Pardoner, and you love pardon; so pardon me.

An Hour on Friday:
Narrated by Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu): Allah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) talked about Friday and said: 'There is an hour on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while offering Salaah (prayer) and asks something from Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, then Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala will definitely meet his demand.' And he (the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam)) pointed out the shortness of that particular time with his hands. [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Some have said that this hour is from the time the Imam (prayer's leader) enters the mosque on Friday's prayer until the prayer is over (ie between the two khutbas), whereas others have said that it is the last hour of the day (ie after the Asr prayer until the Maghrib prayer)Note - when it said by 'hour', it does not mean the hour everyone knows (60 minutes) but an unspecified period of time because the time counters which is used today came after the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) had died.

Squeeky's Sanctuary

Alhamdulillah ... Alhamdulillah ... Alhamdulillah ...

Course 1, Lesson 4

Course 1, Lesson 3

Course 1, Lesson 2

Course 1, Lesson 1

Busy Bee *buzzzzz*

* Happy New Year *

The Baker Has Returned

Moved Out & Moved In

The Wait

Decorate & Design

Trial & Error

~* Ramadan Mubarak *~

...Basketball?

Best. Weekend. Ever.

It's a GIRL!

~*New Beginnings*~

Alhamdulillah

Pathetic me ...

*~ 24 ~*

Accommodate me! ..... plz?

Home sweet Home

Slow Realization

The Yahoo! Me

The Virtues Project

Bowling with the Young

ATTN: Gym Regulars

You will be missed

Sleeping In Weekends

Ice Cream Cones & Cupcakes

Dora the Explorer

Eid Mubarak & Happy New Year

Out Of One's Control

And the Holidays begin ...

Simpsomaker

The Final Drink

Kara Mia!

Please Welcome .....

Meet the Parents

~* Pashmina Princess *~

It Starts Young

Scrumptious

Friendship Never Ends

Name That Plant

Appreciation & Humiliation

Eid Party

~* Eid Mubarak *~

Meet the York Alumni

'Alima Program ..?

Taraweeh in Makkah

Ups & Downs

*~ Ramadan Mubarak ~*

Exhausted ...!

The Unexpected ...

Sorry Pluto ...

Canada's Wonderland

- MuslimFest -

A Mississaugian for the Weekend ... umm, yea

A Rose ... pour vous ...

~*Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Illaihi Raji'un*~

New Path leading to New Beginning

O Canada ...

Complete Devastation

STRESSED out of my MIND

Woo Hoo

Happy Birthday Mum

Six Feet Under

Happy Summer

Blinky *sigh*

Keep Fit and Have Fun!

Broaden Your Horizon

Almost Over ...

*Q.Q.C.*

IAW

Rice Krispies ... Squeeky Style

Beautiful Weekends

NOT from ATKINSON

Bye Bye Celly

Back to the Past

Busy Bee buzzzzz

~New Beginnings~

~ 24 ~

~ Ramadan Mubarak ~

~Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Illaihi Raji'un~

Blinky sigh

Q.Q.C.

~Eid Mubarak~

Candy Canes and Chocolate yum

murmuring

~Eid Mubarak~

~Ramadan Mubarak~

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'oon