Excited

First and foremost, Eid Mubarak. May Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) accept your fast and prayers and guide you to your abode in Paradise inshaAllah!

Ok,for those of you on facebook you will indeed know that i was on a desert safari, which was absolutely fantastic! Couldn't have asked for a more better experience to actually get a taste of the real Emiratis and their lives prior to them finding the oil. The other thing that this safari made me realise, is how tough the conditions were all those years ago and for once i felt like i was living in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). But SubhanAllahu, just thinking that they would go for days on those camels and in that heat is absolutely amazing! I went on the camel for about 5 minutes and my back is bruised because of the saddle! Go figure!

So tomorrow, my long weekend is over and i am back to work but i have a few things i am looking forward to. One is the next set of holidays... looool getting too comfortable lazing around but the other thing i am really looking forward to is starting my Islamic Studies Course online with Sunni Path. It starts at the end of this month and for once i am excited to get back to doing something useful again. I was contemplating on continuing my masters in Islamic Studies (rather than the boring Educational Leadership that i was doing). But now that i have found these courses, i can't think of anything better to be doing. If your interested in what my fist course is, it is one of the most difficult topics out there... Introduction to Menstruation!!! Can't wait...

Shopping

Anyone that has been to the UAE or Dubai in particular always talks about the shopping, don't get me wrong the shopping is good (of course depending on the Aussie dollar) but for me what is more fascinating is the shopping centre itself... they are unique and one of a kind! The closes thing that comes to it is Westfield Doncaster and that is just what a normal shopping centre looks like still. Here, we have aquariums, ski slopes, boats, and all types of unbelievable stuff that they stuff inside the shopping centre.

Indian Court - Ibn Battuta Mall

Aquarium - Dubai Mall

Persian Court - Ibn Batutta Mall

Fountain - Dubai Mall

Ski Slope - Emirates Mall

Ski Slope - Emirates Mall

Travelling

One of the great things about being in the UAE is how close it is to everywhere. So you don't have to spend 14 hours on a plane to get to some other country! During my stay here, i have managed to get to a few places both locally and internationally. Some of the places that i have managed to get to are Doha, Qatar; Istanbul, Turkey and Sheffield, England! And the Emirates itself has quite a few sights to see in itself. Usually as soon as there is a long weekend, you plan your next vacation Unfortunately, this Eid we will not be going anywhere and will be here in Abu Dhabi, which is a shame but i guess i shouldn't get to comfortable jetting off somewhere whenever i get the chance because i know that once i get back to Oz, there will be no such luxury!

Sheffield, London and the famous cabs!

Istanbul, Turkey - Aya Sofia

Istanbul, Turkey - View of the Asian side

Al - Ain, UAE - View from Jebel Hafeet

Al-Ain, UAE - View from the only hotel on top of Mount Hafeet

The Beach

Any one that knows me knows that i love the water. I find it so peaceful and relaxing just sitting by the beach and listening to the waves and the murmur of the water. Sometimes if you listen close enough, its like the sea is talking to you. I use to always be in the water and any chance i got i was either at the beach or in the pool. So i loved the fact that one summer while i was overseas i got a job as a life guard! By the pool everyday for the entire summer, i wasn't complaining that's for sure. Then i covered and i felt totally uncomfortable to go to the beach and in the water let alone the pools. I remember vividly, i used to drive a bus to take the hijabi girls to the pools and would just sit on the sidelines and wait for them to finish and then drive them back... boy was i envious! Someone asked me one day "why don't you go into the water? It is just us covered girls!" But i couldn't. I felt like i had the hijab on and by me going into the water i would feel totally stripped. Come the UAE and it is normal to see the hijabis at the beach and in the water... garb and all! The water is to die for here, it is crystal clear and so inviting. The turquoise water shimmers and sparkles like a gem. So in comes the burqini... not the best look i may add but it did get me into the water. The first time i went in was summer 2008 but i was not ready for what lay ahead... the water was BOILING!!! This is in the beach, the open waters and it did not feel refreshing at all! I felt like i was actually sweating in the water... i know it sounds gross but it wasn't refreshing at all! Still hasn't turned me off though, because when you compare the beach here and the beach in Port Melbourne, St Kilda, even up towards the Great Ocean Road you cant compare!

Take a look and see what i mean!

The marina where the boats are looking towards the city.

People frolicking in the water. Love how clear and blue the water is!

Still

So as you can tell i have still kept this blog and seem to still be posting (not so much during Ramadan). Even managed to jazz it up a little which I'm proud of myself for doing. Sometimes i feel sooooo technologically illiterate and incompetent. But the problem is I LOVE MY GADGETS! anything technical, i love to buy and spend hours fiddling around with it until i figure out how it works. I know you're probably thinking well read the manual...yes that's the most obvious answer but then there would be no challenge. Even with simple things like this i need to challenge myself and figure it out, if i don't... well that's another story all in itself! Just saw this really cool device which looks like a pen and writes like a pen but it has a clip that you attach to the paper that you are writing on and then all you do is get the clip take off the lid and it becomes a USB, pop it into the computer and voila... everything you have written down is now on your computer... Cant wait! Tomorrow, I'm off to buy it to see if it really is as good as it sounds! Dubai here i come!

Waste

Having second thoughts about this whole blog thing and unsure about whether or not i want to actually continue with it or not! The whole reason i started this was because i went through a phase where i would just sit and type whatever was on my mind but somehow i feel that i have to still be selective with what i say as you don't want to sound like you're constantly whingeing and whining. Which you don't really mean to do but that's what it sounds like when you just write whatever it is that comes to your head. Then it comes to the purpose? What is it? Is it just a release? or what else does it serve? Should it be changed? The reason I'm saying this is because if there is no purpose is it just a waste of time and shouldn't i be doing something useful with it? Will i be questioned for wasting my time like this? Hmmm the dilemmas...

Ramadan

The beautiful month of Ramadan has begin once again and always seems to be confronted by controversy about the dates. I don't know why this happens especially in Australia, there is no unity whatsoever. I cant understand how a group of 'imams' can get together a month before hand and come to an agreement about the day it begins, and then you have the calendar that some follow and then you have people following there own countries... I mean who am i to judge? I am no one and i don't claim to be right. I just wish that people would revert back to the way the Prophet (peace be upon him) did it and that would stop the difference. Now that does bring the difference between Shafii and Hanafii but that's not a big difference anyway.

In Melbourne we seem to have people beginning to fast over 3-4 days... now I'm sorry that's just plain ridiculous! And i hate the categorisations that have started also... the TURKS started on this day or the ARABS start on this day. SubhanAllah we are all Muslims isn't that what its meant to be about. So if i fast on a day different to the ARABS does that make me a TURK, i mean seriously!!!

This month is about, peace, unity, self restraint and about Ibadah. May you all have a blessed Ramadan and remember to keep me in your duas also!

Part 5 - work & ppl

OK, so i started back at work today and i started with this really positive attitude and rearing to go. Sometimes i wonder why do we even bother to work and sometimes i think i would be completely and utterly bored if i just stayed at home. No offense to anyone who stays at home, i think its quite admirable actually... i just don't think I'm a good housewife that's all. Sometimes i wish i was like some of the Turkish ladies whom manage to cook beautiful meals, keep the house spotless as anything and smelling of dettol (i love dettol and drench the floors with it) and yet still manage to raise beautiful, well mannered kids. Its not only Turkish ladies but they seem to be the majority of my friends. The meals they cook are to die for (just the thought of it has my mouth watering yum). After 7 years of marriage, i still cant do it all... but oh well inshaAllah one day i shall manage.

So back to work again! If anyone knows me well, they know that i am a straightforward person and cant be fake and pretentious and yet you see people around you who can be so fake. I know Allah is the ultimate judge but it gets on my nerves when people say one thing or talk about other people and then when u come across them they are acting like the person that they were backstabbing 2 seconds ago is their best friend... am i making any sense? I know what I'm trying to say but cant seem to express it properly. Anyhow, it frustrates me.. so i sat on the sidelines and watched all this stuff happening which was like a joke. I wish people could just be themselves and stop trying to be something that they're not. If only everyone was straight forward and didn't have broken pieces or evil intentions or thoughts or after anything other than to do their job... arrgghhh i think i have just confused anyone that actually reads this but its like an avalanche of emotions... I just want people around who are honest and with integrity and are straightforward and honest... It seems hard to trust anyone these days... c'est la vie!

Part 4

Seem to be getting over the jet lag which is great and i seem to be somehow not looking forward to work tomorrow seeing that i have basically just been sitting around doing completely jack for the past few days! When i say jack i literally mean jack. Crawling to kitchen to actually get some food and then crawl right back and sit on my backside again. I must say i have quite enjoyed it seeing how busy i was in Oz so i guess i needed to relax somehow or another. If only they would let me!!! After a year and 4 months they have decided to wash the windows of the apartment which was desperately needed as we weren't getting any natural light in anymore seeing that they were as black as night. So without any warning whatsoever these guys are spraying water with a pressure gun cleaning the rails of the balcony! Don't mind the fact that i have clothes on the line in the balcony all those loads that i had done yesterday and was too lazy to get up and actually put away! So i get hubby to run to the balcony and bring in the clothes which is all good and fine not to mention the fact that i have to wash some items of clothing again :-/ but they made a complete mess of the balcony which was just cleaned and washed yesterday. But to make matters worse the kitchen is flooded with all the dirty water which i tried to ignore but somehow couldn't manage. All good and dandy and it was absolute joy cleaning the balcony and the kitchen after i had just paid someone to do it the day before! (note tone of sarcasm). But then i had to deal with the pickles which fell on the carpet, juice and all and if anyone loves pickles as much as i do, you would know that to have that smell on the carpet is not the most pleasant smell. Oh the joys of cleaning!

Other than that have done nothing exciting. Hubby has gone out and i am sitting in front of the TV yet again watching mission impossible, which sounds a tad like me trying to keep the house clean... guess its doing the job of background noise so i shouldn't complain! Come to think of it, the TV seems to have so many other purposes other than just watching it.. background noise, keeping kids quiet, keeping some adults quiet.. can be a good thing if you're not addicted to it!

My Useless Thoughts begins, minus part 1 & 2

Well my useless thoughts did start off with part 1 and part 2 written a while back, but there would be no point going back to it now, would there? Guess i have to just add part 3!

Well i think this is part 3 as i clearly remember doing a part 2 but cant find it anywhere... it is most possibly on the work laptop but i do distinctly remember emailing it to myself so that i cam keep them all in the one spot... but oh well, i guess its just not meant to be for now but i will call this part 3 either way.

Just got back from Australia and i am completely and utterly jet lagged, the only reason why i know this is that hubby and i are awake at 5am, I struggled to sleep in til 7 today. I must say that having longer days because i am not sleeping in for most of it is a joy, but then it seems like the days drag. Home was so good, neither hubby nor i wanted to come back but i guess we had no choice but am really looking forward to going home permanently within 6 months. Things haven't changed much back home other than the kids growing but hey i guess that's what kids do best. You sort of slip right back into your old routines when your there, but i sure as hell miss it.

We are back in Abu Dhabi now with the repetitive heat and i don't think things have changed much here which isn't really a good thing as this place NEEDS to change. The heat hits u like a gale force wind and you find it hard to breathe, guess it will take some getting use to again, especially since Melbourne was so cold!

Again, i don't know the point of this, i am thinking maybe its a good release and that's about all, something like keeping a diary i guess but nothing to personal. Just the thoughts that are running around through my head like wild fire... never ends does it? sometimes i wish i could stop thoughts but it never does cause then you're actually thinking of stopping them and how to stop them so it befits the purpose. Seriously contemplating on starting a blog but i don't know. It will make my days pass i guess and then i guess there will be somewhere permanent where all these useless thoughts of mine will be kept.... ahhhh my life is so exciting! Mind you i must say that i don't have to go to work tomorrow which is a joy and i officially start on Monday... will be draining I'm sure but hey, one extra day off so I'm not complaining.

Some TV program on TV that seems to be completely useless.. like my thoughts i guess... loll but that made it on TV wonder if my thoughts will... hahha. Still i have work to do, have to put the second load of washing on the line and then put the 3rd load in... the joys of coming back from a holiday is all the washing that has to be done later on but i guess i shouldn't complain... at least i got to go see family and friends.

I think i should stop for now as i seem to be thinking about what to write and that befits the whole purpose of this... this is all about just writing what comes to your head. Wonder where mum and dad are? haven't seen them online at all today! gone and forgotten maybe?? somehow doubt it....