Bonfire night

‘Remember, remember the 5th of November…”

Now THIS is the type of holiday that I do love!!!  

If you don’t know about the history, it’s basically about a man called Guy Fawkes who tried to blow up the House of Parliament, but failed. As a result we now celebrate, well the fact that he failed and this signified by the effigy of Guy Fawkes that is traditionally burnt on top of the bonfire. Ok, now that I’ve put it like that, it does sound a little morbid. Essentially we’re celebrating the failure of a terrorist in the older times. Hmmm

But what the hell, it’s a lot of fun! Watching the huge bonfires and colourful fireworks, eating the various associated foods such as toffee apples, bonfire toffee and not forgetting the games that are played e.g. apple bobbing etc.

In other related news, this happened...

Thankfully it didn't actually go ahead on the night, but what a stupid thing to propose in the first place. Organising a strike on what is potentially the busiest night of year for the fire service.  Also the second headlien below also made me laugh...

I mean really. The article suggested that people could potentially blind themselves whilst bobbing for apples as the stalks could damages the cornea. That is akin to saying something along the lines of, 'Don't use your stapler as you may end up stapling your hand' . I mean that is common sense and then there is being ridiculous.

Anyhow, we slightly delayed our bonfire celebrations as I was too tired after driving back from Watford General Hospital on the actual night. But I would like to think I still made up for it by attending displays over the weekend and having our own bonfire party for the sake of my little brother more than anyone else.

Lots of thisturned into this

 

 

It was a very fun weekend.

Aishi

You are never forgotten,

Forever in our thoughts,

Not a single day goes by,

that we do not feel your loss.

We dearly love you Aishi... always have, always will.

Bilal - younger siblings...

So it is the second week of half term and I woke up at 7am to find Billy standing over me whilst I was still in bed. I was a little startled to say the least.

Me: What r u doing?
Billy: Checking you’re still breathing.

Me: What? Why?

Billy: You weren’t moving...

Okay, I know I should be flattered he cares at all, but it is still a little bit weird! Anyway off I went to uni and later in the day upon my return...

Billy: Why don’t you snore?

Me: *A little taken aback* Err... what?

Billy: Well, I thought about all day today. The reason I thought you were dead is because you weren’t snoring. *looks satisfied with his answer* (What the hell, he spent the whole day thinking about it?)

Me: Okay and you thought that if a person doesn’t snore this means that they’re dead?
Billy: *shrugs*

Me: Well I don’t snore...

Billy: I know u don’t. But WHY don’t you?

Me: Uff, because I’m normal?

Billy: *goes quiet*... So I’m abnormal then?
Me: *I laugh out loud*

Billy: Baji!!! Am I abnormal? Telll meeeeee!

Me: *silence*

Billy: *Silence and a shocked face* ... Nah!!! You’re kidding. Right? Right? Baj?

I know, I know... I’m a horrible person. Sometimes it is just way too tempting :P

Bilal’s first day

Today is my baby brother’s first day at his new school. I say baby but he is actually 11 years old and is starting high school. Dad dropped him off for his first day, as he didn’t have enough time to have a trial run of his bus route, since we returned from our holidays. He looked so smart in his little blazer and also a little nervous as many of his friends had gone to different schools depending on their location and if they had any older siblings in their chosen school. Easier school runs for the parents I guess. Bilal unfortunately didn’t get his first choice of school which was Dixon’s Academy and I think that knocked his confidence a little bit. His second choice was Bradford Academy, which he did get a place at and from the reports and other parent reviews it seems like a great school and much better than some of the other choices. His third choice was Grange Technology College and I’m glad we didn’t have to consider them as (knowing what I now know of the school in my short time there) I don’t think he would have coped very well. He is just not an ‘innit’ boy (thankfully), lol!

A nervous looking Bilal off to school with dad. Bless!

Picking him up after his first day at the new school. Looking a lot happier than he did this morning :)

Pictures taken a few days later, when I picked him up from school again and had a few errands to run. I know I just can't help myself. Family members will notice that Billy's layers of clothing seem to be decreasing as the photo's go on. It's a issue I know! ;)

So Bilal’s back at school, dad’s back to work, mum’s unpacking and rearranging the house and my classes don’t start still the last week of September/ beginning of October. I am currently revising as I have exams to do as soon as semester starts!!!

Graduation gifts for accountants anyone?

My cousin Saba is graduating with a BSc in accounting! Woohoo! So proud of her and pleased for her but I have a tiny issue that needs resolving. What shall I get her as a gift for her graduation? Someone suggested this…

Can be found at Amazon  

Clearly a joke gift! But Apple did suggest this...

Nice try Apple, but she already has one.

Now can I have some serious suggestions please? Thank you!

The conservatory

We're having a conservatory built but seen as I’m feeling too lazy to write (seriously I have written ridiculous amounts this past few months!), here is the progress on our conservatory in pictures…

Heavy lifting! Before any digging could be done, I helped dad relay the garden path so it was all nice and even. This was my only contribution... and then the builders took over. Thankfully :)

The foundations were dug out, levelled, cemented and finally the brick wall made its appearance.

The beams for the floor go in and the brick wall gets its first layer of cement.

The frames go up and the roof goes on.

The windows and doors are installed, electrics are sorted out and the flooring is laid down.

With the building work completed, all it needed was a lick of paint (inside and out), some furniture and some blinds installed. What actually followed was a bit of a lag phase :P Feel free to take guesses on how long it took, lol. But the point is it finally completed and here is the finished result :)

Next stop; the garden!

My Dad

All my life I have watched my dad work hard in order to provide for his family and not just for his immediate family i.e. his wife and children, but also his brothers and sisters to help them get established and stand on their own two feet.

The start of our relationship is best described by a story that mum tells me of the moment I was born. Dad was outside the ward, waiting for the news (he’s a bit of a wimp what with hospitals and all) and was overjoyed when he learnt that his first child was a little girl. After seeing my mother and I, he went out and shared mitaai out to all his friends and family to celebrate my birth. His chosen sweet was ladoo’s and upon receiving the sweets, his friends congratulated him on the birth of his son. When my dad corrected them and informed them that in fact he had a little daughter, most of them were taken aback and asked why he was so happy, it was only a girl after all. To which my dad replied, regardless of whether he had a boy or girl, his offspring would make him proud and he didn’t care if he had a boy or not. That the great thing about my dad, he sticks up for me when I least expect it.

Prior to my birth, Dad had chosen Shakil for a boy and was undecided on a girl’s name. Mum suggested Maria as she liked the sound of that (Guys!!! I could have been a Maria!!!) but dad pulled a face and was adamant that it should begin with an S to match his name and he wanted people to know he was proud. He looked at me and said ‘Saima’ and it clicked. When Aisha was born, again mitaai was shared and again people asked why he was so happy. Man, stereotypical asian people! Can I just point this out this quote...

“Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach adulthood - he and I will come (together) on the Day of Resurrection - and he interlaced his fingers (meaning in Paradise).” (Reported by Muslim)

"He who raises two daughters until their puberty will be with me in Paradise like this", and he symbolized the proximity by showing two of his fingers with a slight gap between them." (Muslim)

Our childhood was a happy one. We were number one in dad’s world and he would always make time for us. He always took us out and about with him but he would also make at least one special trip each year – sort of like an annual family outing. Now that we’re older, times and circumstances have changed and in the same way our relationship has also matured.

Some funny things about my dad... My father reckons he was a bit of heart throb in his younger years and to some extent still thinks he is one. Whenever we receive an invitation to a close family member’s wedding, without fail dad will always ask whether there is a suitable lady in the new family that is willing to get married to him. Of course we all know he’s having a laugh but when we were children, my sister and I always used to get into an argument with dad ordering him to never leave mum and make him promise and double promise, lol. My Dad still tries to flirt when he’s given the chance (often to the embarrassment of his children) and says people love it and flirt back with him (of which I have never seen any evidence). With regards to dress sense, my dad tends to stick to his usual colours and doesn’t like deviating from them. However this has now changed a little since I now usually accompany dad when he goes clothes shopping and get to have more of say in what he buys for himself. This brings me to one of my dad’s funny quirks. Every so often, my dad actually takes my advice but doesn’t like to acknowledge it outright. Sometimes the advice is taken on face value and sometimes it is eventually heeded but in a roundabout way. But the important point is that I’m treated like an equal by my dad and that is a major thing for both of us.

My father loves to sing as loud as he can and make up random rhymes in amongst the singing. Often these do not make any sense but I don’t think he cares to be honest, I think he just likes making himself heard. Also Aisha totally loves it when dad sings and I have no idea why, lol! From time to time dad uses me as a sounding board to discuss things that he doesn’t want to share with mum or anyone else straight away. This initially felt a bit strange but I do like that when my dad needs someone to confide, I am considered a suitable candidate... and this makes me feel good. It’s strange that even as we grow up, we still look towards our parents for approval and validation. My relationship with my dad… it has its ups and downs but at the end of the day he is my father and he helped bring me into this world and I love him dearly. You’re probably wondering why I am telling you all this? Well, today was my dad’s birthday and despite our ups and downs, I do indeed love my father dearly and pray that he leads a long life in which he is happy and healthy always (iA). Love you daddy :)

My Birthday

Have you heard about how the human body can replace itself in its entirety over your lifetime. Basically everything that you were born with will not be the original article when you die. For some things this is expected, for example red blood cells have a lifecycle of 120 days and so they are continually replaced, in order to keep up with the body’s demand. The skin (upper epidermis) is replaced every 2 weeks or so as the dead skin cells are sloughed off and replaced by the newer ones pushing through from the bottom. The liver takes about 300 to 500 days to renew itself and in fact the entire human skeleton is completely replaced every 10 years... which sounds great except that the replacements are aged versions rather than brand new ones – sort of like second hand bones so to speak lol. Weirdly there are over 500 different bacterial cells (some are good, some are bad) compared to human cells; that’s approximately10x more than human cells. For some reason, that last fact about bacterial cells reminds me of parasites, as in the kind of people that leach off you over your lifetime. Ok, I am aware of how harsh and random that sounds, lol. Anyway the point is the human body is a funny old thing isn’t it?

All this biological change makes me wonder if I have changed. I know have aged biologically, but have I changed on the inside as well? Is there certain period in our lives where we shed our old self and develop a new you. I often think of it like those Russian dolls, where each layer is removed to reveal a different version of the doll… a different version of you. As we grow older, we shed those layers over time. Some get recycled and reused whilst others get discarded as they are not longer any use to us.

I always find it weird, how many of the dolls don't exactly have the most cheerful expressions on their faces... these blue dolls being the exception of course.

In my mind, I know that change is inevitable, but I’d like to think that my core is still intact and hopefully something that will not change. My core layer is linked to the beliefs, morals and values that my parents have instilled in me. The next layer up is where I retain the good qualities and discard the not so good ones i.e. anger, hate etc. Sometimes this particular layer may go unchecked and build up to such an extent that the core layer gets a bit diluted. Yet I’m still optimistic that in an ideal world, the core will hopefully manage to pull through and remain strong. The outer layers are linked to everyday occurrences and experiences that colour my moods and daily outlook in the short term. These outer layers wax and wane as time goes on and the years get added on.

As I approach the completion of the quarter of my life next year (this is me assuming I’ll live to 100 years old!), I often find myself reflecting on my birthdays. With my weird OCD kicking in, I find myself making lists of what I’d like to achieve by a certain age. Currently I’m making my ‘things-I’d-like-to-do-before-I’m-25’ list. Some things I’ve done, some I’m doing, some are in the works and close to the horizon and some I feel like are nowhere as close as they should be. At times I think I’m exactly where I want to be and other times I feel a bit disillusioned and wonder where I’m heading. I wonder if you guys ever have doubts like me or are you totally control of everything. Do have different layers or are you the same through and through – sort of like a stick of rock, lol.

Anyway the point of this post… 25th February; my birthday!!! (Yes I still get excited by it... well a little bit). Also I discovered I share my birthday with Shahid Kapoor (I’m 5 years his junior!)... and the 12 yr old me just fainted! :P

I love how the different online services wish me happy birthday every year... in rather unique ways. Just when you think they’re wondering off their usual agenda , they get back to the ‘Oh and have you tired our latest product/service?’ lol

My baby brother can be really sweet at times. Though I’m pretty sure that my mum has chose half of the gifts… hmmm.

How beautifully wrapped is that? I snuck a picture when Saba wasn't looking :P

Dr Who box set – this is one of the many reasons why I love my cousins Saba and Sara! They love fuelling my obsessions. And no, I haven’t opened it yet, as I’m waiting till I get the bulk of my work done and watch it when I’m a bit more relaxed.

I can safely say none of the other packages has this name on them. Thank you Imran bhai ;)

My birthday was excellent! I had a lot of fun and thank you to everyone for their lovely messages and presents :) The birthday party is sort of delayed at the moment, due to other family stuff going on and what not, but I’m pretty sure there will be some sort of family get together at some point in the future – it’s not like we need much of an excuse :)

Christmas Holidays

It’s the holidays and it has been a little over week since my graduation. It’s still snowing ‘proper’ snow, which is fine because I have nowhere I really need to be and it is nice just to be able to sit back, relax and watch the snow fall. I hired out my gown for an extra week so that we could take some family pictures in a studio but I soon realised that with the run up to Christmas, most people had hired studios to take family portraits and so our choice of studies was limited. Luckily my uncle (nasir chachu) has a photo studio and thankfully he was available which is great as I running out of time to return my gown.

Advantages of using services provided by family members. You feel much more at ease and in the case of photo’s we took quite a few because a) I blinked quite a lot at the wrong times apparently and b) Dad and Bilal are such posers who were only further encouraged by Nasir chachu, lol. Saeed mamoo and auntie Naseem were also out and about in Leeds shopping and popped in to see how we were getting on. The only disadvantage for using family I would say, are that they don’t let you pay and therefore I feel even worse for taking up so much of their time!

The photo’s that chachu took came out really well (mA) and even my official single portrait from Manchester University was good… well looking at the proofs, I still have to order the real thing. All in all, the day went well and I enjoyed being with my family. The hols were spent at home with my family, watching stuff on TV until the post office opened up again allowing me to post my gown back to the company and breathe a sigh of relief that everything went well.

Returning my gown - I particularly like the tag where it orders me to not to leave the country with the gown. Um... ok, I'll try not to :P

Unfortunately we didn’t have a big family Christmas dinner this year as the Ali family were in Pakistan and as soon as they get back, Auntie Naseem is jetting off to Pakistan for two weeks. It feels a bit like a relay race to and from Pakistan at the moment, lol. Therefore not an ideal time to have a graduation party and I’m afraid my cousin Sara will have to wait a little bit longer. Bilal’s birthday is soon approaching so hopefully we’ll have a combined party then when everyone is back from their holidays and free from exams and what not.

In other news, I am still LOVING the snow! Snowman building has been rife in our area and even my mum couldn’t resist having a go, lol. Pictures of a couple of our attempts are shown below. There is something about fresh snow and Christmas that goes so well together and we haven’t had much of it these past few years. Definitely a welcome change and we’ll enjoy it as long as we can :)

Exhibit A is mum's attempt and exhibit B is Bilal's attempt :)

Unfortunately we think mum's snowman has been going out secretly partying at night. We found him the next morning a little worse for wear, legless shall we say? ;) Legless, geddit? No? Ok, well I found it funny!

Bilal felt it was right to read a janazah for mum's snowman. Talk about getting easily attached!

Baking with Bilal

With the my dissertation completed, I finally got the chance to chill out with my family. I fancied doing some baking and rather shockingly, Billy decided to join. I made a pasta bake, a couple of quiches with different fillings that Bilal helped to decorate, bless! We also made some pretzels - can you tell which ones are mine and which are Bilal's? lol With the leftover dough, I thought I'd leave Billy to it to see what he came up with. After cutting a tray full of round biscuits, Bilal got bored and started to try different things. My favourite thing has to be when he made our initials for all of us; A for my sister, an S each for my father and I and a Y for my mother. After he arranged them on the baking tray, he called me over to place the tray in the oven. I couldn't help but laugh :P I think he enjoyed our baking session - whether it was the actual baking or the fact that I hadn't spent that much time with him lately, who knows. But I'm glad he did and makes me think that I should do this sort of thing with him more often :) Afterwards Billy even helped with the washing up - I almost fainted from the sheer shock of it all, lol. All in all, a good day :)