April diaries
This month marked our 3 month crazy-happy-fun-whirlwind kinda marriage and a new start to a day routine with Mr’s new job. Its actually a happy moment when you devour in life with all the goodness it has to offer. I’ve always thought confetti is the best way to celebrate, although this year onward we found new meaning to celebrating with bubbles. Blowing bubbles can be fun if they dont pop on your face or close to the eyes. The MR and I have had sudden cravings to blow bubbles and laugh off the stress this city provides.
*blows bubbles*
With burnt ‘kinda’ brownies and starbucks coffee turned into a homemade version of cold coffee, our cravings for desserts aint stopping much! But its fun, living with a person who enjoys life as much as you do. Happy happy feeling. Alhamdolillah. Reminds me of how blessed we are, with April thundershowers, Electricity outrages..oh well. Sometimes the UPS gives up toooooooooooo(n). With greenery around the house that smells fresh brings in more energy and inspiration to work. The smell of rain and the earth quenching its thirst. it always calls for pakoras and an Ammi to enjoy with. Aaah… the pleasures of having a fun M-I-L.
Talking about inspiration, CANNOT live without art and design. Just CAN NOT! So heads up to the month of May. Mothers day is right around the corner and the Creative person inside me is spot on working on mothers day orders. The first batch went home a few days back! Making it special for Mothers all around the WORLD. Wooohoooo!!! GPCS does it once again! 
All in all, April is running by fast! Allah mian, Thankyou oh So very much for being Super Meherbaan on us. Will need it always! 
Uniquely 27
our pet Doggie on wheels 
Keeping up with the regular midnight cake cutting one would do. The little joys in life are when you get something which you least expect. Heres to a year of bubbles replacing confetti and owning a pet doggie on wheels. Wohooooooo!!
Thankyou allah mian for a precious husband and a new family which is as crazy as the family at ‘maa kay ghar’.
2012 you flew away
Confessions. Dubai 2012. Birthday. Indus. A very Special 26th. Saarc Mela. Turkey trip. Memories. Bye bye rooftop. Golu’s nikah Gem homes. Abbotabad. Bhoja air. Rishta. Chotis Shaadi. Engagement <3. Hina's Ebaad. Zainu's very very special 28th! Nani <3. Golu's Shaadi. Founders day as BOG IVSAA. Shaadi Preps! Phupo to the times 3- Ibrahim. Bachelorette Dubai trip. GPCS-screen print workshop in Dubai. Shaadi in 10 days. Inshallah!
What a whirlwind of a year 2012! Alhamdolillah, the good the bad the happy the sorrow. Lessons of life!
2013 – Im welcoming you with open arms.
life at 11:00 on a sunday morning
So december started, the bridey mode is still far away from how everyone would want it to be! A list of chores to be covered by the hour, wrapping up projects, semester ending at work. Life is a BIG chaos right about now. There are moments where i fight with sleep so i could finish work off. Looking forward to travel plans….much needed.
December, you seem good. please keep it rolling!
26th August 2012
Its almost a month since I lost my friend, confidant and the frosting of my life. Havent had the courage to write down my feelings, its almost like i’ll come back here and go through them and collapse. She left us peacefully. She remembered calling out to me before she passed away. She asked why I hadnt come to see her. By the time I reached to give her one last comforting hug and a special kiss on her cheek, she left knowing I wouldnt be able to see her breath her last. I shut her eyes for her, kissed her forehead for the last time. Her soft cold skin…sigh.
My Nani, my confidant, the frosting of my life is now at peace and so am I.
You shall live in my heart forever. RIP Nani ♥
12.06.1927 – 26.8.2012
ps. Keep those special duas rolling. I’ll need them forever.
Rozay Wali Eid 2012
This year Ramzan just ran full speed. Seems like just yesterday that taraweeh started and the first sehri happened. Alhamdolillah, ramzan gone by, availed in the best possible way i could.
I made lots of prayers this ramzan, availed all the big nights*allah shukr*. Of upcoming new beginnings in life, i was bugged a lot this ramzan with ‘last ramzan at home, next year with hubby?’. It was a mix of feelings, totally looking forward to the new change in life, while i felt ammi’s voice go shaky. A random burst of emotions from the parents collectively, a t-shirt project with saad for independence day and crazy wakeup calls. This ramzan has been a big learning experience. A friends dad passed away on Jumat-ul-Widah, the last precious friday of the holy month. He was lucky enough to be buried in the holy land aka Makkah. It shook me. Ive been hearing of his health going down. May allah mian give the family sabr. Ameen.
A skype date with ada and family is a total must on Eid. With manoo and mehru jumping around in Eid attire with mehendi stories to share. Sooo much fun
The most happiest FAQ this ramzan was,’EIDI aaiygi is saal?*wink wink*’. hahahaaa… yes, the other set of parents, the inlaws bought my clothes for eid with chooriyaan and shoes. Alhamdolillah such a good feeling. Eid was different this time. Amidst running around meeting relatives, hubby-to-be came over to meet us while we went to meet the inlaws too. The bestest newest feeling, receiving Eidi from MIL and Hubby-to-be
With everyones blessings, looking forward to the big change in life
Allah mian Thankyouu, im loving this plan of yours.
Missed the rooftop the most, caught a glimpse of chand mian on Eid day 2. sigh. Good times those were. *throws confetti* just because missing good times is celebratory enough
Happily Ringed 10062012 :)
From saying YES to *smiles* to being happily ringed. One and a half months down the happy-lane of life, its been great. Alhamdolillah. From family to friends, from siblings to change in relationships. Allah mian Thankyou oh so veryyy much for everything. I understand how hard times just cross by, making us stronger way more than we ever thought. Nani, living this life to see me as a mini-bride. She was the MOST sparkly eyed person around. With Nani, the parents and parents-in-laws we exchanged rings amidst laughter, big happy smiles and friends who stood by us all happy and proud!.
A new chapter in life has begun and im totally loving this.
ps. Allah mian, im loving THIS plan of yours. You know the prayers im making, waiting for them to be answered, i know they will be when the time is right
*alhamdolillah*
*throws confetti*
photo credit: R|Photography
Adapting change :)
The spring semester 2012 went by BUSY. did.not.breathe kinda 5 months. So much to learn, to observe, to retain, to give. The year started with a fab trip to dubai to visit Ada and family. The spring break took me to Turkey. FABULOUS! Being incharge for 22 girls and 2 boys. No easy task but yes a wonderful experience. A month later i find myself in Abbottabad, indulging in the goodness of my own country. Whatta experience Alhamdolillah, I cant be thankful enough. Allah mian has been Sooo Sooo meherbaan. *Thankyou Allah mian*
Currently im on summer break, resting, chilling, indulging in some quality time with family and nani who is over to our house and sharing my room. we talk, we laugh, she kisses my hands when she sees me helping her out. Nani, for sure is the frosting in my life. Things have changed for her physically, but she’s a champ. She’s in bed all day, sometimes not sooo happy but still asks if I have had food, if i slept well, if i prayed namaz(and prayed for her). The changes in life teach me So much. Looking forward to welcoming a lot more changes in life this year. Adapting to new things is the way to life i say!
Hey you life!!! Bring it on, Gp is ready and Thankyou allah mian. The plan is great so far!
*alhamdolillah*
ps. Shifted to the new apartment. The only thing I miss is the rooftop. So many wonderful memories *sigh*
A crazy start to a crazy week.
This image made me laugh. We all dread mondays in our lives. It takes me back to the time when we had sundays as the beginning of the week. Did we all dread sundays back then? Weekends come and rush by in a jiffy! there are some who start dreading monday way before the weekend even start and keep dreading it till it doesnt come face to face with them. While i am actually trying to pretend its not Monday! Hahah.. talk about being in denial. Theres so much ON my head to deal with at the moment, but its going to happen on the pace its meant to happen. Im at it!!!
Hey you life, come on!!! I’m ready for a head-on-collision!
*pow*
Of keeping calm and giving comforting hugs
Faith in God, includes faith in His timing’ – Neal A.Maxwell
Being a teacher has been a great experience so far. Every day I tend to learn something new. Be it regarding a student, myself, design, color or just life in general. Just 5 days back me and Sabiha (another faculty member, friend and sister) took the 3rd year students for a study visit to Abbottabad to study crafts for a project. We were a group of 31 individuals- all girls- 2 teachers and 29 students. They say girls are always a bunch of FUN! True that. There was music, singing, work, sketches, clicking, arguments, laughter, dance, food, walks in the rain, prayers, bathroom lines and emergency loo breaks. We took the Bhoja air flight till Islamabad.
2 days later we hear of a Bhoja Air plane crash. Hell ran over us. There was chaos. Alhamdolillah we all were safe but fellow humans had passed away. 127 of them. It wasnt easy to take it in knowing that we DID come from Bhoja Air and were booked for the same to return back to khi. The girls were traumatized, they cried. Ran over to me for a hug. I HAD to keep calm and give them the faith that it’ll be alright. Inshallah we will be able to reach home safe. Switched flights to PIA. Chucked down a day from the trip since we got a flight a day before. There was a delay in flight, waited patiently, tired to the core, to reach home, see the family and hit bed.
All kinds of thoughts occurred in my head… overflowing negativity, weird feeling of being away from home. Anything could have happened, CAN happen. But travelling alone and being responsible for a large group of students are two different things. Keeping calm and giving comforting hugs was what I did. Alhamdolillah the students felt secure. They smiled, they laughed. They felt better
All those wonderful people who made it to Allah mian had goals to achieve, lives to live. All gone in a jiffy. Say a lil prayer for them and their families. *amen*
Faith in Allah mian and calls from friends and family is what kept me going… yes I did feel a knot in the throat but im only human to feel that way. Experiences like these teach me SO much. About people, about life, about handling things, about keeping calm, giving faith and smiling
Allah mian, Thankyou for being SO meherbaan on all of us. You sure are the one Who writes the Master Plan.
*Allah Shukar*
long lost friend
Apologies for being totally out of the loop. So much has happened in the past 2 months that im overloaded with thoughts and ideas and the likes. need to update this journal of life on.a.serious note. Last night was weird.Brain overload.hateful feeling.blurry vision.winds blowing.mosquitoes biting.uneasy.knot in the throat.heart-calming phone call.chand mian popping up, proving that YES there is a connection.broken sleep.early rising.work mode on.
On a happier note, talking things out helps. Always.
Allah Mian, Thankyou for being SO meherbaan on us always.
NANI- The frosting in my life :)
They say grandmothers are mothers with lots of frosting.
I wouldn’t deny that, My Nani, my confidant, my friend and quota of special prayers is a whole lot of frosting in my life. Most kids are given into their mothers hands when they are born while I was the lucky one who was first given into Nani’s arms and then Ammi’s. Being the only girl in the maternal equation, I share a very special bond with Nani.
She was diagnosed with diabetes the day I was born she says. So this killer-godforsaken-disease (I’d like to call it that) has now sucked out the life out of her. Lately she’s been really unwell, not going into details. I didn’t know one could be this brave with life but going through so much pain without complaining is a big deal. Mashallah.
There are so many things in life you don’t feel till a certain incident becomes a close eye-opener for you. Be it something you go through or a close one does. It feels the same. I fall short on words describing the situation and my lips start trembling and my eyes water. Her illness has been such a lifelong lesson regarding SO many things.
I couldn’t have asked for a better grandparent than her. The love, the bond and blessings. I am so grateful to Allah mian to have been able to spend so many years of my life in her nest.
*allah mian please* Make it behtar for her. Ameen.
Sometimes…
…i just walk out to the rooftop and breathe. Breathe in the fresh air.
The cold windy breeze.. i shut my eyes and breathe in deep.
The freshness that reaches my lungs makes me smile.
While the stars and chand mian shine down upon me…
I hug the winds and smile
Allah mian… THANKYOU!
Please continue to be meherbaan… please. Ameen.
*dhk dhk*
thankfully 2012!
Lifes at a total high at the moment. With Nani feeling better and my heart being content with all what I got, theres really SO much to be thankful for that I don’t think any post can do justice to it but yes for my own record. The yr 2012 is here! I say, this should be a year of change. A good change…a better change, Inshallah.
I am currently in the land of the shaykhs aka Dubai(staying at sharjah). A long awaited vacation, the best of its kind since it revolves around my nieces, M n M. Manoo has been more excited than I’d ever be for phupo coming over and sharing her room. There are countless moments in the day when I’m hugged and kissed and thanked for ‘coming to dubai and having so much fun’ and mehru lovingly follows what apa has to do so for phupo it’s a double dose of awesomeness! Alhamdolillah. Whatta precious! Thanks to Ada and Mayg Api for having me over. Its been 2 days and its awesome. A separate post would be good about the trip altogether
In other news, switched to an HTC. So yes, theres been progression. At first a qwerty and now a qwerty + touch and THAT too HTC chacha! So the phone reached me as a surprise, earlier than expected. Totally left me in awe and happy in my heart type. Allah Mian Thankyou.
Heres to welcoming 2012 with open arms, with more challenges and plans on the list. May Allah mian make them jaaiz and easy to fulfill for me. 2011 was awesome, Allah mian? So whats the plan Faith high, UP in the sky!
Happy new year ya’ll!
ps96: Happy birthday oh precious!
Worries and crispy cookies
Life is full of worries IF you’d like it to be like it! Im not saying forget them worries, because i feel you think about the issues in life and thats when you find a solution for them and make things better for yourself. Sometimes things arent in your control, nope! Somebody stole the remote control you see So, how about ignoring your worries for a while and do something without a reason? I say this without thinking twice because I did something similar.
So winter break started for me and the workaholic me refuses to take a break. Work is on my mind ALL the time. So i distracted my brain from work and caught myself walking towards the kitchen. Found my hands reaching the baking cabinet and voila! I transformed into Master Microwave Baker GP! I had to choose in between cake and cookies and the cookies won. Oatmeal choco chip cookies. Mmmhmm yummy!
Remember the first-microwave-cookies-experiment?
This time i was a pro, the new microwave was put to test and i baked cookies for no good reason. There was no special occasion but the fact that i was celebrating the beginning of my winter break! Good feeling no? So they turned out scrumptious, victory was shared with family here and on skype and on call with friends Awesomeness to the ‘next level’ as a cousin would put it!
Life at 3am
Last night I couldnt sleep mostly because I took a power nap and woke up post midnight to cover up on pending work. There was discomfort. A weird dream during the power nap is what I vaguely remember. Didnt give it much thought and it disappeared or maybe not. I wasnt thinking yet there was something bothering me… Ya know the heavy hearted feeling. I shut the lid to the laptop and decided to walk outside. Breathe in some fresh air and smile with the stars… The stars never let me down. I thought of Nana, Wado Baba, Haji Ama and Bibi last night. The wonders Nana’s presence would have done to me at this point in time. The duas Haji Ama and Bibi showered upon me all my life. *Blessings*
Allah Mian, Thankyou
ps. not my own image, found it online.
20.11.2011
Today, I smiled.
I smiled when i saw a smile
I smiled when I heard the song
I smiled when the winds hit my face
When my ponytail flew with the wind
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath
With my eyes closed, I smiled big
I smiled when I saw stars
I smiled when my hands got cold
And warmth touched me
I smiled when the car took a U turn
I smiled big and satisfied.
Alhamdolillah for the wonderful things in life
*Thankyou Allah Mian*
Life at 2pm
How cruel can life be at times, one would think most of the time?
Have we ever thought how things are better for you than someone else, if you’d think like this; there would be a BIG Alhamdolillah on its way at all times.
Thank Allah mian for all that He decided to give you or even take away from you. There had to be some behtari in it, nai? I’m blessed to be adhering to the feeling of being content, that balance in life, that happiness, that inner peace with how life is.
Ps. Bearing inner peace doesn’t mean I stop working hard for my goals, there is a constant war between the inner peace, contentment and what I wish to do with my life. Haye!
Lifes good… well yes most of it
KU _ jury day :)
27.09.2011
Promptly at 11am we drove in the gates of Karachi University and I smiled KU, a place where I was longing to visit for almost 8 years till yesterday. Hearing about all what the university had to offer, I was excited to visit. It was HUGE, the campus is like a city on its own. It was refreshing. Greenery all around, cafeteria spaces not one; but many. It was a very good feeling, the fact that I was finally visiting KU but also the fact that I was called in for a jury *big thing* Alhamdolillah!
So it was a jury for the architecture students who had designed a school space for refugee kids at the Burma-thai border and were meaning to incorporate traditional crafts like weaving and basketry. Sehr, who had invited me was equally excited on the idea that I was visiting for the first time. She said that PG kay tiny samosay were a MUST! So yes, I had those samosas. They were yummilicious.
I was given a brief tour, the stairs, the cafeteria where the rangers sat. She said the visual studies department building was one building with 3 ramps, and that was one of a kind. I was there for a couple of hours. Must say it was a veryyy refreshing experience. Sehr, Chayya and Salman – good company
Allah mian, Thankyou
L.I.F.E
Life. People following this blog (if there are any) will know that how I see life as a meaningful span of my existence in this world. It is such a short life and our plans are so big. Here we plan of so many things afar from us and life isn’t forever. The recent blast in phase 8 was tragic. A mother and child passed away on their way to school. Who knew it’d be there last car ride on planet earth. *sigh*
Thankyou Allah mian for giving me a life of satisfaction and content. Heres to the family who has been there for me always and a beautiful worthy life that I wish to fulfill with achievements and proud moments. Inshallah. Ameen.
Alhamdolillahi Rabil Aalameen
*takes a bow*
From Ramzan to Rozay wali Eid 2011
With ammi baba being back to town, things are awesomely family oriented and yes thats a BIG smile. Someone to look forward to when you come home from work, sehri’s and iftars were great this time round. Though the rozas were looooong.. 15 hours or so but we managed pretty well. Thanks to Allah that we had gorgeous weather throughout the blessed month. somedays were tiring, exhausting and hectic but Alhamdolillah a well spent ramzan. With workload and time for a heart to heart session with Allah mian was managed pretty well
Chand raat was spent with friends and later at home applying mehendi – MY way
Eid came and Ada and family were missed. Eid in karachi was SO much fun. Though we were home most of the time but still… it rained. Allah mian literally showered us with His blessings. Alhamdolillah. Beautiful rain on eid. Amazing breakfast. Skype with the family in Dxb Family values right there.. yes they make me happy
Beautifully wrapped Eidi from saad made my day <3
3rd say of eid was Ami’s birthday. We celebrated like theres no tomorrow. A Midnight donut party and ended the day with a nandos family dinner which made ammi very happy. Alhamdolillah
ps. i love mehendi and yes Nandos cake and peri bites are PURE indulgence
Oh mother!
Just a few days back we were at Punjab Chowrangi where you find these little kids with wipers which probably make the windscreen dirtier 70% of the times. Heres how it goes.
Me and Ammi see this child coming towards our car holding the wiper high indicating that we are his next clients!
I start nodding my head.. no noo Nooooo.. but didnt we know THAT never works. He starts wiping quick..
Ammi: KIS NAY KAHA THAAA (in a tone slightly louder than her usual)
The boy froze.
Ammi: keh pepsi par 5 rs kam kardo.
Me: *Puzzled* cracked up laughing
So did ammi and the young chap.
He ran to the other side cleaned the windscreen sparkly shiny and smiled….
Gotta LOVE Ammi! It was hilarious.
Alhamdolillah. We were able to bring smiles to the young chaps face.
I’ll never be able to forget his face, how he lit up.
Of Faith and other stories :)
So lately I’ve been reading Tuesdays with Morrie (again). Cant get enough of that book. How life is for most of us, how we deal with it, how we should deal with it, looking back at it later how we should have dealt with it. Life had a different meaning till a few years back. Things changed, people changed, I changed, times changed.. circumstances keep changing. Sometimes a downer, most of the times a wow-er Life is the biggest of tests we’re going through. Rough patches make us tougher and stronger than we were before. We start looking at things differently. We think maturely, we become mature… and I say that is for the better. There are some who give up, most of them fight it… like I do.
Nobody said this life would be easy. Everyday is a challenge; be it work, family, projects, clients, siblings, friends, close friends or your own faith. Theres so much happening around us everyday that the day runs by. I stop and think.. WHERE are we going? WHAT is happening? WHY is this happening? So yes I am as inquisitive as child who wants to know all the W’s of it all! Sometimes i have answers in front of me and at other times I look for them.
Talking to a friend about faith last night, he said everybody needs to go through it on their own to believe in how things work. One cant impose it on them. I thought to myself, when I talk about faith in whatever happens, happens for a reason and that it is what Allah Mian wrote for us.. Am I imposing it on people? or am I just sharing it with them and giving them hope that yes it WILL become better (that was just me thinking out aloud).
Later he shared these lyrics and I couldnt stop smiling…
Slipping away, I think I’m gonna crack
Misplaced trust, loyalty stabbed in the gut
I feel, I’m seeing so clear
I thought I was never coming back
I’ve been down for awhile,
And now I’m coming back…
_Anathema
Realizations hit hard! I think i have a bump on my head because of it.
