Turkey-introduction

Last time I felt I was on vacation was in 99' when I went to Istanbul with my family, atta AMA and Bilal. I didn't hear calm beach sounds or rustling leaves, calm waves ob the shore or tasted a nice mango smoothie.
I heard bustling on a architecturally superb Istaqlal St. I saw beautiful iron, stone structures surrounded by emerald sapphire water. I smelled warm chocolate and hazelnut and sometimes meat broth.
I laid on grass in the Gardens of the topkopi palace and I prayed in the blue mosque. I rode and fought my brother in a boat. I saw the music video of Tarkans new song. I drove through heavens of the earth.(I will right every part in detail, don't worry). I guess more an adventurer than just a vacationer.

Wondrous land of turki,
In Time so little,
I absorbed your beauty and charm,
With rich culture of hope and peace

I travelled throu iskandria,
High in the mountains through medieval
To present,
And the emerging borjous

I humbly cherish you as I learned from you the history of merging palettes.
I pray that you remain strong in the face of change.
As your beauty was most prominent then and hope that it remains so.

Big circles in ovals

shapes, color puddles
dropping drop drip drop
in palms of vast sea
i am here
and there
swimming and sinking
to get to the treasure
Gold shimmers and silver glimmers
ruby and sapphires
nothing compared to a caring soul
in God we trust.

Roasted Pine nuts!

Powdered Pink

yes the color of cheeks,
cotton candy
and minty mints.

Sunset
brides
and creme fresh

dewey drops
falling down
petals swish
breaking down

changing shades
passing over
powder pink
to raging grey.

:) Teacher Moments!

All children are amazing & innocent.

Pilot Vs. Teacher

Debriefing:
Teacher meetings, PD sessions can be seen as a debreifing before i go on a mission.
AdA:
Teacher mentors, Principles, teachers, students all of them help me to menouver my teaching plane through highs and lows of winds.
Engineers:
Every pilot/teacher is an engineer and the resource teacher EAs are the friend for life that help me take off land without a hitch.
Ejection:
When all the plans goes out of the window and my feet struck on the ground in the mud and i realize i survvied the day :)
Mission 1 2 3
Unit plans, integration of lessons, activation, assessment.
Content Pilot:
I am home after my flights to my family(Beel) as you came back to mama bilal and me.

I love you atta!! See i became a pilot just like you. :)

In Love.

I know i shouldn't be materialistic in this day in this world right now. As we all want a sustainable planet.
However i love my phone.
I love the person who got me it, like very much.
I have everything on it. Books, websites, camera, everything.
I wanted to be organized and i am because of my gift =)
It helps me be me!

Inspiration!

I heard about a war soldier, who wrote a book.
His story inspired so many people.

I heard about teachers teaching in worn torn areas, just so they can make the children's life better.

I hear everyday about people, who are there helping people in need with no home and no food.

Why do inspirational stories happen so far away?
Why do you hear that a child of that man did amazing things?

Its because i forgot to look close around me.
inspiration is standing up for unfairness.
inspiration is to be fair.
Inspiration is to make people love themselves enough to live their life to the fullest.
Inspiration is to hold somebody's hand to help them cross the road and not let them go.
Inspiration is to introduce somebody to books,
to life's beauty,
God's blessings.
Inspiration is to be better everyday, to emerge as a good person.

live and let live.

Let somebody be your inspiration and be somebody else's.

-m

Pakistan

piece of heart breaking away
as if a knife scorched through,
slow trickling blood, tears of brown and blue
the voices scream, soundless
nobody even hears, the remaining echoes
a soul cries for that piece,
wishing to stitch it back
guilt ridden to be so far
thought i would protect you from any harm,
i am sorry.

Patience always wins!

Another day,
another shot at patience and wow how it works.
Smiles and hugss!!
I love summer with rain.
-m

I was in third grade, and we were sitiing in peshawer AC flats and were having lunch in our long two doorway dining room. The table cloth was striped yellow, blue and white. My mom served us spinach and like any other kid i started playing with a little left over. I would squeeze it in my hand and drink the broth that would come out. I did not have spinach for 6 years after that incident .

Then one day, my mom cooked Palak chicken for a party and i had some with white rice and some plain yougurt. I re-discovered the yummiest vegetable known to me!

I cooked today thinking how easy it is nowadays to cook palak. FrozenPackets of vegetables make our lives so easy.

I started with half a cup sliced red onion with 2 table spoons of oil in a pan. Then i made 2 tsps of ginger and garlic paste (mush it up) and added to the onion when they turned light brown on medium high heat.

Then i added two chicken breast cut in cubes and sauteed them with onion, garlic and ginger and added the following spices.

2 tsp of salt.

1 tsp of cayenne

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

3-4 whole black peppers

1 cinammon stick

sauteed these spices with chicken for 13 seconds and then add 1/2 a cup of milk or 2 tbs yougurt. Once that comes to boil, add the frozen spinach(a packet) and frozen/fresh tomatoes(1 large) to the mix, cover it and let it cook for 45 mins on low heat. Then once all is cooked turn the heat up to medium high and keep sauteeing it for 10 mins until the oil seeps up. Add cilantro and green chillies for garnish.

Serve it with white rice, pea pilaaf, cold onion cucumber salad and yougurt.

i like gentle surprises!! :)

Friends are important and appear at a time when you need them.
A nice place to have guilty pleasure deserts or just have fun and laugh on silly things.

My life!

Beautiful Eyes
Honest and truthful
Only for me
Best friends
shares, cares
Smiles beautifully
Chanel
Inspiration

-m

Fanta

Pakistan Story 94

Atta gave me 20 rupees

Hot days in peshawar degree college

5th grade, top floor, fans on the cieling, the empty play structures, the balcony, windows...

scorching sun and the bell rang for lunch break, the kids ran towards the canteen and offcourse there were no lines, just a big crowd but i still managed to get a burger for

8 Rs. and Fanta for 8 Rs.

It was a great feeling, i felt on top of the world.

Al Ain story 05

i forgot all about fanta. Canada, States and Syria never had fanta the way pakistan had. Then i went to Alain to see atta ama and we were invited to Uncle S Z house. We talked about Kabhi khushi kabhi gham. We talked about how i was when i was a toddler. Its so good to talk to people that care for you. The food was great and guess what they had, FANTA from Pakistan!! In stylish bottle but the same taste!

Winnipeg

I was in an eat indian store and i saw an old dirty cooler fridge. Through the dirty glass i saw something orange looked so familiar. It was the old style bottle of fanta...

and i had some.

and i still do sometimes....Memories make me happy!

Darkness falls....

Sadness, depression, helplessness are felt throughout the world.
It is so easy to fall victim to these and drown in a vast Dark Space.
But it as easy to get out...
Have Faith....
look around ....
see the pain around
and your problems look so silly...

My way is to believe and then talk to myself....i know its crazy but i need to hear myself say that happiness lies within you and with people you love...

Forgiveness and patience are the qualities that will make you move forward.

Enjoying rain!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shLhahLF2Cg

I held your hand and still feel i need to....
but you grew so tall that its hard to reach you....
I am proud that i see that light...
that has always been there...
i ll always guide that route...
and destiny may never be out of your sight
reach for the stars and fly farther up there..
you were born to be one of them..

-m

the string that i hold stretches as if its from her shawl.....
in the crowd i seek the glimpse of her feroz... her smile is worth infinite stars
i ll miss her silent dance of tippy toes...

I love you and may you meet your soul safely in a day...inshAllah!

-m

Thank You!

two words hold so much power to make someone feel appreciated and happy....
I use it more than before as i know that everyone in my life have done something for me.....

I love saying it....Thank You


-m

Love, Compassion can be shown through actions!

List of things i want to do by the end of this year.

1. Start a poetry Journal.
2. Have 5 successful lessons for every subject for each grade.
3. Make a 4 course meal (Infusion) for my husband.
4. Go to a beach.
5. Paint.
6. Embroidery.
7. Take part in toastmasters

to be cont....

Beautiful Summer and Baba Ganoush.

Its a beautiful morning, sun shining.....
i have a long week ahead which i really needed to sort some things...like my sleep ha ha...
i was thinking few days back about early morning inevery city i have been in and i remember the smells. Its the same sun, same atmosphere...but different feelings and smells...

Early summer morning in wpg.....is crisp with warm yellow sun and beautiful trees, the smell of pines and fresh cut grass....and wet soil...


i remember early morning in dimishq, smell of khubz and flowers, and wet limestone ...:) sun shining and cactus fruit fields...

Baba Ganoush is my plant..he is beautifull and is loving his sun bath...
He is so happy right now...i imagine but he is green and all standing up!

M

Ice Skating on the river yesterday

It was one of the best experiences of my life till date....I compare skating to swimming now and may buy skates as i really really enjoyed it. It was a gorgeous morning with a beautiful sun and clear skies...
with a wonderful company...and delicious food....If you havent tried spamoni flavoured ice cream then you are missing out..:)

i forgot to take my Camera therefore the beautiful scene are just in my head...which i banged while skating ....
I am ok :D
-m

We moved from Mazze to Mazze Jabal

I dont know how and why but the day we moved to our new apartment....
atta and i went to the mazze jabal bazaar...the raunaq reminded me of H block in lahore...
Atta and i tried spinach and pomegranate mojanaat that day, it was nice walk back to home
the lights from stores, the dimming light of the evening
maghrib ke azzan..

The jewelled trees..
how lovely you be
the sunlight coming through
to make tiny rainbows...

Mysterious Morning

How can i forget these morning in pakistan and today its like that here...

Its so mysterious and beautiful like a veil of magic around your world.

The cool mornings, boiled eggs, warm chocolate milk. Morning cartoons and then the silver spider van to school..with orange hair nice person who drove us.

A5 - Flying

It was a party at an ADA
The cave that my atta called office and the big spider that gave the place a spooky touch...
the bare jungle, hide and seek the cool uniforms...
the bright ladies and funky kids....
the students...
teachers...alll together to enjoy the one dish...
The bright sun in the wintery morning...the runway across the plain and the trees that hugged it...
on the other side was road to cheief burger and the kabab place...
then atta went and flew away...everyone waved and mama smiled..
my brother was soo hyper i couldnt even see him when he ran...
then we talked to atta through radio while he was flying...
always wanted to be like him, feel the thrill and be proud of who i am....
and i think i got there...
love you
-m

R Block

woke up...the sun coming through the curtains...The big room..multifoam days...Ac just went off so the room was still cool....
Orange 21 cream
Nano's almari
nana jaan's pipe and lighter and K2
opened the door and there was the fawn sewing machine where nano used to sow for us....the takht on the right and store on the left with khala's bags in them :)
and the stairs...going down...
mamoos
nano nana jaan
mama
khala
all talking...sharing, laughing...having breakfast in the dining room.
I sat on the stairs and said salam...and stayed there looking at their lovely and pyaray faces...
then nano asked if i want omlet...
i said jee
so lively and full of love....
white tubelight, yellow sunlight...fridge..
three lil guys running around crazy...
i got yellow buttered bread and omlete with ketchup...
both lovelies had a perm...
nano going in the kitchen...
nana jaan sitting quitely smiling..
mamoos talking about getting mangoes...

Basra!

A beautiful cold, sunny morning
A nice car ride to ruins of saweida...
beautiful green grass,
red and black soil of ancient volcanoes...
so close to old civilization...
family and freinds....
the broad colosseum, maybe a shadow to the one in italy
but with the same presence
the eerie yet bright feeling..
i sometimes get snapshots of it...
especially of that road that defied gravity