American Muslima Writer -Daring to Work Towards Jannah

Up and down the aisles she wanders stalking her pray.
They hide in fear and scamper around corners trying to remain unnoticed.
They are no match for her though.
She angles right then twists effortlessly around the display to time their next turn until they are face to face.
Their eyes are wary and uncertain.
She can read their thoughts.
They wonder how much of their time she will take and how much of their life she will disturb.
"Hi there!" She begins brightly, reeling them in like a caught fish.
"Hi." They reply still a bit wary then realization dawns that they've been hooked.
"Can I help you find anything?" She asks letting them bask in her warm friendliness, showing them being caught by the hook doesn't have to be painful.
"Uh, no, I'm just browsing around." They answer, uncomfortable still and flop around on the hook.
"Well let me know if you need help with anything." She assures them gently releasing the hook and setting them gently in the new pond.
With sudden clarity at her friendliness, they realize she can indeed help them with finding what they desire.
"Actually, can you help me find this?" They reply and name their desire.
Hiding her shark smile of satisfaction, she nods pleasantly and leads them to their doom down into the back. They follow vacantly but eager. She shows them the correct item they want and their eyes light up with joy.
She drinks in deeply the mood. Savouring the rushing high and glow it gives her.
She needs more.
With a nod and friendly smile she backs off slowly seeing they have been maxed out.
She turns abruptly and begins the hunt again, wandering the aisles, searching for the next pray.
They go up the left side trying to avoid her behind the taller displays.
She again hides her shark smile as the chase is on.
Rounding from the right again she manages to trap them and face off with them.
Another beaming smile appears,
"Hello! Welcome to Magrudy's Bookstore! Can I help you find anything?"


____________________________________________________________

  I am the Customer Service Executive at Magrudy's Bookstore in Bawadi Mall. Located in Al-Ain, UAE.
Although I don't actually "hunt" my customers, it is a thrilling feeling to find exactly what they are looking for.


We offer a wide range of items from various categories of Books to Toys, Games, Stationary, and Gifts!
It's been a fabulous place to work in with very friendly fun staff and getting to be with two of my favorite objects everyday: notebooks and BOOKS. I'm actually paid to read back covers! (To widen my knowledge and experience...)
Not only I've used my book skills but as an Artist I've been able to redo the front displays.  I've recently finished my Summer Display. Come check it out!! For those afar I will be posting pictures later.
I get to be creative and spontaneous, organized, efficient,and above all very friendly. Definitely everything I've ever wanted in a job. (Not to mentioned highly valued, wink wink...)

One thing I was surprised to find was an excellent section of Islamic books in English! We have various categories such as:
Prophet Muhammad's Life
Companions of the Prophet
Fiqh and Jurisprudence
Questions and Answers of Islam
General Knowledge
Qur'an
Hadiths
Tafsir
Women's Issues (lots of good books there)
Inspirational and Life
and of course books on the 5 pillars of Islam
But recently we've added Children's Educational Resources!

I'm working with the Administration to start getting Islamic Fiction involved too so look forward to that!

Otherwise we have the backbone subjects of Bookstores:
Fiction
Thrillers & Mysteries
Fantasy & Sci-Fi
History
Biography
Learning Resources for Adults and Children
Children's Books separated by ages: Baby to 4, 5-7, 8-12, Young Adult, and Sci-Fi.
Mind Body Spirit
Mother and Baby & Parenting
Photography
Destinations World Wide
Middle East
Architecture
Music Movies & Fashion
but most amazing is we have these same subjects in Arabic too!

So there is something for everyone here in the UAE!

Please feel free to come in and experience the BEST Bookstore.  :)
I promise not to bite you......
                                                 ..... much.

Whoa it has been so long since I blogged... can't really believe it myself I've been away so long. Here's a bunch of randoms thoughts...

But I have great news to share!

I'm getting published!!!!

Can't leak details yet but I will have 2 short story islamic Fiction published and three poems and 6-8 artworks published!!! YAY!

So that is what I have been working on the past few months. April saw the contest for 1 short story and a poem, May I worked on another short story (well two really but I couldn't finish the second in time) and two more poems. June has seen the emergence of an artist :D I've been working hard at designing some black and white drawings (which is not an easy medium to work in).

I signed my first legal Publishing forms yesterday and gotta get them into the mail this week. YAY!

Sometimes I enjoy those milestones where I sign my name at the bottom line...getting my own bank account, my own apartment, marriage contract, passports for my children, publishing deals. There is just an immense satisfaction in writing my name at the end of months of work.

On the personal side of things, I'm working on completing a long to-do list that I promised myself I would complete BEFORE I try to open my own business. Seems the time is ripe for having my own shop and researching for this business is way down on the bottom of my list. I don't want to overwhelm myself with too much stuff which is why I made myself this promise. When the check list is completed only then will I take the plunge. It's not necessarily a hard list with items like :
Sort and file papers that are cluttered in the book shelf.
Sort out the medicines (which have been stuffed in bags and piled up for years) and I just finished this chore yesterday.
Wean my son.

He's almost at the two lunar year mark and I gotta figure out a strategy to wean him without it being torment for either of us. He's so severely attached ever since i tried to wean him back in April. But I cannot be trying to make business deals with a toddler trying to undo my jilbab, not at all professional eh?

So slowly I'm getting there....

I made this month's chart for my daughter long ago for her Homeschooling and it has the names of the month vertically listed with a season symbol next to it. I made it back in December of last year. How far away June and July felt. With their bright yellow sun symbol. Even March,April,May with the raindrop symbol seemed ages, now they are gone. I have accomplished so many goals this year yet still I feel it's all moving too slow on the home front. I still struggle with my ADD everyday to get things done quickly and orderly. Nearly everything on my to-do-list has to do with my home. Because I don't feel I can be successful outside my home if the inside is chaos. So I'm still trying to Calm my chaos.

Today's chore will be going through the kid's toys and weeding out old ones they don't even look at anymore and donating them to charity.

I love PEZ Candy toys, they come in favorite characters my kids love like Tigger, Pooh, Pirates, Tinkerbell Fairies, and the best part is islamically they are good because they don't have bodies. they are hollow with just a head on top that opens. And they double to serve a special treat when the kids have been good, suddenly they will open the pez that has stood empty for ages and find candy inside...hehehe i love that game.

One of my friends is leaving the country soon and she gave me a lot of her children's toys and her daughter's clothes. her daughter is 8 and mine is 4 and I was so happy to get these hand me downs because they fit my daughter perfectly, masha'Allah she's so tall, and now I don't have to buy her new clothes for a long while. Maybe til next year.
Ah my daughter, what interesting things we've been up to. I've always tried to steer her to some tough sports like sword fighting, martial arts, but alas she has alas succumbed to the age old tradition of wanting to be a girlie pink ballerina dancer. *sigh* I'm loathing having purchased "The twelve dancing princesses" she suddenly become a barbie movie addict. But at least so far Barbie doesn't have lengthy kissing scenes like Disney does. I mean really have you ever realized how long or deeply Pocohontas is kissing John Smith before Kocoum comes to battle him? It's embarrassing! I'm like Sweetie, come tell me what this is and how it works (to any random toy in the room) to distract her from the movie scene. The barbie movie, after they got married it just showed them holding hands. Much better..... arg everytime they ask for a Disney movie I just feel I'm corrupting my children..... but I explain things along the way Islamically, like we don't do this, or this is not right to do, we don't dress like this (ala Jasmine, Pocohontas) etc.... it's so hard walking the line between cultures.
She's reading really well though. I'm so proud of her!

We are having a new schedule where their father takes one child with him to pick up his workers from the worksite so that leave me with quality one on one time with a child to enhance their bonding time and learning time. it's really been working out well. And boy is it calming to have one kid in the house again. I feel much better so that when the second child returns happy from their excursion with Baba I can warmly and honestly happily greet them.

Also more good news as of June, my husband quit his last job and was able to get a financial backer to open his own business. So now he's the boss with his own working hours, which has been weird to have him home so often but nice too. The kids are happy to have him around more too. Although on the slight downside I have to have the house more tidier than it used to be. Instead of letting them muck it up with their toys and doing a mass cleaning twice a day before Baba gets home I'm constantly having to pick things up as they knock them down... a little exasperating when I just wanna get through my to-do list but still... at least we get to see his kind face more... :D Also money has been even more tight without him having a boss to fall back on in times of need. So we are just struggling along making sure we have a roof over our heads and a food from each step of the food pyramid to eat everyday, well for our kids to eat everyday, we tend to miss a few steps everyday...but that is life, sacrificing for your children. Alhamduliallah.

My parents were worried because I haven't been bloggin for so long LOL. So Mom this update is for you too :)

So I'm doing overall pretty well. Some days better than others but still... I'm here and that is better than the alternative :D

As for all of those wonderful sisters waiting for me to add them to the All Muslimah Blog Directory, thank you for being patient, it's been crazy these last few months. I'm working on setting down a day to add everyone (en mass). So bare with me and keep checking out other sister's blog and supporting them.

I appreciate all the comments' I've gotten on my blog recently! masha'Allah. I apologise I don't get much time to comment back but I appreciate reading them and posting them for others to read.

For my beautiful sistas on Ivory Rouge, bare with me too hon, I'm trying to get time set aside again to get back into the blogging swing to read all your blogs again. I see sometimes titles you posted and it makes me smile but I haven't gotten the chance to get around to comment properly :( forgive me. Well that goes for all of you bloggers really too, I'm trying to find time to comment more. Fro some weird reason my PC shuts down access to certain blogs. Rudely the ones that are my favorites. ARG! So it takes ages to load and then get through the messed up graphics it loads and the error signs, then finally I get to read the post and then i gotta run off and do something before I get to comment.....pssshh the computer world is so crazy sometimes.

As if I didn't have enough stuff to do with my time, FaceBook has caught me and sucked me into it's depths. it's been nice meeting old acquaintances I knew from Tucson again, and meeting up with new people I know from writing, blogging, and the Islamic Writer's Alliance group (IWA) that I joined. You can add me under the name BRANDY AZ CHASE ... which is the new pen name I've decided to have, the AZ standing of course for Aminah-Zahira, my islamic name.

So that's what I've been up to recently and I had to just gush it out or it would never get said, I have dozens of post ideas waiting of the time to write them and post them but for now they must wait int eh back of my mind on my mental to-do list :p

Love ya All and miss going to your blogs.
Brandy AZ Chase ;) :D

Jannah Standards International Homeschooling
(http://jannahstandardshomeschool.blogspot.com/)
is what I decided to call my Homeschool officially. (Officially as in if anyone asks LOL)
I've made a blog to keep mainly my mom and my mother-in-law and all family informed to what their precious grandkids are doing. I will upload lots of pictures of our schoolroom and also of the kids doing things. There will be craft ideas and other fun stuff later as well.
Hopefully those of you who Homeschool or who are thinking about it can see how much can be accomplished with a small budget and might consider doing it too. Insha'Allah!
Have fun checking it out!

Red is my favorite color!
Double click pic to see beautiful details!






What's yours?

Here are some great links of crafts you can make for your family (even if you dont have kids) for Ramadan! I'm planning out a full crafting schedule because my daughter understands more about it this year since she'll be 4 soon. And my son will have his first memorable experience as he was too young to remember last years Ramadan.

http://www.knowledgehound.com/topics/ramadan.htm has a lot of links within of good sites.
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/coloringnewyear/a/blramadandeco.htm easy
http://www.theholidayspot.com/ramadan/crafts.htm cool

Sadly the only other links i found lead back to these three. But use your imagination and then blog about it!!! Hehehee. Like I will make Ramadan paper chains in sparly colors for the kids to relize 30 days of ramadan and i'll make the masjid one and also we can make paper lanterns.
Also on shiny wrapping paper i made a ramadan banner and I get the christmas ribbon and tie lots of swirly ribbons all over the ceilings. I have a decor box Kabba that will be the centerpiece. I'm thinking to get lights this year so at night they can still feel the effects and have fun. I will try to post pictures and projects we make as we do them inshallah.
On LBC Lebanese Broadcast Company in ramadan they have cute songs i will try to see if youtube has them bcause they are great for kids.

My Canadian friend gave me a whole MP3 (2CDS) set of Shiek Hamza Yusuf's Purification of the Heart and I began listening to it intently and masha'Allah it has opened doorways in my mind and have seen a whole new way to look at things. I'm not taking him as my own personal Sheik but his CD definitely moved my mind. Then the next day I get a message from the local New Muslims Help Place "Dar Al-Zayed Al-Islam" from my friends saying that Shiek Hamza Yusuf will be in Abu-Dhabi and will be holding a lecture. "We have to go see this together!" I told my friend and eventually we made plans for it.
A Brother she knew drove us there in his minivan, may Allah reward him. I have two kids and she has three so a total of 5 kids, two ladies, and two Brothers were in this van. Men in the front, Ladies in the middle with the babies, other kids in the back. All the kids were acting crazy and were fussy and being soo difficult (including mine, I'm taking full blame here) and we had to stop and pray twice along the way. At the Maghrib prayer my daughter needed to use the restroom and I couldn't ask these brothers (since they had already left to pray) to take her to the potty and the woman's area was a far walking distance away from the masjid so I took her to a secluded place far from where anyone would sit or walk and tried my best to have her go in the nature way but small kid, small bladder equals problems and most got on her pants and so I had to change her and wash her down in public, Ugh talk about everything going wrong at once. So finally we settle in for the rest of the ride to AbuDhabi and still the kids are all being difficult but we get to the National Theater where the lecture was being held. Women of course go upstairs to the balcony seating.
I HAD called ahead and asked if children were allowed to this function and was assured it was ok. Me and my friend and our two strollers and five kids all entered the darkened theater and my mommy radar went off that this was not a kid friendly environment and we were in for some real trouble. We took seats as fast as possible and tried to get our kids munching on snacks to keep them quiet but this only lasted a few minutes. The babies became fussy and the three older kids (3,4,6 yrs old) started hopping seats up and down the theater and of course these Emeratian Ladies who I guess were the Quiet Police all started hushing our kids and causing more disturbances than our kids were. Finally I gave up trying to take notes on the lecture. Which was about Islamic Influence on the World. LIke how Arabs were the first to make stained glass and then the rest of the world started doing it and esp the churches and now some muslims think we can't have stained glass windows in masjids when in reality we were the inventors. Subhan'Allah. We took the kids outside of the theater doors where there was room for them to run around on the carpets and not disturb anyone. Then we took turns watching the kids and then trading off to listen to the lecture. The Emeratian Ladies were kind enough to bring us tea or juices so I thank them for that. I got to see the ending of the lecture which was some of the best part where he talked about more open dialog between religions. Then a group of Shiekhs and one Shiekha came up to greet him and give him some kind of plaque (the ceremony was in Arabic of course) and he shook hands with them including the Shiekha and she was whispering many things to Hamza Yusuf while pictures were taken of them lined up and the plaque. Finally they finished and left and a mob swarmed him. I rushed to get our strollers ready to face the mob downstairs and called for my friend to grab the kids and lets go meet him. My husband demanded I not leave until I get a picture of Hamza Yusuf holding our son. I don't know why he wanted this but I was determined to win my husband's praise. So we went downstairs and it took a long time for us to get through the throng. At first we didn't think it was going to happen to talk to him because my camera died and so did her camera phone. Then one of the sisters offered to take the picture and send us it in e-mail.

Hamza Yusuf's back of his head behind my son.

Finally I got up my courage and stepped into a space suddenly vacated by a brother and bam was face to face with him. He spotted my son in his little Muslim hat and said Masha'Allah so I took it up to ask him. "Would you mind taking a picture with my son for my husband?" He agreed. My son gave me a "Who is this?!" look and stared at him which Hamza Yusuf found funny. The sister took pictures of my son and him then my friend and her daughter.
Hamza Yusuf and my son, and few odd men lol.


Finally we finished and I took my baby back and we exchanged e-mails with the sister with the camera. We left and prepared for the long journey back to Al-Ain. OH! at first it was difficult again because by this time the kids wanted dinner so we had to stop at an Adnoc gas station for food and once they had eaten the kids slowly fell asleep and left the men to talk in peace and us ladies to talk in peace. Anytime I ever want more kids I remember this day and make Blessings for all those mothers with more than 2 kids.

This is not to say it was all bad because it was very pleasant sometimes when the kids were playing paper, rock, scissors, and drawing and playing I Spy etc... Discussing Islam with my friend and spending the day with her and her kids. It was wonderful but the stress of suddenly dealing with 5 kids in one car will be a lesson i wont be forgetting anytime soon. I miss her and the kids so much I wish her the best wherever she is.

It's all about perspective: the glass is not half full it is completly full -in the future!

Sometimes I feel like a sock that has been knitted over and over patching each patch with a new color. Sigh I'm re-torn about life and blogging.

I've been maddly commenting on blogs far and wide getting a feel for what I love and am passionate about. Yes still Islam #1! That's not gonna change!
But thanks to Angry Muslimah (see link on side bar) I've re-awakened another side of mine... the compassionate one. I love about Islam it's compassion to those in need. Never before have I seen people who will take in complete strangers just because they are in need.
I read posts where someone "finds" a baby and milks it and raises it as their own. I think where's my baby? I have milk! Why can't I be the one to find a baby?!?!?! I'd love to raise an orphan as my own milk child! I want to help!
I read post where women have bad domestic problems and need a place to recouperate and someone to encourage them to get the help they need. ANd to put it bluntly spell out for them their Right in Islam. I want to talk to these women and encourage them! I want to shelter them and their children! I want to make a difference in someone's life for the better in their need of crisis!
I read posts about ignorance of Islamic laws and those men and women who don't follow the laws and cause harm to others. I want to educate them! I know lots about Islam! I want to teach them what is good and bad and right and wrong!

I

WANT

TO

HELP

!

So subhan'Allah it's increadible that maybe I can get a job (though a friend) at a government sponsored charity project for New Muslims, and those in Need. OHHH what a dream job and getting paid for it too! MAKE DU'A MY HUSBAND AND I GET THESE JOBS!!!!!
But this is why I'm so torn. Haven't i writen post after post about art and the need for a store here in Al-AIn and then in a blink I abandon my pet project for this strong calling I have to help others in need. Not only abandoning my arts and craft store but my writting as well! I've even put off meeting with an influencial investor for my store just to await word that I could get this job. Not only do my hubby and I need this finacial assistance but it is in a field we are both dedicated 100% to. Helping others in Islam and giving Da'wa.
But say I get this job then what about art store and writting and WHAT ABOUT MY KIDS!!! I've never been a working mother and I'm loath to do it because I love being home for my kids and taking care of them totally. Of course the ease of breasfeeding not done publicly and where will I put my babay while working?!?! I CANNOT PUT HIM IN DAYCARE HE"S A BABY!!!! I really really dislike putting kids in daycare without there being a strong need.
Oh man the ironies of life. My life has been stay at home wife/mom for past 4 years and suddenly in the begining of one year all these oppourtunities happen! It's amazing, subhan'Allah. I was just thinking what will bloggers think about this new job oppourtunity? WIll they think I'm fickle? Hmm let me make a poll lol...... But after reading about some women's plight I would love to help people make a difference that matters. So do I have a new goal? You betcha! Goal: Help people in need....

For some people a life without use of creativity is like death. For some it's just another day. As I've seen in other blogs, and was forced to add my two cents, this is a widespread idea, that today, especially in the Arab countries, more and more men and women are being led away from creativity and more towards technical applications of their brilliance.
More people are told by their families that a life goal of being a painter, writer, dancer, movie maker, crafter, specialty designer is a waste of time and money spent on education. They want their children to do something that will bring them financial stability and home "honor" like being a doctor or scientist or computer technition etcetera. Now there is nothing wrong with these professions in the least, all are noble undertakings and if that is what suits your personality then go for it. But for many they do it just to please their families and go through most of their life feeling hollow and empty inside. Why? Because maybe in their pursuit of a stable career they have no time for their real passion which is the Arts (all arts). Which is using their creative talent to better the world and themselves.
Here in the Middle East especailly it's practically shameful for a man to want to be a dancer or a woman to be a film director or other such gender-related roles. Of course there are those that are brave and do what they like but many are pushed away from these goals. My Phillipino neighbor is an example of this. Now he may be good at his technical job and may even ENJOY it. But what is his REAL passion? Gardening. Expresing his creative talents through planting and nuturing Allah's creations. He's very good at it and you can see he really enjoys it.
When I moved into this small neighborhood the plants were dead from lack of water. The residents who lived in the main house apartments instead of the new ones bordering the "garden" didn't take care of the plants. They didn't have time or energy to expend. My husband and I were enthusiastic and had a dream of taking care of a beautiful garden that our kids could play in. In Lebanon especially Beirut, people don't have backyards to make gardens they just have potted plants on their balconies, so nature is a wanted commodity. After moving our stuff in we got a worker (paid of course) to clear the dead plants for our half of the garden. We had no neighbors yet on any of the other garden properties so the other dead areas still looked ragged and pathetic. We started planting and toiling in the sun. The first few days worms popped to the surface with all the water and earth mixing. The birds flocked in for the feast. And within a week things began to turn green again. Then soon our garden became a nice place to look at instead of an eyesore. But the rest of the neighborhood looked even shabbier in our splendor. Then my neighbor moved in and took his time getting his hosue in order and we feared at first he was the lazy sort that wouldn't fix his garden too and we'd be stuck sharing a weed lot. Then one day we come outside to see a bonfire of all the dead plants being burned. It was great. He cleared the lot and started his planting and it began to take shape. Day and even in the middle of the night my neighbor toiled and soon his garden put mine to shame. He had friends with beautiful plants that I couldn't afford to get. Soon more neighbors moved in and new bonfires were made because of this man's effort to beautify the neighborhood. Now about 6 or 7 gardens later everything is green with food or flower plants and people actaully spend time outside and let their kids run around outside. My garden is my comfort for being indoors too much. It's beauty is in thanks to my neighbor and our combined vision and creativity. If he had suppressed his talent only going to work and home to sleep we wouldn't have a thriving place to relax. We owe him a lot.
Other people too have such wonderful taents that need to be shared and expressed and if we urge them to just work for money we are loosing a vital part of our humanity. We are not cattle to be herded and worked. We are people allowed to dream and make increadible things. Our ancestors would have never imagined this world full of fast cars, internet, space rockets, and movies that seem so real. But a few DID dream it, did Imagine it and they changed the world. If we view creativity as only a dream instead of the hope for tomorrow then we are throwing away our futures. Allah gave us the ability to express our souls and to supress that is to deny our rights.
I visited someone recently and told them about my project for a craft store and I thought she would be suportive because she is in charge of a "western" pre-school which encourages creativity. She laughed and said it is a bad idea because here in Al-Ain the Emeratian women are "ONly caring about shopping, eating, buying toys for their babies, and visiting each other." I asked what about their children don't they value creative education and she said NO. They just think to let the children know their ABC/alif,ba,ta and numbers and that is good enough. "Most of the women will not try to get jobs here, why would they? They have money. ONly if they want to be a doctor or something that will get them more money will they work." I was angry at her(momentarily) for refusing to encourage her friends more to change thinking. But I know sometimes it is futile.
In Lebanon most men and women dont have time for arts and crafts and even reading books. If they can't make it in Lebanon's tough school system (tough in some private schools that teach 3 languages manditory and everything by memorization) they drop out at 15 and get married and within a few years start having children. Usually if their parents are highly educated the women may wait until they finish the schooling and then get married at 18. Then the burden of keeping your house perfect and then keeping your kids in line and helping them learn their memorizations becomes too much so they have no time to have hobbies. Most women relax by visiting their friends and having tea and maybe religious classes. The few who continue on to university usually become doctors and nurses and such. A very few become architects, painters, musicians, writers. When an economy is as bad as Lebanon's the arts are put last and day to day survival is put first.
When people ask me in Lebanon what I do in my spare time (when I first got there and didn't have kids and a house to manage) I would tell them I read, or draw, or write stories and I swear by ALLAH they would laugh. "Time to do these things IN Lebanon? AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" or "Masha'Allah you have so much time to WASTE. I wish I had so much time." Soon I stopped telling people. Then soon I began to have no time slowly and slowly I was immersed into their patterns of spending the day cooking and cleaning and then just relaxing with a cup of tea and good conversations. I'm not saying the life is bad or boring it is just lacking art. And for me that is like death. Slowly I began to have exagerated nervous tendencies. I was over stressed, biting my nails like crazy instead of idly like my whole life, my face would break out constantly from stress then I'd scratch it because I dislike anything on my face. People would ask me what happend to your face and i just say stress. They nod knowingly. But then I started demanding myself to make time to sing and dance and WRITE. I felt better and more alive and though yes my cleaning and cooking skills slipped but I was happier. My face cleared up and I laughed more. But sadly in this society if you can't keep up your house, problems soon surface. People will visit you unexpectedly and you have to rush around cleaning in minutes and preparing food on the drop of a dime. That was too much stress and I broke out again on my face. Soon I had to learn to schedule myself only an hour or two of creative time. The rest of the day was spent working the house.
So when I got to UAE I assumed since the poeple had more money and had maids to deal with the majority of cooking and cleaning I'd find more creativity here. I guess that's not the case. Sure there is MORE creativity here compared to Lebanon. But still not compared to the amount of people who do hobbies in USA. Architectually this is a beautiful country. Straight lines mixed with curves in a plesent manner everywhere even the malls are glamorous. But that is the work of a few not the whole society. We need to Dare to dream that our creativity can change things for the better in our society and let our kids do more to satisfy their hearts.
I'm glad recently there has been a movemnt to change. Now when I go places I see some differences, "Kids for arts" campaigns (Al-Ain Mall), more arts and crafts in some westernized stores (ELC and BabyShop). I think with so much western influence and the excess of money and freetime peole are starting to notice the arts more and be compelled to them. At least that's what I'm hoping. SO I hope also that my arts and crafts store will support the artistic community and encourage others to take up something new. We can't let creativity be just a dream. We have to LIVE it.

Well my family had a treat today!
All of a sudden when we were sitting in the garden (to get away from the noicse of my hubby's drill fixing stuff in the house) we heard a marching band practicing. I knew there was an empty lot next to the boys school a half block away where they might be practicing but i didn't know what for. I shrugged and put it out of my mind. Then my husband left for work and had to have his co-worker pick him up but he couldn't park outside our house becuase the street was suddenly closed off by a police SUV. That made me more curious so I took out the stroller and plopped the kids into it then ran into my house to change out of my "gardening" hijab into my "street" hijab. By then the muslic was out of earshot but I was determined to catch up. I raced the stroller as fast as I could walk down the street and around the corner where i saw the traffic backed up. I wanted to run but that would look bad: a hijabi, with kids, in a stroller, running...people might panic i'm in trouble. So Finally I caught up with the baked up cars then passed them to the end of the "parade". There were beautiful horses in three lines (about 12 horses total) and they were trotting slowly and some doing circles. I told my daughter to wave to them and she was in awe but waved. Next came some scouts (based on their uniforms not actaully my knowledge of who they are) and they were shouting slogans in Arabic. Next came a mixure of locals men and (for the first time i see) women and their children all dressed in local clothing but with UAE flags or the kids with UAE flag colored balloons and dresses. There was a large number of wheelchairs and I figured this might have something to do with the theme of the parade. Next came a group of about 7 men walking in the front --with security all around the sidelines (avoiding my fast walking stroller). Then came the best part for my kids, the marching band in red uniforms with black, red striped pants. They were marching in perfect unison (I know because I used to be in Orchestra and my friends were in band so I used to watch the bands too) They were playing alively tune to catch the neighborhood (and tv presses) attention. The funniest part for me was seeing the BAGPIPES!! I was like is this tradition to play them or they just like the sound and adopted it from the scottish? (I have scottish ancentry so i was very curious). The leader did look pompously proud of his group and i guess he had the right to be he was leading princes (or high local authority).
They marched (and I followed like the nosey American I am) to the front of Al-Ain Mall's main entrance. By then i could see the front banner and the part that was in English: Zayid (local rulers) House Welfare for the Handicapped [or something to this extent]. SO this was a good cause and so the rulers posed for the cameras in a line and then went into the mall. I was able to follow surprisingly close and was like only 4 people away from them on the escaltors up to the second floor. Then they took the next stair escalator up and i had to take an elevator so it was slower. I rode up with the handicapped chairs and got to the presentation stage. I missed the cutting of the ribbon but I watched the high locals tour the handmade crafts for people to buy. Then they all sat in a row next to this stage (2nd floor) on blue cushoins while the others sat behind the half fence in the dining area for the food court. They had a projection screen down and were loading a powerpoint presentaion on the handicapped children and adults making crafts and how much they need finances and such (all in arabic I'm just guessing from the pictures). The royalty were offeered first pick at a basket or chocolates and then it was passed to the others. Then the royals were offered first coffee in special cups then fruit drinks and then i think it was a tea. The others weren't offered anything to drink that I saw. I was in spitting distance of the royals since i was standing behind the fense but on the sidelines. (No offence about the spitting part it's jsut a phrase) SO I watched the going-ons until my daughter was being difficult and my babay boy was whinning. SO I took them to browse the crafts and felt bad i didnt' have money to help buy some when clearly I'm supporting their cause by following them upstairs. (I just didn't have any cash--I AM a poor writer). So finally after their hopeful looks had passed to the next in line i was free to leave and by then the kids were really acting up and so I rushed them home.
Which is good because I had accidently left the door unlocked and my cell phone in the garden in my haste to leave and catch the band. I love the lack of crime in Al-Ain.

That's the new name of my Arts and Crafts Business! Isn't it fab! Don't you just wanna pick up anything artsy and do something with it? Don't you want to buy my products!



Heh ok so back to the moment of inspiration! I've been thinking deeply about my goals this year and teh fact taht I've dared myself to complete them. I also looked at a site ina small mall where everything was fancy and had catchy names and i was like AMerican Quality A&C wont hold water here. Thus as I was feeding my son and daydreaming (the best part of breastfeeding) how to decorate my shop i thought about painting a slogan on the wall like Dare to Succeed, or Dare yourself then Dare yourself to create but create is a term used by Alah so taht was no good. So Creativity came in suddenly and BAM!!! Dare Your Creativity! Now I'm here 3rd night in a row i can't sleep from excitement. How am I living...i dunno but it's working. I haven't been so excited about soemthing since I had my babies and also fell in love with my Arab Hubby.


OK I've been up all night many times to do writing of books but never to the point of constant awakeness. I had to force myself to lay down yesterday afternoon and do hypnosis relaxation methods just to get rid of this feeling like I was hungry but stuffed to my ears at the same time. Maybe it's called strung out. I know about being Manic Happy (I used to be Manic Depressive) but this tops it all!


I read about Enrepernurials(sp?) and Business People on CNN INTL. and i was like man I'll never be like that and like them driven in the business world and LOOK AT ME NOW! I don't recognise this sudden drive! Arab Hubby will go put an ad tomorrow in GULF NEWS the english paper here in UAE. I am seeking afemale investor for a whole lota monaaay. A female so i can be close to her as friends not just finacier. Also I have a secret new partner who will suppiment my weaknesses.
GO GO GO!!!!

Wow, as if i didn't have enough goals to deal with this year my husband threw a whollop at me!
Not a punch heh, he threw an idea at me that I should open my own business. He had already placed an advertisement in the newspaper that i wanted a sponsor for it so I had 24 hours to come with a good idea and make it marketable to the callers. I wa so shocked it took me a while to think of what things i like to do. Finally (up til 4:30am) i thought of the fact I've always been around crafts and arts so a store that sells these goods in Al-Ain would be wonderful! There currently isn't a specialty store for arts and crafts so it will be good no major competition. In AbuDhabi and Dubai are a few stores but for people here nada. Only the basics. SO the past 48 hours I've been telling interested sponsors about my idea and seeing if they'd like to finance it. Wow I never thought I'd be able to open my own business! Its a tiny bit daunting but i think it will work out in the end and do extremely well. Every teacher i met or mother i met has lamented the lack of arts shops in Al-Ain. So here goes on another Goal: Open Arts and Crafts Store.

Oh and update I've been working hard on my book and am up to page 15, every book has a begining!