American Muslima Writer -Daring to Work Towards Jannah

Family first has always been my motto.
If you are having children then you should be ensuring they get the best care possible.  The care that matters because it comes from YOU. Leaving children for a Nanny or Governess or DayCare to deal with while you go wax your legs or shop til you drop (for non-essential things) seems like cruelty to me. I'm not talking the parents that do this once in a while to relax a bit but the ones that chronically do this.
Another alternative to this is parents who work when they don't really have to. They spend gobs of time away from their children and family and in the end is the money they are bringing home going to fill the void the child might be feeling? Of course I'm not talking about parents who need to work to put the Halal-Turkey-Bacon on the table, but those who work because that is what they are programed to do by society no matter the end result it has on family.
There are Sooooo many factors though to this all and it's hard to make open faced judgements like these because everyone's situation is so unique. I see too many families split across the globe. Philipina mothers slaving away as maids or sales clerks with their 2-5 kids back at home with grandma. They need to work, they have mouths to feed. Yet some of them work for sheer ambition... it's hard to draw the line.
I see wealthy Arab mothers flitting from one store to the next in a large group of women, maids and babies training behind them. I have seen children literally left in carts with AND WITHOUT nannies in the middle of the Mall while the mother pops into a store for a good ten minutes.  The child without the Nanny kept staring around her looking so lost and forlorn, sitting dolefully in the shopping cart stuffed with bags as if she were no more than an inanimate object herself. I stared in horror thinking sure NOW the mother would turn around and go back to her child...okay and NOW she would?...and Now?...I guess that shoe sale was just so irresistible to wipe the memory of your child from your mind!  Finally after ten minutes or so she stuck her head out of the shop and waved the maid who had followed her into the shop to bring the shopping cart so she could place the new bags into it.  They walked onto the next shop. I stopped watching lest I vomit or commit murder.
What and where is the Balance to this?
The lines are so blurry it's hard to find which is right or wrong.
How much time Should you be devoting to your family/children?
How much time Should you allot for necessary work?
How much time Should you allot for personal improvement/relax time?

As a non-working mother I was finding it hard to separate my personal time from my family time. If I spent too much time on one thing I became cranky that I was over burdened and never saw the light of day. The whip was cracking 24/7 and there was never enough time to finish everything.
My creativity was dying and manifesting itself into other ways...like mass organizing...re-decorating.... etc...
For a long time I put off writing my novels all together, sure and 100% certain family was more important and my novels could wait.  Yes they did wait. But I found myself writing inane stuff like in depth shopping lists for food. Finally I began this blog, I had to release my stress and somehow get my words back out. I had used LiveJournal and MySpace to vent and keep up with friends but it puttered out and I wanted MORE.
As I posted and posted I began to realize my time was importantt and I needed to allot myself time for my creativity and making more friends.  So I did, and my family life suffered a bit more. Things got less clean, meals got less tasty, children got less quality time.  And the guilt would start again.
I'm being selfish using time I could have spent with my kids.
Then on top of this began my working career, with publishing projects that took up huge chunks of time, and then getting my job. Now everything seems to be hanging precariously by strings.  No one item seems to be getting enough of the time it deserves.... especially my kids.  And it cuts me to the bone.
I love my family and it will always be number one. That is how Allah created me and that is what I've learned from living a difficult life. Every time I see my kids playing by themselves I think why am I not with them? Memories always come to me of times when adults didn't have time to be with me, and that is all I wanted, more attention, more time.  I told myself I'd be different, I'd sacrifice EVERYTHING, to make sure they got that extra attention.  And for years I did. I refused to work unless it was absolutely necessary. I put aside my dreams and aspirations (or at least toiled on them when the kids slept). We lived mostly in scraping-by-poverty. But it was worth it, watching the bond grow between me and my kids.
It stopped being worth it when I was self destructing mentally, emotionally, maritally, and physically.
It stopped being worth it when my kids wanted more to eat and there was nothing else.
I don't regret those years, but now as things are changing there had to be a new balance.
I know I need free relax time
I know I need creative time
that keeps me sane.
I know I need time with my husband separate from the kids
that keeps us stronger.
I know I need time with my kids
that makes them stronger.
I know I need time for work/society
that makes us able to live.
I know I need time for family and friends
that makes us connected.
Above All else, I need time for Allah.

But it needs to be Balanced.
Crazy rushing from one areas to the next or bypassing some areas completely leads to burnout.


The amount of work I'm doing sometimes feels worth it when I'm helping people out in the world.  Other times when I get home to find my kids asleep and only get a few hours with them in the morning it feels like utter HELL. But then when they are sleeping peacefully in their beds and I have some alone time or creative time it's refreshing. When I get that paycheck it feels good to have helped out my family and be able to take the kids out for a special treat.  But I worry and feel guilty that the special treat is a bribe for taking away their quality time with me. I love the extra time I get on the metro to write my novels or read books, but it's transport time away from my family. I adore teaching my kids and have placed the responsibility of their education on my shoulders, yet if the day gets scrambled and there is no time for that, the guilt falls to me.

Here is my interview with an Iranian Woman's Magazine, the original article can be viewed here in Persian.
*Note: As the entire site is in Perisan I do not know what other articles contain or condone and my link to this magazine is to support Literacy in Iran.*

---------

A Bud, Waiting to Open



Born in Tucson, Arizona, USA; 26 years old, likes Tiger-Lilies. Mrs. “Brandy Chase”  has chosen the Name “Aminah-Zahira” for herself after converting to Islam. She introduces herself as: “a creative imaginative idealistic Muslimah who is striving to find her way to Jannah. I'm like a budding flower waiting for the right moment to open gloriously and show the world my beautiful colors.” Now she knows herself as an American Muslimah, married a wonderful Lebanese man and has a 6 years old daughter and a 3 years old son.
She’s a Author, Poet, Artist, and Designer and also an active blogger. She said Shahada on August 5th, 2001, one month before September 11th happened!


Read Our detailed interview that occurred on a spring day.
-----

The first and basic question: How did you find Islam?

I had been searching for years for a better religion and way of life. I grew up Christian until I was 14 years old and then gave up Christianity to believe in Atheism, which is the belief that NO God exists at all. Alhamdulillah Allah sent me Islam when I was 17 years old. After a year of being Muslim I married a wonderful Lebanese man, and after seven years of marriage we have two children Rajaa 6 years old and Mustapha 3 years old.

Which happened first: Your being Muslim or telling poetry and stories?

I wrote poems since I was very young around 8 years old and started writing short stories when I was 12 years old. Once I reached High School I continued writing longer stories/novels. Then in my last year (grade 12) of High School I became Muslim.

Was there changes since that time till now that you could relate those changes to your being muslim?

Yes, There are many changes that happened to my writing after I became Muslim. Before many of my characters did things that are normal by American standards but in Islam is Haram. Now I must weight and decide how good or bad I need a character to be for the story to still feel deep. Like in Romance stories I must make sure that if a person around 13 years old picks up my book he/she won't be uncomfortable with what they are reading. In my Poetry I used to talk about life and my hatred towards Religion and my animosity (dislike) of "God". Now of course I would never do such a thing. My joy now is to write about the Greatness of Allah and show others my Joy and Peace in Islam.

Tell us that when a young American muslimah starts to writing stories or poetries, what are they about and for whom she writes?

Most writers start with an image in their mind or a phrase, and through that grows a story or poem. Most writers feel this image or phrase deeply and want to find a way to share it with the world so others may feel as deep. As a Muslim there are two choices. One is to write about any subject, in stories this could be Mystery, Science-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Fantasy etcetera... or the Second Option would be to write something Islamic. There is a new category of books called Islamic Fiction that is really gaining popularity around the world. Muslims who love to write stories and want to benefit young people and adults are turning to Islamic Fiction to give people the choice of reading better quality books without compromising their Islamic Morals.

What do you know about the feedback of your works from your country people who are not muslim? Was there any time that some of non-muslim people who has read your works, talk to you about them?

Many non-muslims in America and around the world have read some of my work and say that it inspires them to learn more about Islam and how they never knew certain aspects about it. My family who is not Muslim really enjoys my stories, poems, and artwork and says even though they are not Muslim they can relate to the message I am sending in my work.

Are there Muslim Novelists or Poets who are famous out of their local limitations and media? E.g. some who are famous in whole USA?

Masha'Allah there are dozens if not hundreds of very well known Muslim Authors and Poets who are known not only all over America but World-Wide. One Author Yahiya Emerick is an example, or Jamilah Kolocotronis, or Linda D. Delgado, these three are but few of the many who have had their books shipped internationally. You can find many more Authors at http://www.islamicfictionbooks.com/ifbauthors.htmlAlso I belong to an international group called Islamic Writers Alliance ( http://www.islamicwritersalliance.net/ ) who are striving to improve literacy around the world, support writers and other artists, and also get Islamic Fiction to be more recognized for the quality books they are.

Does their work have clear Islamic phase or just they’re muslim who write like others and if you don’t know them, you couldn’t understand they’re muslim?

Well if you search the websites above you will see there are two definitions of "Muslim Writers" The kind that write any kind of book and they are people that are Muslims, and then Muslim people who write about Islam. The people I mentioned above mainly write Islamic Fiction or Islamic Non-Fiction. But there are hundreds of people who are Muslims and write stories of other subjects too. You have to search their names or profiles to know they are Muslim. I think both ways of using your talent of writing is acceptable as long as you are willing to face Allah in the end with your written words.

In Iran, some of theorists believe that Literature and Art should be at service of Introducing Islam and Muslims to the world and in the opposite side some believe that Art is the aim itself. Which do you agree?

Actually I think these two opinions don't HAVE to be on opposite side of each other. It is not an either-or choice. Some writers feel comfortable writing dawah for non-muslims or using their pens to serve Islam and write for the benefit of other Muslims and May Allah reward them for that. Yet other writers for whatever reason believe they either don't have enough opinions or knowledge to write about Islam or it isn't in their field of interest. Some writers of Mysteries for example only want to write Mysteries not Islamic Mysteries. And May Allah reward them for what they can accomplish too. I know many writers including myself who write for both options Islamic and not-Islamic. The point is no matter what you write take the time to learn your skill well so that no matter what you write it benefits someone, and make good intentions.

Does the American Muslim Community try to introduce itself, its ideals and its properties to other Americans or just prefer to live like an insular minority?

Americans in general are pretty friendly people who for the most part are upfront and honest. So when trying to introduce Islam to Non-Muslims they try to do so in a way that doesn't shock or repel them. There are very large communities of Muslims across America and there are other cities like the one I grew up in where you can go your whole life without ever meeting a Muslim up close. So Muslims in both areas do what they can to spread the word of Islam without upsetting people. Where the numbers of Muslims are few of course they try to stick close together as this is natural human preservation and sometimes they might become too cut off from others, but in most instances Muslims in America like sharing their values to others and mostly the non-Muslims are receptive.

In which ways?

For example in the major cities there are multi-faith gatherings where Muslims, Christians, and Jewish people get together to show their unity for or against something. Many Muslims invite their neighbors or friends or co-workers/co-students to join them in their homes or events at the masjids. Other Muslims, especially women, try to just show how friendly and happy they are with Islam by the way they dress and act in public.

You blog. Is your audience just Muslims or you talk with all the world?

Actually I took a poll a year or so ago about the religious belief of the people who read my blog and about 2/3rd of the people were Muslim and 1/3 was of other faiths. Most of my post topics feature Islam so naturally more Muslims will come to read, yet I try to throw in variety to appeal to all people who are out there and maybe think like me. And of course I hope many of them will come to see the beauty in Islam and insha'Allah join us.

What do other muslim bloggers do? Do they write for each other or they speak to non-muslims?

The majority of Muslim Bloggers are searching for other Muslim bloggers to meet and talk with and share their similar viewpoints, but all in all from what I read across the world they too reach out to other faiths and try to show that no matter where they are in the world, Muslim Bloggers are Human; we have human wants, needs, desires, ambitions just like non-Muslims.


Also because I enjoy reading so many Muslimah’s Blogs I made an ALL MUSLIMAH BLOG DIRECTORY ( http://www.allmuslimah.blogspot.com/ ) to showcase the various Sisters out there trying to make a difference.

Does the world listen to these talks? Which groups read muslim blogs?

Yes the world does listen! The highest traffic to Muslim blogs after Muslims is from Christians actually. As they share many of the same values that Islam has they feel close to what we blog about. The same can be said the other way around. There are many Christian Blogs I visit because the people are writing about things I relate to and I want to share with them that I support them. For example there is a Catholic Blog I like to read about and I always send messages of encouragement when she says they want to keep wearing their hair scarves/veils to church. As Muslims we definitely are happy when a non-Muslim wants to wear a form of veil out of modesty.

Tell us about political partnership. American muslims take part in elections and political meetings? Do they aid any political parties?

Many American Muslims are divided by political parties just as in any country. You have the Muslims that like democrats, that want their agendas of more tolerance to minorities and such. Other Muslims like republicans, with their more conservative agendas such as anti-abortion or such. These are just few of the many topics that each group has opinions on. Then other Muslims stay completely out of politics and refuse to vote for their own reasons. But where there are people there are opinions and where there are Muslims there are Muslims trying to find ways for their opinions to be heard.

Was it possible to you that feel that there’s a confliction between being muslim and being American? For example the country wants something of you that Islam prevents you of that.

Well this is a deep question and I feel there are many good answers to it. There is a conflict at certain levels between being Muslim and being American. For example if the US drafts Muslims into the Army and that Army send them to places like the Middle East to fight against their brothers/sisters in faith. There is going to be extreme conflicts. Yet on the everyday level there isn't too many conflicts. You eat with non-muslims as long as you take precautions what YOU are eating is Halal. You work with them as long as what you are working with is Halal and the money you make is Halal. Sure you have to be more careful but life goes on without too much conflicts.

In these cases, which do you choose? Islam or your country?

But for those large topics that might come up of course Islam comes first. If your business partner is drinking alcohol and talking about gaining money though interest (riba) you need to realize the appropriate action would be to excuse yourself from the table and conversation or make your opinion clear you do not like this situation. If perhaps you are living in a situation you feel you cannot let Islam come first then you might need to decide if that is a place worth staying in. Allah gave us the entire world to live in. Save up some money and move to a location where you feel you can do the right thing. In the end we are accountable on the Day of Judgment for what we permit to slide by and what we stand up for. A country's borders and affiliations can change any day but Islam and it's 5 pillars remains the same.

What do you think of Islamic Union? Do you think that a muslim shoud be union to his religious fellows or country fellows first?

In Islam we have the obligation to help our Muslim brothers and sisters first. Then we extend our hand to others in need. But few situations really require one to choose a Muslim over a non-Muslim. Say a Muslim is starving and a Christian is starving. Of course you get help for the Muslim and then you find a means to help the other. Being United in Islam doesn't mean people cannot help others outside of the faith. But if people do not even do their basic duty of helping their brothers and sisters then how can we expect others to help us? Many Muslims feel sad when they are starving or homeless there is no Food or Home Shelter set up through the masjid or local Muslim communities they will have to turn to other faiths to get help. Many Muslims become lost and confused and turn away from Islam when this happens. They can't understand why someone of the same faith cannot help them. So I do believe we need to be more United as a whole.

In America, what’s the general think about muslim countries, governments and people?

In the majority of American Cities people know what is fed to them through the news and propaganda. If the news screams Afghanistan tortured someone in Prison or in Saudi a woman was denied access to her children then of course they will think the Middle East governments are barbaric and dangerous and a threat to the safety of the world.


BUT some Americans try to find their own information through blogs and networks and meeting people from the countries they hear about in the news to hear how life is there first hand. Then they learn the reasons behind some of these issues. The same can be said for news about America. Rarely we hear in national news about Americans torturing or harming others across the world or in their own country so it is twice as shocking when the scandals do get out.


I think the more people share information with each other the more countries will get along. But both sides have to remove walls and barriers that have been erected for centuries.

You’ve lived in United Arab Emirates and also in Lebanon. Does Americans think right about muslims?

No, there are a lot of misconceptions due to blatant ignorance and reluctance to accept other's cultures and opinions. Cleanliness for example. In America many people believe all Arabs live in tents and ride camels, and are filthy from not bathing. The complete opposite is true I found. Especially in Lebanon, the houses are meticulously kept clean and the people are well groomed. In UAE, although I have seen camels here ,the majority don't ride them. The Emirati people have beautiful manners and customs and are very welcoming to their guests.


But again there are extremes on both sides of issues. Sure there are Bedouin people still in existence who live in tents and ride camels but there is nothing wrong with that. Just as there are people in USA who live in traveling homes or ride horses. There are people in USA and in other countries who are too poor or ignorant to clean well and May Allah help them. So again both sides need to open their eyes to the world and have more acceptance for other cultures and get to know people different from themselves.

Particularly, What do they think about Iran? We know that Iranian and Us governments has dissensions about Nuclear Power. What do US people think of these dissensions?

Wow, what a question! For sure most Americans and other nations view Iran as a threat for their declaration of having Nuclear Power. But there is a growing number of people Muslim and non-Muslims alike that feel Iran and other countries should have the right to Nuclear Power too. Some feel the BIG countries are trying to keep a monopoly on this power and that isn't fair. Others go the other extreme and say NO ONE should have this kind of Power. Most in America though are very afraid if Iran gets Nukes they will use them against their enemies and they worry America is definitely their enemy. If not U.S. directly then one of its key allies.
As many have seen the Iranian President doesn't back down to many demands made on it from other countries.

What do you think yourself?

Well sorry to disappoint you and your readers but I have vowed not to discuss my political affiliations online for the safety of my family. But I do hope the USA and Iran can come to agreements and bridge the gaping hole between them. Both offer the world amazing things and should pool the best they have to offer for the betterment of mankind.

We really appreciate you that joind us in this interview.

Thank you for interviewing me and I hope I have offered everyone a fair glimpse into American life and my life as an American Muslimah Writer, Brandy Aminah-Zahira Chase
 
________________________________
 
Masha'Allah that was a wonderful oppourtunity.

Masha'Allah I was chosen to be interviewed for an online Iranian Magazine for Ladies and Girls. The article will be published in Persian but I will post it here in English!!!!  And of course check out the link when I post it of the magazine!
It was really nice to make another bridge between the everyday people of Iran and myself. Insha'Allah it will help open minds!

So stay tuned!!!!

Masha'Allah, Masha'Allah, Masha'Allah
FINALLY after waiting years and eyeing my friend's follower lists muahahaha not with evil eyes just with "WOW Cool look at your numbers!"
I have passed 100 Followers mark. That means I need to get my butt in gear and get back to writing those quirky posts y'all love. ;)

I'm looking at that sidebar to the right and seeing the number of posts I've made each month... lol can you see in March that was my biggest posting. Then with the IWA STORY and POETRY contest in April I started slacking off, then in May when I was sooo busy trying to make more poetry and stories I was totally MIA!!!
Finally finisheing those projects and working on the art now I've been starting to re-coup my posting numbers lol.
Still haven't had time to get around to all these new bloggers and keep adding poeple to ALL MUSLIMAH, but still it's getting there!
I'm on the 3rd artwork out of six right now, I finished all the rough drafts of them now I have to go back and clean them up lots. BUt they are turning out just awesome really. I'm sooo happy. I KNOW you all are just drooling now to buy the books when they come out eh? BUt all that juicy info will have to wait for later.....LOL really I'm just excited as you are but Sabr, Patience my friends.
Well I'm off today to a going away party for a friend of mine who's leaving UAE for good :( Gotta get my kids and house ready and all that good stuff so just wanted to pop in for an update. You know now that I have so many of you out there who are Striving Hard just like me.

So Yay for me hitting the 100 mark and Yay for you for inspiring me to keep going on and on with blogging :D

Long title short: I met Aalia last week!

Get some popcorn and come back, I'll wait, settle yourself comfortably.

After a crazy hecktic week of trying to finish my first final submitted art work for publication by the first deadline (YAY!) AND weaning my son before the 10th of July when he turned two LUNAR years, and staying cooped up in the house, I needed a break. Hubby was going to Abu Dhabi on business and offered to drop me off someplace. WHooo Hoo I called up Aalia and told her the good news. We went back and forth for the next 24hours deciding how and where to meet. I prepared everything I'd need for the long trip (2 hours) there with squirmy kids... food, toys, blankets (cause my daughter freezes with the AC on and my husband burns with it off, an epic car battle for AC control), and something for me to do on the way up there if my dream comes true and they sleep. I pack it all and put it by the door, get everything prepared. I have a 11am appointment to be at Aalia's house for lunch. I was determined to get there on time! By 9am me the kids were up and dressed and ready to hit the road. Hubby was still in bed........... 0_o
"It's 9am! We are going to the car!" I say pointedly. Hubby gets on the ball then announces we can not possibly be seen in AbuDhabi in our dusty sand strewn minivan. He has to manually wash the car himself..... I'm fuming at my timings ruined. So we sat in the van watching him wash it. The kids were bouncing all over the seats. I wore a very nice blouse since I wanted to look nice in Aalia's home where I figured we'd have the chance to take off hijabs, even matched my amber jewelry to the glossy brown shirt. It was starting to get hot though.... I thought about changing but my next best shirt was in the laundry. :( And... i had taken all that time to coordinate my not-often-worn jewelry. Normally I only wear it on Eid now that I have kids lol.
Naturally he then has to shower and change into something for business.... so at 10am we left and on the way he had to make copies of paper work he had forgotten to do the day before. So I call Aalia to let her know we are running late and we have a big confrence about our Lunch Location. LOL everytime we'd solidify something and I'd put the phone back in my bag and reach around to feed the kids she'd call again and change it..LMAo and I'd be jugling juice boxes and sandwhiches and hunting for my phone in the diaper bag/backpack of doom. She'd then announce a change of plans...hahaha... but it was alright. Finally we firmed up on going to Marina Mall. It's on the far west tip of AbuDhabi past the Presidential Palace, on a jut of sand. I folded my map happy I knew how to easily get there. Me and my maps, let me tell you, are inseperatable.
An hour into the ride the kids nod off after fighting over the pillows and blankets. Knew I shoulda brought four instead of two, silly me thinking two children need ONE blanket apiece.... rediculous. I sigh happily, my motherly duties satisfied and pull out a Sci-fi book I took half an hour to choose last night. I start reading it and get no further than the 8th page then I notice Hubby looking bored.... ah, time for wifey duties. I check the page number for mentally bookmarking (I never use bookmarks subhanAllah) and then tuck it back into my bag.
I strike up a cheery convo to make the ride and drive more tolerable. Not that the view isn't awesome with massive sand dunes everywhere you look but they border the highway with large trees and small shrubs to make you forget you are actually in a desert.
The main topic we chose is my future business after I finish this publishing project. We threw ideas and plans around much like a G8 Summit. Some ideas more sound than others. Most ideas begining with the phrase, "Ok well IF we had a million dirhams, what could we do?" LOL.
Eventaully the buildings get closer together and then they start growing like some Iincreadible Hulk Movie. They go from being maximum two stories high to 20 or 40 stories high...(ok I exagerate as I havn't actaully been in the massive building's elevators to see a button floor count).... still that is a funny thing my Husband noticed the first time we left AbuDhabi, you can tell your way out of the city by following your way to shorter buildings. HAHAHA.
I call Aalia to tell her I'm on the edge of the city so she can get ready. Our monetary discusion by that time has turned Islamic and we are loudly discussing our opinions and that wakes the kids up hehheh. They stare in wide-eyed wonder at the tall buildings. Ya gotta love seeing the world through the eyes of children.
As we continue North West towards the Mall we pass the Presidential Palace and as my daughter is obsessed with Princeses and such, I tell her "Look at that Castle! It's a Palace! The President is like a King (early political education there eh?)" Her eyes were HUGE saucers of awe..... Awww.... ;)
Finally we get down to Marina Mall and park. Realizing in all my careful planning I forgot the stroller. Oh well, they just napped and could use the walk. So Hubby withdraws 100dhs ($27usd) for me telling me to spend it carefuly (IE... stretch it out). YAY! So he takes off to head back out across the city. I have just enough time to get my kids to the bathroom, do a diaper change and a quick hair brushing before Aalia phones she's there. I return to the main entrance with butterflies in my tummy..... oh wow! Gonna finally meet her! After years of online talking.
Then I can't find her.... What the heck? I look around the main front circle looking for a niqabi or full face veiled sister with a toddler. Finally in a sitting area between the escalators I spot a cute little Toddler and nearby a glamorous Emirati dressed looking woman sitting casually on a bench, but she looked nervous (body posture, as her face was covered). Ah that must be her. As I walk up she stands and we finally greet each other and we give a very long (and over due) real hug. I'm just thrilled. She coos over my kids hehehe and I coo over her adorable son masha'Allah. I do take a moment to study him. A beutiful mix of Canadian/Emirati. Emirati nose and features but a softness that comes purly from Aalia. Adorable for sure!
We head off slowly towards the cafe she's planned us to eat at. Slowly because my son is almost 2 and has short little legs and he dawdles looking at everything. I point out the haram statues of a pretty dolphin fountain, they ohh and awe over the rainbow lights and colors. ;)
We fianlly get there and I'm surprised it's the same cafe featured on the ramadan TV feature Khalik Cool (Stay Cool) where they stage pratical jokes on people. The man from that show was imported from Lebanon where he made it big doing the same pratical jokes on the streets of Lebanon. Anyways, I inform Aalia of this trivia hehehe.
There are THREE waitresses standing around cooing over the kids (especially Aalia son). Then comes the hard part of finding a table. The waterfall looks pretty but Aalia's knowledge surpasses that idea that it's a bad place to sit. We wind up at a long table, her son in a high chair and mine on the large chairs with a donut shaped back. There is a group of four Emirati men chilling behind where I was sitting and three groups of Emirati men upstairs able to look down at our table. I mention this because on Aalia's blog Chasing Jannah she often mentions how they harass her and in Al-Ain there just aren't as MANY sunglasses-IN-the-Mall wearing Emirati men so I never throught it was SO BAD, and they were EVERYWHERE. Everytime she barilly got to peep her face veil up a bit some goon would walk by. Eventaully the upstairs men left and we got to play Musical Chairs and switch her to the other side of the table so she could lift it up but every two minutes some dude would be walking up behind her past our table and I'd have to warn her. Those DUDES ARE SO ANNOYING.. ...GET A LIFE CREEPS!!!!
Meanwhile my son is having fun leaving his chair and bringing me table settings from other tables (unoccupied alhamdulillah) and that is majorly distracting me from ordering and trying to decide what I want. SO much yummy stuff! I don't even remember to look at prices!
We ate the shrimp rolls, oh wow are they ever tasty! Then club sandwhiches (which we only managed half and saved the rest for later cause they were massive!) The kids had these yummy pizzas with fries, my daughter ate the pizza, my son ate the fries. As another family cleared out I finally got a baby chair and forced my son, kicking and screaming, into it. Distracted him with the the delicious thick mango juice. It was so big me and my kids could share it. Afterwards the kid meal comes with ice cream so she split hers with her son and I spilt mine with my kids.
After we chit chatted here and there about things we got the bill. Whoops I had forgotten her post on the cafe saying average bill was 80 dhs or so, and sure enough split between us it was 85 dhs each.... lol I heard my Hubby's voice in my head saying to make the money last.... ah well, so much for good intentions lol. I paid my half and we walked on around the mall a bit.

Now as much as I love wandering around malls with my kids it was very weird for me this time. It has been THREE yes 3, years since I went browsing malls or chilling at malls with another sister. My typical Malling means I hit every child related shop where they can explore toys or if they knock something over it wont cause me to pay damages. I don't go to Clothes shops, I don't go to Jewelry shops, I don't go to Make-up Shops....I don't go anywhere that I used to before I had kids (in the plural). One child is easy to manage in these kinds of shops but two or more no thank you. You're asking for trouble. So most of me was longing to hang and check out girly things like shoes and purses and glam glam thank you mam stuff.... the other part of me was wanting to head directly for the nearest kid store where the kids could roam and I could manage to talk more with Aalia. But she needed to buy a gift so we went over to an Accessories store (Jewelry) and my kids saw all those shiney things and went nuts! I nearly had to break their wrists in my firm grip on thier hands. Everytime I'd get something out of my daughter's hands explaining we didn't have jack money to buy anything no matter how beautifully princess or fairy themed it looked, my son would be picking out a pair of purple ballarina shoes for himself or a lovely fluffy pink tiara.....the dangling multi colored necklaces were too much for his hands to resist too. I spent my entire time dealing with them that when i fianlly got around to where Aalia was I had time to only make one comment about awesome swirley earings before we left. I sighed exhausted from pulling the kids along. Aalia having wheels on her son (stroller) was able to walk faster and LOL she's always have to slow up to match pace with my son. Thus the title of this post that I'm chasing her ;)
Despite the awkwardness I felt in Malling with a Sister after so long I loved hanging out with her. She's so sweet and funny. As we passed the Starbucks I randomly commented on Iced coffee searching for a common like with her when she swirls my arm around. And I'm just shocked by her surprising strong grip, she looks so dainty in the Emirati clothes. She orders me to have a coffee on her. Still shocked by that strength, no wonder she can chase down street beggars!!! I followed her in and we ordered. My kids were tiring out by then and were thirsty but the water at Starbucks was 6 dirhams for a dinky little bottle!!!! The same size bottle in Al-AIn costs 1dhs and at Malls 2dhs. So I refrained from buying any until consumed by guilt with my kids begs for water I had to spend 5 of my last 15dhs on a bottle of water from a different cafe. They guzzled it down and poof it was gone! Later as we passed the same area Aalia wanted to rest and I had to fork over 6dhs for the Starbucks water as the kids were dying of thirst again. I tucked the water in my bag though so it would last longer if they didn't see it. I had three large full bottles of cold water in our van! The next day when I told my husband about the water prices he looks over the bottle and goes..."cause it's imported from SCOTLAND!!!" YA ALLAH!!! Ah well, six dirhams for a taste of my ancestors homeland I guess isn't so bad :p
We also stopped down stairs at the masjid to pray Thuhr. ARG my kids were so BADLY behaved I was embarrassed. They were taking all the prayer rugs and laying them out in all directions while I Prayed and then running in circles around them and my daughter was hopping from one to another like in her movie 12 dancing princess where they hop from stone to stone....UGH! I had a serious talk with her after folding all the carpets back up about Masjid behavior. We go over it many times but it never seems to sink in that she really shouldn't run around crazy in a masjid. Everytime I tell her the story I made up about a fictional girl being naughty in the masjid she says she'll never be like that, then enter a real masjid and poof, story forgotten...
By now Aalia's gone out of the masjid and I have to chase her down again hehehe. Finally as I stare around the mall wondering where she dissapeared to she pops up out of nowhere. LOL scared me a bit! We head back upstairs. By then it's 4pm and we are all tired and worn out. She calls for her ride and I call my Husband. He's not ready to pick me up until Maghrib. I'm stuck at this Mall with 4 dhs, a half bottle of water, and two tired kids......... Lovely Aalia graciously takes pity on me on me and invites me to go with her back to her house. Alhamdulillah cause I woulda had to resort to filling the water bottle from the bathroom sinks LOL. We have a wonderful chat on the way to her house. Finally we get inside out of the sticky humid heat of abu dhabi and I really was not happy with my blouse sticking to me. I will never wear it again there EVER! We break out the take-outs of the Club Sandwhiches and have a snack cause the kids are starving again. My kids eat or drink every hour it seems.
AND I KID YOU NOT, I HAD THE BEST TASTING FRESH LEMONADE EVER MADE IN THE WORLD!!!! I COULD NOT STOP DRINKING IT!!!!! Aalia you'd make a fortune getting that stuff bottled and selling it for 10dhs a piece. Hehehe. We had sooo much fun laughing at the kids. They were zooming around the living room an fighting over one large yellow lego piece. My kids were just happy to fianlly get to run around with him cause he was napping in the stroller in the mall about half way through. He was having mixed feelings about these kids running through his house and touching his toys. LOL he was getting agressive (jealous as most kids that age are when other kids enter their territory) which my son hates but it's ok it all worked out well and was completly understandable. I just felt bad cause Aalia wanted a nap but didn't want to be rude by going off to sleep so she stuck it out. LOL We just lounged around drinking lemonade and laughing at the kids who had all this amazing pent up energy! My daughter stopped to rest and struck up a long conversation with Aalia about movies lol.
From the window Aalia pointed out to me the famous beggar chase scene. It was hilarious imagining her running below through all the cars! Eventaully my husband called saying he was ready to get us so I got out my trusty map and guided him the way and then the sad part came where I had to bid Aalia goodbye. Aww her son was so upset. I was sad too, when would I get the chance to get back to Abu Dhabi and chill out again? Probably not anytime soon :( . With another warm hug and cheek kisses we left. Certainly a wonderful Sister, Aalia is. Cannot say enough good things about her.
When I got downstairs my husband was missing!!! He had gone off to pray while i was saying goodbyes. I had prayed Asr at her house so I didn't need to follow him to the masjid. What was up with people disspearing on me! Hehehe. I circled the building looking for our van. Finally I found it and loaded the kids in. When Hubby returned he said he was starving, kids said they were too. I was so full of lemonade I certainyl wasn't, so we went off to find the nearest McDonalds or other fast food. We finally found one and had a bite. The kids had so much fun playing in the tubes in the kid's playground. I can't belive they still had so much energy after running with Aalia's son!!! I ate an ice cream while they played. After all the lemonade i needed something creamy lol.
This McD's was FULL of asians. We were the only non asians in the place and for some reason half of them kept staring at us... so weird! One even slyly took my pic with her camera phone..... WTHECK!!! First Emirati men now asians? Do poeple in Abu Dhabi have a staring problem? I never get this in Al-Ain..... We finally hit the road again. After a half an hour the kids slept and I covered them with blankets and pulled open my book only to find Hubby getting sleepy at the wheel.... I looked at page 9 and closed it and struck up a convo about business again. We chatted all the way back to Al-Ain. The kids wanted to wake up and play...we put our foot down though cause we were so tired and went to sleep.
That was my crazy and wonderful trip to AbuDhabi and meeting the awesome Aalia.

Believe me this story could have been longer but I left out many details lol. It could have been shorter too like Aalia's version on her blog (look for the cute cat picture), but I wanted not only her to see what was in my head all day but for evryone to see what happens when two bloggers meet up. :D
Actaully it was hard sometimes to think of what to say because we already know the same old questions of past history because we have it on our blogs lol. But we had fun!

Love ya Aalia, can't wait to get to Abu Dhabi again or you come down to Al-Ain..... if you come don't forget the Lemonade k. ;)

Thank you very much whoever made this layout and exceeded their bandwidth... just messed up many of my blogs!!!! And I LOVED this template!!!! arG!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gotta find a new one NOW!

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