Monday 2 December 2013

My Son High-fived a Santa and My World Didn't Fall Apart.

I am not a rigid person who is closed off to others. I am open minded and tolerant which is surprising to some who presume as a Muslim I am against many things. I probably wouldn't be Muslim if it wasn't for my ability to open my mind to other things. My openness to others is necessary as my family are not Muslim. They are what I would call cultural Christian. Some use the term, Births Deaths and Marriages Christian others say Christmas and Easter Christian. Whatever the term, they refer to themselves as Christian and I consider myself a practicing Muslim.

So you can imagine now as a fairly non practicing Christian family they wouldn't have many differences with me. Yes it is true we get along. There are however some practices that we do not share. Besides not eating pork, we also don't celebrate Easter and Christmas. This was easy at first because it was just my husband and I. But now there is a third. The first grandchild and he does not celebrate Christmas.

My father spending time with his grandson on Eid
In 2011 I had my first child. My Sulayman (a version of Solomon), and he is raised Muslim. His grandparents are Christian (which one day I will explain to him) and I remember the disappointment they felt when they realised they would not get to spoil their grandson on Christmas day. I also feel a similar sadness during Eid where many spend time with there families in a style very similar to Christmas. I have had my parents celebrate with us for the sake of their grandson however there is a sense of awkwardness as certain things seem so alien to them.

So how do I raise my son to understand Christmas. I intend to raise him with tolerance and acceptance. To understand that there are others who live and believe differently to him. This philosophical talk may have to wait until he has a concept of things but for the time being I show him the "pretty lights" and let him admire the Christmas decorations. My realisation however of how soon I may have a conversation about Christmas came today when he ran over to a Santa in the local supermarket. He wanted a closer look of the man with the white beard. I can't blame him as you don't see men like Santa everyday. Sulayman smiled at the man and gave him a high five. All I could do was laugh. I made a conscious note to not give Santa a name and told my son to say goodbye to the nice man. You may wonder why I didn't tell my son about Santa but I realised how confusing it is for a two year old to understand about religion and within our belief he does not have to understand many things until he is older. Instead I focused on my son being polite and saying goodbye. A lesson every child should be learning at the age of two. Not about comparative religion.

I am not alone in having to raise children in a society with such a strong love for Christmas. Over 22 percent of Australians have no religion and 7.2 percent of Australians have a belief other than Christianity. Just to give us an idea in terms of numbers, there are over 1.5 million people in Australia with an alternative religion to christianity. That means Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Jewish people, have deal with introducing other religions to their children at a very young age. I know many would have different ideas on how to do this. They vary from a fearful approach to an almost adopting approach (imagine my shock when being wished a Merry Christmas by our Hindu friends). It is completely up to the parent on how they do this.

I find India as an example of the need for tolerance. A country where all major religions exist. Where billboards wishing Ramadan Mubarak make way for Happy Diwali. I don't want to shield my son from the knowledge of other religions but to understand the differences and to be proud of his religion. That, I hope, will allow him to grow into someone strong and proud of his faith, Inshallah (God Willing)

Tuesday 26 November 2013

11 Reasons Why I love Wales

If I could move anywhere within this world it would be one place. One place only because it almost as if that place touches my soul. I feel that I could immerse myself within that country and feel completely in my element.
My place on this earth is Wales. 

I can not say it in worlds what I love about this place but whilst playing with Google Maps the other day, I realised how well a picture can capture the feeling of a place. 

Here is a list of reasons I love wales.

1. Snowdownia. Yes there is a place that exists that sounds just as beautiful as it looks. Snowdonia is a rugged and mountainous Nation Park which has a sense vastness and isolation. A place where you find yourself very small and can't help but take in the wonder.




2. Eeriness. Yes you read right. There is something eery about the landscape. It makes me feel like I am in a strange dream. I love it.







3. Flowers. I am a sucker for flowers. Most women are. Flowers make me feel like the world is a beautiful place. Flowers capture my imagination and Wales has some amazing gardens on offer. But just as amazing as gardens full of flowers is a countryside awash with purple heather.





4. Autumn. Autumn is the time when everything looks amazing. It is my favourite season followed by Winter. Wales looks amazing in Autumn.






5. Ruggedness. Wales may be pretty but it's also unforgiving in it's landscape. Mountains merge out of lakes and roads cling to steep cliffs. The rugged landscape may be harsh but it is awe inspiring to look at.  SubhanAllah.







6. Winter Wonderland. As a person who lives far away from the snow I am often fascinated by it's splendour. Snow creates a magical wonderland that is so foreign to me it captivates me.







7. Woods. Not just any woods though. Woods that are covered in moss and in the colder months they create a creepy atmosphere and the leafless branches claw away at the sky.







8. Waterfalls. Those closest to me know that my favourite thing to see in the entire world is a waterfall. I can not explain why I love them. 





9. The sky. The images speak for themselves. The sky is constantly changing and with the changing sky the landscape and atmosphere changes too.








10. History. Drive a mile and you can find a piece of history. Wales is known for many things and one of those things is castles. Castles in Wales are mostly preserved  and that means you can experience a piece of history everywhere you go.






11. Language. So I have been talking about feeling like you are in another world. The scenery does often put you into a dreamlike state. You can often wonder if J. R. R. Tolkien took his inspiration from the landscape but you can also be inclined to wonder if the names influenced his writing too. The sign below looks far more intriguing when written in Welsh. Because the language is still spoken, many places have signs with both English and Welsh. This includes road signs.



Ever since visiting Wales I have been itching to go back. But now I want to know. Have you ever thought of Wales as being somewhere you want to visit? Did this persuade you to put it on your destination list?

Saturday 23 November 2013

Where to buy Makeup in Australia

Australia! One word. EXPENSIVE! It is the sad truth that items we buy in Australia are double or more the price you find elsewhere. We also do not get the same brands as overseas. Yes we get the usual drugstore and high end make up but for brands like Urban Decay and Smashbox we are very limited and it is very expensive. I have compiled a list of websites I use when searching for overseas or cheap products. These websites often have cheaper deals than in a pharmacy or department store.

Adore Beauty

It is a Aussie website so prices are similar to what you will find in store yet they have great sales and FREE SHIPPING. Some brands they sell are Becca, Benefit, Opi, Clarins, Inika, Napoleon Perdis, NP Set, Lancome, Philosophy, and Laura Mercier.
Adore Beauty stocks Napoleon Perdis


Fashion Mecca
Another Australian website that mainly sells NYX. The prices are more than what you pay in the US. The shipping Australia wide is $7.99 or FREE with purchases over $40!

Cherry Culture
Cherry Culture boasts cheaper NYX products as well as MILANI, Bloom Cosmetics, Jordana, and the Beauty Blender. Shipping starts at $12.04 for below 4 lbs  and will to take 8 -17 days to get to you.

Feel Unique

I found this site extremely frustration because more than half the products are unable to be shipped to Australia. That means the benefit they sell is not available to us. We are left however with the following brands. Elizabeth Arden, Kardashian Beauty, New CID Cosmetics, Real Techniques, Rimmel and theBalm. I find I like to buy my Rimmel here as it is cheaper that the stores. FREE SHIPPING on all orders.

Look Fantastic

Another annoying site where not everything is available to Australians is Look Fantastic. Despite this some major brands are available even if the prices are not as cheap as the USA. Brands available for FREE SHIPPING to Australia are bareMinerals, Becca, Elizabeth Arden, Maybelline, Natio, RMK, Real Techniques, Stila, theBalm, Urban Decay and Too Faced.

Beauty Bay

A Beauty Gurus go to site is Beauty Bay. The site only restricts the shipping of a few brands however you are left with a great selection such as bareMinerals, Eyeko, Pixi, RMK, Rouge Bunny Rouge, Stila, Too Faced and Urban Decay. FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING on all orders.

Beauty Joint

This is one of my favourites because they sell NYX products at low prices. Here you can get a NYX Round Extra Creamy Lipstick for just $4.00. But what about the shipping? They ship worldwide by using USPS First Class International (available for up to total 4 pounds of shipping weight). That means it is weight based and to give you idea I 3 Rimmel lipsticks to my cart and the postage was on $5.14. That meant the total for 3 Rimmel lipsticks would be $26.50. The website also hosts brands like e.l.f, Jordana, Wet N Wild, Milani and Physicians Formula.

Kiss and Makeup 

I have not used this site before but from what I can see it offers Flat $9.95 shipping. That means you could buy a NARS The Mutliple for $39 and still come out better than the $58 charge in stores in Australia. Smart shopping. The other two brands available are Laura Mercier and Smashbox.

www.theblonderoom.com 

Sells Tarte. Not the current Tarte products but they are Tart products. Shipping is $5.50.

Crush Cosmetics

Coastal Scents, Beauty Blender, China Glaze, e.l.f, Hard Candy, Jordana, Crime, Milani, NYX, Prestige, Real Techniques, Sleek, Too Faced, Wet n Wild.

www.glossi.com.au

Almay, Covergirl, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Max Factor, Revlon, Rimmel, Pysicians Formula.
Flat Rate Shipping for orders under 500g anywhere within Australia
Parcel Post with signature on delivery = $7.65
Parcel Post without signature on delivery = $7.95
Express Post = $9.55 

ikatehouse

NYX and e.l.f cosmetics at dirt cheap prices. Yep you can go crazy here and get a massive haul of cosmetics. Shipping starts at $9.95 for total up to $9.95. $12.95 for totals ups to 19.95. $14.95 up to $29.95.  $16.95 up to $39.95.  $19.95 up to $49.95.  $24.95 up to $199.

Cosmetics Now

Jane Iredale, Dior, Laura Mercier, Youngblood, Chanel, Estee Lauder, Lancome, YSL, Shiseido, MAC, NARS, Korres, Guerlain, Clarins, Amarni, Bobbi Brown, Elizabeth Arden, Pixi, Stila, Anna Sui, Benefit, Bourjois, theBalm, Urban Decay, Smashbox, Make up For Ever, Becca, Bloom, Clinique, Tom Ford, Too Faced, Dolce and Gabbana. Shipping in Australia is made via Australia Post eParcels and in New Zealand by Post Haste. FREE DELIVERY is available for all hair care, skin care and make up items. Shipping for fragrance items to Australia and New Zealand is charged at 10% of the order total to a maximum of AUD $10. 

www.facialcompany.com.au

Brands that are worth mentioning are Clarins, Napoleon Perdis, NP Set, Youngblood and Jane Iredale. FREE Shipping over $30 otherwise you pay $7.

http://www.ry.com.au
Becca, Benefit, Clarins, Jane Iredale, NP Set, Napoleon Perdis, Youngblood, Essie. THe shipping is a $6.95 flat rate or FREE for orders over $99.




Thursday 3 October 2013

The Day I Caught The Plague

Yeah I know I didn't really catch the plague but it sure did feel like it. In actual fact I had just caught head lice. I don't know where I caught my annoying little friends but it was during my time in India that I discovered them. What makes the situation even more peculiar is that I wear the head scarf in public so catching them from a stranger in close proximity is quite a leap (unintentional pun). I have a theory that I caught them whilst in an Indian hospital. Indian hospitals are not as clean as you would expect and I doubt they change the pillowcases with each new patient. However I am not writing about where I caught them. My issue is how others treat you when you as an adult catches a disgusting plague of head lice. Because let's face it. It does not matter when kids catch them because we all know kids are disgusting.

So during my trip in India I noticed I had an insanely itchy scalp. At first I thought it was sweat because we were trudging around in 40 plus heat. I then thought that it must be dandruff as I still itched once I returned to our air conditioned room. Finally once returning to my in laws house I reached up one day and grabbed a big fat louse! Yep thats what you call individual lice. I proceeded to tell my sister in law that I had head lice. I will never forget how everyone reacted. Instead of telling me what treatment to use I was told I had caught them because my hair was dirty. I must admit I do not have luscious Indian locks of silk as my hair is wavy and occasionally frizzy. But I do wash my hair every second day and it is very healthy. This knee jerk reaction was shared by everyone in my husbands family and reminded me of my teen years when you dare not tell a soul besides you mother if you found a louse. I find this reaction is quite common worldwide so I am not insulting my in laws who are beautiful and lovely people.

Use conditioner instead of expensive treatments. Then comb the suckers out

It got me thinking about society and how easily we judge each other. Instead of coming to the rescue we like to point out where the person went wrong.  It's not that you choose to have head lice but rather the head lice choose you. Head lice don't care what type of hair you have, they are opportunists. The'll take a free meal and a new home whenever the chance arises. That is why it's not fair to blame the host of a new colony of head lice. It was out of their control. Best thing to do is to tell the person you'll help them out whether it is breathing in chemical fumes whilst you treat their hair, combing meticulously, or squashing the little critters. A helpful phrase my mum said to cheer me up was "Head lice only like healthy hair". A lie (they like what they can get) but it certainly did help. Because let's face it, having head lice pretty much sucks big time and the last thing you need is someone judging your hygiene.


I said good riddance my lice. They died through countless treatments of conditioner and combing. I can't help worry taht I have caught lice every time I get the odd dandruff but next time I hope to take it in the same stride as my 8 yr old neighbour. On returning to Australia I saw at her home on a school day. I asked her why she was not at school and she told me she too had caught head lice. We sat there in the sunny afternoon chatting and comparing numbers. Ahhh I miss childhood.


Wednesday 2 October 2013

5 Things You Should Know Before Travelling to a Third World Country

So recently I spent 8 weeks in India. I travelled many places and really immersed myself in the culture. I kind of already knew the culture being married to an Indian but it was only when I was there could I fully get a sense of it. My trip was amazing to say the least but their were certain aspect of travelling in a third world country that confronted me. So I made a list that will prepare many for their trips to 3rd world countries.

1. Pollution
Pollution is the most confronting aspect of travelling in a third world country. The government spends less on infrastructure so there are no garbage trucks picking up your trash in the morning. There are no roadside bins that people frequently use. In fact when I asked my husband why there were no bins, he replied that people would simply steal them.

It is hard to see people polluting their nation so much but it is part of the culture. Inside is clean and outside is dirty. That is why you can expect to be put in this posh 5 start hotel only to walk out into a pile of rubbish with dogs scrounging around for leftovers. Third world nations are often highly populated and the norm in these nations is to throw things onto the street. This includes my niece is who just graduated medical school and is aware of the current environmental problems. When I finished with my kulfi she suggested I just throw the wrapper out of the car. Something the Australian in me struggled to do.

Tip - carry hand sanitiser and cleanse face regularly as pollution will stick to your skin

Slum dwellers search for their belongings through the debris after a fire in Kolkata, India, Jan. 23, 2012. (Bikas Das/Associated Press) #

2. Sanitation
Lack of sanitation to be more precise. It is probably the most confronting for some including myself. It is not so much the squat toilets which are common in third world nations but more the not the lack of using toilets altogether. Yep that's right. Don't wait until you get home or find a public toilet, just do it in the street. It took me a while to work out why men were standing on the side of the road and when I did I became disgusted. Men pee everywhere. It is not uncommon to be shopping in a busy marketplace and have to jump over a suspicious wet patch. My husband often warned by shouting "pee". I knew that meant jump over everything that it wet.

But it's not just the thought of people peeing and pooping everywhere but rather the smell of it. I have smelt stenches that I think I will only ever smell in India. Stenches of human bodily waste often flood your auto-rickshaw and have you covering your face with a scarf. This is possibly why many young women cover their face whilst riding on a motorcycle. Either that or the pollution in the air.

However you being a traveller may also need to use a restroom and that in itself is an experience. If you are lucky (or should that be unlucky) to find a restroom you will most likely be faced with the choice of a squat toilet or a squat toilet. Yeah public western toilets are not common but I wouldn't feel clean using one anyway. So on my recent trip I was needing to wee and we had stopped at a coffee shop so I thought I would use the restroom. My husband told me it was broken so I went next door to a toilet in the park. What I found is unspeakable. I have had toilet nightmares from that day.

Tip - Carry hand sanitiser and go wee in you hotel room or a nice restaurant

A man takes a bath outside his shanty in front of the Indian national flag in Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums, in Mumbai, Jan. 24, 2012. Female workers at Dharavi made a 151ft-long (46m) Indian flag to celebrate India's Republic day. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters) #

3. Illness
So now you know that poo and wee are everywhere as well as pollution in the air there is no reason why you can expect to stay healthy an entire trip. I was warned prior to my trip that I would fall sick. How sick? Well I had no idea but I decided to get travel insurance to be safe. Good choice. I did fall sick and so did my husband, son, and mother in law. Three of us ended up in hospital because of the gastro bug from hell. Nothing can ruin your holiday like shooting liquids from both ends.

If I put it nicely you may not think that you will get very sick but I must warn you that it can happen. It can go from bad to worse quickly and in my sons case it landed him in hospital for two days. That does not mean we walked out the next day all better. No way. We carried on being sick for weeks. I could not eat properly, my toddler had the runs, and my husband was scared of eating anything outside of home.

We were warned by the doctors that water often carries diseases so we started boiling the mineral water that was delivered to our home. We would only drink bottled drinks when out and we would be careful where we chose to eat our meals. This unfortunately meant that I missed out on Pani Puri because the water in it was not bottled water nor was it boiled. Rule of thumb is that you are most likely going to get sick but don't do stupid things like drinking the tap water.

Tip - Get travel insurance, use hand sanitiser and only drink bottled and boiled water.

A child is administered polio drops at a slum by a mobile unit during an anti-polio drive in New Delhi, Jan. 15, 2012. (Saurabh Das/Associated Press) #

4. Poverty
Like pollution, poverty is in your face. If you are the sensitive type to really get shaken over seeing people in squalor then you should probably rethink your plans to travel to a third world country. You will have people on every corner begging for money. You will not be able to sit in your car without being asked for money. What you possess is a lot to the poor person. You can afford to pay a driver then it means you are rich. You can afford to dine in a restaurant then it means you are rich. You have shoes on your feet that look new then it means you are rich. This will make you are a beggars magnet and so you will have to prepare yourself to see people with horrible injuries and mothers with infants who have no pants on. Diseases that we immunise against in our country cause life long crippling to people in third world countries. What we have in our country has sheltered us and to see it up close is a real shock.

Tip - Not every beggar is genuine but try to give when you can. Prepare to cry at some point.

An Indian woman sleeps outdoors in a shanty area in Hyderabad, India, Jan. 11, 2012. India has about 93 million slum dwellers. (Mahesh Kumar A./Associated Press) #

5. Corruption
I remember hearing a story about a soldier who betrayed his men for money and having our guide quip that it was the start of Indian corruption. Corruption is something we don't really face in the western world. We don't pay off police men nor do we pay a little extra to get things moving quicker. However in India, corruption is a fact of life and it's the same for other third world nations. If you get pulled over by a police man despite doing nothing wrong you will still be expected to pay a "fine". In fact if you have anything to do with the government you will most likely come into contact with corruption. It is so common that it doesn't get much of a reaction when it is exposed on the news. People expect it and think that if they were in the same position they would do the same.

But it's not just government officials that will try to take money from you. In fact where there is poverty there are people trying to make quick money. The best target is tourists who do not know the country or how much to pay. Be prepare to be lied to, sold dodgy items and taken the long way to your destination all in order for an extra buck. Even the children begging on the street are often bluffing. They know tourists fall for their tears. But open up you wallet and say you don't have smaller change they will reply with "I have change". When poverty exists people will do anything to survive so just don't be surprised to be ripped off.

Tip - Research prices for everything, and bargain down. Ask hotel for average prices when using transport. Best way to get your price is to walk away.

A woman begs in a subway in Mumbai, India, Jan. 11, 2011. Villagers flock to cities to find work causing slums to expand and people to live on the streets. India has about 93 million slum dwellers, and as much as 50 percent of New Delhi's population is thought to live in slums, and 60 percent of Mumbai's population. (Rafiq Maqbool/ Associated Press) #

These tips may prove useful in a third world country but nothing can really prepare you for the experience. The best way is to accept the country for what it is and use copious amounts of hand sanitiser.

Wednesday 25 September 2013

A Perfume Wishlist


So I started buying perfumes again after buying one in the duty free section on my recent travels. I am a bit tight when it comes to money so I have found some bargain sites that sell my favourites at great prices.

The dilemma!

What one do I purchase next.

I have been doing the rounds and sampling so great perfumes. I have also found my taste has changed since I last bought a lot of perfume. I will however never get over Dior Addict 2.

To put my predicament into perspective I have made a wishlist of perfumes I wish to buy.  

Here is the complete list:

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

SIGNORINA 50ml EAU DE PARFUM BY SALVATORE FERRAGAMO    


GUCCI
ENVY ME 50ml EAU DE TOILETTE BY GUCCI  
FLORA 50ml EAU DE TOILETTE BY GUCCI 




COACH

COACH POPPY FLOWER 50ml EAU DE PARFUM BY COACH



GUESS
GUESS SEDUCTIVE 75ml EAU DE TOILETTE BY GUESS




MARC JACOBS
HONEY 100ml EAU DE PARFUM BY MARC JACOBS  
OH LOLA! 100ml EAU DE PARFUM BY MARC JACOBS    
OH LOLA! SUNSHEER 50ml EAU DE PARFUM BY MARC JACOBS 



PRADA
CANDY L'EAU 50ml EAU DE TOILETTE BY PRADA
PRADA MILANO INFUSION D'IRIS ABSOLU FLEUR D'ORANGER 50ml EAU DE PARFUM BY PRADA



VERSACE
BRIGHT CRYSTAL 50ml EAU DE TOILETTE BY VERSACE 




YSL

ELLE INTENSE 50ml EAU DE PARFUM BY YVES SAINT LAURENT          
PARISIENNE 50ml EAU DE PARFUM BY YVES SAINT LAURENT



Yes, that is over 1k in perfume. So no, I won't be purchasing all of it.

Help me out. Which one would you buy?

A quick guide to pattern names


I love patterns.

I love ethnic patterns the most. In my recent trip to India I was in pattern heaven.

Alas I am no longer in India surrounded by intricate design. I do however enjoy seeing patterns in decor. The only problem is I didn't know the names of these patterns..... until now. Here is a quick guide to my favourites.



Argyle
Houndstooth
Chevron

Moroccan

Demask


Fleur De Lis

Paisley

Quatrefoil

Fret

Trellis

Ikat


So there you have it. What are your favourite patterns?

In Focus: Modesty Wear


So I have been watching Modesty Wear on Facebook for some time. Since I have huge insecurities about my arms I have always been drawn to a batwing or butterfly abaya. That is why Modesty Wear caught my attention. They do an abaya/dress that uses the design but in colours and material that is so versatile it can be worn at any occasion


They have the batwing abaya that comes with a material belt that you can choose to wear.... or not.



For a little more dressy option, you can get a chiffon dress. Chiffon is very elegant and takes very little to make the dress a formal piece.



The also do skirts in every colour of the rainbow. They look so feminine with the bow at the front and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.




But my favourite is the jumpsuit dress. If I could I would get every colour and pattern. I would live in them for the rest of my life!



They do these comfy looking cardigans too!



Modesty wear is extremely feminine and modest. They design pieces that are versatile and can be worn all year round.

I think it's time I purchased some pieces of my own..... problem is.... which ones?