Counting My Blessings 2011

Alhamdulilah, this year has been a good one and I have much to be thankful for. So, thank you Allah Mian for blessing me with good health, a supportive family and a secure relationship.

Highlights of the year:
- Trip to Europe... a dream come true :)
- Meeting A after almost 2 years :)
- Solo trip to Dubai in June - girly time with Il and M :)
- Turning 25

Next year, hoping to give back more, maybe take up teaching/counseling and become a more generous/less selfish person.

Christmas in Karachi

was pretty boring this year... A lot of people were at Imran Khan's rally and those who weren't were watching him on tv. I went to Forum and Park Towers with little SIL who's visiting from Lahore. It turned out to be a fun trip... parking was easy to find and it wasn't too crowded despite being a Sunday.

Weather's gotten cold!! I have to admit, I don't like coming to work these days... All I wanna do is snuggle back into bed and read novels and maybe relive my Enid Blyton days when "The Five" went on picnics and had adventures :) Methinks it's time for a career switch...

Gulab Jamun

This blogger describes my feelings perfectly: http://www.indianfoodforever.com/desserts/gulab-jamun.html

How do you describe the sensation when something just melts in your mouth and while it travels down your oesophagus, it leaves a feeling of such warmth and coziness... as if you are the most special person in the world?

How do write or even portray that soft fluffiness of the jamuns oozing with that delicious sweetness? As one of my Princeton friend's once said: "It's like a sugar explosion!!"

Back in college, I used to order these online: http://www.amazon.com/Haldirams-Classic-Indian-Gulab-Jamun/dp/B004XTCLU6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1324466178&sr=8-5

I'd anxiously track my order until the big day arrived. I'd take out a single gulab jamun and put it in a bowl, top it with lots of syrup and microwave it. Then I'd savor the smell and finally take a bite and go to heaven :)

Why I Like Germans

Everyone in office received a Season's Greetings card from our German ex-boss and his wife; handwritten and personalized. My envelope had a Christmas cookie stamp on it :)

I've pinned the card to my cubicle wall and it brings a smile to my face every time I look at it... I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy inside *happy sigh*

Let it Snow!

OMG! Coolest Google trick! Type "Let it Snow" into the Google space, hit Enter and see what happens :)

December

It's wedding season again and harried moms are to be found in shopping centers and at the darzi ki dukaan (tailor shop) frantically shopping and completing outfits for their kids' shaadis.

It's finally become chilly in Karachi and I can go to bed without turning on the fan or ac (Alhamdulilah!). On the streets, you'll see the occasional uncle in an argyle sweater and muffler and an aunty swathed in her winter shawl :p My Lahori friends find it funny while our German boss merely thinks it's "fresh"! Meanwhile, in our temperature-controlled office building, you can't really tell if it's warm or freezing outside... :"(

Right now, I feel like having a mug of hot chocolate from Bent Spoon and a warm, bearclaw pastry from Panera... *sigh*. I also wouldn't mind scurrying home and getting back into bed with an Austen-type novel :)

Resentment

Since our house-keeper/cook left, I've taken on most of the household chores... cooking, ironing, cleaning, grocery shopping and the dinner dishes as well! Mr. F finds it highly amusing and when I ask him to help, he replies, "That's your job" :-O

Throw in a sleepless night and backache to boot and Gaia's a raging monster in the morning. Mr. F returns from his morning walk and greets me with a peck on the cheek, "Good morning Princess :)!"

Gaia: grunt/sour face

Then, just as we're about to head out, Mr. F says, "Oh and can you take X to a good doctor in the evening? I'll be home late"

Just because I get off at around 6:30 and Mr. F likes to stay back at work until 8:30/9, he thinks I have all the time in the world to rest and relax and should therefore pick up after him!

Men!!!!!! Ugh...!

At Gina's

Husband (earlier that day calls to say): "I'm at Barasti with Awesome (friend). Will pick you up for dinner from the Mall at 7:30" (Gaia is spending the day at the Mall)

Around 7:45 pm, Mr. F, Gaia and Awesome are walking past Gina's at the Mall.

Husband (beaming): "You know, we saw quite a few of these on the girls at Barasti!"

Gaia (also beaming): "Great, then you can buy me a pair too!"

Gaia, Husband and Awesome walk into store... Gaia likes this one:

http://www.gina.com/rianna-2540.aspx

Sales lady finds the right size and Gaia practices walking around the store. Awesome suggests getting matching clutch.

We walk to the counter to pay.

Sales lady (beaming), "That will be 10,000 AED"

Mr. F (also beaming), "We'll come back. Thank you!"

:'(

On Flatulence

Just like cramps, hiccups and varicose veins, one of the many annoying bodily functions that you can't control is flatulence... Your tummy's full of gas and making weird noises. It's embarrassing and uncomfortable, specially in public :-P

A flatulist is a professional farter whose routine consists solely or primarily of farting in a creative, musical, or amusing manner. Who knew?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFLw8aH-M2w

DUBAI!!!

Thanks to my wonderful husband, I had the most amazing weekend :)

Just like the movies, I flew from Karachi to Dubai and met Mr. F at the Terminal 3. The weather in Dubai was gorgeous! We went to the beach and went mall-hopping. We saw Dirty Picture at Dubai Mall (I didn't pick the movie!). Vidya Balan's acting was really good but some of the the scenes were pretty vulgar... don't watch Dirty Picture with your mom or dad :p

Also ate at a really yummy Mexican restaurant (had proper burritos after 3 years!!!) and went to Butcher Shop at a JBR for dinner. Sure, Dubai is a fake, rich man's playground but it's soooo fun :). Our host was lovely too! (thanks A!)

On the last day, we went to Khana Khazana for lunch; a restaurant by the famous Sanjeev Kapoor. While the food was good, I think my mom can make equally good qeema, biryani and daal :-P

Overall, a fun, relaxing long weekend away from the noise and hullabaloo of Karachi... thanks Mr. F, you're the bestest!

M and Il, thanks for coming all the way from Abu Dhabi just so we could all meet up and re-live the Masdar days :) Good times!