2006 GOOD RIDDANCE!!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
"There Shall be no Coriander bought in this household agian....EVER"
Coriander, aka cilantro, is not a common ingredient in my kitchen.I do use it as a flavoring in the rare times when I cook green fava beans with meat in a nice garlicy yoghurt sauce.(fool bi laban). I also use it for salsa and some mexican dishes,but it is definitely not an essential part of my culinary experience.However, being completely FORBIDDEN from buying it makes me uncomfortable. I'm freaking out that my already shrinking menu will lose yet another item,(because I find fool bi laban tasteless without it) and the dreadful question of what will I cook for tomorrow will become an even tougher decision.
I love cooking but I hate having to make up my mind on the meal that will please everyone.
If I leave it to Zaid, we'd be eating mlookhieh every single day. If one kid at the nursery is having mlookhieh for lunch, I can be sure that Zaid would be sharing his lunch,and that my cooking will come back in an unopened tupperware.
If I leave it to Raya, I'd be rolling vine leaves everyday, a luxury my time can't afford, but luckily my mom covers up for my deficiencies and cooks both meals for them.
My husband is pretty flexible with food, just as long as it's not yesterdays's leftovers, or not flavored with coriander.
"Flavoring, Salam, you said you needed it for flavoring.....but this thing tastes of nothing but coriander!"
Then he ate yesterday's leftover fettucini.
To be fair..the yoghurt did turn a little green after I chopped in all that coriander,so that's an official apology for yesterday's lunch Honey.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
A great man, who embraced me as a daughter since the day we met. Words can not express our sorrow. And the deep pain his death has engraved in our hearts. Ammo Riad, the void you leave behind can not be filled. Your voice, your laugh, your happiness to see us and the kids walk through the door. The anticipation with which you waited for them every day. The joy you brought to their lives. The way you pampered them and carried them around. The frustration you felt when you could not take their little hands, and walk them around the house. I can never forget the day when I put Raya in your lap for the first time, when she was three days old. You used to be so frightened of carrying babies, but the moment you held her in you arms you never let go of her . Neither the day of Zaido’s christening, when he wouldn’t let anyone carry him but you. Even the priest thought that jiddo saved the day. My kids’ loss has been doubled this year, with the loss of both grandparents. But the memories you have both given them and us are priceless. Ammo, your legend lives on, in the great family you have raised. No day passes by without me thinking of the great job you and auntie have done raising such a loving caring family. I am blessed to be part of your family, to have known you, to have loved you and to have been loved by you. May God bless your soul. May you and my dad both rest in peace. Our biggest blessing is having had such great men to father us. We love you both so much.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
By: Abd Al Rahman Munif. This is the book I was planning to start reading. I already read it in arabic years ago but when I found the english version I thought it would be nice to read it again and also see if it is just as good in English as it was in Arabic.
Now Khalida tagged me,and thanks to her, I think I will not read it! I much rather go back to the arabic version which was much more appealing .If you love Amman, get the book.The arabic one!
However, page 123,line 5 onwards reads:
"This was not the only game that needed a special kind of stone. Stones of a different size and description were used for slingshots. They had to be relatively smaller and more polished."
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Abu Mhammad is the nice old man who works in the parking lot next to my office.
He is such a sweet person and his genuine greetings always make my day.
"Good morning bash mohandiseh,ya3teeki el 3afieh!"always with a sincere cheerful tone.
I have been working in the same place for around 11 years now,I left for around a year and half,during which we lived abroad and during which I had my daughter.A couple of years ago,after having my son and returning from my maternity leave,he congratulated me on having a baby boy,he kept repeating how glad he was that it's a boy,and it was all very sweet of him.Every few days he'd ask me again,how is "the boy" doing ,and never ask about "the girl".I used to think it's all very natural since this is the latest,most recent,event that happened to me and he's checking on him alone for that reason only.
After two years of the same routine,where he only asked about Zaid and never Raya,I started wondering if he knew I had another child.I was puzzled and wanted to know if this was the case ,or is it because he is an old man ,who comes from somewhere where your mother's name is the best -well -kept secret in your life,where your wife is never referred to by her name but is called (el 3aileh-the family)or (el jama3a-the group)and where daughters are always called by the same term,even on their wedding invitations,the name is always(kareematoho-his daughter)written below the fathers name!.My curiosity took the better of me and I had to ask him:"Abu M7ammad,do you know I have an older daughter?"
"Yes,of course I do,Allah yekhaleelek iyaha"
"But you never ask me about her,you always check on my son,I though you did not know!"
"Oh,I know,how is she?Inshallah tamam?"
"Yes,thank you for asking"
He must have thought:what's wrong with this woman?who asks about girls?Doesn't she realize this is 3aib or something?!
This morning,when he asked me:"Keef el zghar?-How are the little ones?"I couldnt help but smile!
<<Home