Assalamu Alaikum
It is now the end of January. Time has gone by pretty fast the last few weeks. We are still living in Inverurie and have gotten used to the slow paced life here. Of course, we will never get UN-used to the fast life in Houston.
Everything changed for the better 2 weeks ago when J got a car. Firstly, it is a brand new 2009 Peugeot and smells new. After that, we became a little more mobile, going into Aberdeen two to three times a week. And, it helped with our grocery trips because now we can go as much as we want, whenever we want, without the inconvenience of a running meter on a taxi.
Saturday night was the Burn's Night celebration and J's work had a party. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. The majority of the men wore kilts. Before this, neither J nor I had any idea how intricate the whole kilt deal is. One of the guys at our table, not an SLB employee, but a spouse of one, explained the whole deal to us. And then I researched it a bit, too. So here is what I learned; you have the kilt, which is the skirt part. It can be made of any number of wool qualities which in turn, affects the price. Then, it can be pleated or not. And, the pleating can be in different ways. After that, you have the special shoes and hose, these are like knee high and almost always white. On the side of one of the hose is a small dagger in a silver and black case. That was quite a surprise when he pulled it out to show us. On top is the shirt, which is very similar to a white shirt you would wear with a tuxedo, and over that is a coat which closely resembles a tuxedo if it is a formal kilt. The most interesting part for me was the little pouch or purse that hangs inside of the coat and over the top of the kilt. It is similar to a clasp purse and is made of fur, with three extra balls of fur decorating the front. These are made from a variety of animals; usually rabbit and mink.
They served Haggis at the party, but thankfully we were late by quite some time, and missed the first course. Haggis is a Scottish delicacy; here is a basic description from the always convenient Wikipedia. "There are many recipes, most of which have in common the following ingredients: sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours." And, yes, it is served in the stomach.
Afterwards, they had the dance part, and there was a singer with his musician. They were alright, and as one of the songs started, I instantly recognized Lonestar's "Amazed." But, unfortunately, it was followed by a horrible rendition of the song. The guy could sing well enough, but his extremely thick Scottish accent just totally killed it.
On to other topics.... I have noticed pretty rotten service here in the UK. The wait staff do not seem to care how long they make the customer wait. Sometimes, it can take up to 30 minutes to get your bill. The other night, we went to Frankie's & Benny's in Aberdeen. I am not going to lie; the food was delicious (apart from my steak which was too hard to cut or chew). But, throughout most of the meal, our cups were empty and we had no water for almost an hour. Also, our waitress would walk by many many times, right past us and into the bar, without checking on us. But, after living here for a month or two, in J's case, we are somewhat used to it. Still angers us though. We met a man, who was extremely nice, and even he was saying that nothing beats the service we have in America, especially in the South. He had apparently been to FL and CA.
Well, I guess it is time to get a start on the day; its 9:20 AM.
Peace.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 09, 2009
Where do I even start?????
Assalamu Alaikum,
Wow. More than an entire year has gone by! I can't believe I haven't posted in so long. Well, a quick summary of the second half of 2007...
In May, J went to Moscow for a week. It was our first time apart, so tough, yet manageable since I spent the whole time with my mom, sisters, and N (who was already living with us full-time at this point).
The summer was pretty much event less, from what I can remember. In August, we went on an unforgettable vacation to the little house in Wimberley. That was quite an experience; my first time in such a small town.
The rest of the year pretty much revolved around TDC. Yes, a whole six to eight months. It was a constant for so long that when it ended it felt like a piece of our lives was gone. Yes, unfortunately, it was that crazy. In mid-December the FIL finally bought a house; after weeks of J, me, and him going house-shopping.
At the end of the year, N, my best friend, got married. And, moved all the way to Canada.
And, now for 2008, one of the most eventful and memorable years of my life. The beginning was like any other; apart from the hectic month of January. J and I barely had free time. Day and night we worked on the house. After everyone else would leave, we would still be there, painting, patching, and sanding. Not necessarily in that order. He felt that after all his dad had done for him, it was a way to repay him in a way. Maybe that was what prompted him to ask us to move in. Apart from the obvious reasons he mentioned; I could help around the house, since I already was cooking for them most of the time, and N most likely could not live without us. So, in April, when our lease ended, we moved in. Moving is the single most stressful thing ever. Maybe it wouldn't be so had we prepared a little better. Don't get me wrong; I was packing for days.
I just didn't have the help I needed.
So, we moved to BG. I kind of became a mother to N (which I already was) and O. Or maybe more of a big sister, since I'm only 8 years older than one and 10 the other.
Life went on, with a routine that was getting pretty mundane after some time..and then one night, J came home with an idea/proposal. How would I like to go to Umrah in June.
At first, I was skeptical about going with a random group of people that I did not know too well. But, fortunately, I said yes. WOW. It was THE BEST two weeks of my life. Describing all my experiences would take days, but lets just say I will never forget them. I made friends that, in sha'Allah, I will likely keep for the rest of my life.
In August, we went to Orlando with J's siblings and S (bil's wife). An interesting vacation, but something we both agreed to never do again. In the end, the three of us left early and returned home. J left for OK and then Canada the very next day. He returned after 4 days, during which N and I hung out.
In September, we went to Norway, Ireland, and London (even if for a day). I absolutely fell in love with Norway. We were in a small city called Stavanger, and it was so different from life at home. It was a really nice trip and we had a lot of fun. I learned a bunch of phrases in Norske and managed to have a good time even with J working Monday- Thursday. One of the days, J's manager in Norway took us on a ride in his boat. It was a really awesome experience, even though on the way out, every bounce made you feel like your bones were rattling. I saw some of the bluest, cleanest water ever. And, the mountains and fjords were breathtaking. SubhanAllah.
We even managed to see Pulpit Rock from way down in the ocean. Apart from the fact that Norway is one of the most expensive places in the world, we had a good time.
The next week, we headed to Ireland. Belfast to be exact. It was fun, but the first 2 days were very rainy and wet. We went to the harbor where they built the Titanic, but didn't do the tour. We also visited the Odyssey Center, which is a shopping mall and theater and arcade all together. We took pictures in front of all the famous landmarks, including the Albert Clock Tower..also known as the mini Big Ben.
After that, we stopped in London for a day. We went to visit a cousin of mine that was living as an expat there, and we talked all night. Other than that, I did not really find London that interesting.
During this trip, Hurricane Ike happened to hit Houston. Although we were not home during the devastating hurricane, all we could think about was our family. We were pretty relieved when we managed to get in contact and hear that everyone was doing well. When I returned, things were still destroyed and you could tell the city had been through a lot. Even now, 4 months later, some places have not been able to rebuild completely. And, of course, the government once again, did practically nothing to help. It was not as bad as Katrina in NO, but they could have done so much more.
After that, was Eid, which was a lot of fun. Z, my sister from SC came down with her baby, and the family went out a lot. In November, J left for Scotland. He stayed in Inverurie for two weeks, and then headed to Saudi Arabia. He returned to Scotland, where it had snowed and everything was beautifully blanketed in the soft whiteness. He came back to Houston at the end of November, right after my farewell party. The next few weeks were spent preparing for our move and spending time with friends and family.
In the next post, I will talk about the rest of the year..and the beginning of 2009.
Peace.
Wow. More than an entire year has gone by! I can't believe I haven't posted in so long. Well, a quick summary of the second half of 2007...
In May, J went to Moscow for a week. It was our first time apart, so tough, yet manageable since I spent the whole time with my mom, sisters, and N (who was already living with us full-time at this point).
The summer was pretty much event less, from what I can remember. In August, we went on an unforgettable vacation to the little house in Wimberley. That was quite an experience; my first time in such a small town.
The rest of the year pretty much revolved around TDC. Yes, a whole six to eight months. It was a constant for so long that when it ended it felt like a piece of our lives was gone. Yes, unfortunately, it was that crazy. In mid-December the FIL finally bought a house; after weeks of J, me, and him going house-shopping.
At the end of the year, N, my best friend, got married. And, moved all the way to Canada.
And, now for 2008, one of the most eventful and memorable years of my life. The beginning was like any other; apart from the hectic month of January. J and I barely had free time. Day and night we worked on the house. After everyone else would leave, we would still be there, painting, patching, and sanding. Not necessarily in that order. He felt that after all his dad had done for him, it was a way to repay him in a way. Maybe that was what prompted him to ask us to move in. Apart from the obvious reasons he mentioned; I could help around the house, since I already was cooking for them most of the time, and N most likely could not live without us. So, in April, when our lease ended, we moved in. Moving is the single most stressful thing ever. Maybe it wouldn't be so had we prepared a little better. Don't get me wrong; I was packing for days.
I just didn't have the help I needed.
So, we moved to BG. I kind of became a mother to N (which I already was) and O. Or maybe more of a big sister, since I'm only 8 years older than one and 10 the other.
Life went on, with a routine that was getting pretty mundane after some time..and then one night, J came home with an idea/proposal. How would I like to go to Umrah in June.
At first, I was skeptical about going with a random group of people that I did not know too well. But, fortunately, I said yes. WOW. It was THE BEST two weeks of my life. Describing all my experiences would take days, but lets just say I will never forget them. I made friends that, in sha'Allah, I will likely keep for the rest of my life.
In August, we went to Orlando with J's siblings and S (bil's wife). An interesting vacation, but something we both agreed to never do again. In the end, the three of us left early and returned home. J left for OK and then Canada the very next day. He returned after 4 days, during which N and I hung out.
In September, we went to Norway, Ireland, and London (even if for a day). I absolutely fell in love with Norway. We were in a small city called Stavanger, and it was so different from life at home. It was a really nice trip and we had a lot of fun. I learned a bunch of phrases in Norske and managed to have a good time even with J working Monday- Thursday. One of the days, J's manager in Norway took us on a ride in his boat. It was a really awesome experience, even though on the way out, every bounce made you feel like your bones were rattling. I saw some of the bluest, cleanest water ever. And, the mountains and fjords were breathtaking. SubhanAllah.
We even managed to see Pulpit Rock from way down in the ocean. Apart from the fact that Norway is one of the most expensive places in the world, we had a good time.
The next week, we headed to Ireland. Belfast to be exact. It was fun, but the first 2 days were very rainy and wet. We went to the harbor where they built the Titanic, but didn't do the tour. We also visited the Odyssey Center, which is a shopping mall and theater and arcade all together. We took pictures in front of all the famous landmarks, including the Albert Clock Tower..also known as the mini Big Ben.
After that, we stopped in London for a day. We went to visit a cousin of mine that was living as an expat there, and we talked all night. Other than that, I did not really find London that interesting.
During this trip, Hurricane Ike happened to hit Houston. Although we were not home during the devastating hurricane, all we could think about was our family. We were pretty relieved when we managed to get in contact and hear that everyone was doing well. When I returned, things were still destroyed and you could tell the city had been through a lot. Even now, 4 months later, some places have not been able to rebuild completely. And, of course, the government once again, did practically nothing to help. It was not as bad as Katrina in NO, but they could have done so much more.
After that, was Eid, which was a lot of fun. Z, my sister from SC came down with her baby, and the family went out a lot. In November, J left for Scotland. He stayed in Inverurie for two weeks, and then headed to Saudi Arabia. He returned to Scotland, where it had snowed and everything was beautifully blanketed in the soft whiteness. He came back to Houston at the end of November, right after my farewell party. The next few weeks were spent preparing for our move and spending time with friends and family.
In the next post, I will talk about the rest of the year..and the beginning of 2009.
Peace.
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