I am rather enjoying making our own notebooking papers. There are several sites offering such papers for sale, but I’ve found several advantages to making my own. It is more affordable and I’ve also been able to customise them to my children’s tastes and writing.

There are several programmes that you can use like Free Serif Software, Scribus and Microsoft Publisher, but I just use good ol’ Microsoft Word. (I’ve got a plugin that converts my documents to PDF.) My lines are essentially tables – I play around with the row heights, borders styles and colours – and I add in clipart as and when necessary. Nothing fancy-schmancy :)

Below is an example of a basic notebooking template – I’ve included a cover, pages of primary-lined sheets for penmanship as well as regular-lined sheets for regular notebooking. The slideshow below from Scribd is in pdf format but you can download the MS Word format here to adapt to your own needs. You can change the title on the cover as well as the footer, type in your assignments as well as customise the number and size of lines and fonts (I LOVE fonts!).

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Charlotte Mason, Homeschool, Journaling, My Free Printables | Time: in the wee hours | Comments (0)

The kids are more keen about writing and researching these days, so I’ve been trying to churn out more noteboooking pages. I hope that this time, I will be more consistent about monitoring their penmanship.

Here are a few more pages for recording quick facts about the Prophets of Allah (`alayhimus salaam), and the Companions of Rasulullah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam (radhiallahu `anhum). I hope you find them useful :)

You can download the pages at Scribd or here.

In shaa Allah I will upload a few templates in MS Word for those of you would like to give making your own notebooking papers a shot.

Filed Under: Charlotte Mason, History, Islamic Studies, Journaling, My Free Printables | Time: late at night | Comments (0)

I’m not one for busywork, but I would like the kids to write a little more. I’ve asked Mars to keep a special journal for the presentations she has done at the homeschoolers’ club meetings. After a break, she has gone back to copywork again and this time, we’ve set more stringent standards as she herself has expressed a desire to have better handwriting.

Bear has been composing poems – some sound like cute little haikus and all have a touch of drama to them! I’ll have to ask her permission before I reproduce them here. She is quite a shy little girl still and sometimes objects to having attention drawn to her. (I’ve tried to respect her need for privacy and this is why I don’t blog about her as much.)

We’ve been revising the Stories of the Prophets. We’ve studied them before and loved them to bits. It seems that every time we read, we learn something new and find nuggets of wisdom that we can apply to our daily lives. We are thus revisiting these stories, but in greater depth this time.

I’ve made some notebooking papers for documenting our learning points. Of course, any regular notebook or paper will do for journalling, but we have a boatload of paper from the Dad Man’s office that he no longer has use for – they are used on one side, so we are printing on the other. A bit of green living and an excuse to pretty up our papers :)

Here are some notebooking sheets for The Story of Prophet Adam `alayhis salaam. You can download them at Scribd if you have an account or you can just download them here. I’ve kept them pretty simple – not a lot of clipart or anything of the sort. I thought that the kids could draw their own pictures if they wanted. There are extra sheets for fillers and also a few for younger writers, with primary lines.

Please let me know if you have any issues with the document… I hope you like it!

*Edit: I’ve corrected a couple of mistakes and amended the primary lines, so please download the latest version!

Filed Under: Homeschool, Islamic Studies, Journaling, My Free Printables | Time: in the late evening | Comments (2)

The rowdy ruffians have been buckling down to more book learning these days and alhamdulillah, we’ve covered quite a bit of ground. I’ve told them to work on their weak areas especially – Math for Mars and reading for Bear. I’d thought that they would rail against the stricter schedule, given that we’d slowed down a bit in the last couple of months, but ma shaa Allah, they’ve been tremendously good sports about it.

We’ve had many disruptions to our days – there are always so many frustrations when you live in an older home long in need of repairs. There was a time when our walls and ceilings had to be sanded and everything – I kid you not, EVERYTHING – was covered in a fine powder that took weeks to clean. Then, there were the leaks from pipes in mysterious locations – plumbers came in and out breaking through walls only to find their diagnosis in error. Meanwhile, the glass extension which we had had such hopes for continued to disappoint by letting in rain.

Our small living area was cluttered beyond belief. It seemed that we just could not get a handle on things and there were days when we felt like screaming our lungs out and throwing the towel in. We were anxious to get back to our home schooling. What we didn’t realise though was that our home was schooling us :)

When things settled down and we had to begin the slow process of cleaning and putting everything back in, we became reacquainted with our possessions. We learnt that we had inherited, purchased and clung on to many things that were simply not enhancing our lives. Alhamdulillah, the experience had taught us not to buy anything heedlessly and to give freely what others could use, rather than hang on to them for sentimental reasons. Truly, we don’t need as much as we think we do!

We’ve learnt as well that things don’t always go to plan – in fact, they often go wrong! – and truly, that is alright. We have to learn to just grit our teeth and be patient. We’ve learnt that we do need others and it isn’t a bad thing. Most of all, we need Allah and we need to trust in Him. It is funny, but our numerous botched plans have actually taught us to be at peace. We would do well to remember the hadeeth in which Rasulullah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, “How amazing is the affair of the Muslim! His affairs are all good. If he experiences ease, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If he experiences hardship, he faces it with patience and perseverance, and that is also good for him.” (Muslim)

Qadr Allah wa ma shaa fa`al. Alhamdulillah `alaa kulli haal.

There is a saying, “All good things come to those who wait.” I think we can and will hold out a little longer, in shaa Allah.

The learning? Well, it continues alhamdulillah… :)

Filed Under: Good Things, Homeschool, The Chai Files - Pakistan | Time: in the late evening | Comments (4)

Mother’s Prayer

Oh give me patience when wee hands
Tug at me with their small demands.
And give me gentle and smiling eyes
Keep my lips from hasty replies.
And let not weariness, confusion, or noise
Obscure my vision of life’s fleeting joys.
So when, in years to come my house is still,
No bitter memories its room may fill.

~ Margaret H. Schwab (1968)

Filed Under: Family Matters, Inspiration | Time: in the late evening | Comments (3)

“Sorry Ummi! Sorry! I know I was supposed to be getting ready for bed. I WAS… but I got caught up in this book on phrasal verbs.”

Filed Under: Language Arts, Marzipan Moments | Time: terribly early in the morning | Comments (2)

The girls have been putting their share into reorganizing our extension. It was meant to be our homeschool headquarters and to house our Lightbulb Lab, but after many leaks and much damage, the idea had to be abandoned. It became a catch-all unfortunately and is presently a horribly messy store-room. We’ve finally made some progress where the repairs are concerned though and while the job isn’t complete yet, we are feeling quite hopeful :) I think the girls could use some breathing and creating space!

They love crafting and making their own toys. This pastime has, on occasion, given me a few headaches – there are only so many pebbles, branches and leaves I can tolerate in the house! (Hence the need for the extension to be properly done up pronto…) I must admit though that I like this about children – their ingenuity.

They have been spending some time working on their “Joel Henriques” doll house.

They found an old box that was falling apart and some little wooden toys and were good to go! They worked on felt pillows and blankets and spent ages arranging their rooms. They found some old figurines and made clothes for them too.

I’ve always wanted to give my kids natural toys and fell in love with many, but most were only available online and were way out of my budget. There are the well-crafted Ostheimer toys for instance. I once wanted to get a set for Mars when she was much younger. It was a set of Inuit dolls – a whole family complete with sled and dogs. Each figurine alone cost between US$26 to US$42 though, so that was the end of my Ostheimer obsession! We settled instead for what we could find locally. In Singapore, we found an unfinished wooden doll house and furniture – it was such a gem as it was reasonably priced and on sale to boot. We also bought lots of wooden toys from Daiso that cost us S$2 each. They don’t compare to Ostheimer or many other Waldorf toys that are beautifully made, but I think they were good finds given our finances and achieved pretty much the same goal – creative and meaningful play.

If there is a dearth of quality toys in Singapore, it is even worse in Pakistan. Most stores here seem to stock only poorly made plastic ones that are flimsy and gaudy or battery-operated toys that I believe serve only to promote noise pollution and to inhibit creativity.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that kids don’t need many toys or manipulatives for play or learning. We’ve had to leave many things back in Singapore but alhamdulillah it has been good for us. We’ve learnt that with imagination and creativity, we can do just fine with what is available. Alhamdulillah, most children don’t need much prompting in this respect – they know how to make do and have a jolly good time while they are at it.

Kyrie Mead of Are So Happy has written a delightful article about Untoys. Unlike finished toys, these are normal every objects that you can find around the house or the outdoors. The beauty of these materials is that they are open-ended – there is no right way to go about playing with them; it is entirely up to the child’s imagination. My kids have a collection of grey pebbles – they use them as decoration pieces, dolls’ stools and even painted some to resemble swaddled baby dolls. (I think they were inspired by the very adorable story, Elizabeti’s Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen!) They also love cardboard boxes which become their tents, cars or whatever they please.

Mars and Bear do have some plastic toys, but their passion is really wooden ones. There is something about the feel of wood – the weight, the texture and beauty – that makes playing with them so joyful. They miss some of their wooden toys left back home in Singapore, so we did what they love – made some new ones! We had some unfinished plain wooden doll bases and painted these last week…

Pic #1: The “Gal Pals” – the pink one with the large flower is going to Arizona in shaa Allah :)
Pic #2: Bear calls these two “The Twins” – the yellow one is her favourite.

The ‘hijabis’ – we prefer to keep the dolls as featureless as possible… no arms and some have no eyes.

These are smaller than the dolls in the previous pictures. We have an assortment here – a grandma, a boy and even a little baby (he’s all bundled up in a white blanket and is supposed to be asleep).

The job can be a little painstaking – they have to be very meticulous to avoid smudges – painting over mistakes is not a solution as the mistakes can show up weeks or months later after varnishing. (We have to sand any bad paintwork down.) They also have to wait patiently for each layer of paint to dry to make sure that the work is even and neat. (Of course, having a fussy mum who overthinks doesn’t help!) Still, it was very satisfying and a good creative release! As Bear likes to say, “It’s always better to make your own things. It’s so much more fun!”

Well, we are still fighting a battle with clutter and dust so I’m off for a bit… I hope you have many colourful days ahead!

Filed Under: Crafty Business, Just Bear, Marzipan Moments | Time: in the wee hours | Comments (13)

Narrated `Aisha radhiallahu `anha: In the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, the sun eclipsed, so he led the people in prayer, and stood up and performed a long Qiyam, then bowed for a long while. He stood up again and performed a long Qiyam but this time the period of standing was shorter than the first. He bowed again for a long time but shorter than the first one, then he prostrated and prolonged the prostration. He did the same in the second rak`a as he did in the first and then finished the prayer; by then the sun (eclipse) had cleared. He delivered the Khutba (sermon) and after praising and glorifying Allah he said, “The sun and the moon are two signs against the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse on the death or life of anyone. So when you see the eclipse, remember Allah and say Takbir, pray and give Sadaqa.” The Prophet then said, “O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! There is none who has more ghaira (self- respect) than Allah as He has forbidden that His slaves, male or female commit adultery (illegal sexual intercourse). O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! If you knew that which I know you would laugh little and weep much. [Bukhari]

Narrated `Aisha radhiallahu `anha: In the lifetime of the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam the sun eclipsed and he went to the Mosque and the people aligned behind him. He said the Takbir (starting the prayer) and prolonged the recitation (from the Qur’an) and then said Takbir and performed a prolonged bowing; then he (lifted his head and) said, “Sami allahu liman hamidah” (Allah heard him who sent his praises to Him). He then did not prostrate but stood up and recited a prolonged recitation which was shorter than the first recitation. He again said Takbir and then bowed a prolonged bowing but shorter than the first one and then said, “Sami`a l-lahu Lyman hamidah Rabbana walak-lhamd, (Allah heard him who sent his praises to Him. O our Sustainer! All the praises are for You)” and then prostrated and did the same in the second rak`a; thus he completed four bowing and four prostrations. The sun (eclipse) had cleared before he finished the prayer. (After the prayer) he stood up, glorified and praised Allah as He deserved and then said, “The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse because of the death or the life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see them make haste for the prayer.” Narrated Az-Zuhri: I said to ‘Ursa, “When the sun eclipsed at Medina your brother (`Abdullah bin Az-Zubair) offered only a two-rak`at prayer like that of the morning (Fajr) prayer.” ‘Ursa replied, “Yes, for he missed the Prophet’s tradition (concerning this matter).” [Bukhari]

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr radhiallahu `anhu: When the sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle and an announcement was made that the prayer was to be held in congregation. The Prophet performed two bowing in one rak`a. Then he stood up and performed two bowing in one rak`a. Then he sat down and finished the prayer; and by then the (eclipse) had cleared `Aisha said, “I had never performed such a long prostration.” [Bukhari]

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr radhiallahu `anhu : “When the sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle an announcement was made that a prayer was to be offered in congregation.” [Bukhari]

Narrated Abu Bakr radhiallahu `anhu: We were with Allah’s Apostle when the sun eclipsed. Allah’s Apostle stood up dragging his cloak til he entered the Mosque. He led us in a two-rak`at prayer till the sun (eclipse) had cleared. Then the Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone’s death. So whenever you see these eclipses pray and invoke (Allah) till the eclipse is over.” [Bukhari]

Narrated Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba: The sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle on the day when (his son) Ibrahim died. So the people said that the sun had eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim. Allah’s Apostle said, “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see the eclipse pray and invoke Allah.” [Bukhari, 2.153]

We are witnessing a lunar eclipse here in Pakistan tonight. Allahu Akbar! For those experiencing this here or in other parts of the world, don’t forget to perform Salaat ul Khusoof!

Filed Under: Good Things, Islam, Islamic Studies, Science | Time: in the early morning | Comments (3)

We are slowly getting back into the rhythm of home-edding alhamdulillah. (I miss my stitching!) I’m honestly not an unschooler (don’t hang me!), so while I do enjoy down times and vacations, I do get a litttle anxious and start stressing about how much more we need to do. I’m not the kind who expects the kids to do a lot of written work, but I do want their days to be productive. It doesn’t help that I always want to do more with the kids – we always have a million projects we want to delve into, homeschooling and otherwise.

Mars has been working on her writing. She has been doing reports on Science and History and although she needs to work a little harder on her spelling (it’s more carelessness than anything!), I think she has done well in this area, alhamdulillah. She likes doing research and enjoys ploughing through different books, compiling information and writing it all out. Alhamdulillah our local homeschooling co-op run by my friend Umm Aymun has helped a great deal in this respect. The bi-weekly meetings have given her a sense of purpose and urgency in writing things out well and on time.

I’ve been encouraging her to do creative writing for a change – fiction is something I know she longs to do, but is hesitant about. She likes learning about other people’s experiences, how they do things and what motivates them, so I got this book for her when we were last in Singapore – Writing Magic – Creating Stories That Fly by Gail Carson Levine. (She is the author of Ella Enchanted, which won her a Newbery Honor in 1998.)

Levine encourages budding writers to read voraciously and to surround themselves with inspiring words. It isn’t a dry how-to book – it has writing tips and prompts in the book peppered with the author’s personal thoughts and experiences. Mars loved reading not only about the creative process, but about the significant incidents in Levine’s that shaped her as writer. She especially identified with the part where she says that there is always a niggling voice of doubt in her that tells her that her writing is not good enough. (I tell you, this girl is really her mama’s daughter!)

Writing Magic shows how one can get ideas for a story as well as how to develop and revise it. It guides writers on how to add details and dialogue and appropriate use of words. It even gives some advice on how one can sell one’s work. Levine is quick to show becoming a writer is not a bed of roses – she herself has had work rejected. However, these are setbacks that can help a writer grow further.

Levine writes in a personable way that really reaches out to her readers. She tells them not to throw any of their work away or to abandon ship when the going gets tough. She is encouraging and takes her readers’ dream seriously and helps them believe in themselves. I like that this book has fired Mars up – she looks forward to tackling the exercises and spends a great deal of time plotting out her stories.

This book is a gem for us. If you’ve read or used this book, I’d like to know how you and your children found it :)

Filed Under: Book Nook, Language Arts | Time: terribly early in the morning | Comments (5)

The Dad Man’s passion is learning about healthful and organic foods. He is the voice of conscience that reminds us of the evils of the fried fare that the rowdy ruffians and I cannot seem to resist. Mars loves savoury food, while Bear cannot resist anything sweet. Both love potatoes and declare, the minute they step into the markets at F6 and Jinnah (F7), that they can smell delicious french fries cooking.

There are many vendors selling these chips – I keep meaning to take a photo, but it’s just one of those things I keep forgetting. These hawkers have little tables and deep fryers. The fries can be bought spiced (a mixture of chilli, pepper and other masala) or simply salted and are cheap at 10 to 20 rupees a pack. (The packs are pockets made out of brown paper or pages of old phone books… how’s that for recycling?) The vendors also have jars of chilli sauce that you can spoon onto your chips if their masala isn’t spicy enough for your taste!

We now make most of our snacks at home and try to come up with healthier alternatives (we’re trying, Tea, we really are!), but we do enjoy strolling by the markets once in a while to see how local delights are prepared. There are more upmarket bakeries, but these stalls I photographed last year are so much more fun! They make brisk business and are just bustling with activity!

I’m not a fan of Pakistani sweetmeats – or mithai as they are collectively known. These little cakes like burfi, gulab jamun, laddoo and sheera are a little too rich and sweet for my taste. I cannot eat more than a bite usually, but they are a big part of Pakistani culture and I can certainly appreciate their charm. People give them as gifts and serve them on festive occasions, when celebrating good news and at parties.

The one sweet thing I do enjoy in Pakistan is jilebi :) In the hands of a talented cook, these are really really good… trrrrust me! A batter of flour, yoghurt, water and baking powder is piped in piped in concentric circles into hot oil. When golden and crisp, these spirals are dipped into a syrup flavored with rose water. Sinful? Yes, most definitely!

Oodles and oodles of jilebi!

Hawkers boiling milk. Apparently folks dunk the sweet jilebis into a bowl of warm milk and eat the mixture like cereal. I’ve never tried it myself!

Like Mars, I much prefer the savoury and spicy food in Pakistan. Mars especially loves samosas. Back in Singapore, my family would make samosas with thin springroll skins (it is like filo pastry and mainly used by the Chinese) and minced meat filling. These would be small flat triangles with crispy, flaky crusts. In Pakistan, the samosa pastry is made out of flour and shaped into much larger almost pyramid-like shapes. These are stuffed with a variety of fillings like ground beef, mutton or chicken, potatoes, peas and even lentils. There are even meetha (sweet) samosas – these are stuffed with halwa. The most popular however are those filled with spiced potatoes. This filling has a spicy flavour with a hint of tartness, courtesy of ground pomegranate seeds.

Samosas and springrolls… it was all I could do to walk away without a bagful of those gorgeous morsels.

Now, you can’t live in Pakistan and not love pakoras! My mother-in-law calls these rainy day food – she loves eating pakoras with a hot mug of tea when it is pouring out :) It is also a must in most Pakistani homes in Ramadan for the break of fast meal. Spoonfuls of besan batter mixed with spices, onions, potatoes and spinach are deep fried. You can also dunk other vegetables to get these delicious babies. Some people like making green chilli pakoras, but we like eggplants, which taste so lovely and creamy when fried. My friend Tahira, who makes the best pakoras in all of Islamabad, adds some chopped tomatoes in her mix for a sweet-sour flavour. The trick is not to make the batter too dense or the fritters become too heavy and chewy. She uses just enough to coat the vegetables so the flavours and crispness are retained.

Pakoras were the first local things I ate when I went backpacking in India waaay back when. I didn’t know what they were called then, but I found them scrumptious!

I’d better publish some homeschool posts and book reviews before I cave in and fry me some pakoras…

Filed Under: Food Glorious Food, The Chai Files - Pakistan | Time: in the wee hours | Comments (7)

On the way to The Hidden Playground…

My rowdy ruffians, bless them, love playing together. They especially like the outdoors and can spend hours in the garden, climbing the fig tree and checking on the plants and insects. They have a few favourite haunts out of home, one of which is a lovely place they call “The Hidden Playground”. Nestled in a quiet residential area, it seems almost mysterious. This park is very well-maintained – the gardener seems to have taken pains to keep it clean (trust me, no mean feat in this country!) and also to retain its woodsy charm.

Some adults meet there in the evenings to rest and talk after a long day or simply to imbibe the peace and tranquility, but it is otherwise hardly frequented by others, at least not on weekdays. Many might not find it anything special – it is rather old-school as far as playgrounds go. There are two swings, a simple climbing facility and a cement slide so old it is worn smooth. It is a spacious place with a slope to race up and down and two little gazebos for shade. Nothing out of the ordinary, you might say. However, its appeal, I believe, lies in its simplicity. My girls find The Hidden Playground a place of promise – where they can dream up ideas and adventures. This secret hideaway is where they can cavort and frolic to their hearts’ content.

There are bushes and hedges that border the upper slopes of the park and at the far end is the kids’ favourite spot. There is a cavity in the hedge, just small enough for a child to crawl into. At the base of this little hole are two strong branches that have grown horizontally, just above the ground. This is a perfect hiding spot! A child can squeeze into the ‘cave’ and crouch on these branches and remain concealed. They will be covered by the leaves and their feet will be raised off the ground and unseen. They played hide-and-seek with The Dad Man and giggled gleefully when they took him completely by surprise.

My kids do have some toys, but they seem to have the most fun when they make their own or use un-toys (more on this later in shaa Allah) and when they don’t use any props at all, except for their own imagination. I posted three articles from National Public Radio some time ago and these gave me a deeper appreciation for children and improvised play. If you are interested, you can read them here: Old Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills, The Evolution of Play and The Best Kinds of Play.

It is wonderful watching the kids play sometimes – as they interact with each other, create their own rules and make their own decisions, I see how they are, in fact, practising at their adult roles and I cannot help but wonder what they will become, with the permission and help of Allah.

I love this part of the park – this tree bordered by the rocks looks so very pretty with the wooden bench close by.

It has been a while since I stepped out with them to the park. There has been so much to do lately but in shaa Allah I think I will try to take some time off with them this weekend.

I think we need some Hidden Playground magic… :)

Filed Under: Good Things, Just Bear, Marzipan Moments, The Chai Files - Pakistan | Time: late at night | Comments (7)

It has been a tremendously exhausting week – the girls and I had to roll up our sleeves and tidy up our living area. It was a chore I’d kept putting off mainly because there was so much to do. Thanks to my procrastination, what was a difficult task had morphed into an overwhelming gargantuan undertaking. I really didn’t want to tackle the job, but needs must…

We managed to get a great deal accomplished alhamdulillah and it looks like we are slowly overcoming the issues with rain and leaks. We are making lots of du`aa that the repairs we invested in will help us move our library out of the girls’ room and back into the extension we built. My girls have been very good sports but I know they would love a comfortable place to hang out in.

Just a minute fraction of the mess I had to clean up … the pleasant part! Some of my crafty supplies that needed organising and destashing. Anyone need any supplies?? :)

Anyway, I feel that it is high time I put up a few schooley posts and believe me, they are floating about in my head and my ever-growing drafts section in WordPress :P In shaa Allah, when I regain some energy and time. For now, another fluffy post on some less schooley things we have been doing :)

We went to Karachi Company again. (Yes, UmmeYusuf… AGAIN! Now that I know that place has burlap, I may have to schedule yet ANOTHER trip LOL!) This time, we went with my mum-in-law’s helper Anees who can smell out a good bargain like no one can and who knows just about every nook and cranny of Karachi Company and Jumah Bazaar. Anees is an amazing crafter ma shaa Allah. She is from Faisalabad and back home at her village, she had learnt how to make leather shoes and sandals as well as how to crochet and embroider. She is recently engaged and embroidered an elaborate bedspread and pillow set for new home. It took her some 6 or 7 months and is really quite beautiful ma shaa Allah. (I must remember to take a pic of it!)

Anees got the pattern for her bedspread from one of the stores at Karachi Company. These stores have catalogues you can choose designs from and they will transfer the pattern for you or your embroiderer to stitch. Anees had hers transferred onto white fabric. The man below is transferring a floral pattern for a lady who wants her kameez (blouse) and dupatta (shawl) embellished. Since the fabric is a darkish colour, the pattern will be in white.

Horrid picture I know… totally out of focus. I had a hard time keeping up with Anees who was whizzing about the market a mile a minute!

Over the years, I’ve wanted to get heavy linen to stitch on – I love the colour and texture – but I haven’t been able to find it in Pakistan. I’ve had a hard time explaining to the store owners what I really meant. Some kept showing me a type of printed fabric called “lilen” or lilin” – I am really not sure how to spell it or what it really is, but it is a cotton blend, I believe. It has a smoother texture though and is very comfortable to wear, but does not crease as easily as pure cotton.

I settled instead for karandi… I love this fabric to bits. It is usually sold and worn in winter as it is slightly thick. I love the feel of heavier fabrics – they have a nice ‘fall’ and don’t cling to the body. As such, I often get long, flowy skirts made from karandi that I wear even in summer. When you first buy it, it has a stiff, nubby texture much like linen, but it softens nicely after several washes. I bought two pieces to stitch on… I think the white would be lovely for redwork. My kids have ideas for the darker cloth – they want to make bags they can embroider in shaa Allah.

So far, we have been stitching with embroidery floss – as you know by now, we have a sizeable stash :P We found some balls of perle cotton (Size 8) in the house and Mars experimented with them. Perle cotton has a more ‘ropey’ appearance and a pretty sheen – I like the effect that this thread has, especially with the stem stitch that we favour. I bought a few more colours and am going to try embroidering a piece using only perle cottons in shaa Allah. (For some strange reason, the store seems to have NO stock whatsoever of red perle cottons!)

Remember the redwork patterns I treated myself to for `Eid? Well, alhamdulillah, I’ve managed to complete one! It isn’t perfect, but of all the pieces I’ve worked on, this was the one I enjoyed most, for many reasons :) It is a picture of stacked tea cups…

Tea asked me which stitch I normally use. I like the stem stitch … it looks like a little coiled rope and very easy to do. (I can’t do a decent back stitch for toffee!)

I am almost always doing redwork. Anees is quite bewildered by this and and has asked me why my stitchery doesn’t have other colours. My Urdu is terrible so I have not been able to explain to her adequately that it is a traditional art. Actually, I normally only do redwork for two reasons – (a) I genuinely like this type of embroidery and (b) without a colour guide, I am completely useless at matching up colours. It may be part of my constantly overthinking things, but whenever I choose my own palette, I am never satisfied with the end result. I am trying to challenge myself though with this piece I am working on…

This is something I hope to frame up for the kids’ room… I wanted something vibrant and colourful but already I am regretting my colour choices :( I don’t think they are nice at all – it looks like I am trying too hard!

We are doing a lot of reading and notebooking this week in shaa Allah, so I think stitching will be relegated to the odd evenings when we are free. If you are doing anything crafty, please share!

I pray you all are enjoying the fruits of your `ibadah during these blessed days of Muharram :)

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One of the things that I would like my kids to do is to maintain a commonplace book. I used to do this during my schooling days and have revived the practice lately after discovering a few fragments that survived our many moves.

In this day and age, when people need to recall a quote, they can always refer to the library or good ol’ Google. However, in earlier centuries when libraries were smaller or not as accessible and books were far dearer, ardent readers and lovers of good words would copy out passages they wanted to remember in their own notebooks or what is known as the commonplace book. It is simply a journal in which people copy poems, sayings and passages that they encounter. This can be information that they find useful – such as recipes, remedies, scientific facts – or words that they find inspiring – speeches, exerpts of religious scriptures and the like. Writers like Henry David Thoreau, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Mark Twain all kept such books.

There are many advantages to this practice. It makes one a better reader – rather than just passively skim over the words, one gives pause to think and to read more deeply and reflectively. The commonplace book can be one’s bank of useful knowledge and serve to inspire new ideas.

For me, it has also been a personal record of the ideas that have shaped me at different stages in my life. I found in my old notes, poems, exerpts from Shakespeare and also passages from novels I had studied as an English Literature student in junior college. Later, I wrote out speeches and inspiring words about revolution against oppression and racism – I was passionate about these topics when I studied History and Sociology in university. When I began to study the deen in greater depth, I began including verses from the Qur’an and ahadeeth. In a way, my commonplace book details a map of my growth and exhibits a portrait of me.

Not my book, but an image of a Flickr user’s (Chris Lott’s) commonplace book with Japanese folds

My commonplace book is pretty… well… commonplace. I do try to write in my best penmanship (and that’s not saying much!) but it is quite a plain book on the whole. However, after reading through Umm Tafari’s blog, Visual Journaling 4 Kids, I am considering jazzing up my journal and encouraging my kids to make theirs (when they start in shaa Allah) vibrant and lively as well. I have a huge fear of failure when it comes to art and I don’t want my kids to inherit this complex, so I hope to combine commonplacing with art journalling. I think that this will go down well with my girls – Mars already diligently writes in her diary and has begun writing essays, while Bear loves art and is beginning to test the waters of self-expression. They can add their own flavour and interpretations to their compilations.

I’ve looked through several sites (Pinterest has been most helpful!) and found lots of inspiration. Some are daily journals or diaries and not commonplace books per se, but think how lovely our personal anthologies of beautiful words can be with a little design. Some of these journals are like the arty scrapbooks that many hobbyists produce. However, the one thing I’ve noticed about them is that they need not be as expensive to produce – you don’t need a large stash of embellishments, stamps, adhesives, ribbons, stickers and what not. I think you can produce decent pages using good pens, colour pencils, paint or crayons and by recycling materials you find around the house.

I will probably refer to Visual Journalling 4 Kids, Art Projects for Kids and a book entitled The Creative Journal for Children by Lucia Capaccchione.

Here is a Flickr user (Virginia Blue) who keeps a daily doodle journal.

Another page by Virginia Blue – I like her catchy doodles. I wish I had the same flair, but I overthink things!

Chronicle of a month by Tracy U. Look at the details!

Home by Tee Thompson. She has a blog at Green Isles Crafts where she shares how she creates pages. (Some involve drawing people, just so you know.)

Some other random links for ideas (exercise caution… OK?)

• Journals by The Creative Place
• Paper Relics’ Gallery
• Phizzy Chick
• Traci Bunkers Creates a Visual Journal Page
• Alisa Burke

Do you keep a commonplace book or maintain an art journal? I’d love to hear your ideas if you do :)

Filed Under: Crafty Business, Journaling | Time: around lunchtime | Comments (12)

The rowdy ruffians are positively addicted to cooking these days. It is true that the stove gives comforting warmth that my tropical offspring miss. However, they also enjoy the process itself and it pleases them to no end to see others appreciating their concoctions. The other day, Bear made applesauce and Mars prepared her specialty – omelette with homegrown garlic sprouts – for a guest’s breakfast.

I remember one of the girls’ early culinary attempts. They decided, one day, to make their own lunch and conspired gleefully in the kitchen. They later invited me to sample their meal – I’d thought it was something elaborate or out of the ordinary considering their blissful expressions, but I was mistaken. It turned out to be a simple dish of boiled potatoes seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. :) It was delicious though and quite healthful and it made me realise that I had a lot to learn from my children. One of the most important things that they have taught me is to find joy and contentment in the littlest things. Indeed, when it comes to food, frugal and easy need not mean compromising on flavour or quality.

I’ve been inspired by Kate’s blog (she has tips on frugal living and back-to-basic meals), discussions with my friend Tea (you guys MUST pester her to blog about the amazing things she has learnt about healthful eating!) and meals my friend Umm Aymun prepares (she makes the simplest things so mouthwatering that it is amazing, I kid you not!). We’ve made a conscious effort to eat more homecooked meals and to use more organic foods. We are fortunate in this respect – raw milk, pure butter/ghee, free range eggs and organic meats and produce are more easily available and affordable here than in my home country.

We have been enjoying making hearty meals that require minimal ingredients and preparation. I’m not against elaborate meals – it is a blessing to present the best to your family and guests – but it is not something sustainable or even necessary on a daily basis. Eating simply can mean savings that can be used for more useful things and charity. It also inculcates self-restraint – all too often, we indulge our nafs and throw moderation to the wind. We would do well to be the sort of people who can make do, people who know the difference between “needs” and “wants”. The Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, “A human being has not filled any vessel which is worse than a belly. Enough for the son of Adam are some mouthfuls that can keep his back straight, but if there is no escape, he should fill it a third with food, a third with drink and a third empty.” [at-Tirmidhi]

For us, easy meals allow us all to be involved in the preparation. The girls feel a great sense of participation and achievement. What is more, not slaving over the stove means that we have more time for reading, crafting and of course, worship. I’ve begun a little notebook of easy-peasy recipes for the girls that I’ve stuck onto the refridgerator door – they can refer to it any time they feel like cooking in shaa Allah.

We’ve been having lots of fruit and vegetables. Pomegranates are a favourite – they are so gorgeous truly! Lunches are often our version of Subs – sandwiches of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum and cottage cheese with little dollops of mayo and mustard – they are so appetizing ma shaa Allah. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nothing beats the taste of produce here – they are so fresh and the flavours just burst in your mouth.

Here are some other dishes we’ve been doing recently…

We revisited Mars’ baked pasta… this time with minced beef … with only five ingredients and 3 pairs of hands working on it, it took less than half and hour to make…

… made a 20-minute curry… one of those chuck-everything-in-the-pot-and-let-it-stew dishes this haphazard housewife likes…

… a variation of my children’s potato dish … boiled potatoes cooked with onions, garlic and minced chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper. I used the kids’ homegrown garlic sprouts to garnish and they were delighted! Another 20-minute dish that was much appreciated, alhamdulillah…

… we have cut down on fried foods so these are becoming a rarity (honest, Tea!)… I made my version of pakoras as we had left-over bread and crusts. I just chucked them all in a bowl with flour, eggs, onions, coriander and spring onion greens and spices and fried the crazy mix up :)

It will be a busy week – the kids have to hit the books and I have to tidy our living area once again – a mammoth task, believe you me! I hope it also means another week of simple pleasures… in shaa Allah :)

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I was born and bred in Singapore and I am pretty much a tropical weather sort of person. I like bright sunny days, balmy breezes and the occasional rain. I am accustomed to comfortable, light clothing and being able to eat ice-cream any time I want.

When I was growing up as a child, I was curious about other seasons, particularly winter. I’d seen pictures and movies showing how beautiful – and fun! – snow can be, so I was quite pleased when I finally had my chance to experience it for myself. I moved to the USA shortly after my wedding with my husband, who was completing his studies. I remember it was early January when we landed in Chicago in 2001. My brother-in-law was there to meet us and his first words to me were, “As salaamu `alaykum … Welcome to America.” He then promptly handed his brother and me mufflers to wear. I thought then, how odd of him, but within minutes, I could feel the wind, so cold that it felt like angry little pin pricks all over my skin. Needless to say, I felt a great deal of trepidation.

Before driving to Indiana, where we were staying, my husband thought it would be nice for me to take a look-see around Chicago. Now, the only images I’d had of winter in the US were of the freshly fallen variety… of breathtaking landscapes and of children delighted at play. Chicago cured me of my fanciful notions :P I saw only grey sludge that day and people looking miserable as walked briskly, hands in pockets, trying to stay warm. Winter in the US was, on the whole, easy to bear though – there was central heating after all… and I did get my fill of pretty winter scenes later on when we moved to Wisconsin :) Still, I would rejoice when warmer weather beckoned.

When we moved to Pakistan, my hatred for winter reached its peak. It had partly to do with my difficulties in leaving my own home country I believe. I would grumble about all the layers of clothes we had to wear and wash (there isn’t central heating here), the dull and dreary days punctuated by heavy rains (forget freshly driven snow!) and the general discomfort that the cold brought.

I’ve begun to soften my stance towards winter though – I admit, I can be a stubborn wretch :) It is peevish and petty to rail against change and to complain about how painful the cold is when I have a more than adequate roof over my head. Others have not and even have to brave the elements to eke out a living. This dry country which is very much dependent on its agriculture also needs the winter rains. “And We send down from the sky rain charted with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and grain for harvests…” (Surah Qaf 50:9)

I’ve begun to appreciate so much about this season and the blessings it brings. My daughters and I did a lovely lesson about how the salaf viewed winter while were were bundled up under our blankets after Fajr the other day :) It gave us a totally new attitude towards winter alhamdulillah. Al-Hassan Al-Basri for example said: “How good winter is for the believer! Its night is long, so he prays in it; and its day is short, so he observes fasting in it.” Indeed, the the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: “The cold booty is observing fast in winter.” (at-Tirmidhi) How easy it is to fast in winters because we don’t feel the thirst and lethargy of the hot summers.

I love Ibn Rajab’s words about winter – “Winter is considered the spring of the believer, because he revels in the orchards of obedience and goes in the fields of worship and his heart having the pleasure of strolling in the gardens of deeds which are easy during winter.”

This is the article we read about winter – it is entitled “Winter is the Orchard of Obedience”. You can also download it in PDF or Word format.

I’m going to brew myself a cup of tea and sit by the window now to stitch. I’ll probably put on a lecture to listen to and get some upliftment for my soul in shaa Allah. It is cold but the sky is clear … alhamdulillah. For all my friends out there experiencing winter, I hope you are enjoying it in all its goodness :)

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“Why do you ONLY hear from some people when they want you to do something for them or when they have some kind of issue with you? It is odd because when you make overtures towards them or ask them for help, they seem to make themselves scarce.”

It is hard to do acts of goodness without expectations of any recompense – even acknowledgement, much less gratitude – but this is something we as Muslims must learn to do.

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May Allah guide us ameen.

Filed Under: The Chai Files - Pakistan | Time: mid-morning | Comments (4)

It had been a while since we’d gallivanted, so Bear and I dragged the Dad Man out to Karachi Company at G9 while Mars was at her Arabic class. I’d always wondered why a market in Islamabad would be nicknamed Karachi Company. It turns out that back in 1978, a construction company from Karachi built the apartment complexes in that sector.

My kids LOVE this crazy, chaotic market. There are numerous stores and makeshift stalls that sell anything and everything for much cheaper than elsewhere. Take my floss hunting for example – last week, my kids and I were practically busting out of our skins with excitement when we’d found embroidery thread going for 12 rupees a skein in our neighbourhood haberdashery. That’s S$0.17/US$0.13 per skein – a HUGE price difference from the S$0.80/US$0.62 that we normally pay in Singapore! Then we went to Karachi Company where the floss was EVEN CHEAPER at 8 rupees a skein! Needless to say, we began entertaining insane notions of buying every colour they had in stock. (We managed to contain our lunacy, don’t worry… good thing we made the supplication for entering the market!)

Here is the haberdashery that unleashed the stitching madness in us…

This is one section of the store – you can see shelves of lace and a bazillion threads all lined up against the wall. It is funny, but I have not been able to find cotton sewing threads. (I’ve been told that it is best to use cotton threads as it does not ‘eat’ into your fabrics.) This country produces cotton and most people I know prefer wearing cotton, but the sewing threads are all made from polyester.

Here is another section of the shop, with even more lace and beads that can drive you to dizziness and distraction!

These haberdasheries are known simply as “lace shops” here as it is essentially the lace that the womenfolk flock to them for. Practically everyone here wears the shalwar kameez and while there are boutiques that sell ready-made ones, most people get tailor-made ones, be they for everyday wear or special occasions. A great deal of effort goes into getting these outfits made – buying fabrics, designing the the outfits and choosing the trimmings. Sometimes ladies employ dyers to get their outfits and shawls to match *just so*. I’m often asked why I don’t wear the shalwar kameez. While I rather LIKE it and used to wear it on occasion, I find it all too bothersome (and costly!) to do all that shopping.

In addition, the world of shalwar kameez fashion evolves constantly! While it may seem to outsiders that one outfit looks much like another, nothing could be farther from the truth. Trends change every season. Last winter, long, streamlined blouses were paired with straight cut pants. By summer, the blouses were even longer (almost ankle length) and voluminous and pants were cut even wider, palazzo-style. This winter, it looks like the churidar shalwars are in fashion – these are pants that are bunched up tightly along the lower calf. Even laces are subject to fashion trends – at one time, broad ribbons were popular, then heavy elaborate laces were in vogue… it’s all too much for me!

My rowdy ruffians love clothes but they can tolerate only so much lace hunting :) They much prefer checking out knick-knacks at stalls like the one below.

This makeshift stall, located just outside the haberdashery, sells henna, bangles, ear-rings and hair accessories. If your daughters tend to lose scrunchies and hair pins like mine do, then buying them for cheap at these places is the way to go :)

We walked on and I remembered the food stalls I had seen a couple of years ago. I remembered an entire section of the market teeming with food stalls selling kachori (a round pastry filled with meat or lentils), jilebi, samosas and other sinfully scrumptious deep-fried fare. Unfortunately, those food avenues are only set up in Ramadan – the vendors operate at their smaller shops the rest of the year. We did find some other places selling food…

Here is a section of Karachi Company selling meat, poultry and fish. Back in Singapore, we had a good supply of fresh sea-food but in Islamabad, a more inland city, it isn’t as popular. Check out the man carrying the strange duster at the end of the stall – the stick with the long wispy ends. His job is to flick away the flies! Many store-owners own those witchy looking things – very useful to smack away pests and also dust.

Round the corner, we saw a traditional medical hall. This shop reminded me of the Chinese sinseh in Singapore. There is of course a strong Islamic tradition in Pakistan and so homeopathy, herbs and other remedies recommended by the Sunnah are very much in use here. Most people who suffer coughs and colds will go for honey, ginger and the ubiquitous Joshanda!

Drawers and drawers of herbal goodness.

The head honcho surrounded by remedies.

Then there are the fruit stalls… we don’t have a plethora of choice like in more developed countries. Supplies vary according to season, so you have to exercise some patience if you want mangoes in winter or oranges in summer. The fruits and vegetables here don’t look very pristine – they look quite small and brusied even at times, but trust me, their appearance belies their beautiful taste and flavour. It must be because the produce here isn’t chemically altered… pretty much organic!

Oranges, pomegranates, bananas and guavas are pretty much standard winter fare. We have apples too but other than the imported Fuji apples which are quite pricey, most of the apples are not the crispy sort. I just make apple sauce out of them!

Dried fruits and nuts are also very popular snacks here. This vendor has raisins, dates, walnuts, almonds and peanuts that you buy by weight. He also sells packaged nuts that are encrusted with sugar and sesame. I love pine nuts – they are absolutely delicious, but a little more expensive. There are strings of dried figs at his store too, hanging by the rope if you look closely.

When we got back to our car, we saw this vendor at the parking lot. He doesn’t even have a stall – he just sells his wares right off his bike! He is the Pathan man in the white cap sitting a distance away. Bear was so taken by the woven baskets that she begged for a small one. The large flat tinselly ones are often used by fruit vendors I believe.

Bear was eyeing the ones on the right – the beige ones with the brown designs. She eventually settled on a basket that came with a lid, which looks like one of these. They look a lot like the kind snake-charmers use! We just use them for our toys or needlework supplies.

That was the end of our giddy-gaddying, as we like to say it. Mars was awfully sorry she’d missed the outing but I assured her that in shaa Allah we will go back :)

Filed Under: The Chai Files - Pakistan | Time: in the wee hours | Comments (11)

Just the other evening, the Dad Man, Bear and I were waiting in the car for Mars outside the Arabic Language Institute. While we were chatting, we heard a clatter outside and when we looked out the window, we realised it was the clip-clop of donkey’s hooves. Four donkeys and their riders were moving briskly on the road while cars were zooming along at rush hour.

I didn’t manage to get a photo because the camera decided to act up right at that moment. I recall another Kodak moment I’d missed – some months ago, we saw a team of mules moving placidly single file on a busy road. A teenaged boy sat on the last mule. He didn’t have to guide or steer the mule as it seemed to just go along with the lead one. He had his mind and hands busy with other things – text-messaging on his cell phone! :)

That, I suppose, sums up one of the nicest things about Pakistan – that the old manages to endure alongside the new.

You will see traditional craftsman plying their trade here. Last year, when we went bookhunting, we saw a man toting a wooden caddy at a busy market. I thought that he was a fix-it man with a toolbox, but when we saw him later, we realised that he shone shoes. I’m pretty sure that if I were a man, he would have asked me for my dingy boots to clean :P

We also saw the man above with a round stone on his bike. I wondered about the curious contraption and discovered he was a mobile knife sharpener! I believe the rear wheel of his bicycle whirls his grindstone. A dying trade no doubt in this era of disposables, more is the pity.

You will also find skilled workers like the embroiderers who do fancy thread and bead work on clothes. They still use traditional methods rather than use computerised sewing machines, so designs are detailed and unique. You can get simple designs to jazz up your casual wear or more intricate ones for formal outfits. Some do the embellishments on sewing machines after drawing out the patterns – now, these are free-motion embroidery machines so you can imagine the amount of control and work required. Others hand stitch their designs – the fabrics are stretched over a wooden rack and the embroiderer sits on the floor painstakingly working on each stitch and bead.

A tailor with a family run business showed us samples of their company’s work. This is a piece they produced for a bride’s wedding dress. The photo doesn’t do the work justice – we had only a crummy cell phone to take the pic with!

One of the tailor’s cousins who does all the beadwork and embroidery. Most of the tailors and embroiderers are men. I’ve met a few women who are accomplished embroiderers – they only stitch for pleasure. Commercial stitching and tailoring seems to be a strictly male domain.

I have some recent photos I’ll post next in shaa Allah of a new favourite haunt of my children – Karachi Company – and some of the local snacks we like. Watch this space!

Filed Under: The Chai Files - Pakistan | Time: mid-afternoon | Comments (2)

I promised my friend Asrina from Singapore pictures of life in Pakistan. They are LONG overdue to say the least. I thought I would look into my stash of photos and revive “The Chai Files” category of this blog :)

Pakistan is very different from where I come from and the places I have been. In Singapore, I think the favourite national pastimes are eating and shopping. There are numerous hawker centres, food courts and restaurants there and a major shopping mall in every large neighbourhood. You get the same thing in Pakistan…

Well almost :P

There are lots of eateries and shopping areas, but they lack the cultivated veneer and polish of Singapore’s. If you want a brutally honest opinion, they look a right mess. LOL! Oh, there are many upmarket restaurants and stores, but they are little islands in a sea of litter and poorly maintained buildings. Still, what these places lack in appearance, they more than make up for it in charm :)

My kids love going out and are always thrilled to find bargains and curiosities. During `Eid season, we typically go to places like Karachi Company (more on this later) at G9 and the khussa shop at F10. Here are some scenes from last year:

We saw a row of women offering mehndi/henna services. They sat on the ground with makeshift tables made out of boxes whereupon they placed their supply of henna and stamps. This lady has just stamped the girl’s hand with a design. Like the other henna ladies, she was poor and had a little baby that she was rocking to sleep under her shawl.

Just ahead of the henna stalls were the choori stalls – I had written about glass bangles before in an earlier post. You can purchase them in various stores at any time of the year, but I think people have so much more fun buying them during `Eid when there are so many more stalls to choose from.

Here are Mars and her sister (OK, Bear’s a little cut off :P) looking at the bangles. Just ahead is a stall selling children’s clothing – at Karachi Company, the clothes are much cheaper than elsewhere. You just have to have the stamina to fight the crowds and the stomach to tolerate the litter!

Another view of the bangles… they come in all sizes and colours.

I have a headache getting shoes for the kids come `Eid if I am in Singapore – Mars has trouble fitting into kids’ shoes, but is not quite ready for adult sizes (she is getting there though ma shaa Allah!) while Bear seems to have a hard time choosing (I tell her she will be the Imelda Marcos from Islamabad if she isn’t careful). In Pakistan though, I have no such issues. We just head to the khussa store at F10 – the shoes are fancy enough for the ethnic clothes here and so much more affordable than Mary Janes and what not from Singapore! (The kids’ shoes cost between S$5-$10! Talk about sweet!)

OK, these are a little too ethnic for my taste :P I threaten my kids that I’ll buy these for them if they don’t make up their minds quickly.

Here are the shoes that Bear really likes – they are open at the back so they are easy for kids to wear. Matched with the right outfit, they look nice and swanky :) The soles are wooden so you’d have to get rubber ones fixed onto them to prevent slipping. Mars likes the open-toed sandals made of leather, which look nice with both traditional and modern wear, but I don’t have a pic of them.

More pics to come… stay tuned :)

Filed Under: Food Glorious Food, The Chai Files - Pakistan | Time: in the wee hours | Comments (2)