Thursday, August 24, 2006

Winds of change


The winds of change have taken residence in our household. All this because a certain sibling has done fantastically well in her A-levels (yippy) and is now of to study at Liverpool for the next 3 years (absolute pants).

My other baby sister, has also done fantastically well in her GCSE’s and is about to start her A-level.

I have made a few lives changing decisions of colossal proportions since I last blogged. Here they are:

One: I have handed in my resignation at work.
Two: I have decided to study Arabic in Egypt, starting in January (5months inshallah)
Three: I have decided that from sept 2007 I will be open to marriage proposals and actually consider them.
Four: I have taken up knitting (due to jughead) and with what I have learnt so far I can make winter scarf. Any one interested?

Oh and as always to mark a change in the world of Naima I am once again moving bedrooms since Ifrah is of to Liverpool Firdawsa and I will become roomies and study partners.

It’s with glee that I am planning the redecoration of what will be the hub of Firdawsa and I’s new centre of learning and of course partying.

From September I will be working mad hours trying to save enough for my planned 5 months in Egypt INSHALLAH, as well as trying to learn as much Arabic as possible during the weekends and mentoring in a school to gain teaching experience

Ramadan is going to fall in the middle of all of this! A sheer test of endurance am sure but inshallah the reward will be greater then last year.

Bosnia!! Well what can I say? Lots I assure but Mad cow has been keeping semi typed notes which she promises to post soon I will post a link to our memories then inshallah.

Suffice to say it was incredible and the sheer number of tears I shed the last night is testimony to how much I loved the place and the people. May Allah grant us the opportunity to meet again. AMEEN!!

29 comments:

TheAdvocates said...

"Three: I have decided that from sept 2007 I will be open to marriage proposals and actually consider them."

You don't mind if I send in one application, do you? :) What can I say, I am such a punctual fellow!

PS: Congrats to your sisters. Seems like a family of clever minds-and good luck with them at uni.

The Rendezvous said...

I will offer to teach you some Arabic if you don't mind..a lot of Nux-Nuux..you know

Mashallah...I think you guyz are Tough

Anonymous said...

salam

hmmmm

I guess we have something in common, black muslim female.

Inspired said...

asalamu alaikum

MashaAllah that sounds like some amazing changes in store for you. May Allah make it easy for you.

wow! learning arabic in Egypt! you'll be living my dream.( keep in mind though that egyptian arabic is far from Fusha arabic needed to understand most islamic books and the Qur'an)

NM said...

I will be learning Fusha inshallah and picking up some colloquial egyptian as well :)

white african said...

wow nm, mashallah, i'm proud of you sis, so yeh girl where do people send there application forms to, i propose queen nefatiti looooooooooooool

NM said...

lol! that would be like sending them to the lions den!! who termed by intentions "the application" sounds so clinical urgh..

Anyway WA when is your work situation going to change eh eh?

You all have to promise to visit me while am in egypt.

But for now lots of du'a that i actually make it to egypt

Firefly said...

They do sound like major decisions! Good luck with the saving up, I'A.

Ps: Why Sept 07 specifically? Why not, say, Aug 07?

NM said...

LOL! i have no idea, i just picked a month :) talk about the decision process

Anonymous said...

FireFly, are you in-tray for applications open? August 07? ;)

Firefly said...

NM, lol..OK. Just in a year's time, I suppose.

Anon, a decision hasn't been made on that yet. I'm still awaiting the risk assessment.

Anonymous said...

do you mean sep 2006 or next year 2007 ?

NATIVE said...

NM:Our beloved Herbie will leaving for Liverpoolin 2Weeks....i suggest we throw a party...especially since she hates it..lool. Accepting marriage proposals.....somehow this makes me laugh....but i guess by 2007 you will be done with the arabic course in egypt....does that mean you might come back with an egyptian fella...lool

Anybody wishing to send an application to NM must enjoy travelling...the rest I guess she can fill you in on.. :)

lostkitty said...

nemo! babes - all these major decisions! I'm proud of u.

Ru taking chocolate to sustain u for those months in Egypt? Cos we werent that impressed with the lack of satisfaction from Egyption choc if you remember :-)
Also, u'll be leaving me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! < cries >

Congrats to ur sisters and congrats to u.... considering marriage proposals, huh? Masha'allah! I dont wanna miss this - please call me everytime something happens :-D I know you and your life, and anything that happens will only ever be entertaining!

Bless u, call me!

Edward Ott said...

studying arabic in egypt now there is a great adventure.

NM said...

NativeF: We can't discuss the details of the party here; it needs to be a covert operation text you at 18:00

"Accepting marriage proposals.....somehow this makes me laugh...."

This is a recurring theme, come on ladies i know it hasn't been at the forefront of my mind but yeh the time has to come eventually when a sister has to at least start thinking about it :)

Tahnia: "I know you and your life, and anything that happens will only ever be entertaining!"

you never know this might actually be a breeze.

Edward: Inshallah this will be a great adventure, the greatest so far in my life.

Anonymous said...

If i proposed, would you stay in the UK, the "don't stop me now" club (Jughead christened it) is going to fizzle away without you!

I haven't even been to a meeting yet. *pout*

Anonymous said...

If i proposed, would you stay in the UK? ;)

The "don't stop me now" club (Jughead christened it) is going to fizzle away without you!

I haven't even been to a meeting yet. *pout*

Anonymous said...

sorry, I was a bit aggressive with the enter button, however i'll pretend I was repeating myself for emphasis...

NM said...

LOL!

What your really trying to say is that you will miss me...

Its ages away till I leave and the "don't stop me know" club ( i like the name) will flourish just fine, i will even take part from Egypt :)

lostkitty said...

call me!

NM said...

i am going to call you tonight inshallah. Get ready for a lengthy chat, by our standards...

Anonymous said...

salam

where are you studying arabic in egypt? plz could you give me more details as im interested in learning it since the opportunity has now arisen.

NM said...

Oh wow mashallah, I love it when these opportunities arise.
As for places, I know of two main institutions that some of my friends went to study at, Al-Diwan and Qortoba.

The websites are

www.aldiwancenter.com and www.Qortoba.com

Qortoba comes highly recommended by all those I know so I will be studying with them at their Alexandria branch. Imagine learning your Arabic vocab by the sea in the winter when its almost deserted, bliss

If you’re going anytime between January-June and you’re a sister let me know am need of a flat mate and a study partner ;)

Anonymous said...

just checked out the website and it looks good. i was thinking of going some time early next year aswell but need to look into it. btw i am a sista and you kinda know me we were on the same campus!(if im right)

btw do u need to have any prior knowledge of arabic to study at the classes?

NM said...

Oh fantastic...Do you mean EGaskell?

you can take private lessons or you can take group lesson, they teach all levels so it really doesn't matter what were you are at when you get there.

Anonymous said...

yeh EG but we called it psycho hospital (which funnily enough it was!). okay sounds good because ill need 2start from scratch.

i need a job:S

NM said...

welcome to the saving frantically club. May Allah make it easy for us. Ameen ;)

NM said...

you live in Alex?? for some reason i was under the impression you lived in cairo ( ohhhhhh yes!!)

a somali welcome...at that point i will probably be missing my mums food so how about dinner?!

oh God bless you i feel really touched. I love the way dispite all our problems muslims still do crazy things like this simply because she is muslim...

my patience is one of the things i hope to learn/find will in egypt inshallah

i feel the need to say i love you ( refere to your blog :)