You know we really should stop meeting like this etc etc. Here we go for another round of questions.

Susan said:

1) how did you and your husband meet/get together? i think i’ve already asked you that, haven’t i? i forget the answer. i am a rubbish friend.

An awful awful friend since I poured my heart out to you (and my BILLION readers) last time with EVERY MINUTE DETAIL OF MY HOT* AND SORDID AFFAIR** WITH MY NOW HUSBAND. Since you are not only an awful friend but also apparently a very lazy one not to check my archives, here it is again for you (copied and pasted FYI):

We met while I was on holiday in South Africa at the end of 1993. After I returned to Australia we corresponded for about 4 years before making the decision that our phone bills and postage were becoming too expensive and we really needed to do something about it. I can recall calling Telstra once to ask about my phone bill and the woman on the other end simply said, “Are you sitting down?” Husband came here to marry me and the rest as they say, is history.

* I mean the weather was very hot.

**All halal, of course and you do know I am joking about your poor friendmanship (I made that word up) (or horsemanships as the spell checker says it should be spelt (spelled……whatever))
2) what’s your nationality/cultural background/where the heck are you muz-loms FROM??

I’m OSTRAYAN!/of Indian descent/born in Africa.

3) what languages (other than english) do you speak, if any?

I speak (very poorly I may add) a little known Indian dialect called Katchi or Memon depending on which class your belong to. I belong to the lower one *cries* It is not a written language and I fear that it’s on its last legs now (at least in our family) *cries again*

4) do you have any eid al adha traditions in your family? what are they?

We don’t have that many for eid al adha. I make the same breakfast I do for Eid ul Fitr- kheer ku mu – a milk drink/porridge thing with vermicilli and saffron and almonds. The older two woke up early and were ready for Eid salat this year. Usually the men and boys will head for Eid prayer and cemetery while the women stay at home. It isn’t that we are not permitted to go, it’s just easier with the little one for me to stay at home. InshaAllah when they are much older I will venture out (with express permission from husband, sons and fathers and brothers etc etc). When they return, we have a nice breakfast – the past couple of years I’ve been making pancakes and then we usually head off to my mum’s or my Auntie’s for the rest of the day. This year since my parents and aunt and uncle have gone for Hajj, we had a leisurely dinner at my sister’s. My 2 year old was not well at all though he did brighten up enough to make the night surprisingly smooth and relaxed.

5) have you ever been on hajj or umrah? if not, any concrete plans to go (we all do- and mean!- the ‘inshaAllah, soon’ but i mean, have you ‘got it on the calendar, mum booked to watch the kids for 3 weeks’ planned)

Went for Umrah with the family at the end of 1995. It was awesome. One thing I do remember is how small the Ka’aba is. For God’s “house” it’s very humble. We were very lucky as the time we went, there were hardly any people so we got to do our tawaaf close up and managed to kiss the Hajre Aswad a few times. Medina is spectacular. We haven’t made any plans to go but now that my mum and dad have finished their Hajj (may Allah accept it), I’ve got an itching to go next year. InshaAllah the children won’t be so young and will manage without us for a few weeks. Make dua we get there.

6) if you weren’t a vet, you’d be a….?

I think I would still be crying at ‘what could have been’ till this day. I am a complete science nerd so I am guessing it would have done something science-y and I definitely would have at least started university. My second and third preferences for university were optometry and dentistry. My older sister is an optometrist and I do envy her ability to wear nice clothes and leave work smelling pretty much the same way as she started the day. I often joke about leaving veterinary stuff to work at the perfume counter at Myer.

7) religiously, what are you surprisingly conservative about? surprisingly liberal? (I say ’surprisingly’ as for most muslims, after you knwo them for a bit, you can guess where they’d stand on most issues/practices. and yet everyone has things that they shock people about with their strictness or casualness. what are those things for you?)

I really don’t know if anything I believe is that strict or that liberal. I’m more a middle of the road sort. Perhaps if you were to ask me on specific subjects I could elaborate and you can all tell me if that’s conservative or liberal. I devour candy canes and Easter eggs at an alarming rate..make of that what you will.

okay, better go- zayd’s nappy seems to be leaking.

Do you use disposable or cloth nappies? What brand of disposable (if you do use them) do you find the best for leaks ( I mean which one is leakproof, obvs, not which one leaks the best)

oh, look at me go. i’m running. aaaaany second now, i’ll go and attend to yet another nappy……..

:) awww, he’s sho cute. how can i resist?

he is indeed very sweet mashaAllah. Such thick hair and I bet he has long eyelashes, too. What is it with boys and long eyelashes?

Umm Fi-ard said:

1. I think I have one pressing qt about garbage collection as it falls on a tuesday at my suburb and xmas and new year falls on a tuesday .. so when is the council going to collect my rubbish? btw, if I haven’t told you already, I’m going to New Zealand godwilling next week.. Woooohoooo! I am soo looking forward to see those geysers I read about in secondary school, once upon a time.

Not entirely content with forgetting very important details of my life history, susan then proceeds to STEAL MY FRIENDS BY ANSWERING THEIR QUESTIONS!:

Apparently (here at least, and I’m guessing it’s the same elsewhere. But that could be very, very, worringly wrong), your bins will still be collected on public holidays, sooooo you need to make sure you definitely put your bins out the night BEFORE collection, as there will be less traffic, the garbos may come and get your bins earlier than normal. they work hard, those guys!

She is indeed correct.

Please notice how I conveniently did not add the part of susan’s answer where she graciously acknowledges she is pilfering or the part where she allows me to delete her comment so I can then gain the glory for myself.

2nd qt. When did you really learn to cook and do you have some really simple recipes possibly Indian , that you can share with us? (My kids love butter chicken and I like beriani or pilau rice, hint hint).
Other than that, I think Susan just about covered it.

I didn’t learn to cook Indian food until long into my marriage. ie. two months ago. I felt very sorry for my in-laws when they came to visit as while they aren’t fussy fussy, they are particular about foods and I am sure they lost a few kilograms NOT eating the food I served. Most people put on weight during holidays with families. I am sorry to say that if they lost weight, it was all the time spent at my place.

I will try to get some recipes for you but much of what I have learnt from my mother has no actual amounts. I am very bad at the pilau and biryani I am afraid. You must come with me to my mum’s place so we can learn together!

Do have a blast at the geysers (please marvel at my humour this instant) and a wonderful relaxing time in New Zealand – I believe it is called Noo Zelend by the inhabitants, just in case you wish to fit in ( I mean “fet en”)

There we go. Another round of questions finished.

Any more questions please leave them in the comments.

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