A Map for Lovers is the story of the aftermath of a love affair between Jugnu and Chanda and how their families and community react when they go missing. The book is set in a small unnamed English town (which rather reminded me of Burnley) with a mixed population of white and South Asian residents.Shamas […]

I am rather conscious I have been missing from action in blogland for a while. I just checked my dashboard and couldn’t believe how many comments there were to publish. I am struggling a little at the moment with severe nausea and exhaustion, interspersed with some rather nasty stomach pains. Everyone who hears this jumps […]

I am rather conscious I have been missing from action in blogland for a while. I just checked my dashboard and couldn’t believe how many comments there were to publish. I am struggling a little at the moment with severe nausea and exhaustion, interspersed with some rather nasty stomach pains. Everyone who hears this jumps […]

So I got the kids to clear out all of the broken bits of crayon from their colouring pencil/crayon box and take the paper covers off (I had to stop them from getting too carried away and breaking the whole ones). Being very anal, I got the kids to sort the bits of crayons into […]

I watched the baby throw a tantrum not long ago and it made me smile. Tantrums don’t make most people smile, so let me explain. He drops onto the floor, starts pummelling the carpet with his hands and feet and cries loudly while I sit there and watch. He then stops and looks at me […]

The first few days of Ramadan are always challenging when fasting falls during the summer months with the change in sleeping and eating habits. Usually by the third day or so, you start to fall into a routine, the coffee cravings have gone and you get on with your day-to-day activity. Having got through day […]

We had some good news this weekend.  After much impatient waiting, My brother and his lovely wife had a very pretty little baby girl this weekend.   ‘U’eethukumaa bikalimaatil-laahit-taammati min kulli shaytaanin wa haammatin, wa min kulli ‘aynin laammatin. “I seek protection for you in the Perfect Words of Allah from every devil and every […]

After almost three weeks of living under slowly descending layers of dust and having no internet connection at home (where I can upload pictures), someone thought fit (thinking better half or brother-in-law) to reconnect it. So I am sitting here at the dustiest computer I have ever seen waiting for the dinner to cook and […]

Usually the children’s holidays are something I and hubby look forward to.  No school run, no pack lunches, bags or uniforms and lots of time together.  This time round I am wondering what I am going to do with them and how I am going to keep my sanity.  I remember now why mum used […]

We had some good news this weekend.  After much impatient waiting, My brother and his lovely wife had a very pretty little baby girl this weekend.   ‘U’eethukumaa bikalimaatil-laahit-taammati min kulli shaytaanin wa haammatin, wa min kulli ‘aynin laammatin. “I seek protection for you in the Perfect Words of Allah from every devil and every […]

After almost three weeks of living under slowly descending layers of dust and having no internet connection at home (where I can upload pictures), someone thought fit (thinking better half or brother-in-law) to reconnect it. So I am sitting here at the dustiest computer I have ever seen waiting for the dinner to cook and […]

To me henna is celebration itself and Eid feels incomplete without it. Three of the guests at our Eid party could apply henna, so we asked them nicely and they found themselves spending most of the evening decorating the hands of the rest of our guests. I mentioned earlier that my sister had afound a […]

Something that sometimes stresses me out a little is the long to-do lists I manage to rack up for myself. What doesn’t help is when these things go round and round in my head getting me into a flap. What also doesn’t help is writing them down in my diary and then ignoring them.Every now […]

Something that sometimes stresses me out a little is the long to-do lists I manage to rack up for myself. What doesn’t help is when these things go round and round in my head getting me into a flap. What also doesn’t help is writing them down in my diary and then ignoring them.Every now […]