OK... I know what you my be thinking? Why the cold shoulder? Am I a gone into hibernation? Summer and winter went and gone not even a sound of keyboard creativity! Earthquakes, tsunami, floods, wars, riots but no recent posts!?! The real reason is I... I... I am suffering from a rare psychological disorder called the 'extended' (guilty as charged, too busy with life, no time to blog) Writer's Block. Not it's not made up - it's true! Sometime it's referred as TBATT Syndrome. (Too Busy All The Time)!
I apologise for my unexplained disappearace.... so let me update you in a nut shell.
In 2010; I moved to my new home, so was fixing things, decorating, buying furnishings and the highlight of my chores - assembling a flat-packed 20 piece metal shed from Argos.... Lovely! ...Oh did I mention I was assembling this shed with the help of three (think they know-it-all) clueless men!
The bleeding shed took a whole day to put up! There was so many parts, nuts and bolts - that initially when we unboxed the parts - we though we were assembling a space craft in the back garden not a shed at all! Anyways; I leave the blokes for 2 minutes (2 minutes I tell ya!) to put the kettle on for a brew and they decide to disregard the manual and go with their man-brains and ego! I warned them that they will regret not following the instructions but their man-ness and ability to solve problem was under severe scutiny so they had to save their man-hood. The sheer competition amongst them - it was like seeing three cavemen fighting over some meat! "Calm down, calm down....it's a shed guys!"
As you know many months passed and I was adjusting to my new home. Niggling problems here and there and some cracks began to show (literally). The school run were hard too as my girls attended two different schools and it didn't help that my home was situated in a 'no through road' street! After resigning from work in 2010 - I pursued some of my hobbies and interest; doing arts and crafts, sewing, writing, jogging and cycling, but still wanted to excel and push myself more.
In 2011 I siked myself to go back to studying part-time. I was thinking about it a few months but finally made the plunge in Sept 2011 (narrowly missing the 9k fees)....wooohooo! So 10 odd years later I got on the band wagon (again) but this time tried to style it out like I knew what I was doing or where I was going! Boy, was I wrong; your brains just doesn't absorb information and direction as quick as it does than when you are young and of prime study age!
Mature Student... who me??? Nah...I'm 21.... Youthful, cool and hip I am! ...oh yes I am! OK... after miserably failing to 'act' young and bust a few slang terms; my cover-up was looking bleak. You know I can't lie at all to save my life and with the blabber mouth that I am; before I knew it I was telling everyone my life story, my marital status, how many kids I have ....and last but not least my AGE!!!! "I'm 29" - I often said in a quiet, muffled voice.
In the first ice-breakers exercise when we were meeting fellow students; we were going round the table asking everyone about their age. Some were 19 (uni-virgins and on the academic roll). Some in their early 20's (the 'gap yearers, and not so sure what I'm doing with my lifers'), and then the 25+ students or the 'mature students' as most universities like to call it! I interpret the Mature Students as either the 'did it all beforers and screwed it upers' or the 'did it; done it and brought the t-shirters but actually want to do something I enjoyers'! I like to catergorise myself as in the latter type of students.
In 2012, still a student fortunately and done really well in all my modules if I say so myself. This studying larky is so much fun and motivating. Never thought I would say this now let alone when I was 19. Ppfftt! If I had prodded along at univeristy 10 years ago doing a pointless degree I would pretty much be nowhere. I have gained a wealth of experience and skill in my 10 years and I do not regret leaving my studies first time round. I look at it this way - now I know what I want to do whereas 10 years ago I was misguided and lost. It's true what the say with age you get wiser and you have more patience. Don't get me wrong I'm not an old fuddy duddy ready to pack in and get the knitting needles out and winge about the youth... (although I do that now....the knitting that is, not the winging!) Hey knitting is hip...now we've had a 'make do and mend' revolution all over again. Where have you been?
Anywho another significant thing has happened to me in ealrly 2012. After much struggle with myself I decided to wear the hijab (headscarf). I've had many sleepless night over this and the decison to wear a headscarf was not an easy one. It was not so much that fact of covering my hair or my die-hard love for earings that was a problem but it was the responsibilty that came with it. What it represented. You can just as well be a praticing good muslim, observe you fast, prayers, pay zakat, do good deeds etc without a headscarf as I had done before but I believe by wearing a headscarf it puts you in the frame of mind more. Allah (God) does not judge according to your body and appearance but looks into your hearts and good deeds. Saying by the Prophet, Muhammad [pbuh]
I must emphasize no one forced me... I just had this need to wear it. I haven't changed as a person as such. I'm still the same me in body and mind but a bit more spiritual. Like how a doctor or nurse wears a uniform to perform their job; I too wear a hijab to perform my job in this life as a muslim human being. It keeps me in the frame of mind and I have never felt happier and enlightened.
Oh almost forgot, it was my 10th wedding anniversary this year, so was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics. Also went to Malaga, Spain in April which was fabulous! The first holiday abroad with my little poorly girl which is a huge milestone for us. Also went to a residential in June with my family and neices. All in all an eventful year! Ramadan has just finished and it has been 2 years in my humble abode which I call home. Enjoying the summer and whatever is left of it with my two beautiful girls and hubby who is not so beautiful and rightly so otherwise I would be a tad worried and jealous!
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