Tuesday 25 March 2008

Yummy Food

I plan on asking Gee to make this for us sometime inshAllah. A guest bought some one evening to us, and I loved it. It was sooo good. Besides she's always asking me what she should cook, and I look at her as if she's lost her mind...what do I know about foods here? So our running joke now is 'You cook, I eat." And she still asks me to have a laugh. I think it's pretty funny. Anyway, here are these West African Kebabs I speak of:

http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/westafrica/kebabs.html


I get asked what we eat here and try to explain it but fear I don't do very well. I think I will take pictures of what I am served and try to explain it then. It's all very good mashAllah. For breakfast I usually have fried egg with toast. I fell in love with it immediately upon my first taste. I watched her make it and have come to the conclusion that it must be the oil that gives it that good flavor because she only puts salt and pepper as flavor but adds small diced tomato.

Friday 21 March 2008

Laying It All Out

I just don't know what exactly I feel right now. One of those feelings I know is a sense of peace, like everything is in Allah (swt) hands. I wonder if I still need to make a decision or wait and it will come to me. Aunt Flo is going to visit soon (she betta!) and I'm feeling a tad hormonal and somewhat emotional about the same stuff I was feeling all positive and confident about yesterday. Like is like that I know. I need to focus on laying it all on Allah (swt) because He is only source of true help for me. I mean I really need to get more into doing that because I feel so much lighter in the chest after just spending some time putting it all on Him. *Sigh* Alhamdullilah. I won't be laying it out here just yet, but in time inshAllah.

See, peace doesn't last long, lol. Little Ummi and Whisper are annoying each other and frankly me too. It is so time for bed. One of my favorite times of day, hehehe. We went out on Wednesday and I accidently videod some scenery. I may load in on youtube and make it available here, maybe.

Tuesday 18 March 2008

All or Nothing

Gee, our helper insisted I not mix Nigerian clothes with English clothes. I wanted to wear my demim skirt with a baby blue Nigerian top...and it was vetoed. She said it wouldn't be right please, your skirt is English, top is Nigeria...you cannot do that, either aaall English or all Nigeria. Naturally I laughed because I'm so accustomed to being different. I did note in particular upon arriving here that there was never a mix of the two; that is English all the way to the shoes and sunglasses or totally traditional. I thought that maybe I just hadn't run into anyone who mixed the two until this incident today. It seems it simply isn't done. That being said, I'm opting for totally traditional as I really don't want to attract any more attention than necessary. I've been here two weeks and a few days now and find the transition isn't nearly as difficult as I though, alhamdullilah (praise be to God). That said, I've only been out a few times, venturing out to the vegetable market on my second day here and since then to supermarkets to pick up a few things. I say it is what it is, and that's how I'm taking it mashaAllah. I've still yet to go out since dh has some business and is using the driver. It's a different life than I'm accustomed to, but easier mashAllah. More on this later. Picture time!




Here is that vegetable market I mentioned, being here all of two days. The walkway really is that narrow, but no one seems to mind and the giving way seems instinctive really, no awkward dancing, lol.









I was checking these carrots out, right at my feet thinking they were certainly fresh if nothing else when I looked over to my left and saw the next image.












Two ladies not two feet away exchanging a few words in between scrubbing the carrots. They looked positively delicious and Little Ummi (daughter #1) chomped on one right away when we pulled away from the market. The kids were waiting in the car. Driver and Gee said it was too dirty for them.