Şubat tatil geldi :0)

At this moment.. my throat hurts.. my nose is stuck n runny.. n all i wanna do is to sleepppppppppp..pls forgive me if i dont blog hop to ur blog much.. Yes.. Şubat tatil is here..

2 weeks holiday for the school children n university students all over turkey.. I remember when i was in school years ago.. holiday means holiday.. no homework.. late nights.. late mornings.. freedom.. no restains..

The system here however is different..2 weeks of holiday.. and hatice came home with these..

A very sweetly written letter with instructions on the homework to be completed during the holiday
A 48 pages holday book to be completed within 2 weeks.. well hatice is lucky.. zeynep i think she has to finish almost 100 pages while keremcan i think around 80 plus pages..
English homework
A very colorful n sweetly written activites for each day of the holiday

Adoiiiii banyaknyaaaaa nak kena buattttttttt!!

And most importantly

The report card

This is the main report card... there r report cards for each subject in the school such as chess lesson.. art lesson.. folk games lesson.. drama.. computer..etc..etc..etc.. The report cards r in hatice's blog.... i told u.. the teachers here r sooooo hardworking that they will even conduct 3 hours lessons (as to recap all the lessons) on monday n tuesday!

i suppose i will send her in the morning n i will ask mıstık's help to pick her up from school coz to go to her school using the public mini bus can take almost one hour in the traffic jam..another one hour to return home.. it wont be fair to subject baddin to 4 hours journey on monday n another 4 hours journey on tuesday..hence mıstıkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk hehehehe (besides..i am not feeling well..remember???)

I hereby officially announce this *The Quill of My Heart Blog* on holiday for these 2 weeks..

i will only update Nur Hatice ve Okul blog (www.haticeveokul.blogspot.com) n perhaps The Zaim Ladies Recipe Book blog (www.simahzaim1.blogspot.com) for these two weeks....

i think i owe it to her to give all the attention she needs.. not to mention the homework we would be doing!! tolonggggggggg malasnyaaaaaa....cuti pun banyak kerja rumah kaa??

p.s - if u r interested on how the turkish bubur asyura looks like.. i will try to include the recipe within these 2 weeks..
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Woman n handbag

This is a picture scanned from a local newspaper….the topic? *Women n Handbags* It started off like this..

“Kadınlar neden çanta taşır? Çünkü kadınlar neredeyse tüm eşyalarını yanlarında bulundurmak istiyorlar”

*Why do women carry a bag? Because women want everything next to them when they need something*

I personally think it is true..we do want everything in hand whenever we need it…if u r a make up freak for example.. u cannot leave the house without at least a lipstick in ur bag.. .ur .handphone..ur face mirror..ur mp3..ur keys (to ur house.. to ur Office.. to ur mom’s place…to ur in law’s place..bla bla bla),tissues..bla bla bla bla bla bla..the list is endless…That is of course if u r single.. if u r a woman with a small kid (kids).. u may even have diapers.. socks.. pants n t-shirts inside ur bag….the bag can be really heavy..but we do not complain..

Interestingly, men r happy with just carrying their wallets with them.. n they even complain that the wallets r too heavy!!

So what do u carry in ur handbag?? :0)

HAVE A NİCE WEEKEND !!

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The Power of Non-Violence

I recieved an interesting mail today ..Something for us to think about...

Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gandhi Institute for Non violence,in his June 9 lecture at the University of Puerto Rico, shared the following story:

I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations.

We were deep in the country and had no neighbors, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies.One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance.

Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list ofgroceries she needed and, since I had all day in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced.

When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together."

After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a J ohn Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30 before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00.

He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?"I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn'tready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage.

When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth.In order to figure out where I went wrong with you,I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it."

So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began towalk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads.I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered.

I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again. I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children,whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing. But this single non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday.

That is the power of non-violence

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Once again..we say hi..

It's already 2007..almost one month since new year.. ....n as age goes by.. i can say that i am 15! hehehehe (how i wish!)

I dont keep resolution.. i am not that type.. maybe i am not ambitious enough.. well... who cares right? as long as i am happy...

But even at this early of the year..i have things to smile about.. Towards the end of last year.. my friend Dydy was here..old friendship rekindled....i made new friends as well ..Vim.. Shida..KC..

And from Dydy.. i got to contact my long lost best friend since my matriculation years... the one missing in action ever since after she got married...KB...talking to her .. to talk without any need of sensorship.. ..to say as i please...to *kutuk* her as much as i possibly can....would i miss such a chance??Like Mona n itique n Dydy.. she too is used to my blunt sometimes crazy thoughts..

Then quite recently, i recieved photos of my parents from my cousin kak Kiah.. someone i used to exchange emails with....talked to about my fears as a new mom.. but for no reasons at all ..we sort of stopped contacting each other.....n now..finally we r once again in contact ...

And very very recently....the one person from my chatting days..

Gee.. what days they were.. still at the uni..chatting chatting chatting...they were crazy days... Well.. at least from the chat, i caught a nice fish called halil *chuckles*..n from there we have 2 younglings ....:0)

I remember how after marriage he stated how against he was of me contacting my male chat friends.. i remember how heartbroken i was to say my farewell to one very particular chat friend coz he was very sweet indeed....i think he never forgive me after that..but then.. my husband should come first.. his wish..which was normal should be respected.. ..

He said male friends.. not male dad anyway hehehe.... occasionally, i did write emails to my far away cyber dad Randy after my marriage to my hubby.. ..after some time.. i think esp after baddin was born..i kindda stopped writing.. it was difficult days trying to raise baddin n hatice with their age gap so small.....

By chance, i forwarded a chain mail to this one far away dad of mine recently.... afraid to write to him directly.. thinking that he may have forgotten me. after all these years... .. n guess what? he replied...!! i was estatic!

*I'm old and grey, and broke...:)* he jokes..i think he forgot to say..*happy* ...right dad?:0)

Like my own dad n my dad in law.. my far away cyber dad too is surrounded by gorgeous ..or should i say.. handsome..grandchildren :0)

It really feels nice to be able to rekindle old friendship...long lost relative.. even cyber dad..

n i dont think halil will mind me contacting this one cyber dad of mine....

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A beautiful green sunny day

At this moment.. my tension level is quite high.. our CPU's CD drive is broken..that means the computer cannot read the CD..any CD ..thus.. making my life difficult for me.. and for halil to get it fixed will take.. if i am lucky... another 6 months?? Huwaaaaaaaaaaaaa.. i wanna cry....

Today is a nice day actually..(despite my stress now).. We recieved a phone call from Selim asking whether we would join them for an outing at the usual place..

Well..i think i'll just let these pics tell u the story eh?..and at the same time u can see the view there..The bridge behind there is the Sultan Fatih Mehmet Bridge.. personally..i love it there!..i love especially this terrace area..it reminded me of Teletubbies :0)

The Zaim Kids

Sabahaddin trying to look funny

Nur Hatice
Still looking a bit sickly..

Ulya Elif making a flying action..her hands as the wings..

Zeynep

The twins.. Ekrem n Ediz

Keremcan

Our beloved Baba

Smiling while watching his grandchildren run about..

Funda n Özlem

Funda, Simah n Özlem

My tem n I

Elo,Baddin, Selim n Ediz

Elo, Ekrem n Halim
The open air did wonders to the kid's appetite..Keremcan for example.. on his own finished one and a half decent sized pizza!

The adults had tea (except me=coke).. and apple dessert (4 everyone)..

Yup! it is this apple dessert..topped with ice cream..I still cant understand the reason for that stick on the ice cream..hmmm.

Thanks selimlar for the invitation..:0)

P.s A special message to Funda n Özlem... bizim CD drive bozuk için.. istersınız.. bu resimlar copy ve paste yapabilirsınız.. Cd kopya yapamiyorum su anda.. Bazen resimler baya guzel çıkmıs..

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This n that..

Finally.. i am free to really sit down n check my blog.. it has been i think a few days since i really mumble here..Not for long..i just hope i can finish typing this entry at least...

A few minutes ago.. i recieved an SMS from shida.. remember my 4 friends who came to istanbul a month ago? There were Dydy...Vim.. Shida n KC...Well it turns out that KC (the chinese friend) has converted to İslam at 9am this morning Malaysia time.. Alhamdulillah..Her new name will be decided after Shida's mom come back from hajj...i am so happy for her! i am actually grinning ear to ear :0) ..

Nowadays..in Turkey, people r worried.. it is winter but this year we see very less rain.. almost no snow n the rivers which supply the water all over turkey have a very high risk of drying in summer... draught is expected this summer.. fruits n veggies will be expensive too in summer (summer is usually the cheapest time for fruits n veggies)...difficult life ahead over here after a few months i think..

Contrastively to certain states in malaysia huh? We have terrible floods there now.. houses lost..properties damaged..i dunno which is worse? flood or draught? Both r definitely not pleasant...

I still remember clearly many many years ago.. i was still a student then.. i was staying with my bro in PJ for 3 months due to my teaching practical.. it was also at the time where malaysia had among its worst draught ever..

My brother was renting a flat then.. i remember after every school..i would wait for the lorries to bring water. I remember waiting in line ith 2 pails in my hands.. the guy would fill in the brownish water from the loory tank (probably the water was taken from a lake somewhere) n i would fill the bathroom tubs with the water ( 2 bathrooms)... then again.. into the line till the tubs were full.. countless trips everyday! I was lucky then coz my bro rented the ground floor flat... can u imagine those living at the upper levels flats.. n perhaps elderly n sickly..???

I think we were all affected by the draught then.. after the 3 months, i went back to university.. i rented with my friends a double storey house in bangi section 2.. it was better there.. i think the population there was of the upper class i think that they managed to push the authority to at least let the water flow into their houses at least at nights... i used to wash my clothing every night..ahghhhh... those old days.. i just hope it wont be as bad as that here in istanbul this summer... Rain rain please do come... if u dont wanna come.. let the snow come...Come please...

Yesterday morning, Baddin saw these kids making butter cup cakes in fimbles on tv.. ..i sensed that he wanted to do the same.. so after my pazar.. despite the terrible mess in the kitchen.. i called him into the kitchen n let him prepare his own chocolate cup cakes.. mind u .. we always have chocolate chips in our cup cakes..Yesterday however.. we ran out of the choc chips.. Still here is my son in action..

İt was hatice with her tuna sandwich.. now it is baddin's turn with his Chocolate cup cakes..
Oh boy!! hatice will be so jelous when she sees these pics!! *chuckles*.. The recipe is of course at the usual recipe blog..

Chef baddin mixing the butter n sugar

Time to crack the eggs

Be careful with the electric beater!!

DON'T LOOK!!!

Cleaning up time..(lick lick)

The cup cake in the muffin cup

He ate 3 cup cakes before dinner.. and 1 for breakfast..

I have to admit.. it was delicious.. Bravo baddin!

With the coming of the year in the islamic calender..

We all wish u all...

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARİ MAAL HİJRAH!!

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Pagi pagi..

Something to feast ur eyes on... balık guvecı.. an alternative to lighten ur menu :0) u can find the recipe at the Zaim Ladies Recipe Book at www.simahzaim1.blogspot.com

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Back to today's story..

There she was...

as usual taking her time.. singing in the toilet.. taking ages to get ready.. As i was braiding her hair.. this time *ikat lipan* hair style..the little brother woke up..he approached us in the living room...still not fully awake from his sleepiness.

She said..
*Ben kahvaltımı yaptım*
(I have eaten my breakfast)

He cried.. (to understand why please refer to my tuesday entry on the 9th of january 2007)

She added laughingly..
Şaka Şaka
(just joking!)

hehehehe early in the morning n already naughty!!!
Pagi pagi dah pandai nak sakat adik dia..

These pictures were snapped last week..as hatice was about to go to school :0)

2 siblings..with baddin's scrawl on the wall..huwaaaaaaaaaa my beloved wall!!

He was trying to look funny hehehe

My Little girl almost ready for school

One little brother looking down from the window

,,,waiting to say *bye bye abla*,,,

Her school bus service, the bus hostess n hatice(with the pink bag)

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Friday and Monday

I hope u have had a wonderful weekend.. mine was nice..

In turkey, saturday and sunday r off days.. nobody work during the weekends..

I recieved this chain email from Funda last week... For those working people and even those not working people..... do u feel any connection to these two clips????

Fridays (last day of working days- before the weekends)


Mondays (first day of working days - after the weekends)



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The latest picture

I had a delightful suprised email from a cousin of mine whom i have lost contact for quite some time...and guess what she attached there in that email.... the latest picture of my mom n dad!!!

The last time i checked..that was like 7 hours ago..they r still somewhere..not home yet..

main mission: kenduri kawin kat kampung ( a wedding at our village)....somewhere in N9
but these pictures clearly indicate that they r definitely relatives hopping in between KL n N9 coz these pictures were snapped by my cousin in Putra jaya in KL!!

They look just as i had remembered them the last time i saw them... well..maybe both look older..with more wrinkles on their faces

my dad has certainly developed more tummy (though his tummy is not as bad as my hubby'z!!).. his hair is white now... n i remember that shirt he was wearing in that pic!! i brought it from istanbul.. bought from digo :0)...and his belt.. he has had it for years n years!! as long as i can remember!! i cant believe he is still wearing the same belt!! pls remind me to buy him a belt one day!! :0)

My mom is still the same as well..she said she has gained weight..but i think i am fatter than her..adoi...(simah saying to herself..i need to go on diet!!).. the good thing about it though.. if i go back home..i can kidnap her clothing easily!! hehehehe so bersiap sedia lah yea mak utk hilang baju yg lawa lawa!! :0)

U bet a very wide smile spread across my face as i look repeatedly at these pictures...ThANK YOU KAK KiAH for the pictures.. that is so sweeet of you.. u cant imagine how much these pictures mean to me....

Enjoy the pictures and have a nice weekend everyone!!

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My discovery today..

I have to apologize if the topic today may offend any of u.. but u see.. i have discovered something today…

It has something to do with this..

Yup.. it is a veggie we call..cabbage in english.. kobis in malay and lahana in turkish.

In malaysia, it is an all year round veggie. In 4 season countries however.. in turkey for example, it is the winter veggie.. it is only at this time of the year, u can buy the cabbage from the Pazar or the market. What do turks do with cabbage? ..Well they definitely dont play with it hehehe..yes..they eat it.. they use cabbage for making dolma (stuffed veggie)… like the stuffed dolma u can find in Zaim ladies Recipe book blog (see the side bar)… or they make kapuska out of the cabbage..or other food that i dont know of..like salad? Coleslaw? Hmmm..

I love cabbage…that i discover after i reach this country..But the problem is.. cabbage.. ..after eating it.. i will definitely need to let out my *gas*.. and i am not talking just any gas.. it it that very high volume non stoppable gas hehehehe (u can use ur imagination right?) heheh it can be embarassing really..how many times i felt embarrased for letting out the gas like that..i just cant help it.. and the worst part.. cabbage gives me stomach cramp….i love it.. but i suffer after every cabbage eating… adoi…not something to look forward to eh?

I have always known that ginger is good for gas.. having 3 younger siblings, i remember how my wan (my dad’s mom) used to cook food with ginger for my mom after each birth.. *-buang angin- to clean the gas in the body* she said..but being the ignorant person i am.. .. i never thought that i’d apply it to myself..

Anyway.. it was only a few years ago that i discovered fresh ginger in turkey.. fresh ginger (thanks Carrefour n migros!)..it is expensive as well.. hence, i never really wanted to burden Halil with buying the ginger.. though i have to say.. now i just buy the fresh ginger ..a lot of them everytime we enter carrefour hehehe ..

Today, i though i’d make an experiment on myself.. the main menu of the day.? Suprise suprise… cabbage of course.. ! cabbage dolması (lahana dolması)..n my fav cabbage dish..(only form e coz i put chilli in it hehe)..

Experiment 1 - I ate that fav dish of mine for lunch (not the dolma one..it’s the other one with chilli).. n i repeat loads of it. Next to it, i had hot water boiled with fresh ginger with a bit of honey added as my drink.. together.. i had a delicious lunch (at least to me).. n guess what? For someone who has got a problem with eating cabbage.. i did not let out air as i normally do!! No cramp at all.. i felt fine!!

Experiment 2 – For dinner, again i ate the same dish..again loads of it.. this time without the ginger drink.. Not suprising, after 5 minutes, i let out a not so ladylike air… my tummy felts weird as well.. almost a cramp..but not so bad.. perhaps it was the effect of the ginger drink i had drank during the day that prevented the bad cramp ...now i am drinking the ginger drink as to prevent any bad cramp..as i type this entry..

My conclusion: Ginger is good for health..esp if u have *gas* problem….

I surfed the net as well to find a beter more scientific study on ginger n its benefits.. here is what i found..


*Ginger is a culinary spice known to add its pungent taste and aroma to whatever dish it is added to. It has a long history as a culinary spice and medicinal herb for thousands of years in Asia, and has been exported to the West thanks to Eastern traders. Since then it has become a staple in most kitchens around the world.I.

History Of Ginger

Ginger or Zangiber officinale in Latin, is an aromatic underground stem or rhizome. This plant has a long history in Asian cuisine for thousands of years. Indigenous to China, it was used as a culinary spice for more than 4,400 years. Its medicinal value was sought after; for more than 2,000 years it has been recognized as a cure against diarrhea, nausea and stomach upset.

use became widespread in India, under theMuslim rule, when it was used in preparing meat dishes, and even buttermilk and curd products.During the time of Roman Empire, ginger was brought by Eastern traders to Rome for its medicinal properties. Even when the Roman Empire fell, and when Arab merchants controlled the trade of spices and herbs, it was constantly exported to Europe.

By the 16th century the Arabs brought the rhizome to East Africa to plant it there, and introduced it to the Carribean.II.

Culinary Uses Of Ginger

You may be wondering about the taste and smell of ginger. It has phenylpropanoids (gingerol and zingerone) and diarylheptanoids (gingeroles and shoagoles) - compounds that are responsible for its distinct taste.

When cooked, gingerol transforms into zingerone, which has a less pungent, spicy-sweet aroma.Ginger is a common ingredient when meat dishes are cooked, as it acts as a tenderizer to soften the meat.

In the West, ginger acts as a flavoring in baked goodies like ginger cake, ginger biscuits, and in drinks like ginger ale.

II. Health Benefits Of Ginger

Modern medical science has proven its efficacy in treating nausea and motion sickness. In one study, for example, 80 novice sailors prone to motion sickness were made to take powdered ginger. The subjects showed significant reduction in cold sweating and in vomiting.

It is also seen as a more effective aid for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting compared to placebo. In one large study composed of 70 pregnant women with severe vomiting and nausea, those who took 1 g of ginger each day had reported less vomiting and being less nauseous, against those who took placebo.

Ginger contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in certain food like garlic, green tea, coffee, red wine and apples.These are responsible for fighting free radicals which naturally occur inside the body, and which contribute to the development of health problems such as heart disease and cancer.

Aside from that, it acts as a natural anti inflammatory in health problems like arthritis, ulcerative colitis, bursitis and bronchitis.While no major side effects are associated with taking ginger as a medicinal herb, caution is advised to those with gallstones. Consult your physician first before taking it.*

http://www.articlemotron.com/Article/The-Health-Benefits-Of-Ginger/23072

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Benefits of Ginger Root

Ginger has been revered in Indian and Chinese civilizations for over 5000 years for its powerful health imparting properties. In fact, Indian ginger is said to have the most potent medicinal properties.
Due to such a prolonged belief, research on ginger benefits was natural. Sure enough, the results were on expected lines:

Danish researchers found that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandin - a substance that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and can lead to migraines.

Ginger was found to be effective for relieving the severity of nausea even in cases of pregnancy.
Many women claim that ginger tea helps rid them of menstrual cramps.

It has anti-inflammatory properties that can lessen the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
Respiratory infections - it is well known for its warming action on the upper respiratory tract, so it has been used to treat colds and flu.

It has been found to be effective in cramps caused by stomach gas. Ginger also stimulates digestion.

It has a wholesome effect on the circulatory system as it makes the platelets less sticky and is of great benefit in case of circulatory disorders.

As a mood enhancer, ginger's cineole content may help contribute to stress relief.
It is a great mouth freshener and ginger tea has vastly refreshing properties.

In all, incorporating a ginger intake in your daily routine can lead to definite wholesome effects

http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/product/gteabeni.html

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Baddin..

İt is Tuesday.

He woke up this morning.. face still sleepy..with his slippers on his feet..walking towards us.. He saw hatice all ready..only a few minutes more before she was scheduled to leave for school..

Tears started falling from his eyes...crying loudly.. he said in turkish...

*Ablama birlikte kahvaltı yapmadım*
(I havent eaten my breakfast with my sister)

His crying continued..no matter how many times hatice hugged her.. or how many words of comfort she had uttered..his sadness too evident to be seen...tears still falling non stop from his eyes..

We looked from the window ..i tried to coax him to say *bye bye abla* as he always do..he refused.. too sad to stop crying..

I hugged him..i tried to comfort him....none too successful..he was still crying for his abla..saying that he has not eaten his breakfast together with his sister...repeatedly..

and then... as my last resort...i turned on the tv..the telletubbies was on..some kids were trying to do a big puzzle of some sort.. n bless him.. he stopped crying..

Alhamdulillah....better wake him up tomorrow morning together with his abla...else.. i might just have to face another crying child early in the morning hehehe :0)

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Today is Monday

There she was last night.. at 11.30pm.. still trying to sleep...but couldnt. One week of the bayram holiday ..endless of socialization among the family members..late nights sleeping have totally destroyed her sleeping pattern...

In the end, she called me and said..

*Anne bana sarıl mısın?*
(Anne..can u hug me please)

Of which i did.. and 5 minutes later, as i was singing to her her favourite songs... she fell asleep smiling.. both arms comfortably wrapping my body....how sweet she was.. how innocent....

We decided that halil would send her to school in the morning instead of letting her go to school by the bus service...and so my daughter went to school at almost 11am...very late....

My daughter this morning..one happy girl..

but how happy she was...to have her dad sending her to school.. every child's dreams..to have his or her parent come to school for a visit.. to send or pick him or her to n from school.... i remember i used to have the same wishes as well.. i guess every child share that needs...a global thing..

Baddin was happy of course for that one week..to have his sister with him..to play with him...

Baddin this morning...his face clearly saying..

*ablam okula gidiyor..my sister is going to school*

And halil being at home with us for that one week also means that we have more time to spend together as a family.. for him to play with the kids...to bully them...to make a mess in the apt..

And finally after a week.. i managed to throw him *out of the house* hehehe and do the tidying.. and cleaning of the apartment..Finally, his study room looks a bit decent..finally the surrounding is tidy for a few hours... until he reaches home of course! *chuckles*...and i...am dead on my feet... n i still have loads of other tidying up to do in the house... cupboards...bla bla bla... not to mention the İRONİNG!!...HELP!! ....

Enough of my mumbling..a few days ago, we decided to go to Rahim M. Koç museum. The museum is mostly technical.. cars.. engines.. machines.. planes..trains..etc..but it was really nice..Enjoy the slide show! :0)

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I am tagged!

I was tagged by Gab (www.gabenor.blogspot.com). I waited for the bayram to be over... so as not to break the tradition..this is..

SİMAH 101

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:

* Simah – I think it is a very simple name..nothing fancy..just a plain simah..simple…and I love it to my very core :0)

* Shima – my dad calls me by this name.. it is weird really coz he was the one who registered my name at the registrar’s office ..and trust him not to remember the spelling of half of my name..

* Shimah – as everyone else calls me as I was growing up..….i think only uraini (my best friend in form 1 till form 3) called me simah..but after I come to turkey… I managed to make everyone to call me simah…..my family in turkey n my friends in the blogging world ..the rest of my family n friends still call me shima or shimah heheheh

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:

These r the names I used eversince I was introduced to the internet world.

* Refcobass

*Ref

* Simah

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:

* My weight – Oh Gee… I have gained far too many kilos to make me look anything attractive.. but then I love food too much.. so..it is a hopeless case of wanting to lose weight n really losing it... :0(

* My thigh – in my cycling days.. they used to be soo fit..i could not even pinch it. Now I can...cant cycle now.. but I plan to walk more.. so far I have lost a few inches..

* My butt – since that thief with that knife that broke into our hotel room in izmir touched it for a few seconds. Am not so fond of my butt anymore.

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:

Cant write 3 coz I am only mixed with 2…they r

* Minang

* Malay

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:

* My children will be motherless and fatherless before they are big enough to be independent

* If I die first and halil marry another woman, I fear my children will be deprived of love, a hug n a kiss.

* A man with a knife

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:

* My one minute hug from my tem before I go to sleep.

* At least a hug and a kiss from my angels.

* The sound of hatice and baddin singing happily to the tune of their own music.

THREE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESIONS:

* My Endurance – I am a woman after all.

* My instinct. It is always right. And in those times I choose to ignore it..i always regret it almost instantly.

* My Harry Potter story books – gifts from funda (first book bought in holland) n meşe (the fourth and the fifth book in the collection)..the rest I bought them myself..Cant wait for the last book!! :0)

THREE THINGS YOU WISH YOU HAVE BUT WHICH YOU DO NOT HAVE RIGHT NOW:

* 4 Tickets to Malaysia with unlimited cash to spend on everyone there.

* 4 storey havuzlu kösk ( a traditional turkish house)..with a large private garden for my cats to play in…both indoor and outdoor pool..in a bay area, next to the sea, within a walking distance to a virgin forest with a moor nearby for the kids to wander around…magnificent..fantastic view all around…

* To have a solid iman. I still don’t pray properly.

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS:

Like Gab, I have a lot that I equally love, too bad only three r to be in the list.

* Metallica

* Mariah Carey (when she’s singing for real n not produce that irritating sound she used to make)

* Air Supply

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS:

* Nothing Else Matters –Metallica

*My All –Mariah Carey

* It’s ur love – Tim Mc Graw n Faith Hill

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:

* Honesty

* Tolerance of each other’s drawbacks

* To be treated like I am worth it.

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:

* The butt

* The smile

* The strong shoulder for me to cry on.

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE HOBBIES:

* Cycling –though I have to abandon that for now.

* Cooking especially when I am stressed out.

* Mumbling in my blog

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:

* Go for a walk with my tem in this freezing weather....just him n I holding hands..no kids…oh yeah..sure.. at the time I am typing this in microsoft word..it is 22.05.. hehehe

Eat maggie mee (instant noodle) perencah asam laksa.. but cant..my stock is finished….huwaaaaaaaa

Watch a horror movie

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:

*Langkawi island

* Bora bora island

* Abant

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:

* To ask for forgiveness from all the people in my life; those whom I may have hurt intentionally or unintentionally thruout my life.

* To tell my tem, my çiçeğim and my şekerim how much they mean to me…to thank Allah for this precious gift HE has bestowed upon me.

*To mengucap Dua kalimah Shahadah…*there is no God but Allah and Muhammad (S.A.W) is his prophet* before my last breath.

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A Married MAN:

* Leave the socks, underwear and clothing on the floor, knowing that the wife will collect them up later.

* Have everything taken care of….from the bills to his clothing…to the food he eats…like a sultan!! heheh

* Put something somewhere n later asks the wife where his things r.

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A Married Woman:

* She manages everything. She is the moderator of the house.

* After all the chores during the day, after every meal , she expects at least *eline sağlık* being uttered by the hubby as some sort of appreciation at his wife’s effort…(even if it is take aways hehehe).. A Woman needs to know that she is appreciated!

* She mumbles. He hugs.

Now, in the good old tradition of tagging - three people will carry on answering the questions .May I therefore ask these three to do this tag.

* Mama Sarah n Amar

* Syikin

* The Queen of the House

Thank You for hopping by...Hope to see u again the next time..

Kurban bayram 2006-my conclusion.

These r the biggest group of visitors we had this bayram at baba's. ..in fact, with the addition of a few new faces, they go to baba every year... Who r they? they r the academicians.. be it. from istanbul uni where baba served till he retired... be it from old academic friends... collegues..etc.. and every year... this group...they choose a day in bayram and they visit a few selected hocas' houses...apartments.......an effort worth admiring... :0)


Sweet baba, he always make sure that this group come on the day where mıstık will be around..usually on the third or fourth day of every bayram..be it the ramazan bayram or the kurban bayram.. i managed to escape this group a few bayrams heheheh (well..they r so many!!)... at times.. meşe would be the victim hehehe but this year...mıstık, halil n i joined forces to serve them tea, the borek n bakla n tea and tea and tea and tea..... we barely could cope..n by the end of the day..i was ............puffed out! :0)




The thing is... when anne was still around, our family bayram was usually celebrated in sapanca..at baba's sapanca summer house.... anne loved it there... but after anne... baba celebrates his bayram at his home in istanbul... and thus, we too stay here....we r whereever baba is...as simple as that :0)



What i conclude from all the bayrams so far...there r regulars who always..without fail who come to baba.They r the ones we can predict which day they would come...for how long... bla bla bla.. of course there r unexpected visitors....and the phone just rarely stop ringing...



one of the visitors really remind me of saddam hussein.. hehehe this year.. suprise suprise..he had his beard n moustache on hehehehe totallyyyy saddam look..if u can see him..u will totally agree with me....hehehe



The highlight of this bayram is always the siblings visiting.. as usual..4 zaim siblings stay in the 2 zaim blocks... only meşe stays at baba's apartment block.. So on the third day when meşe started her visits to one of the siblings... the rest of the siblings, and their wives n kids follow suit..



Normally, our home would be the last place to be visited coz halil is the youngest.. but this year.. on the third day of bayram..meşe, mesut, merve n safa started with our apartment first.. together, we all (meşelar n halillar)went to halimlar... later, we (meşelar n halillar) went to muyessa yenge... later, everyone (meşelar, halimlar n halillar) went to selimlar... then..we all hopped to another door (kerim's).. and later meşelar went home. Selimlar went to halimlar while halillar (that means us) went back to our place coz i needed to feed my kids..and finally... halimlar n selimlar came to us for their bayram visit .. is this confusing enough for u??hehehehe ..the end conclusion is.. *this is the siblings visiting of the zaim siblings* hehehe



While doing the bayram visiting at our place, keremcan (halim's son) wrote this poem.. it is about basketball...i cant translate the thing.. i will have to ask özlem (his mom) to translate it for me...so özlem..bu şiir tercume yapar mısın? sağol..:0)




And this is the translation of keremcan's poem..
Basketball

I wake up and play,
I break baskets,
I am the best,
I beat Iverson.


SAturday and sunday I loose myself,
I jump into entertainment,
I beat every body,
I sweat and come back.


This is a poem written by Zeynep (Selim's daughter)..The poem is talking about fruits.. in order not to destroy the beauty of the poems.. again..i will have to ask her mom- funda to translate this for me... so funda.. bu şiir tercuma yapar mısın? sağol..:0)

And here is the translation of the poem..as written by funda:

Fruits

How nice are the fruits,

I eat delicious fruits.

I take vitamins by eating fruits.

I like fruits very much.

How nice are the fruits,

I eat oranges for instance.

I like all the fruits

Also eating the fruits.

The 2 younger generation of the Zaim family...keremcan and zeynep..

how talented they r... :0)

And before i close this blog for the week..here r my angels posing this bayram..

Have a nice weekend everyone! :0)

Thank You for hopping by...Hope to see u again the next time..