Ramadan Activity # 4

Last year back in Pakistan in my city a toy drive was held. I really wanted to contribute to it but it wasn't possible cause I was here in Khobar and the drive was kinda being held really really far away. So I thought to myself that In Shaa Allah next year in Ramadan I will try doing something like this in Khobar or wherever I will be at. Let me tell  you before we get on any further that I am a BIG time introvert. Talking to ppl, not my thing. So doing it on my own was a downhill from the beginning.

So around comes Ramadan, and I still hadn't figured out how I will be doing a toy drive. I tried to find  an orphanage in Khobar through internet but I was not at all successful. I know there are two of them in Khobar Dammam area. But that's about it. I even contacted one through their website but I didn't get any reply. Anyway, so I was quite disheartened by my lack of success. But Allah really is very merciful and Kareem. I mean I wanted a toy drive, He sent one to me of all the places I never would have thought of looking, The Mall.

Yeah, a local organization has arranged for a toy drive for the orphans in  Mall Of Dhahran.

So, today's activity was centered around giving. We sorted the toys from our house. We kept the ones my son was still playing with. The rest were given into charity. We made sure that we were giving only clean and fully functional toys. We also bought some new toys from the money that was collected in the Sadaqa jar we made earlier.

The stalls were beautifully decorated and the people working there were really nice, helpful and polite.

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons learned:

Social and moral skills:

•  We talked about who orphans are, and why they need our help.
• We talked about giving from what Allah has given us.
• We learned that we give to fellow brothers, what we like for ourselves (cause few scratched, dented and missing tire cars were making their way in the charity bags, hmmm,)

The toy drive will last till the 20 of Ramadan. So make your way towards Gate no 5.

Take care
Happy Ramadan

Ramadan Activity # 2

The second activity on our list is Ramadan banner. I got some inspirations for this from here and here.

Let's get on to the materials needed.


Materials:

• Colored scraps of paper. They could be any kind. Plain, self designed the world of crafting paper is your oyster.
• Paint.
• Stencils. If you are using a plain paper and want to decorated the background.
• Yarn or string.

First thing we did was cut the required number of paper in triangles. We wanted to decorate the background so we used a sponge stencil. Stamp your triangles and set them  aside to dry. After the paint is dry add on the letters to RAMADAN KAREEM. This can be done in many different ways. We painted ours. You can cut out letters and paste. Do it with a marker. The last part is stringing them. We used left over yarn. I lost my yarn needle so we improvised by putting a little tape at the end of the yarn making a little sturdy so it will be easy to thread. We made holes in the top of the triangles with a pencil. You might be a little organized than me and use a punching machine if you want but  pencil works fine too. Thread the banner and find a place to hang it.

Lessons I tried to teach during this activity:

• Math: He had to count the alphabets used in making the banner add them up and tell me how many triangles we needed.
• Fine motor skill : He had to cut the triangles, stamp the design on them, paint the letters and string them.
• English: He learned to spell Ramadan Kareem.
• We talked about where to place the banner. It was his decision where it would go. My effort to make him a bit confident in making decisions and displaying his creations.

Note:

• Please keep in mind the activity is not suppose to be perfect. If it ends up being perfect for you. Hats off to you and your kid. The activities main purpose is the child's learning.
• Kids might not be willing to complete the task to the tee. My son cut only 4 triangles, stamped half the triangles and only painted Ramadan. The rest was finished by me. But I did it while he was sitting with me. So it seemed that we were doing it together.
• Talk to the kids while doing the activities. What do they think about it? What would they like to use next time if they did it again? Tell stories about prophets. Make the most of your time together.

I hope you will enjoy doing this activity with your kids. Do let us know and share your experience with us.

Take care
Happy Ramadan.

Chronicles from Jeddah----Forgotten Glorious Past

Finally the first thursday of June came along and we went to the Islamic Center where they were holding a Morroco day. I was really exicited about it as I mentioned in my earlier post that I would love to visit Morroco some day, so it was a sneak peek into the experienec waiting for me. But there was more than I was expecting, Morroco had taken a backdrop for there ongoign series "Why do we belive In....???". This time we were shown a short film and my GOD was I totally in AWWWWW. Please have a look at it.

This short film was made for an exibition held in London this January. It was quite a big Event organsied by a Saudi organization. At the exibition Islamic history is being presented in a marvellous way. It was so insightful not just for the western world who usually show a bleak picture of Islamic culture and call that era the dark ages but for us as well.

WE muslims need to know where our roots lie. Where we come from and how at one point in time we gave the world its latest discoveries and invention. I dont know what the curriculum in arabic schools in the KSA is, but growing up I certainly was not introduced to this period of muslim history as I should have been in my schools. I mean yes I knew some names, and yes I knew we did something but not to the extent I know about the western scitentist and their acheivements. Why this lack of expopsure to our own hisotry I cant understand. Maybe because in my schools the authorities are BLINDLY following the curriculum definetly not designed completley for us and adding information to it is too much work for them. And we as parents are relying too much on our schools to educate our kids. Why is that, that we dont have any heroes of our own? Why is that, that we dont have any Muslim scholar or scientist to look up to and follow? Why is that, that we are from the get go made a follower of the western civilization? I dont know. Maybe if we are shown and taught what great acheivers we were maybe we will replicate it. We did it once and we certainly can do it again.

Here you can get a little view of the exibition.

Please do share this with your friends, family, children of all ages so that they know alll about our great past. and for a change know the names of someone other then Elbert Einestein and be proud of what we are and our contributions to the modern world.

After the movie we had a discussion on the "Why have we forgotten where we came from?". We know the first message give to our Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H) was IQRA (read)....so being a muslim its our mission on earth to seek knowlegde, knowledge of everything and then to apply that knowlegdge for the goodness of mankind. Leaving a footprint in this world. Maing a mark. We dont know what an impact can it make. It can be as small as making someone smile or as big as changing someones outlook to life. The main goal of all this is that do somehting productive while we can, whether it be with your children, your family, people you know. start small. Seek out knowledge, share your knowledge, lets make this world a better place for you and for me,so that a few decades later we still have a remarkable past to look at.

I Dont Speak Arabic

Have I told u I am a desi in an Arab land. oh yeah my titles clears it. I love this Arab Land. I actually enjoy many of the strict policies which other expats might find annoying or anything like that. I do call this land my home. And yes I do wish that I will be able to live here without the fear of leaving evrything behind or my iqama renewal or not being able to have my family here just because they dont fulfil a certain condition the government has.

Anyways, one of the things I love here is the way the arab women are always so made up and looking nice even when they out to the malls. I love going to the malls just to look at the well groomed ladies. Getting confused as the ladies are all covered up in black here???? Thats the MOST astonishing part. I mean even when these ladies are coverd in Black they still tend to be stylish. With their trendy shoes, fun bags( most of the time designer ones, still cant figure out if all of the ladies in the mall are carrying original Loiu Vitton or fakes and if they r fake i need one too), colorful nail colors and gorgeous makeup.

Sometimes when I am in the mood, I dress up as well when going to the mall. Peole have told me and many a times have mistaken for an arab which flatters me alot ( if an arab is getting offended, not my intention, ask the arabs who mistake me for it). Sometimes the flattery truns into embarassment. WHY???? Let me tell you a scene.

ME (all madeup with kohl eyes and nicely done scarf)

Me roaming a shop

Arab lady (nicely made up, obviously better than me) comes up to me and starts saying something in fluent arabic.

ME NOW

Anyhow I tell I dont speak arabic or understand whatever you are trying to say to me.
The nice lady starts to tell me how she got confused because I looked so much like an arab and I tell her oh no worries I have lived here for 25 years. I have the look down.

And now she looks likes this



ME and my Big mouth, and now I am like this

Really this is embarrasing, I mean I have lived here for all my life really and I dont speak or understand the language. I can however shop in Arabic.

Kum haza?(how much?)

Kum akhir?(what will be the last price?).

Ghali kateer( too expensive), and oh I can count in arabic too (important if u want to shop). But thats about it.

I dont know who to blame for my lack of language skills. I mean living here all my life I have never had arabic speaking friends, I had when I was very little, and I dont know how I comunicated with them, but me and my sister used to spend hours with them. I guess kids have a universal language, and I lost it when I grew up.

The only socializing I had with arabs were the families my dad used to work with and they spoke english. The shopkeepers in the malls didnt used to be arabs, mostly filipinos or indian and they spoke english as well ( these days i have prolems shoping sometimes cause the salespersons are arabs now and have very little english skils). These were the problems in Jeddah. In Khobar its a whole new story. Evrybody in khobar speaks english. I actually have seen Arabs speaking in english with Arabs (i know i am sounding jugdmental but in KSA english speaking arabs is not a norm). When I came to KSA again after a break, I commited that I will learn the language this time for sure, but it seems that I wont need to again, who am I going to learn it for. I mean you normally learn a foreign language because you NEED to communicate. The great thing about KSA is that the country has accomodated so many nationalities. And MOST of the time they are welcomed by the people. But still I think I need to learn arabic just so that i dont have to roam the malls like this

Chronicles from Jeddah---Something to Ponder

A friend and I had a chance to go to the Islamic Education Center in Jeddah a few weeks ago. Its a really beautiful building with amazing islamic architecture situauted near Tariq Malik road. They offer many different courses, from languauge to islamic studies and classes for convert as well.

What took us there was a series of gatherings called "Why do we??" they have started on every first thursday of the month. They were discussing that why we(muslims) believe in Creation(Adam being created by God) vs Evolution ( monkey being my forefather). We were invited to watch a Documentary Scientific Adam. The documentary showed scientific proofs of us being connected to Adam and Eve. But still some parts of it were still a little confusing for me. Any how, after the documentary we were served some refreshments and a round of discussion started. My confusions were to some extent cleared in the second half of the session by Mrs. Asma. She explained the Adam and Eve thing and our creation with the help of scripture from quran. I loved the way she explained why we were created and what role should we play while we are here on the earth. An example she gave was of a pencil maker.

There used to be a pencil maker whoes pencils were sent to all parts of the world. One day he held one of his pencils and started talking to it. He told it 5 important things that would be imortant for it to be succcessful in its job.

1. He said to the pencil : You will be able to do great things,but only if you allow yourself to be in someone's hand.


2. You will experience a pianful sharpenig every now and then, but you will need it to be a better pencil.


3. You will be able to correct your mistakes.


4. The most important part of you is whats inside.


5. On every surface you are used, you must leave your mark.

We(Muslims) as a nation should also be leaving our marks(ina positive way not the suicding bomner kind of way) but if only we would allow oursleves to be held by ALLAH and agree to whatever He has deciede for us is the best for us.

NEXT month they are bringing mini Morroco in the islmaic center and we would get the chance to experience Morroco in the midst of Jeddah. Cant wait for it cause i am crazy for Morroco, It is placed quite high on my traveling wishlist. You also do try to go if u get the chance.

And please do watch the documentray and tell us your take on it.

Happy days

NO PHONE ZONE

I am a big big big fan of Oprah. Although, I think that she is not perfect and sometimes i do think she gets a little jugdmental but i like to see the bigger picture when it comes to Oprah.

I love what she does. Her job is sooooooooo fun And she gets to influence ppl to do the right. These days on MBC 4 she is campainging towards, NO PHONE ZONE. She is convincing ppl to take a plegde to not to text or talk on the phone while driving. Which i think is a comendable thing. I not only have seen but have practiced ( regretfully)in KSA and iin my homeland, ppl not giving a thought even a second before attending a phone or caling someone or even worse texting someone while driving.

What the worst part is that sometimes whole families are in the car. Its not just dangerous for our familiy but the other s on the road as well. Some peoplel i know even BRAG about their talent of multitasking. I on the other hand would not call it talent but IGNORANCE, which Oprah has taken a step towards to eleminate. If you have missed the programmes you can go to Oprah.com and get the whole stories. There is also a segment where an expert is telling about WHAT WE DONT SEE when we are driving and talking on the phone at the same time. This actually was an eye opener for me. Please do watch it.

30 April, In america is a National No phone Zone Day. But i would like to say lets make it Every Day No phone Zone day in our lives. For us, Our loved ones, And our fellow Humans. May Allah keep us all safe.

UPSY DAISY

I, a desi, have just been 5 months in the arab land. Have no socializing still. very little to do at home if u dont count my running aound after my 2 yr old. so i spend a lot of time in front of the computer. naturally my 2 yr old is also trying to type over my fingers and telling me not to toucht the keyboard as he is working. so i started searching for nursery rhymes for him on youtube. i found many good ones. i also started searching for islamic ones, i thought its a good way to teach him somehting valuable as well cuz i was not getting anywhere with him. evry time i asked him to recite me the kalimah he would go baba baba black sheep. NOt good right??? i know.

i found some good ones and he likes to listen to them but i am starting with a very few i thought its a goood idea to share them. This is the one he is learning cuz its slow and easy.
i really like this one cuz it is upbeat. The video is good as well. Fun for kids. I likes this one as well but the visual are all lyrics so it doesnt get my kid too enthusiastic when on the comp. but if i sing to him he listens. The other two this one and this one are for a little older kids. i am memorizing it myself to i have subsitutes for twinkle twinkle and mary had a little lamb. I dont have anything against these nursery rhymes, i think nursery rhymes are a great way to teach children vacbulary, language skills and they just plain fun. These traditional poems are inshallah going to be a part of my childs life but i think bringing the islamic culture in his life at an early stage is very important as well.

Hope this helps and was fun.