big sky

Jackson Brodie is back :)) After nine years! I have just started reading 'Big Sky', and am already loving it (of course). In particular, I am loving Brodie's caustic discussions in his head, mostly with his ex wife Julia.

I started reading Kate Atkinson while in high school, so reading her novels always brings back many memories and the whole ESF school-British teachers-British English ambience. 

I will savour this book and probably reread a couple of the older Brodie novels when I am done. It is only a quarter way into the novel that the (first?) crime appears, which just makes the novel that much easier to savour and enjoy. Atkinson does not write fast paced thrillers; her prose, humour and character development engage you to the extent that you could forget this is a mystery novel. Brodie reminds me a little of Cormoran Strike, and I do hope another Strike novel is coming soon. (I have to admit that Lethal White was not one of my favourites however..).

one year hiatus

It has been nearly a year since I last blogged. Ten months, to be exact (well, give or take a few days). So much has happened in that time, and yet it does not feel like ten months could have past since I last blogged. Of course, I have occasionally gone months without writing, simply because I was too busy living (or so I tell myself; it could just be laziness :P). And yet, I have always tried to come back, largely because I want to record these days with the twins, this phase of life, I want to capture so many moments and memories, and keep them somewhere safe, to revisit later on.

Today's post is inspired by a friend who started blogging again, also after some time off. Going through her last few posts made me question my own lack of writing, of activism, since being in India. It is strange, but since moving here, I have continued my work with a human rights group based in HK, but have not taken much interest in the human rights scene here. Initially I was simply too overwhelmed, but then I slowly became immune.. there is no dearth of abuse and rights violations here.. add corruption and insane bureaucracy, and it is a wonder that anything good could possibly happen. The average middle class person is just trying to get on with their life, preoccupied with their daily concerns regarding their family and work. The majority of Indians seem hardly concerned with matters of policy and change. Or let me rephrase that: they are not concerned enough to either pay attention, or to do anything about it. I think that I, unfortunately, seem to fit into this category. This is very unlike me, the me that I was in HK.. India has corrupted me in many ways it would seem.

On the other hand, I have far less time and mental energy than I did when I was single and childless. Does that take away some of the sting and guilt? Yes, it really does. I will, however, try to participate a little more in community affairs, and model good social responsibility for the twins.

Speaking of less time, I am slightly out of work these days, and thus have more time on my hands than usual. It has been interesting and depressing searching for part time work. It has also made me start to think about different career paths.. teaching is more appealing now than ever before, although without any qualifications, it seems hard..

charlie and the chocolate factory bliss

i bought charlie and the chocolate factory for the twins in april, thinking that their summer vacation would be a good time begin a chapter book with them. sadly, they were not interested at all! they found the chapters long and too complex, and simply could not sit still or engaged enough. so i put the book away in disappointment.

last month, they went to watch a roald dahl documentary on a school trip, and came home going on about roald dahl, the bfg, and charlie. so a couple of weeks ago, i took out the book again and they insisted i read it to them. this time, they are hooked! they are so eager to read new chapters, they talk to each other about the characters and events, and they bring up random things from the book in relation to daily events :)) i am ecstatic! i love their excitement and anticipation, and i love seeing them process new words and information. i even don't mind the gazillion questions they have!

reading charlie with them brings back wonderful childhood reading memories, and i cannot wait to read harry potter, the famous five and other books with them!

poetry

when i started searching for a poem for the twins' school recital, i was amazed at the amount of awesome poetry out there. i should not have been amazed really, but i had never given children's poetry much thought or time before. i can't remember having much to do with poetry until i was in my teens.. kipling's 'if' was my first favorite poem!

in the end, i went with 'be glad your nose is on your face' by jack prelutsky, as it seemed the right length, and would amuse the boys, i felt. and it did! the first few times i read it to them resulted in peals of laughter at specific lines. oh how i wanted to bottle up those moments and sounds!

i decided then that i must immediately find a good poetry collection for them.. recommendations are welcome! i should also read poetry for myself more often.. rupi kaur was a great start!

now we are six

the twins turned six at the end of last month, and they had their first birthday party to celebrate! (earlier we just had small celebrations at home with cake, but this time i couldn't get away with that :P)

i was SOOO stressed out before the party, while the kids were super excited. anyways, it's over now and the kids had fun, so it's all good :) 

  

a week after their party, i found this lovely cute poem by a a milne, while i was looking for something for their poetry recital:           

Now We Are Six

When I was One, I had just begun. 
When I was Two, I was nearly new. 
When I was Three I was hardly me. 
When I was Four, I was not much more. 
When I was Five, I was just alive. 
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever, 
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

even though it was too short for their recital, i taught it to them anyway, and they enjoyed it :) 

ah, my babies are six! they understand so much and know so much, and are learning complex things like subtraction and body parts and the solar system. they have also finished memorizing the 30th separah of the quran, alhumdolillah! i am in awe at these tiny humans who live with me :)) and i terribly miss their babyness and babbling and cuddles.

'children of blood and bone' and other books

i loved the movie black panther. H might have actually enjoyed it more than me, saying that it was 'much more than the other captain america films'. and it was; not only was the all black cast long due, but the characters were good and real, and the plot was more than superhero action. 

i was hence excited to read children of blood and bone, for various reasons -black characters, magic, a new series to look forward to! and the novel did not disappoint. i absolutely loved all of it! in fact, i was surprised that i had not heard of it until z told me she was reading it.. i hope the next novel in the series will not be too long a wait, and i am also excited to watch the movies!!

following that, i read imbolo mbue's behold the dreamers, also a good read. 

i just finished we never asked for wings, which was a lighter read. being a mom, it was interesting to read about a mother who initially let her own mom take care of her kids, and then see her journey towards becoming a real parent. it was also sobering to read about those who live at the edge or even outside the 'system', which is something mbue's novel focuses on as well. 

kristin hannah's 'the great alone' is my next read, and hopefully it will turn out to be just as awesome as my last few novels :)

happy ramadan

as usual, this post comes late. i almost didn't write it, but i wanted to record what a lovely month we all had, so here goes.

eid was a few days ago, and the month leading up to it was one of the most spiritual and productive ramadans i have had in a lonnng time! first off, i sent the twins to sit with H in the men's section, so i was no longer relegated to the kids' area, and could actually pray namaz in the masjid. we would go early enough for me to pray quran, listen to the bayan and pray all the namaz! and i could do all this in PEACE, without shushing the kids, or refereeing them, or dragging them back to my masallah; pure bliss!

the hafiz who had come this year was awesome. he was young and passionate and driven, and he drove everyone else into doing things we had long forgotten/given up. not only did the twins continue their hifz over their summer vacation, but i did my own hifz, and H attended a workshop on proper quran recitation, alhumdolillah.

amazingly, none of us got sick this time, so we were all on track for fasting and going to masjid. alhumdolillah!

the twins sat quietly with H, listened to whatever was going on around them, had fun pre and post dinner with their friends. i also enjoyed having friends to sit with for dinner. even my MIL was happy sitting on a chair this year.

may next ramadan be just as peaceful and blessed, inshallah!