Work or Home but don't settle !!

Its something that has been on my mind lately, I have an 8 to 4 job not a very satisfying job, and sometimes I even feel its a waste of time except for the paycheck of course. I day dream a lot about staying at home and hugging and kissing my 2 year old all day (its not all pink and flowery like that).

What if I just quit? what if I just don't show up to work tomorrow or better yet walk out of the office right now? (yes I am writing this from the office but during my break off course ;-) )  What would happen? Would my world crumble, would I feel dependent, am I working to satisfy myself or is it peer pressure that women have to work these days and provide. Yes I do have responsibilities, I have to pay for things like school and nanny plus my own needs and wants. Would Hubby take care of me if I stay home. Would I have my needs and my kids needs all catered for while I stay at home and take care of my family?

OK I stayed home? Would I be bored? Would I feel useless? Would I feel that all my education has gone to waste? Would I have the patience to be with my 2 year old all day? Would I be a good Mama? (Since I blame work and not having time for all my motherly screw ups)

I only have questions and lots of questions, I don't think there is a right or wrong thing to do. Both has their negative and positive and it depends upon the individual to know where will the scale tip and at what point. So no black or white, just a grey area all over. Ooh I miss pink ;-)

Good luck in whatever you decide and just do what makes you happy and don't settle. A quote from Steve Jobs, may he rest in peace.

You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.
As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

Don't feel like doing anything

Today I am having one of those days where I don't feel like doing anything " reminds me of The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars, go figure I heard it today first thing on radio. 

Heeeeef, Heeeeeef  just wanna lay on a couch, watch me some TV and that's it no more anything. Have a remote control and do lots of clicks like

• Pause the demanding Boss (sorry boss but today everything is high on the scale even impressions)
• Pause the whining cries
• Pause the nagging hubby
• Pause that commercial of the guy with the 6 pack !!

Since there is no way to find such a remote control then I would opt for the alternative therapies

• Call a friend and bore them to death about how I don't feel like doing anything
• Nag back at the hubby
• Take 5 minutes to Ooosa and deep breathe
• have a chocolate bar and not feel guilty about it
• Listen to a song that makes you happy not " The Lazy Song" of course

Try them maybe they would work for you too. Happy not doing anything !!

WF6V9B9NK3US

Office friendly packed lunch

Quinoa Aubergine Salad

I take my own packed lunch from home everyday. My packed lunch might consists of the following

• Leftovers from the night before (e.g okra with minced meat, fish, chicken dishes)
• Salads e.g (quinoa with aubergine and roasted pepper)

I usually eat on my desk, so on salad days usually its uneventful, on non salad days as soon as I heat up my food and start eating then I hear " Phsssst Phsssssssssst Phsst" at first I thought its a coincidence but I had non salad meals for the past 3 days and I have been hearing the sounds regularly so I ruled out the coincidence part. I am blessed with sinuses so my sense of smell is as powerful as a quarter of a human !!! 

So finally I walked by my colleagues desk and was wondering should I ask him about the sound, so I was there and before I spoke I noticed the culprit, a can of AIR FRESHENER and then it hit me, my food stinks to some people. He was actually covering the smell of my delicious homemade packed lunches!!  As soon as I realised that, I put on my best smile and asked him whether he had a pen instead. How embarrassing is that ? How long have he been spraying? And what scent has he been spraying (I couldn't guess from the back of the can)

Anyway, i felt bad for a moment but since there is no other way around this situation as our office doesn't have a place where I could eat lunch except for my desk (not that I know off anyway) I decided that there was no problem, I will keep my stinky food coming and he would just keep refilling his can. I guess its an unspoken war and a silent peace treaty. So whoever brings their stinky packs to work (I will have to concentrate on salads now) then I guess they would also have to bring a complementary can of air freshener so that the rest of the human race would not suffer with them. Kudos to that ;-)

* P.S You can find the recipe for the above great quinoa salad  here (office friendly food)

http://noredmeat.com/index.php/2010/05/quinoa-and-aubergine-salad-to-kick-off-national-vegetarian-week/

Simply Africa

Spices In Souq (Sudan)

Imagine a neighborhood of brick houses surrounded by lush green gardens, small waterways to irrigate the gardens all over the lawn, a unicorn coming down from the sky ( Oops getting a bit carried away here). Anyway until the unicorn bit its true, imagine being able to navigate the whole neighborhood consisting of more than 100 houses through the bushes. Imagine spending your summer holidays playing

• Hide and seek,
• Cambalete( a game where two players stand at each side and their goal is to hit you with a socks ball handmade by an older family member) 
• Volley ball all day with the neighbor's kids
• Following paper boats along the waterways 
• Hunting for fruits from the neighbor's houses ( detective work which house has the best fruits list !!)

As for food, eating fresh organic food (at that time I didn't have a clue how healthy I was eating). My favorites were mangoes, oranges, grapefruit, clementines and guavas(from my own tree), aromatic spices, fresh fish and meat meat meat !!

As soon as the evening would come you it would be time to take a bath, and go outside to water the plants (over hundred pots), wet the brick yard with water to cool down the area, enjoying the fresh scent of wet bricks, earth and mud mixed with a cool gentle breeze while enjoying the sun go down. The sound of your mum preparing the evening tea and biscuits (or cake) and sitting outside in the fresh air to enjoy your tea time which would be pleasantly interrupted by neighbors dropping in and chit chatting which eventually end up in hide and seek game or cops and robbers since at night they are much more fun, since you would be very hard to spot !!!

When I look back at the life I had in Africa, I can easily say it was the best time of my life. I had a childhood which I would have to work very very hard to provide it for my kids (if I ever could). Something that came natural to me or I had it naturally my kids would never have the ability to enjoy a simple relaxed and full of joy childhood, I feel sorry for them !!! But I guess we all do what we can do and they don't know what they are missing !! I am sure they would think of me as some freak of nature if I told them this is how I grew up and they would brush me off and say winningly " BUT you didn't have IPAD'S what a boring life you must have had !!! " and go on with their thing.

Tips for going to a Fish Market

Manama Fish Market

Woke up feeling all beachy, and thought since I can't be at the beach then I would get some sea flavor in da house, decided to go to the local fish market. I just wanted some grilled fish and butter lemon shrimps easy right ? Would just take me half an hour, a quick trip to the fish market (which I have never seen before) would do it. Got on my car and asked for directions to the place. Hey finally found it YES!!!!!!!! I can have my fish now, ok here is what I have discovered

• The stench of fish led me to the place, I didn't realise how fishy real fish smelt like.
• Was wearing my favorite pair of shoes ( big mistake since they grew fish now from all the fish water that they drank)
• I wanted fish and I found fish, oh my God, red fish, orange fish, silver fish , grey fish, white fish, big fish, small fish, tiny fish, fish fish, even shrimps they look different and all sizes. Looked around in total awe of the place until I had a reality check my mobile fell right in the puddle of fish water and the fish man wanted to be nice so picked it up and rubbed it on his shirt to give me some fish blood to go with it !!! How the hell will I touch my mobile again ( politely I smiled and said thank you) and you don't wanna know what I really meant to SAY!!!
• Just found the first guy who sold shrimps got 2 kgs and ran for my life !!

How do you choose fish ? How do I know which color?

If you are in the middleeast and wanna go to the fish market here are some tips.

• Go with someone who knows their fish.
• Find a fisherman and become their regular customer
• Wear clothes that you don't want
• There is a possibilty to get you fish and shrimps cleaned it a seperate service and you have to ask for it
• Did I say wear flip flops you don't want or better yet rain boots

La Bamba, Bamboleo

Gypsy Kings Tribute Band (Bamboleo)

I have not been out for a long time, and by out I mean music and booty shaking. Sometimes you get overwhelmed with everyday life and you would forget to breathe, I heard on the radio that there is a gypsy king tribute party, called a few friends got the tickets and off I went to the party. I have to say it was great, I didn't expect it to be but it was GOOOOOD. I danced and danced and danced the night away. It was a great feeling first I was stiff and I could not get my muscles to shift(so was mainly doing the robot dance) but a few songs down the line and there was no stopping me.

Since I have not been out for a while I discovered something strange about myself, usually if a guy comes up to me and starts flirting I would be too shy to tell him to get lost. So I was sitting with my friend and I must tell you she is HOT even I find it hard to get my eyes off her sometimes ;-) (just kidding) Anyway this guy came over and my hubby wasn't around he was getting drinks, so my friend she just left me alone as soon as she saw him, to get my hubby to shooo away the slimmy guy who was acting cool, I am sure he came just for her and my brain was storming for something to get rid of coolio guy, then I just found myself telling him " Hi, but this seat is taken by the way " (what was that could'nt I come up with something better I bet my 5 year old would have had something better to say!!!!!)  The guy was a bit surprised and then he said " its ok I just want to know where are you from ?" and at that note he left I was in shock is it really that easy ?? Did I say something wrong (or right). It worked Yippie!!! even my hubby was proud of me, cause usually I end up giving my number to drunks I have no intention of seeing again for the rest of my life !! So I discovered that I am getting well street wise. So just baby steps thats all it takes.

Oooh met a co-worker at the party, seen her for the first time and she siad to hubby "She is too YOUNG for you"  that definitely sealed it with a kiss !!! So please get out there, somethings are bound to happen don't sulk at home and be tired all the time, all it takes is to set a foot out of the door and you will come back a different person.

Felt good and slept like a baby maybe from all the booty shaking though!!