A year old already!

It's been a while folks but I hope you're all well iA! I just realised right now that it's already been a year since I started this thing called a personal blog. A year!! And what an eventful year it has been. I have realised how nostalgia can both be a blessing as well as a curse, and having a written account of some of the significant and insignificant moments of my life is definitely something new for me. From feelings of embarrassment after reading some of my ishtupit remarks, heeheehee, to feeling better realising that my journey in life is one that is moving along, slowly but surely alhamdulilah. Alhamdulilah. There is no hiding from the fact that I do find it difficult to actually click on any post link about my dad though, I don't think I'm strong enough to be able to read it fully without bursting into tears. I do want to add though, that this blog certainly has done something to let me release my fears as well as expressing the joys I have felt throughout this rather turbulent year. I love my dad dearly and although I rarely mention him in my blog posts these days, I cannot go without thinking/making a reference him almost every hour of the day. Perhaps it's okay to not always blog about something that lives on so deep within your inner being.

So yes, it has been just over a year and to be perfectly honest, I really do love reading through countless number of blogs every(other) day, perhaps even more so than writing my own! Thank you to all of you who have followed my blog, whether openly or otherwise ;-) and to all of you who have kindly remembered me in your prayers :-)

Here's to another year of blogging iA!! Wooot!

She's always a woman to me

I've fallen in love with this song. The "woman" seems so happy go lucky, makes me want to be like that again!

Thank yousie John Lewis

She can kill with a smile
She can wound with her eyes
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child
But she's always a woman to me

She can lead you to live
She can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth
But she'll never believe you
And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free
She steals like a thief
But she's always a woman to me

She is frequently kind
And she's suddenly cruel
She can do as she pleases
She's nobody's fool
But she can't be convicted
She's earned her degree
And the most she will do
Is throw shadows at you
But she's always a woman to me

I got sunshine, in a bag

A song can often simply sum up our complex feelings, and this song's chorus totally does that.

I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless,but not for long
The future is coming on
I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless, but not for long
The future is coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on
It's coming on



An update on yesterday: the job ain't mine.

The Headteacher called me in the evening to tell me that although I had a great lesson and interview, I was a "strong close second". Despite possessing a strong classroom presence, making the boring topic fun and engaging, good classroom control and a confident and enthusiatic manner in the interview which helped me answer questions well...I didn't get it! But hey, I was up against an internal canidate who had been there since September on a GTP who had informed the other 5 candidates that we had been shortlisted from a string of over 40 applications for the post! Why am I always pinned against an internal candidate - story of my life! LOL Oh well, Allah knows best and I'm sure better things are in store, inshaAllah :-)

Here goes...

Salaam World

I'm feeling a little anxious. Why? Well because I have been invited for an interview tomorrow at a school I may wish to work in. I gave up job hunting, as in formally applying for jobs a few months ago when I registered with a few agencies to help me find supply teaching work from September onwards. Since then I had accepted that it would take nothing short of a miracle for me to successfully get a full time job before September for a couple of reasons:

1) Impracticality - I am currently living in a different town to where I will be working/living in Sepetmber (iA) and so arranging the travel is very impractical, especially when I and the hubs are working through the week.

2) I have no personal contact with any of the schools - which although does not automatically equate to me getting employed by the school, it does help in getting to know the staff and students which can only be a good thing.

3) ... there was a third reason, but I'm incapable of remembering it right now.

Am I moaning? *nods* *grr*

I really shouldn't be because alhamdulilah, I have got a back up plan in-case I don't have a permanent job by Sept - which is to do supply. And did I mention some of the fab benefits of doing supply? No bringing work home, no stress of planning/marking etc (unless temp-perm) as I'm expected to just teach (or sometimes supervise/babysit) the lessons I'm covering for.

And so, anyhoo I should be okay even if this interview is one from hell. Buuuut, who knows right? It's all part of His plan and I'm happy to go along with it. Wish me luck peepz!

Dear Allah, The Most High Creator, if this job is good for me please allow me to have it and if it is bad for me please remove it for me.

Election day - just hang us upside down!

If you've switched on the news or surfed the news pages recently, you will know that here in the UK our political parties have been crazy off their feet with the elections which took place yesterday.

I'm not a very political person myself, but have admittedly been sucked into watching the live political debates (first time ever to be featured in history) for the past three weeks. Nothing however could really prepare us for this messed up outcome.

The three main parties - Labour (currently in power), the Tories and the Lib Dems are now fully under the spotlight, probably in equal measure since none of the parties have had a land slide victory. In fact, although the rightist Tory party have gained the most seats in Parliament, they actually haven't got just enough to be accepted as the victorious party. As such, Mr. Brown is still Prime Minister, for now, until something called a hung parliament is arranged.

For my sake, please don't ask me what that means, just yet anyway, as like proabably every body else in the UK, I haven't got the faintest of what is going on.

Oh Lordie.

Food Entry: Rosh Pitha

What is a phitha?

A pitha is similar to a pie. Pithas are hugely popular in Bangladesh and some parts of India, where they are made on special occasions such as Eid and Pujas as well as during other times where they are served as special treat.


What is a rosh pitha?

Well, I'm not entirely sure as I only came across the recipe on a website earlier today. From what I can gather, the rosh pitha is a sweet and juicy type of swirly pitha made from milk and flour.

What do you need to make it?

For the pitha:
Half a pan of milk
Plain flour (no measured quantity, sorry, just add as you go along!)
Grounded rice flour (same as above)
Pinch of salt

For the sheera:
Sugar
Cardamom
Bay leaf

For frying:
Oil

How do you make it?

I followed the recipe as provided on the website, but in short it sort of happened like this for me:

Making the dough

Fill half a saucepan with milk and boil it. Once boiled, add a pinch of salt and lots of plain flour and rice flour, more or less in equal quantity. Keep stirring. If the bottom of the pan catches the heat, remove the saucepan. Continue to stir until you have grounded most of the lumpy flour - BEWARE: it gets seriously lumpy. The desired consistency should be of a doughy one, so add more rice flour and plain flour until the ideal dough is reached, again making sure the lumps are broken down thoroughly.

Making the swirly pitha

Once the desired consistency and low temp has been reached, rub a little oil onto the palms of both hands from a small bowlful. Pinch a round of dough and rub into a dough ball shape. Roll out the ball further to obtain a long and narrow shape. When satisfied with the shape, swirl the dough into a small shape on the palm of your hand. Your swirly pitha should be secure and tightly coiled.

Frying the pitah

In a shallow frying pan, heat some vegetable oil before gently dropping the pitha in. As the pitha cooks, make sure it doesn't burn but achieves a golden colour. Flip the pitha over and fry the other side to get the same colour on both sides.

Making the sheera

In a separate pan (milk or saucepan), add about one to two cups of sugar with some cardamoms and a bay leaf. Pour in some kettle boiled water and allow the sugar to fully dissolve. Check by dipping in a wooden spoon to see if all the sugar particles have dissolved. When satisfied, gently drop in the fried pithas and allow to soak for five minutes or so. The longer the pitha swims in the sheera, the more the sugar will penetrate the dough.

How delicious are they?

Well and truly delish, I'm eating one as I type. I will have to go easy with these swirly treats though, oil and sugar - baaad bad combination.

Easy to make?

Have a try yourself and find out! This was my first attempt and I have to say, it was much easier than I thought it would be!