Do you believe that this is my 100th entry since I started blogging on Tuesday, the 3rd of June 2008? I can hardly believe it myself! At first it was quite difficult to write an entry, but now it comes naturally to me.
I started blogging when I read my friend, Nora's blog. She was my high school classmate in the 80s. By reading it, I found out about her life for the past few years, her heartbreaks and her triumphs. I was inspired, maybe this could be a way for me to share my life experiences with my family and friends. That was the beginning.
At first I wrote about my experiences when I first came to Khartoum and I was a bit shy about my blog. It was personal, just for family and friends. Now, I blogged about everything and very happy if people read my entries and more wonderful if they leave comments (just a way for me to communicate with friends).
In my earlier entries, it was quite boring, just words and more words... then, I discovered how to post pictures... hehehe... now, it's always a picture report...hehehe... Even my husband's a bit disgruntled because every new recipe I tried need to be photographed first!
Through blogging I 'met' a new sort of friends... virtual friends... I got to know Kak Olie, Ina and many more... I got hooked with 'trengganuspeak'...hehehe... and surfed a lot of blogs... I was glad that I could share my laughter as well as my tears with 'friends'. Losing my favourite and youngest brother was a big blow to me... Luckily I am surrounded with lots of people and activities to help me get through the pain...not to forget, never to forget... but just to dull the pain... Soon, it'll be a 100 days since he left us all and very soon I'll get to finally see his grave... May he rest in peace, insyaAllah...al-fatihah...
I also realised that I have a quirky way of writing. My trademark 'hehehe' would always be somewhere in my entries. I don't know why but it's just my way of looking at things. There's always potential laughter and merriment around the corner. I think it reflects my personality as well as I am always the 'provider' of laughter in real life too... hehehe. I don't know, it's just that I find life is actually quite funny...
Anyway, this 100th entry is very special to me. It has a bittersweet tone to it... But I promise that I won't stop blogging in the near future... I think I'll be writing a lot about food and cooking in general... also about my travel plans in Malaysia... I have so many ideas that I'd have to stop myself from hogging the computer...hehehe... Anyway, feel free to drop me a line whenever you visit my blog, it'll really make my day. Thank you Nora, Kak Olie, Syikeen, Karee, Adik, Mi, Amina, Josephine and the rest who left their comments and give me the strength to keep on blogging... This will definitely not the end... au revoir...
I started blogging when I read my friend, Nora's blog. She was my high school classmate in the 80s. By reading it, I found out about her life for the past few years, her heartbreaks and her triumphs. I was inspired, maybe this could be a way for me to share my life experiences with my family and friends. That was the beginning.
At first I wrote about my experiences when I first came to Khartoum and I was a bit shy about my blog. It was personal, just for family and friends. Now, I blogged about everything and very happy if people read my entries and more wonderful if they leave comments (just a way for me to communicate with friends).
In my earlier entries, it was quite boring, just words and more words... then, I discovered how to post pictures... hehehe... now, it's always a picture report...hehehe... Even my husband's a bit disgruntled because every new recipe I tried need to be photographed first!
Through blogging I 'met' a new sort of friends... virtual friends... I got to know Kak Olie, Ina and many more... I got hooked with 'trengganuspeak'...hehehe... and surfed a lot of blogs... I was glad that I could share my laughter as well as my tears with 'friends'. Losing my favourite and youngest brother was a big blow to me... Luckily I am surrounded with lots of people and activities to help me get through the pain...not to forget, never to forget... but just to dull the pain... Soon, it'll be a 100 days since he left us all and very soon I'll get to finally see his grave... May he rest in peace, insyaAllah...al-fatihah...
I also realised that I have a quirky way of writing. My trademark 'hehehe' would always be somewhere in my entries. I don't know why but it's just my way of looking at things. There's always potential laughter and merriment around the corner. I think it reflects my personality as well as I am always the 'provider' of laughter in real life too... hehehe. I don't know, it's just that I find life is actually quite funny...
Anyway, this 100th entry is very special to me. It has a bittersweet tone to it... But I promise that I won't stop blogging in the near future... I think I'll be writing a lot about food and cooking in general... also about my travel plans in Malaysia... I have so many ideas that I'd have to stop myself from hogging the computer...hehehe... Anyway, feel free to drop me a line whenever you visit my blog, it'll really make my day. Thank you Nora, Kak Olie, Syikeen, Karee, Adik, Mi, Amina, Josephine and the rest who left their comments and give me the strength to keep on blogging... This will definitely not the end... au revoir...
8 comments:
Congrats =)
I've only started following your blog recently and it's really interesting to read about the experiences of expats in Khartoum.
Keep it up.
glad to know that i inspired u to blog...seems that ur blog is more popular than mine hehehe but tak kisah la tu...keep on blogging ina
Dear Amjad,
Thank you for reading my blog. I find living in Khartoum interesting, not at all 'terrifying' as depicted in the news. It's quite laidback and sudanese are wonderful people, very friendly. I've also accepted Khartoum as my 'home' for the next few years...so, read on and I'll keep on writing, insyaAllah...
Dear Nora,
Thank you for the encouragement, will keep on writing and please keep on leaving all those wonderful comments...hehehe
Ina:
Mabrook! Congratulations on your 100th blog. Even though the beginning may have been difficult, thank you for forging ahead.
I read your blog religiously. It is an important part of my life. (Is that a little scary for you? Don't worry. I am all the way in Texas!) I even talk about you and your children to my family here.
For me, this blog has been so helpful. Like you, I had my 11th anniversary in November. I have a child Amir's age and a 6-3/4 years old girl.
I am in the most difficult time in my adult life. And much of it has to do with my experience in Khartoum this past summer. The end result was that I left there with my children and my husband stayed.
(This was not a mutually agreed upon plan.)
Reading your trials and tribulations with Khartoum and your children and friends has really caused me to think very hard about whether or not I can get what I need in Sudan. Maybe I can..if I am employed as an expat. Maybe I can... if I live in the middle of the city. Maybe I can... if I am not bombarded with demands to live, think, and be like Sudanese women. Maybe I can... if I don't have to live with my husband's family. Maybe I can... if I can find a community of people who share my language, food preferences, and values (i.e. toilet paper, seat belts, and maintenance of things:)
In so many ways, your willingness to share yourself and your family is causing me to reconsider Sudan.
Thank you so much. Barakallah ul fiqh.
Amina
Dear Amina,
Thank you for reading my blog. I didn't know that we have so many things in common.
11 years of marriage is a 'big' deal, especially if the package is complete with kids. I do not know the 'unabridged' version of your story but I can guess that you're not really happy now.
I really hope that you and your husband can make it work somehow... I'll pray for you... and I hope you'll get the happiness you deserve, insyaAllah...
I also could only imagine how hard life is outside of Khartoum. If compared with life in america, it could be like heaven and earth... maybe you could find a compromise, probably if you stay in another house, so that you'll have a semblance of privacy in the comfort of your own home?!!
The best of luck in whatever you do...
lotsaluv from Khartoum...
Congratulations...wow...this is great. The 100th entry...kudos to you dearie. If only I have half your determination...if only...
Nevertheless, am happy for you. Perhaps I should be inspired to write too!
Dear Josephine,
You definitely should write a blog. If only to remind yourself of all the 'daily happenings' while we're here. I bet you have lots to write about. Truly, at least you'll have a keepsake from sudan...hehehe...
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