Who said there were only 7 wonders when they are indeed uncountable?

The curved roads cut through the mountains reminded me of good old mother Lanka. How much we take for granted. How much we want to leave her when we are there and how much we want to go back when are away. Yes the human is never satisfied. If we had four pairs of eyes we will still want the fifth one. Maslow was right except that the hill does not have a peak. How much we as humans yearn to be close to nature, the peaceful sound of water and the majestic swans... the copper mines on the mighty hills, the quacking of ducks and the break of dawn... the beauty of the pine trees turning golden brown! As beautiful as it may be, these are the little wonders of the world that give tranquility to your heart; the best things are indeed, free!

So pause to smell the roses... and make those pictures in your mind that will keep you company in your old age and when you are alone...!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sM9vcAIYyc&feature=related5

Is April already here?

The long winter months have slowly come to an end and the sun is shinier. It is liberation to be driving again and I find myself more confident than before. I didn’t do it during winter more than a few times. The broken arm and the slippery roads were enough reasons not to.

My princess has become even more amazingly cute. It gets better everyday. Updates about her you will find here. She still wakes up in the night though and I could use more sleep anytime I can get some.

The writing has ceased and the gaming has increased. The cooking has definetly improved a LOT. Dont forget to checkout my blog: www.cookcool.blogspot.com 

Life goes on with a twist of salt and pepper every now and then. The winter makes us want to relocate so we are working on that one hopefully to a warmer state. 

Everyday I see on news:  abductions, murder, rape and theft. It makes my heart break and I shed tears of fear. I'm praying everyday for things be to be calm. Hoping that bad things dont happen to anyone! No child whatever nationality should lose another father to war. No mother should have to go through the pain of being alone! Every human being is a brother or a sister and I love them all equally!

Just the thoughts… so random

So here I am, sipping my caffeine free soda on a Wednesday afternoon in the chilly north of the mid west of the states. Baby – asleep in the crib… elbow slowly recovering… business… taking bigger shape… dealing with some difficult clients… thinking about the cooking plans for dinner… missing the husband…. Going on…. living on…

Sometimes it feels like a blessing and at other times, like a curse.

The thunderous silence sweeps in like a sand storm when he leaves and I go about my everyday wifely duties… hanging by the moment… watching the clocks tick away… Every now and then remembering the mother island and the parents and brothers and wishing we were closer… wishing we had used our time together even more. Hmm… so there’s no gossip… no “when’s the 2^nd one coming?”, No one to laugh at an odd choice of an outfit… and like those peace doves the snow keeps cleaning out your heart…

How I’d loved to be pampered with a hot cup of coffee from the mother’s soft hands… and roll in on the couch with my reader’s digest and fall asleep not having to worry about anything in the world. How I’d love to be carefree and melt in my own thoughts and imagination… and then I have to pinch myself to remind me that no human being beyond the age of five can be completely carefree. If we are, then we must be dead…. But I wouldn’t know cos I’m not still dead… oh wait a minute… Here’s something that no one will ever know! Hmm

So silently, I take a moment to post this and will then check my mail – I mean the ones that the post lady brings in and then it would be a walk through real life… some “Dr House” in the evening perhaps… may be tea with biscuits…. A couple of days to pass by…. until I’m in the mood to float again.

In a sling and in pain but still trying to smile it away!

So I though instead of complaining about the cold weather and hills of snow, I’ll go out and have some fun in it. So I went Ice skating the other day. Had a fall... Landed on my wrist and cracked my elbow. It was painful to the full sense of that word. 

Now I’m in a sling unable to do most thing with just my left hand. Yeah I should have been more responsible, I’m a mum. I should have been careful but strangely I don’t regret it. Accidents are not intentional. And may be I made a mistake taking the risk but I feel happy to have escaped something major.

Little things that I took for granted seem very hard now. Fastning a button, combing my hair and most of al being able to hug and hold Jannah...

Begin

Begin today and the days ahead of you in the New Year, to live with only the limitations given by Allah.

 

Know that there is a way to get beyond anything that might seem to be holding you back.

Convert any feelings of regret for what you haven't done and turn them into passion for what you are now able to do, with the grace of Almighty Allah

 

This moment is yours and only you can make the best of it!

 

Stop repeating to yourself the reasons why you can't. Begin reminding yourself, again and again, of all the powerful, meaningful reasonswhy you MUST!!!

 

Life is full of uncertainty, injustice and unfairness... Yet in each and every turn of events there is opportunity

 

 for achievement, for fulfillment, and for genuine greatness.

 

So, begin this new year with acceptance of every rich detail of life as it comes, and to transform those details into outstanding success, Insha Allah!

 

 Wishes for a very successful and peaceful 2009!

A wilted rose is but beautiful only to the one that it brought memories to!

Reflections of the land of red, white and blue!

Skyscrapers, speedy cars, rockets, doughnuts everywhere! That’s what we were thinking when my husband announced that we will be sent for an assignment to Milwaukee Wisconsin far far away. I was both happy and sad at the same time. Sri Lanka is a beautiful little island which gave us a home full of bliss. Would I ever be able to leave it, I wondered.

I remember shopping for warm clothes in the tropical paradise pearl as our island is decoratively known. The night that we left I remember looking at all my belongings in the closet and wishing we were allowed more than 50 pounds each. I remember how sad my dad and mum looked when they kissed us good bye at the airport. There will be no more “king coconuts” and “string hoppers”. We were thoughtfully quiet throughout the nearly 24 hour journey full of stops and transits. As our minds wondered back memory lane our hearts ached with worries about what awaited us.

Our motherland is by no means going through the best of her times. War bound and wounded, she strives to give us plenty from her soils and seas. There were days when my husband kissed me good bye before work and I wondered whether I would ever see him again that day. Life was not a bed of roses, nor a fairytale. Nevertheless, our lives were filled with family occasions, dinner at every good restaurant in town, holidays in the salubrious hills and heaps of fun and laughter.

We arrived here, when fall was bidding good bye. I soon realized USA was very different from what we had anticipated. We blended almost immediately into the American lifestyle. Yes, we did miss the folks back home and the wonderful Sri Lankan cuisine but then you understand that life has another agenda - a better life for your children.

Our daughter entered the world on a cold winter night. It was the happiest moment of our lives. Everyday that followed was like a new star in the sky. She brought laughter and peace into our home and hearts – being everything we can ask for and more. She is the wonder of our lives. In fact Jannah is our life now!

To me it was truly a new beginning. I thought, being Muslim in America will be difficult and the Hijab (or head scarf) would make people fathom me differently. I was wrong. There were some difficult moments like when I got my instruction permit which was a rollercoaster ride. The H4 dependent visa was unfamiliar to many, so I had plenty of ‘proving’ to do. A driving school that I registered for left me hanging because I had no SSN but my family never let me give up. I did prove that I was a legal temporary resident of this country and deserve the privilege of driving an automobile. When I finally got my permit, it was much more than a sense of elated liberation. It was victory.

It was an inspiring difference to have people greet you with a warm smile everywhere you went. At the grocery stores people were not reluctant to admire our baby and shower us with compliments. It made us forget that we were from the other side of the world. It was as though we had been here forever. Watching the children play together at the park and library not regarding hue or color was heartwarming. Sometimes we felt lonely. Sometimes gloom filled the air. Nevertheless, everyday grew a little better because we knew the warmth of the people could melt away the crystal snow. Their smiles erased our tears. Their closeness chased away our deepest fears.

Living on our own was a challenge – a notable change from the support of extended families back home. Living in a strange land without family and not many friends was harder. You wake up and look outside your window with mixed feelings. It really isn’t your home but it is too. The dark moments of reality add heaviness to the heart. Just as teardrops form, there walks by a person, cheerfully greeting you with a beautiful smile. An American at his best in spreading happiness.

Thank you, America for making my day!

We will see and learn many things during our stay in this land of freedom and opportunity. We will also give back, from the Asian culture and traditions together making a better world.

Published in the Jan 2009 issue of Wisconsin Woman Magazine