Isn’t he cute?

There me and my sister Mol were, driving into Salmiya to pick up my Moms Christmas present. Less than 200m away from our house, we spotted this little pup wandering around all alone, looking rather skinny and cold. We just couldn’t leave him there (being the animal lovers we are), so we spent the next half hour trying to get him into my car.

After a long struggle to pull the pup away from the leaves he was crunching on (with many strange looks from people passing and driving by), and after cleverly linking me and my sisters college ID’s together to form a somewhat dodgy looking leash, we managed to get him into the back of my car. Not sure what to do with him next, I called up Kuwait’s Animal Friends League. Since it was already about 11am, and they closed at 1pm, we had to rush in order to get him to the shelter. But my Mom’s present couldn’t wait!

Into Salmiya we went, the dog having a great time trodding all over my books, files, clothes, and other stuff in my car. He loved looking out the window. He was the sweetest thing, so friendly and energetic, and he kept jumping to the front to be with us, as well as licking my face and sitting in my sisters lap. He took up quite a bit of space, as you can see, he’s not that tiny..

I left my sister in the car to watch the pup while I ran into the stores we needed to get our things from, then began making our way to AFL. And then the worst happened. After arriving at what I thought was the correct destination, I was told that the shelter had been moved. To Wafra. So there I was with a dog, no time, and a long long drive ahead of me. The shelter would be re-opened by 4pm.

So we took him home, bought him 2 nice big cans of dog food (which he gobbled up hungrily), and a nice new collar and leash. I was tempted to bathe him, but it was quite late already, and a bit cold outside. I had to stay with him the entire time, since he would howl and whimper whenever I would step away. He was the cutest thing ever. A while later we set off on our long journey to Wafra.

It took us just over an hour to get there. It was quite sad parting with the little pup, but I knew he’d be taken care of at AFl. We were greeted with the most adorable dogs who I knew would easily befriend the little newcomer. I would have loved to keep him at my place, but since I have 2 cats, a parrot, and many other little critters here and there, it would have been impossible. Upon signing the contract I was given at AFL, they asked if I had named the little guy, and I did! I named him “Shoto”, after Shotokan Karate.

So that’s the story of Saving Shoto, the little guy with the big heart! It was quite a long day, but a wonderful adventure! I’ll always remember him and the big mess he made in my car.. which I spent the entire next day cleaning up! But hey, it was totally worth it..

My family and friends always ask me what’s hiding in the massive duffel I carry to Karate everday, so to put to rest everyone’s curiosities, here’s the list:

1. Bandaids – for your everyday booboos
2. Anti-bacterial gel – because I like to have it around
3. Kumite gear – hand and foot protectors, gum shield
4. Different coloured belts – Black for me, Red and Blue for tournaments
5. Hair brush, hair bands, hair clips – so i stop blowing my hair out of my face during Kata
6. Karate Suit – when I’m rushing to training after college or being out
7. Sports Jacket – I always wear one over my suit, and it keeps my from losing heat too fast after training
8. Sneakers & Socks – you never know when Sensei might make us run outdoors
9. Water bottle or Canteen – don’t trust those dodgy looking cups at the club
10. Knee Supports – for my bi-polar knees, who can’t decide when they wanna hurt
11. Keys, wallet, phone, iPod, gum, lipbalm – the necessities
12. Targets – for kicking and punching practice (got them last Christmas – thanks Moon!)
13. Weightlifting gloves – if I don’t put them in there I’ll lose them
14. Bandanas – They come in handy in a trillion ways, and come in a trillion colours too
15. Cooling gel – for more booboos

And there you go! So stop staring at my duffel and wondering what’s in there! I NEED ALL THAT STUFF!

This is my Dad’s ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE ice-cream! He would come home with a nice large bag of limes, and it would be my job to make the magic happen. Its REALLY simple. So here’s the recipe:

Ingredients: (makes about 16 servings)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons lime zest

1/3 cup lime juice

2 1/2 cups of boiling water

1 cup of yoghurt

Method:

1. Mix the sugar, lime zest, and lime juice together. Add the boiling water until all the sugar has dissolved. Cover the bowl with cling film and put it in the fridge for 1 hour.

2. Add the yoghurt and whisk smooth. Pour into a shallow pan and freeze for about 6 hours.

3. Break into pieces and mush up in a food processor. Serve and Enjoy!

* You can also instead, after adding the yoghurt and whisking smooth, pour into small bowls and freeze. Then serve. But it won’t be as light and fluffy.

Looking over the fact that their names don’t really correspond with their species, here are a couple of funny photos of the Dynamic Duo when they’re NOT wrecking the house.

Little angels aren’t they?

I’m not sure how they got into this position.. But I’m glad I caught it on camera!

I’m not sure if Mouse can breathe very well here.. And Woofie’s just like “Get. AWAY. From. Me.”

Some may find my decision to have an open wardrobe PREPOSTROUS.. So here I’ll list a few reasons why it’s the GREATEST idea in the World..

1. It helps air out the clothes – I hate the “smell” of clothes.. like fabric and stuff.. even freshly laundered.. This way, when I light my vanilla candles in my room, my clothes smell lovely too!
2. You get to choose your clothes by just staring at the wardrobe from a distance – ahh, every girls dream! I simply open my eyes every morning, and without getting up, choose my whole outfit!
3. You get to stack the shelves with whatever you want – I love all the stuff from IKEA, which you can see here – hangers, hanging shelves, see-through boxes, clothes protectors (for thoses dresses you can’t risk messing up!)
4. It forces you to keep all your clothes tidy since they’re open to the world – I’m a naturally neat person, but unfortunately I can’t say the same for others! Keep it nice!
5. It’s space-saving – I managed to get all my hanging clothes, my shoes (well, just the flats), my folded items and Jeans, AND still had enough space to shove a few boxes at the top filled with some of my winter clothes!

So if you think you’re ready to tackle your wardrobe, get one like mine! You won’t regret it!

Here is the letter I gave my Mom on Mother’s Day 2008:

Dear Mom,

Here are 18 Thankyou’s, for the 18 years you’ve made spectacular:

1. Thankyou for supporting me and pushing me to study, train, and learn new things, even when they were hard.
My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE – “What were you thinking?
Answer me when I talk to you… Don’t talk back to me!”

2. Thankyou for letting me get away with things, and punishing me for things you decided I shouldn’t get away with.
“The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.”

3. Thankyou for freaking out by telling me I’m going to get hurt when the source of danger is 20 metres away.
My Mother taught me LOGIC – “If you fall off that swing and break
your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.”

4. Thankyou for putting food on the table everyday, listing menus from Chinese to Arabic to Fish-etarian.
“A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.”

5. Thankyou for:
Washing my Karate suit every time I need it urgently
Doing the “Mom-Thing” at times of frustration
Running around the house day in and day out to keep everything in tip top shape
“All mothers are working mothers.”

6. Thankyou for attending all my parents evenings and graduation. When I graduate college, get rewards at work, and attend competitions at karate, I know you’ll be there too.
“It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn’t.”

7. Thankyou for singing me to sleep when I was a kid, helping me sleep at night when I was scared, and not getting a wink of sleep yourself when you know I’m sick.
“I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.”

8. Thankyou for teaching me to take vitamins, supplements, whole grains, and milk, along with providing a personal pharmacy within my reach – just in case.
My Mother taught me MEDICINE – “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes,
they’re going to freeze that way.”

9. Thankyou for leaving me to be sad for a while until I learn my lesson, then coming back to tell me everything is okay.
“Mother – that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries.”

10. Thankyou for dressing me up in expensive clothing, tying me down to get my hair cut, and repeatedly taking me to get my braces tightened.
“There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.”

11. Thankyou for putting up with me and Mol’s constant best-friend / worst-enemies phases.
My Mother taught me DIPLOMACY – “I don’t want to hear who started it,
It takes two to fight.”

12. Thankyou for doing the things I know Dad won’t get right.
“A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. A woman must do what he can’t.”

13. Thankyou for knowing what I’m thinking, so I don’t have to say it.
Mom: “What are you looking for?”
Me: “Nothing.”
Mom: “You’ll find it in the box where the candy was.”

14. Thankyou for remembering me.
“You never realize how much your mother loves you till you explore the attic – and find every letter you ever sent her, every finger painting, clay pot, bead necklace, cardboard Santa Claus, paperlace Mother’s Day card and school report since day one.”

15. Thankyou for making up Mannoying, telling stories of juvenile things I did when I was little, and coping with my silly moments.
My Mother taught me HUMOR – “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes,
don’t come running to me.”

16. Thankyou for telling me that I “Won’t understand” until I have my own kids – it keeps me interested.
“Just when a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a grandmother.”

17. Thankyou for bringing me up to be someone I’m proud of being.
“It is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.”

18. Thankyou for being You.
Most of all, My Mother taught me LOVE – “You know that whatever you do or
whatever happens, I’ll stand behind you because I Love you.”

I Love You Mom

Your Daughter,
Mannaire

Back in March I was speech-giver at my College graduation ceremony. I was very very nervous but the experience was absolutely worth the sweat in my high black stilettos! So I decided to post my speech up here for everyone to take a look at. Hope you like it!

My fellow graduates, parents, members of the faculty, and distinguished guests. This day is a day of soaring excitement, and I’m quite sure that the last thing you want is a long, drawn-out speech. I have been in the audience of a number of graduation speeches, and I feel a sense of pride, and very privileged, that I was chosen to speak today. But, I do have a confession to make; I was chosen as a result of my hard work and determination to be the best that I can in my technical field of study, and I very quickly had to learn how to write a graduation speech!

I’m going to try and make this speech as short, and as interesting as possible. So please, ladies and gentlemen, let me have your attention for a few minutes while I tell you about  my superb time here at the Australian College of Kuwait.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use you change the world.”

Nelson Mandela’s words ring true, and have been a constant mantra for myself throughout my years her at ACK. Together with ACK’s vision of “Enabling Human Potential Within a Culture of Care”, I quite literally had a fantastic future handed to me right from the beginning.

My initial nervousness as a freshman at the College was understandable, and I’m sure many students here who had just graduated from high school felt that university was quite an overwhelming place. However, the administration and staff were warm and helpful, and the faculty instilled confidence in me, even when I felt I was struggling, keeping true to the College philosophy every step of the way.

Now, the point that I was to make, is that ACK will always be with me, both throughout my career and in the way in which I will conduct my life. Ladies and gentlemen, look around you – this hall, at ACK, there are people whos ways of looking at the world reflects the quality of ACK’s friendly, condusive environment; an environment that inspired the desire to embrace education, and consequently, systemize their lives around a set of goals.

What I found to be the most motivating part of studying at ACK, has to be the Vocational Education System. It very constructively trained me to achieve both practical skills, and theoretical knowledge, and helped me build an attitude towards working in my specified field. A very dear person to me constantly reminds me, “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it”. At ACK I have learned to have a positive outlook to practical learning, in which I am able to graduate with confidence both in myself, and my fellow graduates. On behalf of all graduating students, I would like to thank you Dear Staff and Instructors, for your Dedication, Motivation, and Perseverance. This graduation ceremony is testimony to your added value at ACK.

Graduation ceremonies such as these are often called ‘commencement exercises’, because although mose of us here have completed out studies, graduation is far from being the end, it’s where it all begins. I don’t want to make this into an itinerary of my life, but I would like to share with everybody that I will be continuing my studies here at ACK, and hopefully, be back on this podium in a few years.

Although he hasn’t won any Nobel Prizes like Nelson Mandela, Dr. Seuss, an author from my childhood had written a poem that I would like to share with you:

You have brains in your head, You have feet in your shoes,

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose,

You’re on your own, and you know what you know,

You are the guy who’ll decided where to go.

Fellow graduates, the rationale for attending university is to aquire both technical knowledge and life skills; both that will help you reach the goals set for yourself.

Whether you are aware of it or not, these past two years at ACK will stay with you for a long time.

I’m going to close with yet another inspirational quote; one by a person who was an endless source of happiness and encouragement to me from a very young age, and continues to do so: Walt Disney:

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Congratulations everybody, and thank you!

Just wanted to wish everyone a great Ramadan, and hope you all have an amazing month!

*Mbarak 3alekom Elshahar*

If you can’t sleep unless it’s pitch dark, this is for you! Here’s a fun and simple way to make your own Sleep Mask at home.

What you need:

• A pair of scissors
• 2 pieces of fabric – one that’s fake fur or velvet, the other you can choose for the lining (suede is nice!)
• A sewing machine – you can do it manually if you like
• Ribbon or elastic in a fun colour
• String that matches your fabric
• Pen and paper
• A few pins

Steps:

Remember, this is going to go on your face, so don’t choose fabric you’re particularly sensitive to! Also, choose something light and soft.

Cut out an oval shape about 6/7 inches long, and create a dip for the nose area. If you have an old eye mask you can use that as a template too.

Trace this cutout onto both fabrics, and cut those out carefully. Try to make them as similar as possible.

To measure the elastic, measure from the outside of one eye to the outside of the other eye by going around te back of your head. Take about an inch off this measurement to create a little tightness.
If you’re using ribbon, like in my example, just cut 2 pieces long enough to create a comfortable bow at the back of your head.
Place the 2 fabrics face side together and pin them down.

The elastic or ribbon should go on the inside of the fabric sandwich, with a little bit sticking out on each side to help with the sewing.

Use a straight stitch all around the fabric, leaving a 3cm hole at the nose area.

Run back over the ribbon or elastic area to re-inforce it.

Trim the edges of the fabric to neaten it up.

Using the hole in the nose area, pull the fabric inside out. It’s magic!
Now use a straight stitch all the way around again, sealing the nose area.

Head to bed with your new Sleep Mask!

I haven’t had the greatest day of my life today. A little blip on the life radar. I bump in the road should I say. So to cheer me up I decided to share with all you guys a little recipe I came across quite a while back. I’ve been keeping it to myself for a bit now, but I hope you all appreciate the genius behind it!

Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips
• A splash of vanilla extract

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together
2. Add the egg
3. Add the milk and oil
4. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla
5. Microwave for 3 minutes at 1000 watts

Tip: Use a medium sized bowl, or a large cup for this. You can alter the recipe if you like, since I find it to be a tad too sweet, you can put in 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar instead of 4. Don’t worry, the egg WILL cook ;D

Ok, my version looks a bit funky, but it tasted great!

Have an awesome day!