Author: ohlala80

I wish you had a blessed Eid surrounded by family and loved ones. May those who were not with us anymore be rewarded a higher honor and may we meet them again in Heaven.
Eid Mubarak from my home to yours 🌙 🕌

I am humbled and thankful for all the kind words and gestures I received on my special day. As I say goodbye to last year and hello to this year as I close my past chapter and indulge in my new one I cannot help but ponder and reminisce upon the years that passed and on all the wonderful and challenging experiences and lessons that I learned growing up. Growing older is a gift because it carries with it years of wisdom, memories and trials that if learned properly benefit you in the coming years. Today I see the blessings in all the struggles I faced and the merit behind everything I felt denied from. Today I look at mistakes or as lessons rather than harsh realities. For if you’re only growing in age and not in awareness of what is truly important in life then you are at loss.

Being a young mother and wife has given me the opportunity to learn and grow along side my husband and children. It was not always easy yet today I believe that the struggles I faced only made me stronger. My experiences as a young wife and mom also meant that I get to now enjoy this next stage of my life rediscovering and redefining myself while still at my peak. It is a luxury to be able to invest in yourself and to have the time and the consciousness to do that. Today I give myself points and am finally proud of the person I used to doubt for so long.. me… Today I am not only truly thankful and more accepting of myself today I have the courage and the confidence to stay away from situations or people who threaten my sense of self worth. Today I learn to put boundaries which serve to honor myself and then others. With the love and support of my family, husband and children I’ve learned to grow peacefully, lovingly and passionately and to redefine myself meticulously more than ever before. 🕊

Today I present some of my humble experiences and amazing things I learned over the past years in my life which contributes to this overwhelming feeling of satisfaction today. Perhaps my humble writings can form a tiny ripple of positivity in someone else’s life as we (myself included) need that strength and reminder every now and then.

Do not under estimate the power of prayer. When you remember and turn to God, God in turn remembers you and turns to you and you shall begin to see the blessings in the little and the big things in life that the All mighty bestows upon you.

Invest in your family and friends. Work on forming lasting relationships built on love, trust and mutual respect with the people you love. The happiest people are the social people who take the time to reach out and be more accepting and welcoming of their family and friends.

Learn to maintain your health physically and emotionally for you and for your family. A big lesson I learned is that a family is like a network and if one member falls an imbalance occurs. Children especially feel the pain and struggles of their parents as they are completely dependent on them for survival… so your well being is important not just to you but to those around you who love you wether children, spouses, siblings or parents… so take care of you and also remember happy wife equals happy life 😉

It is ok to have an “off day”. When feeling constricted and frustrated give yourself a break. Take time off for yourself by the beach, on a holiday or even in the solitary of your own home and breath and reflect before making any decisions or actions. Believe me this goes a long way.

Know yourself and your capabilities and honor your limitations and accept and love yourself as you are. You are human my friend.

Life is up and down so enjoy the ride. Enjoy the ups, reflect on the downs and never lose faith. Life is like a heartbeat if it were stagnant then it means you’re not living. Ask yourself during the downs what is this teaching me and practice gratitude during the ups for this is the spice of life.

You don’t have to take care or be in control of everything. You are not the master of the universe.

Go easy on your partners, children, family and friends. Understand that humans are fallible and lower the expectations. Be kind and expect nothing in return and learn to accept others as they are and watch as they flourish and become the best versions of themselves.

When it comes to parenting, the one and best advice to raising happy, independent and confident children is to show them love. Show your children love and acceptance and watch them turn into the wonderful human beings that they are sometimes even surpassing what you initially envisioned for them.

If you seek love, give love, if you seek companionship become a good companion, if you seek wealth share your wealth. We receive back what we give and send out the most.

Volunteer in a charity or a cause. Get out of your own life and try to save another’s. When we get out of our own world and our own problems and help others with theirs we rise above our egos and our struggles and we become much more appreciative.

Find your passion and you shall see that passion flourish in ways you couldn’t imagine. Set an intention to work on the things you’re passionate about wether it’s a hobby, a career, a practice and you will find bits and pieces of your passions unfold before you like a flower in bloom.

It is ok not be liked by everyone you can be the most beautiful rose and someone will still have a problem with flowers and that’s ok it is just who they are and has nothing to do with who you are.

Know how to set respectful boundaries with friends and even family. Forming healthy boundaries created respect for yourself and others.

If you make a mistake own it, apologize (even if it is to yourself) and learn to do better next time for mistakes are simply opportunities that we learn from.

Finally don’t forget to love deeply, practice faith compassionately, and be grateful eternally for a new year God has granted you. It is never too late to become a better and wiser person and pass on some of that wisdom.

May we continue growing in wisdom before age… love and peace to you all 🤍

Blessed and eternally grateful to have had the privilege to fast and pray during this holy month of Ramadan in Mecca (the holy house of God). Ramadan is also the month our Holy Quran descended upon us from God to guide us and give us direction. Ramadan isn’t only about fasting from food it is also about fasting from hatred, prejudice, envy and lust over materialistic worldly matter. Ramadan is the month of giving, sharing and forgiveness, a month that teaches us discipline through fasting revealing our true capacity and potential to be better Muslims. Once we put all our intentions and our hearts into practicing Ramadan in every aspect of it (not just the fast) we start to rise above worldly matters and limitations. We become free and closer to the divine than ever before; we reach enlightenment. I was so honored to be able to do all that in Mecca this month Allah truly loves me. So in this holy month I ask God to give me the strength and dedication to practice my faith without the distractions of worldly temptations. I pray to God that Ramadan be the beginning of instilling this discipline and strength within me to do good and to be good and to take that further with me to the rest of the year and to eternity just as he had done with the prophet pbuh and his companions thousands of years before. Lucky are those who have reached that level of discipline and awareness and who live with God in their hearts and minds. May Allah continue to bring us closer to him shedding light on what is truly important and strengthen our faith during this holy month of Ramadan and after. 🌙 🤲🏻

May Allah bless our good deeds & help us overcome our shortcomings for indeed he is the all merciful and the all forgiving. 🕊

About Mrs. Thornton

After 22 years I get the chance to acknowledge one of my most favorite teachers in the world. Even after all these years Mrs. Thornton still stands out as one of the kindest most righteous teachers I have ever known. I am Sarah Al Khajah and I’m from the United Arab Emirates. I joined ACST in 1993. I was in the seventh grade and I was a very shy and quiet 13 year old. I remember being so nervous in my first English class with Mrs. Thornton even though the rest of the students seemed laid back and at ease. I sat rigid, motionless just staring at my new teacher following her every word and her every move. Sitting there completely silent and wide eyed I remember Mrs. Thornton pausing in the middle of her lecture, she looked at me and asked me in front of everyone “Do you understand?” I think in my effort to appear studious and concentrated and being so nervous I appeared a little lost and overwhelmed haha… totally not the impression I wanted to give. As the weeks passed by I became more at ease and comfortable in her class and I understood why everyone else was, because that’s how you eventually felt in Mrs. Thorntons class, you felt safe and at ease. I never felt that way in any other class before, Mrs. Thornton had this calm, motherly and safe aura around her whenever she taught us and where ever she went.

The things I learned in Mrs. Thornton’s English class weren’t just academic but character building as well. She didn’t just teach from the books she taught from the heart. Mrs. Thornton was passionate about English and literature and that passion resonated in class and kept us captivated.

Thinking back to my English lessons, I never understood the concept of keeping a reading journal but today I wish my children kept one as well in their school. I always liked to read but in Mrs. Thornton’s class I read with passion. One of her most famous quotes was: “A good reader is a good writer,” and that motivated me to read even more. I learned the different symbols used to edit writing and I learned the proper methods of bibliography.. things that I wish kids learned more of today.

All I can say is I wish more teachers taught the way Mrs. Thornton taught. It actually saddens me that in today’s technologically crazed, iPad obsessed, fast paced generation, children lack the basic tools and motivation required for reading and writing properly. I find myself at parent teacher conferences constantly referring to my old teachers and comparing them to my children’s current ones. I would always recount the way I was taught by my former teachers such as Mrs. Thornton as opposed to the way they are taught today.. With Mrs. Thornton we were the golden generation of students receiving only educational excellence.

Mrs. Thornton if you are reading this I want you to know I am who I am today, a passionate reader, writer and mother because of you. After grade 11 my family moved to Brussels, Belgium. The English teachers there were impressed by my writing and most of the books we were assigned to read I had already read years before with Mrs. Thornton. English class was just too easy after her and my writing assignments were always praised and read out loud. I owe all that to you Mrs. Thornton.

I am glad I had the honor to be one of Mrs. Thornton’s students. We read and wrote things beyond our years which made us wiser and better learners. Teachers today could learn a lot from teachers such as Mrs. Thornton. Thank you Mrs. Thornton and bless you for everything.

In a country so new and so grand it is inevitable all the attention it receives by several media outlets, tabloids and other countries. For it is only those countries and those people who are exemplary and stand out and shine that get the most scrutiny. Yet, if modern times add to that the pandemic we are still struggling with has taught us anything at all it is that we cannot always rely nor trust everything we read or even see… With all the new technological advancements today and social media platforms one should always ask him/herself first “does this even make sense?” before adhering to what is being told.

This month I spread awareness over an issue that affects me personally. An issue regarding the misrepresentations and misconceptions circulated about my country the United Arab Emirates by several international media channels and outlets. Media in the West specifically purposely try to demonize, belittle and sensationalize news and facts about my country. The whole world is in awe at how and why we are the great country we are today and cannot comprehend all the hard work and effort that goes on behind the scenes. During my travels I get asked a lot about my country by curious bystanders, and I’m more than happy to share with them how and why my country is so great and so advanced, why it is the leading and safest Arab country in the world and why it is amongst the top most modern, most accommodating and most advanced counties in the world.

So in this months entry I defend my country against ridiculous allegations and portrayals by the media in the West specifically. Yes we are a new country that has reached its milestone in less than a century but it wasn’t as easy as those media channels try to portray. The United Arab Emirates has spent billions and trillions of dollars and has taken many risks while keeping its citizens a priority to ensure the progression into what it is today. We never deny that our great grandfathers lived a humble life in the hot desert sands working as fishermen, or in trade and pearl diving to earn a living. We have paid our dues and still are to achieve this standard of modernity and success. However certain media channels being followed by the masses are unfortunately just sensationalizing our entire community which the majority of today are expatriates and not even UAE nationals. Many media outlets make the United Arab Emirates look like it is the country of easy money and the filthy rich or otherwise the underprivileged and abused. This is a common and ridiculous misconception. We are a proud country and a proud people yet the majority of us just like all other people around the world do work very hard to afford a comfortable life and a lot of people are overworked and live paycheck to paycheck as well just like elsewhere in the world.

So be selective in what you observe, what you read, what you digest and who you follow. For consciously or unconsciously we become what we feed our minds and our bodies. Do your own research before following the masses in any subject and specifically regarding my UAE and understand that a lot of the media is only portraying and exaggerating certain aspects of my country and not the whole… And this is another price we pay for being so famous and so grand.

So watch what you see, read or hear, trust your instincts and do your research. Have a great February and many thanks for taking the time to read my humble entries.

Much love!

As we share our happy moments and take pictures of joy and as we welcome the new year with open arms let us take a moment to pray and remember those less fortunate than us. Those whose year was spent in war, instability, famine and loss… let’s aspire to be better people and to be of better service to those around us, for our happiness cannot be complete with the suffering of others. Let us not take another year for granted and let’s truly appreciate all that we have for there are those who are living with much less. May God continue to bestow upon us his many blessings while reminding us to stay humble and grateful, and may the almighty forgive us when we forget and make the material world our main concern.
Happy New Year 🤍

December is always a memorable month to cheer

With this specific year being incredibly so dear

Marking my country, the United Arab Emirate’s 50th year

I share my entry as from my eye escapes a tear.

A country that is so young and yet also so grand

United and strong we shall always and forever stand.

With faith and determination we shall continue to persevere

Modern yet devoted to traditions so dear.

From amongst the hot, golden sands you can see our honorable ancestors pose

Side by side with our founding father Sheikh Zayed (may he Rest In Peace) they chose

To pledge allegiance to love and to nurture this land like a precious rose.

A vision, a dream, a wish from the heart genuine and sincere

Our country has become a testament to honor and for all the world to cheer.

No matter how much I ponder or how many words I could write

I could never do justice to all this beauty and love in sight.

With what took hundreds of years for other countries to achieve

We proudly present to you the future in just fifty years..

Sky scrapers, warm desserts and deep blue sees are not an imagination

The United Arab Emirates is not just a land it is the best of all nations!

ولَك الحمد ربي أضعاف ما ارتوينا من نعيمك …

As life slowly drifts back to normal like a cool, winter wave washing upon the sandy shore, smoothing down the coarse sand, I ponder upon the little things that we took for granted before. Traditions such as family gatherings which I considered ordinary and mundane, children’s birthday celebrations or going to the gym and so on… Today those little things have new meaning and now I anticipate them with eagerness and joy.

So this months entry is about gratitude and appreciation of the little things we once thought were ordinary that today we realize are of tremendous value. I am finally at peace with my life and I spread forgiveness and acceptance for all that’s gone and I appreciate and anticipate all that is to come. Tonight as I sip my camomile tea I reminisce upon the little things and the big things in my life that bring me joy to remind myself and you that there’s beauty and love all around us.

Things that bring me joy…

Simply being born a Muslim…

Hearing the call for prayer early dawn reminding me to give thanks to a God who is all mighty and compassionate.

Enjoying the morning sunrise & cool breeze on my garden swing while I reminisce upon all my blessings and recite my morning prayers…

Reading my weekly verses of the Quran as I observe the messages written within intended just for me. Messages of promise and comfort that God is watching over me, protecting me and is all merciful and all forgiving.

The smell of my morning coffee as it is poured into my favorite mug…

Motherhood and the smell of babies and holding them in my arms…

Hugging and waving my children goodbye as they hurry off to school and missing them the second they step out the door…

Appreciating my husband’s hard work and his determination to provide us with a comfortable life…

Family that feel like friends & friends that feel like family…

Homemade jam, cheese and freshly baked bread…

Flowers and scented candles…

Yoga and meditation…

Taking care of my mind, body and soul and knowing that it is important and necessary to care of myself and then others…

The luxury of being my own boss and planning my own week…

The joy of reading and escaping within the written world…

The sight of books especially on my night stand gives me comfort as they help me unwind at night…

Long drives with nothing but music, beautiful scenery & city lights…

Date nights with hubby…

Brunch with friends…

Picnics on the beach and desert barbecues…

Sea shells & the sound of waves… as it always was and still is a dream of mine to live by the sea…

The pleasure of having and still being connected to my parents and realizing as a parent myself the tremendous effort and sacrifice they made to make sure I was happy growing up. And they still do…

Growing internationally yet nurtured traditionally…

Nightly phonecalls to my father and being comforted that he’s alright and that he’s only a phone call away…

My parents beautiful new home and knowing there’s still room for me there…

My cat for there’s nothing like the unconditional love and trust of an animal you care for… she’s my fourth baby..

Ice cream, hot chocolate, affogatos and the traditional cafe viennois…

Dressing up for a special occassion…

Jewelry; a diamond is a girls best friend…

Traditional, Arabian gold with designs that tell a story of the past…

The magical & mystical scent of oud and Arabic incense…

Shopping & brands… I’ll admit…

Photos and photo albums that capture our best memories forever…

Holidays & traveling with the excitement and the anticipation of the adventure ahead…

Hotel breakfasts & room service…

Sipping my morning coffee in a new city…

Beauty & spa treatments…

Simply being a woman… and especially from the UAE

The aroma of biryani and traditional Arab dishes which always take me back home no matter where I am or how far….

The ability to care and show compassion to those less fortunate which makes me realize even more how blessed we are…

Being of service to others and bringing a smile to a friend or a stranger makes me happy

Updating my site as I am now and having a platform in which I can express my thoughts and share my feelings…

“These are a few of my favorite things..” as Julie Andrews sings bursting into melody…

This entry shall be an ongoing one as I continue to remember more blessings around me. I hope this entry can be used as a reference in which we turn to for comfort when we feel overwhelmed by life. I encourage you to make your own list to realize just as I did how much we have and the joy of simply being alive…

الحمدلله على كل نعمة اعتدنا وجودها فنسينا شكرها… الحمدلله دائما و أبدآ

The UAE did it again and dazzled the world with its feature of of this year’s Exp2020. An event that has been tactfully organized and designed since the year 2013 when the vote successfuly fell on Dubai to be the host. Once again the UAE proved to the world that not only is it a global country of progression, inclusion and sustainability but that it acquires an exceptional capability and to host present and deliver the event of an era. This year, Dubai’s Expo2020 was the first of its kind to be held in the Middle East, North Africa & South Asia regions.

A small history on Expos. Expos are global events centered on finding solutions to the challenges facing humanity. Expos offer a journey through a chosen theme by creating engaging and captivating activities. The major event is acclaimed for its ability to gather millions of visitors, create new dynamics and encourage positive change in their host cities. The event this year was an immediate success and my country the United Arab Emirates, once again demonstrated to the world its exceptional ability to not only summon this one of a kind global event to the region but to bring together 192 countries and providing each country its very pavilion; something that was never done in the past. The opening ceremony was a breathtaking world wide collaboration centering upon the glory and the history of a country upon which its city Dubai aims to be the happiest city in the world.

The opening ceremony was specatcular bringing together along with the exemplary local artists, world renowned artists and entertainers such as  Andrea Bocelli, British singer Ellie Goulding and Chinese pianist Lang Lang . The global event emphasized the country’s goal to connect, respect and include diverse minds in creating a more prosperous future. Expo2020 in Dubai sends the message to the world that we are a civilisation with deep roots that recognizes the importance of including various civilizations in order to create a centre for innovation, advancement and creativity.

The logo of Expo2020 couldn’t be more beautiful and suiting. It was inspired by an ancient golden artifact found at a UAE archaeological site called Saroug Al Hadeed; an area between the capital Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The golden artifact belonged to a civilization that existed 4,000 years ago. The choice of an authentic, historical Emirati artifact as the inspiration for the logo of Expo 2020 further portrays the country’s history and connection to ancient civilisations. The symbol of the artifact once again proclaims that the United Arab Emirates continues to be a hub that connects the world. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates couldn’t have phrased it better when he stated that “The UAE may not be the whole world but it is the world within a country.”

Everything was specacular. However if I were to choose one thing I believe could have been done differently in the opening ceremony it would be the choice of the background of the little girl centering the show. An 11 year old Belarusian girl was selected to portray a local, traditional, Emirati girl. As talented and charismatic the 11 year old was, stunningly dressed in a festive Emirati gown adorned with traditional, gold jewelry. Does prioritizing a non local girl for a local girls part indicate our inclusivity and equality with people of different ethnicities or have we perhaps taken that effort a little too far? I believe my country’s significant and proud heritage could have been better represented and restored by one of our many equally talented and well rounded local children be it a girl or a boy. A girl from the very own country hosting such a global event could have sent a more authentic portrayal of the country which already went as far as to invite international artists to compliment that. There will always however be various observations and differences of opinion to such colossal projects and this is just my humble observation as an Emarati woman proud and attached to her country and all that our heritage entails. I am deeply honored and humbled to be from a country that can look beyond boundaries and can accommodate such various international talents even when it came to the very core of its opening ceremony. My nation is a testament to our rich heritage of generosity, hospitality and kindness. Do I wish the girl was local yes out of the love for my lovely country and its people, do I understand why a different choice was made? perhaps. Overall the event that we have been impatiently waiting for since the past 8 years exceeded expectations proving to the world once again the exceptional capabilities, dedication and legacy of the United Arab Emirates, a country rich in history, hospitality and tradition reaching world wide recognition.