Granita

After months of bad mood and almost getting into depression after two incidents; my father’s death and separating from my husband, i received a message. I want to say that it was a message from a dear friend, but thinking about it, i felt its a gift from God. I wanted something new in my life, a nice change, a new beginning maybe and that was it. My friend told me that she is opening a new cafe in zamalek and needed my help. I went to see her and she offered several ways to help and i chose to make some of my goodies and sell them there and at the same time i can hang around to help out whenever i can cause i have busy mornings and in the stage of moving and renovating my old apartment and so. I am so happy for my friend and so grateful that she considered me. Best of luck Nazli. I love you and good luck.

Desperate

I was so looking forward to go to the book club tonight. I have recently became a member in a very nice and friendly cultural club where we meet on a monthly basis to discuss a book and usually tge author attends and signs our books. I attended last month and i really enjoyed it. It made me feel alive again, just doing stuff out of the daily routine. Brought some of my old self back especially that tge people there are all decent and our standard. I got to know the book to be discussed this month and i bought it and read it in only four days as i was really looking forward to anotger amazing evening. However, just two hours before the event i realized i didnt have a nice suitable outfit for it. I tried so many things but nothing felt right for the occasion. I tried on so many blouses but i couldnt either find the right pants or the right shoe. I felt desperate and down. I kept on trying all my wardrobe and i just didnt feel comfortable. I said to myseld i should go in my best image or just cancel my registration to this event which i had to do unfortunately. My daughter kept trying to convince me that i should go with my trainers and that it doesnt really matter and that ill regret not going but somehow i feel good that im staying at home. Next time inshallah i will arrange a good outfit from head to toes and ill feel good about myself.

AUC Farmers’ Market

Today i had the Worst experience ever. I was one of the first vendors to book a booth in this farmers market event and I was checking by email if anything needed before the event and their reply was “you are good” and nothing needed. Today I went to Gate 3 of the AUC and entered and they didnt have my name on their vendors list and asked me to wait. I waited and waited and then called Tina (one of the organizers) and she promised to call the security. I waited for another half an hour then called her again and she said im still calling security. I then emailed Zander (the main organizer) and got no reply. A guy showed up to apologize and said that its a matter of time and then they will eventually let me in. I waited another half an hour with no hope. Finally the security guy came close to my car and i thought he will tell me that i can pass and to my astonishment, he tells me I have to ask you to go out from the other gate and wait outside in the street. What???! That’s it. This is not professional at all and Not Acceptable. Then I called Tina and she said that there’s an issue and she’s at I dont know who’s office to solve it. I dont care. I got really upset and left and she texted me saying that they didnt approve my food items as they are homemade. I dont want to say a bad word here but Dont you know from the beginning that I am a home based business???

I left frustrated and was thinking of all this humiliation and of my food that will be thrown away. I put too much effort, work, money into it. I spent several days working, cooking, purchasing certain stuff for this event but in vain.

I got back home and wrote on their wall hoping they would reply back with an apology or anything to relieve my anger, but nothing. I received their appology at night after they finished their successful event and their reply was quite normal. The Organizers ofcourse blamed the university and i had no direct contact with anyone there so i will get nothing for what ive gone through today. Hopefuly they read this as i will rotate it everywhere and let everyone knows how the security guys in the AUC treat the vendors unpolitely and disrespectively. Please reblog this or share and help me spread the word.

#auc #newcairo #egypt #farmersmarket

4 I O in Q8

I was having an open day yesterday at my home to sell our furniture, household items, kitchenware, silverware, etc… It was very weird. I had mixed feelings. This wasn’t my first time to organize an open day, but this time it was different, totally different, even though the whole procedure was the same.

We came to Kuwait twelve years ago while my daughter was still a baby. Both my children grew up here and even their teenage hardest stage was also witnessed here. All our good times as well as hard times were here. Kuwait to me and to my children is our second home town, we really love living here and I would do anything just to stay here and I’ve done it before, but this time it’s different. Everything is different, everything is strange and weird, I just don’t get it. However, there’s nothing to be done and we never know whats best for us. I just hope that my kids cope well with the changes and challenges ahead of us. 

Now that all the feelings are mixed up, I started thinking of my journey here and it was like a movie in front of my eyes. I started seeing all that happened to me during the past years, who I met, who I worked with, who were my real friends and who had a real impact on me and the image of four persons popped up in front of me. Yes there are four who I really owe deeply within my journey or stage or chapter in my life.

The first one is Mrs Soheir, my previous neighbour who was like a mother to me during my first four years in Kuwait. At that time I knew no one and didn’t know anything about the country or the people. She was of great help. She taught me everything, gave me a hand and was always there for me. I remember when my car was completely ruined after an accident, she gave me her car to use so that I can go to work everyday for two full weeks. Even though her car was like her third baby, yes she used to clean it herself and take good care of it, but she didn’t hesitate to lend it to me. Oh just remembering all that, it brought a smile to my sad face, oh I love that lady and I will truly miss her and her kindness. I hope she reads this one day. 

Second is my friend Mallika, or if I may say “Angel Mallika”. Oh God, how blessed I am to have known and met such an angel. A true kind person who thinks of others rather than herself, who is always giving and never expecting anything in return. I knew Mallika through work, she taught me a lot. Even though she was so strict at work and straight forward and only works works works and never wastes time or chit chat with others, but she was kind to me and helped me while working with her and even when I left work. She found me another job in just three days. She is a dear sincere friend and we were also neighbors living on the same street. Mallika never stopped surprising me with all the good deeds towards the community. She has a Big Loving Caring HEART. She always supported me and giving me the best advice even relating to my health and body and business. May God Bless you my friend. 

Third one I owe is my dearest friend Amal or I must say “sister” not just a friend. How on Earth can I describe this warm hearted person who stood beside me all the time. I never felt I’m a stranger here, not as an expatriate like the rest. Amal and all her family members starting with Ghadeer her sister and mine too, her mother, father, brothers, grandmother and aunts, they all treated me as one of them as well as my family too. They were there for me during bad times, really bad times (not to mention the bad experience). They helped me a lot to stand back on my feet. I stayed at their home for more than a month and I was not treated as a guest, it was my home and I was among my family. Amal did her best to fulfill my dream of coming back to Kuwait several years ago. She went out of her way and stood beside me regardless I was right or wrong. She bared my terrible mood sometimes and was always pushing me forward. Till now she is still standing beside me. Now I’m thinking what have I done for her and how can I pay her back! I simply love my two sisters Amal and Ghadeer and I can’t think of leaving them and I don’t wish to part. I am a normal, happy, lively, natural person when I am with them. I don’t have to show off or pretend or dress up, I simply be me in front of them. I hope we can see each other regularly offshore. This won’t be easy. 

Last but not least, the fourth person I owe is Mimi and her team. I don’t call myself a close friend to her but I really thank God that I had the chance to know such a personality and get to know her and work with her closely not just when I was a vendor at Shakshooka Market but also at the Secret Garden Project. Mimi simply changed my life, Really. I started looking to life with a different prospective. I got to know a lot about the food industry but not all who can cook is a chef. I could have gone to other food markets but without learning anything new and some of them don’t care about hygiene . Till now I’m learning from her and I wish to have my own garden at my hometown and maybe I can start an Egyptian Shakshooka or even collaborate together. I started a healthy diet now and I have a healthy menu for customers and all that’s because of Mimi. I have to admit that I always depended on my husband for cooking and that I didn’t like to cook, but now I love my kitchen and love searching for new healthy recipes over the net. I’m honored that she likes one of my treats. 

I simply love her way of thinking, her different concept, her initiatives as well as her warm heart. I wish I’d known her earlier. I will miss her and the whole team and of course the garden, my favorite getaway kinda place. We had so many beautiful mornings together with Mimi, her mother Alaa (Big Kind Sweet Heart and soul), the Grandmother, Lubna (another beautiful person I wished I’ve known earlier), Yusra with her adorable daughter, Dana and Waleed of course. I carry with me so many nice memories from the garden, memories that I won’t ever forget. 

Thank you all for all your love and caring. Thanks for being special people in my journey and I really owe you big time. Love you all.

Shakshooka Market’s Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated the second birthday of Shakshooka Market at the Secret Garden. It was an event not to be missed. It was great to see more shakshookian members in the garden after some time.  Our customers and friends were surrounding and supporting us. Great weather, perfect musicians, delucious cake, happy faces, awesome food, excellent vibe, what else do anyone need to have fun? Perfecto indeed  

             

Gardening and Composting Workshop

To register email us at herbanworkshops@gmail.com

Get down and dirty with our Gardening & Composting workshops, this Friday and Saturday at #thesecretgardenproject from 4-6pm! #HerbanWorkshops #fromseedtosoil

  

A different way to celebrate Mothers Day

Yesterday was Mothers Day in the Middle East not to confuse u with the American One. Anyway, I didn’t expect anything special since my husband is traveling and I know that my kids won’t do anything without him. But frankly speaking my daughter surprised me with a lovely gift and a great post on Instagram. I love her so much and she really made my day. 

Knowing that nothing else was expected I planned to go to the Secret Garden as it was the gardening day. I went and there were lots of activities. There was cinemagic filming a documentary movie about the garden while we were all working, then we finished and had tea and delicious brunch and then came one of my friends. While chilling, a lady came and introduced herself as a physiotherapist at Fawzia Sultan Center next door. She showed her respect towards us all for the work done in the garden and that they would love to help us by some excercises that will help us in moving and bending correctly while gardening. We had a free stretching session and will have another one after two weeks with free consultation for any back/neck/knee problems and some treatment. That’s a lovely gift indeed and I guess we need it. It was like another Mothers Day gift/surprise. It was fun at the garden yesterday and actually it is always fun over there. 

   

   

The New Spring Bazaar

First of all and before I begin telling you what happened let me mention that I won’t say names even though  I’m pissed off. 

Well, to begin with, I participated at the spring bazaar which was two days ago. I was so excited about it and had big hopes as I always visited this bazaar for the last four years and my friends used to participate there and said that their profit was big. When I used to go to visit my friends in the past times, I couldn’t even walk through to reach their tables from the enormous crowd. However, my husband and I started preparing for it and went out of our regular way and purchased a lot of things that we usually don’t use in our other brunches and farmers market. I kept telling him that this bazaar is different and big. So we ordered a roll up at a professional marketing center (not to mention the price as it costs like more than double the ones from print shops) and bought special utensils and equipments besides our food and ingredients. We cooked for three days without sleep as we had to have a big quantity as it’s a Full Day event. Finally it was Friday and we went to set up at dawn as I didn’t want to go late in the morning and be in a hurry and stressed. At 10 am we were ready for the visitors and ready for the Ambassador who was supposed to come for the opening who didn’t show up at all. However people started to show up but like in small amount of people to count on your fingers. We waited and said maybe they will show up after Noon Prayers. Kept on waiting and waiting and waiting. If I tell you that the number didn’t even reach 100 what would you say about the organizer? Not to mention other stupid mistakes like letting the visitors go inside at the back area of the vendors and let them enjoy our buffet and drinks for free. I talked with him and asked him how come there is no show up of visitors and where are the thousands that we were used to see Everytime and his answer was a shock. He said it’s not his mistake and kept asking me where are my followers and the other vendors followers. Oh my God, he was depending on us to publicize. I told him that the reason why I came here was to see new people and get new customers but it was useless talking to him. For us it was a disaster especially that we were selling food and all the vendors ate from the free buffet of course but other vendors started buying from each other. 

To conclude the story or to tell u the reason of all this is simply because people used to go when it was organized by an American lady who was popular and known and had her expat community but this guy couldn’t handle it unfortunately and I won’t participate again with him never even if it was for free. The only good thing that happened was meeting @musaed_1980 who tried my vegan healthy treats and loved them. 



Today at Taste of Kuwait

As some of u know that I received a free ticket to the taste of kuwait food festival where international chefs were there and cooking live in front of the crowd. I wanted to get another ticket for my husband to attend with me but tickets are really expensive so I asked Tamara if she still has tickets that anybody didn’t come to collect (the winners I mean) but she said that she doesn’t have. But the best thing she told me that it doesn’t really matter to have another VIP ticket and that I can simply buy a normal one and she would help us to go and meet the chefs. I gave it a shot and we went there and honestly I believe that VIP tickets don’t deserve the amount paid for at allllll. However, it was a big event and the chefs were there and we saw them and took pictures with them too. As for Tamara or Tee as most people know her from her radio show “breakfast with tee and Aki”, I can’t really describe how sweet she is. I don’t really know her and it was the first time to see her (regardless that I listen to her show daily) but she was so helpful, sincere and wanted to help by all means. I’m so happy and honored to meet her and that’s  what I gained from today’s event.



Today at Taste of Kuwait

As some of u know that I received a free ticket to the taste of kuwait food festival where international chefs were there and cooking live in front of the crowd. I wanted to get another ticket for my husband to attend with me but tickets are really expensive so I asked Tamara if she still has tickets that anybody didn’t come to collect (the winners I mean) but she said that she doesn’t have. But the best thing she told me that it doesn’t really matter to have another VIP ticket and that I can simply buy a normal one and she would help us to go and meet the chefs. I gave it a shot and we went there and honestly I believe that VIP tickets don’t deserve the amount paid for at allllll. However, it was a big event and the chefs were there and we saw them and took pictures with them too. As for Tamara or Tee as most people know her from her radio show “breakfast with tee and Aki”, I can’t really describe how sweet she is. I don’t really know her and it was the first time to see her (regardless that I listen to her show daily) but she was so helpful, sincere and wanted to help by all means. I’m so happy and honored to meet her and that’s  what I gained from today’s event.