Anger, Adebolajo and a Response to the Woolwich Tragedy

Shaken. Disgusted. Confused. 

Those were my immediate reactions when I came to know of the news about the British soldier who was publicly attacked and decapitated by a British-born Nigerian convert to Islam in a 'suspected Islamist attack' in Woolwich, South East London. Not again. Not another murderous and violent act by Muslims, I said regretfully to myself. Let's put conspiracy theories aside because we need to face the reality of the situation in a rational way. Michael Adebolajo is Muslim, he has participated in protests and has been very transparent about his beliefs regarding the involvement of the British government in military operations in Muslim countries. It was reported that he handed out "radical pamphlets" in the past.

OOTD: Blue Ivy

This post is not related to Beyonce's daughter in anyway, sorry Beyonce fans. I just thought... the colour blue + green leaves = blue ivy? Anyway, enough of my cheesiness because I actually have golden leaves to show you! 

Sticky Date Pudding

Winter is around the corner in the Southern Hemisphere and a warm sticky date pudding is the perfect companion on a cold winter's night. Having said that, it is nice to have no matter what climate or season you are in. If you have guests who arrived unannounced or if you're in the mood to satisfy your sweet cravings this easy-to-make pudding is your answer because it only takes 20 to 30 minutes to make. This recipe was given to me by my friend Helen (thanks girl!) and I'd love to share it with you.

A Day with Yasmin Mogahed

I first came across Yasmin Mogahed's work on SuhaibWebb.com during my final year at university. It was a stressful year for many of my friends and I, but discussions about Yasmin Mogahed's Serenity radio show and inspiring articles helped get us through our trials that year. When I returned to Malaysia I had the chance to listen to her speak live at the 2012 Being ME conference. This year I have been fortunate enough to attend her talks and meet her in person again, alhamdulillah. I was invited by the lovely Husna Musa to an afternoon tea session organised by Light Upon Light and Viva Palestina Malaysia, and when that ended we rushed to attend another lecture by Yasmin Mogahed that evening. So you could say I spent a day with Ms. Mogahed :) 

One of the best parts is that ticket sales of both events went towards projects for women in Gaza, inshaAllah. Here's a little something for everyone who couldn't be with us that day.

Overcoming Adversity

"The opportunity of adversity"

The video title caught my eye so I clicked on the link without knowing who the speaker was. Aimee Mullins. Nope, not a clue. At the time, that is. Her introduction was about the concept and definition of disability but I couldn't figure out what her "disability" was until later on. As a paralympic champion and double amputee her story is definitely worth knowing and I had an "Aha!" moment (as Oprah would call it) while listening to what she had to say on the advantages of adversity (yes I know it seems like a paradox). I'd like to share her inspiring words so you can have a new perspective on life and challenges.

Nona & Mateen's Fairytale Wedding

If you liked Nona and Mateen's first wedding reception you would like their second one too but for different reasons. The first reception was elegantly traditional whereas the second reception which was hosted by Mateen's family was unique or as Malaysians would say 'lain daripada yang lain' (different than the rest) and a little 'out of this world' because its theme was 'Alice in Wonderland'! 

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect that night but I was mesmerised by how amazing she looked. What she wore were unlike any other wedding dresses I had seen in Malaysian weddings. Why don't you see for yourself?

Nona & Mateen's Traditional Malay Wedding Reception

I know most of my blog readers are women :) And women love wedding-related blog posts so I promised I'd share pictures from my friend Nona's wedding receptions.  In Malaysia it's common for the bride and groom to hold two wedding receptions - one by the bride's family and another by the groom's family. In Nona and Mateen's case they had three wedding receptions. I only attended the ones in Kuala Lumpur but I heard the reception in Sarawak was very beautiful too. 

This particular post is about Nona's reception. I would say it was a traditional Malay wedding especially in comparison to the one by Mateen's family and you'll have to wait to find out what its theme was! For now have a look at what I captured from Nona's elegant traditional wedding reception. 

Dove's Real Beauty Sketches - Men (parody)

My previous post was about Dove's Real Beauty Sketches and a serious take on how corporations and the media industry control the way women think about their self-image. The parody above while being super funny (I laughed until tears came out) actually creates another criticism of the Dove ad campaign. 
Admit it ladies, when it comes to the physical appearance there is a lot more pressure on women than men. In general, of course. Metrosexuals not included. Women spend more on clothes, shoes, bags and skin care products. A lot more. Why don't we need an ad that tells men they are more handsome and dashing than they think? Why are men more likely to joke about their looks?

What Real Women Think About Dove's Real Beauty Sketches

Real Beauty Sketches from John X. Carey on Vimeo.

Dove's latest advertisement has been floating around social media as of late. While I understand the jubilant reactions from women I couldn't help but feel something was a bit "off". The first thing that came to my mind was, "This is just another marketing tactic so people feel more positively about the Dove brand." As poignant as the ad seems this is precisely what marketing and advertising are all about — swaying consumer judgement about the brand and its products and ultimately affecting consumer behaviour. 

Yes, it's a well-produced ad but all I'm getting from it is: What you look like is important and it will always be important no matter what age you are.

Style Sunday: Femme en Fuchsia

I think it's fair to say 2012 was the year of weddings. Well that's how it felt for me, at least! It really seemed like most of my friends chose the year 2012 to get married and the year 2013 to have babies :) It feels very surreal... but hey, more weddings meant more reasons to get dressed up!

For Nona's wedding reception in December 2012 I wore a fuchsia evening dress I had designed myself. It's a very simple dress but because of its attention-grabbing colour I only wear it to formal events. 

Femme en fuchsia (woman in fuchsia)

Colours of My Life Meets Little Life of Mine

In my three years of blogging I feel pretty blessed to say I've made many friends from all around the world and Amnah of Little Life of Mine is one of them. Who knew I'd actually have the pleasure of meeting this lovely Palestinian-American mama of three from California in person someday? Amnah and her family came to visit her sister Iman (also a blogger) who moved to Kuala Lumpur last year. God has a way of bringing people together, doesn't He? 

Iman planned a trip to FRIM (Forest Research Insitute of Malaysia) and gave Amnah a little surprise - ME! I was more than happy to meet them there because it would be a much more memorable experience than having a meal at some mall. 

(clockwise) Amnah and I on the canopy walk; Iman flashing us a peace sign at the waterfall; blue fern (I thought it had been spray-painted on at first!)