Where is your freedom now

You tell me I am oppressed because of the way I dress.
You tell me I am oppressed because I cover my hair.
You tell me I am oppressed because I choose not to hug nor kiss you.

Now you are outside covering your face and your hands.
And you neither touch nor kiss someone,
because you are scared of the dangerous corona virus.

Science is now telling you how to dress and act with others.
Allah has always told me how to dress and act with others.

You are afraid of the virus.
I am afraid of Allah.

You want to be saved from the epidemic.
I want to be saved from the hell fire.

Now who of us is oppressed?

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Elizabeth

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2019 THROWBACK

Week by week this is what I did last year.

1. Finding out the gender of our 2nd child.
2. Punctured a tire on the car.
3. Went to the movies w/ my mum & saw ‘Second Act’.
4. Visited my friend at her new apartment & brought her salt & bread.
5. First night our son slept in his own room.
6. 50% on sick leave from work.
7. Spent the afternoon w/ my mum.
8. Drove to Sweden with the family to buy food.
9. Met my friend after not seeing each other for one year.
10. My son and I spent a whole afternoon w/ my dad in Oslo.
11. Flew to Paris w/ my mum (& my daughter).
12. Renovated our new kitchen table from the thrift store.
13. Celebrated my mum’s birthday w/ my brother.
14. Met my best friends.
15. Visited my old school w/ my friend and my son.
16. Easter holiday – worked all week.
17. Drove to IKEA & went to a fabric store in Oslo alone.
18. Food shopping in Sweden w/ the family.
19. Start of Ramadan. Watched ‘The Hustle’ at the cinema w/ my mum.
20. Started maternity leave.
21. 38 week control.
22. First Kindergarten visit & visit from my mum. Our daughter was born.
23. Eid celebration w/ my husband’s family.
24. Visit from my friend & went shopping.
25. Food- and kids market w/ my children, mum and brother.
26. Met my best friends & celebrated my friend’s birthday together.
27. Breakfast at my dad’s.
28. 1st motorcycle ride w/ my dad. Met my friend & went to a cafe & the beach.
29. Met my friend at her house w/ my kids & her nephew.
30. Beach day w/ the family.
31. First day in kindergarten for my son & met my niece for the 1st time.
32. Shopping day w/ the family. Akvarium visit w/ my mum and the kids.
33. Norway’s biggest amusement park w/ my husband’s family.
34. Visited an open farm w/ my children.
35. Celebrated my 24th birthday w/ my mum, dad, brother, husband and kids. Also bought a new car.
36. 1st day back at work.
37. Goodbye dinner for a dear colleague.
38. 1st time our daughter tried baby food (mashed potatoes).
39. Last MC ride of the year.
40. Sweden w/ the family – food shopping.
41. Gokart w/ my brother & husband.
42. Our daughter rolls over for the first time.
43. Sunday breakfast at my dad’s.
44. Visited a huge soft play area w/ my husbands family and kids.
45. Sweden w/ my mum and daughter.
46. My son had to go to the doctor’s.
47. Met my friend.
48. Picked up my mum from the airport. Witnessed a motorcycle crash.
49. Brunch at my dad’s.
50. Sweden w/ my mum and daughter.
51. Cinema w/ my mum – we watched Jumanji: The next level.
52. First roadtrip w/ the family to Gothenburg.

Elizabeth

A dead end

Maybe you’re drifting apart for a reason. Those missed calls or dinners where no one ever showed up or bothered to let you know they’re not coming. Maybe it’s for a reason. It’s part of a bigger picture – one that you might not understand right now. Your paths are not the same. You grow up and sometimes you grow apart from the people you once used to be. Even though it saddens your heart to know the truth, you know that the people you’re leaving behind are not good for your future.

Days, weeks and even months go by without a call or text. And you start to wonder if you ever meant anything to these people or were you just a moment in time for them. You find yourself always being the one on the other end, reaching out for contact but they hardly ever seem to find the time for you. And you release it’s a dead end.

Elizabeth

100 days ago

A 100 days ago I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. 4920 grams and 50 cm of pure love wrapped into one tiny human being. 3 months later I can see her smiling back at me when I look at her and all of my worries fade away. The world stops for minute and it’s just us. Then the noise from the outside world start tumbling in again but that smile remains. And after 9 long months she is finally kicking her feet of joy and excitement. There is nothing more beautiful and precious than to see your children grow up right beside you. And losing either one of them would be my greatest fear.

Tomorrow will be my first day back at work since going out on maternity leave 3 weeks before my baby girl came. My head is totally ready for it but my heart is still yearning to be with my child. I’m overwhelmed with emotions and don’t really know what to focus on. But I know it will be good for me, and I’m ready to take the leap.

The first Saturday in September, 3 months after giving birth, I’m back at it, and I’m ready.

Elizabeth

A wonderful day

The last couple of weeks have turned into a blur. All merged into one. I don’t even remember when one stops and the next one starts. I fill my day with tasks & goals so that my time won’t be left meaningless. The one thing I wish I had more of – time. Whilst I know my time is ending, the time of my children are just beginning, God willing. But that makes days like these so much more valuable.

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I started my day off like I always do – enjoying a homemade breakfast with my son. Around noon I jumped in the car with my daughter to drive and pick up my friend from work. We enjoyed our afternoon outside, finding a cute cafe were we could sit and chat for a while. The day only got better when we decided to buy two baskets of strawberries and then swing by at home to get my son. Norwegian summer doesn’t last very long so when the weather is good you’ll find most people at the beach, where we also ended up. Even though it took a while to get used to the cold water, it was still nice. 

A day to remember. Now I’m hoping that my daughter will fall asleep soon so that I too can catch some Zzzz. Good night.

Elizabeth

Premier jour à Paris

A week ago I was strolling the streets of Paris. I was finally travelling again, even though it was only for 3 days. A little getaway is always nice – no matter the length. This was also the last month for me to travel since I am in my last trimester, as we speak. So here I am, a week later with lots to share with you.

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11th of March 2019 – Notre-Dame & Crepes

My day started a little bit after 5 am, way too early for my inner clock, but since I knew I was being picked up in an hour I made my way out of the bed. I packed my last belongings and ate a bowl of fruit. Right before 7 am I was in Oslo meeting up with my mum. We were finally on our way. At the airport everything went smoothly and we awaited to arrive Paris at 11.05 am. Starving we went to a cafe at the airport in France. After a short break we found our taxi driver and arrived to our hotel at 1 pm. A cute, modern hotel called ‘Hotel Pratic‘.

We freshened up and after an 1 hour nap we wanted to explore the streets of Paris. We weren’t far from Notre-Dame so we decided to take a city map and get on our way. The sun was shinning and the wind blowing. We saw the beautiful church from outside and decided to save our 10€ for a late lunch.

We stopped at a restaurant just next to the well-known church and enjoyed our first proper french meal. Even though I had a greek salad and my mum had a hamburger. Later we made our way back to the hotel. But before the day was over we stopped at a local boutique where I was gifted a Paris mug from my mum. We also stopped by the supermarket before we got our dessert at ‘La Cedrerie du Marais‘. A lovely lady catered us with nutella crepes and a steaming hot coffee. What a great way to end our first day.

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Elizabeth

A whirlwind of a week

Monday

The last couple of days have been so crazy. It all started on Monday where I had a chill day with my son until he fell into an accident. I got so overwhelmed and guilty that I couldn’t protect him. Luckily his bruises are almost healed and he was back on his feet in no time.

Tuesday

Tuesday I got an email about a phone interview I had Friday morning, just when I thought there was no hope left.

Wednesday

On Wednesday I had to bring my car into the repair shop so that I could continue on driving it the next 2 years. That meant waking up at 6.30am, driving to the next town an hour later and then wait a whole day till the car was fixed. We did spend the morning having a hotel breakfast and continued on with shopping and a walk back home to my mums. Whilst my son was taking his afternoon nap which he had been procrastinating, I could finally breath out and relax.

Thursday

I got another interview call on Thursday which meant I got to meet my mum again so that she could watch my son. It went fairly well and we enjoyed an afternoon outside before we drove back home where I then colored her hair.

I actually got another call yesterday morning while I was at the health station with my son for his last baby vaccine. Another store wanted me in for an interview and we settled for today at 1pm.

Friday

Starting off today fairly early at 7.30am, I had breakfast and got ready for my first interview. Around noon I had to drive, yet again to my mums to pick her up so that she could watch my son while I went to my second interview.

It has literally felt like I’ve been running around everywhere and meeting so many new people in such a short amount of time. On top of that I have another interview on Monday at a clothing store which I’m super excited about. But first I have to take this weekend to rewind and unplug. My feet are killing me and I’m in desperate need of a lot of sleep.

Wish me luck!

Elizabeth

30 questions & answers

1. What was the first though you had when you looked in the mirror this morning? Wow, my hair is fluffy. I loved it when it’s a lot of volume, washed and cleaned from the night before.
2. Who did you kiss last? My son. Can’t resist those round checks.
3. What’s your favorite quote? ‘This too shall pass.’
4. Favorite planet? Earth.
5. Who’s the 4th person on your missed called list? My dad.
6. What’s your ring tone? The unoriginal iPhone ringtone.
7. What are you wearing? Still in my PJs.
8. Do you put yourself in a box? Maybe sometimes.
9. What brand are your shoes? Bianco.
10. What’s best – a dark or a bright room? Bright. I need a lot of light. Especially now when it’s winter and the days are so short.
11.  Is the glas half full or half empty? I like to believe it’s half full, but somehow I always say half empty.
12. If you’re alone in a room with two beds, which bed do you choose? Depends on which one I’m drawn to first.
13. What did you do around midnight last night? Fall asleep.
14. What does it say in your last message inbox? ‘Leaving now :)^^’
    
15. Who is the last person you saw today? My son before I put him down for a nap.
16. What word do you use over and over? ‘Serr!?’ Which is equal to ‘really!?’
17. Last movie you watched? ‘‘A bad moms Christmas’. Don’t judge, I didn’t find anything else.
18. What’s the last hairy thing yo touched? My hair.
19. Your last browser history? Ikea, looking for child safety things.
20. How many film rolls do you have laying around? None. Thank God for digital photos.
21. Your favorite age so far? Maybe 21 or 18, when I just got my licenses and felt as free as a little bird.
22. Who’s your worst enemy? Myself.
23. What’s on your background on your computer? My son.
24. What’s the first thing you said to someone today? Something like ‘why are you not asleep yet’.
25. Choose between a million dollars or the ability to fly? Ability to fly. Just imagine how fast I would get to places.
26. Do you like someone? Yes.
27. Last song you listened to? Maher Zain – The Chosen One
28. If the last person you didn’t know got mad and angry at you, what would you do? Walk away.
29. What car do you drive? Volkswagen Polo 2003
30. What’s the closest thing to your left foot right now? A chair.

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A fun little exercise for a lazy Sunday. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Elizabeth

Reminder to all reverts out there

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes it can be hard to see how far you’ve come when everyone around you is pointing out your mistakes.

Remember the time you didn’t wear the hijab. The time when you still ate pork or drank a glass of alcohol. The time before Islam. Before you change you’re life.

I used to read a lot of forums on fb and at first it was fine but soon it began to drag me down. Every notification made me question my faith and there were times I wanted to cry because I felt like I was a bad muslim. That my afford wasn’t enough.

But do your best and that will be enough. Be proud of yourself! Be proud of how far you’ve come and pray that Allah will help you become the best muslim you can be. We are all on our own journey and for some it’s easy and for others it takes longer.

Find a balance and don’t lose yourself. Your faith should make you stronger and lift you up.

Elizabeth

Last day of 2017 – recap

15 minutes before midnight and here I am sitting on the couch writing a recap post. 2017 has been a wild, chill, amazing, heartwarming, difficult and hard – and once again I’m taking a look back at the past year.

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Last Day of 2016 – I ended and started the year with my mum, highly pregnant, walking around trying to catch the fireworks at 12. It was a lot like today, cloudy and roads covered in snow. We actually didn’t find a good spot to look at the fireworks, but we did see some. And after a short, but tiring walk I made my way home to my bed.

15th of January – The most amazing, heartwarming, incredible day of my life, and of 2017. I gave birth to my baby boy. He’s soon turning 1, and I can’t believe how I found the strength to push him out without any medication or drugs. This was hands down my proudest moment & the highlight of my year!

Surprise Birthday Party for 2 – Surprised my mum at home with a clean house and her favorite cake. I stayed and celebrated her belated birthday whilst we ate carrot cake and she opened presents.

Summer 2017 – First summer i tried wearing the hijab, and it was a success! Not as hard as I thought it would be. Abayas became my new best friend and light chiffon scarfs as well.

22nd Birthday – I gave birth at 21, but 7 months later I turned 22. If you haven’t seen it you can watch my «22 things I’ve learned the last 22 years».

2 Year Anniversary – This day lies close to my heart because it’s the day I said my shahada. Nervous and anxious, but the best decision I have made.

Roadtrip to Gothenburg – I was eager to travel the whole year, and finally at the last end of November we decided to take a roadtrip – my mum, my son and I. We had a wonderful stay in Gothenburg, spending most of our time at Liseberg, Universum and in the car, of course.

First day back at work – After 46 weeks at home I had to say goodbye to my baby boy, at least for a couple of hours, and go back to work. After a couple of days and haircuts, I was back into the old routines.

Dinner with the fam – 23rd of December, a day before Christmas Eve here in Scandinavia, we all meet up at my brothers apartment and had a wonderful homemade buffet and played games long over midnight.

Last day of 2017 – Today I continued packing for tomorrow, and also meet up with my mum yet again for a New Years Eve dinner with my son. Now 1 year later he could join us and it was a full circle experience.

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A new year is on it’s way, and this year we get 366 days of creating and writing our story!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Elizabeth