All I can say Is Subhana Allah Al Humdullilah you are well and truly are benefiting and have benefited in the professional and cultural aspects of living and teaching in China. It is said that with patience comes virtue, therefore after your ordeal on the train, in taxis, and the overall uncouthness in etiquettecy, you should be at the higher end of virtuosity.(Smile)l
Shanghai sounds like the way I had pictured it, crowded, smokey and expensive.
Granddaddy Lester will be leaving the hospital on Monday. Al Humdullilah he is off the ventilator and has regained his strength. He is talking (so you know that is a good sign the way he likes to run his mouth).
Yousuf and Ali are back in school. They look so cute and are growing up fast. Ali has learned some Quran and is very articulate in it. Jannah & Adam are in the cooing and creeping stage (Adam has two bottom tooth). Cute as ever (Ma Sha Allah). May Allah grant you with a safe trip.
zài jiàn (Umm Latifa)
So great to hear from you Hi Latifa,
We just read your latest blog. Amazing adventures you are having :) Your writing style is fabulous ... so descriptive and fun to read.
The accountant for our co-op is Chinese and she is from Nanchang originally. I was telling her that you were teaching in China and now she keeps me posted on the weather and asks how you are.
All is well. It's been a great summer, gorgeous weather.
So wonderful to hear from you.
Take care
love
sue
Wonderful !!!!!!! Hey Sweetie,
It sounds like you are having quite the adventure. It sounds wonderful Tifa. I am sure it is educational. Enjoy the life and live each moment as if it was your last. Make your salaats, be thankful and work hard. May Allah grant you his mercy, refuge, protection, guidance, patience, knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
Love ya,
Daddy
Hey Have you decided to stay with the school? I will be officially moved in by the end of August. I'm going to Suzhou for the summer to work. Do you have any travel plans this summer?
C.A.M.B.O.D.I.A There was a sign posted saying the visa fee is $20 USD. However, the thieving Cambodian immigrant officers always ask travelers to pay 25 USD. Most people have to pay 25 USD to avoid waiting forever. I still really don't know why you ended up paying 40 USD, way too much! Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I think, you are a really positive person. That's good though.
Paul
omg Wow!! Those are some scary adventurous experiences, and so different from mine in Cambodia. I'm glad that you and Shelly are both safe, and that you have written this posting with still such a positive edge. I miss you Latifa!!
via fee Salaams
As usual your adventures were astounding. To charge $40 for a visa is astounding. They must make a lot of money in their economy with this. BUt I gues with an economically deprived country, tourism has to pay the bills and provide jobs for the people. I definitely think that if your um was in another life, the cambodian fire dancer you posed with would be in the running for my affection. He was gorgeous, quite beautiful people. Their level of English surprises me,
Tell Shelly that when you guys are travelling together, be mindful of keeping each other in contact with your endeavors
Love Umm
I think that your dad is right, if you're having such problems bottled water, and plenty of it, is the way to go.
Also that fire dancer is totally cute.
Seccadas?Eeek! That secadda is horribly ugly! My first time to ever see one captured on film. I see you're just enjoying yourself. Please send more pictures of Cambodia as you've piqued my interest regarding its beauty. It's normal to have fluid retention as well as dehydration at the same time. Matter of fact, cells in your body will actually hold MORE water (if you're dehydrated) because it needs to keep the entire system in equilibrium. Since your body isn't getting enough water, the cells in your body do not want to expel the amount of water it holds thereby causing swelling in your foot and other extremeties such as fingers and hands. In other words, drink more water and you'll have LESS fluid retention. I am so secretly envious of your travels! You're like the female version of Marco Polo! Well take care and enjoy it while you're there. Mr. Cambodia is very handsome btw :) Miss you loads! Keep us posted! Love Kiya
Swollen Limbs Hi There Sweetie,
It can be normal for fingers and feet to swell up in hot weather. Especially if you are walking or on your feet lots. My fingers and feet also swell up, just a little, sometimes when out on a walk during a hot day.
Make sure you drink lots and lots of water, which in your case should probably be bottled water :). Of course drinking lots of water will cause you to urinate lots but this is good. Because when its hot the system has to gets rid of excess fluids and waste by sweating or something and the fluid has to go somewhere. Drinking lots of water helps the passage this fluid and so it doesn't just build up in your fingers or feet.
So you have to make a conscious effort to drink water when you're out like that. Many people walk around with water bottles. If you noticed your feet probably did not swell when the weather cooled down there in China.
So get your self a good, NOT PLASTIC, water bottle and keep it with you sweetie.
Your trip sounds amazing. It is great seeing the world. So much beauty......Supaan Allah
Love ya,
Daddy
TIGERS! Salaams Tifa!
The pictures are amazing! Yousuf is mesmerized by the concept of a floating market. Wish I could have gone with you to visit the tiger village. That is awesome. How I would love to squeeze their paws **sighs**. Bangkok is dirty and overfilled with roaches (with features??)? That is surprising.; always thought it was tourisy and clean. Thailand seems really nice and idyllic place to travel. We miss you alot . Yousuf and Ali sends their hellos. Jannah and Adam sends you hugs and kisses. Stay well. Miss you and love you loads xoxoxo
Floating houses Salaams Honey. Your descriptive writing skills make me want to pack up and see it now. With the floating markets, rare exotic delicacies., except the squirrel. I've had squirrel, your grandad while living in Alabama use to hunt and bring it home. Are the tigers monitored closely, I can see in one of the pictures, the one with the two tigers the personnel not really paying attention to closely. Well I say bravo toany country that managed to not get colonized by European powers. Bravo for Thailand. Whats up with the dogs there? I guess they domesticate them there.. The babies Jannah and Adam are growing like weeds. They are adorable and Yousuf and Ali have gotten use to the new additions. Miss you loads and love Ya
nice blog! Hey there Tifa!
Just stumbled across your site. Love your entries. I'm learning Mandarin and have been thinking about going. I enjoy reading about China through the eyes of a fellow A-A female. Have fun. Look forward to reading more.
~Nika
Dude, it's so awesome that you are teaching in China. It looks like a blast. And your students look like they really love you!! Are you going back? I hope so. Just flipping through the blog and it looks so interesting.
Hope your celebrations with family were fun! Congrats on the new additions to the family! It's strange to think that your sister has so many kids now. But as you nicely point out, we are getting older!!
See you on FB.
P.S.
I will admit to being a badass ninja in my downtime. ;)
Happy New Year with lots of love Insha Allah looking forward to your visit. Your students look like they adore you. That is so wonderful!! Rainey looks like she has such a pleasant disposTion. YOu are truly blessed. I'll pick you at up at the airport. Insha Allah
:) i either love nanchang or hate it depending on the mood and the day. i guess that's just like anywhere else, though... hehe. interesting you're going to wuyuan, that's where my boyfriend wanted to go for a mini-vacation before new year's. anyway, hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday!
hello Hi There
Just noticed your blog. Welcome to Nanchang. You seem to like it here and thats the attitude to have! For Spring Festival I'm going back to WuYuan. Its a small charming town in Jiangxi, about 3 hours from Nanchang. If you haven't been, you should check it out sometime. They have little villages around the area where you can purchase some pretty cool things.
In any regards, cheers and happy new year!
Happy New Year Sweetie You look absolutely wonderful Latifa. I think you have found your calling. The pictures are really great. I wish we could see you this time around when you come home but life is as it is and perhaps next time. I know it will be exciting to get back home. I hope to go to Columbus also for a visit after Kiya has caught her breath back :)
May Allah ride with you on your trip back and make your journey pleasant and comfortable.
Love ya,
Daddy
Happy New Year Assalamu Alaikium
Hey Childe!!! Nice pictures. Glad to hear you're having a wonderful experience teaching in China. Cant wait to see you! Miss you loads :)
Kiya
Assalaamu Alaikum my precious daughter. Happy New Year to you and may God bless us with many more. As you know we as muslims don't celebrate xmas, however, there were some nice KWANZA festivites that were held in the building. It was lovely, with the African dancers and all. Keya went into false labor last week, but Al humdullilah she has not dilated and is fine. The Chinese children are so cute in the picture, although some of them look quite mischevious especially the little girl in the yellow jacket:)) Well at any rate, whether you were hoed out or not, you got the experience.
Looking forward to seeing you in less than 3 weeks. Take care
Love Mommy
Assalaamu Alaikum my precious daughter. Happy New Year to you and may God bless us with many more. As you know we as muslims don't celebrate xmas, however, there were some nice KWANZA festivites that were held in the building. It was lovely, with the African dancers and all. Keya went into false labor last week, but Al humdullilah she has not dilated and is fine. The Chinese children are so cute in the picture, although some of them look quite mischevious especially the little girl in the yellow jacket:)) Well at any rate, whether you were hoed out or not, you got the experience.
Looking forward to seeing you in less than 3 weeks. Take care
Love Mommy
Happy New Year Hey Latifa,
Thanks for the great update. We had a great vacation in Victoria, spending Christmas with Bobby and family. I have till the 4th of January off which is very nice. Back in Vancouver now, just hanging out.
Have a wonderful New Year's celebration, Latifa, and I wish you many exciting new adventures in this coming year.
love
sue
Umm Latifa
non-member comment
All I can say Is Subhana Allah
Al Humdullilah you are well and truly are benefiting and have benefited in the professional and cultural aspects of living and teaching in China. It is said that with patience comes virtue, therefore after your ordeal on the train, in taxis, and the overall uncouthness in etiquettecy, you should be at the higher end of virtuosity.(Smile)l Shanghai sounds like the way I had pictured it, crowded, smokey and expensive. Granddaddy Lester will be leaving the hospital on Monday. Al Humdullilah he is off the ventilator and has regained his strength. He is talking (so you know that is a good sign the way he likes to run his mouth). Yousuf and Ali are back in school. They look so cute and are growing up fast. Ali has learned some Quran and is very articulate in it. Jannah & Adam are in the cooing and creeping stage (Adam has two bottom tooth). Cute as ever (Ma Sha Allah). May Allah grant you with a safe trip. zài jiàn (Umm Latifa)