At OR Tambo

On landing at OR Tambo, I decided to test the Gautrain service, which I did write about last year. I been on trains in other countries and was eager to find out if our very own Gautrain matched up to international standard. The answer is an astounding yes - I got off the plane and within a few minutes had a ticket and ready to board the Gautrain. The train ride and the service is excellent - in a mere 8 minutes I was in Sandton. The only minus was in getting to the OR Tambo Gautrain terminal there are a few up hills and it would be great if they had some sort of porter service for us single girls/passengers who need a little help with the luggage. Other than that, I was left pleasantly surprised - it was 8 minutes of a smooth run between the airport and home, routed along the back of the main traffic highways so you dont see too much of the bustle but rather enjoy some calm before exiting into the busy commercial hub of Johannesburg.

Bluepearl(c) - Gautrain terminal at OR Tambo

Bluepearl(c) - Gautrain terminal at OR Tambo

Bluepearl(c) - View from the Gautrain terminal at OR Tambo

Bluepearl(c) - On the Gautrain terminal towards Sandton

Doha from the air

I am not one of those people who enjoy day flights and as such I tend to opt for the midnight flights on long haul so as to skip the frustrating tension of being airborne for 8 hours of daylight when you could be doing other things...but perhaps in its defense day travel offers you the chance to marvel at things from up there. I got some really beautiful pictures of Doha on take off - Doha is just becoming beautiful by the day and a small wonder how great it will be looking in the next few years. What stole my ultimate appreciation in beauty, though,  was the fashionable creations of our Lord - layers and layers of beautiful clouds in white to smoky grey backdropped against a faded blue sky - Allahu Akbar! there is nothing more simpler to make you realise the magnifence of our Creator. My camera could not do this scene much justice but take a look anyway.

Bluepearl(c) - Doha from the air

Bluepearl(c) - Doha from the air

Bluepearl(c) - Doha from the air

Bluepearl(c) - Up in the skies over the Gulf

Heading South

In between my packing and last minute shopping for my trip to SA, tomorrow, my mind momentarily sways between the excitement of being with my family again and Apple's launching of the new IPAD...I been waiting for this for a long time and that time is coming up on the 2nd of March. So while I'm getting ready to back track south to the comfort of much needed family love and attention, I wish you all a great week and hope to post alot more when I am back next week.





Have fun!

I am back

So i am back in Qatar but admittedly miss my family alot - it was so great to spend time with each member of my family specifically my mom, my brothers and their kids! I love them so much! I am glad I got to see my mom - she is a remarkable role model - I can never thank her enough for being a great supportive parent to my brothers and I. It is because of her that there is a sense of perfection when it comes to family and Islam. She holds us all together:)



Princess Arial (my eldest niece) hosted a tea party at her house but was so busy playing that she forgot she had guests and left mom and dad to do the entertaining. Afterwards when asked what happened to the tea hostess during the tea party, she replied " I didn't have any tea cups" *lol*. As for Spiderman (younger nephew), there are not enough of synonyms for naughtiness to describe him. Ben10 (my eldest nephew) who has already decided he is going to be a science professor who will make a dinosaur is busy investigating his love for photography currently...he left me with these photos, which I think to be amongst the best of his collection *chuckles* Are they not cute?





And oh, between visiting the nursery (which is looking beautiful by the way), driving around, doing shopping, having lots of lunches out, visiting my younger brothers new place,  I also have managed to catch up on animated movies roll too (with the little ones) - we watched Alice in Wonderland, UP, Dispicable Me, Open Season 3 and short scenes from Maters tales (with Lightning McQueen). 

BluePearl (c) - Ben10 Photography

BluePearl (c) - Ben10 Photography

Memos from South Africa

Photo taken while visiting the Lifestyle Nursery during drive in the country side of northern johannesburg towards the muldersdrift area. Are'nt the flowers just beautiful? And these fish - some of them were just sooo huge. I love Koi fish! I hope you all are having a great finish to 2010...I do miss you all and hope to catch up on your blogs sooon.

To tell you of something, me

1. The weekend has been kind in offering not only some relaxing time but perhaps some momentous time-capsuling moments for the Gulf ...

- It seems the gulf has had a great celebratory few days with the Queen visiting Abu Dhabi and Oman while Oman's King has been celebrating his 40 years of ruling, UAE celebrating its 39th Birthday and dear Qatar celebrates its win for the 2022 FIFA world cup. 

- For non-nationals, its an act of balancing the scales between the joy of winning the 2022 and the strengthening Riyal which will only become stronger now with all the open doors the World cup brings. Good luck to the exchange market. I saw the dollar dip :)  Have a look at this article.

- So if you want to read up on more on Oman, visit either Dhofari Gucci or Oman - travels into Oman. For UAE blogs, visit Al-Emirati-A local take on the world or Somalian Arab princess. There is also Rationality and Khaleejia's blog to take note of.

- I saw some really beautiful pictures of Saudi, composed by Blue Abaya which I want to share with you - I am sure you will savor them too, as I did -  have a look here. May Allah also heal the Saudi King soon, Inshallah wa Allahu A3lam. By the way, my other favourite Saudi blogger is With a Saudi accent. 

2. I been busy with my Fujitsu Project tasks which has been quiet exciting. If you still interested in seeing what others along with myself have been up to, visit the Lifebook4Life blog.

3. Yesterday I had a strange desire to have some pumpkin (something I miss from back home because its so much more popular there than it is here) - so I proudly cooked some lamb and pumpkin. It is also been a point for me to get back to healthy eating as I somehow succumbed to a lazy lifestyle since I been away from home, so lets see how long this lasts. 

4. I been catching up on some knowledge quests on technology and life - educating myself on odd mind boggling questions. 

5. I been silently reading your blogs and commenting here and there but I do apologize for being quiet - I am the type of person who occasionally slips away into silent thinking with myself. I am very mindful I cut off the big world but I just don't feel like talking - just sometimes I want to not talk:) I been regrouping my thoughts, my plans and trying to center myself again...its a very hard thing to do for a person like me who lives each day for each day.

6. I want you all to read this post by All my wonders - somehow maybe slightly off topic but with good intent as the post was written perfectly. A true lesson that deserves to be shared.

7. I been missing home so much recently and hoping to be back there soon again, Inshallah. I been craving Tinkies, my mommy's love & food & everyone else at home! It has also been a self-realisation that I never really introduced you all to my dear South African Blogger friends -  so here they are if any of you are interested in reading their blogs (which are great by the way): Crafty Muslimah, Girl Talk 786, Muslim Woman Exposed, The Diaries of Bint Mahmood, The Searching Slave & Cake Mama (although she is not writing right now - wish she would come back).

8. Another self-realisation is that I am not centered or patient when I don't read my salaat which has further re-iterated the importance of Allah in my life. I really love Allah and thank Him so much for standing by me in everything I do. Allah az wa jal.

9. Have a thoughtful, appreciative, super fantastic week ahead - Can you believe its December already - my gosh...Here's come 2011 in days!

Sun Halo

While browsing through the South African paper today, I was pleasantly surprised to learn of a 'Sun Halo'. Johannesburg residents were witness to this somewhat of a miracle earlier this week which is visibly a round rainbow, seen around the sun  - the rare phenomenon only appears on occasions when the sun is seen through a fine layer of moisture between the earth and the sun. Sun halos are the result of ice crystals trapped in cirrus clouds, in the lowest layer of earth's atmosphere.  The crystals act as prisms, reflecting light that mimics bands of colour found in a rainbow. Allah-u-Akbar - is this not of the most beautiful creations of Allah!









[3 pictures in this set - click here to see more]

    

Pictures sourced from the News24 Gallery

Hajj 2010 Showcase 2: Two South Africans cycle their way to Haj

Published: Oct 27, 2010 20:40 



Two young South Africans have pedaled their way to Saudi Arabia to perform this year's Haj. Nathim Cairncross, 28, and Imtiyaz Ahmad Haron, 25, both from Cape Town, said on arrival at the Saudi border before reaching Tabuk that they felt happy they were fulfilling their dream of performing Haj. "Pedaling our way to the Kingdom from Cape Town was a grueling experience. We wanted to travel this way so that we are prepared to experience the rigors of performing the pilgrimage," Cairncross, a town planner by profession, told Arab News over the telephone on Monday night.



Both set out on their journey for the annual pilgrimage on Feb. 7 on their bicycles. They pedaled through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Turkey, Syria and Jordan before reaching the

Saudi border. "This is our first Haj. We could have come for Haj by plane, but it was our cherished desire to travel differently, so we chose to use our bicycles, as cycling is what we both love the most," Cairncross said.



Both pedaled 80 to 100 km daily and took rest in mosques or tents after dusk and set out again after dawn. "People have been very cooperative and courteous. At every place that we passed through, they welcomed us and were happy to know that we were going for Haj. Food was never a problem as people took delight in offering us the choicest dishes. Of course, it was tiresome to pedal throughout the journey, especially when

negotiating mountainous regions," Cairncross added.



Language was a big problem for both of them. "Once we entered the Arab countries, we decided to pick up Arabic, especially while traveling through Syria and Jordan. This suited us well when we reached the Saudi

border where the security officials were very friendly and welcomed and greeted us. They were also happy to know that we have undertaken this arduous journey to fulfill our Haj dream," Cairncross said. "We came

with a very small budget and we found to our delight there were people readily prepared to offer us the local cash and meet our needs."



Both did not encounter any serious problem on their way through nine countries in the course of their nine-month journey. "All we did was to change tires and tubes, and fix the pedal chain from time to time.



Asked why they chose to ride bicycles, Cairncross said: "This gives us a lot of opportunity to meet and interact with different people in different countries. Additionally, we continued with our Dawa work wherever we stopped for our overnight stays."



Both Cairncross and Haron are students of Islamic law and have studied Shariah. "I joined a university and completed a course in town planning and am working in the field of construction," Cairncross said.



Both of them are single and love sports. While Cairncross is interested in wind surfing along beaches and seas, Haron, an economics graduate, excels in kickboxing and mountain climbing. After the pilgrimage, both propose to return home via West Africa.





Mashallah!





If any of you are in Saudia, please have a look at Fruitful Fusions Blog for a charity event coming up on the 3rd of November.

Lighthouses

I love lighthouses for some strange reason...I took this photograph during my vacation in Umlangha. 

BluePearl (c) - The light house in Umlangha, Durban, Kwa-zulu Natal

Post Cards from South Africa - 12

I love starting my day with green tea. When I got to the kitchen this morning, my mama made my green tea for me...After sitting down to tea and a chat with mum, It was time to pack my bags ahead of my trip to Doha tonight. 

BluePearl (c) - My pretty mug that I love so much

Post Cards from South Africa - 11

Today is the day we go back to Johannesburg. We love the road trip between Durban and Johannesburg (v/versa), often taking time-outs and lunch breaks at the 1stop petrol stations along the 6 hour road trip. 

(4 pictures in this set - click on read more to view all)

BluePearl (c) - Driving back to Johannesburg

BluePearl (c) - The view driving back home

BluePearl (c) - Nando's for lunch:)

Arriving in Johannesburg at Sunset - thats a pretty sunset too:)

Its times to kick of the shoes, take a shower and whine down after that wonderfully long week in Durban... there's no place like home.

Ps: Today was National Heritage Day in South Africa which is also dubbed as National Braai (Barbeque) Day. Any excuse to have a braai:)

Post Cards from South Africa - 10

What's any holiday without some shopping and fun - so we're off to the Gateway Shopping Mall today (6 pictures in this set - click on read more to view all)

BluePearl (c) - Gateway Shopping Mall Centre court - foot massages

BluePearl (c) - Gateway Shopping Mall Cente court - love the huge open spaces. 

BluePearl (c) - Foundation laid in 18-02-1999

BluePearl (c) Gateway Shopping mall random pictures

BluePearl (c) Gateway Shopping mall random pictures

BluePearl (c) Gateway Shopping mall random pictures

Post Cards from South Africa - 9

(2 pictures in this set - click on read more to view all)

BluePearl (c) - Nothing nicer than soaking up Beach sun

BluePearl (c) - Just perfect

Post Cards from South Africa - 8



BluePearl (c) - This is XD (4D) theater at the Gateway shopping mall (Umlangha)





Heading in to watch "Cosmic Coaster"



They also had the option of watching "Haunted Mines" but I think after the Cosmic Coaster thrill, one 4D show was quiet enough for me. Its off to lunch now at the food park (food court)

Post Cards from South Africa - 7

BluePearl (c) - Weather is looking better today...Beach time!!!

Post Cards from South Africa - 6

BluePearl (c) - Still in Durban -  some of the wedding presents my brother received

Post Cards from South Africa - 5

BluePearl (c) - A view of umlangha

Post Cards from South Africa - 4

We have arrived in Umlangha, a suburb situated on the North coast of Durban - it is a popular tourist area. 

BluePearl (c) - A view of the pool and surroundings from our Chalet in Umlangha

Post Cards from South Africa - 3

BluePearl (c) - Entering Umlangha (North Coast of Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa)



Our Holidaying location for the next 8 days

Look at the weather :)

Post Cards from South Africa - 2

We started our road trip this morning - we are on our way to the City of Durban which is located in the Province/State of Kwa-Zulu Natal of South Africa. There are number of fueling stations along the way that offer 1 stop facilities such as restaurants, play places, quick shops and rest rooms. This is a place called "Bergville" which is half way between Johannesburg and Durban.

BluePearl (c) - Entering Kwa Zulu Natal (South Africa) - lunching stop