This is a special bonus post!!!! You see originally I had asked that members of my immediately family just write a post about themselves...and then I thought of the fun idea to write about each other. Well my mother, being the diligent woman that she is, decided to write hers on time - and it was too good not to share! So enjoy this bonus post the night before we head to Mexico!
Hello everyone, this is Shaida and you all know how I am related to Natasha
My two-year long vacation:
Well, the last two years have been quite eventful and somewhat unique. In the middle of 2012, Inayat and I decided to move to Nairobi (in Kenya, which is my country of birth) as he was starting up a business there. So, we sold our home, and transferred all our possessions, and settled into a large apartment in the City. It would be very difficult to explain the transition in life style and environment to someone else. Even though I was born and lived in Kenya (Mombasa) for many years, I had been in Canada for the past 40 years, so the adjustment was certainly an eye-opener.
Of course, some of the luxuries of house help were things I had forgotten since childhood, and I would say, spoilt me. Being an official “ housewife” also gave me time to enjoy the gym and personal trainers, and so on.
I also was very fortunate that I was able to spend a lot of time in the beginning with my uncle (Shamshu Cha-cha - my kids know him as Bapu #3) and family, who were very close to me growing up. He passed away two years ago, and I have fond recent memories of him. I was also able to enjoy time with my two cousins Anjum Asodia and Gulnar Kurji and their families (one lived in the same complex) who are also very close to me, but we had been apart physically for decades. So, Life in Kenya now feels like a great long reunion.
During my stay there, Inayat’s mum visited, Inayat’s Uncle Abdul stopped by on his jaunt which included climbing Mt. Kenya, and then Goa and now in India. Natasha and Mike also visited at the same time as my mother in law. During their trip, they did the safari and we all went together to a retreat up country in Kenya.
During the two years away from Canada, I also had the chance to travel a fair bit. I returned to Canada a few times, including for Inayat’s grandfather’s funeral in Toronto, nephew Omar’s graduation in Scottdale, Arizona, Nephew Kaleim’s wedding to Liz in Vancouver, long road trip through the Grand Canyon, Nevada and California with Inayat’s Uncle Sadru and Aunt Zeeba, spent 6 weeks with my lovely nieces Sophia and Courtney not to forget Salima and Spencer in Chicago. In addition, I travelled to Romania for Cousin Aly’s wedding to Cinziana and a few days with Inayat, Natasha, Sophia, Mike, Saskia and Shafique in Istanbul.
Just before my departure from Nairobi, I had the honour of being able to participate in the wedding of my nephew Kamal to Fatema, the first of the nephews and nieces from that side of the family.
So, now I am back in Canada, this time again in Vancouver, for yet another chapter in life.
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