Everyone's Nani and Nanabapa!

This post is from our Nanima and Nanabapa - also known as the Don & Nanabapa :) They are my (Natasha) mother's (Shaida) parents.  

MEXICO!

Oh Boy are we excited - hope you are too! My name is Fatma (but please, call me Nanima) and this is my husband Nizar. We are the maternal grandmother and grandfather to Natasha. I have five children and ten grandchildren and occasionally it’s difficult to remember all their names! (though I love them all the same).

Born and raised in East Africa we are both naturally comfortable in tropical environments so please note that we can be found on the beach, cosmopolitan in hand. We are looking forward to spending time with our growing family and catching up with new friends. 

To tell you a little bit about myself; I’m considered a little bit of a fashionista as my original passion was in clothing - I started my working career as a tailor. My friends know me to scout out all the best shops at Oakridge Mall,  Main Street for suits and saris and my pants are always pressed and proper. After having so many children (it’s a lot of work) it became easier to care for them from home in Toronto and I managed to set myself up as a caregiver for many in and outside of our Ismaili community. I continued my profession even after coming to live in Vancouver. I’m pretty much Nani to everyone you kids (all my grandchildren's friends) know now. Beat that! 

I have always enjoyed traveling and prior to my retirement used to take month-long vacations exploring different parts of the world with my globe-trotting family & friends; we’ve been on camel rides, roller coasters and yachts galore! Alongside these passions is, cooking which I learnt from my ex-mother-in-law and really enjoying the art of creating fine foods. I have gathered a following of family, friends, and strangers who request dishes and beg for seconds. Naturally I love to feed people, if you’ve ever entered my home you would know how difficult it is to leave without eating first.

My husband is a quiet man; he uses not as many words as grunts but always manages to get the message across. He loves to meet new people, but also enjoys time alone relaxing and watching TV (mostly sleeping). A master with a machete, you may find him putting the bartenders to shame extracting fresh coconut juice. His skill is derived from early days as a hunter (hobby) in East Africa and being a butcher in Kenya and then later in Canada (and the finest BBQ artist we know!). He has amazing stories to share about his early days tracking lions and elephants and can talk conventional sports if that’s your thing instead! 

Although our days are a little quieter now, we look forward to opportunities like this (Thank you Natasha & Mukund!) to spend quality time with our amazing extended family and friends. Only a few more weeks to go!

Fatma and Nizar Karmali