President Thabo Mbeki resigns

I must say I sat with bated breath on Saturday afternoon, 20 September 2008 waiting for the fate of the country to be told. At 12:30, Secretary General of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe was to relay the ANC’s decision. It was delayed as President Thabo Mbeki was seeking legal advice at the time. Eventually at 13:00, the screening started.

He said they’ve decided to recall Thabo Mbeki to the ANC and Mr Mbeki agreed to follow. Shoo! This is hectic and at such a volatile time. Or is the timing perfect? I can’t help but feel saddened that he didn’t finish his term and that the work he did over the past years should be tainted with such an ending.


Anyhoo… such is life. Today, President Mbeki addressed the nation at 19:30. I was in awe. I sat there, listened, then rushed off to mosque not forgetting to ask my dad to record the commentary for me. When I returned from mosque. I watched it. Pretty interesting stuff if you ask me. At 12 o’clock I was still glued… until my dad ushered me to bed. A quote from his speech which really stood out for me:

“…gloom and despondency have never defeated adversity. Trying times need courage and resilience. Our strength as a people is not tested during the best of times. As we said before, we should never become despondent because the weather is bad nor should we turn triumphalist because the sun shines.”

It is true hey... in the end it's all about our approach. If you’d like to view a full copy of his speech, see President Thabo Mbeki’s Resignation Speech

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar

A colleague of mine, Bradley Shaw just sent me this most beautiful email. Very inspiring and certainly added a new spark to my day and life. I thought I’d share it with you!

Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly ressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: “I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.”

Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement:

"To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment."

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, “Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.”

My friend said jokingly, “No, I'd prefer a soft drink.” Wally smiled and said, “No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.” Almost stuttering, Harvey said, “I'll take a Diet Coke.”

Handing him his drink, Wally said, “If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.” As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, “These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.”

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

“Tell me, Wally,” my amazed friend asked the driver, “have you always served customers like this?”

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. “No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer , on the radio one day.”

“He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said:

"Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd."

“That hit me right between the eyes,” said Wally. “Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.”

“I take it that has paid off for you,” Harvey said.

“It sure has,” Wally replied. “My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.”

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

How about us?

Smile, and the whole world smiles with you... The ball is in our hands!

A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up... let us do good to all people.

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar.

Iftaar at Spur

So… it’s a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon. A welcomed sunshine day after the storms and utter blistering cold we’ve been experiencing lately. It’s certainly not a day to be found in the kitchen.

My cousin, Nadia called earlier the morning, who was enjoying their stay at the Royal Atlantic in Seapoint. She suggested we conform to the usual Saturday evening’s at Spur. So we decided to join. And, lucky for me, I convinced my parents to come along too.

Dad & Mom

We were meant to arrive an hour before Iftaar ‘boeka time’… but as luck would have it, we came a ½ hour before to be graced with a long waiting list and extended lines. Although, Spur was nice enough to provide dates and falooda milk for those left to wait. Nevertheless, we used this time to catch-up and mingle… it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.

Myself & Shireen

Samir & Raafiek

Eventually, we got seated an hour and a half after arrival. Oh boy… it certainly was worth the wait! I thoroughly enjoyed my meal… thinking about it now is making my mouth water. Hmmm… that reminds me I still have leftovers as I couldn’t finish. Oooh wee!!!


The gathering was nice… thoroughly enjoyed the company. After the meal and many heavy bodies later… we decided to venture out into Seapoint for a much-needed coffee.

Shireen, Shahieda, Nadia, Mom & Me

Some family pics

Last night when I got home from work… I walked into a beautiful sight. There was my daddy… all dressed up and looking snazzy. I told him so. He just laughed.

My dad usually where’s salaah tops that you throw over your clothing and they usually have patterns on them. Well, not today… today he was dazzling in a pure black salaah top, clean shaven and that all too familiar smell… looking dashing as ever! Atleast I thought so!


I ventured on inside to my mom who was busy doing the dishes. Always camera-shy, she tried to avoid taking the picture… but when showed her how it came out…


...she was convinced to take a proper one. Love you mommy!


After mosque for Taraweegh Salaah, I came home and took this piccy with my daddy.


Then before bedtime for Ashraf, I squeezed in this one.


These are special souls in my life… and I ask for Allah (SWT) to always grace them with his all-encompassing Protection, Mercy and Love. And, to shower their lives with His blessings! Insha-Allah, Ameen!

Hope is on its way

As I got into the car to leave work after a long and hard day… I was graced by this little book lying on the seat of Steve’s car. Usually I’m too bushed to do anything… even chat, so I leave Steve and Rustum to carry on with their antics while I catch up on some zzz’s. But, not today… this book had me hooked. I read it from cover to cover.


Steve was quite impressed to see me still awake… but by this time I was pondering on the words of wisdom. Really made me take a deeper look into life and to see the positive instead of focusing on the negative. I’m a big believer and preacher of this… but only towards others. When it comes to myself, that’s a different ball game. It’s often easier to help someone else than to help yourself.

There were some interesting quotes that really stood out for me… I’d like to share them with you:

Each second you can be reborn. Each second there can be a new beginning. It is choice. It is your choice. – CLEARWATER

Now is not time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is. – ERNEST HEMINGWAY (1899-1961)

People deal too much with the negative, and what is wrong… Why not try and see the positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom? – THICH NHAT HANH

My personal favourite:
Throw your heart out in front of you and run ahead to catch it. – ARAB PROVERB

I have always felt that the moment when first you wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that… absolutely anything may happen. And, the fact that it practically always doesn’t, matters not one jot. The possibility is always there. – MONICA BALDWIN

We have enough people who tell it like it is – now we could use a few who tell it like it can be. – ROBERT ORBEN

There were many ways of breaking a heart. Stories were full of hearts broken by love, but what really broke a heart was taking away its dream – whatever that dream might be. – PEARL BUCK (1892-1973)

If one burdens the future with one’s worries, it cannot grow organically. I am filled with confidence, not that I shall succeed in worldly things, but that even when things go badly for me I shall still find life good and worth living. – ETTY HILLESUM

But for me security is not knowing what’s going to happen. Because if I don’t know, it could be terrific. – GLORIA STEINEM, b. 1934

The longing for paradise is paradise itself. – KAHLIL GIBRAN (1883-1931)

I compared notes with one of my friends who expects everything of the universe, and is disappointed when anything is less than the best, and I found that I begin at the other extreme, expecting nothing, and am always full of thanks for moderate goods. – RALPH WALDO EMERSON (1803-1882)

I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining. I believe in love, even when I do not feel it. I believe in God, even when He is silent. – LINES SCRAWLED ON A CELLAR WALL IN COLOGNE WHICH WAS DESTROYED BY BOMBING IN WORLD WAR II.

I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward. – CHARLOTTE BRONTE (1816-1855)

May your life be filled with love, hope and honour!

Ooh yummy!

Strawberries! My favourite… rich in a red mouth-watering colour bound to extinguish any feelings that do not bring enjoyment, utter fulfilment and pure exhilaration. Strawberries… are one of my favourite things to eat… among other things like fresh cream! Hehe… :)

So, my daddy got some as a gift and boy did he give me the go-ahead to chow-down… I had such a feast… one night strawberries and custard… the other strawberries and sugar… and just last night… the moment I’ve been waiting for… strawberries and cream! Needless to say… I was beside myself!

Gaining perspective

This past week has been really tough on me… I won’t go into much detail… that’s for my own contention, but I do feel as if a weight has been lifted. Algamdulilah. My daddy is recovering each and every day… and I know this is only by the pure Will and Grace of Almighty Allah.

I realised what needs to be done… I need to learn to let go… to put my complete faith in the hands of Almighty Allah. This is something I could do very easily before… many a times I’ve endeavoured and was blessed with the bliss of contentment. This time around, I need to try a bit harder. And, like I told a very dear friend of mine today… it’s the hardships in life that push you forward to greatness. Sometimes I wish I’d listen to myself. Afterall, no one said life was going to be easy, right? But, the old cliché… apparently it’s definitely worth it! So, I plan to give life my all and to always strive to reach closeness with my Creator… that’s exactly where I need to be.

At least I have something to spur me on. The month of Ramadaan is here and it has certainly helped with the spiritual connection I was lacking. I went to Salaatul-Taraweegh tonight and it left my heart with a feeling of excitement, joy and pure exhilaration. I miss that feeling and am certainly looking forward to experiencing more of it.

So, over and above all that’s been happening, today I’m in a good place and thankful for it. Oh Allah, may you continue to bless all that’s dear to me and grant all deceased the highest of places in Jannah, make our Ummah strong and may we always strive to follow the Siraatal-Mustaqeem. You, Oh Allah are indeed a Lord of Mercy, Love and Significance! I Love You!