Project Life | Story of Ahmed Family | Week 1

Hiya! I missed my space and I'am glad that I'am finally back. I've been meaning to write since Eid but things just kept getting in my way. Later I decided to write once I was done with my first week spread of Project Life. Yes, Project Life!  

If you have been following my blog for a while, you would know that I started scrapbooking just over a year ago. Back then, while I was trying to figure out what exactly scrapbooking was, I came across Becky Higgins and Project Life (do watch the new cute video). I loved the idea. However, none of the products were available and I also realized that getting it shipped to Dubai would cost me a bomb! I also tried to get it through a local store which didn't work out. So I moved on and decided to do the traditional artsy scrapbooking. 

I've nothing against the way I scrapbook now. I love it. It gives me a creative outlet and I get to do things that I thought I could never do. The only thing that bugs me is the fact that I cannot seem to get every story or random things on my pages. It's a lot work, I cannot deny that. And whenever I see anyone's Project Life post on blogosphere or Instagram, I feel a tinge of sadness. So after a lot of meandering and wondering whether this is something I could do, I decided to take the plunge. How can I find out whether I can do it without giving it a try right? 

So I purchased the Amber Core Kit, a gorgeous Signature Black Binder, Variety Pack 1 Page Protectors and some extra pocket pages for just in case scenarios. I got it shipped along with PPS's orders during Ramadan. Since I was already doing a daily Ramadan Journal, I decided to wait and start after Eid. I mean what time is better than Eid to start something new? Right? 

Although I kept the project for later, I did open the package and feel and touch everything. Talha and I sat and fed some of the page protectors with journaling cards. I must admit that I'am a bit disappointed by the thinness of page protectors. But I think they have made it thin as it's a year long project and the album could get bulky. Oh, they also released few new lines. Go check them out here when you can. 

I also did a lot of reading on different Project Lifer's blogs - Lisa Trusdelle, Marcy Penner, Findingnana, Geralyn Sy and ofcourse Ali Edwards. I madly pinned whatever information I could so that I could go back and have a look whenever required. Check my Project Life only pin board here. 

Without further ado let me show you my cover page...  

I've kept things fairly simple. Why? I felt a bit flustered at first seeing all the tiny pockets. Although I take loads of photos, I never seem to have enough when it comes to scrapbooking. And since I do not have a colour printer at home, I have to be very careful with the photos I select as I cannot get J to go to the studio again and again. And I'am too lazy to go by myself. teehee

Although most ladies do a two page spread per week, I have told myself to go with the flow and do whatever works best for me. I have come across many bloggers who are behind and are trying hard to catch up. I know, life get's in the way. I do not want to fall behind only because I know myself very well. If I fall behind I have this tendency to give up. And I really do not want to give up.  I'am only a week into PL, but I'am totally in love with it. I just cannot afford to fall behind. 

Since the first week was about Eid, I have a two and half pages spread. I do not think I would have as many inserts for my second week. But that's ok. I've to keep reminding myself that.  

So here's my Week 1 spread... (Earlier I had shared phone photos. I got to take photos with my DSLR and felt those were better.)

I will be back with a PL organization and ideas post in couple of days, Insha Allah. 

Let me know what you think about my PL so far. 

xxNeelu

Ramadan Journal: Day 22-30

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.

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Hiya! I'am back!! Thank you everyone for your kind wishes and prayers. As usual I got crazy with food and ate something that my poor tummy didn't like. Result? High fever, body ache, stomach cramps and full-on diarrhea for about five days. Then it took me couple of days to regain strength and be back to my usual self. My mother had dropped in for a couple of days, so I had some help. Alhamdulillah. :)

So we have a lot to catch up on. I really do not like the idea of doing many posts together but Eid is just few minutes away and it's better to just get it done. So here they go: -

22. Prayer / Free

Oh Allah, protect me from the fire. 

I paid a visit to a Ramadan Food Bazaar conducted by Malaysian ladies at their consulate every Friday of Ramadan. Here are couple of photos. 

23. What's on news today

I couldn't remember what was on news on the 23rd day. So I did a bit of digging and it was India's final medal win by Sushil Kumar splashed all over the media. I didn't watch the closing ceremony, yet. Maybe I will give it a go on YouTube after all the hullaboo is over. 

24. In your mail

In my mail came few Silhouette Cameos. And one of them is MINE. Yippeee!!! I cannot begin to tell you how much I've been waiting for this machine. Since it released last year, I've been wishing and wishing. This time while ordering few for customers, I decided to get one for myself and for the shop. But the funny thing is, I fell sick a day after it reached. Which means, it still is unopened. I'am dying to. But I've so many things to be done before Eid that I've decided to just wait some more and open the box after Eid. I will surely write a review once it's opened and I'am also planning to do a giveaway, Insha Allah. So stay tuned! 

25. White

One of Aisha's Eid frocks. It's really hard to make my mind as to this one or the other one to wear on Eid. Oh, the joys of motherhood! ;) 

26. Joy

I was catching up on the joy of sleeping during this time, I think. I hate being sick and dependent. But my body was screaming for rest and I did just that. I slept and slept. And slept some more. It took me sometime to get back to normal after all the wooziness. haha 

27. Shopping

Major part of shopping is done. Clothes and groceries are covered. There are few things here and there that has to be bought. 

28. Best memory so far

I think it would be the first day of Ramadan. I was feeling so happy that Ramadan had already started. The memory of first day gives me hope to see Ramadan again next year Insha Allah. 

29. Henna

I used to apply Henna myself as a kid. I don't do it anymore. I guess I should give it a try and see. My youngest sister and I got ourselves some Henna designs from a nearby beauty saloon. 

30. Eid Preparation

Since there were chances of having Eid today, I'am busy as a bee since last couple of days. I've been cleaning up, re-organizing wardrobes and drawers. My desserts for Eid are done and ready in fridge. Biryani masala has also been cooked. There are few things here and there to be done in the kitchen which, thankfully, I have some more time to do now that Eid is tomorrow. 

I also took Aisha to a salon today hoping to get some cute haircut. But her hair is so thin and unruly and there wasn't much they could do. Sigh!

Before I leave, I want to thank all of you for keeping me company throughout Ramadan. You have been the bestest! When I came up with this idea I honestly didn't think I would have anyone reading my posts, let alone participating! Thank you so much BeingFab for keeping up with the journal even when I was away. 

May Allah grand us all a happy and blessed Eid. May this Eid fill our homes with nothing but joy, peace and prosperity. Ameen

Eid Mubarak!

Neelu

Will be back soon

Just dropping in quickly to say that I'am down with severe food poisoning. I will be back the moment I feel good and ready to blog. 

Thank you for understanding
Neelu

Looking Through The Kaleidoscope

I've always struggled with colours when it comes to scrapbooking. I'am like men. I cannot differentiate between different shades like the fairer sex. I'am not joking. For me Fuschia is... erm Violet? Aqua is Blue and Turquoise is Green? See, I'am no good with colours. 

So when I came across an online self paced workshop called Through The Kaleidoscope by Amy Heller, I wanted to take it. But I kept it for later and completely forgot. I was browsing through Pinterest and other galleries wishing for some inspiration to strike when I came across it again. I didn't think twice this time and purchased the class right away.

I'am totally in love with Amy Heller, her pages, her videos, her tips and her calm soothing voice guiding us through. Many other talented ladies have joined her to share more inspiration and ideas. More the merrier, right? 

Don't get me wrong, I'am not writing this post to advertise the workshop. I absolutely loved it and felt you might want to give it a try. This workshop gave me just the motivation I needed and I've been sitting and making one page after another. I've used colours that I normally don't even look at. Hell, I've even used as many as five colours in one page! Look at this page for example:

On this page, I've used Red, Green, Yellow, Turquoise and Violet. All these are tertiary colours. My photos already have blue in it and I couldn't find any Orange paper in my stash so didn't use any. 

A closer look... I love my handwriting :)

This page started out as 12x12". I had written a bit about it in one of my previous posts. I was experimenting with mists (Mister Huey and Glimmer Mist) and wasted a lot of scraps to get here. I really wish I had some removable adhesive. I also had to trim down the cardstock to  size to let go of some white space. But that's ok, what's life without some struggle? :) 

I did some hand stitching and used some banner stickers to finish the page. I decided to leave the title alpha as it is and not to add colour. I love how the whole page looks. Since the photo is black and white, all those colours don't take away any attention at all. 

This is more of a CAS layout. I absolutely fell in love with the woodgrain paper from Crate Paper's Pretty Party Collection Kit. I was keen on getting one from Echo Park, but decided to go with Crate Paper instead to push myself out of my good old 'comfort zone'. 

And THIS is the layout I'am most excited about. I haven't felt this way since my 'dream home' layout. The paper is from the same Crate Paper Kit. I know the background isn't really visible here, but it's a light tint of green. I wanted to give 'monochromatic' a try and decided to use just green. 

Instead of misting with Mister Huey Leaf Green, I opened the bottle and spilled some mist using the end of the nozzle. Then quickly I rubbed with my fingers. I loved the effect and did some more. Then I applied some Gesso and did the same with fingers. Again, love! I asked myself what if I used some blue? And went for Mister Huey's Powder Blue. Then I remembered the light pink of Spun Sugar Distress Stain and used some.

I also used punchinella as a stencil for gesso. Can you see it on my page? :) The green frame and adorable sticker are all from the kit. I'am brimming with excitement and feeling happy looking at this page. I haven't felt this way in quite some time and can't wait to get back to my little craft space and continue creating. 

Do tell me what you think about my pages. 

Have a blessed day 
xxNeelu

Ramadan Journal: Day 21: A Nearby Mosque

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.
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Before I  write more about Mosques in UAE, let me share the photo I took of a nearby mosque which is still under construction. Isn't it beautiful? I edited the photo in Pixlr o matic (don't go there if you don't want to get addicted!). And I love the starry Aladinish feel. :)

I don't think I have to tell you that there is no dearth of mosques in the UAE. After all, it's a Muslim country and pretty rich one too. Whichever corner you turn to, you are going to find a beautiful mosque. It's hard to pick a favourite. 

I love the architectural master pieces in Sharjah. And the Riqqa mosque in Deira is also a favourite of mine. Ofcourse Jumeirah mosque is a gem for tourists in Dubai. But the one that has caught everyone's fantasy lately is the one and only Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. 

We were fortunate to visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque couple of years back. I don't have photos good enough to share except for the one above. I've heard that it's something else on a Friday, specially during Ramadan. View some gorgeous photos and read astounding facts about the mosque here. If you are ever in UAE, this mosque is a must visit!

Among all the grand mosques in UAE, there is a hidden gem in Fujairah called Al Bidyah Mosque. It's the oldest mosque of this country. How old? It was built in 1446! Yup, that old! :)

A mosque I would love to visit (before I die) is the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. I would so love to see that one in person. I've heard a lot about the museum in the mosque too. Have you ever been there? Is there any mosque that is just unforgettable for you? 

For me personally, no matter how many mosques I've been to (or passed by), the one that I can never forget is ofcourse the one I went to as a child (back in Kerala). It wasn't a beauty or anything. But it was huge. Completely white. Had a second floor just for ladies and children. I remember going there for Friday prayers, attending Taraveeh, attending many duas, celebrating numerous Eids.. But it's gone now. The mosque got old, walls started cracking and the public decided it was time to demolish and build a new one in it's place. Although the new one looks way more beautiful than the old one, I just don't feel as attached to it as my good old mosque. I guess that's how it is with anything you are fond of... it's hard to let go...

Have a blessed and peaceful Friday (most probably the last one this Ramadan)
Neelu

Ramadan Journal: Day 20: Something Crafty

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.
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A quick post today... This is a scrapbook page I worked on last night. It's a work in progress...

Instagram photo doesn't do it justice. It looks way better in person. :)

It took me two cardstocks, a lot of scraps and mists to get here. I can still see a lot of mistakes I made. I'am also wondering what to do next. Any ideas?

Ramadan Journal: Day 19: Happy | Giveaway Winner

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.
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This is just the prompt I needed today. Except for sprouts of happiness here and there, I've been feeling a little low lately. So I'am going to push them all away and try to think some happy thoughts. 

Here goes a list of things that makes me happy (not including prayers and family as they are an integral part of my happiness ofcourse). 

• Smell of earth right after rain
• Rain
• A R Rahman's music *bow*
• Planning a vacation - love making itineraries
• Books (miss them)
• Cookery / Food related shows 
• Crafty and Foodie blogs
• Greenery
• The Mentalist
• Friends, Big Bang Theory, Parenthood...
• A friend or blogger telling me that they were inspired to scrapbook because of me!
• Receiving a comment on my blog post
• Someone trying a recipe and saying it came out good
• Getting a call or email from a long lost friend

That's all I could remember right now. 

And now to more happy stuff - giveaway winner! There were five comments in total and using the Random Number Generator the winner is..... Snehal!! yaaaay!!! Snehal, you know how to reach me, right? :)

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I will be answering them in a separate post as most of them require detailed answers. 

And before I leave, I've one more happy thing to share. This is my 200th post. Yes!! 200!! woah!! It took me about four years to reach here and I've loved every bit of my blogger journey. I'am planning another give away to share my happiness. Waiting for something to reach here... you will know soon. :))

Let me leave you with couple of photos

I've started to work on my Ramadan Journal :)

Aisha downing a bowl of soup - glom glom glom :D

xx Neelu

Ramadan Journal: Day 18: Pistachio and Rosewater Cream Cake

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.
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Today's prompt is actually 'In your kitchen'. When I came up with this prompt, I honestly didn't think it would fall on our wedding anniversary. *toothy smile* I had told myself not to turn my Ramadan Journal into Ramadan food journal, but somehow most of my blog posts seem to be about food. ha!

I promise this would be the last food post in this series. *smile again*. I just cannot not blog about this recipe. Why? Because this is the best looking + yummilicious cake I've ever made. I was lucky to get some good photos too. I'am very very poor at food photography and I honestly have no idea how these came about. Ofcourse, I did do some editing on Picasa, but not much really. 

And the cake - oh my God! Really! Oh my God! It's not just super easy to make, it tastes heavenly too. Everytime I bake a good cake I feel really proud of myself. You know how scary baking can be. But like Dimah has written on her blog, it's only the matter of following instructions to the T. And I'am very good at that. *grin again* 

Please visit Dimah's blog for detailed recipe and step by step instructions. 

I hope you will give this cake a try. I really do. This is a nutty cake which will impress your tummy and your loved ones' tummies no doubt. 

Have a blessed and peaceful day

Neelu

PS Giveaway winner will be announced in the next post

Ramadan Journal: Day 17: You as in Me :)

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.

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A picture of us taken few months back. :) I love this snap. to. the. core.

It's been crazy busy at home and shop. New stock came in, which meant I had to check whether everything reached safe, do some book keeping, upload products on the website etc etc etc. I'am not going to lie, PPS is a lot of work. It's literally one man (er woman) show. I do have an immensely talented Design Team to help me with challenges and other design related work. But rest everything is done by me. Alone. And ofcourse J helps me with all the heavy lifting. Poor thing, I really do nag him a lot. *wide grin*

But I love it. Too much. PPS is my baby. There are days when I ask myself why I do this to myself. Why can't I just sit and craft instead of running a business. Then there are days when I feel very proud of myself. PPS makes me feel strong, confident and has given me a lot of self esteem which I had lost a while ago. 

I've met a lot of crafty ladies and made some good friends which is a huge bonus. Yes, I've lost couple of friends too. But that's ok. I cannot sit and worry about them anymore. I wasted a lot of time and energy trying to make amends. Now it's time to move on. It's time to do what is good for me. After all, who will take care of me except for me? ;)

Let me leave you with a quote I found on Shrimp Salad Circus. It describes what I want to say to those who left me without giving me a second chance. 

xxNeelu

Ramadan Journal: Day 16: What are you reading?

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.

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I've been reading / reciting the Holy Quran. During Ramadan, we try and finish reciting the Holy Quran atleast once. Let me tell you a bit about our holy book. 

• The Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammad (saw) through angel Jibrael (as). 
• It took approximately twenty three years for the Holy Quran to be revealed. 
• It was compiled into a book form after the death of Holy Prophet (saw) by his successors Hadrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hadrat Umar (ra). 
• The Holy Quran consists of 114 chapters and is divided into 30 parts. Each day of Ramadan we try to recite one part so that we can finish the whole Quran by end of Ramadan. 
• You might know this already - language of the Holy Quran is Arabic. Translations are available in many languages. 

And yes, I can read Arabic. :) I've been fortunate to be taught the Arabic language at a young age. But no, I cannot speak Arabic. Confused? Tell me about it. 

Holy Quran provides guidance about any and every issue in life - be it about marriage, family life, parenthood, social relationships or anything else, one can find clear guidelines. People do say that Holy Quran was revealed over 1400 years ago and how can it still be a guide in these changing times. I disagree. Although times have changed, we human beings are still the same. Whether we live in the east or the west, developed or undeveloped countries, whether we belong to upper class or middle class, rich or poor, at the end of the day, we are all looking for peace, happiness and a good life. Aren't we? :)

Let me leave you with some more pictures. 

Made Aleesa for the first time. I will share the recipe after making few more batches. :)

New stock for my store. Sad that I can't use any of them. But happy to see them anyway. ;)

Project Life came home. Weeeeee!! Will tell you more about it later. :)

My sister dropped by to give me some foodie love - chicken puff pastry cups! They were YUMMM!!!

Good night my lovelies

xxNeelu

Ramadan Journal: Day 15: Sunset | Malai Laddoos

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.

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Today's prompt was 'Sunset'. I was planning to sneak out after Iftar and get some photos from Mamzar beach. But my Mom dropped in during the day and she was home for Iftar. I didn't want to leave her alone and decided to stay in. After a while I realized that I could take a photo of the moon instead. It was the fifteenth day of Ramadan which means it would be full moon and a total beauty. So I took  this photo with Instagram from my apartment.

Very soon this white beauty will disappear and all of us would be scrambling to get a peek at it and celebrate Eid Al Fitr. yaaay!! :) 

I also have a recipe to share that I came across on Nestle Milkmaid Sweet Moments' Facebook Page.  It's super easy and totally impressed J. He actually thought it was store bought. ha! 

Ingredients

MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup (100g)

Paneer, grated - 250g

Yellow food colour - 4-5 drops

Kewra Essence or Rose Water- 2-3 drops

Elaichi - 2, powdered

Method       

Mash paneer with the palm of hand till smooth and creamy or blend in a mixie. In a kadai mix the paneer and Milkmaid well and cook on slow fire stirring constantly. I didn't blend in mixie so my laddoos weren't as smooth as their's. Lesson learnt!

Cook till the mixture thickens and starts leaving the sides of the kadai, remove from fire and add colour and essence. Mix well and pour this malai in a plate.

Allow the malai to cool. Make laddoos of the malai, sprinkle elaichi powder on each laddoo and serve.

I garnished them with pistachio flakes and saffron. 

I've also linked this recipe to The Halal Foodie's Ramadan Friendly Recipes and Yummy Food's Joy from Fasting to Feasting V.

Have a blessed and peaceful day

Neelu

Ramadan Journal: Day 14: A is for...

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.

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A is for Allah. Ofcourse :) Another video from Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens). I love his songs and videos. 

I'am adding one more video that Talha absolutely loves! This video explains very well what happens at our Masjids (mosques). :)

Ramadan Journal: Day 13: Mother

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.

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aaaah, 'Mother'! a very touchy weepy topic eh? If I write about my Mother I'am going to get all emotional and make you cry. Really. So I'am going to leave you with a cute video that explains the importance of mothers so well. 

Another Hadith - Paradise lies under the feet of your mother. 

(Hadith are sayings of Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw)). 

Ramadan Journal: Day 12: Prayer / Forgive

If you are here for the first time, kindly read this post on Journal your Ramadan to understand this series better. Jazakumullah khair.

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I seek forgiveness from Allah for all my sins and turn towards Him in all sincerity.

Second Ashra (set of ten days) started and the above is the Dua/prayer for these ten days. I've been planning to write about Ramadan in general - what it is and why is it so important to us. I kept putting it off for one reason or another. Since I've nothing much to talk about today, I think I should just get it done. :)

Like every holiday and festivals, Ramadan has also become very commercialized. Especially in a Muslim country like UAE. You know Ramadan is coming up when you are bombarded with Iftar Buffet emails from restaurants and hoteliers. You start seeing 'Ramadan Sale' signs, up on every shopping mall. I understand that businesses have to do their thing to get enough sales and keep up with the market. However, one has to agree that this takes away the essence of Ramadan or any other festival for that matter. 


The general idea we get about Ramadan from Dubai is quite wrong. It is not about starving to death and then wasting on excessive meals and expensive buffets. Not at all. Ramadan is about 'abstinence'. About supplication and remembrance of the Lord Almighty by abstaining from everything that is bad. It is about understanding what a poor man has to go through when hungry. During this month we learn about sharing and caring for others. Ofcourse we have to do all these things rest of the year too, but Ramadan is the month where we leave everything else and concentrate just on attaining nearness to Allah. 


Few general facts about Ramadan: 

• We Muslims have a calendar of our own - Lunar Calendar / Hijri Calendar / Islamic Calendar. This calendar consists of twelve months and Ramadan is the ninth month. 
• Ramadan is also the month when few verses of the Holy Quran was first revealed to our beloved Holy Prophet (saw).  
• The Holy Quran has prescribed fasting during the month of Ramadan. It is compulsory on every Muslim except those who are sick, traveling and pregnant. 
• Fasting is also one of the five pillars of Islam. The other four being: Shahada (believing in the Unity of God), Salat (prayer), Zakat (giving alms) and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). 

I think this is enough for today. I do not want to confuse you with loads of details and new words. If you have any doubts or questions regarding Ramadan and/or anything else related to Islam, feel free to leave a comment. I will try my best to answer them. I'am not a scholar in Islam. If I don't know something, I will ask around and find the answer for you. 


Let me leave you with couple of photos from my twelth day of Ramadan. 

Aisha, as naughty as always

Talha pretending to bake and make a mess of everything

Watermelon pudding that I didn't like much :(

Have a blessed and peaceful day
Neelu

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Note: I would like to request you to be gentle and kind with your comments. The reason why I never discuss religion or politics here is because this is a space of peace and creativity for me. Whenever I read anything related to Islam on the web, I also get to read really childish and more than rude comments underneath the article. It puts all of us to shame - Muslims or non-Muslims. 


I do not want that to happen here. If you are angry or upset with me, feel free to direct message me via twitter.  I request you to take my readers' feelings as well as mine into consideration before you type anything in the comment box. Jazakumullah.