learning, loving, living

antalya, turkey

Posted by sieni on October 31st, 2009 — Posted in Trips

A weekend was not enough to enjoy the splendidness of this place! the resort had it all–beautiful deluxe room, free food (all we did was eat, eat, eat), kids club, playground, swimming pools galore, spa and massage, Turkish bath, beautiful beach, plus numerous activities to keep you going thru the day…hopefully we’ll return again and spend a month! I know it doesn’t look like it in the pics, but there were HUNDREDS of people–tons of families and kids from Germany and Holland, which is a good thing because it really gave it that “holiday” feeling with people having a great time around you.

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Naw Ruz greetings to you!

Posted by sieni on March 24th, 2009 — Posted in Random moments, Trips

naw-ruz33

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time away

Posted by sieni on November 1st, 2008 — Posted in Family, Tara, Trips

Recently Tara and I returned from 3 weeks visiting family in the States. We were in Portland, Maine, and it was the perfect time of the year to visit. The leaves were changing, and every possible colour could be seen for miles and miles on stretches of road. My parents came from Samoa, together with my sister, Ioana, who flew in separately from San Francisco and surprised the heck out of us! We stayed with my grandmother, my dad’s mom, and visited with cousins. It was sooooo wonderful.

It would have been the second time I travelled alone with Tara, and the first since I weaned her, so I packed a bunch of crafts and stickers and crayons and coloured paper and little toys in sandwich bags for the plane, thanks to an idea I saw on the Crafty Crow. They were a hit! and kept her in her seat THE ENTIRE TIME. While I was nervous about landing at JFK airport and going through immigration and customs and lines with a toddler, I was surprised, actually shocked, at how nice people were! Everyone helped us: from the immigration officer who was so polite, to the couple who paid for my trolley when I didn’t have the right change, to the person who lugged my bags off the carousel, to the customs officer who didn’t even look at the food I packed, to the check-in counter who took take care of everything when I was suppose to self-check at those new machines. And the whole time I had Tara strapped to my chest in the Ergo, and mind you, she’s not a little baby anymore. I said so many thank you prayers that day.

Here are pics from the holiday

Playing in the yard

Food my parents brought from Samoa:

Everyday Tara would take walks with her papa

Dad, Tara, mom, Gram, and Ioana before buffet dinner

Visiting Maine’s wildlife park

Picnic at the fort

Freeport was shopping heaven–outlet area for big name brands–attracting tourists from all over

Mom enjoying her Maine lobster

Tara with her cousins Ryan and Adam at the corn fields, getting ready to go for a hay ride

Joining the hunt for a pumpkin for Halloween

Playing in the corn box

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summer lovin’

Posted by sieni on July 28th, 2008 — Posted in Tara, Trips

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A year has gone by

Posted by sieni on September 15th, 2007 — Posted in Family, Tara, Trips

Not really since our last post although it feels like it… but since Tara was born! To celebrate, we visited and offered prayers of thanksgiving in the Shrines of the Bab and Baha’u'llah. We are so grateful and blessed to have her in our lives, our little bunny. Tara hasn’t started walking on her own yet, but will wrap her hand tightly around your fingers while she walks beside you. Her vocab includes mama, mam, dada, pup pup (for doggie), duh (for duck), nah nah (for no), and once in a while Aba (for Allah’u'Abha). She picks up her hairbrush and starts to brush her hair (the brush being backwards), her hair clips will follow, she attempting to put them on the top of her head. Brushing teeth comes naturally as everything goes in the mouth. The phone goes near the ear followed by “dada” sometimes. She absolutely LOVES animals–cats and dogs especially–pointing and grabbing their skin, poking their eyes, squeezing their tails. Of course we take the opportunity to teach her to be gentle. Tara is also sooo ticklish, laughing and squealing infectiously, clapping hands when happy, and dancing to Samoan tunes. Recently she has started to show awe with “wooow” and “whoooaas” at pictures in books, cats on Hillel, the moving fan on the ceiling. A week ago we returned from visiting the grandparents in Samoa and the aunties and friends in Brisbane. Below are some pics from our time in Brisbane, and also from our first week back in Haifa. Pics from Samoa will be up shortly, but don’t hold your breath.

Tara and Saba’s shared birthday cake

Nasime and Bauback boxing on wii

and more wiiing

Our visits to the Shrines

After the Holy Day commemoration for the Martyrdom of the Bab

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ah gawd Naeem’s finally married! :)

Posted by sieni on March 26th, 2007 — Posted in Family, Trips

Hard to believe We just returned from a weekend away in Prague and Hluboka for the marriage of our dearest cousin Naeem and his beautiful bride Maryam. Oh my gosh, where do I begin to describe this radiant couple?! Absolutely beautiful and smiley and loving and, as Nasime said at their ceremony (she was the MC), absolutely perfect for each other The wedding itself was beautiful as all weddings are, but this wedding was sooo enjoyable to be present at. So relaxed and fun and humorous, the setting delicately decorated and romantic. It was truly an international affair with guests traveling from all over Europe, the States, Samoa and of course Haifa to attend. There were also many familiar ex-staff from the World Centre which was so lovely to see. The wedding lasted about 10 hours from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. (I knooow!) at a lovely hotel in Hluboka called the Park Hotel. The couple entered the ceremony under a canopy of what looked like to be coconut leaves/ferns held by their friends and family; the seats were covered in fine Samoan mats; and the rings placed in a Samoan kava bowl with rose petals. It was so heartwarming to see Samoan elements mixed with European. The temps inside the ceremony area also reached about 30 degrees celcius despite the freezing cold rain outside. The ceremony was simple and dignified as most Baha’i marriage ceremonies are, bringing together a blend of prayers and Baha’i Writings in several languages and musical instruments. The reception was a formal sit-down buffet dinner (such good food!), and Shamim (groom’s bro) and Neysan (bride’s bro) entertained guests as the MC’s with funny stories of the couple. Naeem and Maryam had no plans, no idea of what programme the reception would entail, this was left up entirely to their siblings, cousins, and friends There were songs sung by friends; powerpoint presentations of the couple; videos of their friends sending their best wishes from Haifa and Australia; an Island dance performed by Sham and Sahar (groom’s siblings); Samoan siva performed elegantly by Nasime; Neguin (from Spain, yes our orientation Neguin! singing her infamous blue-eyes like the sky, brown eyes like the ground song; Samoan taualuga; couple’s cuuute first dance; cake cutting; and of course dancing the night away. Naeem melted a lot of hearts when he surprised Maryam with a song “Earth Angel” on the guitar. He introduced the song as one dedicated to “the most beautiful girl in the world looking at me right now” aww! haha, auu stob your faa-cheesy. Sorry ladies! The lady I felt sorry for that night though was my poor Tara. Kalofae si au kama. Too much excitement and noise and not enough sleep time. Ok, here are a few pics for now cos I know you’re all DYING to see them and for me to zip up. These are just a few of the thousands upon thousands taken, but they will all soon be up in our gallery so you can check back laterz.