The Facebook Like - Poem

You see a post, from someone you once met,

It looks great and you hit like, 

Even though the person, in real life, you dislike. 

You’d never speak to her if you saw her in the same room, 

Yet you pretend that the things she posts are cool, 

You make yourself believe, that by posting and liking, 

It's what makes you social and popular.

What you forget is that Facebook likes are dime a dozen, 

and a true conversation is rare and absent, 

in which you listen when friends speak,

where you make connections and bonds, 

that last a lifetime, and a friendship so unique.

So stop liking the posts and get out there, 

Make a friendship, that lasts a lifetime.

Listen and be there for your family, 

Instead of sitting and liking a post, 

from someone who in your life, is lost!

* PS: I do like and enjoy Facebook. I think its a useful medium to interact with other people, you can connect with long lost friends and learn so much more. This poem is to encourage us to get out there and make more meaningful experiences! :) 

Enjoy your day! :) 

Cacao 70 Review, Montreal & Ottawa

Cocoa 70; endless possibilities of chocolate. Who can resist that? Of course, we went to the restaurant more often than we would have liked to! The decor and ambiance of the restaurant just makes you feel so welcome, with its oranges and browns. Its inviting and comfortable.

The chairs of the place distinctly remind me of the science of restaurant seating. They say that the chairs in a restaurant should be inviting and comfortable enough for the customers to want to come, sit and enjoy their meal. However, they should not be extra comfortable so as to prevent the customer from leaving once he has completed his meal.  The decor and ambiance of the place definitely gets a thumbs up!

We enjoyed browsing the menu as we foud that it has many options and varieties. Breakfast, brunch, desserts - all in one place. What more can you ask for? We ordered the veggie frittata and the dark and milk chocolate crepe. Both these meals come with a chocolate fondue and fruits. They were divine! Llook at the pictures and you will be able to feel what I am trying to convey. Who can resist that eh? 

 The frittata also came with coffee. Ofcourse, for Canadian's it was not as good as Tim Hortons coffee, but it was pretty good! I love that they bring the frittata in the pan they baked it in. Its tasty, delicious and eggy. Perfect for breakfast or brunch.

The crepe was my favourite part of the meal! Before I tried this crepe, i was not too fond of white chocolate since I always liked the taste of Cocoa. However, this combination of dark and white chocolate - was divine!


The other desserts to try are the chocolate pizza and their fondue. They are both amazing and you can find their pictures below.

The only thing that was disappointing about this place was its service. In Montreal, the server seemed a bit cold when we went to check the place without dining in. When we told her that we were not going to be dining in today - she almost looked offended. However, the next times we went in, the service was good.

In Ottawa, we had a horrible experience with the bill. We ordered the chocolate fondue and the initially brought us the wrong one - we didn't know as it was our first time. They brought us a large one and the triple chocolate [dark, milk and white] whilst we just asked for double. We ate it since they had already brought it out. Whilst paying for the bill, they initially brought us someone else's bill. Thank God I checked before paying - so they went and brought the correct bill. Unfortunately for me, I assumed the second bill to be correct. After paying I realized that they charged me for the bigger fondue and I asked them and they said that you ate the double one. When I mentioned that I wasn't aware it was a double and I had asked for a single, I was told, "You have already eaten it!" and then walked away. That was just a horrible experience. Honestly, the Ottawa location has put a damper in my fond memories of the Montreal location.


Now coming to the main part- the prices. The frittata was $12.50, the black and white crepe roll was $11, chocolate pizza was $13.75, and the double classic fondue is $15.50 - but seriously, 3 people could easily eaten them!  Even though these prices are a tad bit on the pricey side, you have to consider that they give you an appetizer with most meals. They always have the chocolate fondue with fruits to begin with, even for the frittata. Also, I consider this restaurant is a celebratory restaurant. One could go there for birthdays, anniversaries and on special occasions. Well made chocolate deserves to be included in our celebrations, doesn't it?

Seriously true!! 

I don't dream - Poem

I don't dream of being in the Maldives, 

I don't feel like roaming this beautiful earth, 

When kids are being washed ashore, 

like dead fish they lay on the ground alone, 

The world looks by and doesn't do anything, 

What good is a world that ignores a baby?

Hussain had to fight one Yazeed, 

Who refused water to six month old Asghar, 

The basic human right of every human being.

Today the world stands by watching, 

Like it's entertainment, thus we ignore, 

The child lies dead alone on the shore!

O Lovers of God, where is our conscience, 

I dream of a world where every man, woman and child, 

Is free with equal opportunity, 

Where justice flourishes and no one goes hungry.

When will such a day come, I wonder, 

But we have been told,

"They think the advent is far, 

But verily it is near, And they think it is near, 

But verily it is far."

I dream of a world in which I never have to see

such atrocities to an intolerable degree 

where women are raped and used as slaves, 

Men shot for merely believing differently, 

The indifference to the plight of the elderly and children, 

I dream of a world that will never witness such atrocities.

* The Image was taken from Muslim Mama on Facebook.

The above poem was inspired as I was browsing through Facebook. I saw a post of someone saying Maldives is heaven and then I saw the picture above of the Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi who was only three years old. It really hit me then, how desensitized we have become, how nothing really shakes the world. People often ask, couldn't the Kufians see that this Imam, was the best of creation? Yet they killed him? I think I can begin to understand how they had become desensitized and detached to the family of the Prophet [pbuh]. I believe, we are falling into the same pattern all over again!

For more information about Hussain, who stood against oppression, for justice and equality;  please visit www.whoishussain.org

Candy Labs Montreal

After our unsatisfactory meal at lechateau kebab in Montreal, we decided to burn off the unappetizing calories we gained by walking downtown and taking the longer route to the metro station.

Just as we were casually browsing, we saw Candy Labs! Being curious, we decided to walk in the store! And my-oh-my! We were instantly transformed to children in a candy store, except this was for adults! It was one of the most 'kawaai'* stores ever! Plus, it smelled great. We later found out that the owners had recently hand-made key-lime candies. You can watch the video preparation of these candies here. 

Some flavours

Candy labs is a new store in Montreal,  and what else do they make but candies? Duh!  They make bite size candies with a variety of flavours.  My favourite thing about these nibble sized candies are that they give you the burst of flavour, which satisfies my cravings without the extra calories. It honestly can't get any better! 

Their packaging is also so cute -they actually use test tubes to pack their candies in a visually appeasing array of colours. They have different sizes and shapes and they use a bear packaging for birthdays or special events. It's even possible to personalize the candies for any occasion. We thought that these would be perfect as wedding favour gifts! 

The cherry on the cake for this store is that it is hand-crafted right here in Canada. It is 100% vegan and alcohol free, and truly caters to all kinds of markets. I love that as a muslim, I can totally eat all their candies without any worry of alcohol or rennet. 

The owners Mei & Lin are extremely friendly and we hope to see them and their candies in Toronto very soon! :) 

Enjoy the bon bon and do visit the store when you are next in Montreal!

You can also check out their website and Facebook page. 

*kawaai = cute in Japanese! They have a huge demand for cute things as it's part of their culture. The cuter things are the more people like it over there! 

A different kind of post: Lazeez review!

Peace and blessing to you all!

Its been a long time since my last post.*Phew* Finally broke the writers block.Today's post is going to be different from all my other posts : It's going to be a review - of a restaurant!! I know, i know, I am not one to be considered a foodie; although I do like little but good & tasty food. We often go out and try different places, so we thought 'why not blog about our experiences?' Now here we are.

After Mahe Ramadhan it has been really difficult to get back on to our healthy eating and exercise routine, it's crazy how all the self-restraint we learn during the holy month becomes futile on the days after Eid - and we had a similar experience! We have been eating and drinking very unhealthily for the past weeks after Eid.



Thus, went to the restaurant called 'Lazeez Shawarma & Mediterranean grill' for Brunch. It has a lovely aura when you walk in with trees and an aquarium.  Its relatively spacious, well laid out as well as quiet.  Some of the seats were old and needed to be maintained. Don't be fooled by the appearance since for the hour that we were there, there was always a line up - albeit sometimes a small line up of 2 people.


We ordered the lazeez on the rocks meal with half fries and half rice. The owner was accommodating to provide that option. The meal was tasty with both rice and fries. There was a few sauces [garlic and probably tahini] that made it very tasty and spicy. Another thing I liked about this place is that their hot sauce was a tad bit hot. I wouldn't say fierce hot, but good enough for me!


The staff are also friendly and helpful. I asked for extra hot sauce and they said it was .50$ extra, when i went to get the money; the server said not to worry about it! I thought it was petty to get customers to pay extra for chilli sauce. However, ketchup was free. I am not too fond about restaurants charging for condiments, it makes them look cheap - however, this is not your usual fine dining scene. This restaurant is almost like a fast food place to pop in and pop out. It also works since its in a plaza, which also has 'No Frills.' Hello groceries? I am taking a break and going to eat lazeez on the rocks!!

Since it's a fast food/take out restaurant, the prices are reflective of this. They have affordable specials for everyday of the week, for instance, 2 chicken/beef shawarmas for 9$. Perfect for students!  We paid $12 for our large meal - lazeez on the rocks, including a mango drink, and it was still too much for us [we are not big eaters].

Over all, I would say this is a tasty and good restaurant. One that we would go to again :) Have you been to this restaurant? And what did you think of it ?

Poem: Like moth to flame

The flag stands firm, before you O Hussain, 

It protects you from every harm and every pain, 

It stands firm and protects you O Hussain, 

For with loyalty we flock to you O Hussain. 

Like moth to flame, we flock to you O Hussain.

I look and weep for your tragedy is great, 

The others look at us with contempt and hate, 

They attack us and tell us Hell is your fate, 

We smile back and say, is not Ali standing on Heavens gate?

Like moth to flame, we flock to you O Hussain, 

When you were outnumbered and left alone, 

You wavered not, nor did you falter, 

For Allah's religion, everything you gave, 

I sit here and weep for O Hussain, my master Husain. 

Like moth to flame, we flock to you O Hussain, 

Fourteen Hundred years after your day, 

I sit and weep, people wondering if I am insane, 

I look at your day and wonder, 

Why on your day there is no thunder, 

Knowing the skies weep and heaven rents asunder, 

Like  moth to flame, we flock to you O Hussain

We bring our children to you Hussain, 

Hoping they can serve your Mehdi in every way, 

For the battle began with You in Kerbala, 

but injustice will end with him, 

When he come to us, like the sunlight ray, 

Like moth to flame, we flock to you O Hussain

Bless us to continue serving you O Hussain, 

For Zahra prays for the one who serves you Hussain. 

Like moth to flame, we flock to you O Hussain.

For because of you, the earth receives rain, 

And all goodness does the earth retain, 

For the sacrifice you gave for Islam, 

The world echoes Allah's name. 

Like moth to flame, we flock to you O Hussain

Poem: Giving to Hussain

Give your life to Hussain, 

He'll see that you have no pain,  

A tear can cause a big change,

For with Hussain Allah says,

'For the one who gave everything in my name, 

Is it not fair that I do the same?' 

                  

Thus,  give your years and tears to Hussain, 

There is a guarantee it won't go in vain,

On the day of Mehshar at the mizan, 

You'll be tired but you'll be told ,

Enter heaven through Rizwan.

Because for him, everything you sold!

You are never alone

Ever wondered what makes me me? What makes her her and him him?

Ever wondered if we are all unique, why it is so difficult to find what makes me me?

Ever wondered if we are all unique, why do we have so many similarities? We have similar motivations, dreams, desires and drawbacks in life that pull us down?

A month ago, I attended a self-help empowerment seminar in Dar Es Salaam. During the course of the  event, we were all given a plank of wood. We were told to write down 3 things that we think are hindering our progress/growth. Something or even someone, who is chaining our ankles. There were more than 80 people in that room. And guess what? Everyone could write down 3 things that are hindering them. Some people, wrote in code/sign and others in a different language. However, evetone had minimum 1 drawback.

The weird thing was that a lot of people had similar drawbacks. Some wrote that their finances were a set back, some didn't have enough time to accomplish their goals, some mentioned that their family was not supportive and some mentioned that they themselves were hindering their progress.

So if you look around, we actually are more similar than we think. We all face similar challenges and similar dry runs.

If you ever despair and think you are alone in your trials or tribulations, fear not. There are many people before you who have gone through similar situations and remember, 'this too shall pass.'

Be blessed!