Time to set the record straight

Indeed, it has been a tragic week in our community with the passing away of Mr, Aslam Khan, his wife and son in a horrific accident on Monday evening. On Wednesday we witnessed the tragic demise of a grandfather and his grandchild who burnt to death in a stationary vehicle that the grand dad set a light. What drove the man to commit such a vile act? We can ask ourselves a million and one questions but we won’t be finding the answers. It is quite unfortunate though that amidst the chaos of the entire tragedy there are certain elements within the community who have spread rumours stating that the reason the grand dad did this is because his immediate family was not good to him. They have accused the family of pushing him over the edge. How can people make up stories without knowing the facts? Do you want to know the real story? I will tell you what the real story is.

The grandfather was a devil in the words of his own children. His wife is a sweet, caring, loving woman and we are proud to have her as part of the Medix family. God has really blessed me with good employees who look out for each other. They speak about their lives and family issues openly and of course where we can help we do step in to assist. Over the past few weeks now my colleague has been coming to work literally in tears. Her husband was an abusive man. She always told us that ever since she got married, she never ever had a day of happiness. Last week, he took out a knife for her and tried to stab her. On many occasions he hit her black and blue. There were times he tried throttling her as well. As a team we encouraged her to get out of the relationship and apply for a restraining order against him. On the day of the tragedy we sent her to the police station to seek help and she was also going to move out of the house that very afternoon. She had finally mustered up the courage to leave this monster. After realizing that his wife was no longer going to tolerate the abuse any longer, he went ballistic and hence he committed this devious act. He might have been a smiling, happy man to the world but at home he had a vicious personality. She told us that even whilst praying, he would pull her by her hair and bang her against the wall. This poor woman endured this abuse throughout her married life. She remained in the relationship for the sake of her kids and out of fear as to what society will say if she left him. She was married to this monster as part of an arranged marriage against her will, a man who was 15 years older than her.

There is a part of me that feels that I could have done more to prevent what happened on Wednesday. Perhaps if she had left him a long time ago this would not have happened. The bottom line though is that this incident should be an eye opener to all those women out there who are suffering in silence. Why should you be the victim? These dogs who abuse women should be exposed within the community. They should be named and shamed. Why should they be given the right to walk around in town with their heads high? We Indian people have this shit mentality that abuse, rape and molestation only occurs in other communities but our own. Nonsense. (Kindly excuse my language)
Two days ago I heard that a grandfather, a Muslim Indian grandfather molested his own grand-daughter. These men need to be exposed. Have we reached a stage where we can no longer trust our own parents with our children? The imams and leaders of the community need to catch a wake up and start talking about these issues. Get it out in the open. Teach our men how to behave with their families. Teach our sons the etiquette of respecting a woman and another human being. Stop this mentality of hiding everything under the carpet and pretending that everything is perfect when in reality it isn’t. Don’t allow anyone to verbally or physically abuse you. Each one of us is entitled to happiness and respect. If you not happy in a relationship get out of it before it’s too late.

Beware of the online womanizer

                                                     (Picture: www.thefrisky.com)

So yesterday afternoon I received a call from a facebook friend who also happens to be a personal friend of mine. She is South African but resides in a neighbouring African country. She urged me to write a post about Muslim men who use the internet and dating sites to satisfy their womanizing personality traits. A friend of hers was chatting to a South African Muslim doctor who befriended her on facebook. As they started chatting more often they exchanged telephone number and BBM pins. This man promised her the world. He said that he was interested in her and desired to marry her. One day she decided to surprise him by calling him at the practice. When he answered the phone he told her that he does not know her from anywhere. A whole different side to this man’s personality emerged. Naturally she was heartbroken. My friend decided to find out more about this doctor. It turned out that he was someone that she knew as he resided in the same town as her parents here in Johannesburg. He of course did not know her. So she sent him a friend request and the same pattern followed. He befriended her, exchanged BBM pins, promised her the world and when she called him he said that he does not know her from a bar of soap. May be someone else hacked his facebook profile and is now pretending to be him.

Recently, I received an inbox message from a Muslim man who obviously created a fake facebook profile to find women. This is the message he sent me, “Salaam. I am a 36 year old married Muslim man with 2 kids. You do not know me but I follow your posts. I must say you hot and intelligent too. I am looking for a mistress or a second wife for sexual reasons only. I do not want any more kids. The relationship would have to be secretive. Money is no object. I will buy you an apartment and give you a monthly allowance as well. My facebook profile does not have my real details. I will reveal my real identity in person if you agree to the arrangement.”

Recently, I severed ties with a friend who is a well known professional man but had the nerve to chat to other women on a dating site whilst claiming that he was enjoying getting to know me.  When I confronted him, his response was, “I love being close to a woman. You need to come to terms with the fact that if I am chatting to Sumayya, I am also chatting to 8 other women and getting to know them.” My response was, “Go to hell. You do not deserve a woman like me and I will never choose to be involved with a man that has no respect for a woman. You may be up there in front of your colleagues and the people you deal with. But in my eyes, you ‘re an ass.” The sad part is that this same person has a few unmarried sisters in his house. I know he would be devastated if someone hurt his sisters but it’s perfectly normal behaviour to hurt another woman. Why? Because it is not our own flesh and blood.

If you truly care for someone you will not be hurting them by visiting a dating site every now and then to check if there is someone better out there. In my opinion only a sick womanizing man would behave in this manner. These type of men are selfish. They have no respect for a woman. The only people they care for is their own family and of course themselves. But they fail to understand the concept of what goes around must come around. Today they have lowered the self esteem and morale of someone else’s daughter, tomorrow their own sister will be played.

My advice to all women out there is this: Be very careful with who you interact with online. There are loads of sick people out there. If you lonely and wish to be in a relationship with someone, rather ask a mutual friend or a family member to introduce you to someone.  Don’t become a victim to a womanizer. It’s just not worth it. 

The great samoosa run experience

                                                    Picture courtesy www.artlink.co.za


Had a hilarious conversation with a friend of mine residing in Jeddah. He hails from an aristocratic family and is the father of two gorgeous children but is divorced for the last five years now. His family are urging him to settle down again. I was trying to explain to him the concept of the “samoosa run” that we have here in South Africa . He burst out laughing uncontrollably. For those of you who do not know what the samoosa run is, it is a strange way of finding yourself a bride. Usually a third party would initiate the whole thing. The groom’s family would meet at the potential brides home where tea and samoosas are served. The boy and the girl get a chance to interact and chat with each other and if they click on some level they continue chatting until a final decision is made with regards to marriage. In Saudi Arabia marriages are usually arranged with the immediate as well as the extended family playing a significant role. The parents would usually decide who their kids should marry. Usually alliances are formed to keep the wealth in the family or to allow for business expansion. The bride and the groom usually have no say in the matter. Whilst chatting, Abdullah asked me if I’ve ever been through the whole samoosa run experience.
‘Yes, of course I have. But not in the conventional way it should be done.” I replied. My family knows I’m not in favour of the samoosa run experience but I was always told to please be at home at a certain time as we would be expecting visitors. Personally, I did everything opposite to what should have been done lol. Usually the potential bride would come out with a tray of tea that she would serve to the potential groom and his family. My take on this idiotic practice is this, if the tea messes and she is unable to balance the tray with the tea cups she ain’t gonna be a good housewife. If the tea is served immaculately, she passes the test. Lol. As for me I failed the test miserably. 
“ Sarah, won’t you please pour the tea for our guests.” You can imagine what the boy’s family must have been thinking at that point in time. I can never forget some of the funny questions I was asked.
“So tell me, you do work. Do you earn a good salary? How much do you earn? Nice to work but in our house you must be back at five o’clock. You have two hours then to make supper because we eat at seven o clock sharp. Hope you wear headscarf every day. My son won’t tell you anything but me, I like the girls must cover the hair. You dress pretty. I can see that. But if you marry my son, I will make you dress smarter. I will dress you like a doll.”My eyes popped at hearing that statement considering that the lady herself had no sense of style and fashion. There was no concept of colour co-ordination and overall she lacked finesse. Whilst the mother did all the talking, the poor son played the role of being deaf and dumb. He simply smiled acknowledging whatever his mother said with a subtle nod of the head. Needless to say I refused to be in a relationship where I was marrying his mother rather than him. Whilst the mother did all the talking, the father devoured the plate of samoosas with a nice hot cup of tea.
On another occasion I was scrutinized like an object. “She’s not too fair and not too dark so she will suit my son. Oh my word you work. What’s your profession? Oh so you a pharmacist. Do you have your own car. Definitely not a good match for my son. You too independent. My son runs a business and you will dominate him. Thanks a lot for the lovely afternoon. By the way the samoosas were so tasty.”

I’m generally a very outgoing extroverted person and hence in my line of work and through travelling I have met many people. I love making friends and I have no issues if a friend of a friend wants me to meet a potential beau. A few months ago I was introduced to a professional gentleman who is also looking to settle down. Unfortunately he was too serious and stiff for my liking. We met at a coffee shop in a mall and whilst window shopping I was stopped by a family who recognised me from facebook and my blog. So naturally I stopped to chat. Then we stopped at a curio shop selling gimmicky items like masquerade masks and so I had no inhibitions in trying on a mask. It’s all part of having fun. Eventually we landed up at the coffee shop. Placed our orders and continued chatting. His first question shocked me “Tell me on a more serious note. Are you substance abusing?” I choked on my cappuccino and said “What!! Yes I am. I am a peddle pusher by profession.” 
Whilst staring at me with a stern look on his face he said that I was too bubbly, happy and jovial for his liking. The fact that I have huge eyes gave him the impression that I was taking drugs and hence on a high. I could n’t keep a straight face and wanted to burst out laughing at the ridiculous assumptions he made about me in less than an hour. After sipping the last bits of cappuccino we bid each other farewell knowing quite well that we have starkly opposite personalities.
For me , life is a beautiful journey. I spend my entire day being happy and I do love kidding around. I can never be surrounded by serious, unhappy people. The whole concept of the samoosa run just does n’t cut it for me. Whilst it is an opportunity to meet your other half the fact of the matter is that you will never fully know someone by chatting to them over an afternoon cup of tea with piping hot samoosas. Friendships and relationships progress over time. Its takes time to develop love, care and trust for someone. Relationships are not about how dark skinned or light skinned a person is. It is not about how tall or short she is. It is not about what she owns or has or how educated she is. It is all about how two people communicate with each other. If there is love, respect and excellent communication between two people the marriage union will succeed but if the outer appearance is more important than the communication factor, the marriage will land up in divorce. Unfortunately in this day and age, members of my community still seem to miss this point.

Ramadhaan South African Style.

So the blessed month of Ramadhaan is just a stone’s throw away and whilst many in the Arab world would be rejoicing and waiting anxiously for the month of the Quraan to set in, South African aunties are in panic mode making one savoury after the other, literally stocking up the freezer to feed an entire army. But what really fascinates me the most is the huge transformation of South African Muslims during the fasting month. Even the bushcrooks turn into buzrooks....lol..
For a start the television is turned off in every home for the entire duration of the month. Abaya shops are shockingly busy. Even Tassy and Naz who are frequent club goers have joined in the whole spirit of Ramadhaan. On every other day, they parade the shopping centres wearing boob popping tops coupled with a mini skirt and high heels. But for the month of Ramadhaan out comes the Swarovski bejewelled abayas with matching headscarves. No more pouty red lips, false nails and fake eye lashes lol. The neighbourhood suddenly comes to life once again as the neighbours kids quite excitedly visits your home to drop off a platter of savouries. Who’s son are you poppy? I haven’t seen your mummy and daddy the whole year....
Zaks who usually sports a funky hair cut and tries to emulate his favourite soccer star has suddenly grown a tiny beard. The funky branded clothing he usually wears has suddenly been replaced by a designer label thobe. Zaks makes sure he is in the first saf in the masjid at the time of fatoor.
For the entire fasting month, everyone tries their best to be perfect in every single way, until the day of Eid. Tassy, Naz and Zaks get into their luxury vehicles and make their way to the zoo lake to show off their new designer label outfits. Both ladies visited the dress designer three times to get the perfect fit they so desired. Tassy sports a sleeveless long dress with high slits whilst Naz wears a boob tube outfit. I guess if you have the assets why not flaunt it right lol....And whilst Tassy and Naz try to attract the singletons in the crowd, Zaks is trying to impress a young 17 year old lassie, Lemme show you how to groove baby at the club on Saturday night. You so hot, you make the sun feel shy.”

Meanwhile in the magical Kingdom Ramadhaan is special, a feeling that I will never ever be able to explain to anyone. Ramadhaan in the Kingdom is all about family. The entire country is on vacation and whilst everyone relaxes during the day after sunset at the time of breaking fast, the country comes to life. If you in the holy city of Makkah and Medina you will break your fast with millions of people simultaneously. Young Arab children will pull your hand and beg you to join their family for fatoor. There is a spirit of sharing, caring and giving. You become so overwhelmed with joy that tears automatically flow down your cheeks. Ramadhaan in the Kingdom is fun. There is an equal balance between prayer and engaging in fun activities with family and friends. How I long to be in the land of shifting sands for the month of Ramadhaan. But I guess this year I just have to contend with Ramadhaan South African style!

Bold and beautiful is now a reality

                                                 Picture taken from Google images

I thought weird relationships and strange stories only occurred in the movies, but I was shocked at the weird real life stories that are occurring in our own back yard. Had a patient a few weeks ago who totally blew my mind away with his story. He was married to a foreign national for a number of years and was oblivious to the fact that his wife was in actual fact a real life prostitute. He only found out when a friend of his showed him obscene pictures of her floating on the internet. He always thought that his wife was a high flying business woman involved in the import and export business field. Hence she was always loaded with lots of money. The reality though was quite shocking as she turned out to be a high end escort and prostitute accompanying high flying South African businessmen. When he approached his wife with the evidence, she committed suicide. A few years later the man decided to remarry. Whilst he enjoyed a few years of marital bliss he was shocked to discover when his wife fell pregnant that she is in fact HIV positive. He then realized that he had infected his wife and that his first wife had infected him. Luckily with extensive ARV treatment the child was born HIV negative.......... Here's another shocking story, it seems that Muslim socialites residing in the Houghton and Sandton areas are not shy to play the wife swapping and husband swapping game, and let's not forget Laudium men meeting up with bored socialite Houghton and Sandton women in Rosebank hotel rooms. Yes folks, this is the life of the rich and famous within the Muslim community. A patient of ours divorced her husband as he wanted her to join a wife swapping club and also expected her to wear skimpy clothing and visit clubs on a Saturday night which was totally against her principles as a Muslim woman. To add insult to injury she also found out that her daughter in law was chatting up men on various chat sites on the internet. One day she decided to follow her daughter in law who made her way to a Rosebank hotel. There she discovered that the daughter in law was actually chatting up her husband (father in law) who created a fake profile on an internet chat site. Can you imagine the expression on their faces when they met each other. Such disgusting behaviour on the part of the daughter in law and the father in law. A father in law should be an authority of the home, the head of the family and a daughter in law should be concerned about her husband and her family. I guess that is the result of being a bored housewife... After all an idol mind is a devils workshop..I am not a club person at all and I honestly believe that a club is the devil's playground. Men and women dressed in skimpy clothing with loud vulgar music and alcohol flowing is not my idea of fun but with more and more Muslim men and women frequenting such places, it is a clear indication that the Luciferian regime with its head quarters in Hollywood is winning the cause of brainwashing our young people and steering them away from religion and pushing them towards self destruction. I wonder how many of you actually know about Hollywood celebrities and their rise to fame. How many of you know about MK Ultra mind control programming. Hollywood celebrities don't just rise to fame. They were groomed through programming techniques from kids. They have sold their souls to the devil in return for name and fame. Hollywood songs and music all have underline dark themed subliminal messages promoting satanism and of course sex is the main theme. Why sex.... Because sex magic rituals is very much a part of satanism. Our magazines are riddled with subliminal messages that the common man will fail to see. We all get carried away by the beautiful woman on the cover of a magazine wearing skimpy clothing and we all wanna be like her.. The truth is, all those images that we see is air brushed.Wearing mini skirts with bums and boobs hanging out is so cool. Right... Wrong.. Its cheap and trashy. No woman of class and elegance would actually dress that way. I have met many celebs in real life and most of them are actually ugly in reality. Lighting and make up is the trick to beauty. They create an illusion of beauty to the masses who in turn start revering a human being as their God instead of worshiping and revering God Almighty. It is so sad to see millions of people just existing without actually seeing the real world, without really understanding why is the world the way it is...

Why have Muslim women allowed a patriarchal system to hijack their place and role within the Islamic world?

(muslimahwalkingaround.wordpress.com)

I was meaning to write this post a long time ago but I just didn't get down to doing it. As I devour my slice of pizza and sip a glass a ice cold coke I am now eager to fire away. A few months ago I was invited to a family gathering where I met members of the extended family and of course guests that I was not familiar with. Whilst introducing myself I was asked where am I from, am I married and of course whats my profession. As the conversation continued I made mention that I was abroad for a number of years and I returned to my home country to be a part of a new family business, Medix Pharmacy. There was a few women in the gathering who happened to be from a staunch ultra conservative background, but take note that when these women were young, they had their own businesses, wore swimming costumes etc etc..Now that God Almighty has guided them they suddenly appear as "the holier than thou" type. As the conversation ensued I was told, that a woman's place is at home. A woman should not be involved in the business world but rather stay at home and rear a dozen kids. Naturally I was boiling inside to retaliate but I simply kept my cool as it was meant to be a get together.

What fascinates me is that when the first verse of the Quran was revealed " read in the name of Thy Lord who created man from a clot of blood".. God Almighty didn't associate gender to the word read. Where did this notion or idea come from that women should not educate themselves, persevere and excel in whatever respectable field makes them happy and gives them a sense of inner satisfaction and accomplishment. Throughout history there has been many noble Muslim women of note that have held positions of power and contributed significantly to society during that era. Let me elaborate further by starting off with Khadija (Peace be upon her), the wife of our beloved Prophet Muhammed (saw). She was a super successful business woman and through her contribution Islam spread far and wide. Umma Ammara, also known as Nusayba Al ansariyya participated in the Battle of Uhud. She carried a sword and a shield and is remembered for protecting the Prophet (saw) against his enemies. "‘Ā’isha was the wife of the Prophet Muhammad who had perhaps the most influence on the Muslim community after his death. She played a central role in the political opposition to the third and fourth caliphs Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, even leading an army against the latter at Basra in 656. Although she retired from political life after her defeat, she continued to play a major role as a transmitter of Islamic teachings. She is one of the major narrators of hadith in the Sunni tradition. In many ways, she is among the most controversial figures in early Islam, especially since the implications of her actions for women’s participation in scholarship, political life, and the public sphere clashed with later conservative conceptions of the role of women. For more about ‘Ā’isha and her legacy, read Denise Spellberg’s excellent book entitled Politics, Gender and the Islamic Past: The Legacy of ‘Ā’isha bint Abī Bakr (1996).Lubna of Cordoba was originally a slave-girl of Spanish origin, Lubna rose to become one of the most important figures in the Umayyad palace in Cordoba. She was the palace secretary of the caliphs ‘Abd al-Rahmān III (d. 961) and his son al-Hakam b. ‘Abd al-Rahmān (d. 976). She was also a skilled mathematician and presided over the royal library, which consisted of over 500,000 books. According to the famous Andalusi scholar Ibn Bashkuwāl: “She excelled in writing, grammar, and poetry. Her knowledge of mathematics was also immense and she was proficient in other sciences as well. There were none in the Umayyad palace as noble as her.” [Ibn Bashkuwal, Kitab al-Silla (Cairo, 2008), Vol. 2: 324]."

"As philanthropists and benefactresses, Muslim women like Queen Zubayda, wife of 9th century Caliph Harun Ar-Rasheed in the Abbasid dynasty, deserves mention because of her huge contributions to public works such as building wells and guest houses on the major routes that pilgrims took to Mecca, as well as building wells and reservoirs. In addition, Queen Zubayda was an intellectual who expressed her political thoughts in public besides supporting poets and writers, regardless of their religion, and religious scholars and the needy. On the Western side of the Muslim Arabic world, 9th century’s Fatima al Fihriyya in Fez, Morocco founded al-Qarawwiyyin mosque which became one of the oldest Islamic schools and colleges operating until the present time. Among other women who built schools was Banafshaa’ ar-Rumiyya of the 11th century who restored schools, bridges, public housing for homeless women in Baghdad, besides having her own school endowment. Moreover, Fatima of Cordoba was a 10th century librarian who oversaw 70 public libraries containing 400,000 books."

"Finally, as queens and rulers, Muslim famous women that stand out are Arwa al-Sulayhi, an 11th century Yemini who ruled for 71 years and was known as the Noble Lady. Sultana Shajarat al-Durr took control over Egypt after her husband’s death in the 13th century. Sultana Razia, on the other hand, was the only female to sit on India’s throne in Delhi for four years in the 13th century. In central India and closer to our contemporary world, a family of women rulers ruled over the principality of Bhopal from 1819 to 1924, the last of whom was Begum Kaikhursau Jahan. This family was famous for building railways, water works, and a postal system."

Of course the list continues but with so many Muslim women within the Islamic world making significant contributions to humanity, I fail to understand why has the Islamic world become patriarchal forcing women to take the back seat when that was never how how it suppose to be in the first place. Where did this idea come from that it is the sole responsibility of a woman to iron, cook, clean and raise a dozen children. Why can't a man cook, clean and iron? Shouldn't it be a shared responsibility. The trend seems to be changing though with more and more Muslim women educating themselves and taking up important positions within society. This however comes at a price. In Muslim Indian communities an educated woman is viewed as a threat so naturally you are not considered marriage material. I had a hilarious situation a few days ago where a friend of mine wanted to introduce me to her friends brother. When the gentleman was informed about my qualifications and other media related activities I am involved with, it scared the pants out of the guy and naturally he refused to meet me. I find it fascinating how people judge others based on profession or material wealth. People have this notion that if you driving a fancy car or you living in a huge home that you spoiled. They fail to see the bigger picture and that is the individual themselves. Isn't personality and character more important than wealth and materialistic possessions.. With the world economic situation in dire straits wouldn't it be a pleasure having a partner that also works and assists in running a home. Whilst there are men out there who prevent their educated wives from working out of spite and jealousy, there are also women out there who have this notion that a woman's place is in the home. This kind of woman refuses to work or do anything extra. The poor husband works his butt off whilst the wife abuses and spends money lavishly. Shopping, visiting beauty salons and watching TV from morning to night is how time gets spent without taking into consideration the husbands financial situation. A marriage situation requires two to tango and I fervently believe that both partners need to educate themselves, work hard and build a future together. If two people love each other they should support each other through all of life's trials and tribulations. Why should one partner work hard whilst the other spends it all without showing any sign of appreciation. I hope that the women at the gathering I attended read the above article. I wonder how many of them actually know the history of Muslim women in the Islamic world. The irony of the whole discussion though was when I stood up to leave, I was halted by one lady who asked if I knew a good Muslim female gynaecologist. I simply grinned, shook my head in disbelief and left. I firmly believe that if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation. Whilst Islam is a forward thinking religion, why have some sectors of the Muslim world gone backward instead of moving forward? Why have Muslim women allowed a patriarchal system to hijack their place and role within the Islamic world?

Where have I disappeared to?

So recently I have been inundated with numerous inbox messages enquiring about my blog and why I haven't been updating the blog regularly as I was doing in the past. The answer is quite simple...BUSINESS... Medix Pharmacy is just one month old and as a team we have lots of ideas that we still wish to implement in order to provide state of the art health care to all our patients. Running a business is definitely not for the faint hearted but it is quite inspiring and encouraging when we get patients complimenting us on our excellent service delivery and also when we have opposition pharmacies snooping by to have a look at our pharmacy lay out. 

At Medix Pharmacy we do not aim to be like a big chain store pharmacy. Our aim is to provide one on one interpersonal patient care. In the last month, the pharmacy has also turned into a social welfare centre where community members have asked us to assist them with various domestic related issues, such as alcoholism and drugs. We have dealt with teenage pregnancies as well as one assault case. What really broke our hearts was the fact that when the victim went to a private hospital she was not attended to simply because she is poor and can not afford medical aid. 

Last Saturday the pharmacy hosted a wellness day whereby patients were encouraged to pass by the pharmacy for a free blood pressure, cholesterol, as well as blood sugar screening. We are quite proud to announce that more than 120 patients were screened and we came across five patients that were positively diagnosed as having diabetes. We would like to thank the Florida community for their love and support and we will continue to have health related events outside the pharmacy on a monthly basis. The aim is to bring reasonable and affordable health care to all members of the community. Our team at Medix pharmacy is dedicated to serving the community. Stay tuned for our upcoming drug awareness workshop that will be hosted in the new year. In order for us to have these type of events regularly, we urge the community at large to come out in full force to support such events so that it makes it worth while for us to host such events.

The only fusion nasheed group in South Africa- THE WAAHID GROUP

At the very successful launch of the Seven Seas Signature Spa, I had the opportunity of interacting with the world renowned WAAHID nasheed group who  is the only fusion nasheed group in South Africa at present. They entertained the crowd by belting out their famous nasheeds that can be heard regularly on various television as well as Islamic radio stations world wide. A few years ago the group performed with the famous nasheed artist Junaid Jamshed at the Wits University great hall.I had the opportunity of being present at that performance as well. Since then the group has grown from pillar to pillar and from strength to strength. I was told that they making their way  to the UK soon where they will be performing to an audience of 60 000 people. What really appealed to me about the Waahid group as a whole, was undoubtedly the humble down to earth character displayed by each member of the group. I am quite honoured to have had the opportunity to interview the group. Read on to find out more in their own words.....

 1. Firstly, I would like to thank the Waahid group for taking the time out to answer these questions? So tell me who is the Waahid group? I would like each member of the group to introduce themselves,basically provide my readers with a brief synopsis of your life from childhood up until present?

Waahid is South Africa's only fusion anasheed group since we are able to not only fuse languages but also fuse styles, genres and cultures which makes us very rare and unique. This is why we call ourselves Waahid which means One in Arabic.  All the members have had different backgrounds with different experiences and are skilled in different ways yet we are able to unify our sound creating harmonies and melodies that entice the soul. We aim to create a world where all races, ages, cultures, religions an geography can unite as Waahid (one) through melody and music.*

AK Mahomed – I have over 30 years experience in the music industry and is the producer of all of Waahids nasheeds.  I own Cap Studios were I record all of Waahids songs. I am a jewellery sales agent in the KZN region.

Naeem Sheik Hameed - I was born and brought up in the beautiful city of Durban! I consider myself a true South African, having an Indian dad, a Malay mom and being born in the City of Durban in Africa. I come from a large family of seven. I have two gorgeous sons who are my heart and soul and definitely my reason for waking up in the morning!! My passion has always been in the Aeronautical field and I believe I am well on my way to getting there with a Degree in Mechanical Engineering obtained with Distinction. I have worked at some of the biggest and most respectable companies in South Africa. This experience has been in diverse areas such as earthmoving machinery, sugar manufacture and hydraulic machinery manufacture. I have been a Test, Hydraulics, Maintenance, Project and Design Engineer and I am currently posted as Quality Engineer for the Local Government Electricity Department. Alhamdulillah! I have been involved in the design of machinery that is being utilised all over the world. My next goal is to obtain the coveted Government Certificate of Competence for Engineers. With over 20 years of experience gained in the Nasheed industry, I have produced 2 solo albums whose Anasheed feature regularly on the Top 8 as well as Local is Lekker! I am the Managing Director of NOS Hardware Wholesalers, a company founded by my brothers and me. I am co-founder of the Waahid ‘Power of Dreams’ Group of Companies, Lead Singer as well as Managing Director. I have recently established NSH Recording Studios where I will be producing my solo albums. I hope to be counted amongst those who have contributed to the advancement of Nasheed in the world!

Farid Loyiso Matana - My story to islam is quiet long. But the jist of it is wen I was stil at university at PE the 9/11 attacks occured I was active member of ancyl. Our agenda was anti west n pro poor. Wen CNN. Showed us propaganda by accusin bin laden n havin witness wit passports yet their bodies were burnt. We had t-shirst written. Osama our hero in campus that made me research islam more in fact wen I became of sane mine I always wanted islam but didn't know how to get it.  So one friend of mine became muslim he gave me dvd I watched n made my mind I decided to migrate coz I was done at home I went soweto not knowin no one there. I met a strange lady who gave me refuge at her home. What was weird is I left home wanting islam. N in soweto I saw one huge building. Nex to the house I was stayin I went there I saw the imam he told me this a musjid a place of muslims. The it clicked on me I was at right place I took shahad following day witout no one giving me dawah. Only on sacrifice n following my heart living my parents n birthplace in search of success.   My story has featured on Chanel Islam International.   All praise are due to Allah the best of Guide

Nazeer Riaz Jamal - I grew up in Overport, Durban and schooled at Al Falaah College. I always had a love for the natural environment and so completed my Honours Degree in Environmental Science at UKZN where I also was the president of the Muslim Students Association and the founder of an environmental NGO called PACT (People Acting Caring Thinking). I began working for government as an environmental inspector and climbed the ladder to where I currently am as Assistant Director for the Department of Environmental Affairs under the Compliance Monitoring Inspectorate (Green Scorpions). I am titled by the Assoc. of Muslim Advancement (New York) in 2009 as a Muslim Leader of Tomorrow as well as a 2012 Top Young South African by the Mail & Guardian. I love music and have learnt the basic of playing the guitar but hip hop is my first love. I want to make a change in the world through nature, music and melody, Inshallah. I am the beatboxer (vocal percussions), singer and rapper of the band as well as the Finanical Director. I am also a radio and TV presenter in my spare time and a Director at the Al Ansaar Foundation (a charity organisation).

Ahmad Abdulatif Mponda - I am your simple but fun-loving farm boy, I grew up in Westville and later on, in Central Durban, and now currently just out of Durban. I am the Arabic Vocalist, Creative and Bookings Director in the group, where when you're hear something in arabic, it most likely would be me. I am a Haafiz, Alhamdulillah, did hifz in Camperdown and completed in 2002 and schooled at Orient Islamic School. Currently completing a National Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management and doing my intern, Radio Presenter in the spare time and I am also a qualified fitness instructor for Virgin Active. You must be wondering, a Haafiz, Travel and Tourism, Fitness Instructing, Radio Presenter and Waahid, how do all these link to each other?, well, the answer is simple, UNITY IN DIVERSITY and this shows how diverse one can be within oneself and still live in unity with the rest of creation. Friendly, full of smiles and crazy, are just some of the things people call me when they see me or interact with me. Waahid to me means love, unity, peace, tranquility and a whole range of nice words i can find in the dictionary to describe something that brings me serenity and contentment of heart. Waahid praises and recites nasheeds about our Creator(SWA) and our Prophet(SAW), which heart would not find contentment in doing so? I have learnt a lot from Waahid, musical terms, chords, harmonies and the list can go on. I am the happiest person simply because ALLAH has chosen me to be a part of Waahid and to do HIS work in the form of nasheeds.

2. How and when was the Waahid group formed?

It was formed through only the will of Allah (SWT). In 2006 , a concert was coming up featuring Zain Bhikha (SA) & Dawud Wharsnsby Ali (Canada) and the hosts ILM-SA met with AK who owns Cap Recording Studios requesting a local act for the concert but they wanted a performer in Arabic or English. AK had been recording Naeem in Arabic and English already. Naeem was asked to perform at the concert as he was already established in the industry, but AK felt it would be more appropriate to have a group at this function. Therefore a group was put together in a matter of three weeks! He knew Ahmad since he used to recite qiraat at various functions and he knew Nazeer from Radio Al Ansaar as well as his stage appearance doing a rap song. Farid's story was more interesting. A while back Farid came to Radio Al Ansaar where he met AK as a coincidence. Then during the time AK was looking for singers for the concert he heard Farids voice giving Azaan and told him about the concert. 3 weeks before the concert, we met and prepared 4 songs and were the opening act of the show. South Africa went crazy and thats our story. Alhamdulillah.*

 3. When the group launched a few years ago there was a lot of controversy within the Muslim community with regards to beat boxing and whether or not it is permissible within Islam. How did the group handle this issue especially since there was much pressure from the various Muslim religious authorities within the country?

We did have a problem with certain communities who did not share the same understanding as us when we began but we believed in one thing and that was Allah judges our actions by our intentions and our intentions were only to please Allah and to provide an alternative to young muslims away from the evils of the world. Subsequently the same communities are now some of our biggest supporters Alhamdulillah. Our songs share a common theme of soul and spirituality and most people when they listen to us, sense it and appreciate it.*

 4. Sami Yusuf came to South Africa a few years ago and received a luke warm response from certain sectors of the Muslim community. Having resided in the Middle East for a number of years I was quite familiar with Sami's genre of nasheeds and so it was not surprising for me. What is your opinion with regards to music in Islam and nasheeds that are sung with music?

Waahid are associated with many Islamic scholars worldwide, one of them is Sheikh Ramadaan who explains that music is a medium and provided an example of an empty glass tumbler. If he poured water into the glass there is nothing wrong with the contents or the glass. However if you put alcohol in the glass the contents become prohibited but not the glass. The glass is just the medium and so the content is what determines its prohibition or acceptance. So the musical instrument is just the medium, it is how you use the medium that defines its allowance. But Waahid will always be that bridge between those who want the music and the ones that dont. *

 Music is a topic that arouses much passionate debate in Muslim communities throughout the world. To us it is a way of passing a message that needs to be conveyed, a message of truth. Whether we like to admit it or not, music is a part of our lives, and we cannot avoid it. Our youth are being misled by the corrupt music of the West on a daily basis. For all those who would like to criticise what we do, I would like to say, provide an alternative that works.

 5. Where did you learn the art of beat boxing and how does one become a beat boxer?

As a kid I was partly deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other ear, but after I underwent an operation, I was fully cured. I then began to hear sounds I did not hear all the time and so I would relate any situation with the sound I heard. If I had to explain a car accident, I would say the one car came down fast *wooosh* then it was too late to slow down but the driver slammed the brakes *eeeerrrr* and then he smashed in to the guy *Gshhr!*. But about 10 years ago I met Shaheed Alkawn a fellow SA nasheed artist who was a beatboxer. and he taught me the basics. I then went on YouTube and learnt the rest. Beatboxing is easy as long as you learn the basic sounds. The B the T and the K. Put them together and you get B T K TT BB K. Try it out!*

 6. Besides being a part of a nasheed group what other qualification or profession do the group members have?

Refer to details above.*

 7. I stand to be corrected, but I do understand that two members of the group Fareed and Ahmed are reverts to Islam. How did they revert to Islam. Please enlighten the readers more about their journey into Islam.

Refer to Farids intro above *

 8. Define success. What does success mean for the group?

 Success to us is not measured by how many albums we sell, or how popular we are but its measured by the number of hearts and minds we positively change. We see a world of unity and of peace where we all are different but are united in our diversity. We want to create a positive change with our music and to provide young minds with an alternative sound if we can acheive this then we have truly succeeded. We also hope that Allah is pleased with us by using our talents in the correct way and for his pleasure. We also want to become a good muslim business following the ethics of Shariah law and being a role model to all other business.*

Success is measured in its totality. An example, it is worthless to be part of the biggest and most respectable group in the Nasheed world if you have a family life that is dysfunctional, I believe that a lot of the problems faced by Non Muslim artists today are due to a lack of balance in their lives. Therefore I wana stress that it is our duty as an Islamic group to be good role models for the youth and demonstrate to them that success is not found on stage or even at the bank, rather it is found with contentment of your heart.

9. What is the group's favourite website?

www.twitter.com  - you can learn so much in just 140 characters

10. What has been the groups most memorable performance thus far?

Nazeer: I think it was the one where we travelled to Botswana by road. I was tiring exhilirating and best of all it was fun. Ahmad and I played pool from 11pm to 5am! Exhilirating!*

Ahmad - I would also agree with what Naz just said, first time of my life, We stayed up till so late playing pool until Fajr, wooh what a time. The most memorable moments were when we had to drive to Mpumalanga and it took us 13hours instead of 9hours where our pilot behind the wheel Mr Nazjam, had taken a detour and after that long drive, we ended up still singing at 2am and then sleeping in the car. Moments which, honestly, will never be forgotten even in the years to come. A true blessing in disguise.

Naeem -  Well, the most memorable performance for me was the Meelad held in Cape Town in 2012/13. This event was attended by over 25000 people and was organised in two weeks Alhamdulillah! The wind was howling and tents were flying away but people stayed to praise the Holy Prophet (SAW). It was an absolutely beautiful sight with a sea of white kurtas and abayas as far as your eyes could see!

 11. As a team or a group where do you draw inspiration from? Who or what inspires you to create such beautiful nasheeds?

We draw inspiration from our own experiences. Nazeer loves nature so he sings about nature. AK is a deep thinker, so he prefers the deep songs like Echoes in my Mind, Fareed is a da'ee so he sings in traditional African sounds to attract africans to Islam, Naeem has experienced life and so sings about our daily struggles and Ahmad is a fun guy so he likes his beaty arabian songs. We also have other writers such as our ex manager Sister Safeeya Moosa who actually wrote the lead lyrics of the song Labbaik. There is no lack of inspiration in this world. If you look around there are injustices occurring everywhere. These stories need to be told, these people have to be heard. As Waahid we aim to tell those stories through melody!

12. As a group, apart from beat boxing and nasheeds what other topics are you most passionate about?

We are really concerned about the famine, wars and impoverishment of people and so are currently writing songs about these issues.  There is a common thread in all our songs and that is a plea for Allah (SWT) to guide us as we have transgressed. All the problems faced by the world today are the doing of man, the sooner we wake up from our slumber and accept that, the sooner we can find our Lord.

 13. This question is for each member of the group. If someone could grant you one wish and you could choose to have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?

Nazeer: I would like to be a leader or a president who is fair, just, and who can lead his people to greatness and who is able to see the good in others and help them master their skills so that we can all be not only good muslims but good people.*

*Naeem* Hmm, I would like to be a person who provides peace and contentment to the hearts of all those who I come into contact with. I would like to end the suffering and strife of all the peoples of the world. I want to be a reliable leader whose people can be rest assured to call upon in times of need.

Ahmad  - Wow, I honestly have never been asked this question before, therefore so many things come to mind, as it is human nature to think of so many things at once in the one wish but in all honesty, I would wish for people of the world to be kind and peaceful to each other and unite as one big world united family.

 14. What are your future plans? Where does the group want to be five years down the line?

We aim to become worldwide so that we are able to put Waahid on the map. We have even started our own T Shirt and Golfer brand as well as a nasheed academy where we teach singing, writing, rapping and public speaking. We see Waahid as a worldwide Islamic brand, not just in Nasheed but in all areas of Islamic life, including, leadership, business, education and entertainment

15. Polygamous relationships? What are your thoughts on this one?

Islam allows for a man to have more than 1 wife, but it requires extreme caution and fairness. If the man is able to be fair and just in all his actions then there is no problem, but if he is not able to then he should control his desires.  An often neglected part of this issue is the happiness of the wife. Many men do not take into account the effect a second wife would have on their first wives especially considering the fact that we live in a largely non Muslim society. This is a cause of breakdown for many marriages and so my question is, is it worth it to break up one marriage to create another ? Islam allows for a man to have more than 1 wife, but it requires extreme caution and fairness. If the man is able to be fair and just in all his actions to his wives then there is no problem, but if he is not able to then he should control his desires and have 1.

16. Does the group perform at selected events only or can families hire the group for private functions as well? Kindly provide your contact details so that organizations can get in touch with you directly.

Yeah we perform at all events anywhere and anytime. We do charge a performance fee which is excluding the cost of travel, accommodation and meals if the need arises. You can contact Nazeer on 0761513334 or nazjam@gmail.com  *

 17. What advise would you give to the youth out there who wish to pursuit a career in beat boxing and nasheed singing?

The SA nasheed industry is not an easy game. Its hard to please everyone and many people offer more critism than support, but its important to value the critiscm and channel is postively so that you can improve yourself. Rome was not built overnight so have patience and most importantly keep your intentions only for Allah and you will see how you will grow Inshallah. Waahid is always available to help you so contact us. Perseverance is the key to success although the industry is growing at a rapid rate and opportunities will increase as well. There has never been a better time to get into Nasheeds!

Thank you Waahid group for taking the time to answer these questions. Desert Moon wishes you all the best in your future endeavours!!! This is definitely one of the most inspiring interviews that I have ever done. I am so honoured and proud to have interviewed a group that has made an impact globally. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.*

The official opening of the Seven Seas Signature Spa

This post should have been written a few days ago but my life at present is like a roller coaster ride. I am totally focused on getting our family pharmacy up and running.Hence at present I'm playing building contractor, HR manager, Stock controller along with getting through one meeting after another and in between all of this I'm still trying my best to blog and share my life events with all my blog readers.

The Seven Seas Signature Spa officially opened on the 12th of October 2013. The opening of the spa coincided with a weekend souq at the Image Lifestyle  Wedding and Conference Venue that attracted many people from far and wide. Channel Islam International was also broadcasting live from the event. The highlight of the event was undoubtedly meeting and interacting with the world famous Waahid nasheed group. Catch my exclusive interview with the group in my next post hopefully. To commemorate the opening of the spa a program was put together that included talks by various dermatological and cosmetic companies along with a fashion show. The Waahid nasheed group was roped in to entertain the crowd and my word, they performed spectacularly. Whilst the women gathered inside the conference centre for the formalities,  the dad's had an opportunity to spend quality time with the kids outside and also browse around the various stalls. My family and I got to conference centre a few hours before the official opening ceremony so that we could take a walk around the stalls. I was particularly impressed with the ice cream and cake pin cushions that were on sale along with the photography stall that specialized in magazine type picture albums. I definitely want to create a magazine family album in the future as a rememberance. Other items on sale included the usual abayas and scarves along with household accessories. I could n't believe that not one store catered for shoes when I desperately needed a pair. lol. One section of the venue was dedicated to weddings and functions where guests had an opportunity to view different table setting arrangements in line with the latest trends and fashion.Hats off to Unusual Functions for the stunning table decor. The food at Salma's food stall was absolutely delicious. Every single dish from the biryani to the kebaab and roti as well as the chicken tikka and steak burger was spiced to perfection. Well done aunty Salma for taking care of our tummies and satisfying our taste buds. I was pleasantly surprised to have met and interacted with many facebook friends who instantly recognized me. I always seem to get the same line though," OMG you look just like your facebook picture"..lol...Yes it is me ...How else am I suppose to look..,.lolol. After lunch, mom and I made our way inside the venue for the much anticipated opening ceremony program. The master of ceremonies for the afternoon was Dr. Bhabha from Beauty and Curves located in Bedfordview. I must say though that she really had a tough time being an MC considering that the hall was packed with women chit chatting at the top of their voices. As is customary in Islamic culture, the function commenced with a recitation of the Holy Quraan by Hafez Zunaid Saloojee. Thereafter there were talks presented by various dermatological companies about their range of skin care products. I personally found the talks too detailed and in depth for a Saturday afternoon. The talk that captivated me was undoubtedly by make up artist Jose de Silva. His bold style coupled with his foreign accent and gentleman like demeanour definitely caught the attention of the female crowd.."My darlings, please make sure you wash your hair four times a week..My darlings you must pamper yourself to a manicure and pedicure. My darlings you must do facials more often to give 

yourself a more youthful look.....my darlings....my darlings.....my darlings..he continued."

In between the talks, the audience had a chance to view garments from world renowned fashion houses. Models strutted their stuff on the ramp in hideous looking shoes to the tunes of famous Arabic singers like Amir Diab and Nancy Ajram. Two of the models almost took a tumble..... I  was particularly impressed with the Moda Lounge range of clothing as well as the elegant evening dresses from Dockrats clothing store in Fordsburg and Lenasia. The range of clothing by the Benoni based designer Naseema was elegant and flowing with the exception that all the designs looked similar making it a boring lacklustre range in totality. Considering that 95 percent of the audience was predominantly Muslim, I was quite disappointed with the holiday range of clothing as well as the wedding gowns. I don't think a Muslim woman would be walking down the aisle in a boob tube or parading the streets of Rome in a mini skirt. Design houses should have come up with more innovative styles to suit the needs of a modern Muslim woman. You can wear hijaab and still look chic and elegant. A woman who dresses modestly can be as sexy as a woman in a mini skirt. Guests also had an opportunity of winning prizes, such as free hair care products or a free massage treatment etc etc. The women were going crazy to collect their prizes. After all the talking and the fashion show, guests were treated to a light snack meal. The tables were laid out beautifully. I have no words to describe the sheer perfection of each and every platter on the table. The pictures speak volumes for themselves. The only disappointing bit is that mom and I did not get one snack to nibble on as Indians do not know the difference between a snack and a meal. Women greedily filled up their plates to the brim as though food was running out of fashion. Within minutes everything was swiped. I could n't believe that women from so called elite high class homes behaved in this manner.I guess its a case of " we don't eat such tasty food in our own homes so lets gobble it all up or its free chows, quick let's devour it all up and save a few pennies." lololol..I guess that's how the rich get richer!!

If you wish to view more pictures of the event simply click on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/sumayya.mehtar/media_set?set=a.10152333636667782.1073741855.739292781&type=1

Indian musical night at the Image Lifestyle Wedding and Conference Venue

So I  left for the concert on Saturday evening and returned home in the early hours of Sunday morning after enjoying a really fun and entertaining evening. The food was excellent especially the delicious aloo parathas with cheese and spring onions. The dessert and cakes at the tea time table were equally delicious. There were a few guests complaining about a lack of variety in terms of vegetarian dishes and so the organizing team should take this into consideration when organizing the next event. I would also suggest serving popcorn on the table whilst guests are viewing the show. Overall, hats off to Mr. Altaaf, the owner of Image Lifestyle wedding and conference venue and his team for putting together a well organized show.It was really good to see people from all walks of life, young and old enjoying the various genres of songs belted out by local artists who are undoubtedly the cream of the crop and the best in the country as far as local talent is concerned...Music and singing though not acceptable in Islam according to many scholars, has always been my passion. I have started learning how to play the piano a few weeks ago and I must admit that it is not as easy as it looks. Its difficult and my fingers tend to ache and swell quite often.Hence I truly appreciated the way in which every member of the band played their instrument with absolute finesse and perfection. It was also a wonderful sight to see many people supporting our local artists who are not too far behind from international Bollywood stars in terms of their singing capability as well as stage presence. If we want our local artists to excel and achieve international status, it is imperative for all of us to support and encourage them.As the saying goes 'Local is lekker.'

I just had to add pictures of the gorgeous female lavatory at the venue....posh, grand and opulent.....fit for a queen....designed by Aadil Saith..

A pretty entertaining ride indeed!!!!

Traveling on Saudi Airlines is always an experience and a half.. Either the trip is super smooth sailing or its a disaster.Having a plane load of South African Muslims on board is an even more interesting experience. My trip yesterday was super smooth sailing with just a hiccup or two along the way. Not really a train smash. On arriving at the airport check in counter we were instantly upgraded to business class due to my Al Fursan membership. However, once we boarded the flight in Jeddah, we realised that my seat was double booked. The confusion started when an agent from South Africa block booked the whole plane the day before and issued boarding passes randomly. This led to double booked seats and also families scattered in the plane with the husband, wife and the kids all sitting miles apart. This created lots of problems and of course bikkering. As for me I made mom take the business class seat and I simply moved to the back. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I landed up sitting next to a Bangladeshi lady who was disabled after falling from the roof of her double storey home in Bangladesh. She was unable to have full use of her hands and so whilst sitting next to her I had the opportunity of assisting her with her meals thereby taking her duaas and prayers in return. Whilst moving to the back of the plane I noticed a group of men quarrelling over a wiindow seat and then I noticed two women quarrelling over an aisle seat with the one claiming that her ticket was more expensive and thus she deserved the aisle seat.Please take note that these were Muslims returning from Umra who should be returning with better character and qualities...If you ever visit a plane toilet to find that it is flooded with water to the extent that the toilet paper is also drenched, the person before you was definitely a MUSLIM...Cleanliness is half of faith and yet in any function where there are MUSLIMS you would find dirty flooded toilets.I guess some people feel that its not their property so its very much ok to use and abuse other peoples property...and the most interesting part of the trip was the gang of gossiping women who sat a row away from the lavatory. You would think that if you gossiping about someone that you will be a little soft and secretive about it but they were so loud that I heard everything they said. In typical South African Indian Muslim fashion they were perturbed about me wearing make up whilst assuming that I was returning from Umra...So its a case of how dare she wears make up after pilgrimage...Errrr excuse me....For a start where is it written that a woman can not adorn make up after pilgrimage and even if I'm wearing make up its pretty much my own business. It shouldn't be bothering anyone else... On returning from the horrific toilet experience, I went up to the women, greeted them and then said instead of talking about me you can ask me questions directly....Please do not assume that I am returning from Umra....I am traveling from another city and simply using Jeddah as a transit airport.....Their faces turned red with embarrassment...To top it up all on returning to my seat I noticed two "holy" men back mouthing the air hostess for she could not serve them sandwiches or tea due to turbulence as everyone needed to be seated..At the end of the plane ride one thought ran through my mind, what is the purpose of performing a hundred and one pilgrimages if there is no change in character. Have we lost the purpose and the aim of a pilgrimage. Has it not become more of a holiday and shopping expedition with one family being more dramatic than the other one regarding the amount of goods they purchased....I must say though it was a pretty entertaining ride....!!!!!!