Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

Monday, November 18, 2013

If you find someone…

Filed under: 2013, Believe, cherish, couple, Destiny, Faith, Family, Happiness, Life, love, People, Relationship Tagged: Inspiration, life, Love, Quotes

Monday, January 14, 2013

Xmas with the family

Xmas with the family

This year (or to be correct, last years - 2012) I spent Xmas again with my family. The last years we hadn't had a Xmas only with our inner circle family which means mum, dad, my sister and me. Sometimes it was me and my parents when my sister was with her boyfriend, or it was my sister and my parents while I stayed in Munich. This year all were happy to be together again. For me it was also a time to get some rest while doing nothing. Doing nothing is something I'm absolutely bad at. As long as I'm home I will find something which has to be done instead of just snuggling up on the couch and read a book or watch a movie. This is different at my parents as I don't have to clean the house or do the washing. I was already looking forward to watch all the Xmas fairy tales on TV, feeling like a child again, no problems, no tasks.
It turned out that I really had a few relaxing days. There was lots of family gathering with aunts and uncles and their families but no stress during my stay. A bit of shopping, coffee with old friends, delicious food and lots of sleep.
Our Xmas tree was a cute small one this year and on twenty fourth we celebrated in the typical German way with potato salad and sausage in the evening, unwrapping the presents and family games for the rest of the evening. This year it was "rummikub" and I'm really keen to win those games. I started good but was the loser in the end - haha. But a saying here says if you aren't lucky in gambling you are lucky with love. Keeping my love is worth losing the games!
On twenty fifth the traditional Xmas goose was prepared for lunch. If you never tried a goose you miss something, it's so lovely!
And the last official Xmas day, the twenty sixth, which is also the birthday of one of my aunts we stayed in her house for birthday cake and coffee in the afternoon. All my cousins around and lots of chatting and laughing.
For New Year's Eve I planned nothing, I just stayed at my friend and we had a nice dinner, lots of talking and TV and watched the fireworks from her balcony.
But like always, as soon as you feel a bit relaxed and would like to relax a bit more it's time to get back to work. The same for me, directly on the first of January I had to drive back home to start working the next day.
The good thing about it is, that it was only one more month left until I can close my arms around my fiancé again, inshallah. As he told me before, the time will pass quickly.
I hope all of you had a nice holiday and a happy start in 2013.
I have no New Years resolutions but hopefully this year will be exciting with all our plans ahead.
Faithfully, Miss Faith!





Thursday, January 10, 2013

How is it to meet his family

How is it to meet his family

After we spent lovely days with my family we moved on to meet part of his family in Belgium.
I was excited as he told me so many stories upfront about his uncle in Belgium who is married to a Belgian. How will it be? Will I be accepted and welcomed in the same way as he was? Many questions for me as there still is a difference as his uncle is older and Libyan, kind of a respectable person. Even if he's living in Belgium for a long time and his daughters were raised there I knew also stories about him having problems with the western life style of his daughter.
I'm completely western, yes, I had contact with Arabic cultures but first of all they differ from country to country and second is that people are always acting in a way they can justify for themselves. So what to expect?
I expected nothing, I just assumed from his stories that we would at least go along in a friendly way for the coming days. My thesis always is that I have to meet persons first to see myself how they are and I didn't changed it in this case. For his uncles wife I was pretty sure upfront that we will like each other and it turned out to be right. When we arrived his uncle was still working but his uncles wife welcomed me in the same loving way I'm used to from my family. We were very quickly talking about each and everything as if we knew each others already. When his uncle arrived home he was acting a bit like my father, greeting me but then watching me eating, moving, talking. During dinner he warmed up and started to ask me what I'm working, about my family, normal stuff. His wife told me later that evening that he likes me and that he's entirely happy for his nephew that he found his second part. My fiancé told me the same when we went to sleep. Sleeping in one room but in single beds, the uncle is the older one and he's making the rules in his house. It was ok for two nights even if I think it's kind of funny. We are no teenagers anymore but we accepted it. The next day was separated in the morning. His uncle likes to go to a big fruit market nearby because he can taste all fruits there without buying them and its kind of a hobby for him to do it. In the end he's always buying but I like how he behaves, the little boy in the old man is visible. My fiancé was there with him already and liked it too, also in him the child is present, which is great. So the men planned to go there and I had to choose if I want to join them or if I go with the uncles wife to another biological market to buy vegetables for dinner. I choose to join her for several reasons. It's not that I'm a big fan of shopping for dinner but I wanted the men to be able to talk just for them and I also wanted to listen to stories from a woman's point of view. The decision was good as we talked non stop and became well acquainted within just a few hours. I heard stories about how difficult it was raising daughters and how they managed it, the mother is always on the daughters side and even more if she's born and raised in a western country, at least it was the case for them and I can imagine myself being similar if we may face the same discussions to be honest. Maybe even harsher, who knows. We are not there yet.
On the other hand she told me lots about Libya and how much she loves the country, they lived in tripoli for quite a while before moving back to Belgium when the daughters were in a school age as they wanted them to learn French as well as Arabic. Libya is present all over the house, pictures, paintings, books, jewellery, small tea plates, lots of stuff she bought during her travels to keep part of it with her in Belgium. Fascinating!
During lunch time the men returned and we had a quick lunch before his uncle wanted to show us Brussels and Waterloo. He drove fast not to miss a piece of what he planned and guided us through the centre of Brussels, quickly showing all the important places. It was really cute, he was showing me that he likes me in his style. Standing beside me for pictures and happily smiling all the time. He even bought the chocolate I wanted as gift for my parents, not letting us pay.
In Waterloo we were climbing up the felt thousands of stairs on the memorial although it was foggy and slightly raining, breathlessly reaching the top. He was opening up more and we had a coffee together afterwards before heading back. It was a great day!
After dinner at home my fiancé and me went out on the terrace and what we were watching then was again so lovely, his uncle went into the kitchen and started to put dishes and cups on the table to prepare it for breakfast. He's doing it every night so that his wife doesn't have to do in the morning. When she's waking up the breakfast table is already prepared. So much about the MAN in the family, he's caring and loving. Cutting fruits for all of us so that we get enough vitamins in winter to stay healthy, talking proudly about his grand child's, that's why I said in the beginning, never go preoccupied into something, discover yourself how someone is and mostly it's the small things which matter so much.
The next day we were about to leave after breakfast and the most impressive gesture for me was that his uncle was holding my hand closely, squeezing it while telling me that he is glad we met each other and he hopes to see me soon again. That was the "yes" from his side.
Faithfully, Mrs. Faith!



Tuesday, January 8, 2013

How is it to introduce a fiancé to parents

How is it to introduce a fiancé to parents

Exciting! Totally exciting!
For me it was really as if I'm waiting for Xmas like a child, I was so curious on how it will be when we arrive at my parents house. Shortly after our engagement we started to drive to my parents. My fiancé was cool, he told me he's curious to meet them and can't wait to arrive there. But when we drove into the street where they live he became quiet. It's a habit for me to push the horn of my car as soon as I park the car in front of the house so they know I'm there. When I did hit he sank deeper into his seat and told me he's staying in the car and I should wake him up tomorrow morning. Haha, Mr.Cool was a bit afraid of the first meeting. But it wasn't to be stopped as all, means my parents and my sister, were already stepping out of the front door to welcome us. Mom was hugging me tight, congratulating to our engagement and quickly on her way to close her arms around a shy man, standing behind me. I think he was really surprised from the look on his face but positively surprised. I hugged my dad but a dad has to be the major of the family, so he was just shaking hands with my fiancé. My sister was writing and joking with him on Facebook several times before but it differs if you are standing in front of each other and she wasn't sure on what to as was he. They also were shaking hands shyly. The first part was done. But what then, how to communicate, it's already not easy to find topics in the beginning when you don't know each other but if you don't even speak the same language it becomes more difficult. My sister talks English so we didn't had a problem there but my parents never did and my dad didn't even learn it at school. He had a few years Russian during his school time but that's not very helpful. I translated simultaneously, how was the travel, did you like it in Munich, again congratulations to our engagement, how is the family, how is the weather in Libya, it must be hard to travel into winter when being in the desert before, small talk.
The first ice was broken and the men, means father and fiancé, started to take the luggage up to my old room. My old room which has been completely renovated before. Noooo, sure not because we were planning to visit, according to my mom it was needed nevertheless. But to be honest, just because my dad is watching TV there once in a while she wouldn't have painted the whole room, placed decoration all over, some in shape of hearts. Whatever reason it was, it was lovely, cosy, welcoming and like a new room. When we started to unpack it was the first moment to recap how it was and he was overwhelmed from the loving and kind way he was welcomed into the family. I couldn't stop smiling for the most of our stay as it really is the best what can happen if you see your loved ones going along that way.
Before dinner my mum brought champagne to have a cheers for our engagement. One bottle of dry champagne for her, one of half sweet for my sister and me and one alcohol free for my fiancé. This habit was completely new for him as it's not common to say cheers with alcohol, even if it's alcohol free "alcohol" in Libya.
I'm not the fan of drinking alcohol but I do it from time to time a glass when there's a special occasion. But the other thing is that I made a compromise and promised to drink nothing in his presence. This has nothing to do with not being allowed or cutting my liberty, I just said for myself that I don't want him to be bothered by the smell of alcohol when we are together. I don't miss it as I never drink lots and he's happy with this compromise. So the idea of champagne was lovely but kind of weird for him. I drank the one without alcohol as he does and we said cheers altogether. Besides, we didn't forgot my dad but he does not like champagne so he lifted a bottle of beer, what should I say, German, haha.
My dad was still a bit suspicious and during dinner he was watching him like a detective. But when I was alone with my dad in the room I asked him if he's "approving" my choice and he answered with a big and happy smile. I write approving in brackets as I'm surely don't need an approval but to know that they like the new family member is important for me and gives me a good feeling. It's much more easier than going against opinions or struggle because they don't like each other. The coming days were running quickly but from day to day more convenient, my parents even started to talk English, a mixture of German and English and my fiancé put the words he knows in German into the conversations.
All in all it was a great time being there and realizing that everyone is happy is so precious.
My faith wasn't disappointing me once again so please keep yours!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Visiting the family

Visiting the family

We are still visiting family parts. Shortly after my fiancé finally arrived we started our introducing trip. First was my family and they welcomed him so warmly - I'm the happiest person on earth at the moment. Today we will visit one of my best friends and tomorrow I will meet a part of his family. Everyone is curious to meet the new parts of the family.
What an exciting time.
Lots of fun, laughter and new faces which become quickly so familiar.