Why no form of education is a waste

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
― Dr. Seuss

Ever since I can remember, my parents always drilled it into me that I needed to educate myself. I was brought up to seek answers for all the questions I may have, and because of this I have developed a love for learning and improving my understanding on the world around me. My Mother is a teacher (by nature and profession) who has this hunger to acquire knowledge like no one I have ever known; and it definitely rubbed off onto me.

After I graduated and started working, I became increasingly frustrated because I wanted more. I know I want to further my studies and it is something I would love to pursue for as long as I can – even if it is outside of the field I am currently working in. I realise this may sound ridiculous to some people because in their minds if I study something else then everything I worked for over the past few years would go to waste. This thinking bothers me…

Maybe it was the way I was raised but I believe that any knowledge you gain can never be a waste. We live in a world so vast and extraordinary that our minds cannot begin to comprehend the complexity of it all! And I believe that anything you learn builds a better understanding of the world.

If I ever decide to further my studies in a different field, all the knowledge I have gained up until then would not be in vain. I have improved my perception in a certain part of the world which ultimately means that I have a better view of things than what I had before I studied. Even more so, I have gained skills that would help me in the long run.

In this world we try to put a price on everything. And since we have to pay for furthering our education, we immediately put a price tag on our qualifications. Instead of looking at it as improving ourselves, and answering questions about the world we may have; we think of the experience as a commodity. And if we don’t use our qualifications then it automatically means that we wasted our time and money on something we “wont be using”.

However, I regard by knowledge and education as a key which I use to better myself. It is my tool which I can use to give back to the world in some way or another. And above all else it makes me appreciate the world I live in and the life I am living…

As my late grandfather Sheikh Shakier Gamieldien said:

“Your knowledge should make you humble; because the more you know, the more you realise you don’t know.”

– Nihaad

50 things that makes me happy

Yesterday I got tagged by the lovely Karen from Confetti and Curves in a fun little challenge to list 50 Things That Makes Me Happy. This is the first time I was nominated to complete a blog challenge so I was super excited to accept the invitation – I really enjoyed making this list and I hope you enjoy reading.

Now, it goes without saying that what makes me most happy is my marriage, my family and friends, and all that I’ve achieved up until this point in my life. So I will be listing some of the random things that makes me smile, and some of the little things in life that I may tend to over look. These are the 50 Things That Makes Me Happy:

1. Making my husband laugh – his laugh is infectious!
2. My Mum’s food and advice she gives when ever I need it
3. Long conversations about life with my Dad – and his hugs of course
4. Evening family time with my in-laws
5. Reading a good book that you cannot wait to share with another person
6. Winter – and all that comes with it
7. Ginger sweets – it makes me feel so warm
8. When the house is clean
9. A strong cup of tea with just the right amount of sugar
10. Sleep!! I love my sleep
11. Watching reruns of my favourite series
12. Walking on the beach breathing in the fresh ocean air

13. Doing something adventurous
14. Blogging!!
15. Jumping into my onesie pyjamas
16. The smell of petrol or permanent markers
17. That earthy smell after a rainstorm
18. When my favourite song plays on the radio
19. Good Sci-Fi movies – i.e. Anything by Marvel
20. When India wins a cricket match
21. The feeling when I put my glasses back on after I’ve cleaned them – I can see clearly now…
22. When a baby smiles at me!!
23. Pay day!! Haha
24. Staying at home all day being lazy with the husband
25. After the initial feeling of guilt for over indulging – buying books!
26. Ice-cream – it just makes everything better
27. When I buy a sale item and get to the till, only to have them say its been marked down even further! – SCORE!!
28. Laughing so much that my stomach hurts – I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy this
29. Sitting in front of a fire
30. Exploring new places

31. When you’re driving and the road makes an unexpected dip and your stomach does that tumbling thing
32. Meeting new people from all over the world through blogging
33. Going home after a long day at work
35. Macaroons – yummy!!
37. When my tablet is fully charged
38. A long, hot shower
39. Gift shopping for someone else
40. Making a difference in someone’s life no matter how small
41. Inside jokes with the hubby
42. Fluffy socks
43. The smell of books
44. Eid morning (and lunch)
45. Getting a gift for no reason
46. Looking through old photo albums and reminiscing about life that used to be
47. The crisp of clean sheets
48. Taking photos – I find I really enjoy photography
49. When I’ve been struggling with a problem for days on end and then I finally get the correct answer!
50. And just for extra emphasis – MY FAMILY!!

That’s all folks – My 50 Things That Makes Me Happy . Thanks again to Karen – the sweetheart behind Confetti and Curves – for nominating me to take part in the challenge; I had so much fun writing this!! Visit her beautiful blog where she talks about all things glitzy and glamorous; from beauty to fashion and some helpful tips to plan your dream wedding.

I hereby tag the following fellow bloggers to complete this challenge:

Candice – Beauty Candy Loves

Poppie Tee – Poppie Tee

Nadia – My Hartjie

Razaan – My Passion for my Little Minions

Tasneem – City Girl Vibe

(And anyone else who would like to complete this challenge, please feel free!!)

I really hope you girls accept the challenge – I would love to read all about the 50 things that makes you happy!

– Nihaad

Not things…

We all have turning points in our lives. Moments that define either where we are headed, or that completely change the direction in which we choose to move forward. I’m sure if you’re reading this, at least one event in your life briefly flashed in front of your eyes. I have so many defining moments that I can think of, none of which I am going to mention because I’m not here to air my dirty laundry. But I do however, want to share a conscious decision I made a long time ago based on one of these kinds of moments, which is: to not let anything material define me.

I’m somewhat of a “Plain Jane” – I see beauty in simplicity. And while I don’t find any fault with those who enjoy living lavishly; it’s just not something I aspire to. Not because I don’t like nice things; of course I do. I just look at people around me to know that I don’t want to cling to worldly possessions as if these objects can provide me with some sort of substance to my existence. I don’t want to measure my happiness and success by the material wealth I’ve accumulated. I don’t want to be fooled into thinking I have to have certain things to live up to the standards I’ve set for myself. I made a decision to not be materialistic; or for the very least, not to let it change me for the worse. I don’t want to be measured by the clothes I wear, the car I drive or the cell phone I have.

I want to collect knowledge and wisdom, experiences and character, happiness and excitement.

I want to collect memories, NOT things.

– Nihaad

Home

Table Mountain, Cape Town.

It’s a dream of mine to travel the world and explore different cities. To take a picture next to the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, look down from atop the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, walk along the Great Wall of China and bask in the sunlight on the golden sands of Mauritius. And even though I haven’t travelled much (yet!!) I am fortunate to have seen some beautiful places in my short lifetime. However, there’s just something about coming home. Even if I am visiting a place near Cape Town for a couple of hours, on the drive home looking over the distance I find this sense of relief and comfort when my eyes catch that first glimpse of Table Mountain.

As a South African I can complain a lot – like only a true South African can. I tend to find that splotch of grey in the cloud with the silver lining. I hate all the corruption and crime, my heart breaks hearing all the terrible things happening to innocent, good people. I find it so unfair how some people can get away with almost anything simply because they are famous or rich. I get annoyed with load shedding and the increase in petrol prices, and the need to look over my shoulder when I set my foot out the door. But when I read the news and my contact lenses almost stick to the back of my skull because of all the eye rolling, I still can’t help feeling offended by all these negative reports on my country.

Cape Town is a beautiful part of South Africa. It’s the warmest place to be even when we are in the heart of winter, and the most vibrant even when the city skies are grey and bleak. We have a rich cultural background, and as far as I’ve experienced we all respect each other’s religious beliefs. We may be a little hostile on our off days, and we may take our frustrations out on the taxi’s in the morning (with good reason) but when it boils down to it, we are a city who embraces our diversity and unite in our differences.

It’s a dream of mine to travel the world and explore different cities. To drive across the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, stand in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in France, have dinner at the Burj al Khalifa in Dubai, and watch the Indian cricket team play at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. And when I get to go on all these adventures some day, when I get to see the wonders of the world in all its glory; there’s one thing I will be looking out for after winning the window seat from my husband in a quick game of rock, paper, scissors in the airplane. Looking out in the distance, getting that first glimpse of Table Mountain, I will be comforted by the sight of its beauty.

Because in spite of its downfalls and imperfections, the City of Cape Town in the country of South Africa is the place that I call HOME.

– Nihaad