Karim, an Uncle and a Brother who left us Memories of Platforms, Massages and an Orange BMW!

Karim, we never called him uncle! 1952 - 1982

Karim was my uncle, my dad's younger brother, fifth in a family of six. He was a beautiful carefree spirit and we loved him dearly. We didn't have him for very long, but the memories we have of him will last us a lifetime! He was only 30 when he died on December 14, 1982 and as each of his nieces and nephews have passed that age, we can't believe how young he was and what it would have been like to have him here still!

It was the 70s. He was this tall, slim good looking guy with a beard and long hair and he wore platforms and bell bottoms. His platforms were at least three inches tall! He had a green pair, a purple pair of boots and a black pair of clogs with red stitching on them! He seemed to walk just fine in them and looked very cool in Nairobi!

He moved to London, England when he was quite young. In the Summer he would sell jeans in the market at Wembley and in the winter he'd travel.

We didn't get to see him much. My sisters were in Standard 2 and didn't have school in the afternoons so when Karim was down for holidays, he would ask them to give him a massage and give them 20 shillings each! In those days to a 9 year old, 20 shillings was a whole lot of money! I'd run back after school, so I could get my 20 shillings too!

He brought us outfits from Thailand on one trip back. My sisters got matching beautiful black dresses with coloured stripes and bells on them and I got a Thai shirt (no not quite as exciting as the dresses!). He also came back when my grandmother was ill and we were so happy to see him. No one had told us he was coming, so it was a lovely surprise to see him walking up to us!

When he came back in 1981 and this would be the last time before he died, he bought an orange BMW and then took my sisters and I to Nanyuki (200 km and 3 hours away) to see a girl and her family at their hotel! He probably figured the girl wasn't going to say no when there were three cute kids tagging along! For us, that day is a beautiful memory of a man who did things on a whim and followed his heart! It's also a lovely memory of spending a day out driving in the country in a BMW with our uncle!

He took us for a drive from Nairobi to Nanyuki to meet a girl in an orange BMW! 

We loved Karim but only got to meet him in spurts while we were young, so I asked his sister, my aunt, Julie what he was really like. Here is what she had to say;

Julie, I'm writing about your brother, Karim and would love to include your thoughts on him... anything...whatever your fondest memories are of him.

My dad's siblings - from left to right: Karim, Julie, Mirza, Habiba and Mohamed.

What was Karim like as a brother?
I loved him dearly and especially since we were close in age we got along really well. We even had common friends and ended up at the same parties.

Karim and Julie, the youngest Asani siblings.

What are your favourite memories of him?
I was very proud of him especially when we were at school and I liked being seen with him although he would make me do things like bring him food at parties and introduce him to girls and iron his shirts!

I would save my money and he would spend his then he would borrow from me and never pay back.

I used to borrow his bell bottom pants.

Once he went out and didn’t come home till late. We were worried about him, so I prayed and told God if he brings my brother back I would put one shilling and fifty cents in khane, but when he finally returned I had no money so I told him that he had to give me that money!

He liked motor bikes and once had an accident and had cast in his hand and leg and his leg was suspended from the bed (more like a movie!).

How was he like with his brothers and with Habiba, his sister? Do you have any stories to share?
He was very naughty always got in trouble. Habiba had spoilt him too much giving him what he asked for.

He was also at the Mombasa Aga Khan Hostel with Habiba.

What was his relationship with maa, his mother?
He was very fond of maa. She had also spoilt him and would get mad at him.

Do you know all the countries he went to?
He went to European countries and holidaying to India and Thailand.

Any stories about those countries?
Brought couple of saris...thats all

Did Maa worry about him? Did he call or keep in touch?
Yes she worried about him a lot but in those days mail would take over a month and not everybody had phones, so there wasn’t much contact.

Anything Else you’d like to share?
It was sad when we had just arrived in Calgary (1982) and got a call at Mohamed's (my brother’s) House from Mirza (my brother in London) that Karim had passed away. It was heart breaking. They arranged to bring the body to Calgary since most of the family was in Calgary. He passed away on December 14, 1982. He was born on September 8th 1952. He was only 30!

Mirza took great care if him when he was in London.

Karim even travelled to Canada with Maa and I when we came on vacation in 1977.

Mohamed has lots of stories too of his last few years.

There was a rhyme his friends had made up;

Karim Kakri (Cucumber)
Hath ma lakri (Stick in his hand)
Lakli pochi (Stick was soft)
Karim mochi (Karim shoemaker)

The meanings don’t make sense but it rhymes!

Love Julie.

My uncle, Karim died in London on December 14, 1982. He apparently fell off a building. No one quite knows how he died, Did he jump? Was he pushed?  The police called my uncle, Mirza to break the news. The family was too devastated to look for answers. They flew the body to Calgary. I remember when my dad told us, it was so shocking! We couldn't believe it. My dad flew to Calgary for the funeral. We will always wonder what happened to Karim. He was young, he lived life to the fullest and he was much loved and 33 years after he died we still miss him and remember his platforms, his orange BMW and the loads of money he gave us but most of all we remember the person he was and what we lost as a family!

Thank you for sharing Day 16 of 50 with me!

My son Kahzmir's turns 10 on March 13, 2016.

This is his 10 in 10 days Video Blog

Day 3 of 10

Day 3 (2008) - I Found a Toonie!

Thank You for sharing Kahzmir's Day 3 of of 10 in 10 days with him!

Brownies & Swimming - Our Extracurricular!

Brownies

My sisters, Farah, Faiza and I in our Brownie uniforms after a March past during a Khushali celebration.

The Brownie Promise

I promise to do my best, to do my duty to God and the Queen and to help other people every day especially those at home. 

The Brownie Law

A Brownie is truthful, obedient and cheerful.

A Brownie thinks of others before herself.

We started every brownie meeting, standing at attention in a circle with two fingers raised reciting the Promise and the Law.  We were a part of the Nairobi Ismaili Brownie troop. Our meetings were on Saturday afternoons on the Aga Khan Primary School field. We were little brownies in our brown uniforms, belts and yellow scarves held together by woggles, with our bird group on the above the right pocket, our wings above the left pocket, and our badges adorning the right sleeve.

Mrs. Noorani was the leader of the Ismaili Girl Guides. She was also our religion teacher primary school. Our wise owls or leaders were Anar and Rozina and two others I can't remember.

The Kenya Girl Guides Association's headquarters is at the Arboretum in Nairobi. We went to buy uniforms and supplies. I remember this big old wooden building whose musty smell was so distinct that I can smell it to this day.

In Brownies we learned to tie knots. The one I remember to this day is the reef knot - right over left and under, left over right and under.  There was another one about a rabbit and a hole, can't remember how to do it though!

Reef Knot

Getting badges were a big part of being a Brownie. You had to do certain tasks to earn a badge.

Brownie badges - I don't know what the top row left and bottom row left ones are for.
Also forgotten what bird groups I was in and what most of them were!

I remember one of the groups was Bulbul. And each of the groups had a jingle; "We are the (seagulls?), swift and six, always flying in a fix".

If anyone remembers the names of the other groups, group leaders and the jingles, please share them.

The one badge I remember getting tested for is the cooking badge (can't even remember if I got it because I failed so miserably!).  Mrs. Noorani tested me in the canteen kitchen during school one day. My mum used to make these fried delicate dough treats called Swedish Rosettes. When my mum made them, they looked pretty simple to make, so that's what I was going to make!  Well, mine did not turn out at all like how my mum made them! The batter just wouldn't stick to the metal flower and I had no idea how to fix it - do I put more milk, or more flour, or more eggs? I think I ended up doing it all! It still wouldn't stick, so I just fried the mixture and made big fat lumps of fried dough!

Camp songs I can still sing to this day (my own version of course!)

Koombaya

Gin Gan Goolie

Kookabara Sits on the Old Gum Tree

The best part of being a Brownie was the camping. We went to Roland camp - 40 years later I find out it's not Roland but Rowallan! 

Rowallan Camp not Roland Camp!

We usually went camping with the the Guides and Scouts and because we were the younges we got to camp indoors! I remember laying my sleeping bag down next to Khatija Didarali and Nighat Bholla and we'd always run for the corner spot. The scouts would tell us ghost stories about Zombie! We had no idea what zombie meant, the way they made it sound, we thought it was the name of the ghost - this one-legged ghost who was killed in the outdoor chapel and now haunted everyone! We were petrified of Zombie! 

Look what I found! A picture of the Rowallan Camp chapel where Zombie lived/lives! 

Other places we went camping were Mount Suswa. We always went with the Scouts. The Scout leaders were so much fun and we looked up to them. I may have forgotten some of them, but the ones I remember are Hitler, Mehboob, Tiny and Toffee.

Lord and Lady Baden Powell were the founders of the Scouting and Guiding movement. They lived in Nyeri, Kenya for two years just before Lord Baden Powell died in 1941. He is buried in Nyeri. This is an interesting read on why Lord Baden Powell chose Nyeri, Kenya as his last home; PAXTU, Oct 1938 - Jan 8, 1941 (I just discovered - My dad was born in Nyeri on December 1941 - missed Lord Baden Powell by 11 months!)). 

When Lady Baden Powell died in England on July 25, 1977, her ashes were flown back to Nyeri to be buried beside her husband. My mum, my sisters and I attended her funeral service at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi. We then took the buses they had arranged for everyone to go to Nyeri (100 km away) for the funeral.  We hadn't eaten all day and I fainted standing in a lineup with all the other brownies and guides waiting for the funeral to start! I was revived before Lady Baden Powell's daughter arrived for the burial. It remember it being very exciting rubbing shoulders with her.

Girl Guides

I was also a Girl Guide, but I don't remember a lot. 

Every year at Khushali (July 11th - refer to 'I-S-M-A-I-L-I' - Blog 11) brownies, guides and scouts participated in a March Past (a Parade). It started off with the Aga Khan Band which would start the parade and we'd come marching behind them.

The Aga Khan Band, the faces have changed and the uniform isn't as smart, but the music still sounds the same. 

Thanks to Rosy Gillani for this photo. Here we come marching behind the band!
First column - Karima Jivraj, Rosy Gillani, me in pig tails, Ashifa Lalji, Shemina Kurji, ?, Rukshana Rashid
Second column - Shenaz Velji, Yasmin Thawer

Swimming

My sisters and I learned to swim quite by accident. Farah my younger twin sister was pushed into a pool when she was quite young and began to drown, till a kind soul dived in to save her. That day my mum decided we were going to learn to swim. 

We lived in Westlands and we didn't have a car so we'd take the bus to the YMCA on Uhura Highway for swimming lessons every day after school. The stop was near the University of Nairobi. We'd get off the bus and walk in the tunnel under the highway to get to the YMCA. It would be an understatement to say I didn't like going. The pool was green and gross, our swimming instructor Mrs. Donahue was strict and I didn't like practicing! I didn't appreciate Mrs. Donahue at the time, but I do now. In her bathing suit and umbrella, she'd walked up and down the pool watching the way we swam. I remember having to do four lengths of each stroke (did not like butterfly!) and then just kick strokes and arm strokes with the floater. 

Later there was also Mr. Waweru who taught us.

What we looked forward to after swimming was the hot cocoa my mum would carry for us in a thermos and sometimes we'd get treats from the tuck shop. Then the hard part was the 45 minute walk home!

Don't know these people (random for the internet taken in 1973) but it would have been shortly before we started going to the YMCA. The pool looked like this, old, green and slimy and I remember this fountain. Not sure it's purpose though! There was a little hill behind where the photographer is standing where my mum would sit with our stuff and where we'd we'd sit on and drink our hot cocoa after swimming.

This is what the YMCA pool looks like now. So much more inviting!

At Aga Khan Primary School, there was a really strict swimming teacher, Mr. Walji who would throw kids that didn't know how to swim into the pool!  When he left, Mr. Waweru who we knew from the YMCA came to teach us and he started a swim team that my sisters and I were on. The practices that we stopped at the Y started at lunch time at school. We would swim every day at lunch - the very same lengths I dreaded at the Y. What we looked forward to was the hot lunches my grandmother would send after. We didn't care that they were curries. We were famished and we'd gobble it up!

I think we had some swim meets with other schools and we'd have an annual Swimming gala at school where the different houses (Blue-Chui, Green-Twiga, Yellow-Simba, Red-Impala) would compete.

We were also always working towards swimming badges; endurance swims, life saving and survival swimming where we had to tread water and blow up pyjama bottoms for buoys.

The top 'fish' badges were for swimming lengths. I got to 5000m which was 200 lengths (could not do anywhere near that now!). The Bronze, Siliver, Gold and Honours badges were Survival 

Swimming at that level ended for me after Primary School. My high school did not have a pool and I have never swam at that level again. My sisters and I are grateful however that we can swim and have my mum to thank for.

Kahzmir's Day 2 of 10 in 10 Days!

My First Birthday!

Thank you for sharing Day 15 of 50 with me!

Weddings, a Family Affair - Habiba and Julie get married!

Just Married!

Habiba and Amin get Married - February 1976

We had never been to a real wedding till my aunt, Habiba, my dad's younger sister got married.  The year was 1976. We were so excited to be having a wedding in the family. My mum was 'best girl' (don't know why we didn't call her maid-of-honour (this sounds even wierder now I think about it!) and Habiba paid for new dresses for my sisters and I, not just new dresses, but dresses made by the best children's seamstress in town, Khatun Samji. She was well known for making the Aga Khan's children's clothes! The beautiful fabric I picked was white with blue flowers, a blue satin ribbon across the waist and butterfly sleeves which were my favourite part. It makes me happy just thinking about that dress!

My sisters and I in our new dresses with Ali Ramji (our parents are cousins - Hamida's son)

Habiba had worked with my dad at Westlands Bookshop. She used to buy us all sorts of fun stuff from the bookshop. I particularly remember these large wall individual cutouts of girls that looked something like these but not quite;

When Habiba was little, she contracted polio which affected her legs and meant that she couldn't walk. She used crutches to get around.  She however, never let that get in the way of the person she was; warm, caring, kind and funny.  My childhood memories are always filled with Habiba laughing and loving!

I'm not sure how Habiba and Uncle Amin (Gillani) met, but I remember before they were married and how he became a part of my aunt's life and also our lives. He was an accountant and worked at John Deere in Nairobi. He first had a VW Beetle and then a Renault. He was such a nice person. He loved my aunt, but he loved the family as well and he took good care of my grandmother.

Habiba married Uncle Amin in February 1976. Hazar Imam (this is what we call the Aga Khan. It translates to present-living Imam) married them. They had a mendi ceremony the day before the wedding and that was like the wedding with lots of people at my grandmother's house, food and festivities. The next day at jamatkhana (mosque) Hazar Imam blessed them and they were married. It was simple and beautiful.

I didn't have any photos of Habiba and Uncle Amin, but hopefully someone does and send me one.

Julie and Zaher Get Married - July 28, 1979

I remember the day my other aunt, my dad's youngest sister, Julie (short for Zuleikha), got married like it was yesterday. She had met this charming man from Sweden. His name was Zaher (Meghji Ahmed). I remember meeting him for the first time at their engagement and feeling special that he would come out of his way to find out who his fiancee's nieces were.

Their wedding was such a party. It started with a pre-music party at the groom's house. A music party is a seated Indian concert. The musicians sat in the front and they cleared up the entire room for people to sit on the floor on cushions. I remember it being fun.

They then had the mendi, where the bride has henna applied on her hands and feet and everyone else applies it too.

My grandmother with a bandni over her head, feeding Julie candy

Waiting to the next person to come. There's me in the right hand corner

The wedding was at Parklands Jamatkhana. My aunt looked beautiful in a gorgeous white lace sari and Zaher looked dashing in a white Nehru suit and his best man wore the same suit in black.

There was a dance after. We had never been to a dance with adults so it was fun watching them!

Just Married!

My beautiful aunt, Julie
Thanks for the photos.

The last day of the wedding ceremonies was what is called 'Gor Thari' but we call it 'Crying Day' because a lot of crying happens! The woman is leaving her mother's house and because my aunt was actually leaving (even though she wasn't going far), everyone cried! I couldn't stop myself! I remember standing on the stairs and watching everyone cry and when I went up to her to say goodbye, I just hugged her and sobbed! So much for her beautiful green sari!

Thank you for Sharing Day 14 of 50 me!

Kahzmir's Day 1 of 10!

My son, Kahzmir turns 10 in 10 days (on March 13th) and he's doing a video blog to mark this milestone, here's Day 1 of 10!

Day 1! The Year is 2006, the Year he was born.

Maxis and Platforms made Birthday Parties!

Celebrating our 9th & 11th Birthday with Family
L-R - My aunt Gully, dad, Auntie Sheila, mum, Faiza, me, Farah, in the back-my aunt, Julie, my grandma, my aunt, Habiba and uncle, Amin.

In my maxi and platforms, I'm ready for our birthday party!

1973 or 74 - Celebrating our birthday with Friends at Esperia Hotel

When it comes to children's birthday parties, there are two camps of people; the "Birthday Shmirthday!" camp under which my husband falls and the "A Birthday? Let's go all out!" camp under which my mother and my mother-in-law fall...and me? Well unfortunately for my husband and the insanity around birthday planning time, I fall under the latter category! But this blog post is not about my planning, it's about my mum and the amazing parties she had for us growing up! I don't know how much madness there was around the house when she was planning parties, my sisters and I frankly don't remember any of it, all we remember is the fun parties with friends and families that we can look back on and smile!

Both my sisters and I have birthdays in April. I am the 9th and they are the 29th and we are two years apart, so often my mum had one big party for the three of us with their friends and my friends and family.

Here are photos of all the parties we could dig up! Looking through the photos, I have forgotten so many of the details;  what we ate, what cake we had, who was invited, where it was, what we played and how old we were for each of the birthdays. What we never forget however is how much fun we had! I think parties are so important and I cherish every one!

My sisters' birthday at Aga Khan Nursery School (I guess not all our parties were together)
(Remember those bottles of Treetop juice?)
Our cousins; Rifat on left, Muni with the long hair behind twins on the right

A Ship cake at a party at the Aga Khan Nursery School

Esperia Hotel in Westlands where my dad worked
From left: ?, Mina Patel, Faiza, Farah, ? girl behind them, The other twins, Rishma and Shemina, me, Hubert and Kathleen, our neighbours, ?Shainaz Manji, Cloudagh Davis, Anisa Kurji (hidden behind the arrangement)

Egg and spoon race.
Those were the days everyone dressed up for birthday parties, maxis and all.

Another Party at Esperia Hotel - I remember those maxi wrap around skirt and the tops from Deacons.
All 3 of us had the same top in different colours and the same skirt in different patterns.
The maxi's didn't stop us from running and playing.
That was a Grundig tape recorder sitting on the front of the table!
?Girl with back to photo, Catherine Hunter(Claire's older sister), Claire's little sister, Ailish Byrne, ?tall girl in the back, Faiza, my dad, Farah, me, Claire Hunter.

Same party at Esperia - ?one additional girl in pink

A swimming party at Jacaranda Hotel in Westlands
Others in the photo: Karim Kassam, Shirley, Teresa, Mehbooba Samji, Shamim Fazal, Aafeez Jivraj (my cousin), Karim Virani, Gulzar, Shezmin Nanji, Munir Nanji, 

1977 - Our 9th and 11th Birthday Party at my Aunt Gully's house at Plum's Hotel
L-R: Sean Gabri, Aafeez, dad, tall girl in back was a neighbour, ?looking forward, Noshi Merali-the little girl in front leaning over, Yasmin Devji in red, Ruchika, back-twin Shemina, Nasrin Samji, in the back, my mum, my aunt Julie and my grandma, me, Shaheen Sidi, Shainaz Manji, Faiza, Farah, back twin Rishma, in purple-Khatija Bhatia, Minaz Patel, Munira Virjee, my aunt Habiba and Uncle Amin.

I loved this outfit my mum had made for me. She copied the pattern for a store called Jax in Nairobi. It had patches in front and red and white gingham in the back. I LOVED maxis and nobody could tell me I couldn't run in them. You can't see them but I've got on big fat platforms which I loved!

July 1977 - Celebrating my cousin, Aafeez's 11th birthday.
His parents lived in Arusha and he came to Nairobi to go to school.
He lived with us in Nairobi for a year from 1976 to 1977. 

My dad feeding me cake at Lobster Pot , a seafood restaurant that belonged to his uncle (Sadru mama) and where he worked.

Farah and Faiza feeding each other on their birthday at Lobster Pot.

Faiza at a birthday party at Hirani Flats

Farah at a birthday party in Hirani Flats

This is Michelle birthday, but we had lots in the Patel's backyard in Mombas, one year with smooshed chocolate cake that we brought all the way from Nairobi and sat on in the train!

I have to acknowledge that I have technology and a great research team to thank for being able to write these blogs.  I usually let my sisters and my mum know earlier in the day what that day's topic is going to be. My sisters send me photos and tid bits of information through our 'Sistas' Whats App and my mum has lots to say on any topic I write about and all I have to do is piece it all together.

Tomorrow, Friday March 4th, my son, Kahzmir wants to start his own 10 in 10 days.
He turns 10 on March 13th. He has some idea, but is not quite sure what he wants to do. I'm glad I get to share 10 of my 50 days with him on his little journey!
Oh what it would be like to be 10 again!

Thank you for sharing Day 13 of 50 with us!

The Patels and the Asanis - Family Friends for Life!

The Patels and Asanis in Mombasa where we made some amazing memories!

We celebrated lots of birthdays in Mombasa.
Both my sisters and I as well as Michelle and Uncle Ramesh have birthdays in April.
One year we took this delicious chocolate cake from the Hilton bakery all the way from Nairobi to Mombasa on the train. and while waiting to put it in the dining car fridge, one us sat on the box.  It did eventually get to Mombasa, a little smashed, but still delicious! 

Swimming in the Indian Ocean.

Sheena and my mum

Ramesh, Tina, Solomon, Michelle, Sheena and Tiku are names we will hold in our hearts forever. We may not have seen each other in years, but our friendship is forever!

Our parents, Amin and Sully met the Patel parents, Ramesh and Tina before the Patels were married and my mum says the friendship was forged then.

My first memory of the Patels is at Sheena's first birthday party in Nairobi in a maisonette on Waiyaki Way. It was a big party, with lots of people and they had the famous magician clown, Rodrigues. I also remember their Alsation (what German Sheppards are called in Africa), Kira and her pups.

They moved to Mombasa shortly after because Uncle Ramesh's family owned a salt mine and factory, Fundisha Salt works and he went to run it.

Their first house in Mombasa was Madhvani House. It was in town, very close to the tusks and it was huge! I remember celebrating Christmases there.

Posing with Sheena in front of the famous Mombase tusks! We loved sharing each others' clothes!

Their next house close to the railway tracks. That's where Tiku was born. I think one day Soly was playing on the sofa above where Baby Tiku lay and rolled over him. He got in big trouble, maybe a beating too!

Sudi, their cook was the cutest little Swahili man. He was always laughing and always smelled of alcohol. Auntie Tina would never let him go because she had a big, caring heart. My mum said when Michelle was little, he'd dress her up like a doll. The tall, skinny Elvina was their house help who looked after the children for many years.  They also had a cook, Peter who cooked delicious Indian food!

The Patels were wealthy, they had lots of businesses and lived in beautiful houses and went to private schools. As kids it was amazing living their lives or a short period of time. Can you imagine seven kids (three of us and four of them) about the same age spending holidays together with not a care in the world? Those were amazing times! Our holidays were every four months (April, August and December) and we'd hop on the train from Nairobi and make our way to Mombasa to spend our holidays with the Patels.

Taking the train from Nairobi to Mombasa for the holidays.

Farah and Tiku on the train

They had a driver and a pick up truck that were at our disposal. All the kids would hop into the back of the pick up.  In the Western world, you would need seat belts, but in Mombasa, it was perfectly fine for a bunch of underaged kids to sit in the back of a pick up with no seat belts and no adults. Mombasa is hot and humid, right on the Indian Ocean and so the breeze in the back of a truck was amazing and of course we'd stick our heads out in the traffic! The driver would take us all sorts of places; swimming to Reef Hotel and Nyali beach, to the lighthouse for cassava crisps, to BR (Blue Room) for ice cream, to the market for mahamri (mandaazi - jelly donuts :)), to Husseini Bakery (HB) for biscuits. My heart sings when I think of those times. We were like brothers and sisters!

Cassava chips at the Lighthouse

We were scared of Uncle Ramesh, he was the strict one, so we'd go crazy during the day and as soon as he got home, we were quiet and very well-behaved!

Uncle Ramesh. He looks just like we remember him, except for the silver top.

They then moved to a beautiful house in Nyali. They had a swimming pool and a huge terrace and lots of rooms and they were closer to the beach. We didn't always go to the beach because we just  had fun hanging out and goofing around!

Goofing around! Looks like we raided Auntie Tina's cupboard and had a fashion show!
Yes, that's me in a fur coat!
Tiku photo bombing!

On the balcony at the Nyali house!

The Patels kids went to Mombasa Academy. They had lots of other friends and we got to meet some of them over the years. In fact Soly and Sheena both ended up marrying childhood friends! Soly married Rakhee who was their doctor friend's daughter and Sheena married Paulo who she went to school with.

Auntie Tina was an angel. She was beautiful, kind and fun and she had a heart of gold. She called everyone 'Dahling'. She was a singer and had sang professionally. When she sang Malaika, your heart just melted. I can close my eyes and see her!

Miriam Makeba singing Malaika. I wish we had a recording of Auntie Tina singing Malaika!

The lovely Auntie Tina! RIP Dahling!

Auntie Tina, like my dad loved spice. So one day they set out to have a pili pili ho ho (tiny chillies, so spicy that they could fly you to the moon!) competition, to see who could take the most heat! I don't know who won, but they each ate 20!

The Patels are back in Mombasa again and we are a world away, but Whats App has brought us together again, reliving all those beautiful memories from years ago!

Auntie Tina and my dad, two beautiful souls passed away but I have no doubt that they are sitting with their feet in the sand having a smoke and talking about the next pili pili ho ho competition!

Both Auntie Tina and my dad in this picture along with my mum and kids - from left Michelle, Faiza, Auntie Tina, Soly, Farah, my mum holding Sheena and my dad.
Tiku probably born yet and I don't where I was - probably taking the photo.

March 3rd, Day 13 of 50 would have been Auntie Tina's birthday. 

This blog is timely and in honour of her and this great friendship between our families. 

Meeting Sheena after 21 years in 2010 and it was like we had never been apart!

Sisters! Michelle and Sheena.

The Baby, Tiku all grown up!

Soly and Rakee

Sheena and Paulo

The next generation:

Antonio, Kahzmir and Christian playing in the sand as their mums (Sheena and me) would have years before!

Michelle's kids, Shania and Shahir

Soly, his son and daughter, Tara

Uncle Ramesh, Sheena, Rakhee and Michelle's son

Farah's kids, Omar and Iman

Thank you for sharing Day 12 of 50 with the Patels and the Asanis!