Items by QQ

Qilma

• I’m In Love With You

  Posted: May 4, 2012, 3:11 pm by QQ

  Filed under: Music Tagged: erykah badu, Music, stephen marley

• Somebody

  Posted: April 14, 2012, 2:56 pm by QQ

  Do you ever feel like you are living somebody else’s life? At best a parallel life? I have always felt like I have multiple personalities. And that in another life, I would be… Read More →

• Gives You Hell

  Posted: April 14, 2012, 2:36 pm by QQ

  Filed under: Music, Uncategorized Tagged: video

• Hey Lovelies

  Posted: April 14, 2012, 1:09 pm by QQ

  Love you all. Just thought you should know xx Filed under: Relationships Tagged: Beauty, Fashion, photography

• Somebody That I Used to Know

  Posted: April 14, 2012, 1:05 pm by QQ

  Filed under: Music Tagged: amp, entertainment, video

• The Glass Ceiling

  Posted: March 16, 2012, 8:56 pm by QQ

  Expectations. When you realise what are your own. And what are others. I’m pulling out of the rats race. I just don’t want to be a rat. And I don’t want to race.… Read More →

• Sad Posts

  Posted: March 14, 2012, 6:53 pm by QQ

  I hate it when my poetry goes all dark. I’m not sad. Not really. I have yellow daffodils. And a miniature pink hippo. Also, lots of strawberries. Life is good Alhamdulillah Related articles… Read More →

• Black And Blue

  Posted: March 14, 2012, 6:46 pm by QQ

  Filed under: Music Tagged: amp, entertainment, video

• Uncomfortable

  Posted: March 14, 2012, 6:36 pm by QQ

  I make people uncomfortable. I don’t know why or how I do it. I just do. See. I’m brown. I’m a woman. I’m educated. And clever. I’m Arab. And Muslim. I also have… Read More →

• Purple

  Posted: March 14, 2012, 6:13 pm by QQ

  He said he couldn’t do it anymore He packed his bags and walked out the door. Not before he left me purple and blue He knew purple Was my favourite colour   He… Read More →

• The Architecture Of Lonely

  Posted: March 13, 2012, 5:53 pm by QQ

    Moth balls at the back of her throat Little inklets of choked up words   Drip Drop Thoughts chained up in caskets   Oh my The emptiness sounds so loud. Filed under: poetry… Read More →

• Cute

  Posted: March 12, 2012, 3:31 pm by QQ

  Filed under: poetry Tagged: android, entertainment, technology, video

• How To Ruin Your Life by Road Movies

  Posted: March 12, 2012, 2:07 pm by QQ

    Get stuck. Stay in one place your whole life. Always order vanilla even though the menu is four pages long. Become the type of person who sends back lattes. Save up your… Read More →

• Sunshine

  Posted: March 9, 2012, 9:44 pm by QQ

  Filed under: Music Tagged: entertainment, nature, video

• An Arab Perspective On Natural Hair

  Posted: March 9, 2012, 9:17 pm by QQ

  I have natural hair. An afro. A big ass. Sexy. Afro. I am an Arab girl. With an afro. An Afro-Arab. This is my coming out. Because in the Arab world, as with… Read More →

• Low Self Esteem and Men Who Don’t Care

  Posted: March 9, 2012, 8:55 pm by QQ

  Men are intrinsically little boys. Really they are. What you heard about them on ‘Maury’ and ‘Oprah’ and all those day time talk shows. Its all true. Fundamentally, they want to be told what to do, and what not to do. And they need. NEED. Someone to lay the boundaries for them, and MAKE them

• Be Preachy, not Peachy.

  Posted: March 9, 2012, 8:33 pm by QQ

  Whilst trying to make sense of my own world, and then trying to stop others from making the same mistakes I did…. ….I get preachy. *shrugs* What can I say? Lol. But really though, my point is, this blog sometimes comes across as being a bit of a know it all. A bit too smug.

• Beautiful People

  Posted: March 9, 2012, 8:28 pm by QQ

  Beautiful. Inside and out. An Angel. Allah made you so.   Would that I could Be even a little like you. You held my hand. When no one else could. You wiped away my tears. When no one else would.   Would that I could. Show you. How much that meant to me.   I

• Something New

  Posted: March 9, 2012, 8:10 pm by QQ

  Sometimes it’s you. Its you holding on to what is wrong for you. If you have tried a million ways to get to your goal. And each time there are a million and one road blocks. Maybe, that thing that you want so much, That goal, Maybe… …its not right for you. Maybe all those

• Hijab Wedding Style

  Posted: February 24, 2012, 2:00 pm by QQ

  Thats me For my cousins wedding. Basically, a new Hijab Evening Style. You take your dress to the fabric store. Pick out fabric that matches the dress (mine was pink) And then go to the salon to get the lady to pin it up in an elaborate Up-do. You can add brooches (Like my gold

• Muslim Man Seeking Wife

  Posted: February 24, 2012, 1:41 pm by QQ

  I never knew how difficult it was for muslim men to actually find a wife. Until my cousin started looking Its not that simple. When we are on the other side (the girl side) we sit there, hands folded, saying: ‘Where are all the good muslim men at??’ Unbeknownst to us, the men are doing

• The Modern Muslim Husband

  Posted: February 24, 2012, 1:24 pm by QQ

  So nowadays people seem to have such a modern take on relationships. A good friend of mine just told me about how he definitely wants a wife to contribute to the running of the house and their lives. Well that in and of itself is not a bad thing. But the fact that he listed

• My ‘Half Century’ Crisis

  Posted: February 22, 2012, 9:05 am by QQ

  We exist in a populace of ‘Can Do Anythings’ We have been brought up believing we can BE and DO anything. Our generation, is one of infinite possibilities. Astronaut? Sure! Business tycoon at 20? Definitely. Famous and a billionaire singer at 12? Of course. With this glut of gilded dreams…its no wonder we feel wanting.

• On My Way Home

  Posted: February 22, 2012, 8:47 am by QQ

  As always, my travels are never without drama, intrigue and most importantly, shopping. Spending my money on shiny, new things takes me to a happy place. Sue me :p I met a beautiful, tall, very talented MAC sales lady. As she managed to make me part with my hard earned money in return for make

• Schipol Airport: A Dream

  Posted: February 22, 2012, 8:37 am by QQ

  From the giant tea cup seats, and the giant tulip tables. To the library. The sleep lounges. (With reclining leather lounge chairs and massive screens playing soothing panoramas and soft music) The wide variety of eateries: from McDonalds to fresh Pizza, Chinese and Thai. The awesome, awesome, shopping. Diamonds. Swarovski Crystals. Perfumes. Electronics. A chocolaterie.

• Africa, My Mother.

  Posted: February 4, 2012, 10:46 pm by QQ

  Warm sun beating on darkened brow. Heavy kisses of a humid day. A welcoming handshake, In an African smile. Filed under: poetry, Travel Tagged: Africa, African, brow, handshake, Home, Kenya, kenya africa, Kenyan, kisses, love, poetry, smile, warm sun

• GUEST POST: Pregnancy And Islam

  Posted: February 4, 2012, 10:31 pm by QQ

  Bearing a child and becoming a mother, is highly regarded in Islam. We sometimes do not realise how much so. Pregnancy Hadiths: When a woman is pregnant with a child, all the angels will make Istighfar (repentance) on her behalf. Allah SWT will, for each day of her pregnancy, write for her 1000 good deeds

• Hijabi Workwear: Casual

  Posted: February 4, 2012, 10:04 pm by QQ

  Sometimes, I just want to be a bit more comfortable. I love this brown top from River Island. Its comfortable. And rooooooomy :p Paired with my leopard print flats. (Top: River Island 20 pounds, Trousers Gap: 15 pounds on sale, Hijab 15 pounds New Look) Related articles Hijabi Work Wear: Dresses (qilma.wordpress.com) Filed under: Fashion,

• Envy

  Posted: February 4, 2012, 9:58 pm by QQ

  I wish I was stronger. I wish I was braver. I wish I was louder. I wish I took up more space. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish I didn’t envy her for what I am not.   Filed under: poetry Tagged: amp, envy, friends, love, poetry, Relationships

• Replay..

  Posted: January 28, 2012, 5:06 am by QQ

  Filed under: Music Tagged: Feist, Intuition, Music

• Saddest Poem

  Posted: January 28, 2012, 3:42 am by QQ

  Although this may be the last pain she causes me, and this may be the last poem I write for her. ~Pablo Neruda Tagged: Pablo Neruda, Poem, Poetry

• If you forget me

  Posted: January 28, 2012, 3:25 am by QQ

  I want you to know one thing. You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if I touch near the fire the impalpable ash or the wrinkled body of the log, everything carries me to you, as if everything that

• Hijabi Work Wear: Bright Colours

  Posted: January 27, 2012, 11:48 pm by QQ

  Don’t be afraid to go BRIGHT. When its dark and gloomy weather outside, colours will lift your mood and make for a better work day. Top: New Look, 15 pounds, Scarf: New Look, 7 pounds, Trousers: River Island, 30 pounds, Wedges (not picture): ASOS, 30 pounds. Filed under: Fashion, Uncategorized Tagged: Clothing, Fashion, Headscarf, Hijab,

• Hijabi Work Wear : Beige

  Posted: January 27, 2012, 9:49 pm by QQ

  I love random hijabs. This hijab I like because the pattern (close up) looks like ice cream cones. The trousers were a bargain from Gap. They were in the Christmas sale for 15 pounds. Down from 45 pounds. Bargain, yes? They were long, so I had to hem them…and I HATE hemming! But I recently

• Hijabi Work Wear: Dresses

  Posted: January 27, 2012, 9:32 pm by QQ

  So this is my ‘Bargain Of The Week’ Its a beautiful silk dress from Banana Republic. Originally 98 pounds. I got it for the bargain price of….*drum roll* 13 pounds. Hijab (can’t remember where from), super dark black tights (Dorothy Perkins, 7 pounds), cardigan (Zara, 18 pounds), suede wedge shoes (ASOS 30 pounds) PS: Please

• Take It Back

  Posted: December 18, 2011, 7:48 pm by QQ

  I love you I love you so much my heart constricts Twists around itself, wringing out its chambers  As though trying to  Squeeze every droplet of emotion Out The loss of you I feel so acutely In the sound of my pulse beating in my ears In the feel of each breath snagging in my

• Grief

  Posted: December 18, 2011, 7:45 pm by QQ

  I dont like this feeling Suffocating  Clawing At my throat My heart  Jumps  Into my mouth Sneaks up behind me and grabs me  By the throat Soft skin, hard welts My face streaks down my eyes Mouth agape I. Cant. Breathe. My gut Wrenches horribly Like its the ‘End Of The World’ Twisting, squeezing, anguishing,

• Grief

  Posted: December 18, 2011, 3:13 pm by QQ

  All that grief  Back Into a tiny little box  Fetid smells,melting faces, kaleidoscope of broken memories Squeezed back, ‘Whoomph!’ A vaccuum of spotless non-thoughts

• Painless Dreams

  Posted: December 18, 2011, 2:23 pm by QQ

  Painless dreams Soft release Sleepy clouds Heavy with pregnant silences

• Hijabi Evening Wear 101

  Posted: December 10, 2011, 2:59 pm by QQ

  So you have been invited for a dinner or a wedding or a birthday party. Get out your glad rags and get ready to have a good time!! Woop woop!! Only problem is, its a mixed event. Boys AND girls. Sigh. Okay so put away that mini skirt and pull out your jilbaab? Lol. No.

• Hijabi Fashion

  Posted: December 10, 2011, 1:54 pm by QQ

  Okay I know there are SOME sites about Hijabi Fashion. And they are more interested in fashion fashion. Like high fashion. Or hijab styles (how to tie them, how to wear them, where to buy them) But I wanted to start a hijabi ‘day to day’ fashion blog. What to wear with your hijab. Where

• Happiness

  Posted: December 2, 2011, 4:46 am by QQ

  “what can i do with my happiness? how can i keep it, conceal it, bury it where i may never lose it? i want to kneel as it falls over me like rain, gather it up with lace and silk, and press it over myself again.” – anais nin.

• The Flesh Of My Flesh

  Posted: December 2, 2011, 3:25 am by QQ

  Gilded cage. Lined with golden wallpaper. Trellises, And porticos. Mosaics and embossed motifs. A lonely lamp lighting away the ghouls. He never did tell me. How he preferred it. Well done, Or rare. Sprinkled with pepper, Or doused in sickly sauce. Crack open my ribs. Devouring the flesh of my flesh. With his teeth

• Returning From Love

  Posted: December 2, 2011, 2:59 am by QQ

  ‘everyone everywhere  returning from love like a long war i know it seems like it has to hurt but why? what if i want you and you want me and i just like to touch you rub the back of your neck while you’re driving  through an entire city lit up by tiny windows where silhouettes  of

• This Time

  Posted: November 27, 2011, 11:20 pm by QQ

  Each time Is worse than the last Each time  I fall back into his embrace Each time Its like a slap in the face  He said he wouldn’t leave me  ..this time He said he wouldn’t hurt me …this time. He said. He said. He said it would be different …this time

• My Lost Loves

  Posted: November 20, 2011, 1:37 am by QQ

  A fist shoved deep into my open mouth. Bite down.  Hard. Dont let it out. Veined pustules of emotion Clog up the sink With my matted, worthless desires. She probably gave him Something. Everything. That I couldn’t. I bet she doesn’t wince either When the tempest starts… Red eyes and black fists. Bloodied sheets. Wrapped

• Poor Heart Of Mine

  Posted: November 20, 2011, 1:11 am by QQ

  Have my heart and begone with you! You vulture of love, Scavenger of pain. Oh Maggot of mine, Stop eating away. This putrid heart, Is already rotten to the bone. Dregs and fetid remains, Memories and faded dreams. Woe is me, Poor heart of mine

• The Quilted Dream

  Posted: November 14, 2011, 1:44 am by QQ

  ‘Allahu Akbar Allah Akbar’ The call to prayer reverberates in the air. Shimmering through the sunlight. Gliding past lace curtains, through windows and open doors. To rest lightly on the ears and hearts of the beloved faithful. Asha leans her head back against the turquoise window sill The fluttering lace curtain tickles her face. A

• Of Affairs And One Night Stands

  Posted: October 24, 2011, 5:24 pm by QQ

  Had a discussion with a friend yesterday about Chips Funga (affairs/one night stands)  and the motivation behind why people do it. It worried me a lot, made me think a little, and inspired this post. Say you were married.  And your significant other had a fling. What would you consider worse? A simple one night

• L-O-V-E

  Posted: October 24, 2011, 4:03 pm by QQ

  Love this song

• Hello, Goodnight.

  Posted: October 24, 2011, 3:22 pm by QQ

  ‘Honey can you hear me? Honey hellooo…’ Lol. Of course you can’t. But somehow I feel like our connection can span oceans and continents; Time and space. You can hear your name, Whispered urgently; ‘Honey’ ‘Honey’ Your heart hears me. I just know it. I imagine you would answer sleepily: ’What?  What  is it angel?’ ‘I just

• THE REAL REASON THEY KILLED GADDAFI

  Posted: October 22, 2011, 2:11 am by QQ

  ‘The media has successfully painted Gaddafi as a hard-core dictator, tyrant whatever you want to call him. However, the media as usual has also failed to show the kind, giving Gaddafi we never heard of. Gaddafi, unlike most dictators I will refrain from naming, managed to show his humane side, the very side we dream

• Hope

  Posted: September 20, 2011, 3:32 pm by QQ

  My heart roars and then sinks, With but a stroke of your pen. Trembling fingers. Balancing tears. Hopes… Quatered and hung

• Mourning

  Posted: September 19, 2011, 2:34 pm by QQ

  Teeth on edge Steaming broth of razors and eyeballs His giant head haunts me Chomping at my being Nom Nom Little girls with bloodied hands Clutching their tattered skirts Chop  Chop Down goes the beanstalk And Jack down with it

• Love And Other Things

  Posted: September 13, 2011, 11:08 pm by QQ

  How about that? I think I am afflicted. I am an unrelenting, miserable romantic. And for the life of me, I do not know how I got here. In my head, I am a cynical, independent feminist. Who doesn’t need any man to complete her. In reality,  I love a mushy romance novel, a cheesy

• Hijabi Fashion

  Posted: September 10, 2011, 3:35 am by QQ

  I’m thinking of diversifying the blog. And adding content that I am interested in also. Like fashion. Not in the catwalk and design kind of fashion. But the everyday, how to pick an outfit from the high street and make it hijabi. How to make that Zara top work for an evening out. Or that

• Rusty pen

  Posted: September 9, 2011, 12:42 am by QQ

  In other news (ION), I had no idea writing was like riding a bike! I haven’t written a post in days and days and days. And I honestly feel …rusty. The words flow with a bit more difficulty that usual. The letters seem to trip over each other in their haste to be typed, but

• Coming Home

  Posted: September 9, 2011, 12:37 am by QQ

    I just read an article about Africans coming home. (In Msafri magazine while on the plane coming errr..home. So it was very appropriate really. Lol. ) It was about young, professional, skilled Africans living the dream – in Africa. Gone are the days of queuing at the US or UK embassies, hoping that the

• Flying Blue

  Posted: September 9, 2011, 12:32 am by QQ

  My very first blog post. On my very new mac. Hi peoples. Yes, Im flossing :p SO tired. SO jet lagged. SO SO shattered. And I still have a 9 hour flight to go. I just boarded a KLM flight from Manchester. It dropped me off in Amsterdam. And now, I’m aboard Kenya Airways to

• There Are Nine Million Bicycles In Beijing

  Posted: July 25, 2011, 10:15 pm by QQ

  There are nine bicycles in Beijing That’s a fact Its a thing we cant deny Like the fact that I will love you till I die. We are 12 billion light years from the edge That’s a guess No one can ever say its true But I know that I will always be with you.

• The Other Woman

  Posted: July 19, 2011, 5:00 am by QQ

  ‘He walked out on me. He walked out on me!….. Or he might as well have.’ She stares blankly at the wall. Her eyes, dulled with pain. The air, so stiff and heavy with emotion, it catches in my throat. I run the comb through my sister’s inky black hair. Heavy tresses, glimmering in the dim light

• With Diamonds In His Eyes

  Posted: July 19, 2011, 4:45 am by QQ

  Today my husband left me. With diamonds in his eyes, Pink peonies in bloom, His feet marched a path out of my soul, Bruised petals under his feet.   A balled up fist of knotted growls A fistful of liver. Lined up on the window-sill Little soldiers, Waiting for their orders home.   An empty

• Betrayal

  Posted: July 19, 2011, 4:19 am by QQ

  Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don’t know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings. Anais Nin

• Love

  Posted: July 15, 2011, 10:39 pm by QQ

  She loved the guy. She did it for him. She would’ve done anything for him. Some women are like that. Some love are like that. Most love are like that from what I can see. Your heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat. And your

• Dear Unborn Daughter

  Posted: July 13, 2011, 1:57 am by QQ

  She smiles at his smile She giggles a little He picks her up and places her on his shoulders ‘Higher! Higher Dadoo!’   Dear unborn child, I’m sorry I let him walk away.   He kisses the scrape on her knee Wipes a tear, and replaces it with a sweet She smiles through the pain

• When you’re dreaming with a broken heart…

  Posted: July 13, 2011, 1:50 am by QQ

  When you’re dreaming with a broken heart…

• The Modern Muslim

  Posted: June 29, 2011, 12:33 am by QQ

  You may think a lot of Muslims are ‘modern’ nowadays. You may assume that a lot of us chill in bars and discos and smoke or drink. Perhaps we have girlfriends and boyfriends and ‘life partners’ This may be partially true, however there is a strong undercurrent of a different kind of new age Muslim.

• The Extremely Moderate Muslim

  Posted: June 29, 2011, 12:05 am by QQ

  As Muslims, our religion and self-image have been dragged through the gutters since 9-11. We are terrorists. We are evil. We are Arab men with gutteral accents and big beards with even bigger guns. We are inhumane. We kill innocent women and children. In fact we hate women. We are basically the Armageddon and the

• Webs Of Disdain

  Posted: June 21, 2011, 2:30 am by QQ

  The keening of her broken heart pierces his soul and infects his mind. Seeping, creeping; Black perfumed poison. Bejewelled eight-legged widows, Chattering in dismay

• Happy Father’s Day

  Posted: June 19, 2011, 3:45 pm by QQ

  How many of us overlook the role played by our fathers? For those of us who have experienced a dad’s unconditional love,we don’t realize how lucky we are. ……. For all the times you picked me up when I fell For all the times you chastised me to make me a better person For all

• Blood, Sweat And Tears

  Posted: June 18, 2011, 1:45 am by QQ

  We are born with a clean slate. But within minutes, our families lay heaps and heaps of societal responsibility on our heads. I am an angry Muslim girl. Not because I am angry at God. But because I am angry at society. From the day a mum buys her daughter a Barbie doll. Or the

• Free

  Posted: June 9, 2011, 5:41 am by QQ

  I need to stop living like my heart is caged When in fact its so free it’s getting sun burnt I feel like I’m jogging on the same spot Struggling to stay Exactly where I am While yearning to break free of the mental binds tying me to my fate Am I free? Truly free?

• Like A Fish Out Of Water

  Posted: May 13, 2011, 1:46 am by QQ

  Restlessness gnaws at the tendrils of my consciousness. Pulling me askew. I trip along. A kaleidoscope of jumbled, hazy, half eaten dreams. Why am I struggling to breathe? I know I don’t belong here. Squirming, slipping, gasping. Choking. Searing red pain. Why does this feel so wrong? My smile is plastic. My heart, moulded in stone.

• The Silk Scarf

  Posted: May 13, 2011, 1:40 am by QQ

  With a purposeful stride, I looped round the neighbourhood. Past scruffy cats, stinking storm drains, and many, many, kiosks. Little shanty houses. Made of corrugated mabati and pieces of left over wood. I scanned the area looking for one specific kiosk; ‘Ma vitu mob’ kiosk. As I walked in, my eyes adjusted to the dim

• ‘Sup Peeps

  Posted: May 6, 2011, 5:59 am by QQ

  Sorry about the current lack of posts. I’m on HOLIDAAAAAY. Again. LOL. And sure, you would thiiink that meant that I had more time to churn out great posts. But peeps, as much as I love you, im too busy partayyying. Woot WOOOOT! However, you can be sure that I have now gathered enough material

• Hurting

  Posted: April 14, 2011, 2:21 am by QQ

  I’m tired. Because my life is hurting. I’m hurting. Because my heart is bleeding. Gushing, pouring, seeping, streaming. Congealing. Pulses of warm, fragrant, liquid life. My heart is emptied

• Nobody’s Perfect

  Posted: April 12, 2011, 3:22 am by QQ

    When I’m nervous I have this thing yeah I talk too much Sometimes I just can’t shut the hell up It’s like I need to tell someone anyone who’ll listen And that’s where I seem to fuck up, yeah I forget about the consequences, for a minute there I lose my senses And in

• Dance With Me

  Posted: April 10, 2011, 11:48 pm by QQ

  The way you make me feel… It’s counterproductive. To work…and like, other things. I can’t help but smile knowingly. I can’t help but daydream. My heart sings. My soul dances. My body hummmms. Come on, Dance with me

• My Dream Wedding

  Posted: April 10, 2011, 9:51 pm by QQ

  I’m always planning my wedding. Always. When I see a beautiful beach. Or a beautiful dress in a magazine. Or a lovely hairstyle. I  love watching wedding shows! I’m addicted. Any kind of wedding shows. Cheesy ones, American ones, horrible British ones. I love looking at other people’s wedding pictures. (Facebook = a gold mine!

• Before You

  Posted: April 10, 2011, 8:09 pm by QQ

  Before you, I was shades of grey I didn’t know the warmth of the sun’s caress on a summers day Before you, a plum was just a plum A song, just a song. Colours were dull. And music was monotone. Before you, I didn’t know love I didn’t know pain I didn’t know longing. Before

• Muslim Women Stand Up!

  Posted: April 9, 2011, 5:48 pm by QQ

  I have worn Hijab all my life. Well. Not ALL my life I started wearing it for fun when I was 10 or 11. I admired how it looked on my mother, my aunties, my older cousins. In the same way a little girl wants to put on make – up and high heels, because

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes