Monday, June 27, 2011

Bibi

Of all the "B" words I know, this one is the one I really don't like. Bibi - spelt a few different ways. Bebe, Bebi, Bibe and even the occasional Beebe. 


You might ask what is a Bibi? According to urban dictionary - it is defined as "Is the epitome of all things feminine and womanhood. Bibi means "mistress," "lady," "beloved," "wife," "queen," "lover" etc etc. 
"She's my beautiful bibi..."
According to the baby name meaning website "Babynology", it is Persian meaning  lady. It seems to be a beautiful name but don't let its innocent facade fool you. 


Americans seem to like it as it is easy to pronounce and it can be a cute name, again that facade thing. I used it when I first started working in Brooklyn as a receptionist in an office, they really liked the name and thought it was cute - I didn't want to introduce them to my middle name. A conundrum of many vowels. Try saying Shaeeza three times fast - not very cute and no it will not open the gateway to the dark side. I promise. I used it during my five years as an aide in the hospital, I got so many compliments on it, it was quite a conversation starter. "Oh you have a cute name Bibi". and "Bibi, you are the bibiest of the Bibi's" and my Ukrainian friends when they call me"Be-bushka".  


As you can tell my first name is Bibi and here's the kicker - so does my sister Farah and my little sister Swafeha. See, losing that innocent face. Three girls in the same family with the same first name. What  a tangled web we weave... But it doesn't stop there. I come from a very large prolific Indian family and we seem to bring forth tons of baby girls (they are still appearing today) and guess what? Most of my cousins have the same first name yes that Bibi - spelt in varying styles. One of my cousins even decided to get even cuter by asking to be called "B. I" How much cuter can you get?
If you check my FB friends list, there are many Bibi's there.  Seventeen at last count and seven are related to me by blood, that doesn't count all the closeted Bibi's who are reluctant to use the name. I don't blame them either. Still think it's an innocent name? 
I started a FB page whose title is "You know your're Guyanese if your first name is Bibi". I haven't checked back there in a while because it is practically terrifying exactly how many have that first name. It just might give me the hibby jibbies. Almost every Guyanese family know someone or many someones named Bibi. Losing that cuteness factor real fast.


When I was in elementary school in Georgetown Guyana, I used the name Bibi.  so did my sisters- we were Bibi S. Khan, Bibi F. Khan and Bibi S. Khan. See how my point is proven? Not innocent.
Then came the day when a new girl entered my class - guess what her name was? Bibi S. Ally. I was delighted (young and foolish), oh here's another girl with my name, oooh maybe we can friends. Maybe we'll become pals, buddies, form a club or something, maybe even solve mysteries (Enid Blyton was a strong influence then on my impressionable life). The teacher trying to be nice said "Oh now we have two Bibi's , Bibi Khan and Bibi Ally". Oh the daggerish looks I got from her were practically designed to take the Bibi out of me! I shrunk back into my shell. Later that day out on the playground, she came over to me and hissed "I'm the only Bibi". I was too shocked to return with "But I was here before you". I thought it , but was too dumbfounded to say it. Innocence where did you go?
So I decided to drop that name, just didn't write it anymore and switched to my middle name - Shaeeza.  I still keep it, you know legal stuff and all that, remember that cuteness factor, even I will admit to being fooled by its innocent facade, but you have no idea how tempted I was to literally drop it when I became a citizen. How many Shaeeza's do you know?

Friday, June 17, 2011

Blogalicious blog tour 2



It's that time again - another delicious Blogalicious blog tour! Thank you for stepping over from Dora's http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/
the organizer of this blog hop. Our topic this week is about a book that most influenced us. What a topic! Everyone will have something unique to say, blog, rhyme or say in pics. Some are hosting giveaways, others just need a listening ear and everyone will be a delightful read. Visit, leave comments and follow. When you have sat a while here, hop on over to Mari's http://mariscamera.blogspot.com/ and see what she is up to. Happy blog hopping!


1. Roy - http://royd-spiltmilk.blogspot.com/
15. Tosh - http://totsymae.com/
16. Lucy - http://lifethrulucylasticaslense.blogspot.com/



The Book that inspires me the most.

I have read so many books that it is hard to choose the one that inspired me the most, as most if not all has left an impact of some sorts on me and my life. 
But every time I come back to "Little Women". I first read this when I was just ten years old and I have since read and re read many times over. All the versions, the combined one with "Good Wives" and the original that I had bought at a library sale for 25 cents. I wished I kept it, but left it behind when I came to America. 
I loved Marmee and her way with her girls.  I tried to see myself in the girls and as an older daughter, I was Meg. Patient in her love for her family and proud of who they were. 
Now I'm the Marmee and I have four girls. I see my girls in them and I try Marmee's influences when dealing with them in all their dramas, whether petty or not. I try to mirror her wisdom and beliefs . Mariam 21, is Amy, liking nice things and always primping. Sam 20 is Joe who likes a good romp around the world and what I call her"walks abroad", Nazeefah 16 and Dinah 12 are both parts of Meg and Beth combined. They like to be home and make everyone happy like Beth and patient and proud like Meg. They all have varying degrees of girlhood drama and long suffering teenaged angst. Which makes me wonder how would Marmee handle today's girls? So I channel her especially when they try my very last nerve and try to be calm and patient. I've had many a "fess up" time with the girls as I ask straight questions and even though I get the short version sometimes, Marmee helps me see through the gaps and read between the lines.
Although I have not yet achieved Marmeedom I am trying everyday with my "Little Women".









Friday, June 10, 2011

Blogalicious blog tour

Join Me!
Blog-A-Licious Blog Tour



Today we are blog hopping with the Blog-A-Licious Blog Tour, a fantastic blog hop that brings together bloggers of all genres, backgrounds and locations. In today's hop, you hopped over from
 http://royd-spiltmilk.blogspot.com
 stay a while and browse here and then continue the hop over to
 http://annalwalls.blogspot.com/
 do stop by and say hello plus some of us are having giveaways and contests. Sorry all I offer today is a topic post, but please do read, comment and follow if you can. My policy is I follow back! Enjoy!


Book-less World.
The topic for this blog is "World without Books". I can't begin to imagine a world without books. Our civilization started as such - no books. No books doesn't necessarily mean no knowledge or stories, in fact it means creative ways to get your message across. The passing down or on of knowledge is the single most important  duty we have to our civilization. In our future advancements, our writings might be considered primitive in all of its formats - digital or not.

Even if there are no books, there will be story telling, story acting, and story sharing. There might be a sense of community, since people like being together for story telling. At times reading a book can be selfish - just you and a book and your mind's eye. At other times, a joy in sharing - like when my eight year old son shares a funny part of his Tin tin  books with his older sisters. At some times, a favorite part of the day - when my kindergarten class gathers on the carpet every morning for story time. At times, a learning experience, when we sit at a table for a book club. (Now here I've digressed- I am supposed to be writing about a world without books and I prefer to write about books.)

The human mind is an amazing thing. It can supply endless ways of entertaining the body it's connected to. If there are no books, the stories, ideas and thoughts conjured in the mind will be enough to find a way to communicating it to others - hence the primitive paintings found in caves and on hillsides. (I bet they thought those drawings were "state of the art"). The findings of scrolls and other primitive writings found on stones and rocks tell of a desire to be read and to be read to.

Given a choice I would much rather live in a world of books rather than one without.

Keep on hopping.
Thank you for stopping by.