Knowing the double life

Are you a mix of East meets West? How do you balance East VS West? Growing up with a British, (Christian),eloquent, mum and a passionate, traditional, Arab Muslim Father is not always easy….

Living in the midst of the British(Christian) and the Middle-Eastern Culture has allowed me to enjoy a rich heritage; however, at times it has created 2 extreme arrays of thinking and often created family disputes.  My mum is an English lady who was born and raised in London and my father is from Kuwait and only moved to the UK when he was 17.  Growing up with these 2 extreme cultures has embedded within me a rich, understanding of love, passion, etiquette whilst it has created some internal cutural conflicts.

My Mum taught me the social norms of life –  she told me to be a good, happy person and never to judge anyone Eg  To be a good person- my deeds will only determine if I am a good person. At my age, it’s normal for girls and guys to be friends, it could be a platonic relationship and may even evolve into a romantic relationship! People have a choice to have that occasional drink of alcohol with their friends, peers and colleagues.

On the other hand, my dad voiced that those “social norms” were far from normal and in fact voiced the complete opposite! Pre-marital relationships are forbidden,  and he definitely did not approve of my guy friends.  That occasional social drink was actually frowned up- as Drinking is a big no no and goes against the rules of the Islamic religion.

Alcohol is forbidden in Islam because people may react differently under the influence of alcohol and excessive alcohol can  damage your body, damaging what God has created. In a nutshell, these “ social norms” are considered as bad behavioural traits and may make someone viewed as a bad person.

Personally, I believe people have a choice to drink or not to drink – drinking alcohol is a lifestyle and one’s preference! As long as it is not excessive and it doesn’t self -inflict pain or on others- where is the harm?

Next controversial topic revolved around clothing- 2 different school of thoughts- 1) decent and 2)indecent

I’m a 24 year old girl – as many of you can relate to…i love clothes and fashion.. nowadays  who doesn’t ?? ..  I’m petite (5.2ft) weigh (55kg) .  Fashion is a statement of who you are- I strive to  wear clothes that fit my figure- wearing tight, fitted outfit is a confidence booster for me. However, dad would preach that a lady should be humble and not to show off her figure because it is not highly appreciated because of the religion.

I don’t like wearing lose clothes because it makes me feel uncomfortable because I’m so petite! It doesn’t flatter my assets!I grew up with such quotes from Islam * female should not show off her body as a women is seen as special and Only her Husband is allowed to see her body *

I  wear jeans, dresses and i do not wear a head scarf, but he is a very

picky dad  since he’s very religious- he is not always very pleased with my outifts!

My dad moved   to the UK when he was 17, he studied at different universites and graduated with a  Phd. He is now the Ceo of his own company in Kuwait. He is a hardworking, ambitious, loving father. I am proud of his hardwork and success! He started this successful entreprise when he moved back there when i was 12 years old ..

He sacrificed his time, and heart to build the best home and to provide for us with the best of the best- schooling, cars, tutoring. His overprotective nature was always for our best interest to ensure we are well provided for and to be close to our religion!

We may not see eye to eye  but he will always have my best interest at heart.

My mom stayed in the UK when my dad moved back to Kuwait, to stay with me and my older brother.

My next  blog will be about how it was growing up in UK until my 1st big change when moving to Kuwait when i was 13 years old..this is where my second life began…

2 different worldz…