Dhahau

This is a portrait of my niece Dhahau today sharing a Mezze lunch platter with my MrsB and J at Katsouris Deli in Manchester. Shhh, this is a virtual blip cheat because I wasn't there, though I did at least try to sort the red-eye out after J emailed the photo over.

My three beautiful girls were meeting in town today, whilst I was left home alone finishing off some critical work.

Dhahau's mum is MrsB's sister, and this pair of sisters were born just 14 days apart. Before you ask, no not the lengthy delivery of twins, but the result of an old polygamous society in Maldives that doesn't exist that much today. MrsB's dad married I think about six times in all, and had three wives simultaneously at one point (haha I'm saying nothing, except one Maldivian is way more than enough for me to handle!). At the last count, MrsB had nine sisters and six brothers.

Dhahau is currently in her 5th of 7 years studying architecture at Manchester School of Architecture. Seems strange that she should now be in the same school as me and doing the same course, and 26 years after I left to boot (Blimey this makes me feel old). It doesn't seem that long ago that I used to pick Dhahau up on my bike from her pre-primary nursery school in capital Malé in 1990. When I lived in Maldives for a second spell in the 1990's, her name for me was "Buncle Bian". We have lost the 'B's now.

Sadly, Dhahau has had problems renewing her visa for next year, and this largely thanks to a major administrative mix up by the university. As a result, she now has to take a year off back in Maldives. Am sure she will love seeing her family and friends again, but part of me thinks she also might miss Manchester a lot more than she thinks. She is a real 'Manc' by now, and has even been known to travel to away games to watch FC United. For those that don't care know, this is the team that 'die hard' supporters of Manchester United FC set up as an alternative and to demonstrate their disgust when their beloved team 'sold out' to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and US investor cum Dark Lord Malcolm Glazer in 2005.