Sukaina Rajabali, 28, is mother of Maryam, almost two, and has been married to Akber - her high school sweetheart - for just on a decade. Abandoning her optometry career and trading in the grey skies of London for a sunny apartment in Dubai, it took a brush with cancer and some serious social networking for Sukaina to get clarity in her life.
Before… "I spent my childhood in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. My mother loved cooking and I was brought up on wholesome, home cooked meals. I met my husband while at high school and I was married at 18. We moved to London and I graduated from City University with an Optometry degree in June 2003. I started up my own practice and my husband and I led very busy lives, typical of young professionals living in London. I had no interest in cooking. We ate out or relied on takeaways and convenience foods.
"By 2006 we'd both had enough of London. My in-laws live in Dubai and back then there were some great business opportunities, so we moved her in February 2007. I soon fell pregnant. At the same time I developed a lump on my collarbone. I wasn't too concerned and decided to investigate further after the birth.
It all changed when… "When Maryam was six months old I had a biopsy. On September 22nd, 2009 - my birthday - I heard the news no 27-year-old wants to hear. I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma - cancer of the lymph tissue. I had beautiful thick, waist-long hair and my first thought was panic knowing I would loose it. I immediately started four months of chemotherapy and radiation. My parents were devastated. I felt I owed it to them, to my husband and baby, to be strong, endure the treatment and fight for my life. I'm a private person and I chose not to tell friends - I couldn't bear to be pitied by anyone.
As a result… "I'm not sure if it was because of my illness or because of the birth of Maryam but I suddenly became conscious of what I ate. I learned to cook from scratch, the kind of meals I ate as a child, taking great care to source the best and freshest ingredients. When I felt well enough I started to experiment with new recipes, changing ingredients and enjoying the results. I remember being afraid of pain, afraid of the treatment and afraid I wouldn't be there to watch my little girl grow up. I realised that hope was the only way to overcome this fear. Cooking was creative and it gave me hope. I began to plan Maryam's first birthday cake, our tenth wedding anniversary meal and my sister's wedding menu. I cooked, I baked and I hoped.
Since then… "In February last year I was given the all clear and I've been cancer free since. One day my husband commented that since I spend so much time reading food blogs, why not write one myself. I established the blog ‘Lick My Spoon' and my first post, a meat curry, was in October 2010. I agonised over the photo. I tried props, garnishes, even photoshop but, no matter what I did, it just didn't look good. More determined than ever, I got myself a fancy camera and enrolled in a photography course. I also did hours of online research on food photography. I haven't looked back.
Moving on…. "I've been so motivated by the comments I get daily from my blog, essentially strangers from all over the world. One of them, an American blogger, Paula, inspired my latest post. I first heard about her ‘Frosting for the Cause' (www.frostingforthecause.com) on Twitter and was incredibly moved by it. The idea is simple, to make a small donation to cancer research then bake and ice something wonderful for the women in your area fighting cancer. There aren't really Hospices in Dubai and hospitals here have strict rules on food from outside, but my daughter's nursery were happy recipients of my cupcakes.
"My next goal is to establish myself as a freelance food photographer. I'm often lurking in antique, kitchen and knick-knack shops sourcing props. But mostly I'm cooking and sharing meals with the many special people in my life."
Visit Sukaina's food blog at http://lick-my-spoon.blogspot.com.
