about azahar
That’s me, the creator of this blog
My friend & flatmate Noggin is on the left.
And my two gorgeous boys, Azar & Sunny, are below.
Originally from Canada, I’ve been living in Seville, Spain since September 1993. Previously I have lived in Winnipeg, Toronto, Bristol and Salamanca (in that order).
In May 2008 I was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer (metastasis to liver and peritoneum). It’s been quite the roller coaster ride since then. These are my cancer-related posts.
When I started casa az (in May 2006) it was my first ever blog and it was created as a general interest, sometimes personal interest, “blogazine” type of place. Comments and debate are very welcome. So even if you don’t know me (yet) please don’t hesitate to leave a comment – it would be great to hear from you.
And in case you are wondering about the ‘orange theme’ scattered about the place, that’s because azahar is Spanish for orange blossom and is my favourite flower (pronounced ah-thaar – diphthong and stress on the last syllable).
[creator pic courtesy of Mudhooks]
Hello az! Thanks for linking to my blog. I’d like to think it’s a mistake, the name of that drink, but I don’t know. A little too calculated, perhaps?
I see you lived in Salamanca. I spent a wonderful four weeks there in the summer of 1983 learning Spanish and popping over to Pamplona to dodge a few bulls. Love Spain.
cheers,
- ian in hamburg
Hi Ian, nice to see you here.
I think I got to your place via nursemyra, but now I can’t remember exactly. Yes, buncha idiots, and I hope they are required to change the name soon.
I lived in Salamanca 1992-1993 for approx. 15 months. I loved it there and lived in a great apartment in front of the university (with the ‘frog’ façade). But after awhile it started feeling too small and so I ended up moving to Sevilla.
Have you been back to Spain since? You don’t live that far away.
Hi,
I stumble across your website trying to find the meaning of my name Azahar. I’m confuse by some of the explanation though, some say it’s white flower from an orange tree. According to you is Spanish for Orange blossom.
I didn’t even know it was Spanish either. All this time I thought it was Arabic. But the Arabic one is spelt Azhar, meaning the ‘one with the flower’. Anyway is it a common girls name in Spain.
Hi Azahar and welcome!
Feels a bit odd calling someone else by ‘my’ name, which also happens when I meet someone who shares my RL name, as it isn’t very common for women.
I haven’t met anyone called Azahar here in Spain, though I’ve heard that Azahara is sometimes used as a girl’s name.
Yes, it is from an Arabic word – al-azahar - that literally means ‘white flower’ and in Spanish it means ‘orange blossom’ (which is the white flower that grows on orange trees and smells heavenly).
So, is Azahar your real name or your online name? How do you pronounce it? In Spanish it’s pronounced ‘athaar’ with a slight dipthong on the last syllable. It also sounds very similar to ‘azar’ which means chance or happenstance, and which is the name of my lucky black cat (whose image is also my avatar).
You can see what an orange blossom looks like here.
Hi…azahar (lower ‘a’ to differentiate)
It is wired. I started university (mature student) abroad, and was always ask what my name meant. Sadly I don’t know, until today. Thanks to you.
It is my real name. I have an uncle named Azahari, though I always thought i was named after him. Funnily no. It’s pronounce like it’s spelt actually, “AZA” “HAR”. Maybe I should start pronouncing it the way you do
Anyhoo, I always wanted to go to Spain. Maybe one day and visit the Santiago Bernabeu (Yes, I’m a Real Madrid Fan).
Cheers
Azahar Y
Ah, that’s interesting that you pronounce it aza-har. I think most non-Spanish people do when they see it. Whereabouts do you live?
Well at the moment I’m Perth, Australia. But I’m originally from Brunei Darussalam (Meaning the abode of peace).
In Brunei, Azhar is common name for a guy. But I rarely see one with my spelling (Azahar). So I was surprise to find out that it’s actually Spanish in origin. But a pleasant surprise.
In fact it’s Arabic in origin, as are most (all?) Spanish words that begin with ‘az’. I don’t know if the Arabic word also refers to orange blossoms or just white flowers in general.
Does Azhar mean anything or is it just a name?
The Arabic language spread as far as Brunei with the spread of Islam, so the origin of the name there is probably Arabic too. But the precise meaning may well have changed over the centuries. In Spain it’s become more specific – the white flowers of orange blossom rather than white flowers in general.
I’ve always thought it was just a name. It has no historic meaning that I’m aware of.
Well I don’t speak arabic, but I meet a few arab speaking people while studying here and they say ‘Azhar’ means the one with flower or one that has flowered or the flowered one. God I’m beginning to think my name is meant for a girl. LOL
But I’ve never found a definitive answer to ‘Azahar’(with that extra ‘a’). Until now.
hey is that smiley face at the bottom of the page deliberate? just wondering. Cute though.
Hi Azahar,
Thanks so much for your nice comment – it’s a pleasure to make your (virtual!) acquaintance!
You’ve got a collection of great sites – I will be visiting often. AND, when we do get to Sevilla, I’ll take you up on your offer of a tapas or two…
Best,
Katie
Hi Katie,
One of my favourite things is taking people out for tapas and showing them “my” Sevilla. So, you know where to find me when you, Ivan and the kidlet come for a visit.
Hi, I’ve come across your blog as I am doing a project for one of my classes on Semana Santa in preparation to become a Spanish teacher….it is absolutely awesome that you live in Sevilla!! After visiting Spain last March, it is absolutely one of my favorite cities!!!!
I love your name, website and everything. I have faith that you will live a full life. I want it to happen.
Hi Bridget,
I somehow missed your comment here. How long will you be in Sevilla (or have you gone back by now)?
Hello Ian,
The name is rather pretty, isn’t it? Sometimes I forget it’s not my own. I seem to be living a pretty full life at the moment (with the help of my friends) … hoping it will last a long, long time.
Lovely Kitties, I must say. I love blogs from far away places than me–Fresno CA. I have a wanderlust that goes untreated, so I therefore enjoy blogs from out of the US
Hi azahar,
What an amazing blog, I was googling ‘Lock of hair’ images and was intrigued by your contribution of a furball, since then I have sat for the last hour reading (I should be working).
My dad was diagnosed very similarly a couple of months ago, so I found myself captivated by your story, and just kept reading, completly in awe of your great positive attitude. I thought I would just write a few lines and now I really should get back to work. I am sure I will find myself back here soon catching up and probably reading pages that I have missed.
Keep smiling and stay well, Wayne
Oh, just for reference, the furball wasn’t quite what I was looking for….!
Hi Azahar,
I love your blog! I just wrote a book on Sevilla and I’m so curious to see what you’d think of it! I sent you an email about it separately. At the top of my “most miss list” about Sevilla are the tapas bars and the scent of the orange blossoms. Living in the States, I head to Jaleo in DC as much as possible to get a “fix”.
Thanks so much for a great blog!
-Lori
http://cantara.squarespace.com/degrees-of-freedom