Sole Food

Went shopping with my dad today at Dominions. Me: Why are we going to Dominions? Let's go somewhere else. Him: Because there are some things on sale there that I want to buy. You know purification of the soul? Me: huh? Him: Yeah, the food I want to buy that's on sale - it's like purification of the soul. Me: huh? Him: And I came solely for this.

One year

Today's my blog's birthday. So here I am one year and 145 posts later. Still the same person, kind of. If my blog was a human, this is most likely what it would look like today on its first birthday - stuffing its face with something chocolately: I haven't accomplished much on my blog but if I've ever made you smile or entertained you - even a little - well then, that's something. Regression: this poem was my very very first randomly placed post. April 25, 2005. Oh, the memories. I'm afraid of many things: Dogs frogs an MSA meeting lack of heating (in winter) getting run over by a car walking too far getting caught in the rain becoming insane (if I am already not so) getting bad grades Anne of Green Gable's braids not checking my email for a day writing any kind of essay losing brain cells cheap hotels having to share my food getting sued And so these are my fears. Oh, I forgot one: engineers.

Bunch of Alhamdulillahs

Alhamdulillah: Praise and Thanks be to God I had a bad day yesterday. But then I got home and my mom cheered me up by feeding me. So, Alhamdulillah for my mom's food and for my mom :D Alhamdulillah for the rain - du'as are more likely to be answered when it's raining. Take advantage of spring! My dad likes to wear navy blue and grey. Only. So he bought a new navy blue jacket and wore it, then he's like "what do you think of this jacket?" And I said "you're other jacket looks exactly the same!" Then he got all offended and he said "no it's not! It's much different!" (uhhh okay, it was the same) He made me laugh. Alhamdulillah for my dad. My sister made chocolate cake on Thursday but I didn't feel like having it til the next day. But then there was no cake left. Alhamdulillah for cake (eaten or not eaten by me) and siblings who make cake. Alhamdulillah for shoes. For my shoes that I wear and for the fact that I can afford them. Alhamdulillah for allowing me to trust in Him alone during times of hardship. For AlMaghrib seminars, Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah for bananas. They just taste so good. And dates (although they've been misused in some very corny jokes). Alhamdulillah for eyes. And for my glasses that make me look like a nerd. And for those little cloths that clean glasses, even though you can never find them when you need them. When you're feeling kind of bummy, just make a list of your Alhamdulillahs. So, yeah. Share some of your Alhamdulillahs :)

That thing

This woman with a heavy Polish accent asked me today why I wear "that thing on my head." She's like, "but you're so beautiful, why don't you dress like the girls here? Are you married? Does your husband make you wear it?" I brushed her off nicely by saying that I wasn't married and that I choose to wear it and all the rest of the little cushy, pretty and polite words that I could think of. Then, later on when I was at work, there was this older man who was standing around waiting for his wife. So my coworker noticed him staring at her and she asked him "can I help you with anything?" And then he literally says: "no, dear. You're just very pretty, so I want to look at you." If only that Polish woman was around. Then I'd tell her, THAT is why I wear that thing on my head. Alhamdulillah for Hijab. The end.

An amazing hadith

Forget my self-proclaimed vacation. I love this hadith so much that I had to post it. The Messenger Muhammad (saw) said: "Some peoples will come on the Day of Judgement and their Imaan will be outstanding, it's light will shine from their chests and from their right hands. So it will be said to them, 'glad tidings for you today, Assalaamu alaykum and goodness for you, enter into it (Jannah) forever!' So the angels and the Prophets will be jealous of the love of Allah for them." So the Sahabah asked, 'who are they O Messenger of Allah?' He (saw) replied, "They are not from us and they are not from you. You are my companions but they are my beloved. They will come after you and will find the book (the Qur'an) made redundant by the people, and a Sunnah which has been killed by them. So they will grab hold of the book and the Sunnah and revive them. So they will read them and teach them (the Qur'an and the Sunnah) to the people and they will experience in that path a punishment more severe and more ugly than what you (O Sahabah) have experienced. Indeed, the Imaan of one of them is equivalent to the Imaan of forty of you. The Shaheed of one of them is equivalent to forty of your Shuhadaa'. Because you found a helper towards the truth (the Prophet [saw]) and they will find no helper towards the truth. So they will be surrounded by tyrant rulers in every place, and they will be in the surroundings of Bayt ul-Maqdis (al-Quds). The Nussrah (victorious material support) of Allah will come to them, and they will have the honour of it on their hands." Then he (saw) said "O Allah give them the Nussrah and make them my close friends in Jannah." [Musnad of Imam Ahmed]

With Cream and Butter!

Asmaa, your blog misses your randomness. Alas, my hope is that my posts will stink so badly that Asmaa will be forced to return. I would like to share some good news. Yesterday my family and I were reunited with a long lost friend. She has brought much happiness and excitement into our once bland life. A few months ago, we thought she was lost forever. Here she is! Barefoot Contessa.. Who cares what her real name is.. Spring Will Be Pretty Spring will be pretty. Just give it a week, When flowers are blooming down by the creek. Bees will be buzzing as trees start to bud, But for the moment I'm covered with mud. Snow has been melting, since winter is through, Replacing the whiteness with puddles of goo. I stepped off the sidewalk and into the ooze. Next thing I knew, I stepped out of my shoes! Mud on my ankles and mud on my clothes. I stumbled face-first and got mud up my nose. Spring will be pretty, but I must confess, The first days of spring are a muckety mess!

Distressed

My most recent blogs have sucked. Like, really sucked. My humour has been drained from every possible angle. Any humour that I've attempted within the past few weeks, whether on this blog or in person, has been horrible - or at best, mediocre. This is unacceptable to me; it goes against everything I stand for. I need to regroup, gather my thoughts, reload my weapons, don my armour, bounce my bouncy ball, eat my cake - where am I going with this? Never mind. The point is, I don't feel good about blogging right now, so I'm taking a bit of a break. Mars, my apparently evil sister, will take over for a little while until I can't stay away any longer. I haven't actually told her that she's taking over, but I'm sure she'll be thrilled. Maybe.

Interesting Conversation at 7:38 a.m.

So I'm waiting for the bus this morning.... Random guy: "So you're arab right? Syrian? Palestinan?" Me: "No." Random guy: "Egyptian?" Me: "Yeah.. where you from?" [ok u know when someone asks, you have to ask in return] Random guy: "I'm from Bakistan" Me: "Oh Bakistan" (it just felt so natural to say it with a B) *Moment of silence* guy: "Cos you're fair...You must be born here. Usually people that are born back home are darker" Me: "uhhh not necessarily" guy: "So you go to highschool?" Me: "No, I'm a teacher" guy: "Highschool?" Me: "No, elementary." He then continues talking about a friend of his who is also an elementary teacher. [Who cares what her name is, what grades she teaches, or on what intersection her school is located?!] People, this is Toronto, the norm is to look away. Occasionally you may say "good morning," ask about the time or comment on the weather. But let's not talk to each other please...especially about skin colour or Bakistan.

a letter

Dear random readers, If you know me, you know I don't complain much. And if I do, it's usually in jest. But right now, I can't help it. I'm tired. And I'm irritable. And I'm going to fail a test that I have at 6pm tonight since I haven't done ANY of the readings for it - let alone review. Plus, I had to give a mini speech yesterday and I totally made a fool out of myself, which I guess is normal... So, in short: if you see me, avoid me. (and if you haven't already, scroll down to the very bottom of my blog) Love, Asmaa

An Arab in Love

So, umm you should seriously check this out. Especially if you're of the Arab nature. It's a bit frightening the first time you listen to it, but once you get used to it, it's just hilarious. Love poem, by an angry Arab trying to speak English a non-arab says: it sounds like an angry arab asmaa says: naw, it's an arab in love asmaa says: which is essentially the same thing Edit: I just remembered this from grade one for some reason. One two, buckle my shoe three four, shut the door five six, pick up sticks seven eight, lay them straight nine ten, a big fat hen