Be in the world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer

.:Thursday, April 20, 2006:.

"I call you karima to hear your laugh"

My uncle is one of those people that has an answer for EVERYTHING. So when he called and made the mistake of calling me by my sisters name I go "wow khalu, I can't beleive you don't know my voice :(" but I was laughing so he goes "I know your voice, I just pretend to mess up so I can hear you laugh". They started preschool there.. he told me "You have a job if you move here, and we pay good!" I miss it down there. I'm so bad though, I haven't been keeping good contact with everyone there.

I felt like I had a really good day yesterday so later on I was thinking about what I did differently for it to be so awesome and one thing that came to mind was how I treated my parents. I didn't notice this till later but everytime they called me I would answer promptly, everything they asked of me I did, and I took time out to sit with each of them alone and give them a hug and ask whats on their mind and how they're feeling. It's not that I'm usually disobediant it's just that I did more than usual yesterday and I saw the result of my actions in how my day went; I was happy, went to sleep with a smile, and was able to accomplish things that I had been wanted to "get around to" for a long while. So, alhamdulillah. My lesson from yesterday was that nothing but barakaah comes from pleasing your parents and making them happy.

I can't explain how much I hate going to school. I have classes 3 days a week (only morning class on Friday) and the night before classes I literally can not sleep couse all that is on my mind is how torturous the next day is going to be. Besides the fact that I hate the timing of my second class just having to go out as much as I do now and mixing with the kufaar as much as I do is annoying. Another thing that is hard is mixing online classes with attend classes; my advice to anyone that is thinking of doing that: Dont!. The two styles are totally different and I'm finding difficulty mixing them both.

Today I wrote down a list of things I need to do (which actually included updating this thing :P). I have a paper I need to write for one class but other than that I don't have homework today, alhamdulillah. I feel like ditching the list for a while and baking. Yes, I'm weird. So hopefully dad got butter :P. If things turn out good I just might post pictures.

chotu-meyeh @ 4/20/2006 10:59:00 AM #|

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.:Thursday, April 13, 2006:.

muslim pickup lines

Something happened yesterday that reminded me of this.. lol..

1. Oh my gosh! I just saw part of your hair, now you're obliged to marry me.

2. Our parents engaged us when we were little; they must have forgotten to tell you.

3. I'd like to be more than just your brother in Islam.

4. To watch you pray is a sin of its own.

5. Will my platinum VISA cover your dowry?

6. You can't play basketball with a jilbab on; marry me and we can go one-on-one our entire life.

7. Muslims are supposed to have many children, and I am more than willing to do my part...

8. Will you help the cause of the Ummah by helping me fulfill my deen? "

9. Wanna pray in jamaat? Shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet?

10. Assalamualaikum, so what time does a hurain like you have to be back in Heaven?

11. What school of thought do you follow, because I thought about you all through school.

12. Can I have your Wali's phone number?

13. So, read any good Surahs lately?

14. Do you believe in the hereafter? Oh, you do? Then you know what I'm hereafter.

15. Would you like to see my collection of Bukhari's?

16. Let's get married so I don't have to lower my gaze every time you walk in the room.

17. Didn't we meet when I went on Hajj/on the day we testified Allah was our lord?

18. Is your dad a terrorist, 'cuz you da bomb!

19. I've had to fast every day since I first saw you.

20. That Noor on your face really brings out your eyes.

chotu-meyeh @ 4/13/2006 10:56:00 AM #|

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.:Tuesday, April 11, 2006:.

I miss SD :(

So the other day my mom calls one of the aunties from San Diego and shes like "the whole masjid ribat is at Howayah's right now" and my mom is like "mashaAllah!" and then shes like I'm going to pass the phone around so you can speak to them. It was bittersweet. Brought back soooo many memories. Howayah's house is the house I talked about before with the great view outside. Just talking to them all made me really miss being down there. Later that night Intisar called me and we talked a bit which was also nice.

It's interesting how people can notice the smallest and most odd things about you. My dad is good at pointing these things out to me. The other day we're eating and he goes "you've been eating lemon on your food a lot these days", and I looked at him and was like "even I didnt pay attention to that". Then later on I made him tea and I put the sugar in and mixed it and he goes "whenever you mix sugar in tea you always tapp the spoon on the edge of the cup twice". This time I didn't comment but I payed attention to what I did when I mixed the sugar for mom and noticed he was right. My sister used to do this to my brother all the time..to the point that he would get upset and ask "what are you doing, writing a book about me!"

My brothers pretty cool. He's moved back to Corvallis and commutes to Portland for work, miskeen. He came over the other day and gave me my Cd's back (about time!)..except he forgot one :(. I told him and he was like "wow you keep a good inventory". He's one of those people that picks on me a lot. He was over the other day and started picking on me, I was like "yo, you better stop.. you owe and your still picking on me!" He actually really really owes me. He was at work last week and my other brother called him and was like "you forgot to leave me x money that I asked to borrow".. so Adam is in Portland no way he can get the money to him so he calls me and asks me to lend my other bro the money.. I was like let me check if I have that much on me now and I checked and didn't so hes like can u go get some from the bank? I was home alone and in no mood to walk to the bank but hes like "come on its on walnut it wont take you 15 mins each way", so I did.. and now he owes me :).

and I'll finish updating later couse mom wants me..

chotu-meyeh @ 4/11/2006 01:12:00 PM #|

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.:Friday, April 07, 2006:.

if only you let me do it my way!

Last summer some of the girls would go to highland (Linus Pauling? is that the new name?) and we'd chill there. Usually the moms would chill as well. One time Dina's mom was on the phone and when she finished she came and sat with us instead of the moms. She got married like really young and sometimes tells us stories about it.. this is the story she told us that day.

Not too long after she got married she wanted to make a dish(I forgot what it was) but she didn't know how to make it. So she goes to her husband and is like "I was thinking of making 'x' for dinner but I want to make it the way you like it so can you please tell me how you want me to make it?", by doing this and asking more questions she got the whole recipe from her husband. She made the dish and it didn't turn out all that great so she tells her husband "see, if you had let me make it the way my family does it would have turned out right!".. isnt that just like ingenious? When I told my mom the story she told me "make sure you don't tell the story to your husband untill after you use it on him!". I don't think I could ever do that though..

I'm babysitting AQ right now and the kid is driving me crazy. First he wants me to read to him then he wants to look at pictures then movies..the whole time hes turning the monitor off and on, turning the volume up and down, and moving it side to side. Not to mention all the snacks hes asked for in the past half hour alone! I cant help but love him to bits. I want a baby just like him, inshaAllah.

lol.. I better get offline and check what hes doing before he does something that will get me in trouble!

chotu-meyeh @ 4/07/2006 05:20:00 PM #|

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.:Wednesday, April 05, 2006:.

just..

I'm really starting to not like the idea of going to class...especially my second class. Its not the class itself as much as it is the timing. I really really don't like the time that it's at and how long it is. I like the teacher and she actually does good in explaining the concepts and is really nice. Today before break she asked us "do you want five or ten minutes?" we were like "ten" and she was like "ok", alhamdulillah this was good for me and Omar since we needed to pray dhuhr. Also, towards the end of class she gave us the option of working through more problems before starting the assignment or starting the assignment right away which would let us out a few minutes early, and ofcourse we chose to start right away. So, alhamdulillah it's not too bad but it's still frustraiting.

I guess my day today hasn't been too bad. I got up around 8, checked emails, spent time with mom, ate a quick breakfast, and got ready for class. The first class was alright. Came home answered emails (and got out of going to orientation for online classes!), did some of my math homework, then headed to class. After class mom wanted to go get something from the store and then say salaams to khala Aisha since she is leaving tommorrow..now I just prayed asir and then I dunnu.. see what mom needs..study..get some sleep..get dinner ready since dad should be home any minute.

As far as tommorrow goes..dads off and I have homework so hopefully I get to stay home and don't have to go anywhere. I remembered what I was going to post but I'll post it tommorrow just incase I dont have anything to say then :P.

chotu-meyeh @ 4/05/2006 06:00:00 PM #|

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.:Tuesday, April 04, 2006:.

school started :(

I'm on a sugar streak again! Since I got up today I've had leftover cake and cookies from sunday(had people over), mango sherbet, and now I'm working on the dozen Ferrero Rocher's that khala Aisha gave me. Yesterday I had leftover sweets, a sinckers ice cream bar, and then ice cream again. Oh well, I'll burn the extra calories by studying :P.

School started yesterday. :(. Before I get into that let me talk about the day before yesterday, Sunday. Khala Aisha is leaving Thursday and khala Umm Mish'als brother came to Corvallis to go to OSU on Saturday so my parents decided to invite them and a few other people on Sunday. I usually don't mind when they invite people over except that it was the day the clock changed and I'm usually a bit messed up that day since I'm behind an hour. But, alhamdulillah, the day went well. I had a pretty good time with the guests as well, although towards the end I retreated to my room to work on some things that I needed to finish. When everyone left I look at the clock and its 12. I then get into an argument with my dad over cleaning the kitchen. He tells me I have school in the morning and need to wake up for fajr and that I should leave the kitchen till tommorrow. I said I cant sleep with it dirty plus it would be harder on me to do it in the morning since I have things to do and I don't want mama to do it. He went to bed, upset. I cleaned most of the kitchen but then felt guilty for disobeying him and upseting him so I went to my room and worked on some of the things I needed to do untill a little after 1 then I slept.

Ok, getting to what I did yesterday. I had planned on waking up at 7, which is when my dad goes to work, since I wanted to finish a few things before going to class, which starts at 10. I hadn't changed my clock yet so I kept looking at it and thinking wow its still early untill it said 7:30 and I remembered OMG THIS IS AN HOUR BEHIND and got out of bed. I quickly finished the rest of the kitchen and then sat to do what I needed to do. At 9:30 I got up, got dressed, packed my bag, and left at like 9:50 and got to class like a minute early. This class is entertaining. The teacher is really funny to watch and she looks like an easy grader so Alhamdulillah. I came home at 11 and sat with my mom for a little then sat to finish some things. I prayed dhuhr as soon as it came in and then headed back to school for my second class. I walk into class and the first person I see is my friends brother..I almost walked right out of class. It was cool though. He was in class wearing a thoub and kufi and during break he goes to the hall says iqammah and prayed dhuhr. This class sucks. Its two and a half hours long. The teacher is nice, I know her from before, but her voice is really calm and puts you to sleep :P. After class I went grocery shopping with mom. Then I came home and ate. Then prayed asir. Then dad asked me to do yard work. Then I spent half an hour cleaning my shoes couse they got muddy. Then made dinner with mom. Then did paperwork for dad (for like two hours!). By the time I finished that it was pretty late so we prayed isha and then I went to my room and did some reading for school and then I was too tired to finish reading so I slept.

As far as today, I haven't done much. I'm home alone now. I probably should start on some homework (YES I ALREADY HAVE HOMEWORK!!!!!!!!). hmm.. there was something I wanted to post on here but I forgot.. khair, maybe later.

chotu-meyeh @ 4/04/2006 02:50:00 PM #|

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.:Saturday, April 01, 2006:.

....

I'm in one of my bad moods again. I'm not sure why..like really not sure. Maybe it's the fact that break is almost over? maybe it's the feeling of not accomplishing what I wanted. Or, maybe it's just because I've been sick for the past few days and havn't done much, which I hate.

Yesterday I decided I had enough of the laying in bed, or sitting around so I got up and cleaned the house, much to my mothers disaproval. My mom has this idea that when you're sick you don't do any unnecissary work and I'm not really good at following that. I can't stand having to sit around for a couple days. She reminds me that there is so much I can do while "sitting around". For me, reading or doing something that takes intillectual energy is harder on me when I am sick than to do moderate physical activity..so ya, this is one thing me and my mom differ in. Alhamdulillah 'ala kulli haal.

I went to the masjid yesterday. I'm not sure why I keep mentioning this every week since I think by now anyone that reads my blog on a semi-constant basis would have figured out that in general I go to the masjid every Tuesday and Friday. Likewise, they also figured out that when I mention that I went to the masjid on either of those days I usually follow it up with "it was alright alhamdulillah". :P. So ya, it was alright alhamdulillah. One thing that struck me, and in a way frustraited me, was that I realized how many "teen girls" there actually are here! Just yesterday there were 9 of us at the masjid and the ones there weren't even half of the ones in Corvallis. Sad, so sad :(. Allahuma ahdina wa ijm'ana 'ala taa'atuk..aameen.

One thing that really stuck with me from the dars yesterday was the way khala Dalia explained and put emphasis on the ayah "wa lakaad yessurna al Qurana lil dhikri fa hal min mudaakir". If you put SINCERE effort into memorizing or understanding or reading the Quran Allah swt will make it easy for you. The key though is sincerity. SubhanAllah, when you think about it you realize that sincerity is the key to so much in this life..and it is the only way we will attain Jannah; by sincerly worshiping and obeying Allah swt alone. It's really sad to see the lack of sincerity in the ummah. It is way way too common to find double standards and people saying with their tounges what they really don't have in their hearts. So what she said really stuck with me. Sincerity and effort in learning and implimenting the Quran in our lives.

so ya, I got up at 9 since there is something I really need to do and now its past 10 and I still haven't gotten to it. Alhamdulillah 'ala kulli haal. I should work a little harder at putting priorities straight.

chotu-meyeh @ 4/01/2006 10:15:00 AM #|

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