Modest Justice

VIVA LA FURIA ROJA

2010-07-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've been caught up in the World Cup lately and although I was with Ghana till the very end (-tear-) I'm so happy for Spain's win against Germany!

:D

My older brother had the audacity to bet with me. If Germany won I'd have to wear tights (I don't even see how that's a bad thing) and if Spain won ... he'd have to wear a skirt >:D

MUWAHAHAHAHA!

Um yeah :D

Also I got my AP scores back for US History and English Comp/Lang...

I got a 4 in US and a 5 in English! (!!!!)

I'm so happy because a 5 is the highest and I really didn't study for English while I put a lot of effort for History : D

To pass you need at least a 3=qualified/ 4= very qualified / 5= extremely qualified And it converts into college credit.

So yeah, I'm very happy today!

I hope you guys are having a fun summer/winter! : D

Not a complete waste

2010-06-20T19:54:00.001-07:00

I got a job!

Woot! It's tutoring my peers during the summer, and it pays very well. :D

My dad was really pushing for me and my older brother to get jobs in order to be more independent (and maybe not ask him for 20 dollars every time we want to go out with friends, hehe)

I start next week, so on top of the summer homework I have to do, I'm sure I won't be so bored!

Oh and I'm also going to try and cut sweets from my diet... and fastfood... and fruit juices... and try to exercise more.

I need to start being more active and healthy! Instead of spending 5+ hours on the computer >_>

I'm sure you all can agree with that!

Anyway, this is my final summer as a high school student, so I'll try and have some fun as well :D

I hope you guys are having a great summer/winter wherever you are!

♥

Aww, thank you!

2010-06-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

I got an award :D (A bazillion months ago... but that's irrelevant)

From Alysha over at V.I Couture (she makes wonderful fascinators, dresses, and now a novel? o: She's so creative >.

Rules: (o'course!)

Put the logo on your blog in your post.

Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.

Link the nominees within your post.

Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blogs.

Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Hmm... 12 bloggers?

Okay, in no particular order:

A'qilah! (whenever I read her blog I get so inspired to be a better muslimah!)

Naz!(Her funny and interesting posts make my day <3!)

Mona ! (how could I not add her? I love her stories about her day and children and life... e.t.c! :D)

Stacy! (Someone to chat in somali with! And I love her blog, her daughter is adorable, and Stacy is so smart :D )

DIMA (Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist)- Need I say more? Check out her blog, honestly every one of her posts makes me think o: Plus support her upcoming project!

And... yeah I lied, I'm not going to do 12 because it already took me months to get this post done.

Muwahaha♥

(P.S I haven't been in a blogging mood lately.. although I've been reading all of your blogs! Just a lurker at the moment... I dunno, I just feel that my life isn't really exciting to share right now.. actually there is one thing. Hmm, I'll tell you in another post, this is strictly for the award winners! Kekeke)

Just a quick thought

2010-06-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

[I know I've been MIA but today was the last day of school.. so more time to blog! I'll discuss other things later but for now....]

What's up with Abu Dhabi and it's building records?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/604215

I mean, not to offend any UAE bloggers or anything but.... shouldn't they be using that money for public services/education/idk... something besides breaking world records?

Many countries are in or near a recession... I'm just thinking they should use the money for something more important >.>

Just my two cents/rant on it :D

Peace

So tired you can't get back up

2010-05-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted.

Mentally, Physically and emotionally.

Seriously, Junior Year is kicking my butt. And I only have less than two weeks left.

But to get to my beautiful summer vacation (which won't be so relaxing as I plan to hopefully take a summer class and get a job) I have to go through an obstacle course.

Why do all teachers think it's 'fun' when they assign multiple projects at once?

And SATs are coming up again and I need to retake them. I haven't had time to study for them because of the workload.

Actually, I'm not even supposed to be blogging right now, I haven't started on any of my hw it's nearly 10 pm and my video project for history is being stupid.

-sigh-

SATs are in less than a week.

Honestly, I understand why people say Junior year is burnout year. Way too many situations and problems (in addition to academics) and hopefully I won't break down or something.

On the BRIGHT SIDE: I'm running for class officers for my senior class.

Me and a friend were going to for ASB (Associated Student Body) but someone accidentally 'lied' and told us you had to be apart of leadership for a year to join.

Let's just say I'm not voting for her.

So now I'm going for Senator as a class officer. I know not so high up but it's an easy win and I don't think I'd make it as President (it's always a popularity contest!)

Yeah, I'm going to go cry now in that corner over there -points-

And maybe after school ends, I'll stop talking about it so much.

Maybe.

Back from the dead

2010-05-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

So yeah.

AP testing is ovaaaaaaaaa ( :{D yay! <-- that's a smiley face with a mustache by the way)

But three classes assigned projects

=.='

But hey! I'll be posting again :D

So.... stick around peeps, I'm not done blogging yet!

~Taken from we heart it~

Heavy Duty Studying!

2010-05-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

May 1st, 2010

So, like other bloggers in the blogosphere... I HAVE EXAMS COMING UP!

Actually, I just took my SAT IIs today T_T

And I just wasn't expecting the math portion to be so hard dang it. Although the U.S History part was a breeze.

Anyway, that wasn't the interesting part of my day. Afterwards, me and two of my friends went to Borders, a bookstore at the local Mall, and just studied...

for 6 hours.

Since we had upcoming AP US History, AP Calculus (them, not me lol) and AP English Language tests this week and the next week.

CRAMMING FTW!

It was hilarious partly because of the people at the cafe part of the bookstore.

There was one man there who'd been snoring when we came in and proceeded to snore for the next two hours. Another guy there told us he'd been asleep for the past 4 hours... wow.

And then we'd take a free sample of coffee whenever the cashiers switched shifts, kekeke

hey, we're broke students, WE DESERVE SAMPLES! (okay not really, we were saving whatever money we had for lunch)

And at around 6:30 pm we STILL weren't done with the day.

We'd bought tickets to watch the adorable musical ANNIE for 7:30 pm and quickly went home, dropped all of our studying things and rushed over to the school.

It was extremely cute. I wish I'd taken pictures.

All in all, tiring day, but tomorrow... ALL OVER AGAIN!

(sans the Standardized testing and musical... just studying!)

I have a bunch of posts lined up but I'll probably post them later due to intense studying and sleep deprivation.

P.S I honestly can't wait until this school year is over. I've been working my butt off to get top grades since this is the report card that counts (thankfully I now have a 3.8 GPA again T_T I've missed it so much since freshman year)

It.. wasn't.. awkward

2010-04-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

April 22nd, 2010

So, I went to our scheduled anti-prom hoping for the worst (okay not really) ...and I was pleasantly surprised!

My friend who had 'disagreement's' with the invited friend was totally civil.

If anything, I didn't feel any awkwardness.

[Morning]

So I wake up at 9:15 am because I know it takes me forever to get ready.

After calling my other friend to wake up (she was going to drive me and the invited friend there) I ended up wearing a striped navy top with a navy hijab (my latest hijab find :P) an offwhite vest over the navy top, dark wash jeans and silver flats (to match my silver earrings :DD)

At around 11:30 we had all gathered at the restaurant.

I know, I know, who eats lunch at 11?!

But we were on a tight schedule (it had to end by 3 since the first friend had to go to a wedding)

The waitress probably thought we were 21 or something.. (or at least old enough to drink) and told us about the beer specials...

It was awkward.

But me and my friend ordered strawberry daiquiris.

VIRGIN Strawberry Daiquiris (You guys should know me better than that hehe)

It was basically a strawberry smoothie.. interesting.

[Afternoon]

After lunch, we headed out to Golfland and played mini-golf!

It was an intense 18 holes, but I ended up being in 2nd place.

~Oh yeah, I matched my golfball to my hijab!~

Anyway, if you notice my right sleeve is a bit up... it's because I had just fished out my ball from the water. (And I generally hate pictures of myself :P Especially when I'm caught unawares!)

Epic fail.

[After after noon]

So then, after most of my friends left home since it was 'over', me and my friend who drove me there waited with another friend who's parents were coming in an hour.

lol.

We spent that time at the arcade, and then drove to the mall across the street... where we hung out at Borders for the next half hour.

Overall a great day! :D

Even though Prom was at night. I would have liked this anti-prom party to start at around 6 and then we could've gone out and watched a movie... but overall, with what time we had, it was pretty kick-butt :D

(Now about Senior Ball.. I know it's in a year and I have PLENTY of time to consider or reconsider but I think I'd want to go to that. Too bad my Dad won't let me)

It's a Quarter after One I'm all alone and I need you now ♫

2010-04-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's actually 5:43 pm, and I'm just home alone.

Today, Friday, April 16th, 2010, my family decided to have a little 'trip' up to UCD to pick up my brother.

But it's a school day.

My younger brother and sister were more than delighted to skip half a day (even though I don't think it's a good idea)

However, I didn't want to have to do an essay on another day or miss a lesson of math (I hate math. But I need to get a good grade)

So I went to school.

I know, how lame of me.

BUT there was also an extra credit movie for English that I needed to watch. You don't know how precious those extra 15 points are to me and my grade (Which is an A- at the moment T____T)

I just got back 25 minutes ago so VIVE LA WEEKEND! :DDD

I promise to post more in the next two weeks but not on the third week from now.

Because that's AP testing week....

awww yeahhhhhh

So I need to get my study on as well. (awww yeaahh.. okay I'll stop doing that)

I miss you guys! Blogging has just been put on hold for the past two weeks because of school.

<3>

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Oh and completely off topic: DRAMA (not the theatrical kind)

Okay so this is just a short tangent about high school drama at the moment.

Tomorrow, me and my friends are going to be having our 'anti-prom' (instead of spending over 100 dollars for Junior Prom -which I can't go to anyway due to parents- and the overall lameness of prom, we're having our own alternative!)

We'll be going to a restaurant, then mini-golfing (fun times!) :D

But...

It's also a slash event for one of my friend's birthday. Keep this in mind.

During spring break, while studying with another friend -who is not part of my usual group of friends- I happened to mention anti-prom and she asked if she could come.

I said yes.

THEN, when I informed my cohorts this week after waiting a week (more like forgetting), turns out the birthday gal DISLIKES my study buddy. And will not be on speaking terms during the shindig.

And another things is that study buddy isn't really friends with my friends and it'll be an overall awkward time since I'll have to be a mediator.

I've thought about cancelling, but we've planned this for so long that it would be nonsensical to do so...

I mean, you can only have ANTI-PROM on the DAY OF Prom!

So we're just going to go ahead with the plans and me and my other friend will try to lessen the awkwardness...

-sigh- If only we could all just get over our grudges.

Um yeah, I think my drama bit is much more longer than my overall update.

Fail.

Anywho, give me advice in the comments S'IL VOUS PLAIT!

Picnic/Clear Skys/Break

2010-04-01T20:10:00.001-07:00

April 1st, 2010

TODAY.

The beginning of my spring break.

The beginning of the rest of our lives.

And I found out I'm pregnant.

Okay not really. (April Fool's!)

But it WAS the MSA picnic. Now dubbed the 2nd Annual MSA Picnic.

It also doubled as a photo shoot since my friend needed a model for her photography project.

Guess who got to be the model? (Me.)

Oh yeah.

It was nice, I'm glad it didn't rain and more importantly, no school for the next week!

I have been on blogger, I've just been extremely lazy

I've recently come to love fashion >.>

I know, I'm a little late on the bandwagon. And since I have nothing better to do with my life (besides you know.. go to school and sleep), I've been stalking blogs with a fashion theme to sort of.. spice up my wardrobe.

Give a 'new life' to my half of the closet (I share..)

I got my SAT scores today (everyone was frantically checking them in my 2nd period class on someone's iTouch, hehe)

And let's just say I didn't do so hot...

Um. Yeah.

No school tomorrow so a day filled with movies, masjids and ..moolah (I needed another m word)

And I shall commence study-mode for my upcoming AP testing and SAT Subjects test (And SAT I retakes T_T)

I promise to occasionally post.

Just to let you all know I'm still alive :D

Want. Dress. Now

2010-03-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Pi Day!

(3.14= 3/14... get it? Haha.. >.>)

Yeah.

Well anyway, see this dress on the right?

------>

It's beautiful! (Just add a straw hat)

It's from Anthropologie

So it's expensive T_T

I don't have $178 to just throw around D:

But it just reminds me of beaches and sunsets and long walks with the wind blowing in my ..hijab! :D

Maybe I should be on the lookout for a replica.

Or hope it goes on sale.

-sigh-

Beautiful dress, you shall be mine!

(In my dreams...)

We now interrupt your previously scheduled program...

2010-03-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

(I'm obviously feeling better and was able to go to the Berkeley trip! I got a shirt ^_^)

Now that it's second semester Junior year, I have so much to do that I've neglected the blog >.>

But guess what?

Today I took my SATs :D

Yes, I sat for 5 hours in a classroom -.-

But I feel I did pretty well (Except on the math portion.. I blame my freshman Geometry teacher for teaching me absolutely nothing.. seriously, the man needs to be fired)

And I've still been going to dance practice because Fantastics is next Friday -gasp-!

I had a bunch of tests this week (similar to hell week) but thankfully have barely any homework.

I'm praying for spring break to come quickly. But then that'd mean the summer comes sooner.. and then Senior year T_T

I don't want to grow up! (Where's Peter Pan when you need him?)

Anywho, enough about me. How as YOUR week dear readers?

My best friend today...

2010-03-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

is Gatorade.

-______-

I'm sick with stomach flu.

-shakes fist-

WHY?!

Tomorrow is the UC Berkeley trip I've been looking forward to for nearly a month!

This sucks.

I had to miss 5th and 6th period today because I felt extremely dizzy and nauseous

I'm feeling better now, and I haven't eaten since this morning because I'm afraid of vomiting (again)

I really don't want to miss the trip tomorrow... and I don't have a fever.

So what can I do? HELP ME O' KNOWLEDGEABLE BLOGOSPHERE!

Seven things I hate about You

2010-03-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

March 2nd, 2010

(Oh MY! Time really does fly by! I have my SATs on March 13th, T__T)

Okay, no it's really a seven things about moi ;D

I was tagged by Wrestling with Religion and I'm flattered, so I might as well get to it!

I shall also strive to keep it short and simple, heh (I'm sure you guys are used to my understatements these days >.>)

1) I'm a junior in High School. There. I said it. The mystique of my background and what not is basically over by now. I didn't normally talk about my background or age because most people in my real life do not know about my blog, but I'm pretty sure they won't find out (I mean you guys don't even know my real name ... except for like 5 of ya'll.. or less...)

2) I love music. -waits for rocks to be thrown- Okay, yeah. I love music. I love singing. Those are pretty much things I won't give up (Define music in whatever way you will) because, if I may say so, I'm pretty good at it. I'm even humming a song from Yuna at the moment ('These Streets' is my favorite song at the moment )

3) The intersection of Race and Gender is a topic I'm wholly interested in and discussions of religion/philosophy is something I could probably spend hours on (overstatement). Maybe that's why I love lurking on Wrestling with Religion, Racialicious and MuslimahMediaWatch. Although I may have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, I know what classes I definitely want to take in college. [Hint: Bowling is not one of them]

4) I'm a pretty lazy person. Even if I sleep at 9 pm, I'll probably wake up around 9 am, twelve hours later. I just love sleep. I was born sleeping! (No, seriously, the doctors probably thought I was dead, that's how silent I was)

5) I'm a people watcher. I love looking out for the minute details in people's expressions and the way they interact with one another (... and to your left we see the caged specimens... just kidding) I don't eavesdrop, just look... if that makes sense

6)I actually forgot how I first began to blog. I think I was googling something about hijabis and found Beautiful Muslimah (now defunct) and then saw Hegab Rehab.... so I made a blog to follow them. Then gradually made my own. I mean, I've technically had this since my Sophomore year and looking back at old posts... I see plenty of growth (which is a good thing!) My views have changed, my beliefs slightly altered, but I'm a work in progress. It's a never ending journey for knowledge and discovering myself, and maybe, just maybe, this blog can reflect that. [This isn't really anything new about me.. or is it? I still think its valid!]

7) GAH. I hate the last of these 'About Me' things. Because I always run out of things to say. Well, what else do you people want to know? OOH. I'm a chatty person.. sort of. Blame my parents. I mean, when I was younger, you literally had to push me to say hi to people. But now I can make small talk to anyone, even the school nurse. I guess its from all those years watching my mom and dad talk with cashiers, delivery men and women, neighbors, managers, random man at a drive-in, e.t.c You get the point.

And now it is 9:52 pm, I've finished all of my homework, and I should probably get to sleep. I've gotten the book 'Women and Gender in Islam' by Leila Ahmed and will commence reading it!

[[Oh and that whole 'World is going to end thing' from the previous post? I assume you're all familiar with the 8.8 quake in Chile, the potential shifting of the axis on Earth, and the middle school shooting that happened last week? If not, I refer you all to Professor Google, he's also a part-time Shaykh! :D]]

[[P.P.S Don't forget. You can still enter to win $5000 from LuShae Jewelry! Its still up! Heck, even I entered, its that good :D]]

G'night.

Hell Week

2010-02-27T14:03:00.001-08:00

February 27th, 2010

[Long rant/overview of week]

...Yeah. My faith in humanity is pretty much gone :)

I think I went crazy, so the smiley face is there for a reason.

This week has been hell -hence the title-

I mean, right after Winter Break (which I cherished... oh .so. much), I had all of these projects and essays and tests.

WTF

So I've been sleep deprived. Meaning lack of internet usage (besides for 'academic' reasons) and lack of posts.

I'd say sorry, but I think my school should. They're the ones slowly killing me.

Luckily, I made it through the week (ta- Da!)

oh, you want to know what was actually keeping me up?

Welllll, mainly Science Fair .

And FANTASTICKS practice(it stands for something, but essentially Battle of the Classes)

and Digital Connectors (that afterschool community service thingy)

Interviewing for a position on E.A.C (Environmental Action Club) and recycling with them on wednesday

Actual Life (or lack of, since I have homework)

e.t.c

So due to material complications (the first I tried to order my Dissolved Oxygen Water Meter, I didn't realize I was buying the case for it -no wonder it was so cheap- and after two weeks of waiting for it, we found out ._. It's actually 500 dollars -basically all of the funds FOR my class to do their projects- and it came yesterday.... the science fair was today)

I had to use an inadequate meter (no idea how it worked, so maybe my data is a tad off) and I was only left with three days to do my project (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday)

Stayed up until midnight to finish my presentation board on tuesday and had an hour to do all other homework (5 hours of sleep)

Today was sciencepalooza, and I didn't win anything (I don't mind) but HEY, now I don't have to do Second semester finals for Physio!

And that's all that matters ;)

Next, I had a big College Night for Digital Connectors, so I had to go there around 4:30 and practice with my partner -we were doing a presentation on Financial Aid- until Thursday which was college night. (Which, thankfully, the practice payed off)

OH and FANTASTICK practices were Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 -4:30, so I'd have to come home and get ready real quick

I had an APUSH quiz yesterday which I stayed up for and a Physiology test, but my Physio teacher was sick so the class was super angry. We studied all night for a chapter we hadn't even learned (just taking stupid notes)!

And I had my EAC interview yesterday (insha'Allah, I'll become Events Commissioner!)

So yeah.. all's well that ends well. I arrived from Sciencepalooza today around 1 o'clock and I am tired as hell.

-shakes fist- I better get into my college of choice for this AND get into NHS D<

(Next week, I have even more stuff to do :D Plus a UC Berkley Campus tour! HOORAH!)

Current Events:

8.8 Earthquake in Chile, with a huge aftershock

Tsunami warnings in the Pacific (including California)

How the world is ending :D

I'll discuss this all in another post in about an hour, for now, I'm going to go sleep.

Toodles :)

I think I've just lost a little bit of faith in humanity

2010-02-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

February 18th, 2010

Are you serious?

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

You're (the media) telling me, that a psycho who crashed his plane into a federal building is

NOT a terrorist? That he was totally justified in committing this treacherous act?

Or that it was just a 'suicide' attempt by a 'disgruntled engineer' ?

Bullshit!

I can distinctly remember the words used towards the same 'disgruntled psychiatrist' who shot up the Fort Hood military base, a couple months back.

"Muslim" "ties to Al-Qaeda" "Jihad"

And here we have news networks tip toeing around using the word 'terrorist' against one of their own.

Using neutral descriptions so as not to reveal his 'background' (White, Male)

Kind of like last Friday's school shootings, right? (Even that article is ridiculous, pressures on tenure process? That woman was CRAZY! She KILLED her brother 20 years ago!)

... you know, I actually have no words for the anger I feel inside (not angry enough to go shooting up places however, because I'd automatically be linked with terrorist groups because ya know, of my own background -snark-)

Just think for a moment if these two recent incidents of violence (Premeditated! Not Random!) were committed by a minority or a muslim (or a Muslim who is a minority! GASP)

How much news coverage do you think would be happening? How much speculation on their background and dubious ties would be made?

This, folks, is why I'm starting to think the world is inherently unjust.

With such privilege keeping people from being seen as the horrible murderers they are and letting them possibly get away with it ( "But he/she was such a NICE guy/girl)

And the same privilege making automatic suspicions against myself and my people (PoCs, Muslims), why even bother doing good? (or believing in good)

Peace out,
Modest Justice (rethinking the justice in this country)

[Author's Note: I'm not depressed at how fucked up this country is, (excuse my language) or even how this world is. Just doing a large -facepalm- for the media seeing as how once again, by leaving out certain details and painting a totally different picture of events, it only reinforces certain stereotypes against a people when said people aren't even present.
Don't worry about my mental health readers, lol, it's all good]

Happy SAD!

2010-02-14T19:14:00.001-08:00

February 14th, 2010

errr.... yeah :D

Happy SAD!

or Singles Awareness Day!

I find it a much more interesting alternative to Valentine's Day.

Honestly, I think Valentine's Day is the most wasteful, overhyped, and commercialized holiday (next to Christmas of course).

It really has no meaning, other than spending half your paycheck on teeth-rotting chocolates and valentine's that last 5 hours or less.

It's not that I hate love. But I don't think you should be proclaiming your love on this one day.

SHOVE IT CORPORATE AMERICA! I WON'T HAND YOU MY HARD EARNED CASH FOR ONE DAY!

....

Okay, rant-over ;D

I basically spent the day indoors, on the computer (finishing up Section 3 of drivers ed) and reading "No god but God" by Reza Aslan.

I've had the book for nearly a month now, and I try to read it whenever I can. It's extremely insightful and eye-opening.

It's like everything I was taught about the history of Islam wasn't quite clear, or specific.

-the bulk of my Islamic history lessons did come from Sunday school... which didn't end well, lol-

It's great ^_^ I bookmarked many pages, and will probably do some posts on some topics.

I recommend the book (which I first heard of on LK's blog, Ink Blots on Blue Abayas)

Peace out :)

Valentine's Day/ Driving School/ Fiqh of Love & no voice

2010-02-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

February 12th, 2010

Hey people!

Today was a half day at school since it is going to be winter break so I got out of school at 11:55 am (lol yes 55! not just Noon)

Me and my amigos went to the mall to watch "Valentine's Day"

Of course I was just expecting another FAIL plot/romcom

and I got it.

The only good part was seeing Taylor Lautner! ( :'D)

Would I recommend anyone to see it?

Hell no. It sucked that bad.

Just watch it online if you're dying for some celebrity action

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After the mall, I came home and finally decided to sign up (read: PAY) for driving school online. That way I can:

+ Get the pink/white/yellow/blue -depending on who you ask- slip so I can

+Take (PAY) my permit test, then

+Practice (PAY) for a minimum of six hours with a driving instructor and wait for

+6 months to

+Take (PAY) for my driver's test

And hopefully, I'll pass first time

I'm not holding my breath.

So far I've done two sections that were around 13- 16 pages of reading each and passed the quizzes at the end.

Two more sections to go .___.

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I didn't expect to go anywhere since my Dad had airport today (he's a taxi cab driver -whom I am PROUD to call my father- and every other day is his turn at the airport; you can make the most money there so every cab gets a fair chance)

But my older brother was coming down from UCD today and my uncle picked him up. When he dropped him off, he asked if I wanted to go the masjid for the 'Fiqh of Love' program.

It's an Al-maghrib class that costs $135 dollars for an intense 10 am to 8 pm classes from Saturday and Sunday. Today was a free preview day.

There was much buzz about the program and I know plenty of my friends had signed up, so I agreed to go last minute even though I was an hour late.

The agreement for my uncle taking me was that I had to sleep over at my aunt's house (they are my mother's siblings) so I threw on an abaya over my pajamas and threw a toothbrush in my bag.

Ready to go!

When I got the masjid (and finally spotting my friends in a sea of hijabis... you know, we all look alike from behind!) I seriously have to say the topic was ...

beyond BORING.

Maybe it might've been livelier early on during the 2 hour program (I doubt it)

But the speaker was just speaking -duh- about the jealous surrounding the Prophet's wives and about them individually (maybe, I missed a HUGE part of the lecture)

I didn't know the Prophet had 10 wives (and one concubine, though there's a difference of opinion)

So at around 10, my uncle dropped me off here, at my Aunt's house, where I am proceeding to spend the night.

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Oh.

And I've lost my voice partially since Wednesday.

It was at its worst yesterday, thursday, but now it's down to a husky-ness?

UGH. It sucks because I can't speak clearly and I can't yell.

Imagine falling behind a group of friends and you can't yell at them to wait

They get farther, and farther... while you are forced to walk fast or jog through a crowd.

-shudder-

Anyway, hopefully this cold/allergy/funkystuff goes away soon!

And in time for SAD, HAPPY SAD! (on sunday.. not today)

So yeah, that's my crazy day. Wait until TOMORROW.

LuShae Jewlery Competition!

2010-02-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

'Aren't these earrings adorable?'

I think so :D (And just in time for Singles Awareness Day-points to hearts-)

I could totally wear them with hijab and still look schnazzy.

Well, that's why it's super cool that LuShae Jewlery is having a Competition ! <--

All ya gotta gotta do is:

"Enter our online sweepstakes competition for the chance to win $5000 cash (to spend anywhere you like). Simply display one of our jewelry badges on your blog, website or social profile page and be automatically entered each and every month. The sweepstake giveaway is open to all countries. We will also draw $200 monthly to a random winner.
Every entrant will also receive a 15% discount off the entire LuShae Jewelry range!"

Awesome right? Well I'm doing it! ^_^

(And I ain't got the SADs m'kay.. that's just something in my eye...)

Okay I'm Done

2010-02-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

Mopping around that is.

I just had a lot on my plate this week, and I don't think straight when I'm tired (that post was written at night)

So... now that that's over and done with...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Woot, one more week until Winter Break! :D

Or 'ski week'

Too bad I'm not going anywhere :S

Oh well, it's nice to just sit around doing nothing ^_____^

....
I'm going to watch Atonement right now, peace!

Am I the only one...

2010-01-27T20:15:00.001-08:00

Who thinks that high heels look like walking death traps?

I mean seriously... I can't STAND heels

Even if I am 5"8 and have no use of them, I don't know why we subject ourselves to them.

And I'm not going to be using hadiths or even going at it through a religious angle (although some could)

HEELS ARE SCARY AND DAMAGING.

My honest opinion :P I mean, don't we know the damage it does to our legs?

But I'm not going to lie. I have a pair in my closet at the moment waiting to be worn for an event next week.

And I'm not anticipating it at all.

Speaking of death traps...

may I present,

the modern corset?

I really don't understand why we, as women, put ourselves through this. It doesn't matter if it's 'cute' or 'no pain no gain' wtf? I won't sacrifice my right to breath correctly and correct posture for the sake of fashion!

Although I think these are stupid, eh, to each her own.

2010-01-21T18:44:00.001-08:00

January 21, 2010

Do you sometimes wish that you could apologize to the people you've hurt in the past?

Or apologize for your own behavior?

Without looking like a jerk?

Or are you frightened that it would only bring up old wounds and memories that should be best left forgotten?

That with your new persona and appearance, it is unnecessary to ask for such forgiveness because you are - as you claim and as they believe-,

a 'Whole New You'?

But somewhere, deep inside, you feel a tug, a nagging, of that regret

a glimmer of remorse,

whenever you hear news pertaining to that past

that person,

And it takes all of the strength within you to calm down those rush of emotions

To not bring up that anger or hurt, jealousy or spite

So you click the 'X' mark on that page and turn around

Wiping away all thoughts

And beginning again.

Today was a good day

2010-01-15T23:07:00.000-08:00

(This post is from January 15th, 2009)

I'm back!

from the graveeeee!

-cough-

Today was the day of my LAST final!

Math.

And because I only had one final, I got out 2 hrs later at 10 am :D

I arrived home around 10:30 and was mesmerized by the television for an hour (Big Mama 2 was on :P)

When my Dad came home I had to get ready for an award ceremony.

I hadn't mentioned it at all on this blog, -no idea why, must've slipped my mind-, but I had won 1st place at my school for a MLK Jr Contest.

There were three types of entries; Writing, Art and Multimedia.

It all had to incorporate or be about, this quote from MLK:

"The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice."

Honestly, this was extra credit for my English class (15 pts!) so I spent only an hour writing the essay, the night before it was due.

A month later I got a call saying I had won first place. -le gasp-

That was pretty amazing, and I'm glad I won (however, the person who won District for writing - I won 1st only at my school- wrote a MUCH better piece)

I spent last night, thursday, preparing for what to wear.
(Thanks so much to Aifa from aifasuitcase , she did a request on looklet for me.. yes I actually stressed on what I was going to wear in-between studying :P... I went with the first looklet outfit but instead of a black dress it was grey!)

Oh and something that you should always keep handy?

Lint Remover.

You'll never know how much you need it until it's the last minute and there's fuzzy stuff all over your black slacks.

Dang it.

We arrived at 1:00pm, it was the exhibition of the first place essays and art. I found mine and was extremely excited.

(If you're wondering where the rest of my family was, keep in mind it was a friday afternoon, my siblings were all at school and my mom at work. My dad took the day off :D)

Unfortunately, the heels -wedges?- I bought were a 9w (w apparently stands for wide -.-) and they were open-toed so I had to cling to the front of the shoes with my silver lacquered toes, making my heels dangerously close to popping out of the shoe.

-sigh- I'm going to have to return those later.

I was so nervous of tripping out my shoes when we had to cross the stage, but thankfully I only ended up looking like a hunchback, shuffling my feet across the stage and shaking hands with the Coordinators or something.

But this wasn't even the beginning of my day.

As another gift for our 'exemplary work', me and the other recipients got 3 tickets each for tonight's Harlem Globetrotter's game.

Although I have 6 other people in my family (that includes myself), it would be enough for my older brother, younger sister and Dad to go. (My mom doesn't mind, and my younger brother gets the Xbox 360 to himself)

What about me you ask?

Well ya see, this program that I'm part of where I live (Digital Connectors, volunteering in the community and 'bridging the gap between technology and people' -sounds like I'm reading it off the handbook-) also got me and the other members tickets to tonight's Harlem Globetrotters game.

Coincidence? I think not.

I was looking forward to this for week's and after eating out with my dad (and encountering a semi-senile old lady, but that's another story) I got home around 5 and changed out of my formal wear.

We had to leave around 6 pm. (well me and the other 'Digital Connectors, the game didn't start until 7:30 and my older brother comes back from UC Davis at around 6:30 by train; all according to plan :D)

The tickets for DC -digital connectors-, were for one of those cool V.I.P rooms with the box and couches. We sat a bit above the regular stadium -cough- commoners -cough- but still had a great view :D

But the tickets my family had were the commoner seats. I saw them from my ~~throne~~ seat.

(And yes, I cracked that commoner joke all evening)

It ended at around 10 pm (Ha! My day started at 10 and ended at 10 funny.)

I got autographs with the team and some pictures!

All in all, it was an extremely fun/busy/important/crazy day.

And if this post doesn't make any sense... blame it on the sugar and that fact that's 11:30 while I write this...

I might post this later. Toodles!

To GTFRENZY

2010-01-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

Okay I'm studying right now (and reading blogger) but this is for GTFrenzy

I CAN'T COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG. THE COMMENT THINGY ISN'T WORKING!

I haven't been able to for a couple weeks now, and I thought it'd get fixed but it didn't.

And I don't know any other way to contact you ._.

SO HERE YA GO!

Grr to this week, GRR

2010-01-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2010

This week is finals week!

-crickets chirping-

Yeah, I don't have much enthusiasm either.

-sigh-

I have my 1st period final, AP U.S History tomorrow (2 hours stuck in a classroom -.-)

then my 2nd period Physiology and 3rd period French is on Wednesday

4th period Ap English and 5th period Drama (we're doing a skit) on Thursday

And HORRIBLE MATH ANALYSIS ON FRIDAY T______T <-- that's a sad face

Due to the stupidness of this week, I shall be off blogger, studying late into the night and generally losing my mind :P

And uhh, I should be studying right now. It's nearly 7 pm and I haven't studied yet.

See, if I had learned how to make time move slowly, I could be wasting time and still get my work done.

...

Maybe the squirrels will take me in again.

Shakin' and Rollin'

2010-01-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

January 9th, 2010

Three times this week, there were earthquakes.

I only felt one of them and that was in the middle of class. It wasn't that bad, but it was a 4.2 or something.

Apparently today in Eureka, California (I don't live anywhere near there fortunately)

There was a 6.5 earthquake (keep in mind that Loma Prieta was a 6.9)

Holy sh-

Were all of these mini-quakes building up to this? Or is there something larger coming up?

Time to get my earthquake emergency kit together (if we still have it ...) and to remember that

"STOP, DROP AND ROLL" is for fires only.

Behind the Wheel

2010-01-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

So yesterday, after being picked up at school by my dad, we went out to eat- a weekly ritual.

While driving home, I asked him if he'd ever let me 'test out' the car in an empty parking lot- like he had done with my older brother a couple years ago.

"Sure why not?"

I was psyched out you guys. I'm of age to get my driver's license, but I'm so lazy, I haven't even gotten my Permit yet!

So we drove to the movie theaters/flea market, it was a monday afternoon- totally dead.

Along the way he was showing me how to use only one foot for both the gas and brakes and to gently press the brakes.

When we finally got there, my heart started beating overtime

I was trying to not get worked up over nothing

*flash of the car turning over*

My dad noticed and told me to "Calm down, if you feel confident, you'll do well."

Even if it was just a test drive.

We both got out of the car and switched seats.

Just feeling the steering wheels in between my hands felt empowering.

And when I let go of the breaks and was going at a very slow (not when you're the one driving) 10 miles per hour, I felt a need for speed.

I learned how to turn (I hit the gas when turning and my dad nearly jumped out of his seat, "The car can turn over!" SEE MY FEARS ARE CONFIRMED) and park.

The fastest I went was 25 miles per hour (hehe I'm the DareDevil!)

It was exhilarating ^_^

Which makes me all the more determined to get my Permit this month and insha'Allah, be driving by the summer.

Wish me luck :P (including on my Finals, next week, so no posting at all next week)

Bleaching creams and the bigger issue

2010-01-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

(Honestly, I don't know if I can express myself eloquently enough or if I can adequately articulate my thoughts and emotions, but here goes nothing)

Often times, when I see a post or an article on the 'HORROR' of bleaching creams, it usually goes on about how 'bad' and damaging it is and how we should all 'love' the skin we're in.

But it never goes down to the deeper issue, to the internalized issue.

If it's so bad, why does it make such a bundle every year in third worlds countries? (Bringing in $140 million yearly)

Why don't we see it for what it really is?

This unholy obsession with fairness, white skin, is damaging not only to our self-esteems but on our whole perception of race.

Who gets put onto a pedestal because of this? And why?

Internalized and systematic racism is everywhere and is evident in the boom of 'Fair and Lovely' crap.

It affects every person of color because of the perceived superiority of white people and those 'blessed' with fairness (although they are nothing compared to white people).

Personal experience- I grew up seeing my mother touted for her light skin in comparison with her other sisters. I was lighter than my own sister, but could never compare to my cousins. This led to summers spent mainly inside in order to avoid the 'darkening' rays of the sun and a very low self-esteem. Whenever I did venture outside, I would go into shady areas and if I did happen to come home a bit darker, I would be my harshest critic. One of my aunts gave me a bleaching cream that I would use sometimes, to the point of becoming obsessed with the color of my skin. But it'd never be enough. I would never look like those girls on the cover of my Seventeen magazine. Now, don't pity me. I was foolish. I was subtly (my aunt would recommend me to use the cream in order to 'even out' my skin tone) led to believe that my skin color was inferior to my lighter cousins who were also told to use the cream. And this isn't even about my aunt, who is a good-hearted person, but what she was also led to believe as child. This feeling of unworthiness was internalized as child as my parents grew up in Africa. They went to missionary schools filled with white nuns and teachers who taught them English and made the connection that white=good.

Although they didn't notice it at first, this reverence for white people and their skin color is rampant in many third world countries.

-composes self-

It's stupid ads like this that reinforce such ideals although an argument can be said that along with the post-colonial effects, such views could be stem from the culture.

From society upholding such damaging views. Although it is not limited to India, of course.

Can I be frank here?

We need to get a grip on ourselves and work hard towards dismantling the perception of white equaling goodness and beauty. To stop wasting our money on half-assed creams and staying indoors but traveling by night.

The world is not post-racial, meaning we still have a long ways to go until such stupid perceptions and views are gone and creams such as Fair and Lovely are banned.

I love my skin color and admit that I compare my face with that of my arms, my arms are covered all the time outside the house.
Even the word 'fair' bothers me.
What's fair about being prized while anyone darker is rejected?

I guess what I'm trying to get at in this entire ramble is that racism is still a big issue and one way I'm choosing to retaliate is racism in the form of bleaching creams.

Thank you and have a nice day.

Random but Awesome

2010-01-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Today's date

01-02-2010

is a palindrome

which means if you write it back words

0102-02-10

It's the same thing!

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

And that is today's random update

Ringing in the New Year

2010-01-01T00:27:00.000-08:00

Yea, kind of cliched.

But I hope all of you lovely folks had a good time with some loved ones, or fell asleep long before it reached midnight.

I spent the New Years at home, finishing up schoolwork (woo, wild right?)
and reading Jane Eyre (one more chapter left!)

As it is now the New Year, let's take a walk down memory lane through this past decade. Granted, I haven't been on this earth long and it's my first decade that I actually remember, but hey, it's still been eventful (at least what I thought was eventful).

2000
-Aunt's wedding, flower girl (I kid you not, this is about as eventful as that year gets)

2001
- 9/11, being a little kid, I though the entire thing was an accident or some sick joke.

2002
- Went on the Drop Zone for the first time and loved it forever! (Why is this significant? Well my brother was too scared until he was fifteen. Case closed)

2003
- Went to Atlanta, Georgia for a wedding (Flower girl? I was an old flower girl)

2004
-Another Aunt's Wedding (Too old for flower girl, too young to be a bridesmaid)

2005
-Was super surprised by a cousin's visit and Aunt from 2004 had baby shower

2006
- Went to Minnesota for... yea another wedding (I was a guest this time)
-Became Vegetarian

2007
- Does Disneyland count? It counts for me. Last time I went was in 1997
-Started Wearing Hijab
-Parents made me stop being a vegetarian

2008
-Interned at City Hall for the Summer (Very tedious, but it looks good on apps :P)
-Started my blog (woot)

2009
- Won a college scholarship (which I don't get till I apply for schools -.-)
-Became a vegetarian (I'm old enough now!)
-Was held against my will and given the H1N1 vaccine (my mom shot death glares at me, I had to acquiesce! D:)

And umm, yea.

Jeez, looking back, this is basically my 'growing up' decade (extremely uneventful compared to people much older than me.

But I have fond memories of those times :D

Only I shall know how cute I looked in each of flowergirl/entourage dresses!!

And looking at this past year of the blog, things have really shot up! With 145 posts and 108 followers, there is just so much room for me to grow and learn and yadda yadda yadda, 'find myself through the blog' and 'reach my full potential.'

Like one of those 'banned words' this is truly a teachable moment. That through strength and perseverance, you too, can be as cool as I.

...

Yeah.

But the scary part is that the next decade holds multiple graduations and maybe even marriage ._.;

I'm getting old.

[P.S Maybe I should do a list of things I wish to achieve in this new decade... maybe not, the list will go on seeing as how I'll be in my mid-20s by the time this next decade rounds out... content yourselves with what I've written already!]

(P.P.S What did YOU do this New Years Eve? If celebrated it at all?)

Question

2009-12-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

December 28th, 2009

How did the Prophet (peace be upon him) pray?

Taken from Energize your soul

Did he bless himself like we bless him?

What about the tashahhud?

"All worships are for Allah. Allah's peace be upon [me?], O [me] and His mercy and blessings. Peace be on us and on all righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that their none worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that [I] [am] His servant and messenger."

..That would be kind of awkward.

But this is a legit question. Anything from the Quran on how he prayed?

Jummah, Food and Movies

2009-12-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I lied.

I'm posting two days after. But headache is a legitimate reason!

Friday:

Jummah

Err, belated Jummah Mubarak people!

I woke up at 9 am for the first time in a week and went to the Masjid. Oddly, I expected a khutbah that had to do something with Jesus (as) or Christmas but got nothing.

Just a khutbah about the Prophet (saw) and the Companions.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Food

We went to a Pakistani restaurant and ate FOOD! Obviously, but I loved this restaurant.

And that's basically it about the food. There was a Cricket game going on that was pre-recorded, but the diners cheered on just the same.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Movies

Yup, I saw the blue people movie.

The graphics and 3-D were AWESOME.

Sadly, even though we were there like 15 minutes early, the room was PACKED.

So we had to sit in the third row.

Yes, my back and neck still hurts.

But all of those pretty colors made up for it.

The plot? Very predictable {Highlight for spoilers}

{I mean, I think we all kind of guessed that the main character would beat the baddies (in this case humans) But I liked Zoe Saldana's role and of course her and Jake Sully -protagonist- would end being the Tribe leaders. }

The SAVE THE EARTH message rang loud and clear.

All in all, it was an interesting Friday....

maybe I should start my Winter Break homework ._.

Stuff Somali People Like

2009-12-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

Muwahaha! (This seems to be my catchphrase nowadays)

Anywho, a blog YOU guys need to check out (especially if you are somali) is

www.stuffsomalipeoplelike.blogspot.com (not ppl, although that blog was funny, some of it is offensive)

an offshoot of stuff white people like but completely different bloggers...

My friend started it and she's asked me to write a post for them (insha'Allah soon, I have MANY ideas loool)

And yeah that's the update. It's also winter break and so far I haven't seen the light of day

-hiss-

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know it seems like I haven't really 'blogged' in days. Trust me, I haven't :[

It's just been links and directions and vague one liners (thanks for the insha'Allah Constructive Attitude, <|:o) <-- look a clown heh )

But I really do have thoughts! Somewhere in my sinus-headache filled skull.

Expect something.. tomorrow lmao. I'm tired right now @.@

Take care,

Modest Justice

Slip of the Tongue

2009-12-21T01:23:00.000-08:00

December 20th, 2009

I watched this earlier in the year and was completely blown away

From what I read, it's the girl in the video who wrote it, the guy is in the one who says it.

Either way the message is so clear and loud and inspiring.

Each time I'm mesmerized.

Earrings with Hijab

2009-12-20T12:06:00.001-08:00

The Closet: How to Wrap a Hjiab with Earrings from Sabrina Enayatulla on Vimeo.

Sabrina Enayatulla is AMAZING. If you haven't seen her website -->Slice of Lemon already

Then you are MISSING OUT.

I remember watching the first episode of 'The Closet' (not airing right now because of the move to L.A and whatnot...) and thinking "Wow, I love how she made hijab and earrings look so cool and modest!"

I had tried to do other types of hijab and earrings.. very unsuccessful.

But this was like a God-send!

So, malekat (you're the only one who asked but I wanted to do a post about it for a while)

THERE IS YOUR SOLUTION! No more awkward earrings pinned into the fabric and no more ears showing!

Woot teh Woot, enjoy Ladees! [I know I do ;D]

"I let my guard down for you..."

2009-12-16T21:32:00.001-08:00

"And in time you will, too..."

A perfect Saturday night (lil' misty eyed)

2009-12-13T00:58:00.000-08:00

December 12th, 2009

Tonight, I attended my school play.

(Sidenote: I wore the fascinator I won from Alysha over at V.I. Couture and have Pics to prove it muwahahaha!)

This year it was The Laramie Project (please withhold negative commentary)

I'm in Drama at my school (can't draw, don't feel like playing piano, I regret not doing choir, sooo theater it is!) so we had watched the movie adaption months ago.

The movie moved me beyond measure, so what else did I expect from the play? It included my own peers.

I was blown away.

It was so heart-breaking and inspiring at the same time. I even wrote a review for my English class (granted I could earn extra credit for that AND my drama class but still, I tried.)

Hate crimes do affect everyone; it doesn't matter what you are but who you are as an individual that counts.

RIP Matthew Shepard.

(My friend totally could've played Zubaida Ula- hijabi character in the play!)

[I would extemporize more on this issue but enough said, I'm trying to be light-hearted at the moment... even if I nearly cried near the end of the play)

Projecting one's own fears

2009-12-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

December 9th, 2009

Warning: INSANELY LONG POST (well not really)

If you feel uncomfortable regarding posts on race, than please refrain from commenting. This post has nothing to do with Islam.

So, hopefully, many of you know that I'm in mostly in high level classes in my high school, right?

And do any of you remember the anxiety I felt when I was still taking Journalism during the beginning of this school year?

Well, in my English and U.S history classes (both Advanced Placement so.. work -ugh-), I am...

no, I'm NOT the only minority; if you look at it, it seems that the majority is actually the minority in these classes.

Instead, I'm the minority of the minorities.

Funny right?

1st period history, the bane of my existence, is where I'm the only representation of my race and religion. [Black, Muslim; Sure, I'm East African, but to everyone else I'm black( or African American) , so I will refer to myself as so]

However in 4th period English, there are two other muslims; one who's Indian and male (so you'd never know) and another who's Asian and female (she wears hijab too, so you'd assume we'd be best buds.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Before I continue, I'd like to start with an Oprah quote (don't hate)

"Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism"

I do my best. I do better than my best.

It's like this unconscious need to somehow 'prove' myself . That I am not some stereotype

(this need to dispel stereotypes is very annoying and stressful in my everyday life. I always have to 'second-guess' myself and see who I hang out with)

What I thought and still think to be a moment of subtle racism or at the very least (low expectations):

So, English is my strong point. I love it. I love writing, I can memorize vocabulary easily; so it's no surprise I get good grades on the tests. But every time we have a test, she always walks down my row so much more often than the other rows. After asking my brother -who had her- about it, he waved it away and said that she always goes down one row more often than others. So I brushed it aside. We switched seats monthly and when we took a quiz, it happened, AGAIN. I have an A average in this class, and if she presumes that I'm cheating; well that's hurtful and damaging to all of my efforts as a student in that class.

One can easily -knowing my brother's not so well score in that class- dismiss such paranoia and say that maybe I'm just like my brother.

Umm, that's still a bad; maybe even worse.

Assuming that a) I'm not good in English just because a sibling wasn't

b) That I'd resort to cheating so as not to become A

c) That with repeated high test scores, one would still fall to such low levels to sniff out a 'cheat'

And worse yet, there ARE students who cheat in that class. Many who cheat in ALL classes thanks to SIBLING. But how would the teacher know? She never goes down any other row after all.

-----------------------------------------------------

Which brings me to the point of this post.

Projecting my fears of racism onto others; that maybe, I somehow distort the reality, claiming that I'm a victim.

I don't openly digress such issues of race with people; certainly not with people who I just know will not fully understand me.

And I don't 'prefer' the company of my own race; nor do I hang out exclusively with hijabis or muslims or somalis.

But whenever I raise a hand in class or maybe make some folly; I grow self-conscious (or a more positive 'self-aware') of the results of my actions, and people's changing viewpoints of me.

Now honestly, I don't give a sh-- what anyone thinks of me; but I need to find solace on whether it's just that I'm perceiving racism- or in actuality, there is some sort of preference or subtle racism going on.

Don't think I'm discussing racism from only white people; I'm a minority of minorities, I'm talking about I feel with no one to to at the very least, vent to- with the knowledge that they would completely comprehend my feeling seeing as how they are 'the same as me.'

At least in those two classes. The reason why I don't talk much with the other muslims in the English class is:

1) You'd never know the guy was muslim, people just think he's 'indian' (shows how intelligent they are), and we have nothing in common.

2) She is quiet. And I mean, EXTREMELY QUIET. I've known her since the 7th grade and I've made many attempts to have a decent conversation. We walk to the MSA meetings and sometimes have a talk or two, but really, I'm not keen on being the only one talking in a conversation. Plus, sometimes I forget she's even in the same class due to the silence [somehow I feel like a bad hijabi whenever I go up and act out a play we're reading] We've also been in the same class for two years. Shame.

I hang out with mostly Asians, I'm not ashamed of it.

But there are some bad apples who are extremely racist.

They hate mexicans (majority at our school, but still minorities in the advanced classes), completely closed off to other cultures and are insensitive to my beliefs and who I am.

I tell those people off all the time and refuse to acknowledge their presence when I'm with my own group of friends (a mix of Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, e.t.c)

So again, this is partially me talking outloud and trying to figure out if I'm projecting my own fears onto certain people in my advanced classes and french class; or maybe I'll just be black-balled as the 'over-emotional' POC. Maybe I didn't reach a conclusion in this post, or a viable solution to my 'problem' which will only be regarded as such until a person of majority sees it as important; but it's still justified and it's still important to me.

This post has turned into a rant/digression, so excuse the lack of structure. And this post has nothing to do with Islam; I made a post partially concerning that

Leave me and my rant be.

Thank you for reading this insanely long post

www.stuffwhitepeopledo.blogspot.com (you'll probably feel confirmed that this was an anti-white post but it wasn't and it has nothing to do with that; but the blog linked above just makes me feel as if there are people out there who understand; even if no one's experience is quite the same.)

"It all began, at a show one weekend"

2009-12-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

(The purpose of this post is not to debate on the permissibility of music; take whatever stance you wish on that issue)

Have any of you guys heard of the singer Yuna?

She's from Malaysia, and she's AMAZING!

I have like 5 of her songs and I've memorized a couple by heart.

Now I know some people would take one look at the hijab and go

'ASTAGFURILLAH, WHAT IS SHE DOING, WHY IS SHE EVEN OUT OF THE HOUSE? SKDJFSKLMJCIPJSDKFMSDF -mind implodes-'

She's a great singer, and none of her songs preach drinking, fornication, or anything deemed 'westernly' or 'haram'.

To immediately shut her down because of her outwardly appearance is assuming too much of who she really is (of that I assume the best).
I have no problem with others singing; I mean if what they're singing isn't harming anyone (and to play the advocate, they're only harming 'themselves') then who are we to interfere?

Sorry, I didn't mean to get all serious in this post- or maybe I did- but I like her songs; if you're okay with listening to 2 minutes of beautiful music, take a gander:

(I didn't post this so that we could 'dissect' her outfit, remember her business not ours)

(I remember posting about Female Nasheed Singers; I recant my earlier statements, I realize that I was trying to make myself believe in something that I cannot. I'm all gung-ho for Female Nasheed singers with equal opportunities, or none (male or female) at all. Stop being hypocrites!)

*You may now return to your normal broadcast*

100 Followers

2009-12-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Dude, that's awesome.

100 followers in a year. I feel accomplished. (not that I don't have a life -cough- >.>)

But wow! Thanks Never Ever for being my 100th follower! You're amazing and so is everyone else who's had the patience to deal with my often mindless ramblings.

As I look now to many of my past posts, I cringe at the naivete I expressed and see how young I really am.

I don't know all the answers (hopefully I don't pretend to) and whatever good/enjoyment you readers get from this blog is all from Allah swt!

So, again, thanks for joining me on my never(ever -hehe!) ending journey of life and hopefully this blog will keep on rocking 'till my second Anniversary!

(P.S Have I gotten serious? In total clash with the pinkness of my blog?)

Being 'Proper'

2009-12-03T17:58:00.001-08:00

Asalamu Alaikum ladees!

Did you guys have a good Eid? I hope you did because I know I did :D

Unfortunately it rained on my parade (literally) and I could feel the carefully applied foundation dripping away.

-sigh-

But other than that, my maternal Uncle had gotten married last year and his wife (who is a convert from Romania -my maternal family is pretty diverse in their marriage partners) brought me some turkish hijabs!

I can't believe they remembered that when I had only said it in a passing comment when I heard they were going to Turkey a couple months ago!

I got black, white, purple and a patterned purple one <3

She even taught me how to wear it!

I can't wait to get a coat to wear it with. Yeah, I see great things in my future -insha'Allah-

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Vague on purpose*

Why can't everyone learn to accept each others differences?

If you tell someone over and over again to change something benign about their appearance you're only making yourself look bad.

Although you could argue that you're trying to 'forbid an evil' (And yeah I'm all for it and willing to hear it)

A person's choice of wardrobe is their choice.

Maybe they like their jeans and skirts and sandals.

Maybe they have done their research and just decide to opt out of something they don't perceive as obligatory.

Take your self-righteousness and shove it.

We can't all be perfect like you

************************************************************************

I dislike many people's definition of Islam, it's such a false dichotomy; you either do it this way or you're doing it wrong.

These people love to have such precise ways of doing something that it irks me.

I mean, really?, there's a detailed paragraph on how to wash yourself after you take a piss?

Really?

And there's always some hadith giving an exact play by play on how to do wudu, eat, sleep, walk and talk that I wonder how people can like being so constricted.

Islam is such a beautiful way of life, but people love to narrow it down

-boxing it in-

that things that shouldn't be overthought "dang it, I forgot to step in with my left foot" are taking so much more importance to the things that should matter

(i.e have you paid your zakat yet?)

But if you like to adhere to strict rules, than go wild, sorry for feeling differently about it.

It kind of reminds me of a story in the Qur'an of how Moses tells his people about Allah swt wanting them to sacrifice a cow.

(Do you all remember that story?)

And how essentially they asked for more and more detail on what kind of cow they wanted that Allah swt gave them an almost impossible task.

They took what was a general order

-just find a cow-

and made it so much harder

He said: "He says: A heifer not trained to till the soil or water the fields; sound and without blemish." They said: "Now hast thou brought the truth." Then they offered her in sacrifice, but not with good-will. (2:71)

Islam rocks you guys, seriously, but I'm not a conformist

(at least that's what I tell myself in the hopes that one day it'll ring true in all aspects of my life)

and I love the simple beauty of Islam that I find in the Qur'an and the not-so-detailed aspects of the Sunnah.

I agree that the Prophet (saw) was the final prophet and one of the best men of all time (leads to a link containing some snippets of music)

But some muslims frighten me in their near-worship of the Prophet (saw). Celebrations like mawlid- but I can't be a hypocrite, I attend those once a year just to see friends I see.. once a year or so-, and people following his example to the licking of their fingers.

I'm not criticizing, really, but he was just a man who delivered to us the beautiful message of Islam.

And ya just don't worship the messenger.

“But as for those who believe in God and His apostles and make no distinction between any of them – unto them, in time, will He grant their re wards [in full]. And God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace. (4:152)

-steps down from soapbox-

Okay, I'm done being the type of person I'm ranting about.
But if anyone feels in complete disagreement with what I've written that they're starting to froth and seethe in angry rage at such a big-mouthed infidel- the x button is always on the right hand corner-

Thank you and have a nice day/night/evening/afternoon/whatever

Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (2:62)

After much procrastination

2009-11-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

I went out and bought my Eid outfit :]

Money's been tight this year, so alhamdulillah that I was able to buy myself and my sister outfits (with my money ya know)

I was also doing some retail therapy, there's been a lot on my mind lately so I buying a new vest couldn't hurt now could it? -well maybe my wallet-

I bought a top and cardigan for my eid ensemble, and a grey vest just for fun!

Tomorrow is a half day at school (ends at noon ) so THANK YOU GOD!

On Monday we had to endure a Code Red drill (do you know how pointless those are? I mean A) if a shooter was smart enough, he/she would know that people would be barricading and B) What if it were a conspiracy and had people INSIDE the rooms to.. just wondering)

I spent over an hour in my french class and most of it was in a corner with my fellow classmates (at least we were bribed with cookies)

And also tomorrow me, my father and my sister will be driving up to Davis to get my brother for the holidays!

But his class ends at 10 PM, so we'll get to hang out in Sacramento for the entire day :D

Insha'Allah this holiday weekend will be AWESOME

Take care you guys, and don't be alarmed if I don't blog much :]

Masha'Allah!

2009-11-18T22:37:00.000-08:00

Okay so I don't know why I haven't told anyone yet (It's a busy week, two essays in-class tomorrow, no wonder)

but, guess who is going to hajj?!

..

obviously not me, I'm bloggin' here!

....

MY GREAT-GRANDMA (my mom's mom's mom)!

Masha'Allah! She went to Hajj with her sister (great-grand aunt), and her own two children (my grand aunt and uncle)!

She's most likely around 80 something since back in Ethiopia (my mother's side is Oromo/Somali/Yemeni but more Oromo for my great-grandma) she married when she was 15-16.

Seriously.

Now I'm not 15 but when my Aunt called to wish me a happy birthday she jokingly said "You know, girls your age are married back in Africa"

They marry in their teens and it may seem like such a culture shock but that's not what this post was even about.

I just wanted to say that my great-granny (who I've never met only seen in photos) is going for I think her first time to Hajj!

Wow! There's like 4 generations of women in my family. I really want to get a picture of me, her, my grandma and my mom. It would be very awesome.

Please make Dua'a that she'll stay safe and have a great time (come on it's Hajj!)

So I was gonna post about de-hijabifying

2009-11-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

Clarification: Not me de-hijabifying but the reasons of why someone would, the reception and criticism people get if they do, e.t.c
Again: Not me, just my thoughts and views on it

If it is even a word.

But don't get alarmed yet, it's not about me, it was just a post about the situation and maybe a personal experience.

However, in light of recent events (I'll try to stay neutral) I've decided to talk about it in a month or so.

Wearing hijab and all that goes with it and then making the decision to take it off are both very important decisions to me (I'm still a hijabi) and just discussing why I would ever want to take it off requires a long analysis on my part.

But we'll discuss that another day.

P.S I'm still a hijabi (not making the assumption that those who do choose to take it off or not wear it at all are weaker in faith or less... strong; it's a personal decision that no one else should make for a muslimah)

I don't believe...

2009-11-17T17:44:00.000-08:00

November 17th, 2009

That God gave us talents only to be told by others that it is 'haram'

or violates 'such and such rules of propriety'

or that we are committing some act of sin because the boy in the third row got into a frenzy of lust.

I don't believe

that God is unjust.

That we aren't here for a reason.

I don't believe

That with whatever talents we have, with God always in mind and always first to please,

we must conform to other people's standards of 'religiosity'

I won't believe,

that I must look like my fellow sister Aicha down the block to be considered 'a perfect muslimah'

Nor do I think that everyone has to conform to one standard of Islam.

I do believe

that people do things in stages

Like a crescent moon slowly waxing into a full moon

so does sister Laila take steps to wearing hijab

I believe

that any woman -hijabi or not- is a sister to me

I believe

in destiny

in human goodness

in the light at the end of the tunnel

in the calm after the storm

I won't believe in everything of this life

But I will believe in God

-Modest Justice

Wow, it's going to be mon anniversaire!

2009-11-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

November 14th, 2009

Tomorrow is my birthday you guys, only exciting thing about this weekend.

Today, I spent six-hours in a SAT prep thing, and it felt like forever [turns out I forgot a lot of my geometry and algebra]

But tomorrow isn't going to be special at all, my little 'luncheon' is cancelled, I don't expect anything from my family ('we don't celebrate birthdays' is code for 'too expensive' although my family never took birthdays seriously anyway), but I can look forward to homework.

woo *sarcasm*

Schools been taking up my time hence lack of posts, but I have a really nice one in my head, I just can't seem to express it well while typing.

Eh, we'll see. Anywho just felt like not making this weekend an entire bust because I have you guys dear readers/blogs I read.

Maybe I do need a hobby.

-ModestJustice

Life caught up with me[ NaNoWriMo]

2009-11-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

November 6th, 2009

Hey you guys!

Decided to post to let you all know I'm still alive (And swamped with hw and projects- thanks for caring Sultani!)

But thankfully it's the weekend!

Do any of you guys know about NaNoWriMo? National Novel Writing Month?

You basically try to complete a 50k Novel in a month!

That's write! (hehe)

50,000!

I joined it this year and I'm about 6,000 words behind so far (trying to get 1,000 a day but I'm leaving it all for the weekend -cringe-)

I love writing and reading, but the irony is that I never finish what I start.

I usually have stories that I stop halfway due to lack of interest or I get so caught up in the non-fiction world that it eventually gathers dust in my inventory.

I started this one novel a year ago and I'm still trying to work on it but on NaNoWriMo I started a whole 'nother novel.

yeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh

So if you wanna join (not too late! Just a couple days behind) go to the link or check out other people's stories on there.

Writing, for me, is a great outlet and insha'Allah I can win this year! (By win, I mean actually get to 50,000 words. Currently: 1,200 :[ )

And that's a brief update. I'll discuss something 'brainy' later.

Fascinating Fascinators! [A Giveaway]

2009-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Ocotober 28th, 2009

Hey you guys!

Did you hear of the new Etsy Store opened up by Alysha over at V.I. Couture?

Go check it out! She has an amazing blog and I love her designs :D

Come support and you might win something amazing!

-Modest Justice

Non-hijabis have more fun?

2009-10-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

October 25th, 2009

To get straight to the point, let me ask a question.
Do muslimahs who do not wear the hijab or non-muslims, have more fun?

First of all, what is your definition of fun?

I just want to address the common misconception that

a) not wearing hijab automatically equates you to not following the five pillars

b) by not wearing hijab you can do anything that was and still is haram (i.e clubbing, having a boyfriend, e.t.c)

c) That you're much more stylish and beautiful without your hijab

This all just came up during an incident last week, and I was pretty shocked that even Muslims would think that just because one wears hijab, that automatically decreases the amount of fun she'll have in life.

But that doesn't mean that she's the perfect muslimah if she is wearing hijab.

Hijab doesn't stop anyone from doing 'bad' things. It's a constant reminder of your faith and what you should and shouldn't be doing.

Clubbing is one of them (has anyone seriously wanted to go clubbing ? I mean, the idea of gyrating against sweaty bodies in rhythm to a deafening beat is ... ew)

Besides the accepted notion that you shouldn't be doing anything bad at all whether you're a hijabi or non-hijabi, male or female, I think it's horrible that non-hijabis get a bad rap.

I mean, sure they're not easily identifiable as a muslim, but does that mean they should have pride in being able to 'get away' with morally-questionable circumstances?

Is it fair that many assume all non-hijabis do not pray or fast or have a general disregard for their religion?

Or that, when a hijabi decides to not wear hijab anymore, it's because she decided she wasn't having much 'fun' being a hijabi.

That wearing the hijab took away a lot of 'freedoms' from her.

Again, what is your definition of 'fun' and what is it that I'm missing out on whenever I put on my hijab in the morning?

Do you think non-hijabis have more fun?

Race Relations- no not NASCAR

2009-10-17T21:39:00.001-07:00

Cliched photo of a 'post-race' world

(Note: I am not trying to cause any drama here, nor am I talking about anyone, astagfurillah, I'm just giving my own views about what I see and hear in my own real life, not the blogs)

For people who say they are colorblind:

Honestly, I can write more than a post dedicated on the ignorant idealistic few out there, but I'll try my best to shorten it.

No body is colorblind. Race and religion are a part of everyday life and it effects how we perceive and judge someone. No matter how much we try to be equal and fair to everyone else, we're still human, and judging before knowing is bound to happen. It is those few out there who extol the virtues of a 'no race' society that endanger the minorities. Now this can extend to Affirmative Action and reverse discrimination but that's another story which has its own particular beginnings.

[Excerpt from Wikipedia:

There are two general perspectives of color blindness and this schism in the term's meaning has potentially broken it down into two debated definitions. Especially among liberals, the term "color blindness" may be perceived as a technique that is either positive or negative toward racially marginalized groups: supporters of color blindness tend to perceive it as act of equality in that it involves the beneficial, deliberate avoidance of privileging any one race over others; critics tend to perceive it as an indirect act of oppression in that it involves ignoring and overlooking the privileges already bestowed upon certain races over others. From both perspectives, color blindness may be perceived as intending to help minorities even if critics claim that it may unintentionally harm them.

I'm describing the negative aspect of colorblindness that bothers me]

If everyone were equal, yes alhamdulillah it would be a perfect world, but for those toting the particular hadith of denying your race or nationality because it is rotten, remember that Allah swt made us into different nations tribes so that we may get along. If we coexisted in a total color blind society, many individuals and their experiences would be ignored due to the 'tendency to overlook things' in such a society. Because we'd all have to be fair, the racism person A experiences wouldn't matter since 'shhhhh,' race cannot be discussed.

Race relations in many countries have been damaged because of those in power, the majority of certain races, so I honestly cannot say that by denying my ethnicity, or my skin color, everything is going to be alright.

I do not have the privilege to do so.

Yes, I am definitely a muslim first and alhamdulillah -Go Ummah!-, but in a multifaceted world in which the manipulation of race has caused hatred, dividing and uniting people, I know that I will be judged for my outer appearance.

It's just those people who bug me, those who (unknowing of their privilege) talk about how society has changed and that by dropping who and what I am, I can be free from the shackles of discrimination and oppression.

Oh how wrong, I personally think they are. This is all just my own opinions of course, some people may actually agree that one should denounce their own culture and identity to adopt the muslim one.

But I prefer adapting my own previous identity to mesh with my Muslim one. I don't think my culture or race is rotten; I think those who deny the immense cruelty this world can produce are ignoring the truth.

No one's colorblind m'kay? I think even stating that shows that one is naive. I think one can be accepting of other races and religions, and we can all try to look past race to see the character of the person; but I don't think I can enter any society and not be looked down upon or hated on by at least one person because of my 'difference.' None of us can.

In order to be united as an Ummah and as human beings, we need to accept our many races and cultures and nationalities, not throw them away once we take shahadah or rediscover our faith. It's the multiculturalism that enriches a society not total assimilation to one culture, whether it be Arab or Indonesian (no specifics just random muslim populated nationalities/ethnicity)

~Modest Justice

(I'm very interested in Race Relations, Gender Studies and History which talk about all of these things, let's just say this issue is one of the many that are very important to me)

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2009-10-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

October 13th, 2009

It's raining in California!

Alhamdulillah!

But it's been quite the storm.

Last night, I was excited about the oncoming rain, I had my coat ready, boots set to go and a new umbrella!

I was ready for a natural disaster!

Then, when I woke up and felt the cold, heard the pitter patter of the rain outside, I burrowed back under my covers and tried to think warm, happy thoughts.

I love rain in theory you guys, not in actuality.

You wanna know how wet jeans feel like?

You don't wanna know.

I mean, simply sitting in the dry confines of your home and looking at the rain is great

But actually being in the rain?

A whole 'nother story -shiver-

But thankfully, I made it home, with soaking jeans and literal water weight.

Tomorrow's plan:

Do it all over again!

Uhh sorry for you people who see that update

2009-10-12T20:59:00.003-07:00

This may seem a little confusing, but I initially wrote this post because I thought a previous post would show on the dashboard (I had saved a nasty anon comment in a draft post, but I accidentally clicked publish, hence the panic) but seeing as it hasn't just ignore this post :D

It was a comment from an anon
that I was going to write about, or save for later, if they tried to harass me again.

-now back to our regular scheduled program-

-wait.. we don't have a program?-

-STOP WASTING OUR TIME-

(I'll write a post when life gets interesting :])

Now I don't believe in the 2012 Doomsday Theory

2009-10-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

October 11th, 2009

But let's make a comparison between what's 'supposed' to happen on that day with a major sign of Judgement Day shall we?

Taken from this Yahoo! Article today that dispels the 2012 rumors (I'll bold what I thought was significant):

2012 isn't the end of the world, Mayans insist

By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer – Sun Oct 11, 3:58 am ET

MEXICO CITY – Apolinario Chile Pixtun is tired of being bombarded with frantic questions about the Mayan calendar supposedly "running out" on Dec. 21, 2012. After all, it's not the end of the world.

Or is it?

Definitely not, the Mayan Indian elder insists. "I came back from England last year and, man, they had me fed up with this stuff."

It can only get worse for him. Next month Hollywood's "2012" opens in cinemas, featuring earthquakes, meteor showers and a tsunami dumping an aircraft carrier on the White House.

At Cornell University, Ann Martin, who runs the "Curious? Ask an Astronomer" Web site, says people are scared.

"It's too bad that we're getting e-mails from fourth-graders who are saying that they're too young to die," Martin said. "We had a mother of two young children who was afraid she wouldn't live to see them grow up."

Chile Pixtun, a Guatemalan, says the doomsday theories spring from Western, not Mayan ideas.

A significant time period for the Mayas does end on the date, and enthusiasts have found a series of astronomical alignments they say coincide in 2012, including one that happens roughly only once every 25,800 years.

But most archaeologists, astronomers and Maya say the only thing likely to hit Earth is a meteor shower of New Age philosophy, pop astronomy, Internet doomsday rumors and TV specials such as one on the History Channel which mixes "predictions" from Nostradamus and the Mayas and asks: "Is 2012 the year the cosmic clock finally winds down to zero days, zero hope?"

It may sound all too much like other doomsday scenarios of recent decades — the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, the Jupiter Effect or "Planet X." But this one has some grains of archaeological basis.

One of them is Monument Six.

Found at an obscure ruin in southern Mexico during highway construction in the 1960s, the stone tablet almost didn't survive; the site was largely paved over and parts of the tablet were looted.

It's unique in that the remaining parts contain the equivalent of the date 2012. The inscription describes something that is supposed to occur in 2012 involving Bolon Yokte, a mysterious Mayan god associated with both war and creation.

However — shades of Indiana Jones — erosion and a crack in the stone make the end of the passage almost illegible.

Archaeologist Guillermo Bernal of Mexico's National Autonomous University interprets the last eroded glyphs as maybe saying, "He will descend from the sky."

Spooky, perhaps, but Bernal notes there are other inscriptions at Mayan sites for dates far beyond 2012 — including one that roughly translates into the year 4772.

And anyway, Mayas in the drought-stricken Yucatan peninsula have bigger worries than 2012.

"If I went to some Mayan-speaking communities and asked people what is going to happen in 2012, they wouldn't have any idea," said Jose Huchim, a Yucatan Mayan archaeologist. "That the world is going to end? They wouldn't believe you. We have real concerns these days, like rain."

The Mayan civilization, which reached its height from 300 A.D. to 900 A.D., had a talent for astronomy

Its Long Count calendar begins in 3,114 B.C., marking time in roughly 394-year periods known as Baktuns. Thirteen was a significant, sacred number for the Mayas, and the 13th Baktun ends around Dec. 21, 2012.

"It's a special anniversary of creation," said David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin. "The Maya never said the world is going to end, they never said anything bad would happen necessarily, they're just recording this future anniversary on Monument Six."

Bernal suggests that apocalypse is "a very Western, Christian" concept projected onto the Maya, perhaps because Western myths are "exhausted."

If it were all mythology, perhaps it could be written off.

But some say the Maya knew another secret: the Earth's axis wobbles, slightly changing the alignment of the stars every year. Once every 25,800 years, the sun lines up with the center of our Milky Way galaxy on awinter solstice, the sun's lowest point in the horizon.

That will happen on Dec. 21, 2012, when the sun appears to rise in the same spot where the bright center of galaxy sets. (This is the part!)

Another spooky coincidence?

"The question I would ask these guys is, so what?" says Phil Plait, an astronomer who runs the "Bad Astronomy" blog. He says the alignment doesn't fall precisely in 2012, and distant stars exert no force that could harm Earth.

"They're really super-duper trying to find anything astronomical they can to fit that date of 2012," Plait said.

But author John Major Jenkins says his two-decade study of Mayan ruins indicate the Maya were aware of the alignment and attached great importance to it.

"If we want to honor and respect how the Maya think about this, then we would say that the Maya viewed 2012, as all cycle endings, as a time of transformation and renewal," said Jenkins.

As the Internet gained popularity in the 1990s, so did word of the "fateful" date, and some began worrying about 2012 disasters the Mayas never dreamed of.

Author Lawrence Joseph says a peak in explosive storms on the surface of the sun could knock out North America's power grid for years, triggering food shortages, water scarcity — a collapse of civilization. Solar peaks occur about every 11 years, but Joseph says there's evidence the 2012 peak could be "a lulu."

While pressing governments to install protection for power grids, Joseph counsels readers not to "use 2012 as an excuse to not live in a healthy, responsible fashion. I mean, don't let the credit cards go up."

Another History Channel program titled "Decoding the Past: Doomsday 2012: End of Days" says a galactic alignment or magnetic disturbances could somehow trigger a "pole shift."

"The entire mantle of the earth would shift in a matter of days, perhaps hours, changing the position of thenorth and south poles, causing worldwide disaster," a narrator proclaims. "Earthquakes would rock every continent, massive tsunamis would inundate coastal cities. It would be the ultimate planetary catastrophe."

The idea apparently originates with a 19th century Frenchman, Charles Etienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, a priest-turned-archaeologist who got it from his study of ancient Mayan and Aztec texts.

Scientists say that, at best, the poles might change location by one degree over a million years, with no sign that it would start in 2012.

While long discredited, Brasseur de Bourbourg proves one thing: Westerners have been trying for more than a century to pin doomsday scenarios on the Maya. And while fascinated by ancient lore, advocates seldom examine more recent experiences with apocalypse predictions.

"No one who's writing in now seems to remember that the last time we thought the world was going to end, it didn't," says Martin, the astronomy webmaster. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of memory that things were fine the last time around."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rising of the Sun from the West

The rising of the sun from the west is also a major sign of Qiyamah proven by the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Allah says in the Qur'an, "The day when some signs of your Lord will come, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his faith." (Surah Al-An'aam)The verse is referring to the rising of the sun from the west, as is the opinion of the majority of the commentators. (Tabari/Ibne Kathir)Imam Tabari, after mentioning the different opinions of the commentators writes, "The most correct opinion in regards to the meaning of this verse is that what is apparent from the reports narrated from the Prophet that he said, "(lmaan will be of no benefit) when the sun rises from the west." (Tabari)Abu Huraira reported that the Holy Prophet said, "Hasten to do good deeds before six (things happen) :Rising of the sun from the west." (Mishkat)

-cough- -cough-

Anyone see a connection? Or is it just me?

What do you think of 2012 and this article?

Pirates

2009-10-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

October 7th, 2009

You call me a pirate

Yet you steal my food

And poison my waters

I cannot feed my family

Yet you call me a terrorist

That my people are lawless

and savage

You dump your waste in my waters

And kill my people

Yet you call me a pirate

You kill those who steal and it is called justice

We defend our waters and it is called piracy

Hundreds are sick because of your dumping

And it is we who are the pirates

What is justice?

If this is justice, then we want no part of it

For we are just pirates, after all

-ModestJustice

*Written from the perspective of a 'pirate'*

"We don't consider ourselves sea bandits. We consider sea bandits (to be) those who illegally fish and dump in our seas." Sugule Ali, a pirate leader

It's that time of the year again!

2009-10-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Parties! :D
Finally, some excitement in between the monotonous events of school

(Not including the football game I attended last night, against our 'rival' school, even though they completely suck at football, hence our crushing win of 34-6)
A friend of mine (oh yes, I happen to go to stranger's parties, so the 'friend' part is totally a clarification between the parties' of people I know, and the random hobos who invite me)is having a PARTAY (emphasis on the party) and this time, I won't show up looking like a dork.

Or one of those missionaries who knock on your door, asking to save you.

Last year, I was invited to her party and she had called to ask that I dress 'preferably in a skirt.' Thinking there'd be male relatives over there (wouldn't be much of a party now would it? Well, it was a "birthday party") I arrived in a plain skirt and a khaki top, it's only embellishment was a metal piece in the middle.

Rather shnazzy (or grandmotherly) if I do say so myself eh?

Turns out I was dead wrong. In front of me where about a dozen pakistani (I had to point their ethnicity out because not only was I the one who was not of that nationality or of south east asian descent but it's significant to the latter part of this anecdote) girls running around in gorgeous salwar kameez, their LONG hair flapping in the .. uh.. wind?

They had makeup out, music pumping and I could smell hair burning.

Picture me standing there in my dowdy looking white hijab, khaki top and jean skirt. Oh, what a sight for sore eyes (or not.)

Apparently, there wasn't a guy in sight, and it was actually a 'get-dressed-up' party. This instance where I dress up like I'm ready to gather round a fireplace and sing nasheed songs while reflecting on hadiths has actually happened twice.

Both times- like this instance- it's really 'dress-like-you're-going-clubbing-but-not-really-because-we're-muslims' kind of thing.

My friend laughed at the whole misunderstanding and let me borrow one of her salwar kameez :D

Copy this without my permission and I'll send RABID MONKEY-SQUIRRELS ON YOU!

I gotta say I looked pretty gorgeous for a head that's replaced with a big MODESTJUSTICE sign :]]

But this time I won't be so oblivious!

Muwahahahahahahahahhahahha! *cough*

I'm going prepared ladies :D

So I will definitely be going shopping this week for a dress!

Because the only dress I have that's for ...well, dressing up, is this one dress I wore for my cousin's wedding and that also doubled up as my middle school graduation dress.
I'm not a dressing up kind of gal... at least, I haven't gotten the excuse to :D

So off to bargins and sales racks to pick out a gorgeous dress because who said you have to spend a wad of cash to look glam?

Beautiful, non?

*Okay so I really don't go to hobo parties.. they never invite me :(*

Maybe I should aim my sandals at the Queen of England

2009-10-01T17:17:00.001-07:00

(Okay no not really, so please don't send the SIS against me, Queen of England)

But lately, there's been less talk, more shoe throwing!

It's hilarious really..

First there was the highly publicized and well-known, Bush Shoe 'attack'

We ALL remember that :D

And now, there's that very recent IMF hit and run (more like miss and got jumped)

Apparently this college protester was aiming at IMF Director Strauss-Khan

But was so far off that he hit an innocent question-asker

Which is why this is so hilarious.

I mean the poor guy is just talking into the microphone when all of a sudden

WHAM!

-wipes tears- I'm seriously gasping for air right now, it's that funny to me.

But other than my weird habit of laughing at painful and unusual thing, what's up with the shoe throwing?

And the security guards for muffling his voice?

WHAT HAPPENED TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH? (not necessarily hurting others ... tee-hee)

Repressing the man's right to hurl a Nike created, non-biodegradable, pretty heavy shoe at people is TREASON! -cough-

.....................................................................................

Watch out Queen, I got my sandal aimed!

[kidding kidding, I don't want James Bond to show up at my door!]

Oh look! A Happy Sappy Post!

2009-09-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah I've decided to quit with the whining and smile! :D

....

Is it working?

--------------------------------------

Recently, I've found (well a friend showed me) out about this HORRIBLE, WORST, PIECE-OF-CRAP-MANKIND-COULD-CREATE fanfic written a couple years back.

It's 'loosely based' on Harry Potter.

It has lots of language, description of clothing, and generally the worst grammar and spelling ever imagined.

The writing is basically that of a dyslexic sea monkey on crack (Well, after she 'fires' her editor)

If you wish to take the torturing yet somehow hypnotizing journey of reading such a fanfic- and possibly waste precious moments of your life while doing so- then search of My Immortal fanfic

.... or just click here you lazy bum --> I said HERE!

But if reading really isn't your 'thing' and you prefer a dramatic reading (which I highly recommend for the lulz and the british accent which always makes everything better)

then proceed to Hellfire Commentaries (no pun intended) over ---> HERE

I'm sure you guys are wondering "This is why you haven't been updating for the past week or so? THIS?!"

But of course not sillies! I haven't updated because I had work to do :D

The reason why I haven't taken the initiative to update for the past couple of days is because of THAT :D

[And the effect of listening to 44 chapters of dramatic reading has permanently affected -or is it effected?- the voice in my head to only speak in a british accent. So play along and pretend the narrator for this post is speaking with an accent dangit!]

That'll be all for today children of the corn,

Toodles!

Too Much to Handle

2009-09-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'm alive people.

No need to worry or call the police or frantically try to track me down to get me to post
(stares at no one in particular)

:P

I want a VACATION

One that lasts for hmmm let's say 3 months?

I want my summer vacation back.

Homework, Tests, Quizzes, Classwork, talk talk talk talk @.@

I guess this is the burnout feeling most students get during the last years of secondary education.

I am so done with high school, people.

It's overrated. And pretty dramatic, in a 'look-at-me and listen to my unimportant troubles that could make a hobo cry out of empathy' sort of way.

University looks really good right now.

Which is why I want my brother to get out of his dorm room already and go have fun!
(Yeah, he moved in this week and has called almost every single day -.-;)

Then again, my idea of fun is pretty bland.

I find bowling exciting.

But better than getting drunk at a frat party right?!

So in a way, I'm glad he isn't getting himself into trouble... but he should go out there and explore and have fun.

It's college!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And that's why I'm tired of high school, because I want to be out of here already.

I wanna be out there and become some seasoned world traveler.

(Maybe it's the countless sleepless nights studying for AP tests that's made me become like this)

Or maybe it's a case of SADs; however I love the rainy weather and want this stupid heat to go already.

A pretty picture to brighten my spirits
****************************************
A lesson I've learned outside of the classroom is to never miss a day of school

Trust me, all of that makeup homework is ruining my mood.

Plus the novelty feeling of school has definitely worn off; see?! now I'm just blabbering.

SCHOOL. SUCKS.

I can't wait until I go to london.

Hoping you're back to school/work/life is much more worthwhile than mine's,

Veni Vedi Wiki: I came, I saw, I edited collaboratively

2009-09-26T22:28:00.001-07:00

www.mentalfloss.com

LOL
[It's been a busy week]

Pleasantly Surprised

2009-09-20T20:52:00.001-07:00

Wow,

Today was actually tolerable.

Maybe even bordering on awesome.

Thank You God.

Instead of the traditional agenda, we went to the bigger masjid and hung out for a little bit finding family, eating halal pepperoni pizza (relax! It was only beef lol) and I got a new maxi dress! (This is such a nice quality fabric too :DDD By now I have like 4 maxis?)

Then we, my immediate family only, went to an Indian-Pakistani Cuisine restaurant and ironically, although most of the customers were muslim they still stared at my hijab and abaya.

Maybe because I actually kept my on after the prayer instead of quickly disposing of it.

Anywho, we came home afterward and I spent the rest of the time contemplating how fun Ramadan was.

Seriously.

I loved having something to look forward to (iftar) and the fact that we were all more or less closer during this blessed month!

My plan was to avoid music for the entire month (it worked out alhamdulillah) and now it's not so much of an ingrained habit to pick up my iPod and just drift off.

I also tried to incorporate sunnah prayers and insha'Allah I'm still going to work on these after Ramadan is over.

I can't wait until next year insha'Allah!

I hope you guys also had a fantastic Eid!

My day has only begun

2009-09-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

Eid Mubarak you guys!

I'm waiting for the rest of my entourage (Read:family members) to get ready so we can go the final prayer at the Masjid, having missed the first and second! :D

I'll be wearing an abaya plus I coordinated outfits for my mom and sister lool

Eids always have the same agenda:

1- Pray at either big masjid or masjid that uses a fairground

2- Head on over to either grandma's house or (if she's in london like now) aunt's house!

3- Stuff yourself silly

4- If you happen to be of the female persuasion, take care of your 2443534539898 little cousins, especially if you happen to be the oldest female cousin there (ooh lucky me -sarcasm-)

5- If you happen to be of the male persuasion, kick back with the other male relatives and either play soccer/basketball or follow #3

6) When it's time to pray Asr, if you're a dude pray with everyone else
If you have the misfortune of not being a guy, WALK across the park, across the street and go to Aunt's house to pray because there are other men in the park and some moves during prayer are a bit risque.

7)Stay in the park until the afternoon and either
a) Continue to the after party at aunt's house or
b) go home and proceed to do homework

Guess which one we usually pick?

(If you picked B you're wrong :P)

Ahh yes, lovely day indeed.

(I love Eid and all it's about, this is just the traditions that happen during Eid)

About Modest Justice

2009-09-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Behind the Veil: Modest Justice

Snarky, sarcastic, thoughtful, narcissistic, and full of hopes, dreams and aspirations, Modest Justice is a complex blogger who likes to think of her life as well...

a blog

Writing in the sarcastic third person style common to today's younger generation, she blogs about the randomness of her blog (like everyone else, which technically voids the whole randomness then right?) and occasionally rants at the injustice society serves, all while keeping her hijab in place.

Once seen as an anomaly, she's slowly shed light on her background which consists of an East African heritage, and a high school education (well, almost)

She has no idea what she wants to be in life and while she chronicles her adventures at the mosque, poems and stories form inside her head. Which she occasionally posts.

-smile-

Her real name? Modest Justice, we just went over that.

Maybe in time bloggers will find out in whole, but for now, let's just call her MJ (cuz I'm bad)

Now done with writing in third person, this About Me has come to a close

Crosswalks are like Runways

2009-09-12T16:48:00.001-07:00

I dropped journalism.

I actually dropped it a week ago.

It was awkward, it was tense, it was.....

You know how you get that feeling when you're the odd one out?

I always felt it in that class.

I knew absolutely no one, and although my 'love for writing' should have have fueled my insistence of staying and helping to diversify the news team (which was my ultimate goal) I hadn't thought of my classes all the way through.

I decided to not take a science this year, thereby making myself less 'competitive' (as my college errr guidance counselor puts it) for top UCs

At first, it didn't bother me because I had honors classes throughout high school, but then, I kept thinking about what would happen if I didn't get into a good university (state was and still isn't an option in my family or to me)

I'd disappoint myself and my family.

Why was I taking high classes? Why was I competing with my friends (albeit secretly) for the best grades and top classes?

Because I wanted to enter a good university, get a good career, get a better life than the ones my parent's had (their words) and be something.

To some people, this may seem a bit superficial (geez, giving up a writing class because you didn't fit in? taking a science class because you HAVE to get into the best college? grow up) but it matters to me.

This is my American dream that I want to realize (yes, that's a summer's worth of AP English reading talking right now) and fulfill, no matter the consequences.

I don't want to live in an apartment for the rest of my life.

I want to own a house and buy myself a car, and travel the world and swim with the sharks (okay not the last part, I'm terrified of sharks)

To me, having a career and the means to live comfortably equals success.

But as classic tragedies (Jay Gatsby, Willy Lowman anyone?) tell me, these are false fantasies.
That I shouldn't aspire to have abundant wealth because it's nothing.

It won't follow me to the grave, it won't guarantee happiness.

But it can buy things that give happiness, it can give a better life.

*********************************
So what class am I taking now?

I'm in Physiology learning about anatomy and dissection that can help in the medical field I might enter in.

Because I have to.

Because I want a better life.

I did some Retail Therapy

2009-09-08T18:43:00.001-07:00

Today I was feeling a bit down (I have no idea why) so I decided to shop online for a bit.
Forever 21 specifically.

Under 20 dollars? Heck yes (I may be shopping but I'm still a cheapskate)

I went shopping with my Aunt yesterday and because some stores are taking away maxi dresses (not in style anymore lol) There are some maxi dresses, previously 24.99 USD, going away for $5.

Yes, you heard me.

5 DOLLARS! And since you know I love blogging about my recessionista finds, I bought it of course!

But anywho, what I bought today was a basic trapeze knit tank going for 6 bucks. I didn't want to spend alot, I just wanted to 'feel better' (isn't that what retail therapy's about?)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Other News:
My school's MSA (Muslim Student Association) started today, but technically next week. And basically, me and misadventure buddy (if you hadn't read my past posts, shame on yee!, she's mentioned in all of my masjid posts) run it.

We think of the topics each week, we try to get everything organized AND do the announcements so that the little scared, lost, freshman muslims know where to go.

Do I want to be the president, again, this year?

No, not really.

Contrary to what you'd think, being the president isn't always an exciting job. No one said it'd be easy.

People interrupt during meetings, people forget there ARE meetings, I'm held responsible for getting all materials organized, I'm supposed to be informative AND entertaining (it's really hard for me apparently), we're supposed to have 'goals'.

UGH.

But nonetheless, I keep the club going because, if not me, who? The club would surely die like it did my freshman year when other people were running it (sooo not calling out anyone's siblings)

I'd like to think of it as community service to the underserviced high school muslims, lol.

Don't take my ranting seriously, I love running it, with all of it's flaws, it's just getting the cooperation and exciting 'things to learn' that's the tough part.

Do you guys have any suggestions for what we should throughout the year besides meeting once a week to just 'chill'?

Ramadhan Tag

2009-09-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you Stacy aka Fahiima again :DD
So for this tag:

1.) Link five people who have written Ramadhan posts that inspired you, and explain why.

2.) Leave them a comment to let them know you gave them "link love," and that they are now tagged.

3.) Link back to the person who tagged you.

4.) I'm adding this number 4 myself, it's not really part of the rules. It's just that if you don't want to respond to the tag, it's okay, I just want to get your awesome posts known and to inspire more denizens of the blogosphere.

Okay so most of these posts may or may not be related to Ramadan (but were written during Ramadan so hah!) but they were really inspiring to moi! Plus I really couldn't think of three (this tag is spreading like wildfire already!) without retagging people, plus I have my usual set of taggies lol

UniMuslimah: In this post, she talks about her experiences with niqab (which she proudly wears masha'Allah!) And her thoughts concerning other people's sometimes rude, reactions and how it never deters her faith, but makes her stronger.
Quote: "I feel stronger for wearing niqab. I’ve seen the looks that men give other women- judging their faces, their arses, their legs- I have no desire to be a part of that...don’t sit at home alone, I go out. I speak to people. I walk with my head high, no more shuffling my feet as I stare at the ground." Just read this entire post, it's amazing :)

PerplxinTexan: Her not so Ramadan, Ramadan Post (like all of her much anticipated posts) are... well, awesome. She's such a talented person and I should just let her words do the talking: "I have to believe in my own ability to trust in God's ability to help me overcome the personal tribulations which threaten my very existence...I can not change everything that I am in one month but, He can. And so,I ask God/Allah not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders." Umm, seriously, if you don't read this post, you're missing out on the best 5 minutes of your life.

And because I always tag her super special blog (whether she acknowledges it's super coolness or not)Here for the Hereafter is A'qilah!!! :D Her latest post is practicing Islam now, fulfilling our obligations now, before it's too late, subhan'Allah and she's right.
Quote: "Give yourself an identity, Take Islam as an Entirety.
Not tomorrow nor the day after - It's now or never,there is no 'LATER'"

Yeah, I know I only got in 3, but I couldn't think so depend on those people to get your more inspirational posts!
Again, thank you Stacy aka Fahiima! Wa mahadsaantay (I'm working on it!)

I was discriminated against

2009-09-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum,

It's late right now but I wanted to post what happened today.

Basically, some discrimination occurred.

(Okay okay, it was actually an ignorant comment, but lemme vent)

And I couldn't do anything about it.

Let's backtrack shall we?

During lunch at school, my misadventure buddy and I were headed to the office (oh that reminds me about my good news post... well that's now delayed) and a group of girls were apparently laughing and as such, I couldn't have cared less because... well, do I know them?

Then one of them stepped out of the group and went
"Are you Egyptian?"
"Do you dance like tthissss?" And did that stupid sideways walk, you know the one we believed Ancient Egyptians walked like?

I thought they were talking to a another group of girls passing by and thought "Wow those girls are beeyoches, poor girls"

Misadventure buddy tried to point out to me that they were talking to us. But I was busy fiddling with my phone and didn't hear her. We kept walking and one of them followed us. I didn't notice until halfway and turned around.

She laughed and walked away.

Then I turned around and asked my friend "Was that to us?"
It took a couple of minutes to sink in and then....

I was PISSED.

Now if I didn't fear for my life or getting suspended I would have gave them a piece of my mind AND maybe opened a can of Whoop A (oh wait it's Ramadan nvm)

But I'm so non-confrontational (no idea where that post is) but I can't stop thinking about it.

It's never happened to me before. I've never been made fun of my hijab, or skin color (at least where I've never fought back) and to think that I was so clueless angers me.

I guess I'm experience what hundreds of Muslimahs face each day, even if technically this is a 'minor incident' but it's not minor to ME.

The worst part is that non-muslims DON'T get it. At least my friends don't.
"Get over it."
"Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill."
"Fight fight fight!"

I'm not depressed, I'm not going to resign myself to my bedroom because of those ignorant idiots.
I'm just angry, and because I can't 'do' anything about it but maybe I can become an activist or something.

-sigh- I need to go to bed.

And think about revenge.
(okay not really)

Take care you guys

IT'S HERE!

2009-09-02T16:54:00.001-07:00

My shirt :D
http://kamis.bigcartel.com/product/conformity

It's here and it's beautiful. I can't wait to wear it tomorrow.

But it looks prettier on me.

I used my pretty new debit card :D lol But don't panic at my spending yet! It was only $15 plus I don't want to use all of my money in my bank account!

This is just a blah post, tomorrow, insha'Allah, will be MUCH more news filled. Insha'Allah

Pray that I get a good answer! (Vague I know :DDD)

I'm a freakin fabulous blogger! Ahh yeaaahh :D

2009-09-01T19:38:00.001-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum you guys!

I'm so sorry Mona from Mama Mona o'course! LOL I forgot -as usual- but hey I remembered now!

She gave me the "Your blog is Freaking Fabulous!" award :DDDD Thank you!!!

Here are the rules:
The rules of this award are:
•List five current obsessions.
•Pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs.
•On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.
•When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well.
Don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by leaving a comment on their blog.

Soooo my obsessions eh?

One would HAVE to be Medical-type dramadys lool like Grey's Anatomy (I'm on Season 1), or a parody of that, like Scrubs (I watch any season) :D

Another is the Harry Potter Series... I DON'T CARE IF IT'S OVER, THE MOVIES ARENT'!!!

3rd is the internet. I need to sign on at least once a day and proceed to spend an hour or so on there while neglecting my other responsibilities.

4th is Samboosas..... dipped in barbecue sauce. Ey! Don't hate until you try it! And I'm telling you it is goood! Unless it's the lentil samboosa... eww.

And five is www.mylifeisaverage.com IT'S HILARIOUUSSS! It's like FML but.. average
My favorite so far: "Today, I discovered two huge doors, where I could of sworn a wall had been in my latin teachers classroom. No one else was there, so consumed in curiousity, I began to open the doors. They had been opened about an inch, when a hand slammed them back shut. I looked up to see my teacher staring at me, he then casually said "No one gets to visit Narnia, until they have a solid A in my class." I plan on studying harder than ever before. MLIA. "

Okay now I'm done!

I tag A'qilah
Naz
Stacy aka Fahiima
PerplxinTexan
Alysha!

Okay you guys totally do not have to do it! But I picked you guys so just know that an award is waiting -glare-
No pressure :D

Return to the Masjid

2009-08-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

MiDun dun dunnnnn!

Asalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakathu!

This friday I went to Youth Iftar/Taraweeh prayers :D It was definitely the highlight of my week.

In fact, I was counting down the entire week, because school is so passe. It's like I never left!

Anyway this post is dedicated to my friday not my school problems lol

So my misadventure buddy, her sister, person A and I all went about an hour early.

(Person A is a person I had been in a 'grudge' with for the past err 3 years, astagfurillah, and it's really been weighing down my heart. I mean, I know we could never be friends because of our differing personalities, but it's Ramadan, and I you can only avoid someone for 3 days, not 3 years.... may Allah swt forgive both of us)

So I decided after they prayed asr and sunnah, to end the grudge. I told her she didn't have to forgive me, but I forgave her, and that we don't have to be friends but do we really want to go to hell over something that happened when we were young?

That was a significant event in the evening, but not the most interesting (well it's an end to a grudge, shouldn't it be interesting?)

We went to the Banquet Hall early and secured a large table for ourselves and friends who would arrive later.

Imam Suhaib Webb was speaking and he is such a cool Imam! Like next to Imam Amir Abdul Malik, he has got to be one of my favorite speakers!

He discussed how many temptations there are for us young'ins e.t.c, e.t.c

Honestly, it's been two days and I didn't take notes, just know that it was a good talk m'kay? lol

Afterwards, it was time for taraweeh and then the Youth Forum where I learned all about ..uh.. oh right! About Ramadan of course, and how to get the most out of it and learning something new.

A year ago, during the previous Iftar you would've found me outside, talking and gossiping with the other girls but alhamdulillah I feel like I've changed :D

We came home around midnight and it was just the beginning of my weekend, which was totally uneventful.

Now I'm counting down to Iftar. Less than ten minutes :D

Free Food Fridays- and why I can't have any

2009-08-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

-I've taken to writing my blogposts in the morning lately, during suhoor and after, and you all know the reason why-

But this just has to do with a little note about my day at school yesterday :D

Specifically journalism. So the teacher (whom I had freshman year as a english teacher and still can't look straight in the eye for fear they'll burn a hole through my soul....he freaks me out that much)usually feeds his students on fridays, hence the title, and next week he's making salmon.

-tear-

I like salmon.

But it's Ramadan so I can't eat the salmon.

(Doggy bag it home? lol I have the class last, so I won't look like a complete idiot trying to carry food all day)

But we have 5 extra students in the class, so tomorrow/today actually, we'll be getting a writing assignment and it shall 'determine' whether or not we stay.

Ugh, another type of 'test' just so I can take a friggin class.

Wanna know what I'll wear (who cares you've read this far!): Navy blue sweater vest, long white sleeve underneath, matching.. well sort of, royal blue hijab and a walmart tag saying 'Hello, how may I help you?'

You can thank my siblings they thought my blue sweatervest resembled the old walmart uniform.

FORGET YOU GUYS!

Bye :D

I'm on here because I think it can make time move slowly

2009-08-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

It's 6 am.

I ate macaroni for breakfast.

I need to leave the house by 7:05

For school
-sigh-

Wanna know what I'm gonna wear? :D

Hot pink shirt, black skirt, matching black hijab and a hot pink pin ^_^

I don't have a hot pink hijab sadly.

I'm only typing this down for my benefit.
Maybe it'll open up a 4th dimension where I can relive the summer again.

Or I'll waste so much time I only have 5 minutes to brush my teeth.

I need to go pray fajr.

See, by avoiding school I'm missing fajr.

Bad school!

Why do I have to have history first?! That means I can't chea- I mean ask for answers from the other students!

UGH! FINE

I'll go complain on the couch, THEN I'll watch some t.v

THEN.... I'll go hide out with the squirrels in my backyard

AND YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME!!

MUWAHAHAHAHAHA

P.s I need to get out more

Sometimes I secretly wish I had a British accent

2009-08-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

So I could sing this

I couldn't resist

Let's avoid responsiblity together!

2009-08-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the beginning of my return to the deathtrap formerly named school.

Ergg!

I mean it's not the whole 'education' thing I'm being lazy about (well, partly) but just the monotony of it all.

This will mark my third year in high school and although seniors are supposed to get senioritis, I feel like I'm getting a milder form of junioritis (no link because I don't think it exists)

Junior year is supposedly the toughest year, where students take the most AP classes and we have to take the SATs or ACTs

I'm only taking two APs this year (English and United States History) and my other 4 classes should be relatively, uh, easy but still challenging... if that makes sense
-Math Analysis
-French 3 (tu es une pamplemousse?)
-Drama (we need one performing arts but luckily my misadventure buddy is there!)
-Journalism (

As you can see I'm not taking a science this year, but that's because, technically, I'm already a year ahead in science for most students, so I already took Chemistry. The next step would have been Physics, but the majority of my peers are taking it Senior year so I might as well (look peer pressure in action!) I was going to take physiology like the rest of them since it 'helps' if you want to be a doctor.

But even though I decided I wasn't Now I'm thinking I could/should (my parents won't accept anything less than a Doctor), plus a look at CNN really turned me off the whole idea (remember what they've been covering for the past 3 months?)

I don't know, I'm young, I have time to make major decisions such as these.

Doctor? Baker? Candlestick maker?!

We'll see for now

(Ramadan Related posts won't be posted often seeing as the major saturation of ramadan posts in the blogosphere :D If you want your ramadan fix, go look at my blog reader thingy at the side and look at someone else's!)

Beautiful Nasheed

2009-08-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

This literally brings me to tears everytime I hear it masha'Allah!

So, 8 minutes till Maghraib, how was your first day of fasting? (Or how is it going, if you live somewhere west of California?)

I'm typing at the dinner table so all the food is in front of me at the moment.
(So close yet so far! But to be completely serious, I'm taking what PerplxinTexan said to heart: "and when ramadan comes all people get is hunger" let us all try and benefit this ramadan!)

oO the adhan! Time to break my fast and I'm off to pray

May Allah swt keep us going strong this ramadan!

I guess since everyone else is doing it- Ramadan Mubarak!

2009-08-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

I'm up and I just ate suhoor like 30 minutes ago! :D
This a great way to practice getting up for school! (And fasting of course)

Not wanting to bore you with the details of what I ate (cereal, almond milk, croissant, tea) I'll just talk about my experience at the masjid during taraweeh last night!

Hot
Frantic
Loud
Crowded

If someone yelled fire I don't think my mother and I would've made it out alive (misadventure buddy was also there, did I tell you she's a full-time hijabi now masha'Allah, yea I'll make a minipost later to feed her ego)

The prayer experience itself was you know, spiritual but the aftermath was horrible, to say the least.

You see, when we came we left our shoes out in front of the shoe shelves because there were no more room and the other shoe shelf is inside. When we came out our shoes weren't there and we had to frantically search the shelves outside, inside and in between.

Who steals shoes at a masjid?! Like seriously? Then again, if I were a hobo I can get some nice shoes there......

Anyway, we finally found our shoes on the shelves outside near the end, next time, we said, we were going to put them in bags.
Like really bright forever 21 bags (or would that just entice people?)

Okay maybe just wal-mart bags, no one steals things in wal-mart bags right?

Right?

And I went to my grandmother's house (read:evil cat's domain) and picked up the pashmina's my aunt got from minnesota (the land of somalis, hijabs, and uhh everything else)

They came in such beautiful colors like navy blue, green, teal, rose/copper/gray?, lavender (which I already have! so I gave to my madre) beige, and yellow.

Alhamdulillah :D

You guys stay hydrated and have a great first day! (Don't sleep too much!!)

I can't believe it's not butter- er, it's not expensive!

2009-08-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

So I went semi-school shopping yesterday and went to Macy's
I gave myself a pretty flexible budget this year, but I didn't want to buy a shirt for $35 when I can get it from a cheaper store for $10.
But, as I was perusing the sales rack at Macy's

LO AND BEHOLD

Skirts for $9.99!

-faint-

I got one in black, turquoise and a boho-y pink skirt with a feather/ belt.
Only $30-something total!!! -tear-

Then I went over to Old Navy's and nearly bought the whole store (Why don't I go there more often?!)

Long sleeves that can double as tops and under shirts were selling for 10 dollars!
And when I walking to the checkout line there was this pretty red shirt for $8 dollars!

Except I didn't see that it said XXL so now I'm bathing in it.

I need to go return it and just get a M or L, seriously, I'm not that big!!

Anyway, I should get back to writing my essays they're due next week!

So if you're in the Bay Area, swing by Macy's and pick up all the skirts you can hold!!!!

Why is there a statue of Muhammad (saw) at the Supreme Court?

2009-08-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

(Even if it is old news, it's news to me!)

Article taken from http://blogs.static.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21319.html

"Jason English told me about a Mohammad statue at the Supreme Court they heard about on This American Life.
This was their way of saying, “We’re curious, so you should go do a bunch of research on it. Let us know how that goes.”

When I hear about depictions of Mohammad, I picture Muslims burning Aqua* CDs in the streets and boycotts of Danish…danishes.

But much to my surprise, the Danes aren’t to blame this time around.
The statue in question is, in fact, right in our very own Supreme Court building.
Let’s start at the beginning.

A Court to Call Home

Despite its stature in the country’s political and cultural landscape, the Supreme Court was something of a vagabond in its early years. When New York City was our capital, the Court met in the Merchants Exchange Building, and when the capital moved to Philadelphia in 1790, the Court set up shop in Independence Hall, and then City Hall. When the federal government went off to Washington, the Court used the Capitol Building as a flophouse, but got bounced to a new chamber six different times during their stay.

Finally, in 1929, Chief Justice William Howard Taft decided enough was enough and persuaded Congress to authorize the construction of a permanent home for the Court. Construction on the Supreme Court Building was completed in 1935, and the Court finally had a home to call its own after 146 years of existence.

Sculpture figures prominently in the Corinthian architecture of the Court Building. One chamber features a frieze decorated with a bas-relief sculpture by Adolph A. Weinman of eighteen influential law-givers. The south wall depicts Menes, Hammurabi, Moses alayhi salam, Solomon alayhi salam, Lycurgus, Solon, Draco, Confucius and Octavian, while the north wall depicts Napoleon Bonaparte, John Marshall, William Blackstone, Hugo Grotius, Louis IX, King John, Charlemagne, Justinian and, you guessed it, Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

Objections
Things were all well and good for a few decades, with no documented controversies over the sculpture that I could find. But then, in 1997, the fledgling Council on American-Islamic Relations (lol) brought their wrath to the Court, petitioning then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist to remove the sculpture.
CAIR outlined their objections as thus:
1. Islam discourages its followers from portraying any prophet in artistic representations, less the seed of idol worship be planted.
2. Depicting Mohammed carrying a sword “reinforced long-held stereotypes of Muslims as intolerant conquerors.”
3. Building documents and tourist pamphlets referred to Mohammad Peace be upon him as “the founder of Islam,” when he is, more accurately, the “last in a line of prophets that includes Abraham alayhi salam, Moses alayhi salam and Jesus alayhi salam.”

Rehnquist dismissed CAIR’s objections, saying that the depiction was “intended only to recognize him [Mohammad]…as an important figure in the history of law (important figure ehh? Of course!); it was not intended as a form of idol worship.” He also reminded CAIR that “swords are used throughout the Court’s architecture as a symbol of justice and nearly a dozen swords appear in the courtroom friezes alone.”

Rehnquist did make one concession, though, and promised the description of the sculpture would be changed to identify Mohammad as a “Prophet of Islam,” (That's more like it!)and not “Founder of Islam.”
The rewording also said that the figure is a “well-intentioned attempt by the sculptor to honor Mohammed, and it bears no resemblance to Mohammed.” (Like most of us even know what his looks like?!)

The reasoning behind Rehnquist’s rejection? For one, he believed that getting rid of any one sculpture would impair the artistic integrity of the frieze, and two, it’s illegal to injure, in any way, an architectural feature of the Supreme Court Building.

Other Depictions of the Prophet
While the Qur’an forbids idolatry, it doesn’t expressly forbid depictions of the Prophet. (Persian portraits anyone?) The prohibition on such depictions that we often hear about comes from hadith (oral traditions that supplement the Qur’an). Muslim groups have differing opinions on the prohibition, with Shi’a Muslims generally taking a more relaxed view than Sunnis. That said, there are more depictions of Mohammad in art out there than we’d think, from the US to Uzbekistan (That's a bit random now innit?).
Until the 1950s, there was even a statue of the Prophet at the Manhattan Appellant Courthouse, right on the front steps. Anyone want to clue us in on other Mohammad art hanging around out there? (Any of you guys know?)
*Yes, they’re the most famous Danes I could think of…"

**The pink writing is my thoughts not in the original article, and the red font is just emphasis, hehe
So, objections? Fascination? Or apathy seeing as how you've probably already heard of this? Tell me!

I wanna see this movie sooo bad!

2009-08-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

-sigh- The trailer gets me every time.

And it came out today! But I came home today soo I'll have to wait.

Meanwhile, tomorrow is this all-girl's party and I'm still deciding if I want to go or not. Part of me wants to dress up and have fun (plus my mom offered to drive me there) but another part of me wanted to go to a friend's party on Sunday (I can only go to one party not both -sigh-) I really need to learn how to drive.
Or get a car.
Or both.
But, you see, I'm too lazy.

Like the sands through an hourglass,

'So are the Days of Our Lives....'

I had to put that in somewhere.

I'm HOME!

2009-08-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum you guys!

I AM HOME!

THANK GOD!

I could not STAND eating outside 3 times a day -barf-

When I came home I hugged my mother and told her how much I missed her cooking (they had lasagna last night -tear-)

UC Davis isn't a college I'd consider for myself, because I've always wanted Berkely (insha'Allah) and SCU is near home but not SO near. Eh we'll see who accepts me :D

Away from home

2009-08-12T22:44:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum!

Currently, I'm typing from my dad's laptop in a shady Inn in Davis, CA (not where I'm from btw)

We're all up here for my brother's orientation.

Did I want to go?

Not really, but my dad said it was a 'learning experience'.

Major hint that this Inn is creepy:

A sign on top of the lock says: "For Your Protection, When in Room engage deadbolt and security latch"

Totally safe right?

Anyway I'm here until friday, (after Jummah prayers insha'Allah, their masjid is sooo pretty :D)

And we had to pay $2.99 for 24 hour of Internet Access (money thieves! -shakes fist-)

Well, I have to wake up at 7 in the morning so toodles!

Stargazing is so peaceful...

2009-08-12T21:56:00.001-07:00

Alone.

Not when you're with your family and your little brother is making shadow puppets with the flashlight on your left and your little sister is incessantly talking to you on your right.

But LOOK! Two meteors just passed by! :D

(Written on Wednesday 2 am)

You guys don't like?

2009-08-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

I thought the background post was cccuuuttte ^3^

But you guys think it sucks? -tear-

j.k

So tell me what you think of it? Hmm?

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Decisions, Decisions...

What should I put on my list of must-haves for this school year?

I took out most of wardrobe because I felt it wasn't up to par with Hijab. I mean, I won't completely eliminate jeans, but wide legs should be the only ones I buy -Insha'Allah!-

So tell me what every hijabi should have in her closet please? :D

(Okay so that's two questions you guys should answer :D.... annndddd GO!)

Can I get an 'Ameen'?

2009-08-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum ladies,

My relative may have a serious medical problem, but is too stubborn to go see a doctor. Plus we got into a little discussion on what happens after death, since relative supposedly doesn't fear it, or believe anything will happen after. Subhan'Allah, but that isn't the point of this post.

I'd like to ask for your dua'as because relative means a lot to me even if we have differing views on Islam/life/e.t.c

Jazak'Allah khair and have a nice weekend (I won't be posting due to certain events)

I feel so outed

2009-08-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum you guys (and the new ones, you know who you are)

Well anyway, a few of my super cool buddies found this blog (don't worry misadventure buddy you knew all along) and well.. hi.

I mean I've never said my name or 'exactly' where I lived but then I did talk about my mosque before and the event happening this saturday. So it was bound to happen (not that I don't want you guys, lol).

Anywho, remember that my blog life and my (I have a life other than blogging? oh right) other life are totally different, so sometimes I won't bring up what I wrote about on my blog yesterday during a conversation (unless you want to talk about knitting of course, then I'll discuss blogs with ya'll) And if you guys made a blog that'd be sooo awesome! So stop saying you're life isn't interesting, it's much more interesting than mine and people still read it! lol

But anyway yeah, here's my blog and uh.. you don't have to post your real names on here

Toodles,

(my internet persona)

Knitting

2009-08-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

I tried to take up knitting nearly two years ago.

It's just a hobby or a skill I wanted to learn because don't you feel a bit proud when you make your own scarf? (To wear around your neck lol I doubt it could fit around my head)

But the grey and black yarn is still in the back of my drawer and my knitting needles are gathering dust.

Grr, whenever I try to get back into, I lose a stitch and have to undo 10 entire rows -tear- so I just threw it in the back of my drawer. Hmm, I might take it out again to 'start' over.

And if I ever finish my scarf, I might tackle these things hehe:

Sweaters!!

Squid/Elephant/Hat thing? COOL

O-O; Is that a mask.. okay..

Oooh yeah, a custom knitted Spiderman suit!

Do you have a hobby that you're good at or love to do?

So... I can wear fur?

2009-08-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

Answer from SunniPath.com

"Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

I pray that this finds you well, and in the best of health and spirits. May Allah grant you all good and success in this life and the next.

It is in itself permitted to wear fur, though fur of endangered animals, or of animals slaughtered in cruel ways is best avoided--as cruelty to animals is a serious sin.

And Allah alone gives success. Faraz Rabbani"

So, that means yes! Thank you guys for answering and I really didn't know how to comment back to people after I knew the answer unless they asked a question.
So I'll just answer general questions here!

(This is not trying to call anyone out, I'm just trying to answer all of your questions en masse in a humorous way. heh.)

Why do you want to buy fur?
They look nice, to me, they feel nice, and because I just want one.

Why not buy imitation?
Because I've felt the cheap kind and it's just ehh.
Have you heard of pleather?!!

Okay.. how about vintage?
That was actually a great suggestion, thanks Mahdiya! I'd probably just get vintage

Why would you want a carcass on your back vintage or not?
I'm at peace with myself whenever I put my foot in my leather boots, I don't lose any sleep whenever I wear my watch with leather straps, even if I was vegetarian that doesn't mean I embrace the vegan ideals. (Don't we all own something leather?)
So why would I mind having some animal's (are there any halal animals with fur? Because right now I'm having a brain fart and can't think) soft fur lining my leather jacket?

Rereading that last sentence made me feel like monster. Only slightly, then I went back to looking up 'is mink halal?' -it isn't btw, since it's rodent?-

Conclusion:
This was just a random question I couldn't stop thinking about all day two days ago and decided to ask. Would I really buy a fur coat?

No I can't afford it.

If I happened to find one at a thrift store, would I buy it?

Yes, assuming it's under $50 which I doubt.

So I find a harmless answer to a harmless question.

Yay for me!

Hopefully this doesn't make me any more horrible in your eyes.

Question?

2009-07-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum you guys!

I have a question, and although I should ask someone with more knowledge (not that you lovely ladies aren't good enough) because it has to do with the permissibility of something, I just wanted to ask on here as a faster method. lol

Question: "Is it haram to wear fur?"

I know the whole animal rights thing and how killing animals (although we kill them for their meat anyway, why waste the fur?) is wrong. But ironically, I want a fur coat. Like a pretty fur lining or something. (Come on! Don't roll your eyes at me! I'm human, I HAVE NEEDS)So as a kid, 500 peta ads later, I began to believe it was haram.

I'm sure that if an animal wasn't tortured and it died err, the halal way, then getting the fur/skin/whatever off and making it into a nice sweater for me wouldn't be bad?

Anyone wanna answer? (I sent in my question to sunnipath.com only to find out someone already asked loool but I still want to know your guys' take on it)

I'm asking about it Islamically, not whatever's politically correct.

Sooo thanks guys (gals) :D

Arguably the most stupid question in the world

2009-07-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

"Would you take off your scarf if it was caught on fire?"

No comment people, seriously, no comment

(Mis)Adventures at the Masjid Part 2

2009-07-27T18:50:00.001-07:00

The Youth Qiyam was the best part! (Hey I didn't forget :D)

After Isha Prayer, someone come on the speakers and announced the Youth Qiyam would begin at around 10:30 pm, we saw more 'youth' coming into the prayer hall and were like 'Awesome!'

The first part of the talking would be done in the Men's Prayer Hall (I have no idea why I capitalize this and Women's Prayer Hall ehh whatever), so we ladies shuffled in.

In the masjid, there is a wall separating the two prayer halls and there's some glass so we can see the Imam (plus three large screen TVs -cough- just sayin') and I've always assumed they were a two way mirror type thing. We can see the guys (it's tinted though so not so much) but the dudes can't see us.

But APPARENTLY, they can! Which is the weirdest part, I mean ,what if I wanted to fix my hijab? Funny, before I would've hated the 'barrier' that separated us, but now I understand why it's there. Too bad since they can still see us.

Anyway after praying two rak'ats and hearing the very inspirational story of Brendon Foster, one of the two speakers of the night came and we all started Reflecting on Life and Death (The name of the Qiyam :D)

I took notes on it but apparently my misadventure buddy has it with her (and if she's reading this, I'd like it back lol)

After the praying another two rak'ats, the other guest speaker asked us all to lay down on the ground evenly spaced apart from one another (us girls went back to the Women's Prayer hall even though we could've stayed there lol too awkward)

She asked us to close our eyes and imagine we were dying and that someone was reciting Surutal-Yasin for us

-cue someone reciting the surah-

Then she told us two fates, one of a person who has amassed nothing but bad deeds, the other of one who has good deeds.

Can you guess which one frightened me the most?

After laying down so still I nearly believed I was dead, she asked us to get up and write down a dua'a asking Allah swt to help you change and guide you and what you'll do to better your deen e.t.c :D

Then we prayed two more rak'a and that was the end of that! :D

It was 1:30 am by then and my dad was going to pick us up at around 2.
The Youth Coordinator asked us if we had a ride home and when I explained what time my dad would come, she offered us a ride seeing as how she was going down there to drop off the sister speaker :DDDD

All in all, it was a really great night alhamdulillah!

Any other (Mis)Adventures taking place at the masjid will more or less likely happen during Ramadan :D

Salams!

(Mis)Adventures at the Masjid Part 1

2009-07-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

Asalamu Alaikum!

I decided to split this post about my Saturday evening into two posts because it's too long for you to read, plus one part will be about how we got there and what we did, while the other post will be about the Qiyam itself. Have fun reading :D
******************************************************************************

Last night, I went to the Youth Qiyam at my masjid with a friend but it started at 10:30 pm and we got there by 8.

The masjid was like a ghost town

-tumbleweed blows down the hallway-

Friend: What do we do now?
Me: Let's see if the bookstore's open! :D

"Bookstore closes at 7pm"

Us: Darn.

Let's go see if Yaseen's Corner is open! (Name of old restuarant, we don't care what the new name is)

"Resturant closes during prayer times"

Us: Dang it!

Me: It must be time to pray Maghraib!

-We hear Imam reciting-

*run to prayer hall*

They're lined up and are in sujood.

So we didn't know they'd completed the first rak'a already and just finished with them.

-5 minutes later Old lady walks up to us-

Saying all this in somali, "Asalamu Alaikum girls, you guys didn't pray the first rak'a over -smile-"

And I just stare at her like an idiot because I can't respond back -very limited- So I wait for my friend to respond.

Short story: We agree that we're mutually embarassed and redo the prayer all the while having the arab old ladies look at us from across the room. (Note: Not a lot of people in the masjid on saturday night)

**********************************************************************************
Me: Let's go back to Yaseen's corner, maybe it's open now!"

And we're not disappointed this time!

Me to senile(but nice) cashier: Uhh, can I have curly fries?
Cashier:-slowly writes it down on paper- $2.50 please
Me: -hands money- how many minutes?
Cashier: 5 minutes sister

We sit in one of the many tables and look around at the crowd: some guy on his laptop, a kid texting, and two old guys talking over tea.
Wild times.

When we get our fries our other friend calls to tell us she can't make it and then we wonder if any other 'young people' will actually come to this event.

Friend: What if it's cancelled and we're stuck here until 3?! (When my dad planned on picking us up)

Being stuck in masjid can actually be a pretty freaky thing when there's not so many people and most of the reading material is in a language you don't understand.
(Point of interest: Did you know playing chess is makruh? I didn't until I read Sahih Muslim!)

Before Isha we went into the prayer hall and made sure we were there first! But this is where mistake number two comes in.

-hears adhan-
Friend: Do we pray now?
Me: -looks around- no ones getting up
Friend: Maybe they can't pray
Me: Okaay..
So we go to the front and after much delibration (nervous talking) we pray Isha.

Friend: Whew! I thought we were going to hear the call to prayer and look like idiots again, yay! :D

"ALLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAHHHHHHUUUUAAAAAKKKBBAAARRR!"

Us: DAMN IT!

-to be continued in post two-

When bugs attack

2009-07-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

After killing one of the four little brown bugs I've seen around the house today and letting the other 3 go, my mother took me to the kitchen and opened a cupboard.
"Are these the ones you've been seeing?"

And in the flour were bugs, EVERYWHERE! I screamed and ran to the living room.

Now we're cleaning out the cupboard (read: She is, I'm in the dining room wearing sandals and cowering on top of a chair like a baby, I also happen to have my laptop)

I feel soooo digusting right now, I need to take a shower, those bugs freak the heck out me. And when did my mother discover this? Why wasn't I informed of the bug invasion sooner so I could hide under my bed. D:

And I didn't put a picture because I don't need any more visuals, bugs scare the heck out of me. I'm such a big baby.

No Eyebrows: Hot or Not?

2009-07-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

(This photo is photoshopped but I forgot to mention it, thanks to Habibti for mentioning it!)

NOT

(This, however, is not photoshopped, Whoopi doesn't have eyebrows.. and I've never noticed)

When I saw this article on MSN Today, I kinda got freaked out.
I mean, if shaping one's eyebrows is haram, imagine the punishment on shaving off your eyebrows!!

Fashion is getting out of hand and if this is trendy... I don't want it O_O;

What do you think?

(And why we need eyebrows : DDDD http://health.howstuffworks.com/question5202.htm)

I talked with Sister A'qilah!

2009-07-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

LOL so after having her msn for like a reeaally long time, we've finally been on MSN at the same time! (Different Time zones)
It was nice talking to her! (You rock A'qilah!)

I'd give you my msn, but I don't want to be flashed ._.; So just ask lol

I usually go on MSN to talk to ma cousine but now I'm talking with other muslimah bloggers too! (Now if only Naz got online at the same time)

And I learned some Canadian-French curse words! (All church words apparently so I'm very sorry if I offend anyone by posting these words, I don't even know why they use them)
-tabarnak
-sacrament
-osti
-simonac
-coliss
-cibore
It's a bit odd my cousin, who is muslim, says this.

What does it even mean?

Update: I googled it and found this article-
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/04/AR2006120401286.html

And while I was talking to my cousin I kept saying these words and she said 'Why are you cursing so much?!' loooool!

'I don't care how comfortable crocs are, you look like a dumbass'

2009-07-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

True Facebook Fan page, lol!

But that's not the point of this post. Guess what I saw today?! :DDD

No, not Bruno (more on that later)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!

Don't worry I promise not to spoil it for you guys (although I already read the book)

Alhamdulillah it was fun! I even got a Harry Potter shirt (with the entire cast, my parents would be suspicious if I came home with a picture of a guy on my shirt)

It was me and my friends who were mostly hijabis; we were getting stares left and right, shows you how cool we looked B)I even saw some muslims at the Mall, although it's particular awkward when it's a couple and you don't know who to say salaams to first(whoever looks at you first I guess)

Anyway, I lost my ticket to the movie (I'm such a loser) and the ticket lady kindly gave me another one. Overall, I had a great time! Tomorrow I'll be seeing HP:HBP (Harry Potter 6) with my family and maybe sometime this week with another group of friends who haven't seen it. You best believe I'll be wearing the shirt (I should upload a pic of it sometime :DDD)

Now onto that Bruno thing;
After HBP, we had some time left before we were going to go home and decided to sneak into Bruno halfway.
In the 15 minutes we were watching it some of it was funny (the second stage gay convertor), some were awkward(" A bear ate all my clothes.. can I sleep in your tent with you?") and when he entered the swingers party and we saw the censors, we ran out.

At least we didn't pay to walk out of a movie, like some people, lol. And that's that! Come back tomorrow for another episode of "Where's ModestJustice!"

Update: Requested by Generous_Munira HBP Teaser Trailer :DDD

AHHHHHHHHHH IT ITCHES!!!

2009-07-18T22:54:00.001-07:00

And I can't scratch it unless I want my gums to bleed! D:

I have Oral Allergy Syndrome which means I'm allergic to certain fresh fruits and raw vegetables. Such as:

-Apples
-Pears
-Grapes
-Carrots
-Bananas
-I think Pineapple

and that's all that I can think of at the moment. But I still eat them :D My reaction to each of them is very different, so the ones I eat all the time (grapes) only cause my lips to slightly swell- I'll never have to buy a lip plumper again! But APPLES I DETEST! They cause my throat and gum to itch and if it touches my lips, that'll swell too. (You can probably guess which fruit I ate now)
The reactions generally do not last so long, just a couple of minutes because the protein I'm allergic to is quickly broken down by saliva. I don't notice the itching anymore and it gives me the greatest excuse to not eat my fruits and veggies (besides broccoli, I love broccoli! I know, I'm not a normal kid >.>)

See! In the minutes it took me to write this post, it's gone now :D
Oooh look, carrots! :DDDD

P.s This puts a serious pothole in my journey back to (semi)vegetarianism.

I've been cheating on Dairy

2009-07-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

Yes Dairy, I have to make my affair public! Over the years you have been the substance in my cereals, the tall glass of milk for my oreos, essentially, you were the peanut butter to my jelly (or milk to my cookie).

No one in this glass-o-milk drinkin' country would ever think to discard you and replace with another.
-tear-
But I couldn't resist!

Who is it you ask? Who have I replaced my beverage of choice with?

Well, it's vanilla flavored.

-gasp-!

No, not Soy Milk! I don't like the aftertaste!

It's..
It's...

ALMOND MILK!

-faint-

Okay real story:
When I wrote that '10 things' tag, it brought back all the benefits of Vegeterianism, so although I love my goat meat too much, I thought about the pros/cons of milk.
I mean really, why do you think children only have to be breastfeed until 2? Because after then we really do not need milk, plain and simple. Do any of us see a goat drinking cows milk? Or a goat drinking any goat milk after their a kid? Nope.
And whatever 'health' benefits you get from milk don't seem to be much.

Look at the 'Got Milk' campaign, it claims that milk gives you PLENTY of calcium. As in a whole days worth. The recommended daily allowance of calcium is approximately 800-1000 mg, although 1200 mg is ideal, according to the most recent update by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Calcium comprises a crucial aspect of human health. Not only is calcium needed for muscle contraction, but calcium lends to our bone structure, bone recovery (re-calcification), and bone health as well. In short, we need calcium to live. And a bunch of other vitamins and minerals but we're discussing milk here.

According to the "Not Milk" campaign, milk contains less calcium per given amount than other foods. Meaning, we could get better souces somewhere else than terrorize a poor cow by impregnating it time and time again just so you could get your grubby paws on a glass of milk. So this end of milk consuming is a health and animal rights issue with me. But I'm not saying all dairy farmers treat their cows bad, some do and either way the milk isn't helping me a bit.

I just think drinking cow's milk isn't natural for human beings. Which is why a good portion of humans are lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance can result from two things: either through a natural enzyme deficiency, which prevents the body from digesting milk sugars, or through an allergy to milk itself. Thankfully I'm not lactose intolerant (because even if I give up milk, I'd still be eating other dairy products) but now plenty of people who are.

Hormones in my milk is another issue. (However if you buy organic than that's much better) Many dairy producers use rBGH as a way to increase milk production in their cows, resulting in up to 20% more production. However, the hormone causes udder inflammation in cows, which can lead to the contamination of the milk from secreted pus common in udder inflammation. Also, antibiotics used to treat inflammation have been discovered in trace amounts in the milk. Such contamination leads many people to wonder whether milk is safe for daily human consumption.

Overall, I'm not here to convert you to 'leave milk'-ism but just to share something new and tasty that I've tried out and enjoy :D Milk does do a lot of good and has some negative effects, (and is totally not necessary for a proper diet when there are other fruits and vegetables with much more calcium, but hey that's just my opinion)so thanks for reading this rather long post/rant! Have a nice day :D

Your Almondmilkdrinking Sister,

Crap, what am I getting myself into?

2009-07-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

So Sukkar posted something about two atheists arguing over banning the burka:
There was the pro-burka (he's against the ban)
and the anti-burka
(he's for the ban)
both have bad language in the vids so I warn you.

But what have I done?

...

I commented on the anti-burka one, because the pro one had comments disabled. You can actually see my name there! (ModestJustice hehe)

But now I have to brace the storm as idiot after idiot will post their 'counter arguments' and see people insult Islam and hijab.

Back up! Back up needed! MAN DOWN, MAN DOWN!!!!

Oh man I can see my inbox filled with "Reply to...."

If you feel like debating with idiots come prepared.

Kill two birds with one stone

2009-07-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

(Decided to write post today instead of last night, too tired, sorry :D)

I feel so honored that people tag me >3< Alysha from V.I Couture and the 'Honest Scraps' tag from Maryam from Marymimi13 :D

Numero Uno: I hate confrontation, I hate it, hate it, hate it! Sure in my head, I go up to the person and conflict-resolution, but I'm such a big baby I usually send someone else to do the dirty work. (PA: Sorry for finding a new MSA Advisor and not telling you myself! >.> )

Two: If I could, I would live in my room for days and watch nothing but movies. So much so, that by the time I came out I wouldn't know what day it was and would start talking in a british accent - I love the show The Tudors-

Three: I love horror movies but then I can't sleep at night unless someone's in the room with me (I don't need a nightlight! Muwaha!)

Four: I'm vain and conceited, but in a sarcastic way. The sarcasm fools you into thinking I don't mean it when I do ohhh I do :D

Five: I love the Harry Potter Series, it's amazing and I'm wetting my pants in anticipation for the movie coming out this week. That reminds me, I need to go buy a HP shirt and paint my face red and gold (GO GRYFFINDOR!) for the premiere.

Six: I get distracted easily, like right now! I was supposed to be finishing this but when off to look at other blogs, you people are just so interesting! :D

Seven: I was vegetarian throughout middle school, my parents hated it but I had two other friends who were and I had this huge book about it. Still never tried tofu though.

Eight: I love music, I know the ruling(s) on it but I bought an iPod people! That's a 250 dollar investment!

Nine: I wonder if they make reversible abayahs? I wonder a lot.

Ten: Yay I'm done! It took me two hours, but I'm done! :D

-gives pat on back- I deserve a cookie for that.

A Conundrum that would only affect me

2009-07-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Or any other girly-girl who can't decide what to wear!!

Today is the pool party that I've been looking forward to and... since I suck at polyvore, I need to know:

If I wear a orange/reddish plaid shirt, and white skirt, and I hate the white hijab that I have, what will be the hijab color?

I need to go get ready now because I leave in 2 hours, but help would be nice D:

Since most of the girls there do not wear hijab and will be taking pictures, I need to wear a headscarf for all of the candid shots, sadly D:

But insha'Allah I'll have fun :D

(All other posts planned for today will take place 7 hours from now, toodles!)