Kids say the darndest things

I received my student teaching placement this week. And officially started student teaching two days ago. I was placed with a 2nd grade class in an innercity school district, where majority of the students are African American ( I want to say about 95%) and probably have not interacted with a Muslim female who practices hijab. How do I know this? Well they couldn't stop staring at my head and whispering to each other, "What's that thing on her head?"

When I was told that I would be placed later on in the semester I was kinda worried that the teacher I was placed with would hate me. But it turns out that the teacher I'm with absolutely lovesssssss having me around.Alhamdullilah. And boy am I grateful! Ms. D is the teacher that I'm working with. Once we were introduced, she informed me that I would introduce myself to the students once the students settled in their seats. Of course, I heard whispers coming from the students asking each other, "Who's that?" and staring at me. And not so discreetly, I might add. So once they did get settled and finished some of their morning work, Ms. D told me to introduce myself. I didn't know what to say really. I mean what do you say to a bunch of second graders about yourself, that they might actually care about or be interested in. So I basically told them "I'm Ms. Attitude and you're teacher will be teaching me, while I'm teaching you all. I attend X University and am excited to work with you during this amazing semester with the hopes of actually becoming a teacher after I graduate." Then I asked them if anyone had any questions that they might like to ask me. And of course all hands shot up in the air. (They just didn't want to get back to their morning classwork) Uhhh, where do I start? Ahh yes, you right there that's waving your hand and saying "Oooh oooh, pick me, pick me."

"Did you drop him off to school today?" pointing at the other non African American in the room.
-Uhhh, no I dont know him. We're not related.
"Are you sure?"


Next question please.

"Are you from India?"
-Pffftttttttttt. Of course not. What a dumb question. Jay kay. I didnt really say that. But I should have. I did explain to them that my parents were from a country near India called Bangladesh. I then asked if any of them had heard of that country. At which point all of them nodded their heads. I didnt believe them.Some adults have no idea what Bangladesh is, let alone know that it is a country.How would a bunch of second graders know what Bangladesh was? However it turns out I was wrong and they did know because the boy that I supposedly dropped off to school turned out to be from Bangladesh. What a coincidence.

"Why do you wear that thing on your head?"
-Ahh the anticipated question. The reason I asked them if they had any questions. I knew they were curious about it. They kept staring at my head since they walked into the classroom. I didn't go into depth whilst answering that question. Didn't want to confuse them anymore then they needed to be. Instead I just answered with a simple, "It's a part of my religion and obligation that women cover their hair."

"What's under there?"
-Didn't I just answer that question? What the heck do you think is under there? Magic? Candy? The secrets to 2nd grade?

Little Boy:So you go to X University?
-Yes?
Little Boy: *starts listing random facts about X University.*
-*awkward silence*Uhhhh That is very interesting, thank you for sharing all of that oh so useful information with us. What would we have done without it?

My favorite question of the day:
A little girl who looked really concerned about my commute to and from her school: "Ms. Attititude, do you have to take a plane home?"
-What a silly question my dear! Of course I don't take a plane home ,I take a camel.

Later on in the day during a Math lesson the students were asked who the president of the United States was at the present time. They all shouted "Obama". That being said, we all know who they would vote for if they were old enough. It was too funny. And when two girls said that they liked John McCain and were hoping he would win the upcoming elections, the entire class turned on them. Even Ms D. gave them a funny look.

I can tell this is going to be one funny and *hopefully* fun student teaching experience. And also a fast one too.

Feasting..err Fasting In Ramadan

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, put one foot in front of the other and cautiously stepped on. I said a mini prayer or two and slowly opened my eyes. A sigh of relief. Nothing. I didn't gain a single pound. I quickly thank God Almighty and get off. Despite fasting from dawn to dusk, I feel like a big ball of pure fat.

Ramadan is to thank for that. Just kidding. But when we break our fast, my eyes grow bigger than my stomach and I can't control what I put on my plate. I'll have a little sample of everything, I tell myself. I sound like I take plates and plates of food, but I only fill one plate. One meal a day. Even though it is recommended that we eat before dawn, I get hungrier during the day if I eat {I'm pretty shaky from hunger by 11 AM}.

One of the reasons why we fast is to try to feel what it is like to go hungry. Some people out there don't know when their next meal will be or whether it'll be out of a garbage dump or not {Living in a third world country I unfortunately have witnessed this}. Instead people pig out before dawn so they won't feel hungry and then pig out even more at dusk to "compensate" for all the energy used.

Ramadan food. Ahhh. What is cooked at the blessed hour of breaking our fast is the problem.* This is why:

1. Indians like to fry vegetables in batter {Bhajiye}.
2. Then we fry some other stuff {I thinkit's lentil/legume based??} and dunk that in yogurt {Dahi Baday}.
3. Can't forget the Rooh Afza. It's milk, sugar, and this really sugary rose syrup.
4. And fruit. We can't go without fruit. Topped with a few tablespoons of sugar along with other spices. It's sweet but also has a bite to it.

So there you have it: we have our fruits, vegetables, dairy and carbohydrates all rolled into one meal topped with lots and lots of sugar and fat. In my family these four things are served almost every day. And we get sick of it. But if one of the items is not present the meal seems incomplete. "Mamma!! Why aren't there any Bhajiye?" "Uhh..because you never ever eat them when I make them?" "I feel so..empty inside" *stifles a cry* This is the bare minimum. There are usually one or two more other things present since we don't eat another meal after {some families have a very light meal and then dinner later}. Most people become really gluttonous by the time dusk comes around and end up gaining quite a bit of weight in Ramadan rather than losing.

There's this quote by Rumi that comes to mind every Ramadan:

Hungry, you're a dog, angry and bad-natured. Having eaten your fill, you
become a carcass; you lie down like a wall, senseless. At one time a dog, at
another time a carcass, how will you run with lions, or follow the saints?

Let's do a grand weigh-in at the end of the month and see how fat we've all gotten. OR let's see how many of us can learn self control and eat just until we aren't hungry; maybe even shed a few pounds if we need to? I am pretty fair-skinned for an Indian and for some reason my cheeks get this natural blush when I gain weight. I love the color red. But I don't want to look like Santa. I think this is one more goal I'm adding to my list. If I don't add it I won't do it. I like lists. :D

* This "Ramadan food" I speak of isn't any special food that has to be eaten during the month. You can pretty much eat anything you want but these foods are especially cooked in Ramadan in India and by Indians.

Changes.

In the next few weeks I'll be having to adjust to a myriad of changes. Good? Bad? We'll see when they happen. I'm not concerned. I think I'm kind of excited, actually. Change, for the most part, is great. It helps you grow. Without change you wouldn't really be able to experience new things. New feelings. Think new thoughts. Learn more about people and more importantly about yourself.

Here's a quote I found on someone's facebook. I think it's from Gray's Anatomy. You know, it's weird, I'm in med school and never bothered watching that show. While my friends who are scared of everything medicine/science seem obsessed with it. Pfft I AM Gray's Anatomy.

"Change - we don't like it, we fear it. But we can't stop it from coming. We either adapt to change or we get left behind. It hurts to grow, anybody who tells you it doesn't is lying. But here's the truth, sometimes the more things change, the more things stay the same. Sometimes, change is good. Sometimes change is everything. "

Hidden Beauty

I've had a bad couple of days and I can't seem to get out of this funk. I feel like I'm always complaining on this blog. Oh well. I think I'll just write whatever comes to mind and hopefully that'll help.. :D

This world is balanced. Or it's supposed to be, anyways. So for every bad thing that happens, just as much good will come of it? Even if I can't see it? "God is Beautiful and loves beauty." This hadith {saying of the prophet Muhammad Peace & blessings be upon him} came to mind today. I'm not in a position to interpret anything since I don't have the knowledge nor the qualifications; but I think I'll put in my own two cents about this to make me feel better. So God is beautiful and loves beauty, huh? Does this mean that everything from God is beautiful?

A test from God could be beautiful because God tests the ones He loves. And He is elevating you in His eyes. A punishment could also be beautiful because it's expiating your sins. Or it's making you stronger. In the end it'll help you achieve the ultimate goal {which should be Paradise/Heaven}, therefore it is beautiful..? The gifts from God are beautiful, too. The gift of our senses and basically anything good that happens to us. The gift of choice, freedom and happiness for most of us. That's beautiful. There is so much beauty in the world. It definitely outweighs the bad. I think theres hidden beauty in the bad. but to see that beauty it all depends on how we handle it.

So these tests/yucky things that happen to us..are they there to balance the beauty? Because there has to be good and bad everywhere? hmm. And if the world was void of bad stuff, it would be heaven? Or it would be a really easy test and tests are supposed to be hard. This life is a test so there has to be bad and good to test us with. Liiike how we act when we are being tried: do we remain patient and seek God for help or do we handle it the bad way? If we are going through really good times do we remember to thank God or do we forget Him, only to rememeber Him when tragedy strikes yet again?

Tragedy strikes. Now I'm thinking of Titanic. They said even God couldn't sink that ship. And He did. Such a beautiful ship filled with beautiful things and maybe even beautiful people. but they challenged God and it ended in tradegy.

Now I'm thinking of the Prophet Muhammad {peace and blessings be upon him} He was the most amazing man I have ever read about. The trials he went through would make anyone weep. When he visited the city of Ta'if he was treated worse than an animal. That was bad. But how did he deal with it? Angel Gabriel came to him and told him that he will crush the city if the Prophet Muhammad wished. Did he? Nope. He just did a little prayer for that city and it's people in hopes that they'll one day become Muslim. And they did. {please correct me if I don't have my facts straight, but I think this did happen with Ta'if}

And I think about how much this beautiful man went through. And then My mind goes to this hadith where Aisha, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad, would see her husband night after night standing in prayer with his legs swollen and maybe even bleeding. She asked him, "Hasn't Allah forgiven you all your past and future sins?" And he would reply, "Shall I not be a thankful slave?"

After all we go through, remember that there is always beauty there, always a reason to keep thanking God and going to Him. There's too much beauty around us for it to go unthanked for {or however one would say that}, no matter what situation we are in. God is Beautiful and loves beauty. We should handle everything beautifully. God would love it if we did.

This did help me. yay :)

Your thoughts?

Marijuana...Miracle Drug?

Researchers have found that the main active ingredient in marijuana - tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC- show promise as antibacterial agents particularly against microbial strains that are already drug resistant. Cannabis Sativa (marijuana) has been known to have antibacterial properties for decades. Current research suggests nonpsyhcotropic (no psychic powers! :D) cannabis would be in use in the near future.

I'm Back :D

After a long and eventful hiatus I have decided to grace you again with my savvy political commentary :). So lets start with the month that was..lets see there was the Beijing Olympics which was actually a success (surprise). Micheal Phelps broke numerous records for the Men's Swimming bringing home eight gold medals which is an all time high (no surprise here). Beijing now taunting London (site for 2012 Olympics), in essence saying, beat that! London not phased by the elaborate and lavish reception in Beijing, the Mayor of London promising to in fact beat Beijing.
Ooh and Russia invaded Georgia to flare up separitism in the South Ossetia provinvce. After a peacekeeping deal from the European Union (no help from the Americas), Russia decided to "withdraw" taking it's sweet, sweet time. Russian troops still continue to patrol the city of Poti.
August has also seen its fair share of history right here in the homeland, with the August Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention being the first in history to officially nominate an African American for president and a Republican woman for vice president, respectively. Lets not forget that the Democratic nomination of Geraldine Ferraro for vice president in the 80's was the first ever nomination of women for VP.

So lets talk politics. Who is this gun toting, hockey mom Gov. Sarah Palin? Would believe me if I said she was Mephistopheles in high heels? I didn't think so (wiki it). She has served two terms in city council, then two terms as mayor. In 2006 by being elected as Gov. of Alaska she became the first woman Gov. and the youngest person to hold that office. She used to go moose hunting with her father in high school and she was the captain of her basketball team. She finished second in the Miss Alaska Pageant and won the "Miss Congeniality" award. She admits to smoking marijuana but has reportedly said that she did not enjoy it..(riiiight). She also helped her husband in his fishing business. Now lets get to her policies: she's an oil and gas woman, pushing hard for drilling in Alaskan National Wildlife Refuges..you know the place set aside for endangered animals and wildlife...In 2007 she unsurprisingly allowed state biologists to hunt down and kill wolves by helicopters to increase Moose gaming population (what does she have against animals??) AND she doesn't want polar bears to be put on the endangered species list EVEN THOUGH it has long been studied that polar bear populations have declined by over 40% and will increase to do so with the melting of the Ice Shelf in the Arctics. And she's against protecting wales from oil drilling...hmm oil spills anyone? Now lets get into why she's under investigation by the Alaskan State. Palin dismissed the Public Safety Commissioner allegedly because of his refusal to fire her ex-brother in law during a bitter custody battle with her sister. Interestingly enough the investigator will make his public announcement on the matter on Oct 31, 4 days before the general election, smart really (sarcasm).
My whole issue with her is really not even about her, as McCain has said the job of Vice President is to ask after the health of the President and step in if something happens. She will really have no say in his administration- unless he dies but thats a completely different tangent. My problem is that Mccain on the eve of his decision was still strongly for Lieberman, only when he was sat down by his campaign staff and forcefully pushed into not picking Lieberman, did he choose Palin after a 15 minute conversation with her on the phone- he hadn't even met this woman. If they had vetted her I would bet my fall semester tuition ($4000) that Palin would never have been picked. This shows what a McCain presidency would look like: rash, risky decisions without the careful and necessary research. Sound familiar? I know everyone on the Democratic side is trying to make the point that he's voted with Bush 95% of the time, but I don't think people fully grasp what that means. Do you want an invasion of Iran? A nuclear war with Russia? A million North Korean soldiers declaring death to America? Lets not even get started on what could happen in Pakistan- lets not forget they've gone nuclear as well. These are trying and dangerous times, who do you want answering that red phone at 3 in the morning?

Oh and I guess I should mention that yesterday Coalition troops pursued Taliban fighters into Pakistan killing 7 (not confirmed how many deaths yet). The fighters escaped.

And on that note I shall sign off, forgive my long rant I just feel real passionate about this. SO with that, I hope you all take advantage of the blessings of this month and when you get hungry I hope you might reflect on those people who do not have the luxury of an iftar waiting for them.

May your lives be filled with the peace and blessings of Allah

On Hijab.

"So...if I see your hair does that mean I have to marry you?"
"Do you shower with that on?"
"Were you born with it?"
"Can you only wear black?"
"Aren't you hot in that thing?"
"Do you sleep in that?"

These are a few of the many many questions my friends and I have been asked in reference to my hijab/scarf, the piece of cloth I wear on my head.

And then I get the more serious comments like:

"F***ing Mozlems"

"Terrorist"

Luckily, I don't get too much of those, which is why I couldn't list more than two. I've heard that others have been called "towel head", too. People are so creative.

I was going to do an informative piece on hijab and everything but I decided not to. This blog is about sharing experiences so I thought I'd write about my thoughts on hijab instead. If you would like to know more about hijab or Islam in general in terms of facts and proof in the Qur'an and stuff, you can always leave a comment here or in any post or you can click on some of the links provided at the end of this post.

I love wearing a scarf. It gives me a sense of identity. I'm not known by my looks, but how I am as an individual {This is not a memorized line, by the way. I know I've heard this one before and you may have, too. But I really honestly feel that this is true}. Conversations with people are more on a personal level, in my opinion.

I started wearing hijab when I was 11 years and 8 months old. There's no reason why I specifically remember how long. I just do. I went to an Islamic school so maybe that had something to do with m decision to wear it early. My parents never forced me to wear it. Ever. My parents are practicing Muslims so I guess the Islamic environment from school and home made my decision easy. I learned at an early age that hijab gives you respect. When I was 9 years old there was this boy who really bothered me and would follow me all around school. I found out he liked me..and I told the teacher! haha {I was nine, okay?} Oh, and btw, I didn't like him back so the love story ends here. So anyways, one day I get this short haircut I don't really like. I think to myself: what better way to cover up my short hair than to wear a scarf? So the same day I started wearing the scarf to school was the same day StalkerBoy left me alone. Coincidence? I think not. Needless to say, I started wearing a scarf to school from that day on. One: StalkerBoy forgot about me in a second and two: I felt guilty using the hijab to cover up a bad haircut so I left it on at school.

Hijab is not just a piece of cloth on your head: it's a whole package. Hijab literally means "to cover/shelter/screen/protect". It refers to modesty. Modesty isn't just about covering your head; it's about how you dress, talk, walk, interact with people. Everything about you should reflect modesty. Oh, yeah, I also think that hijab is obligatory. Well, I don't think it, it is. There are enough sources in the Qur'an and Hadith {examples/sayings of the Prophet Muhammad Peace and blessings be upon him} that tell women to cover. But there is no compulsion in religion, so one should not be forced to wear it. It's a requirement, but in the end it's up to you to wear it or not.

Perks of wearing Hijab
- I get to represent my religion.
- Bad hair day or bad hair cut? No problem! Don't have time to brush your hair? Slip on a hijab and everyone will be none the wiser
- It can be a fun accessory. ;)
- Random and non-random boys don't check me out. Except maybe in India, but they check out anything that breathes over here. yuck!

"Cons" of wearing hijab
- You stand out. But this can be a good thing, a better opportunity to give people info about Islam when they ask you why you cover.
- It gets hot sometimes. I'm fine in the heat, but some find it hard to cope with. Most people get adjusted. Luckily there's AC everywhere these days. I find that I'm equally hot with or without the hijab in summer. Not that I've gone out without my hijab since I was twelve. But at home and stuff. I see no difference.

- I really don't have any cons about wearing a scarf.

I'm very proud to represent my religion. Being covered up isn't being backwards. It's about respecting yourself. I wear hijab and the only people worth seeing my hair are select people in my life. Hair is a sign of beauty for women, and that beauty shouldn't be displayed for everyone to see. And let's face it, women are way better looking than men any day. We're so much more prettier. :D So I wouldn't want some random guy checking me out. He has no right to look at me in a disrespectful way and I shouldn't give him a reason to.

Sure I like to do my hair and dress up. I love getting compliments. {You know you do, too!} But I don't think that the compliments I get when/if I went out without my scarf are worth it if it means a bunch of random people can see them, too. I'm special, you see. And so are you. We all are. And the only people who should be able to see your beauty are special people. :D

I realize that I've focused on hijab* as a means for protecting myself from others' eyes. But that is the main point of hijab for me. I feel like guys stare too much and I feel that it is really disrespectful to be eyed at like a piece of meat. Wearing the veil demands respect from others and demands that I act in a way that gives me the respect that I deserve. Women all over the world have always been and always will be viewed as sex objects. By covering myself I protect myself from being looked at in that way. I would much rather be perceived as "poor oppressed mozlem" woman {of which I am NOT. Islam has liberated women and given them so many more rights thank you very much, God, btw...future blog post!} than a sex object.

Hijab links in case you're interested:
Wikipedia - general info

IslamWorld
Sunnipath - Why hijab?

* by hijab here I mean modesty in appearance, actions, words, etc.

Delicate dreams...

Delicate dreams, originally uploaded by Rabujee.

I want to sleep like a baby tonight... why? Because tomorrow's a big day and no more sleeping in for me!
I'm actually excited though, finally a job where I don't have to wear dirty jeans and work boots and play around in coal dust. Yup, the previous job was at a power plant and all I breathed for 8 months was disgusting coal dust; I'm sure my lungs suffered a lot of trauma due to that, in fact, I have a feeling that job was pretty hazardous for me in the end.
The month after my term was over I found out the office building where we sat had black mold lol. I'm no doc, but I'm sure Falling Up can tell us the consequences of sitting in that 40 hours a week aren't too great.
Don't know what this new job holds for me, but I'll find out tomorrow and until then I'm excited and semi-nervous.
Anywho, speaking of babies...I actually came here to share something funny I heard while shopping the other day. I was at the Target near my house, in the shoe aisle, where I overheard a little girl probably about 5 or 6 complaining to her mom. These were her exact words "MOMMMMM, I JUST want my school supplies.... I don't care about shoesssss." I had to chuckle 'cause I compared myself to her and realized I could learn a thing or two from her about priorities hehe.
You gotta love that about little kids, my niece whose first day of first grade is tomorrow is absolutely in love with school and her teachers (thank God). Also, she recently has taken a liking to imitating TV commercials and combining these two loves of hers results in another funny tale to tell.
The other day she told me how she "can't wait" to go to first grade but hopes she doesn't get Mrs. Blank " 'cause shes too old!" She continued "And Ani (short for Aunty), I don't want to just go back to school... I want to ARRIVEEE" and with that she throws her hands into the air and strikes a pose.
JcPenny, you have a new spokesperson and she's darn good at it!