Welcome to my blog!

This blog is an honest look at what life is like for this particular American convert to Islam. We're taught in Islam to cover our sins, to not air them, for fear of lessening the severity of sinning. In this blog, I may relate past indiscretions from time to time. This isn't to make light of them, but in the interest of educating Muslims and non-Muslims alike as to the realities of life as an American convert, I present my mistakes honestly. I make no excuses for them, nor do I claim that they were okay to make. I am not perfect, and I make no pretenses as to that. If others can learn from my past, know that Islam, and religion in general, is open for people no matter what mistakes they've made, then I will gladly air my sins when needed.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

I ... wait ... what?

My friends and I saw How to Train Your Dragon tonight; it was freaking fantastic.  Not just the story (why did everyone but the main characters have an accent?  What, can't Americans take an accented main character?), but the animation and the little details thrown in, like barnacles on the boats ... It was fabulous and I'm in love. :)

Speaking of love, we walked out and passed two guys, a thicker one in a white shirt and a skinnier white guy with no beard and no shirt on, who had a cross tattooed on his chest.  I was in my abaya, floral black hijab, and cowboy boots.  We passed each other and he says, "Assalamu alaikum" to me.  Of course I replied, "Wa alaikum as-salam," because that's only polite, but I was puzzled and thrilled at the same time.  I looked back at him a couple times, and told my friends, "That was awesome!"  Then I looked back again and he was looking at me, and smiled and waved, so I grinned and waved back.  I mean, I'm not saying that white guys can't be Muslim (dude, Ms. Whitey McWhiteypants, here), but I really doubt the guy was Muslim, and just the fact that a semi-gangsta-looking dude with a cross on his chest would know the Muslim greeting and say it, was freaking awesome.

So we piled into the car (I scratched my eyeball this morning, somehow, so John was chauffeuring and Kim was in the front seat, and I was in the back) and pulled out, and the guys had turned around and were walking the direction we were heading.  Kim offered to roll the window down and whistle at him for me, and offer me for 40 camels, but I told her not to.  He was really cute, though, and kept looking at me and smiling, and waved again.  So I smiled and waved back.

It was a great experience; I'm not complaining.  It was just way out of the blue, you know?  :D

5 comments:

  1. how adorable!!
    Chica, you should have tlaked to him again.
    A tip: after replying them, ask 'keef halak?(how r u)'. most people dont know it, so he'll ask u, then u can give a mini Arabic lesson.
    Then he'll ask u questions- then you'll get to know the guy who addressed u in peace.
    oh yeah- the 40 camals thing is HILARIOUS! lol

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  2. The 40 camels remind me of a friend who traveled to Tunisia a year or so ago with her pretty 18-year-old daughter as a high-school graduation present. Someone (all in good fun - apparently Tunisians have a funny sense of humor) offered her... 200 (!) camels for her daughter's hand! She replied that she wouldn't accept the offer because she has no place to put 200 camels :D

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  3. @ Sherika Dude, *I* don't even know what that means. :P Arabic is just the language that I butcher as I try to pray. But, insha'Allah, I'll learn it in due time!

    40 camels is, like, my extreme lower limit. I won't be sold for less. Maybe 39 and like, ten goats or something. But that's the lowest! :D


    @ Caraboska Lol! No place to put them ... I'm going to use that on Dad. "Daddy, someone wanted to offer you 200 camels for me, but I told him you didn't have the room for them." :P Oh man, that's just the laugh I needed right now. Thank you so much. God bless you. ^_^

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  4. :D:D:D etc. No, I'm not going to put 200 smileys here. Glad you found it edifying - but you can thank my friend G for the humor! She just needed a translator because she (like most of my close friends here in my nice Eastern European adopted country) doesn't speak English :D:D:D God bless you too!

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