My Spanish Adventures

enjoy

2009-11-23T03:29:00.000-08:00

I would like to welcome everyone to my new blogs... I wont be using this one anymore.

http://theguidedones.blogspot.com/ is dedicated to reverts (converts) to islam. It will deal with the pressures and frustrations reverts feel, as well as a resource guide for gaining knowledge

muslimsgreenclinic.blogspot.com is dedicated to alternative health focusing on natural remedies, with emphasis on the quran and hadiths.

the-truth-will-set-you-freee.blogspot.com is dedicate to exposing the lies the media feeds us.

The story of the Butterfly

2009-10-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but
it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body,
Neither happened!
In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
into the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.

So have a nice day and struggle a little and teach well.

Dont be Sad....

2009-10-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

I started reading ¨Dont Be Sad¨ by Aaidah ibn abdullah Al Qarni (you can download the book on www.Kalamullah.com

I have highlighted some important points from the book

Do not be sad, because sadness causes you to regret the past, to have misgivings concerning the future and to make you waste away your present.

Do not be sad, because it causes the heart to contract, the face to frown, the spirit to weaken, and hope to vanish

Do not be sad, because your sadness pleases your enemy, angers your friend and makes the jealous rejoice.

Do not be sad, because by being sad, you are complaining against the divine decree and showing vexation at what is written for you

Do not be sad, because grief cannot return to you the one that is lost or is gone away. It cannot resurrect the dead, it cannot change fate, or bring any benefit whatsoever

Do not be sad, because sadness is often from the devil and is a kind of hopelessness

Grieve not nad ask yourself the following questions

Do I put off living in the present because of fears and apprehensions about the future or because of hopes of the magical garden beyond the horizon

Do I embitter my present life by mulling over events that occurred in the past

Do I wake up in the morning with an intention of spending my day usefully

Do I find that I am benefiting from my life when I try to concentrate on a present situation or task

When will I begin to live in the present moment, without worrying too much about the past and future. Next week. Tomorrow. Or today.

"See they not that they are tried once or twice every year *with different kinds of calamities, disease, famine, etc* yet they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson *from it* quran 9>126

Emerson said>

"from where has the idea come to us which says that a luxurious stable life, free from obstacles and hardships, creates prosperous and great men. The case is quite the opposite. Those who have made a habit of living the easy life will continue to further develop lazy habits as they go on in life. History witnesses that greatness has surrendered its reins to men of different backgrounds. From these backgrounds are environments that have both good and bad, or environments where good and bad cannot be distinguished. And from such environments have sprouted up men who have carried great responsibilities on their shoulders without ever negligently casting them off."

Prophetic sayings> "if Allah loves a people, he tests them. Whoever is pleased, for him there is pleasure, and whoever is angry, upon him there is wrath."

"the most hardhly tested people are the prophets, followed in succession by those who are best after them. A man is tested according to his religion. If his religion is strong withhim, his test will be more intense. If his religion is weak with him, he will be tested according to the level of his religion. *Allah's* slave will continually be tested until he is left to walk on the earth without a mistake *to have to account for*"

…………………………….

"when someone begins to understand his purpose in oife, he will know that he is being tested either to gain reward from allah or to gain atonement for his sins."

Happy Birthday

2009-10-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, to Me!!!!
Happy Birthday, To Me!!!!
Happy Birthday dear Rene´
Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Ok, so i know Muslims don't celebrate birthdays, However, i find nothing wrong with wishing someone Happy Birthday!

Hard to believe i am 29......... Where did the years go? Im dissapointed that the only person who remembered my birthday is my sister....

ramblings....

2009-10-21T03:11:00.000-07:00

Sipping my cappuccino and nibbling on my croissant i struggle not to gag as the woman next to me dangles her cigg from her mouth and taking a break from chatting exhales a cloud of smoke into my face. Seriously, some people lack manners and common sense. I cough extra loudly and glare in her direction. Across from me a couple is enjoying a pitcher of beer and watching music videos on the 60 inch screen in front of them.

Your probably wondering what in the world i am doing in such a place.... My husband has a job interview this morning just outside of madrid. We were running late and unfortunately every cafe was closed except this one. Go figure. Silly spainards, spending their days sleeping, only to work a few hours and leave for a 3 hour siesta only to return for a few hours in the evening. Any chance of having a day off is welcomed by numerous saint holidays. There are usually 2 or more holidays each month.

And whats with women over 40 dying their hair a mahogany purple color? So unflattering!!! You rarely see a senior woman whose hair is not dyed this hideous color. Is it part of their culture? No.... A way of preserving their youth? Actually, i would say the opposite. The color enhances their age and makes them appear older... What happened to dying your hair blonde and wearing tight clothes once you reached middle age....

The fashion this fall is to wear short shorts or mini skirts with black nylons and ankle boots. Rain or snow, you will always find the majority of women dressed this way. For those who feel this combination is unflattering their is the alternative of tight pants paired with knee high boots, with the pants tucked in. Reminds me of English riders....

Back to my cappuccino, i would say im more of a mocha girl... Not sure why but every time i drink a cappuccino i get a serious case of stomach cramps...

My husbands interview is at 12, im assuming it shouldn't take more than a few hours. The company is known internationally and has a great reputation. If he gets the job wed move to Madrid next month. I of course told him we have to take our cat, who by the way remains nameless..... horrible i know, we just never got around to agreeing on a name.... we instead refer to him as ¨the cat¨.... ¨Have you seen the cat....Can you grab the cat.....¨ and so on......

It would be nice to leave Avila and move to Madrid. Avila is a small town with close minded Spaniards who think everyone with a beard and hijab is a terrorist.
Madrid is different..... its similar to New York, very diverse....

Did i mention that i am now giving English classes? English tutors are highly demanded here in Spain, especially in Avila. Im meeting with a Spanish woman tomorrow who is preparing for an English exam for a job she is applying for. She just graduated from college and her level of English is quite high. I used to tutor elementary kids in the U.S. while attending university, however its been awhile since ive looked solely at English grammar and its rules, etc.

Not sure what she will think of me being muslim... I mentioned that i will be wearing a ¨purple head scarf¨ tomorrow when we meet at the library...However, she might have misinterpreted that to mean a headband... Itll be interesting to see her reaction. Another thing i noticed is Spainards are cheap. The most spainards will pay for a tutor is 10 euros, around 12 dollars. Most executives here in spain make less than 40,000..... Whats up with that....Most jobs are salary, and they expect you to work overtime with no pay....yea right....... This country is backward....

When you marry in Spain you are given a family book, similar to a birth certificate. They give you one copy. When you have kids you take it with you to the hospital and they fill it out, just like they would a birth certificate. Now here is the problem, with one book, there arises complications. What if your kids move out of the country or the parents get divorced....Who gets the book? What you have 3 kids and all 3 are applying for aid, and they are living all over Spain...who gets the book, and what happens if one person loses it....

If you lose the book your screwed.... It takes months and months to get a new one.... and not without a lot of grumbling and moaning from the city hall..... As i said, Spaniards are lazy and hate doing extra work.... The only other country i know who uses family books is Morocco.....

Next week is my birthday.... Can you believe ill be 29......... 29!!! Omg, that is so old.... I still feel 24...... When i was younger i used to look forward to my birthday, eager to turn a year older...... Once i reached 21, i no longer looked forward to getting older.

Funny how when we are young we want to be old, when we are old we want to be young.... when we are pale we want to be tan..... when we are tan we want to be pale and so on.... No one is content with what they have......

to be continued

To eat or not to eat...cultural rituals......

2009-10-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

I was reading another blog and I got to thinking about Food and culture. In America, when you are invited to someones house as a guest, or perhaps you are just dropping by for a few minutes and you are asked if you would like something to eat, you say yes if your hungry, and no if your not. The host might ask you a second time just to confirm that you really arent hungry. With non-americans there is an art to it.. It goes something like this...

Host: Would you like something to eat? I have Pastries, cookies, bread, jam, soda....

Guest: No thank you (stomach grumbling)

Host: Oh come on, i just made some tea and bisquits....

Guest: Thank you, im fine (already imagining what kind of pastries she has)

Host: Are you sure? I knew you were coming over so i made it just for you...

Guest: Well, ok, sure....thank you....

Both the host and the guest know this is a ritual and in the end the guest will eat, but why play games and not just be upfront and say sure? Why is it considered rude if you accept the hosts offer to eat something the first time he/she asks?

Then there is the host who does not give you the option of saying yes or no. Instead, she goes to the kitchen and returns with a tray piled high with food and beverages.

Most foreigners offer sweets, sugary beverages and other unhealthy food to their guests. Yes it may taste good, but why not offer health food as well? If i am having guests over i would offer fruits, nuts, non sugared fruit juices, water, bread and other healthy stuff, not just junk. When i go to foreigners house I am usually put off by all the junk that i am being offered. In morocco when my husband and i were visiting we were expected to bring sweets and junk food to peoples house when visiting. I couldnt understand why we needed to pass out junk food to the kids and sugared foods to the host, why not bring healthy food?

Another observation i have is when you go to a foreigners house for lunch, dinner, tea, etc you are always foreced to eat more than you can consume. Many times i feel like i am offending the host if i dont eat 3 or 4 pastries, instead of just one. All the while they sit there barely touching the food, but expect you to eat all of it, what gives?

Bushs Resume| Funny

2009-10-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

GEORGE W. BUSH 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington , DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
LAW ENFORCEMENT

I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine , in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.

MILITARY

I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam

COLLEGE

I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE

I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland , Texas , in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas . The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry, including Enron CEO Ken Lay, I was elected governor of Texas .

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS

I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union .
During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America
I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.
With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida , and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT

I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.
I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market.

In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.
I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleeza Rice, had a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President. I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.

My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron.
My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.
I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution.

More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip- offs in history.
I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.
I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.
I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law. I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S . "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.

I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).
I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.
I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.

I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.
I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.

I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families-in-wartime.
In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.
I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD. I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden [sic] to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES

All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.
All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for publi c review. I am a member of the Republican Party.

children of the rich and famous

2009-10-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

Why is that people who should not have children have many, while those who desire children are barren.
Celebrities often have multiple children yet spend little to no time with them. Pictures are taken by photographers of celebrity parents doting time and attention to their child, while the nanny lurks in the background ready to take over as soon as the photos are finished.

As soon as the photos are finished, out come the cell phones. The parents turn their back to their children and motion for the nanny to take over. The children try to get their parents attention but are brushed aside. The child gets upset or angry and the nanny does her best to comfort the child, all the while knowing that the parents will never make time for their child. The nanny in essence becomes the mother and father. She picks up the child from school, helps the child with their homework, reads to the child, prepares meals for the child, gives the child a bath and puts him to bed at the end of the evening. The nanny of the rich and famous is on call 24/7.

Then there is the couple who has tried everything and anything to conceive. They have tried fertility drugs, every sexual position possible; have sex multiple times a day all in the hope of conceiving. Years go by and the couple slowly loses all hope of having a child of their own. They are desperate. Everywhere they look couples are having babies. Women who have no desire to get pregnant get pregnant from a one night stand or from a boyfriend who has no desire to raise the child. These women have abortions all the while the infertile couple grows angrier and angrier at the injustice.

Some countries put restrictions on how many children you can have, while others encourage large families.
Why do people who have no desire to spend time with their children or raise them, have them in the first place… At the end of the day, society judges us by how many children we do or don’t have. The ideal family has the big house, the picket white fence, a dog and 2 children. The woman is a career woman, successful yet is devoted to her children and husband.
What's sad is that the children who grow up in households where they are raised by their nannies or servants often times turn to drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, and sometimes suicide. From the outside looking in, the children of the affluence have it all. A servant to wait on them, all the toys they could ever want, a mansion, yet what they most desire, they are denied...Their parents attention and love. Love cannot be bought by material things. And so we see children of the rich and famous growing up to repeat the mistakes their parents made, having their own children and neglecting them.

The choice of hiring a live in nanny, especially one who is young and attractive is dangerous to ones marriage. Thats not to say all nannies attractive and not, sleep with their bosses, however there is the possibility it could happen. Why then is the wife surprised when she discovers her husband has been unfaithful with the nanny? The wives of the rich and famous spend their days at spas, charity events (to increase their status, not necessarily for the benefit of helping others), exercising and sipping martinis.

Such a sad life.... The husbands are busy with their businesses, traveling with theri secretaties, having affairs, and spend little to no time with their wives, who then have their own affairs with their tennis instructors or gardners. Ah, the life of the rich and famous, so sad....

water or coke.....

2009-10-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

By the way, for those of you who are bored with the articles i post on here, i will now be posting stuff on my other blog, the truth will set you free, and i will try to keep this blog more for whats going on in my personal life, etc.

1. We all know that water is important but I’ve never seen it written down like this before.

2. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population)

3. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.&

4. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.

5. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U- Washington study.

6. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

7. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

8. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

9. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

COKE

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the “real thing” sit for one hour, then flush clean The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil
dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of
Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, Remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

For Your Info:

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its Ph is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a glass of WATER
or COKE ?

Fingernail diagnosis

2009-10-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

I found a great article on ways to diagnosis yourself through your fingernails.To find out if you have an iron deficiency, hyper or hypo thyroidism, etc just look at your fingnails.They reveal a lot.

http://www.marysherbs.com/Miscellaneous/fingernails.shtml

secrets

2009-10-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

As a health nut, i try to keep myself up to date with healthy foods, supplements, and so on. I came across an article on foods that not only taste good but have amazing health benefits. Unfortunately i am unable to find most of them in Spain, but for the rest of you it shouldnt be a problem. You can order it online or get it at your local health store such as WholeFoods. Just the mention of whole foods makes me miss the store, sniff sniff...

The 7 Secret Foods that Only the Healthiest People in the World Eat

Imagine a food--or a group of foods--that alone can elevate moods, enrich your body with almost hundreds of minerals and taste great all at the same time? The 7 foods I want to talk about do all this and more... and are not just the "ordinary" superfoods like the cherry, the avocado or extra virgin olive oil. These foods are from the corners of the world and they will pack a super-punch into your everyday diet. Superfood #1: Cacao (Raw Chocolate) Want more energy? Try some raw chocolate. Raw chocolate is one of the most powerful sources of magnesium on the planet. Not only does magnesium help with alertness and activity, it also helps elevate your mood. Magnesium is one of the most deficient minerals in the human body. Depending on where you find your studies 60-80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium. No wonder we're sluggish, agitated and stressed! Raw chocolate is the same reason you've heard that chocolate is good for you... except that the cooked and processed form that you get in your Hershey's bar does not have the same composition as it does when it's raw. Raw chocolate also contains tryptophan--an essential amino acid--which helps naturally produce serotonin in your body. This is great news for those who need an emotional boost. You can buy raw chocolate in the shell (it is a bean), but it's easiest if you buy it without. Since the cacao bean is actually fairly bitter, it is best to mix it with various other superfoods--pumpkin seeds, goji berries--for a super, power-packed, nutrient rich snack that will get you through even the toughest days. Superfood #2: Goji Berries Move over carrot. This little, bright red berry from China is one of the most potent sources of beta-carotene and vitamin C. These are both fantastic antioxidants. Goji berries also contain 18 amino acids and over 21 minerals which give them a serious power-punch to anyone’s system. Goji berries help stimulate your body’s natural human growth hormone which is critical in anti-aging and longevity. You can only get them dried in the US, so don't expect to find them in any produce section. Some health food stores will carry them, but you're best bet is online. Goji berries are a fantastic snack--eat them just like you would raisins--to add to your superfood arsenal and are a great addition to any herbal tea. Superfood #3: Maca Maca is a Peruvian root powder that is used to increase strength and vitality. It has more mineral content than potatoes and carrots--containing iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iodine. The Peruvians and many others claim, Maca can help fight depression, help with anemia and improve overall memory and vitality. This powerful food is also a libido stimulant! Maca powder is best taken mixed with warm water in a tea. Maca has a strong taste and this can be softened with goji berries or honey. Superfood #4: Raw Honey I'm not talking about the honey in the little bear. I'm talking real, unprocessed, raw honey. Raw honey contains enzymes, phytonutrients, resins and propolis--bee glue. This unique combination of properties makes it versatile not only as a food, but as an anti-bacterial agent. As a food, raw honey can raise antioxidant levels in the body, restore muscle glycogen after a workout and help lower cholesterol and the risk of certain cancers. As a topical substance, it can decrease infection and work just as well as alcohol solutions. Use it as a sweetener, put some in your teas or your water, or just have a small spoonful for a quick pick me up. (Be sure not to heat it to a high temperature. Heat will destroy many of its best qualities.) Superfood #5: Spirulina This superfood and next might scare some people off. Don't compromise your health by not trying these two foods! The first, spirulina, is an algae that has high vegetable protein content, is high in B-12 vitamins and Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA). GLA and Vitamin B-12 are connected to mood, memory and general energy vitality. Many people believe that low B-12 levels for long periods of time is actually the cause of "old age" symptoms--fatigue, memory loss, confusion, etc. Just because it's algae doesn't mean that it's gross! The first time I tried it, I was surprised that it tasted so good. Buy it in flakes and sprinkle it on your salads, add it to a smoothie, sauces or soups. Superfood #6: Sea Vegetables Sea vegetables are grown in an environment full on minerals that our body needs for optimal health--the ocean. The ocean water has up to 92 minerals can be absorbed by the plants growing in the sea. This makes sea vegetables are one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Seaweed--compared to land vegetables--is one of the best vegetable sources of calcium, which is fantastic for muscle and bone development, strength and growth. Don't worry if the idea of eating seaweed grosses you out. Your health food store will have different seaweed granules that you can use as a salt substitute and you’ll never know the difference. Nori, dulce, and kelp are three of the most readily available sea vegetables. Superfood #7: Pumpkin Seeds and More... The raw pumpkin seed, just like the cacao bean, is another feel good food. It is a great source of magnesium and tryptophan. You can find this super-seed right in your backyard if you live in the Northeastern US! Pumpkin seeds also are great sources of protein, fat and other essential minerals. Other great seeds are hemp seed, flax seed and raw sunflower seeds. These all contain good fats and good protein for optimal health. If you’re eating a primarily vegetarian or vegan diet, be sure to add these seeds to your diet to get some good protein. If you’re NOT a vegetarian or vegan, be sure to add these seeds to your diet to get some good protein (not a typo!). They are great to add to salads as an extra garnish or great as a snack or mixed in with some other superfoods. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kevin Gianni is the author of "The Busy Person's Fitness Solution." He is on a personal mission to de-mystify health and fitness and demonstrate how easy it is for busy people to be in great shape.

This week....

2009-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

I had my first official spanish class tuesday. After last weeks class i was indecisive if i wanted to return. Monday, the social worker called my husband and told him i was being placed in a small group (4-5 students). Last weeks class had 25 students, all of whom were moroccan and spoke arabic with one another. She told him that one of the women in the group speaks english so my decison was made and i told him i was going.

My group has 3 students, 4 including me. The woman who speaks english is from Niger and speaks perfect english! The second student is a young boy, around 13 or 14 years old from romania. He also speaks very good english. The third student is a woman from Romania, who is around my age. They are all very nice and I am so glad i am not in the larger group.

Class meets twice a week, tuesday and thursday for 1.5 hours each. Everyone assumed i was moroccan and arabic was my native language. In spain, everyone assumes that if you wear a hijab and are muslim you are moroccan since the majority of muslims that migrate here are from morocco or algeria. They were surprised to learn that not only am i NOT moroccan but im German and Polish.

I explained that my husband is moroccan and i converted to islam in 2001, before i got married. On thursdays we have a different teacher and when she was going over the spanish alphabet she mentioned how there is no letter e(or was it i, i cant recall) in arabic. The nigerian woman quickly told her in spanish that i am not arabic nor do i speak arabic. The teacher was surprised and looked at me in confusion. Even though i had told her i am from the U.S. everyone still assumes i am arabic. They explained that my husband is arabic but im american.

Todays class focused on reading and writing comprehension. After being in spain for 5 months, 3 of which were spent in Morocco, it feels good to be learning spanish. I hate depending on my husband and having to drag him with me when i go somewhere because i cant speak spanish. We downloaded some spanish workbooks and cds and I finally feel motivated to study spanish.

Once i master spanish i want to learn German,French and Arabic. I would eventually like to be fluent in 4 to 5 languages.

The masjid near our house is offering Quran recitation classes. My level of arabic reading is ok, however i read very slow. I need to spend more time reading arabic to increase my speed. The classes will meet three times a week so the days we dont meet ill practice with my husband for an hour or so. However he gets bored easily so its difficult keeping his attention while i recite. Hes fluent in 5 languages and assumes that everyone should be able to pick up a language as fast as he does!!!

Prison Inventions

2009-10-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

Prison is one of the few places where very few common wants and needs are fulfilled; resources are incredibly limited and ardently regulated. Prisoners, who are not content to only posses what "the man" tells them they can have, are forced to use their critical thinking skills (prison-genuity, anyone?) to craft what can be some very interesting gadgets.
Basic Needs

Its hard to see in this picture, but there are three razor blades attached by copper wire and a shoelace, to this "unbreakable" plastic comb. This is the type of weapon to use for minor altercations such as Scrabble areguments, or getting that someone out of your favorite chair, but wouldn't be all that effective in a full blown shower fight. Truly a weapon for your day-to-day type needs

Just because you got thrown in the slammer doesn't mean you might not get the occasional chance to enjoy some weed. Stoners, who are notorious for being able to shape a pipe out of anything litterally, occasionaly get locked up and are forced to use their skills on the inside. The above example is fashioned out of a tube of German horseradish and has a great design, not only because it functions well, but for the fact that it is very incognito in case of the occasional room toss. At a quick glance its really just looks like an ordinary tube of something.

In prison, inmates have to go without even the most basic comforts such as a salt and pepper shaker. Poor guys, right? Well not for long... This advanced design shows thats some prisoners make items for everyday use, just to make them feel a little more normal

The razorblades on the end of this modified extension cord act as a heater to be used for making alcoholic beverages. Just smuggle some fruit or other fermentable food back to the cell, drop in the heating coil, and voila! you have your own moonshine/whiskey still. This gets bonus points for also doubling as a weapon if someone tries to steal the fruits of your hard labor.

The sodomite, who thought he'd take advantage when he saw his roomate bent over kneeling in prayer, probably got a big surprise when this crucifix magically transformed into a very mean looking stabbing weapon.

While your in prison, why not get a tattoo to commemorate " the time of your life", and there's also no better way of showing your commitment to what ever gang you choose to join while in the clink. The basic design uses any form of battery to power a small motor, which in turn pushes a needle in and out of a pen to give inmates authentic jailhouse tats. Sadly choice of colors is usually limited to whatever Bic's they have on hand and are typically blue or black. Beggars (Neo-Nazi's included) can't be choosers though.

With cigarettes being the go-to currency of choice for prisoners (at least the movies would have you believe this), there wouldn't be much use for a smokable commodity if there was no way to light it. Prisoners are forbidden from having lighters and matches for obvious reasons, so some clever inmates have devised a way around the rules. This example of a lighter is a simple yet intelligent design, a AA battery is wrapped in duct tape with a wire strapped to the negative end. Simplly touch the other side of the wire to the positive end and the metal coil in the center of the wire heats up.

Something to think about....

2009-10-07T05:10:00.001-07:00

Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables

2009-10-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

THE MOST CONTAMINATED FRUITS & VEGETABLES:

1.PEACHES: Over 94% tested positive for traces of 45 different pesticides.

2.CELERY 94% tested positive for 29 different pesticides.

3.APPLES: 92% tested positive for 36 pesticides.

4..SWEET BELL PEPPERS: 68% tested positive for 39 different pesticides.

5.CHERRIES: 91% tested positive for 25 different pesticides.

6.IMPORTED GRAPES: 86% tested positive for 35 different pesticides.

7.NECTARINES: 97% tested positive for 26 different pesticides.

8.PEARS : 94% tested positive for 35 different pesticides.

9.POTATOES: 79% tested positive for 29 different pesticides.

10.RASPBERRIES: 59% tested positive for 39 different pesticides.

11.SPINACH: 83% tested positive for 36 different pesticides.

12.STRAWBERRIES: 90% tested positive for 36 different pesticides.

THE LEAST CONTAMINATED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES:

1.ASPARAGUS

2.AVOCADOS

3.BANANAS

4.BROCOLLI

5.CAULIFLOWER

6.SWEET CORN

7.KIWI

8.MANGOES

9.ONIONS

10.PAPAYAS

11.PINEAPPLES

12.SWEET PEAS
[EWG.ORG]

Why do we swear?

2009-10-07T04:08:00.000-07:00

Why Do We Swear?

By John M Grohol PsyD
March 30, 2009

Why do people swear? Why does using a swear word make us feel better? How do we choose which word we use?

Luckily for you, the Association of Psychological Science’s Perspectives on Psychological Science just published an article that answers these important scientific questions in an article by Timothy Jay (2009). If swear words hurt your eyes, you may want to stop reading now.

Jay notes that swear words (or taboo words, as he calls them) can include sexual references (fuck), those that are profane or blasphemous (goddamn), scatological or disgusting objects (shit), animal names (pig, ass), ethnic/racial/gender slurs (fag), ancestral allusions (bastard), substandard vulgar terms and offensive slang. Taboo words can be mildly offensive to extremely offensive, and people will often use a more mild euphemism to replace a swear word when in mixed (or unknown) company.

How do we choose what word to use and when? We make choices about which word to use depending upon the company we’re in, and what our relationship is to that company, as well as the social setting. We’re more apt to use less offensive terms in mixed company or in settings where more offensive swear words might result in recrimination (such as work). For instance, people are more comfortable and are more likely to use technical terms for sexual references in mixed crowds, and to reserve the taboo words for same sex crowds or with their sexual partner. Most people feel uncomfortable saying, “Fuck” in a business or public crowd, instead falling back on less offensive words like, “Damnit.”

As Jay notes, “Swearing is like using the horn on your car, which can be used to signify a number of emotions (e.g., anger, frustration, joy, surprise).”

Taboo words can be used for a variety of reasons, including to achieve a specific reaction from others. Swearing injects a direct, succinct emotional component into the discussion, usually in order to express frustration, anger or surprise (up to two-thirds of our swearing is for just such expressions). These insulting swears can be name calling or wishing someone harm, so it’s no wonder they are often a defining feature of hate speech, verbal abuse, sexual harassment and obscene phone calls.

Swearing is beneficial in ways that people may underestimate or take for granted. Swearing is often cathartic — it often frees us of the feelings of anger or frustration we hold and allows expression for them. It can also be a useful substitute to physical violence (who would rather be punched out than to withstand being sworn at?).

Swear words can also be used in a more positive manner, in the form of jokes and humor, sex talk, storytelling, self-deprecation or even social commentary. Imagine when you want to emphasize how great you feel something is, a swear words emphasizes the positive feelings you have for that object, situation, person or event (”This concert is fucking awesome!”). Sure, we could just say “This concert is awesome,” but the addition of the swear word emphasizes the emotional reaction we have toward it — and easily conveys that emotional reaction to others.

Virtually all people swear, and people swear pretty consistently throughout their lifetime — from the moment they can speak to the day they die. Swearing is almost a universal constant in most people’s lives. Research, according to Jay, has shown we swear on average from 0.3% to 0.7% of the time — a tiny but significant percentage of our overall speech (frequently-used personal pronouns occur at approximately 1.0% rate in speech). Swearing is more common than you might think. But personality research suggests that people who swear more, not surprisingly, score higher on traits such as extraversion, dominance, hostility and Type A personalities. Swearing is not just for the uneducated or people of a lower socioeconomic class — it knows no social boundaries in its expression.

Reference:

Jay, T. (2009). The utility and ubiquity of taboo words. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(2), 153-161

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

I would have to disagree with Jay´s benefits of swearing. I feel that profanity is used because people are unable to express themselves therefore they resort to swear words. I find it offensive and dangerous especially for those individuals who use profanity daily. Swearing once in a blue moon when you are alone is not dangerous, however its a bad habit and can escalate to using it whenever you are mad or upset.

Cussing out another person -face to face - is aggression. Throwing a gross insult designed to humiliate is actually likely to escalate anger, and lead to violent or other disruptive behavior as the insulted person tries to repair his/her feelings - often by “getting even.” Obviously swear words are meant to hurt. That’s why we reserve them particularly for people who are “different” and thus inferior to “us

Kids are prone to use hurtful words to put down or humiliate those who are different and often ostracised. While pre-teens and teens are inclined to revel in using swear words to show how “tough” they are, in reality many emotionally wounded youth never recover from their inability to cope with distress by remaining “permanently wounded” angry and prone to aggressive or even violent behavior.

Not to mention swearing at others is a form of verbal abuse. Instead of telling someone we are upset or mad with them we instead use words like fuck you or fat bitch, slut, retard, etc. Instead of using profanity to express oneself, people need to learn other strategies such as talking. When you are mad or upset talk about it, it will make you feel better. Go for a run, go for a drive, etc. Try substituting profanity with something else.

McDonalds anyone?

2009-10-07T03:35:00.000-07:00

The Super Scooby, Britain's largest burger with 2,645 calories. It is sold by the Jolly Fryer takeaway in Bristol and they are offering a free can of Diet Coke to anyone who can finish it in one go.

Sad how so many people are struggling to feed their families and sometimes go days without food, while in other parts of the world food is turned into a contest of who can eat the most without puking. The food gets bigger and bigger and each contestant is asked to eat until they puke. And the prize for the one who can scarf down enough food before he pukes in under an hour? A free meal and their name and picture on the wall of fame. Nice...

Locating a McDonalds, has never been easier! What does this say about us and our obsession with fast food?

As a social worker the first thing that comes to mind is not the young boy eating at Mcdonalds, but the lack of education his family has about health and nutrition. This young boy is obese and will suffer from diabetes and other health issues that shouldnt concern someone of his age. How can parents who love their children feed them so much that they are unable to see what they are doing to their child? This young boy has picked up bad eating habits and most likely his parents are also obese. Fast food has taken over our nation, no longer do parents want to stay at home and cook a nutritious meal, instead they prefer to go out and eat unhealthy food. For those of you who have not seen the documentary Super Size Me, i would highly recommend watching it.

Spanish Class

2009-09-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

I had my first Spanish class on Monday. The social worker we met with last week enrolled me in the class and told us that it would be a small group, less than 10 people.

She told us to be at her office at 5pm on monday and she would finish the paperwork and meet the teacher and have class until 6pm. We got there at 5pm on the dot, my husband of course told me that no one in spain starts on time so we could have taken our time and not gotten their right on time. We opened up the door to the lobby and my mouth dropped in surprise, staring back at me was 25 women, all muslim. They were all moroccan so they were all chatting to one another in arabic, i of course was the only one there who spoke english. I guess my idea of meeting someone who speaks english is on hold for now.

I told my husband to wait with me until the teacher explained what we were going to do. She had all the women sit at a small table in a small room fit for 10 people, let alone 25. My husband told her i only speak english and she said it should be fine and i would pick it up quickly. She told my husband to pick me up at 6pm.

What surprised me the most was that all the women spoke spanish! I was the only one who didnt speak spanish. I know a few words but not enough to have a 5 minute conversation. It turns out all of these women took classes here last year with a different teacher. The first thing the teacher did was pass out forms that needed to be filled out. I stared at the forms and tried to make out a few words such as name, nationality, etc. The rest i just put aside and explained in my broken spanish that my husband would fill out later.

The women seemed confused that i didnt speak spanish, arabic or french, all laguanges spoken in morocco. They found it strange that i am muslim and speak english. My husband explained later that these women are from small villages in morocco where they are not used to seeing muslims who are not arabic. They have not been exposed to muslims who speak different languages or from different countries than their own.

We spent the hour learning days of the week, months and some body parts. I already knew days of the weeks and months so it wasnt that bad. I missed class yesterday so today I will see what i missed. We will be meeting 4 days a week and the class will be split into two groups. Each class session wil last 1.5 hours.

Doing some research online i came across the Points System that All of Europe has embraced for visa applicants wanting to come to their country to work or live.
To get a visa with a sponsor i only need 1,400 dollars in my bank account, and thats not counting all the fees you have to pay. I would have to pay an additional 300 dollars to register with the social work registry that is required for all social workers and if that gets approved only then can i look for jobs and get a sponsor.

We will see, it seems Denmark is easier to get a work visa, pays more but you pay more in taxes.

First, i am going to fill out the forms for the GSCC registry in the UK (only for social workers) and wait for my application to be processed. They do evaluations on your health, degree, character and background. One thing that confuses me is it mentions that the applicant must have already worked 130 supervised hours-Field Work post-degree. But then there is a spot on the form that says hours of field work that i believe counts with the supervised hours. If thats the case i have more than the 130 hours. However if they just want 130 supervised hours thats more than 2 years of experience. In the field of social work you meet with your supervisor once week for one hour. To accumulate 130 hours you would need to work more than 2 years!

That would be a problem since i just graduated, meaning id have to go back to the US work for a few years then go to the UK. We will see..... Hopefully they count field work as part of the 130 hours because then i would qualify and could work right away!

If not, theres always Denmark!!!!

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

2009-09-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Imagine your 3 year old has just been enrolled for PRE-preschool and you are told that you will need to pay $200 for books. When your child is 4, and enrolled in pre-school you will need to pay $240. I was shocked when I found out how much it costs to buy books for young kids. At those ages they do not need 10-12 work books, etc. It will be too overwhelming for them. When I was that age I remember playing and learning my ABcs… I don’t remember having to spend hours hovering over workbooks and doing homework!!! I was also informed that English is taught in grade school as a second language. I found that surprising since majority of Spaniards cant speak English. Earlier this year my husband and I met with a translator who was translating some of my documents into Spanish. She has a degree in English studies and is supposed to be fluent in English, since she is translating my document from English to Spanish. However when I met with her she was unable to communicate with me and had to use my husband as a interpreter, lol. My husband told me that most translators use software that does the job for them

Thursday, I attended a poetry reading that my husband was giving along with other organizations for minorities. Representatives from the Polish, Arab, and South American organizations recited poetry in their native language and then translated it into Spanish. Coming from a Polish-German background I asked my husband to talk to the polish women and find out if they speak English. As with everyone else I’ve met, they didn’t. Each organization was given 10 categories to read from, lullabies, riddles, wedding songs, romance, etc. I would have enjoyed it more had I known Spanish! The local newspaper and radio was there to take pictures and interview the members. I would have enjoyed it more had I known Spanish! The audience consisted mostly of senior citizens (women). Surprising, since the seniors here tend to be close minded and judgmental. Afterward they all approached my husband and patted him on the shoulder and chatted with him about what a great job he did.

Earlier that day, while out walking, I noticed the main street blocked off. 30 minutes later, looking out the window of our flat, I heard clapping and whistling from the street below. Curious, I looked down and a few seconds later a group of bicyclists rode by, along with cars with bikes on top. Police officers on motorcycles followed suit. A few minutes later more bicyclists followed. My husband than informed me that this was the Spanish equivalent to Tour De France. I’m sure everyone is familiar with Lance Armstrong, who has won the French title several times. Here in Spain, the competition is very big and they take it very seriously.
I came across an interesting article today on Camels Milk. It is being sold here in Europe, and the health benefits are numerous. However, for 1 liter of milk, you will need $15. 2 ounces of cheese will set you back $100. I can’t imagine paying that much for milk or cheese!!! I do miss goat’s milk. I have not been able to find any here in Spain. At my local health store I used to buy it weekly, along with goat cheese. For those of you familiar with Whole Foods, you know what I’m talking about! The food there is amazing.

A new law has been passed in Spain (Friday) in reference to illegal immigrants. Officers will now be questioning anyone that looks like a foreigner (Muslims especially) and checking their legal documents. That means I need to carry my Passport with me everywhere. Such a hassle. I don’t feel comfortable carrying my passport in my purse with me every time I leave the apartment, what if someone steals my purse? What if my passport falls out of my purse or I forget my purse somewhere and my passport gets stolen? I’m afraid that the one day I´ll forget to put my passport in my purse and I will be stopped and taken into custody until I can provide my passport. Had I not been wearing a hijab I am almost positive I would not be approached. I would blend in with the rest of Spaniards. The police will be focusing on Muslims and South Americans. A large percentage of immigrants who are here illegally, are South Americans.
My husband informed me that one of the reasons the law was passed was because of a mafia of Corrupt Moroccans who were bringing other Moroccans here illegally. The asking price was 10,000 and with that money the Corrupt Moroccans would provide paperwork and work permits. What happened was the people who paid the asking price would get here and not be able to find a job. With no job, they would be forced to go back to Morocco. The Moroccan traffickers therefore told them to pay them an additional amount each month to keep them here in Spain. I can understand the desperation of the Moroccans who want to come to Spain, to start over and find work. They are similar to the Mexicans who flock to the U.S. in search for jobs and a new life. The reality is there are no jobs here in Spain. The people who work for this corrupt organization go to morocco and spread the word that there are lots of jobs in Spain and make Spain look like paradise. Sad.

On a happier note, my spanish classes start next monday. Its about time!!! Ive been so lazy studying on my own, now i will have some motivation to study! Cross your fingers i meet some people who speak english!

Lottery

2009-09-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Imagine waking up and you are 50 million dollars richer. You have just inherited the money from a long lost relative. You have 24 hours to claim the money, otherwise it is gone. However, there is one condition that you must agree to, otherwise the money is given to someone else. The condition consist of leaving the U.S. (you can go anywhere in the world, Europe, asia, etc) and never returning.
For most, the more money you have, the more you want and the more complicated your life becomes. You struggle with anxiety, depression, addictions, etc. With more money you become paranoid that others only value you for your money. You become suspicious of new friends, love interests, etc. With that said, knowing all this, would you still accept the money? If so, how do you make sure you don’t change and become more materialistic? Which country would you relocate to?

Religion aside, how would you spend it?
A. Give it to charity? If so, which charities and how much?
B. Buy a new house, car, clothes? Would you be content with 1 house, 1 car, or would you buy several?
C. For those of you who never went to university, would you go and obtain a degree? If you already have a degree would you try to get more?
D. Would you travel, and if yes, where to and for how long?
E. Would you build any institutions (schools, etc)?
F. Divide it amongst family and friends?
G. Pay off loans?

If I had that much money, I would relocate to Sweeden or Switzerland. I would open up a health and beauty store and sell all organic products and produce. I wouldn’t buy a huge house, since I find huge houses creepy when only a few people live in them. I would buy an Austin Martin car and take off a few years to travel the world. I would definitely give each family member enough money that they would never have to work again and could live a life of luxury. I wouldn’t mind buying an island and spending the rest of my days there…Id have a personal chef to cook my meals and id only buy organic produce.

Change

2009-09-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Avila held their annual Midieval festival. The first weekend of every September residents of Avila go back in time to celebrate histories bloody and cruel past, crusaders, women being burned at the stake, etc. The wall that surrounds Avila gives it more of a realistic feel. I was expecting to see a few people dressed up, a few booths selling arts and crafts… Instead, everyone, and I do mean everyone, children, teenagers, adults, grandparents, dressed up. You had people dressed up as crusaders, knights, jesters, kings, queens, witches, arabs (men were dressed as Saudis, and women were of course dressed as belly dancers, very sterotpical), jews, etc. My husband and I blended in, dressed as ourselves. They had events going on throughout the day, parades, archery, sword fighting, falconry, you name it. In the evening, to keep with the theme, people kept their costumes on.

My husband has finally subscribed me to a Spanish class for foreigners. They begin in a few weeks. I will be going 4 days a week for 1.5 hours a day. I am hoping to meet some friends in this class, since I have yet to meet anyone who speaks English.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about moving to the UK to work. There are no jobs in spain for social workers unless you are fluent in Spanish. My student loans are due soon, which means I need to work a.s.a.p! To fly From England to Spain its a 2 hour flight. Therefore I would be able to visit my husband on weekends, or have him come and visit me. He is able to apply for a traveling visa which would allow him to spend 6 months in the UK if needed. The alternative is returning to the U.S., which is a 10-12 hour flight and only visiting every 6 months or on holidays (which is very pricey, tickets usually start at 1,100.)

Benefits of moving to the UK

v Free healthcare (need I say more)

v Free daycare-nannies (which will be applicable once we have kids)

v Social workers are paid more in the UK than in the US (which means I will be able to pay off my loans quicker and save more money). Average pay is around 35 dollars an hour and as much as 55 dollars an hour.

v Lots of reverts and practicing Muslims

v Closer to my husband than the U.S. (2 hour flight opposed to 10-12 hour flight), not to mention its cheaper to fly from England to Spain (80 dollars)

v Working abroad looks great on my resume

v Great experience

v Can visit my husband on weekends or meet in Italy or France for the weekend.

v I love English accents and England

Things I need to do:

v Register with a recruitment agency (They can help me find an employer in the UK who
will sponsor me.)

v Register with the Social Work industry’s governing body, the GSCC (They check your qualifications, health, background, character, etc). Registration is mandatory for all social workers in the UK and working abroad. The charge is 155 pounds, which is around 250 dollars.

ü Police clearance certificate (which i thankfully got earlier this year before come to Spain)

v UK visa (i need to find out if i can apply from Spain at the US embassy or if i need to return to the US to apply.) The website says i need to apply via mail, opposed to going in person.

ü Professional CV with references (similar to a resume, but longer)

The first time I went to the UK was during spring break, my senior year in high school. It was love at first sight. I fell in love with the people, the country, the atmosphere. I was travelling with my best friend at the time who had family in Datchet, 40 minutes from London.. My sophomore year of University i took a semester off and returned to the UK with my friend and then from there went to India. My husband spent 2 years living in Bristol, England, and loved it. We would both love to settle down and live in the UK. We both dislike Spain. The country is beautiful; however the people are racist and close minded. Anyone who is a practicing Muslim is labelled a suspect and terrorist. InshaAllah I will find a good job in the UK and be able to work and settle down there.

keys

2009-08-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have never had a problem opening doors, UNTIL i came to spain. For starters, to open my door back in the U.S. i simply inserted the key, turned it and pushed the door open.

My flat in Spain is the opposite.
1. You insert the key ( a little more than half way, less than half and it wont work)
2. You turn it almost all the way to the right, but not all the way and then turn back to the left)
3. Instead of pushing you Pull at the same time you twist the key

It took me 10 tries before i mastered it. There is no click to let you know that you have turned it enough, instead you have to play with it. My husband has no problem and cant understand why it´s such a problem for me.

We have two sets of keys. The first one is to the lobby of our apartment, the second one is to open our apartment.

Last month he was in a hurry to go to the masjid and asked if it was ok if I let myself in. I had never used the keys before but figured there was nothing to it. I said sure and he opened up the lobby door and said hed be back in 2 hours. We are on the last floor, so i took the elevator to floor 6 and got off. At this time i did not know you needed to pull and not push to open the door. I did not have my cell on me, i had left it inside. I had to go to the bathroom so was in a hurry to open the door. I inserted the key, turned it (he told me Right, Left, Right) and pushed. Nothing... Confused, i tried it again. Nothing... 10 tries later i was frustrated and confused why it wouldnt open. I figured maybe i was using the wrong key. Again nothing worked. I had a decision... Go to the payphone down the street, hope i didnt get lost, and call him to come home and open the door, OR sit and wait for 2 hours. It was already 1015pm and he wouldnt be home until after midnight. Hmmm, what to do...

i decided to try it a few more times, and nothing happened. I decided to risk it and just go to the payphone and call him. Of course he wasnt too happy that he had to come all the way home, but i had to go to the bathroom and didnt feel like waiting 2 hours outside. The masjid is a 10 min walk from our flat so he said hed be there shortly. When he arrived i watched as he opened the door with no problem. I had him show me and when he pulled, instead of pushing i asked him why he didnt tell me to do that!!! He said he did, i said he didnt, but didnt feel like arguing....
After that day i practiced and now can easily open the door. The lobby door is the one i have problems with. Sometimes it opens for me, other times it doesnt. I then feel perssured when people stand behind me trying to get in, i just move to the side and let them use their keys.

The other day my husband thought i had the keys and i thought he had them. Turns out we left them in the flat. We are on the 6th floor and next to our door is a window with a 15 foot drop to the roof. He decided to jump and walk aound the side and go in through our window which is always kept open. I of course felt it was unsafe since the roof is at a slant and if he fell he would roll right off the roof. He said it was fine and sat on the ledge and then got into push up postion so that his legs were dangling and then jumped. Whew, a sigh of relief when he landed on his feet. He walked around the side and went in through the window and opened the door and grabbed the keys.

Lesson learned; always make a spare set and give to a friend in case of an emergency!!!

Memories

2009-08-24T10:39:00.001-07:00

I remember my first iftar party soon after I converted. I was told to arrive an hour before iftar, According to Pakistanis and arabs, what the really meant was10 or 15 minutes before. Needless to say I was the first to arrive. 15 minutes before iftar everyone started to arrive and we sat around in a circle making small talk. As soon as it was time to break our fast, dates were passed around and we each took a few and sipped water.

The host began to set dishes on the table, starving i imagined eating pasta or chicken. We were told to grab a plate and eat. When I got to the table I looked at the fruit, cheese and crackers in surprise. Surely they were going to offer more than this, right? Not wanting to be rude and ask I filled my plate with fruit, cheese and a few crackers and started coming up with an excuse I could give to leave early. I figured if I left within a half an hour I could make it home in time to make something filling before taraweeh (prayer at the masjid). Looking around the group, all the sisters seemed content, chatting and laughing. Were they really filling up on fruit? I decided to go for seconds and filled my plate up again. 20 minutes later I noticed the host and her family clearing the table and bringing new dishes. Puzzled I watched as they placed 10 or more dishes on the counter and table. I could see lamb, chicken, lasagna, meat balls, pasta, rice, etc. Stunned, I turned to my friend and asked what the food was for. Dinner, she said. Dinner? I thought we just ate dinner? She laughed and told me that there is always a small meal before the real dinner is served. I looked longingly at the food on the counter and began to resent eating so much fruit and cheese.

Afterward there were 5 or 6 plates of deserts and tea I felt like I had ate enough to last me a week. I have never felt as stuffed as I did that night. Now when I break my fast I have some soup or a salad and wait 20 minutes or so before I eat something heavier. I learned the hard way that if you eat something heavy after fasting all day you feel sick and nauseous. Its better to eat something light and wait 30 minutes or so before you incorporate heavier dishes. My husband explained to me that Moroccans always have a certain soup everyday for iftar Its called Harira.. I’m not a big fan of it, but supposedly Moroccans love it and eat it every day during Ramadan. I personally would get bored eating the same thing every day when breaking my fast. The soup is similar to a minestrone but with egg (dropped into the soup, so you get strands), meat, chick peas and more spices. The first time I had it was last summer, when we visited my in-laws. While eating it my face flushed and I broke into a sweat. It takes a few hours to make. You eat it with sweets, called, shebbakeya. The sweets are dipped in honey and very addicting and tasty. Dates are a great alternative for watching the waistline. Later, everyone indulges in meats (smothered in a sauce, usually with olives and French fries), fruits, etc.

Moroccan food is good, however I’m not a fan of meat and tend to eat it once every 3 weeks, or so. In the US I ate it less often since my parents are health nuts (or at least my mom is) and prefer for tofu burgers, tofu tacos, etc. When we were in morocco we had meat for lunch and dinner, every single day. I usually would eat fish, while everyone else ate beef, lamb and chicken. I was told that Moroccans always offer meat to guests daily and it is considered rude not to have it, even if the guests protest!

Yesterday we broke our fast with minestrone (I altered it a bit and added chick peas and potatoes. Tonight we are having potato and corn chowder with salad. Later we will probably have fish. Sometimes its difficult making dishes that appeal to a spouse who is a different nationality than you. He loves Moroccan and Indian food, whereas I love Italian food. I still find it amusing that the same Muslims who don’t even pray and are involved in gambling, fornication and other sinful pleasures fast during Ramadan. You never see them at the masjid except during Ramadan. I have concluded that it must be because of peer pressure. Its become a cultural ritual in which every Muslim household engages in, regardless if they have never prayed in their life. I guess I just don’t understand why they feel the necessity to choose one of the 5 pillars of islam. In Islam the 5 pillars are

Believing Allah is one God, and the Mohammad was his messenger,

fasting during Ramadan,

praying 5 times a day,

giving zakat (charity)

Performing hajj if you are able to

With that said, we got a new computer earlier this week. Now we are just waiting for internet. Our cat loves it and tries to eat all of the cords. I don’t know what we are going to do with him, we have tried hiding the cords on top of the table but he still runs and jumps on the table and tries to swing from the wires as he nibbles on them. Ah, cats, you love them but they drive you crazy!!!

why falafel, why?

2009-08-24T10:36:00.001-07:00

Chick peas, check

Bread crumbs, check

Parsley, check

Cumin, check

Coriander, check

Mint, check

Salt and pepper, check

I think we have everything´´

I say to my husband as we head to the checkout counter at the local grocery store. As we arrive home I make my way to the kitchen and begin to assemble all of my ingredients… Tonight we are having falafels, and although I have used a premix in the past, this time I am making them from scratch. Thanks to the wonderful vegetarian cookbook I found earlier this year! On sale for $3 I might add! After assembling all of the ingredients I notice that the mixture is very dry and although the recipe does not call for any oil or water I decide to add a little bit of water to bind all of the ingredients. I then roll them into balls and put them into the fridge for 30 minutes as instructed

30 minutes later I have the balls on the counter and the frying pan heated up.

´´Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes´´ I say to my husband

One by one I drop the falafels into the frying pan and set the timer for 8 minutes. 2 minutes later I notice that something is wrong with the falafels. Is it my imagination or are they beginning to dissolve? I grab the spatula and try to move a few of the balls. Big mistake, one of the balls breaks apart and quickly dissolves into the oil… horrified; I stare as the rest of the balls dissolve, a domino effect. Looking at the timer I realize its only been 3 minutes.

´´´Does pasta sound good to you’? I call to my husband

Fast forward to yesterday. I figured the oil I added must have been the reason the falafels didn’t hold up, so I decided this time I would follow the directions exactly.

After processing everything through the blender I wet my hands as instructed by the recipe and mold them into balls. I then put them into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. 30 minutes later, I heated up my frying pan, using more oil this time, and turning the heat up higher. I was looking forward to eating them for iftar (breaking my fast). 2 minutes later, I stared stupefied as the falafels began to dissolve into the oil. This time I grabbed my husband in desperation asking him what I should do. He was also stunned and we both stared helplessly as all of the falafels dissolved in under 4 minutes….

Has anyone else had this problem? Back in the US I used to bake them; however our flat lacks an oven, so I can only use a frying pan. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it!

The first two days of fasting has been pretty good. I usually crave water toward the end of the day, not food. I have noticed that if I eat a small, light meal in the morning for sahor (pre-morning meal before the fast) I rarely feel hungry the rest of the day. I have never quite grasped the idea of eating lamb, chicken, beef, French fries, rice, pasta etc for sahor. Some Muslims act like this is their last meal and they will not see food for a week. They fill their bellies until they feel sick. It takes the body longer to digest all that food and tends to make you feel more tired throughout the day.

Prince Charming?

2009-08-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Remembering back to younger days when we were all so happy and care free
We all dreamt of a day when we would fall in love and forever it would be
We thought of days filled with sunshine and of course a prince would come our way
When we talked to our friends about it we would get so excited just waiting for that day
We would talk of walking in the moonlight holding onto his hand so tight
We would giggle as we talked about the way we would kiss each other goodnight
Our parents would look at us and smile knowing what we were whispering to our friends

Those were such innocent days I wonder why they ever had to end
Now years has passed and yes for most of us our prince did come our way But some were fooled and didn't get the prince we talked about that day
He came our way posing as a friend someone to love us till the end
But that was all an act and he soon changed from the way he had began
His ways were cruel and ugly and his fist would hurt us all so much

We weren't one of the lucky ones that would feel love from a gentle touch
We lived each day in misery hurting from an hand that held so much control
Each day losing more of our self as this evil one stole our soul
But there are days when we all sit and dream of sunshine days and princes saving us
We know we must break free from this prison and regaining our soul again is a must
So let me take your hand dear friend and help you find your way
Back to when we dreamt of real love and lived those care free days

New and Approved you... Benefits of Fasting

2009-08-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

During Ramadan I always have non muslims pursuade me not to fast. Their argument is that fasting is dangerous and is a health risk. I thought i would list 11 benefits of Fasting.

1. Fasting initiates rapid weight loss with little or no hunger. Most people are surprised at how little desire for food they have while fasting.

2. Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins.

3. Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. After fasting, both digestion and elimination are invigorated.

4. Fasting promotes the resolution of inflammatory processes, such as in rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Fasting quiets allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever.

6. Fasting promotes the drying up of abnormal fluid accumulations, such as edema in the ankles and legs and swelling in the abdomen.

7. Fasting corrects high blood pressure without drugs. Fasting will normalize blood pressure in the vast majority of cases, the blood pressure will remain low after the fast, if the person follows a health-supporting diet and lifestyle.

8. Fasting makes it easy to overcome bad habits and addictions. Many people have overcome tobacco and alcohol addictions by fasting, and even drug addictions. Fasting rapidly dissipates the craving for nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and other drugs.

9. Fasting clears the skin and whitens the eyes. It is common to see skin eruptions clear while fasting, and the whites of the eyes never look so clear and bright as they do after fasting.

10. Fasting restores taste appreciation for wholesome natural foods. People say that their taste buds come alive after fasting and that food never tasted so good.

11. Fasting is the perfect gateway to a healthful diet and lifestyle. Going on a fast gives you the motivation and enthusiasm to make a fresh start.

Where are you...

2009-08-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Narrated Abu Huraira(r.a): The Prophet said:"... whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven." (Sahih Al-Bukhari).

With Ramadan just around the corner, one must ponder, where have all the muslims been the rest of the year? Masjids that were once empty ,crowd as sisters and brothers begin to flock to the masjid. Families begin to stock up on food that would feed an army, fasts that need to be made up from the previous year are quickly made up and the race begins.....

My question is why do some muslims pick and choose which part of islam to follow. Why is fasting more important than praying? Fasting and Praying 5 times a day are part of the 5 pillars of islam, the minimum of being a muslim, yet muslims pick and choose... The first thing we are asked about on judgment day is prayer, not fasting...

"The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." [Recorded by al-Tabarani. According to al-Albani, it is sahih. Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami, vol.1, p. 503.

The importance of the prayer in Islam cannot be understated. It is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned after mentioning the testimony of faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It was made obligatory upon all the prophets and for all peoples. Allah has declared its obligatory status under majestic circumstances. For example, when Allah spoke directly to Moses, He said,

"And I have chosen you, so listen to that which is inspired to you. Verily, I am Allah! There is none worthy of worship but I, so worship Me and offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance." [Taha 13-14

Yet, there is a strong emphasis to fast during ramadan and not pray.

The same can be said about eating swine and consuming alcohol. Both are sins in islam yet some muslims would never touch either one but have no problem neglecting their prayers and fornicating.

How do you choose which is more important?

Muslims that never prayed the rest of the year flock to the masjid during ramadan. Men who have never worn an abayah begin to wear one. Men who were clean shaven the rest of the year, begin to grow a beard. Muslims you pass on the street who once ignored you, smile and greet you with salaams.

Why is it that some muslims feel that for one month of the year they should pray and treat other muslims kindly and with respect? I cant tell you how many times i have said salaams to a sister or a group of sisters at the masjid or on the street to be ignored and snubbed! At first i thought they just didnt hear me....

During Ramadan T.V. Junkies and Music Junkies reduce their time spent watching t.v. and listening to music and focus on reading quran....

One thing i have never understood is those muslims who read quran during ramadan but only in arabic. I refer to the sisters and brothers who cannot understand arabic and only read arabic but not in their own language to contemplate and reflect the verses. What is the point of reading the Quran in arabic if you do not understand what you are reading? You should read both the arabic and in your own language!

I feel saddened that our ummah has become so weak and only one month of the year do we see muslims unite....

Ramadan is more than just giving up food and drinks... It is a time to reflect and pray. I feel sorry for those sisters who spend their whole day cooking and not enjoying the beauty of fasting....

"Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you many learn piety and rightousness" (Qur'an, al-Baqarah, 2:183)

I feel sorry for the brothers and sisters who spend their days sleeping, waiting for the fast to end and not enjoying the beauty and purification a fast does to ones body and soul.

There are so many benefits of fasting, not just physically but mentally and spiritually.

"Ramadan is the (month) in which the Quran was sent down, as a guide to mankind and a clear guidance and judgment (so that mankind will distinguish from right and wrong).." (Q 2:183)

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all." [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]

My name is....

2009-08-16T10:32:00.001-07:00

Our beautiful cat has one blue eye, one green eye, very unique!

Meow! Standing in front of the stove, my little bundle of joy who joined our family a few weeks back claws at my leg. I just fed you, i exclaim as i pick him up and nuzzle him against my face! I walk over to his food dish and point out the half eaten cat food remaining. What is this, i ask him giving him kisses on his nose, do you not like your food?

I put our cat down and return to the stove to finish cooking lunch. A few seconds late i hear him meowing again,louder this time. Our cat sure is persistent! I feel a tug on my pants and look down as our cat climbs up my leg, grabs the pant string hanging from my pants and hangs on with his teeth, his body dangling from it. Ugh.....

Picking him up i shoo him away. That is when my sweet, precious cat turns into cat on speed and runs around the flat jumping on furniture and flying in the air. He swings from my abayah hanging behind the door and lands on our table. Seeing me approach him he gets a wild look in his eyes and does a flip in the air landing on the ground. He then runs and does some moves up the wall that would impress the cast of the matrix and lands at my feet. I try to catch him but he is too fast.

Sweating and out of breath, i glance at the door and notice that it is open a few inches. I had opened it earlier to let some fresh air in. He notices too and runs for the door and is able to wiggle through the opening. Swearing, i quickly grab my hijab and chase after him. He goes down the hall and sits in front of the door at the end of the hall. I bend down and start calling him to me. Tiger.... Ice Cube... Marble.... Hmmm, cant remember what name we are calling him this week. My husband and I have been unable to agree on a name, hence our cat goes by multiple names! The crazy look is still in his eye and he waits for me to approach him.

As i am about to pick him up he runs under my legs and heads toward the stairs. At the same time my husband is heading up the stairs, home from his friends house. Grab Him! I shout as he runs down the stairs. He sees my husband, turns around and runs back toward the front door and jumps on the bed. As we enter the apartment he is laying down with his eyes closed like he is sleeping.

He opens one eye lazily as my husband picks him up and i roll my eyes. Such a faker!!!

I have noticed that there are certain times in the day, especially the night when the crazy look like he is on speed takes over him and he races around the apartment, peeking behind doors and tables like he is being followed or looking for something. It lasts 15 minutes or so and then he drops on the floor and passes out. I have recently found him sleeping in the shower. I am not sure why he loves the shower so much, arent cats supposed to hate water? Apparently this cat doesnt, he will play in the shower for hours and finally lay down and sleep.

He seems to lvoe my abayahs and hijabs... Everytime i am praying he runs, jumps and lands on my back and starts to nibble on my hijab. A few times my husband had to muffle a laugh as our cat went underneath my abayah as i was standing in prayer, the only visible part of him his tail sticking out from underneath. When i bend down to make sujud he jumps on me and i have to peel him off of me as i try to stand back up....

Then there is his litter box.... I am notsure why, but he loves to pour all of the sand onto the floor leaving a few grains in the box where he then sits and goes to the bathroom. I then try to sweep it up and he attacks the broom and tries to eat it......

Maybe i should call him Angel.....

I do Exist!

2009-08-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Perdon Senor, Que Hora Es?

Son Las tres de la tarde!

Gracias!

De Nada

As I watch the woman walk away from my husband and I, i couldnt help but notice that during the whole conversation she never once looked in my direction. A bit rude, if you ask me. This is not the first time a spanish woman has approached my husband, usually an older woman, and turned to him to ask him a question in spanish with her back to me. I find it amusing that Spaniards, especially the women automatically assume that as a muslim woman i am uneducated and unable to communicate with them. I had a very similar experience last year in Spain. An American woman approached me and my husband after she heard us speaking english, turned to my husband and began asking him some questions, acting like i didnt exist. She then told him that she is also Muslim and began asking him if he works here in Spain. Again, i found it very rude that she was excluding me from the conversation and acting like i didnt exist. The ironic thing is my husband who may speak 5 languages is not a native english speaker, whereas I am.
In morrocco we were boarding a bus, talking in English when a young american woman heard us and stopped my husband to ask him a question about a nearby city.
Even though i was speaking fluent english, she was deceived by my niqab and most likely was unable to comprehend that although i was speaking english just a few minutes earlier, i somehow must not really know english!

I would have concluded that the women who approach my husband, instead of me were interested in him, had they not been senior citizens doing most of the talking. In our apartment complex the older women will stop and ask him something totally oblivious to me standing next to him. I want to shout, Hello, I am here too! They could at least awknowledge my presence by making eye contact with me while they talk, but they instead act like i am invisible!

This reminds me of a time at University when my professor asked me where i was from. Here is how the conversation went.

So, where in the middle east are you from?

Im not from the Middle east, i was born here.

Here?

Yes, canton

Canton?

Yes

What about your parents, where are they from?

The US.....

Oh,well, you speak very good english

Gee, thanks

Your welcome!

Truth = Freedom

2009-08-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

http://aspiritoftruth.blogspot.com/

An insightful blog that will educate non-muslims and muslims.

Guilty Pleasure

2009-08-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Kissing my husband goodbye, I ask him when he will be home. After Isha he promises as he grabs his keys and heads for the door. As the door closes behind him I glance at the clock on the wall and it reads 930pm. I have 2.5 hours until he returns. Perfect… I make my way to the kitchen and open up the cabinets above the fridge. Finding what i was searching for i grab a bag of chocolate cookies and chocolate for my hot chocolate. Opening up the fridge I stare and ponder what I should eat. There is a slice of pizza left over from yesterday, would he notice it missing. Hmmm, to risky… I settle on a piece of cake and close the fridge. 10 minutes later I am sipping my hot chocolate as I stare at my plate of cookies.

I grab one thinking I will just eat 2 and then stop. 10 cookies later I feel sick and quickly close the bag and take it to the kitchen. The guilt begins to set, and I stare in disbelief at the empty plate before me. Did I really just eat 10 cookies… Placing my hand on my abdomen I can almost feel my stomach expanding 3 inches. I quickly wash the empty plate and put the bag of cookies back into the cabinet hoping my husband wont notice the bag emptier. Grabbing an apple from the fridge I bite into it and then set it on the counter. Heading to the sitting room I lay down on the carpet and do 100 sit-ups. I then begin my leg lifts and squats for 5 minutes. Feeling exhausted I promise myself that I will eat healthy tomorrow and only allow myself to eat sweets once a week. At 28, I have been feeding myself these false promises for 14 years.

Tomorrow has become my favorite word, yet it never comes. Im at a healthy weight, but unfortunately this past year I have gained an extra 15 pounds that have refused to come off. I have also noticed that eating something as small as an apple causes my weight to increase one pound. This summer I exercised daily and ate healthy yet I was unable to shed more than 2 pounds. I wouldn’t mind the excess weight so much if it was distributed evenly. Instead all of my excess weight goes to my stomach giving me the look of a pregnant woman in her first trimester. My research and reading online has made me conclude that I must have hypothyroidism. I have most if not all of the symptoms and yet I am unable to access healthcare in spain until I have received my papers. That might take months, Allah knows best. Im starting to feel desperate and have resorted to homeopathic remedies, such as coconut oil.

I have read multiple forums on coconut oil and women and men who suffer from hypothyroidism. Most if not all of the people on the forums have said that coconut oil has made it possible for them to go off their thyroid medication and has corrected their thyroid. It might also explain why after 4 months of trying to conceive I have yet to get pregnant. I have read that women with hypothyroidism have a harder time conceiving and when they do it is advised that they be monitored by a doctor due to complications. Miscarriages and premature births are common amongst women who have hypothyroidism, another reason I need to have it corrected asap.

life decisions

2009-08-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

As I read the last page of Thanks For the Memories, by Cecelia Ahern, I glance over at my husband who is fast asleep.. I glance over at the clock and realize that it is 5am. Exhausted I begin to think about the characters in the book I just read and how their lives began intertwined through a blood transfusion. Ceceilia Ahern has a talent for captivating the reader and leaving them spellbound. I often have a hard time putting her novels down. This book, and PS. I love you are a must read. I would also recommend The Eight by Katherine Neville. Currently I am reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, and I have a feeling tonight will be another sleepless night spent reading. One of the perks of not working I have nothing but time to read, learn a new language and spend time with my husband. I know soon that will change and I will have less time to spend doing the things I enjoy therefore I am seizing the moment and indulging….

I always loved to read, from an early age I would go to the library and check out the maximum books allowed at one time and finish them before they were due. As a young girl I was addicted to the series Sweet Valley Twins, Nancy Drew and The Baby Sitter Club. Reading was and still is a way for me to escape. In 2^nd grade each class was told to write a short story and 3 winners from the school would be selected to have their story turned into a short play by the high school drama club. I was one of the 3 chosen .

In my High School writing class my teacher, after reading one of my short stories that was due at the end of the semester, encouraged me to submit my writings to a professional magazine. She encouraged me to follow my dream and become a writer. In College I put my dream on hold and followed another path and decided I wanted to become a psychologist. I had always been interested in the mind and how it works. I loved listening to others problems and problem solving. I imagined myself working in a forensic lab and solving murder cases and working with serial killers to better understand why they did what they did. Perhaps I watched too many movies or television shows on forensic psychologists. I am sure I looked odd sitting in book stores reading books on the minds of serial killers. Why the fascination with serial killers I cannot say…

I completed my degree but was told that to make any money or work I would need to pursue a PhD. I contemplated going to graduate school as I gathered reading material for the GRE and read up on graduate schools near me. Around the same time I decided to instead go to pharmacy school. I was working in a pharmacy and enjoyed my job and I knew the salary was good and the hours were flexible. I then began my 2 year prepharmacy course load. I managed to get through Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Anatomy Physiology, with passing grades but couldn’t fathom another 5 years of pharmacy school taking the same subjects. Toward my last semester I began to hate working in the Pharmacy, it didn’t help that my Boss sexually harassed me and denied the allegations and I was forced to transfer to other pharmacies to pick up hours. The pharmacists I worked with complained about their jobs and I began to see their job in a new light.

The Pharmacy became an assembly line. At the end of the line was the Pharmacist who standing behind their computer screen would take the medication , hold it up to the computer screen to check it with the image on the screen, bag it and then hand it to the pharmacy technician to give to the customer. Any questions for the pharmacist would be checked with the computer which would check for drug interactions and answer questions about what the drug is used for, side effects, etc. I began working at the pharmacy when I was 20 and at the age of 25 I could have answered any question a customer would have asked about a certain drug, what its used for, and so on. Often times the pharmacist I was working with would allow me to assist the customer and explain certain drugs to them, even though it went against policy. Everyone was beginning to apply for Pharmacy School and I began to panic. Is this really what I want to do with my life… Do I want to become a Robot and stand in an Assembly line 9 hours a day checking prescriptions while customers yell at me to fill their prescription first and dealing with insurance companies who don’t cover half of the drugs the patient needs….

What is my purpose in life I began to ask myself…. I had always wanted to join the Peace Corps. But do I really want to Spend 2 years away from my family and friends living in a foreign country in some remote village by myself…

I began to think about nursing.. I could always go to Nursing School, my prerequisites for pharmacy would take care of most of the classes needed to get into nursing school. However the wait list was 2 years for most schools. It just so happened that I was online one day and stumbled upon a website discussing the field of social work. I had never considered a field in Social Work yet the more I read about it the more I realized that it was the perfect job for me. The good thing was that since I already had my bachelor's degree in Psychology I would not need to go back and do a double major. Instead I would just need to apply for a graduate school and instead of going for 1 year for students who did their undergrad in social work; I would instead have to go for 2 years.

3 years later I am now a social worker. I say 3 years because due to financial reasons I was forced to go part-time.

I still need to pay off my last semester tuition and then inshaAllah I will be able to apply for my temporary license and work. As an introvert I was forced to become more social since social workers are constantly working in groups.

I hope that I will be able to find a position as a social worker here in Spain. It all depends on how quickly I learn Spanish. Perhaps I will find a company that needs English Speaking Social Workers. Another alternative would be for me to move to the UK, a 2 hour flight from Spain and work there while my husband remains in Spain temporarily.

I still think about what it would be like to be a writer and take off a few yeas, go to some remote country house near the mountain and write….Right now I am blessed with lots of free time and the possibilities are endless.

"Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your richness, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death."

Time is precious yet we always think that we will be given more time. Why is that we wait until we are busy before we set out to accomplish our goals. When we are given lots of free time most people waste it, doing useless things that have no benefit. They fill their time sitting in front of a television, spending hours staring at the screen as they fill their mind with endless junk that will not benefit them. I am not saying that a few hours here and there is bad, I am referring to those people who spend all day in front of a tv, or all day playing video games, or all day exercising and staying fit…. It becomes an obsession for them and they lose track of their real focus and meaning to life.

My husband asked me tonight if I wanted a kitten… His friend at the masjid has a cat that just had babies. Without hesitating I asked when we could pick her up….He told me he would pick her up tomorrow, that way wed have a chance to get a liter box and pick up cat food. Last summer I stayed with my husband for 3 months and we adopted two kittens. Their names were Jennah and Peanut. They were the cutest cats I had ever seen and had such amazing personalities. We've decided to name our new kitten Snowflake, due to her being all white. We gave our camera to my sister in law so I will try to take pictures of our new cat via cell phone and post it on my blog.

Moroccan Whisky (as Moroccans dub their tea)

2009-08-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Sugared Tea for Kids

Tea time in Morocco is after lunch, usually around 8pm. Moroccan tea consists of green tea, mint leaves, 5 to 6 tablespoons of sugar per pot and water. The tea is very sweet to say the least. It is common for Moroccan kids to sit with their parents and have a cup of sugared tea while enjoying a plate of pastries and sweets soaked in sugar. It is not surprising that kids in morocco usually develop cavities at an early age and lose a lot of their adult teeth. The saddest part is that there are no preventive measures being taken against proper nutrition and good dental hygiene. I find Moroccan tea too sweet and tend to drink black tea with half a cup of milk and half a cup of water, no sugar. One day I came across a woman giving her 1 year old a cup of sugared tea. Her baby, already addicted to the sugar in the tea would drink his tea and then beg his mom for more. Each time she would pour him a few ounces. When he was finished he had already consumed close to 10 ounces of sugared tea. I find it so sad that parents are uninformed about the dangers of sugar. Morocco would benefit from educational classes on nutrition and dental hygiene. Something as simple as brushing your teeth is not enforced, and most children develop bad dental hygiene as adults. Therefore as adults it is common to lose 3 or 4 teeth. Dental care is included in health care but it a lengthy process to obtain, therefore people tend to go to dentist that are not covered or not going at all. Therefore a lot of Moroccans lack proper education about dental hygiene. Those who can afford dental care, are not educated by the dentist about proper brushing and which foods to stay away from such as simple and refined sugars.

Sugar is not only bad for ones teeth but leads to other health problems such as diabetes and arthritis. Eliminating sugar from ones diet and staying away from a western diet which lacks nutrition, and sticking to a vegetarian or diet rich in vegetables and fruits and foods rich in fiber usually decreases ones chance of getting sick.

Books

2009-08-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Earlier today my husband and I went to the local library near our flat. They have an English section so I decided to pick up a few books to read. I was able to find two authors I enjoy, Paulo Coelho and Cecelia Ahern. I found a copy of their latest novels so I quickly grabbed it to read later. I was also able to find one book on Spanish words. Now that I am back from Morocco and settled I have decided to memorize 10 Spanish words a day, each month I will increase it by one word. In 5 months I will have memorized 1,806 words. Not bad.

Here is a list of some of my Goals for the rest of 2009

Memorize 10 Spanish words a day

Recite Arabic 30 minutes a day

Memorize 3 Surahs from the Quran a month

Read 1 hour of Quran daily.

My husband informed me that in Salamanca, there is a huge section of English books and books for English speakers to learn Spanish. We are going to try to go there this week or next week to pick up some Spanish grammar books for myself. Salamanca is internationally known for its Spanish courses at the University of Salamanca. I would love to eventually subscribe to the University so that I can become fluent in Spanish. Students from All over Europe, and America come to this University to learn Spanish. Therefore I should be able to find some English speaking students who I can befriend. Salamanca is also more open minded than Avila. To get to Salamanca we have to take a 1.5 hour bus ride. The city is beautiful and reminds me of Ann Arbor, MI, my hometown, with its renaissance architecture.

My words for today.

Dinner - cena

Afternoon -Tarde

Computer - Ordenador

Evening - Noche

Today - Hoy

Yesterday -Ayer

Breakfast -Desayuno

Lunch - Comida

Tomorrow - Mañana

update

2009-07-31T12:21:00.001-07:00

My return to spain involves a girl being rescued from a rapist and a naked body search. Monday night, around 10pm my husband, his brother in law, sister and her kids piled into the car to go downtown. the men were going to play soccer while the women checked out the bazaars and got henna put on their hands. on the car ride there my sister in law spotted a man dragging a woman up a hill. a few minutes later we arrived downtown and lef to go shopping.

2 hours later my husband and his brother in law returned to pick us up. they both looked very serious as we entered the car. my husband whispered to me that they never got to play soccer and would tell me why when we returned back to his sisters house. the curious person that i am i found the 10 minute drive back to his sisters very long. when we arrived at her house i nearly pounced on my husband to find out what had happened.

he told me that after they dropped us off they decided to investigate the man and the woman and turned the car aroudn to follow him. his brother in law had a huge stick and a hatchet in his car so they took the weapons and jumped out of the car. the man turned when he saw them approaching him. earlier my sister in law had noticed the man holding something to the girls chest, a weapon she presumed. they ordered the guy to step away from the woman and sit on the other side of the road. the woman was in shoch and was shaking uncontrollably and my husband called the police while his brother in law stood over the man with the hatchet. the police came and took the man and the woman to the police station to file a report. my husband and his brother in law followed the police to make a police report. sadly, the man who attempted to rape the woman is a moroccan soldier therefore he will be let off with a warning.

as for the woman she is lucky that they showed up in time otherwise her life would have been changed forever. my field work in the US was working with victims of rape and domestic violence and i know the impact rape can have on a woman and her family, epecially a muslim woman who values her virginity.

Wed afternoon my husbands brother in law drove us to the ferry doc where we would take a 45 minute ferry ride and then a 11 hour bu ride to spain. everything started out fine, we went through moroccan customs got our stamps to leave morocco, and then proceeded to the port customs to board the ferry. we got in line to have our passport checked before we went through security. they checked my husbands passport then took mine and had me follow a woman to a seperate room so she could verify it was me. she pointed to a vacant room and i saw her grab a pair of gloves from another guard. strange i thought, usually when they search me guards do not wear gloves. she asked if i spoke spanish and i said no. she did not speak a word of english. she checked my passport and then motioned for me to stand with my arms out and my leg apart.

i figured she would give me the standard pat down and then i would go through security. usually i go through security first and then they pat me down. instead she began to pat each part of my body focusing on my chest and my private parts. she then motioned for me to lift my abayah and my shirt and felt around my bra and underneath it, turned me around and felt around my stomach and back and then had me turn aroudn while she peeked into my underwear. she then motioned for me to drop my pant and squat. squat? what the hell i thought. i made a face and she got impatient and motioned again for me to squat with my pant and underwear around my ankles. she then felt around my behind searching to see if i had any weapons i can oy presume. i cant even begin to tell you how violated and humuliated i felt. i had a weie was out i stepped through ecurity grabbed my stuff and asked my husband if he had a body exam. he gave me a weird look and said no. i informed him of what the guard did to me and he turned to the guards near us and began to yell at them in spanish. they miled and said it was their job to investigate suspicious people. they said we could file a complaint if we wanted but they knew our ferry was about to leave any minute. we were forced to leave and board the ferry.

i have travelled all over the world and i have never in my life had my body violated like that. if they were suspicious of me they should have first had me go through security and then do a pat down. they use special instruments when they do a pat down that would beep if i was hiding anything, there was no reason for me to get semi naked and feel my chest, butt, stomach, vagina, etc. i know it was becaue i was wearing a niqab. spanish people are very rasict toward muslims and they have a very negative sterotype toward women in niqabs. i thought that my return to spain would be pleasant instead i am reminded of how rasict and close minded spainards are.

The 11 hour bus ride was no better, the passenger stared at us like we were terrorists. My husband and i have deicded for the time being to put niqab aside until my visa has been processed and then if i want to wear it again so be it. I like niqab and inshaallah will wear it again. i cant wait to leave spain and move to another country. my husband and i would like to move to either the UK or the Netherlands. Life is strange and unexpected. The economy in spain is horrible and most people are without jobs.

Adios

2009-07-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

After some difficulty booking our bus tickets online to return to spain; we finally were able to book them this morning. we leave this wednesday. We will be taking a taxi in the afternoon, then a ferry; go through customs, and then take a 12 hour bus ride to avila and arrive the next morning. My only concern is being denied entry to Spain and having to remain in Morocco until the end of August, before i can go back to spain. Since i currently do not have my visa and i am in the process of applying for it my husband and i decided to visit his family for 3 months and then return to spain. inshaAllah everything will be fine. Once we return to Spain i will have to find out about obtaining a visa while remaining in Spain instead of returning to the US while its being processed. If anyone has any information on applying for a visa in spain while in spain instead of from the US i would greatly appreciate it!

On thursday my husband; his nephew and niece and I went to the beach around 730am. I was expecting the beach to be deserted however the area we were in was starting to fill up. We walked for a half an hour or so until the end of the beach that was guarded for the King. There were no taxis to take us to the other beaches so we set up our stuff; and thankfully no one was around except a few kids and their moms. I wore an abayah for swimming and a hijab in case it got crowded. The water was freezing but once you dived in it felt nice. I love how clear the sea is and how you can go out deep and not have to worry about sharks!

After lunch i felt an urge to go to the bathroom but there were no restrooms near us. My husband told me to just go in the sea; since thats where everyone goes. I hinted that it would be better if i went in a toilet. He asked me if i could hold it for another hour or so. Feeling a strong urge to go i told him i had to go right away. I knew i shouldnt have eaten that huge sandwich!!! I then had him watch the area near me as i swam far enough out that no one could see what i was doing. As i was about to go i saw a few guys on surf boards coming my way. Panicking i tried to cover myself hoping theyd turn back. No such luck. I was forced to swim back toward my husband and wait. Unfortunately these guys were not going away. Out of the corner of my eye i saw a couple approaching to swim near us.

I quickly turned and swam farther out. I asked my husband to swim with me so i wouldnt draw attention to myself being alone. He cant swim so was unable to join me. I quickly went to the bathroom and was about to swim away when to my horror i saw everything float to the surface. I began to push it away but at that moment a group of people on a speed boat went by and the waves pushed it toward me. Swimming as fast as i could and hoping no one from the shore saw what was floating i swam to my husband and his niece. We had a laugh and acted like nothing had happened.

We left around 3pm and headed back to his sisters. I forgot to mention that his sister found a stray puppy that they adopted to keep as a guard dog when it gets older. It is so adorable and has green eyes. I couldnt help but play with it, its cuteness sucked me in. They named him rocky and inshaallah i will take a picture of him and post it.

Tomorrow we are going to the beach for the last time since we are leaving the following day. I am glad that we were able to find a beach that was deserted enough that i could swim. I may not have been able to remove my hijab but at least i got to enjoy the water, play in it and have fun at the beach.

Morocco is beautiful but very influenced by the West. I had high expectations for the muslims in Morocco but sadly so many of them are cultural and follow their cultural practices blindly. Grave worship is not uncommon; nor are women wearing bandans instead of hijab. Tight clothing is very common and often a hijab is thrown loosley over the hair with half of the womans hair showing. The other day i saw a strange sight. A woman in full hijab and niqab walking with her husband who had a beard and abayah. next to them were two women in shorts and tank tops and the husband was talking to them in a flirtatious manner as his wife walked on. My husband and i were both disgusted at her husbands behavior! I have never quite understood why gatbage cans are not placed around the city. Instead everyone just throws their trash on the street. Workers sweep the streets at night and by morning the streets are full of trash again.

Whe traveling by bus to other cities it is normal for the driver to stop and have men board the bus selling everything from soda to acne cream! Afterward a few men and women board to ask for money. After a few minutes they exit the bus and we leave.

The king is coming this week so workers are working hard to decorate the city, clean the streets, and make it look attractive and presentable to the King. Street vendors are forced to move their shops during the Kings stay. If you say something against the king you risk being thrown in jail; regardless if you are a foreigner. It makes you wonder about a persons character in which you force others to say only positive things about you. If you were such a good person there would be no reason to force people to like you or wave to you with soldiers pointing guns at your back .

Today we are going to my sister in laws and then later in the evening we are all going out to eat as a goodbye dinner. Tonight we are sleeping at her house and going to the beach for the last time tomorrow. My sunburn has finally turned into a tan so this time i will apply sunscreen before being out in the sun all day. I will miss my inlaws and some parts of morocco however i am longing to return back to spain; back to our own place and having our privacy returned to us. I wont miss cooking; cleaning the house or doing laundry but my privacy is worth it!

I will feel lonely not having someone to chat with besides my husband. His niece and i got along well and spent a lot of time together and i will miss her company. His nephew who is 7 is very funny and keeps me entertained at all times. When we return to spain my husband will be working. the economy is very bad in spain so inshaallah he will find a new job. I will be alone with no one to talk with but myself. I wish i had brought more books with me or that we had internet at home to keep me occupied. Inshaallah i will meet some friends who speak english, and if they are non muslim friends who will not judge me for being muslim. I wont miss the stares and negative comments from spainards but in the end my privacy is worth it..

did you know

2009-07-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month i went to use the toilet and realized that the toilet didnt flush. Panicking i played with the flush praying that it would work. My mother in law was in the kitchen next to the bathroom, so i nonchalantley slipped out and ran to find my husband. He told me to pour water into the toilet and it would flush. Water? I never heard of such a thing! I went back to the bazthroom, put some water in a bowl and poured it into the toilet, and waited. Nothing happened. I tried it a few more times becoming more impatient and wishing i hadnt eaten so much earlier. I decided to make another dash out of the bathroom and bring my husband back and show him that it didnt work. My husband calmly followed me back to the bathroom, his mom probably wondering what in the world i was doing. He then showed me that you need to fill up a bucket, which we use for showers and pour it into the toilet. I watched in awe as everything in the toilet dissapeared. Ill be darn i thought, who would have known.

comments

2009-07-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

I was informed that some people were unable to leave comments on my page. has anyone else had this problem. i havez noticed that no one has commendted on any of my recent posts so i wanted to see if the problem still exits. please either email le or comment on this post so i can fix the problem if necessary!

funeral

2009-07-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence.

Death is everywhere yet rarely does one contemplate how much time they have left in this world. Family, friends, and material things get in the way of preparation for the next world. Material wealth will be no use to a person in the next world; only his deeds. All the Prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs meaningless.

The Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on pure conjecture:

And they say, “There is not but our worldly life; we die and live (i.e. some people die and others live, replacing them) and nothing destroys us except time.” And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming. And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, their argument is only that they say, “Bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful.” Say, “God causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt,” but most of the people do not know. (Quran, 45:24-26)

Its not until there is a death in the family that one is reminded of how short life really is. you could be walking down the street, far away from the curb when a car comes out of nowhere and crashes into you killing you instantly. You could be grocery shopping when you feel a sharp pain in your chest, fall to the floor and die of a heart attack. Last week a group of men coming home from a soccer game were killed in a car crash, one of the passengers had his head decapatated. Only Allah knows when the angel of death will come to us and take our soul. Why is it that we assume we will live until an old age? Today could be your last day, are you ready? The nonbelievers who think they can cheat death or will not be questioned in the hereafter is in for a big surprise.

Think of the people of Arabia before the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad . Gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering and murdering were their main traits when they had no belief in life after death. But as soon as they accepted the belief in the One God and life after death they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They gave up their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice and equality. Similarly the denial of life after death has its consequences not only in the Hereafter but also in this world. When a nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of evils and corruption become rampant in that society and ultimately it is destroyed.

The Quran mentions the terrible end of Aad, Thamud and the Pharaoh in some detail:

[The tribes of] Thamud and Aad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e. the Resurrection]. So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast]. And as for Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind which He [i.e. God] imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees. Then do you see of them any remains? And there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities (i.e. those to which Lot was sent) with sin. And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with a seizure exceeding [in severity]. Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you [i.e. your ancestors] in the sailing ship (i.e. which was constructed by Noah). That We might make it for you a reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it. (Quran, 69:4-12)

To Allah we belong and to Allah we will return. For those who do not believe in Allah ask yourself who created you, Allah or yourself?

I am reminded by the Quran and how it states that states that this worldly life is a preparation for the eternal life after death. Those who deny it become slaves of their passions and desires, making fun of virtuous and God-conscious persons.

Such persons realize their mistake at the time of their death and wish to be given a further chance in the world but in vain. Their miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers are mentioned in the following verses of the Quran:

[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind (i.e. in that which I neglected).” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected. So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another. And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] - it is they who are the successful. But those whose scales are light - those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally. The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles (i.e. their lips having been contracted by scorching until the teeth are exposed). (Quran, 23:99-104)

Thursday night at midnight, my husbands sick aunt who we visted a few weeks ago, died. Friday was her funeral. The men had the funeral after asr and buried her.
When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed and wrapped in a clean, white cloth (usually by a family member) and buried after a special prayer, preferably the same day. Muslims consider this a final service that they can do for their relatives and an opportunity to remember that their own existence here on earth is brief. The men had the funeral after asr and buried her. The women stayed at his aunts house offering her thier condolences and support.

My husband was gone most of the day so i spent time with his niece and nephew at his parents house. Around 9pm my husband came to pick us up and take us to his aunts house. When we arrived there were close to 30 women and his niece and i made our rounds saying salams to everyone. Around 1130pm i was so hungry that i grabbed a candy bar from my purse and hid it under my hijab hoping no one would notice. The room was quiet and as i tried to open the candy bar under my hijab nonchalantly the wrapper made a loud popping sound and all eyes were on me. I pretended not to notice and motioned for my husbands niece to follow me down the hall. we both walked quickly out of the room and devoured the candy bar. Quran was read around midnight. A woman across from me was sleepîng and began to snore loudly. i had to pinch myself so that i wouldnt laugh. Around 1am we ate dinner. I sat there impatiently waiting for spoons to be passed around to each woman wondering who would take the first bite. The women atthe table next to us began to eat yet the women at my table were still waiting for more spoons!

Culture influences moroccans and for them there is no problem eating dinner this late. I on the other hand grew up eating dinner no later than 6pm! Around 2am left and i half walked half ran to his parents house ready to jump into bed and sleep!

my niece and nephew

2009-07-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

here are some pictures of my very adorable and sweet niece kayla and nephew nathan. Kayla is one and nathan is 3, mashallah. I miss them both a lot and cant wait to return to the US to see them. They both have gotten so big since i last saw them in a few months ago!

snails anyone?

2009-07-25T11:16:00.001-07:00

Cooked snails are a favorite amongst moroccans. You will find street vendors on every street selling them with a huge crowd gathered around them. When you get closer you find out that these are no sea snails. These snails are found on grave stones and are collected by the vendor who then cooks them in a broth that moroccans would die for. I honestly do not see what the facination is with them. The other day i went with my husbands niece and nephew to a woman who is famous for her cooked snails and snail sauce. for a bowl of snails soaked in broth it will cost you 20 cents. Im not sure if these snails are halal or not since they are not the same snails that are found in the sea. Therefore my husband and i are staying away from them. Even if they were halal i amnot sure if i would eat them anyway i am not a fan of food that is slimy and chewy!

2009-07-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

2009-07-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

death, it happens to everyone; are you ready?

2009-07-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

videos to contemplate and reflect

2009-07-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Unwanted house guests

2009-07-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

From an early age i have had a facination with the unknown. i enjoyed watching movies about vampires, ghosts, psychics, etc. this facination often made it hard for me to sleep at night and for years to come i would sleep with my light on as haunting images filled my head.

I would read about ghosts encounters and watch documentaries on the topic with one eye open, intrigue prevented me from changing the channel even though i knew when nighttime approached i would have difficulty sleeping out of fear.

When i embraced islam i learned about Jinns, a creation made of fire before humans. Humans are lade from clay, angels from light and jinns from fire. Jinns have a lot to do with ghost encounters; ufo sightings and other paranormal activity. Jinns are both good and evil, some are muslim, others are athiest, and so on. They like humans have free will to do good or bad.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
‘O you assembly of jinn and Mankind!’ [al-An’aam 6:130]
‘And the jinn, We created aforetime from the smokeless flame of fire’ [al-Hijr 15:27]

‘”And of us some are Muslims (who have submitted to Allaah, after listening to this Qur’aan), and of us some are Al‑Qaasitoon (disbelievers those who have deviated from the Right Path)’. And whosoever has embraced Islam (i.e. has become a Muslim by submitting to Allaah), then such have sought the Right Path.
And as for the Qaasitoon (disbelievers who deviated from the Right Path), they shall be firewood for Hell”’[al-Jinn 72:14-15]

My husbands house in morocco is over 400 years old. The room we are staying in is said to have a lot of negative energy. The first week we arrived i noticed that everytime i stepped into our bedroom i would feel drained and exhausted. at night when we would sleep i would have more than 50 dreams and my husband confirmed that he too would have an abnormal amount of dreams, often bad ones and we both found it very difficult to wake up in the morning even if we had been asleep for 10 hours or more. as soon as i woiuld leave the room i would feel better.

the bedroom we are staying in is very long and has 2 huge curtains that hang in front of the bed, in front of the curtains are cushions for guests to sit on and mirrors on the wall. As soon as my husband fell asleep i turned the lamp on and began to read a book. from time to time i would feel someone staring at me and would look around and see no one. i gelt goose bumps on my arm and looked at the clock and realized it was only 2am; 4 hours to go until the sun came up and light filled the room!

an hour later i had a strong urge to go to the bathroom. to access the bathroom you have to go down a dark hallway; down a dark, steep staircase; across a sitting room, through a dark kitchen and through a door to the bathroom. i summoned all of my courage and tiptoed out of bed and across the room and out into the dark hall way. the light for the staircase is faint and gives a blue glow like a prison cell. i quickly made my way across the sitting room refusing to look t any of the furniture out of fear of seeing someone in a white dress floating toward me, too many scary movies i know!!!!

i creaked open the kitchen door, felt around on the wall for the light switch and opened the door to the bathroom. i kept havign images of seeing someone when i exited the bathroom. when i was finished i ran up stairs, back into the bedroom and sat and waited for sunrise. i tried few times to close my eyes however i kept seeing scary images and would wake back up.

my husbands niece told me of how everytime she stays in this room she has the same dream, of a dead family who tries to kill her. other guests who have stayed here have had accidents or bd things happen to them. in morocco witchcraft is common amongst women.

i found some information from islamqa.com for further reading on jinns and how to protect yourself from the evil eye; being possessed etc...

For nonmuslims it can be strange to hear muslims refer to jinns; however we must remember that jinns are part of Allahs creation and they too can do good or evil, just like humans. Some jinns misguide nonmuslims by speaking to psychics and disguising themselves as dead people to mislead people.

‘Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them’[al-A’raaf 7:27]

‘Will you then take him (Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me’[al-Kahf 18:50]
‘Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish’[al-Rahmaan 55:26]
‘Everyone shall taste death’[Aal ‘Imraan 3:185].”
(al-Muhallaa, 1/34/35)

With regard to the jinn harming humans, this is proven to happen and it does happen. Protection against that is attained by reciting Qur’aan and adhkaar (dhikr) prescribed in sharee’ah.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“Undoubtedly the jinn can have a harmful effect on humans, and they could even kill them. They may harm a person by throwing stones at him, or by trying to terrify him, and other things that are proven in the Sunnah or indicated by real events. It was reported that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave permission to one of his Companions to go to his wife during one of the military campaigns – I think it was the campaign of al-Khandaq – as he was a young man who had recently got married.

When he reached his house, he found his wife standing at the door, and he objected to that. She said to him, ‘Go inside,’ so he went inside and found a snake curled up on the bed. He had a spear with him, so he stabbed it with the spear until it died, and at the same instant as the snake died the man also died. It was not known which of them died first, the snake or the man. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard of that, he forbade killing the harmless kinds of snakes that are found in houses, apart from those which are maimed or are streaked and malignant.

This indicates that the jinn may attack humans, and that they may harm them, as is known from real-life events. There are numerous reports which indicate that a man may come to a deserted area, and a stone may be thrown at him, but he does not see anybody, or he may hear voices or a rustling sound like the rustling of trees, and other things that may make him feel distressed and scared. A jinn may also enter the body of a human, either because of love or with the intention of harming him, or for some other reason. This is indicated in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
‘
Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to insanity’[al-Baqarah 2:275]

In such cases, the jinn may speak from inside of that person and address the one who is reading verses from the Qur’aan over him; the reciter may take a promise from the jinn never to come back, and other things concerning which there are very many reports which are widespread among the people.

So the protection which will prevent the evil of the jinn is for a person to recite that which is narrated in the Sunnah as being effective in providing protection, such as Aayat al-Kurisy, for if a person recites Aayat al-Kursiy at night, he will continue to have protection from Allaah, and no shaytaan will come near him until morning. And Allaah is the Protector.’”

(Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/287-288)
The Sunnah mentions adhkhaar (dhikr) by means of which one may gain protection from the shayaateen (devils). These include:
Seeking refuge with Allaah from the jinn:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the All Hearer, the All Knower”[Fussilat 41:36]
“And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytaan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allaah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower”
[al-A’raaf 7:200]

It was narrated from Sulaymaan ibn Sard that two men were trading insults in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them), until the face of one of them turned red. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he is suffering from would go away: ‘A’oodhu Billaahi min al-Shaytaan il-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan).’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3108; Muslim, 2610)

2 – Reciting al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two Soorahs of the Qur’aan, al-Falaq and al-Naas).
It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah from the jinn and from the evil eye until the Mi’wadhatayn were revealed, and when they were revealed he started to recite them and not anything else.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2058; he said it is hasan ghareeb. Also narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 5494; Ibn Maajah, 3511. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4905).

3 – Reciting Aayat al-Kursiy
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came to me and started grabbing handfuls of the food. I took hold of him and said, ‘I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’ He said, ‘I will teach you some words by means of which Allaah will benefit you.’ I said, ‘What are they?’ He said, ‘When you go to your bed, recite this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)…” [al-Baqarah 2:255] – until he completed the aayah. Then Allaah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked me, ‘What did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, he taught me something, and claimed that Allaah would benefit me by it.’ He said, ‘What was it?’ I said, ‘He taught me to recite Aayat al-Kursiy when I go to bed, and said that no shaytaan would come near me until morning, and that Allaah would appoint a guard for me who would stay with me.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘He told you the truth, although he is an inveterate liar. That was the Shaytaan.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3101)

4 – Reciting Soorat al-Baqarah
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not make your houses like graves, for the Shaytaan runs away from a house in which Soorat al-Baqarah is recited.”(Narrated by Muslim, 780)

5 – The last verses of Soorat al-Baqarah
It was narrated that Abu Mas’ood al-Ansaari said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever recites the last two verses of Soorat al-Baqarah at night, that will suffice him.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4723; Muslim, 807)

It was narrated from al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah inscribed a book two thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, from which the last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah were revealed. If they are recited for three nights, no shaytaan (devil)will remain in the house).
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2882. This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1799).

6 – Reciting “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god except Allaah Alone with no partner or associate; His is the Sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things)” one hundred times.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever says “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer” one hundred times in the day, will have a reward equivalent to that of freeing ten slaves, one hundred hasanahs (good deeds) will be recorded for him, and one hundred sayi’ahs (bad deeds) will be erased from his record, and it will be protection for him from the Shaytaan for that day, until evening comes. No one could achieve any better than him except the one who does more than he did.”
(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 31119; Muslim, 2691)

7 – Remembering Allaah often (dhikr)
It was narrated from al-Haarith al-Ash’ari that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah commanded Yahyaa ibn Zakariyah (peace be upon him) five things to follow and to enjoin upon the Children of Israel… and he commanded them to remember Allaah, and the likeness of that is a man who was being pursued by the enemy, until he reached a strong fortress in which he found protection; similarly a man cannot find protection from the Shaytaan except by remembering Allaah…”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2863; he said it is hasan saheeh. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1724)

8 – The adhaan
It was narrated that Suhayl ibn Abi Saalih said: “My father sent me to Bani Haarithah, and there was with me a slave of ours, or a companion of ours. Someone called out his name from a garden, and the one who was with me looked into the garden and did not see anything. I mentioned that to my father, and he said, ‘If I had known that this was going to happen to you, I would not have sent you. But if you hear a voice then make the call for prayer, for I heard Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrating that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the Shaytaan hears the call to prayer, he runs away fast.”’”(Narrated by Muslim, 389).
The word translated here as “runs away fast” may also mean “farting.”

9 – Reciting Qur’aan offers protection against the Shaytaan
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And when you (Muhammad) recite the Qur’aan, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil (or screen their hearts, so they hear or understand it not)[al-Israa’ 17:45]

unique buildings

2009-07-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Rock making shahada.

2009-07-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

We found this rock in the middle of the sea that looks like it's a fist with a finger pointing up, as if it's making shahada. (it depends on the eye of the beholder of course)

paradise for a day

2009-07-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

"We are going to the beach tomorrow", my husband announced during dinner.

"The beach, isnt it crowded?" i asked?

"We're going early in the morning when no one is around."

" Are there any sharks" I asked as images of shark attacks fill my mind.

"Not in the sea" he said, "its very safe".

Excited at the thought of swimming with no hijab and abayah i ask him what time we are leaving the next morning. He informs me that his brother in law is picking us up around 9am and the plan is for him; his dad and brother in law to fish while the women swim. I decide to swim in a pair of loose pants and a long shirt in case someone shows up unexpected. After our bags are packed, we watch a documentary on lions and then head to bed. The next morning his mom wakes us up and we quickly get dressed, grab our bag and go down stairs to have breakfast. I realize that i have no sunglasses so my husband tells me that we will buy some on our way to his sisters house.

We arent exactely sure what the plan is, all we know is that his brother in law rented a van and will be picking us up shortly. Around 10am his brother in law shows up and we head through the market and down to the van. There are only two seats; one for the driver, the other one for the passenger. I thought the van was cute and was told that its used to carry cows! My husband and father in law sat in the back of the van with the door inched open for a breeze. 20 minutes later we arrived at his sisters house.

3 hours later we left his sisters house and headed toward the beach. We were able to find a spot that was deserted so we pulled the van to the side of the road and began unpacking the beach umbrella, picnic basket, inner tubes, etc. I asked my husband what the fishing boat looked like and he smiled and said they were using the raft. What!!! the raft i exclaimed, thats not very safe. He reassured me that they werent going out very far and that he would be using a life vest.

Once everything was set up my brother in law left to go grab some stuff so i took off everything but my hijab and a pair of pants and shirt and ran across the sand to the water. The water was crystal clear so i jumped in! I cant even tell you how amazing it felt to be in the water and feel the salt on my lips. His niece and nephew joined me and we played in the water for a while and then my husband joined us.

A few hours later my brother in law returned and my husband and faher in law grabbed their fishing poles and boarded the little raft with oars in hand and headed out a few hundred yards.

When we left the beach around 9pm i felt drained. My face was burnt and i was ready to take a shower and rinse off all the sand on my body. My husband told me that him and i will start going more often after fajr and spend a few hours swimming and leave around 11am when people start arriving.

Tomorrow we are taking a bus 3 hours away to visit his sick aunt. I Ask Allah to relieve her of her pain and suffering and bless her with good health, ameen.

oh baby oh

2009-07-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

AWWW, look at the adorable bunnies, i exclaimed as i pointed at a basket of baby bunnies sleeping. A man sat next to the basket patiently reading a paper. A few yards away baby chics slept in a similar basket. Would you like one, my husband asked? Where would we keep them, i asked? On the top floor he answered calmly. Really? i asked excited at the thought of having a baby buinny and chic. What will happen to them when we return to Spain? The question made my husband laugh in which he replied, they wont last that long silly, we are going to eat them before then!

The thought of taking care of a bunny and a chic and getting attached to it only to eat it made me sick. No thanks; im not interested i said to my amused husband.

Move your elbow

2009-07-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

If you wish to leave a city in Morocco and travel to another city, regardless if its 5 linutes away you either pay for 6 spots or wait in a hot, stuffy taxi for other traveling passengers.

With that said, my husband and I were on our way to another city when we spotted a taxi about to leave. 4 other spots were taken so we took the last 2 spots. A couple grabbed the front seat and sat together which left my husband and i in the back seat with an older man and a woman in her 20s. My husband and i sat in the middle with the man next to my husband and the woman next to me. I need to mention that the woman next to me was twice my size. I want to point out that had she sat straight and kept her arms in her lap the ride would have been colfortable; however she felt the need to sit at a slant and during the hour ride she felt the need to sit half on my lap and dig her elbow into my side. I then had to balance myself on one leg and lean on my husband gasping for air as her elbow dug into my side. I tried to adjust myself a few times and she was oblivious of how she was invading my space and causing me discomfort.

Instead, she grabbed her huge purse, three times the size of a normal bag and placed it half on her lap and half on mine. She then grabbed her headphones and ipod and turned the volume up full blast, closed her eyes and dug her elbow deeper into my side. I was forced to lean forward and force my husband to squish the guy next to him who kept giving him dirty looks! Weight is not an issue, however lack of common sense and bad manners is!

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Henna

2009-07-02T12:22:00.001-07:00

In Morocco you can find talented Henna artists who will put beautiful henna designs on your feet and hands for just a few Euros! My sister in Law told me about a woman near us who does beautiful designs for a very cheap price. I love how Henna looks; unfortunately though i detest the smell! I am in the process of finding a design that i love to have on my hands and my feet.

Henna usually takes a few hours to be put on and an hour or so to dry

nice site

2009-07-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

6 years ago i was introduced to a sister who would later play a huge role in my life and greatly influence me to be a more practicing muslima. She was the first sister i met who wore niqab and i found her to be very facinating. We would run into one another at social events and parties for sisters yet never hung out. A few years ago i lost a good friend we had in common and she took her place and we became very close. Her kids and I were very close and they would often play nasheeds, one in particular Al-Khaliq by Rashid Bhikha was a favorite of ours.

Sadly a few years ago her husband got a job in Saudi Arabia and her and her family moved away. We kept in touch for awhile and then lost touch. I found a website which has a lot of free nasheeds and i found this one on the list.

http://www.guidedways.com/nasheeds.php

Chaouen

2009-06-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

My husband and I decided to spend the day in Chaouen aka the blue city. We left our house in the afternoon and took a taxi to the bus station, 15 minutes away. The bus station was better than i expected and even had a bathroom for paying customers! We grabbed some snacks and borded the bus. The bus was packed and we were able to find a pair of seats together. We sat back and got ready for the hour and half bus ride to the city. 2 girls behind us began to chat very loudly and nonstop. I thought for sure they would stop to take a breath while they ate their sandwiches but no such luck; they proceeded to chat through open mouiths with food flying in all directions. 15 minutes later i felt the bus slow down.

I looked out the window and noticed the bus pulling over to the side of the road. There was some comotion outside and the bus driver got out of the bus and the rest of us pressed our faces against the window to see what was going on. 3 police cars had pulled up behind the bus and we watched as the bus driver opened up the luggage compartment underneathj the bus. The police began pulling out random items to search.

Half of the passengers felt the need to exit the bus and find out what was going on. Since there was no air conditioning the bus had become extremely hot and stuffy. 30 minutes later the driver borded the bus with his assistant yelling at the passengers who had gotten off the bus to watch. Turns out the bus driver was smugling illegal merchandise from spain and someoine had called the police to inform them about the driver. I was tired and decided to get some sleep before we arrived in Chaouen. However every time i tried to close my eyes and sleep i was awakened by tyhe girls behind us chatting loudly and obnoxiously. An hour and half later my husband tapped the guy next to us and asked him how far to chaouen. He told us that the bus doesnt stop in that city and that we were passing through it at that very moment. My husband noticed the bus station but was confused when the driver passed it and kept driving which was why we asked. we quickly grabbed ourstuff and hopped off the bus.

By now it was midday and very hot. We looked up at the mountains in front of us and began to walk toward the city which was all uphill.

Doors are painted blue; behind it are the mountains

The city is all uphill

Public house for baking bread

View of the city with the mountains in the background

The streets and houses are painted blue

what a cute bug

2009-06-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

I was in spain when i had my first sandwich stuffed with meat and french fries. What a strange combination i thought. I opened my sandwich and removed the french fries and gave it to my husband. I was told that stuffing french fries in sandwiches is common amongst arabs. Now that i am in morocco i have had my share of unusual sandwiches stuffed with mashed potatoes and even pasta! The comination may sound strange but i have realized that it is all in your mind. The more bizarre the tastier!
I have learned to be more open minded to food and have found that i am being introduced to food that i never would have tried years ago and loving it.

My mother in law and i are doing a 10 day vegetarian detox. She has arthritis so i told her that detoxing would benefit her and reduce some of her discomfort and symptoms.

Today i was watching an islamic program that talked about the combination of ginger and milk. Supposedily the combination is very beneficial for clearing the bronchial tubes when one has bronchitis and stomach ulcers. I will have to read more on it.

I am learning to coexist with roaches, slugs and other insects. Most if not all houses in morocco have insects, it is almost impossible not to find them. Thank god they only come out at night!

I had my first face to face confrontation with a roach a few weeks ago. It was around 1am and i was famished. I went to the kitchen to grab a snack and out of the corner of my eye saw something run past me. A few seconds later i saw something move and looked and saw a cock roach staring back at me. I jumped and ran out of the kitchen asking my husband to come quick to kill it. He laughed and told me they are normal and harmless...
Normal? Maybe in morocco but not where i comle from! A few days ago i was leaving the bathroom which is inside the kitchen and saw two long twigs on the wall. As i got closer i realized they were slugs. Surprisingly i found them cute and didnt feel the need to run.

At night regardless of how many layers of socks i wear i always wake up with bites on my toes and fingers. I am skeptical of the moth that flies around the room at night that my husband claims is harmless! A few weeks ago something bit me on my eye and it was swollen for a week!

The other day my husband and i were out walking when we came across a cat laying on the curb of a busy street. I ooohed and awed over how cute it was and my husband quickly told me not to look. I gave him a strange look and asked him why. I didnt have my glasses so i couldnt see that clearly. My husband made a face and shuttered and explained to me that one of its paws was gone and blood was everwhere. To my horror the cat had been hit by some car and was laying there dying. Why is it that i can stomach seeing a humand deformed sick or dead but not an animal? when i see an injured animal or one that is suffering my heart leeps and i feel sick and depressed?

The little kitten whose eye was poked out torments me by visiting our door every afternoon, i am forced to close my eyes when we leave the house out of fear of seeing in so helpless. Times like this i wish i had followed my dream and become a vet instead of a social worker.

Will you be friend, please...

2009-06-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

After isha I grabbed my shoes and i am half way out the door when a woman in a niqab approaches me. She begins to talk to me in arabic and i tell her that i do not understand or speak arabic; only english. She leans toward me and begins to speak fast, motioning with her hands to my wrists. I look at her hands and then mine and wonder what in the world she is saying. She then grabs my hand and motions to my hands and arms which are covered by my abayah. We are now outside and i am waiting for my husband to exit the mens section and meet me. I point in the direction of the mens section and then motion for her to wait a second for my husband to come and translate.

She looks confused and i wonder if she thinks i am encouraging her to talk to my husband. After a few minuites my husband walks toward us and i quickly explain that i need him to translate. She probably wants to exchange phone numbers and get together some afternoon. After a few seconds she walks away with her son and i ask my husband eagerly what she wanted. It turns out she only wanted to remind me that since i wear niqab i should wear gloves. My husband explained to her that im a revert to islam and that we are traveling and she told him that since i am on holiday i can take it easy for now. The ironic thing is she herself had no gloves on... Perhaps i will never find anyone who speaks english and will have to entertain myself. My husband feels that i need to meet sisters who wear niqab while i am here in morocco, however i have found that a niqab does not guarentee that the sister is not cultural or that she has a good heart.

Our way to Tetouan

2009-06-16T03:58:00.000-07:00

After landing in Tangiers we drove 40 miles to Tetouan. The roads were under construction, so it was very dusty and quite a bumpy ride. All along the road you could see people selling their crops or gazing their animals (cows, goats, sheeps, and even donkeys). Also, it is worth mentioning that there is a constant presence of patriotic symbols, such as the Moroccan flag (totally red with a little green star in the middle) or the picture of the Moroccan king, which is omnipresent, even in shops or billboards. The city of Tetouan is located on a hill, facing a valley near a mountaneous area. The views are nice, however most of the buildings in the city are quite old and kind of falling apart. The city can be divided in two parts: the old city, surrounded by a big wall, with seven gates, with its very narrow streets and alleys hard to access by car; and the modern city which is less interesting but easier to access. The picture above is a mosque in Tangiers. The architecture is typically Syrian. It was a gift from the Syrian republic to the Kingdom of Morocco after the contribution of Morocco to Syria during the war against the Israli occupation of the Golan region.

A white dove is the symbol of the city of Tetouan. Perhaps because the city is painted all in white, which gives it a typically Mediterranean look.

One of the mountains surrounding the city.

A view of the mountain valley, blocked by some ugly buildings.

A view of the mountain valley

One of the seven gates that surround the old city (this gate is called Bab Al-oqla which means Gate of the Ancient Queen)

One of the main streets of the city leading to one of the seven gate in the background called bab Rwah (gate of the winds) where it is always windy. This street is almost always crowded, and next to it is a wide square leading to the main entrance of the Royal Palace.

The Royal Palace's gate.

The city of Tetouan has its very own underground irrigation system which was built in the middle ages. This water emanating from the mountain tops was conducted to houses and mosques and used for wudu (ablution) and cleaning. That's why you find many water fountains and taps in the streets of the old city.

Although the streets of the madina (or old city) are very narrow, you find a few squares where people hang out and chitchat.

The door of a small mosque

Moroccan neighbourhood looking over a small cliff.

The man in the yellow cart selling icecream (bad quality, and only kids buy it)

Moroccan flags in Tangiers.

A billboard with the picture of moroccan king Mohammed VI.

Entrance to a Zawiya (a sufi shrine)

Entrance to a masjid called Sidi Ali Ibn Raysoun, obviously sufi since it is called after a sufi wali (saint) and contains a number of graves

Airport pictures

2009-06-16T03:37:00.000-07:00

We flew from Madrid to Tangiers, which is a city with shores to both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The plane was packed and charged for the food they offered. The city of tangiers has a small international airport, some 20 miles from the city, it's clean and empty.

Moroccan party dress

2009-06-15T10:44:00.001-07:00

Typically when a woman attends a moroccan party she wears a gown similar to the one at the bottom of the page with the belt. The moroccan party dresses vary in color and design. The belt is worn tightly; similqr to a corset.

Observations

2009-06-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Local supermarket in Tetouan (northern Morocco)

Contemplate this...The average salary in morocco is around 350 dollars a month. A posh apartment with 3 bedrooms costs about 150 dollars a month. A pound of fruit from a street vender sells for a few cents....

My husband and i were in the mood for pizza so we jumped in a taxi to go to the supermarket in a nearby city to gather our ingredients. The 15 minute taxi ride to the Market cost us 1 dollar! The bus ride back; 50 cents!

As i passed the liquor and pork section i had a flash back of being in Spain. Surely i was mistaken and the rows of glass bottles i saw were soda, not alcohol. The women and men ordering pork from the deli were really ordering beef... right?

Strolling down the breakfast food isle i grabbed a box of cereal. I asked my husband how much it cost and nearly choked when he told me it was 7 dollars. 100g of cheese was 8 dollars! I looked around and noticed that most people were pushing empty shopping carts.

My husbands niece told me about a beach nearby that is empty in the morning. How i long to jump into the sea and feel the waves gently caressing my body. Since i can remember i have always been drawn to the water. I love to swim and just lay on my back and have the waves carry me while i stare at the sky. In highschool i was on the swimteam for 3 years.

The other day we went to visit my husbands sister in a nearby city next to the beach. I felt a pang of longing as i stared at the beach and the people playing in the water. I am on a quest to find a deserted beach so that i can enjoy the water and not have to worry about covering. I had to conquer my fear of heights as we climbed the stairs of a cliff overlooking the boat dock. The stairs were narrow and steep with no rail to hang onto. We walked along the narrow cliff; 40 feet above the ground; which was one feet wide with nothing but the water beneath us. My husband boasted that he could run up and down the path and i begged him not to out of fear that hed fall. He laughed and said hes done it as a child and i envisioned him falling to his death and had to swallow my anxiety and fear as he promised not to do it. As people pushed past me i clutched my husbands hand and tried not to look down. I wanted to scream at the kids who kept pushing past us.

A fisher fixes his fishing nets at the small port of the town of Mdiq.

The boats getting ready to leave in search of fish

Shadowman and shadowoman: my husband and I going for a stroll along the seashore (sunny but windy afternoon).

The Mediterranean sea with the Spanish colony of Ceuta in the horizon.

Longing for a quick dip.

____________________________________________________________

I remember watching a program about burkinis or muslima bathing suits. i dont really understand the concept.

The suit may be long but it is skin tight and resembles a diving suit. Covering is only part of it; a muslim, womans clothing should be loose so that it does not reveal the shape of her body. This suit is quite popular with muslim sisters, unfortunately.

Im starting to feel homesick for my family and friends back home. I miss the structure and organization of America. I miss the punctualness of Americans and the value of privacy. Things here are quite chaotic.

My sister-in-law invited me to a party at the end of this Month. It is for women and i will need to rent a moroccan dress for the occasian. To have your hair and maleup done by a professional it cost 2 dollars! To have your hair cut and styled 3 dollars. My husbands niece will be there so i will have someone to talk to; thank god. We are not sure if there will be dancing and music so im not sure if i will be going. Its understandable when nonmuslims question me about not listening to music; however most of the people who question me are muslims

Evidence of prohibition in the Qur’aan and Sunnah:

Allaah says in Soorat Luqmaan (interpretation of the meaning):
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah…” [Luqmaan 31:6]

Music has a way of entering your body and altering your thoughts and actions. When you enter the shopping center music blares all around you and enters your veins. You are unable to concentrate and begin to feel the music move through you and become a part of you. it whispers to you to spend all your money on useless things and not worry about the consequences. Just have fun. When you go to a discotech or club the music is blaring and it whispers to you to dance and move and shake your body against strangers. It encourages you to drink alcohol and flirt with strangers and begin to get intimate with them. You begin to lose yourself in the music and are unable to control your thoughts and actions...

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Among my ummah there will certainly be people who permit zinaa, silk, alcohol and musical instruments…” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari ta’leeqan, no. 5590; narrated as mawsool by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi. See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 91).

Moroccan graveyard

2009-06-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Goats and sheep gazing at the muslim graveyard in Tetouan (there is also a jewish and a christian garveyards). The animals do the job of a gardner, keeping weeds at bay.

The graves seldom follow the sunnah, they are quite high above the ground and they have duas etc written on the headstone. Also you find many hafiz (memorizers of the Quran) reciting on the graves in exchange of money.

The graveyard is really huge and very chaotic, generations upon generations of muslims are burried in this site.

The graveyard has become a kind of get-together place for women, they meet (especially on Thursdays) and chitchat and socialize.

My husband and I paid a visit to the local graveyard in Tetouan (Morocco). This was my first visit to a muslim graveyard. It was a little bit chaotic and somewhat dirty compared to American cemetaries. There were goats grazing all over the place and many beggars asking people for charity. We bought a bunch of some very aromatic herbs similar to rosemary which is customary to put on the grave. The Sunnah in this matter is to put any kind of green plant or herb on the grave. Also, people paid others to read quran on the graves of their loved ones, which is contrary to the sunnah. My husband and I limited ourselves to make dua for the deceased and left the place. Not without taking some pictures! So tomorrow I will update you with the pics.

excuse me....

2009-06-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

The keyboard in morocco is very different so i apologize for any errors. a few days ago i gave in to my inlaws request that i get some moroccan shoes. I know i know , i should have said no, but... my husband felt it was necessary. I gave in on one condition:::: that i pick the shoes.. Moroccan shoes are pretty, however i find them hard to walk in, which is why i like my sneakers. My issue had to do with peoples judgment regarding my shoes and judging me because of them. The expect me to wear what they wear yet if they were in America they would still wear their shoes, not sneakers. They want me to change for their benefit, not mine.

I found a pair that are similar to sneakers, thank god. Dolce and Gabana for just $14.

Im getting used to the moroccan shower and actually find it quite comfortable sitting opposed to standing. The water is harder than America. I also waste less water using a bucket. From an islamic perspective is good;since we are held accountable for any water we waste...

We are in Tetouan, 90 minutes from Tangier. Right now there is a lot of chaos with local elections. The streets are filled with flyers of the candidates running. Walking down the street you feel like you are walking in a pile of garbage, due to all the flyers on the ground.

Yesterday my husband and I were out walking with his nephew when my husband spotted someone he knew. we were close to his house so my husband told me to follow his nephew home . I followed his nephew and as we reached the house i heard someone say excuse me in english. I turned and a young woman; in jeans and a tshirt stopped me and asked me where i am from. I told her I am from the United States but living here for a few months. She motioned to my niqab and asked me if i like wearing it. She was not weraring a hijab. she seemed shocked that an american would wear niqab. we chatted for a few and i told her to visit me anytime.

My husbands niece speaks english so her and i spend a lot of time together; shes 13. She likes to dress me up in moroccan dresses and do my hair and makeup. Moroccans are fascinated and mesmorized by americans.

Moroccan dresses are very similar to indian dresses.Each dress has a huge belt that is worn with it.

I still need to load pictures on to my blog so inshaallah i will do that this week.

My inlaws are very sweet yet i am finding it hard to share my husband with everyone. i come from a culture where families do not do everything together or spend all their time together.

Another issue is privacy. it is very difficult to find privacy. relatives come and go and stop over at all hours. whereas in the US relatives and friends call before coming over or wait to be invited, here people drop by your house uninvited. it wouldnt be such a problem if we were nonmuslims and didnt seperate. alhamdulillah for my husbands niece she is alot of fun to be around and is my translator when my husband is with the men.

One fear i have being abroad, not knowing the country or the language is something happening to my husband, god forbid. May Allah protect him from all harm;Ameen. I fear being stranded in a strange country or not being able to help him due to the language barrier. Its begun to consume me and i sometimes stress about him going out without me there and something happening to him. I know whats meant to be will be, yet i feel powerless in a country where i am dependent on my husband due to the language.

Music is everywhere and is hard to escape. English rap fills the streets and cafes.

I am getting used to the beggers who sit in the middle of the street with young children in their laps begging for money. Sad, because you help a few wnd turn around and see hundreds more.

Today a cute little kitten was near our house looking confused and lost. i picked it up and brought it to my inlaws door to give it milk. There are so many strays that i wish i could take them all home with me.

Eariler i saw a vender selling straberries with one hand and a cigg in his other hand. Another man sneezed into the cart of bread next to it, which a woman bought.

Yogurt and eggs are kept out in the open, exposed to the heat...

My father in law works late so we usually eat around 11;30pm, when guests are over, later...

Moroccan food is nice, lots of fish and meat. i am careful not to overeat...

Morocco

2009-06-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my husband and I leave for morocco for 3 months. Unfortunately since i do not have a visa to stay in Spain we must travel for 3 months before i can return to Spain. In september when we return we will apply for my visa so that i remain in spain legally. Otherwise I will be traveling back and forth. I might have to return to Morocco In November for a few weeks by myself. I would stay with my in-laws while my husband files my visa. I am not allowed to apply for it while i am in spain.

Im not sure how i feel about returning to Morocco. Its a beautiful country however the people are very cultural. There are some moroccans who are islamic and not cultural however they are like a pink diamond, rare....
My in-laws are wonderful mashaAllah but living together for 3 months will be hard. Reliatives and friends of the family come and go which means i will have to have my abayah and niqab on hand at all times. The shower is moroccan in the sense that you sit on a stool and wash yourself using a bucket and sponge. I will have to take a picture of moroccan bathrooms, which lack a toilet. Alhamdulillah my in-laws have a regular toilet. The moroccan toilets in which you stand and squat are quite hard to get used to! My husbands brother is having a party in July to celebrate his new baby, however they are not used to separating and have not seen my husband in years. I am worried that they will not respect our wishes to separate and will have everyone sit together regardless. I have packed my sneakers, and for those of you who read my earlier entries on my other blog will know that in Morocco if you wear sneakers with an abayah you are looked down upon and laughed at. My husband cares more about what people think and feels i should just wear moroccan shoes, but i refuse. I tried them last time and i was left with blisters all over my feet. In morocco you walk a lot, which to me means you should wear shoes that are comfortable. Besides, why are people so fascinated in what shoes i am wearing? I am dressed properly in abayah and niqab, yet they walk by in their hijabs wrapped half around their head with their ears and necks exposed and their tight clothes and judge me on my sneakers? Sneakers that are clean and are NOT worn out, nor do they have holes! Next to my in-laws house their is a Masjid and the Athan is very loud in the morning for fajr. Unfortunately the speakers they have disguise the voice and make it sound quite horrible and loud. InshaAllah while i am in morocco i will continue my spanish and arabic studies and not be turned off by cultural practices. InshaAllah i will take loads of pics and update my blog later this week once i am settled in Morocco. The food is wonderful alhamdulillah however the food is not what i would consider healthy. most moroccan dishes are cooked with lots of oil and deep fried. Last time i was there i easily gained 10 pounds, and i walked loads! I am bringing a vegetarian cookbook and inshaAllah i will be able to show my inlaws ways to cook healthy meals that taste great, or to make moroccan cooking a bit healthier by baking it rather than frying it.

Avila 101

2009-05-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Adjusting to city life has been a challenge! I am used to the quietness of the subburbs. Last night, like most nights, drunkards are outside shouting, yelling and having a laugh at all hours of the night. Around 5am i finally heard them quiet down and I was able to get some well needed shuteye. I am a very light sleeper and the slightest sound keeps me awake. I took some pictures today of random things you can find in Spain...Enjoy!

In Europe you use Euros. Here is a picture of some euros. There are no One dollar bills. Instead you use coins.

Spainards LOVE their pork!!! The older it is, the better! Yumm, look at that tasty mold growing on the limbs. My husband and I came across some pig parts rotting in the supermarket. These are considered delicacies and easily run a few hundred euros each.
Milk is kept on shelves here on spain.
Here is the view from our flat.
Spainards use Military time. 14:21 is 2:21pm
In Spain temperature is read with celcius
Here is a picture of the pavement. I would highly recommend wearing sneakers. This pavement is new. It is kept this way to attract tourists.

The pavement is made of stone. Becareful if you wear heels!

Mind your own business

2009-05-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

Around 9:30am my husband and I went to the court house in Avila to file some documents. Our appointment was with a woman named Maria (the name has been changed due to confidentiality). My husband and i had a laugh on the way there about her reaction to me. He warned me that from his previous conversation with her on the phone scheduling our appointment that she was hostile and rude to him. On the phone my husband sounds like a spainard, however when he gave her his name her attitude and tone changed.

The documents we were filing required ID so i brought my passport with me. Mind you the courthouse is packed and there is no privacy. We enter and immediately you go through security. I had a feeling my jewlery would set the metal detector off but went through anyway. As soon as i passed through it began to beep and the guards reached instictively for their weapons on their waste (like i was hiding a bomb, mind you they probably were freaked out that i was in a niqab). I took my bracelet off and went back through and it was silent and i swear i heard them sigh in relief, lol. We then entered the waiting area until our names were called.

2 women were working the desk, which reminds me, in Spain, the majority of people workin are women. Men usually work construction (or at least what i have seen). Majority of the employees at banks, restaurants, stores, bus stations, you name it,are women. Our name is called and immediately i see a look of disgust and hatred in the eyes of the woman who we are meeting with. She begins to speak to my husband in spanish and tells him i need to remove my niqab (which isnt a problem since i need to prove ID). She then turns to my husband, after realizing i cant speak or understand spanish and informs him that i am in Spain and that i need to dress like a spainard! She says that my outfit is unacceptable.

My husband and i exchange looks and roll our eyes. By the way, she had me stand right in front of the camera and above us were a bunch of men hanging out on the rail. She then has us follow her to her desk. She then tells my husband i have to keep my niqab off while i am in the building and can do as i please when i get back on the street. Her office is very open and men are siting all around us. My husband explained that i cant do that but she made such a big deal about it and started lecturing him how we are in spain and we need to assimilate into mainstream society and dress like everyone else. Hmmm, so does that mean i should wear a short skirt with tights and a tank top (which is popular with the women)?

My niqab is long enough that i could flip it to the side so that i was still covered from the men behind us, thank goodness! How different the US is. At the US embassy a woman was assigned to me so that i could show her my ID and not have to have a man see it. I was treated with respect and kindness. Yet in Spain i am treated like a criminal and terrorist. My husband warned me that the city we are living in is very close-minded and has a deep hatred for muslims. Its no surprise that a lot of the muslim women here have begun to adapt to the spanish dress and lifestyle. I refuse, and will remain strong inshaAllah. Whats sad is a lot of the muslims here find my husband and i extreme. InshaAllah that will begin to change! I took some pictures so inshaAllah this weekend i will upload it and share it with everyone.

2009-05-27T02:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my husband and i were at the market, minding our business when a spanish woman, in her mid 40´s walked past us and exclaimed öh shit. She then proceeded to join another woman who was waiting to be served at the meat deli and exclaim loudly how my husband and i should go back to where we come from! how we are in spain and should dress like spainards. She assumed we were from afganistan, as do most spainards when they see us. She then pointed in our direction and they both stared at us, so naturally i waved.=)

She didnt realize that my husband speaks fluent spanish and could understand everything she was saying about us. He wanted to approach them and explain that we are not from afganistan and even if we were there is nothing wrong with being an afghani... But we decided to just let it go and shook our heads sadly at how easily people discriminate. Not in a million years would anyone guess that i was American. I dont blame her, i blame the media. The media portrays muslims in such a bad light and whats worse is they will find a few women who live in afghanistan who dont wear hijab-niqab and bash those sisters who do wear it and say that it is oppressive and not required in islam. These women who bash islam are cultural and have no knowledge of islam except that they were born into a muslim family.

Im getting used to the stares and insults. I have noticed that it is mostly the elder women who look in horror as i pass and exclaim ¨Oh god, jesus save us´ as they make the cross sign. Its funny when we pass little kids and they turn to their parents and ask why i am dressed in a costume, or scream and run back to their parents. I realize that in cartoons the villians are always the ones covered, which probably adds to their confusion and fear.

Around 9 am this morning the doorbell rang and we heard voices. A few minutes later my husbands phone rang and we received a call from the apartment that a plumber needs to come and look at our shower. The water seems to be leaking into the ceiling of our neighbors below us. My husband told them to come back in an hour. First of all i should explain that our apartment is similar to a flat so there is no room for me to sit and wait for the plumber to finish. Not to mention we were still sleeping! Im surprised they would just stop by without calling first!

Next tuesday we leave for morocco, im excited and apprehensive. Moroccans tend to be very cultural, so it seems my husband and i will have to make lots of dawah. Im hoping to meet a few sisters who speak english. Last time i was there i met a few sisters who also wear niqab, who approached me at the masjid and wanted to get together for lunch. Unfortunately i dont speak french-spanish or arabic so I called my husband over to translate and explain that we were just there on holiday and that unfortunately i wouldnt be able to keep in touch via email due to the language barriar. InshaAllah i will pick up spanish-arabic quickly. We have already started our lessons and I am slowly picking it up.

One day at a time

2009-05-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

My first week in spain has been wonderful, alhamdulillah! When i arrived at the airport on tuesday evening my husband and i decided to stay in madrid for the night. Our hostal was in central madrid and 6 floors up (no elevators). The stairs were steep and sprial and i felt bad having my husband carry my suitacases up the steep steps (Each weighing about 60 pounds!).

We were famished and luckly were able to find a cafe still open (11pm). Everyone we passed nearly had a heart attack as i walked by in my niqab! Spainards are not used to seeing a woman in a niqab. Most of the comments were from women who would make the sign of the cross on their chest as i passed by and swear to Jesus! Afew people would swear and stare open mouthed as we passed by. I would just smile and laugh. The food at the cafe was not very good and over priced! The next morning we stopped at the US embassy to pick up a document i needed and then went sightseeing. Surprinsingly most of the workers at the embassy speak Spanish not English. You would expect all workers to speak english at an english embassy! Thank goodness my husband is fluent in spanish and was able to explain to them what we needed.

We found a cafe that serves vegetarian food and the food was amazinG! They had fresh juice, fresh sandwiches, pasta, you name it! We got it to go and ate in a secluded section of a park.

We didnt arrive back to Avila until 10pm that evening. Both of us were exhausted. I convinced my husband to dry to detox diet with me (lemonade diet) so we both had something to eat and then sipped our laxative tea. It says its supposed to taste like chocolate however we both agreed it tasted more like cardboard lol.
The next morning we began our detox however around 4pm we were both looking through a vegetarian cookbook i had brought and began to drool over all the pitures of food! We then decided we would just fast on mondays and thursdays (islamic way) instead of doing the lemonade detox.

Ill have to take some pictures of my new place and the city im living in and post it on my blog! In spain, everyone hangs thier clothes on clothes lines outside their window. Its very rare to have a dryer in your apartment/house. Right now we are in salamanca doing some shopping and sightseeing. Next week we leave for Morocco to visit my husbands family.

Where oh where is my camera....

2009-05-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

Sipping my cappachino, i am tempted to grab a taxi and tour Ireland. My layover is 8 hours. It is now 1pm and I have been here since 8am (2am US time). Unfortunately i do not have a digital camera on me and i am feeling so drowsy, yet i am unable to sleep on the uncomfortable seats in the waiting area. I am sure security is suspicious of me as i walked up and down the terminal for 2 hours, hey at least i got my exercise! I am in love with Ireland. As I looked out my window as the plane descended i was struck by the beauty of Ireland. I have always wanted to visit Ireland, and here i am, yes only for 8 hours, but still I am here and yet I am stuck inside the airport!

My husband is in Spain and will be picking me up at 7:30pm when i arrive. I traveled on Aer Lingus and sadly i am disappointed with the airline. They only offered One meal on the whole 8 hour flight! Thankfully i was not charged the extra fee of excess weight (i was 20 pounds over on my luggage). My carry on weighs 35 pounds, my purse 20 pounds and I am also carrying a huge book (2 pounds) and a winter coat (im wearing my spring coat). My carry on has wheels (thank god), however if i stand it up by itself it falls over (all the weight). I tried to shove my winter jacket inside, however i was unable to zip it up! I was breaking a sweat walking 5 minutes with all the extra weight!

I found an Internet cafe which is how i am able to update everyone! 3 hours to go and then i will be on my way to Spain (3 1/2 hour flight). Whew, what a LONGGG day! I left yesterday at 1pm, and it has almost been 24 hours.

Goodbye today, Hello tomorrow!

2009-05-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier today my family had a good-bye dinner for me and I said my goodbyes to my sister and my niece and nephew. I'm used to seeing them once a week at least and I know it will be hard to be away from them. InshaAllah my husband and I will get a chance to come back to the US and visit this year. My niece just turned one and my nephew will be celebrating his 3rd birthday in July. I fear that they will forget me while i am away and I have seen how quickly they grow. I cant wait to have my own kids.

It amazes me that when i was younger i never wanted kids. As i grew and matured the nurturing part of me started to take over and i found myself surrounding myself around kids. For 2 years i was a nanny and found it hard to say goodbye once they put him into daycare. I know with time it gets easier however it's still hard moving to a new place, a new country to be exact and not know anyone except my husband. I am very shy and surround myself with a small group of friends. In Spain i will not have a chance to be picky instead i will look forward to meeting any sister who can speak english!

My bags are packed and sitting in the hall ready to be put into my fathers car. Tomorrow my dad and mom will drop me off at the airport and i will travel 24 hours (Detroit-Chicago-Ireland-Spain) and then meet my husband at the airport. He is already in spain waiting for me...

I now understand how immigrants feel moving to a new county and not knowing anyone. It's scary to move to a new country and not know the language. InshaAllah I will pick it up easily and become fluent within a year. I am 28 and I hope to be fluent in Spanish and Arabic before i am 30. I dont want to be dependent on my husband when walking around the city, i want to be able to go to the grocery store and not need him to translate. I want to go to a doctor or dentist and not have to sit there as he translates. InshaAllah with hard work and effort I will succeed in mastering both languages. Speaking arabic is a bonus living in spain. The reason being most immigrants migrate from Morocco or Algeria and speak arabic. Not to mention that my in-laws only speak Arabic and Spanish and it is good to know arabic when reading quran.

Im in the process of applying for my visa and inshaAllah i will get it and not have to move to morocco (if i am denied). However, if i am denied my husband and i will move to a Spanish colony in morocco where he can easily work as a translator. Who knows where i will end up, Allah knows best!

I hope that my flight will be smooth and have little to no turbulence. My last flight overseas was horrible and baggage was flying out of the overhead compartment due to the turbulence!

A few days ago i started a great novel by Ken Follett called "Night Over Water". I have 145 pages to go (total of 400). I have to finish it before tomorrow since it belongs to the library. This book is a great read for anyone who loves adventure novels. It takes place in the 1930's when Britain declared war against Germany. Pan American Flying Clipper, the most luxurious aircraft built is leaving for America. On board is a thief, an ancient princess, a woman fleeing from her husband, a murderer and so on... A few weeks ago i stumbled upon this author and have read 4 of his books (shows you how much time i have had on my hands lol).

In less than 24 hours i will be in the air and saying goodbye to my life in the US...Im sad but excited of what awaits me.....Please keep me in your duas and if anyone has any specific prayers please let me know. The best time for duas to be accepted is when traveling....

Take care and I will keep everyone updated. InshaAllah i will be able to get to an internet cafe a few times a week......

Adios Amigos!!!

the count down begins...

2009-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

I leave for Spain in 2 days! I was finally able to pack everything into two suitcases and not exceed the 80 pound weight limit. I am not sure what to expect when i get to spain so i stocked up on some of my favorite products (coconut oil, organic shampoos, and other organic products). I am hoping that i will be able to find a store similar to Whole Foods! I will be living in a city called "Avila" which is known for the huge wall that goes around the whole city.

Im sad to leave my family and friends behind, yet at the same time i am excited to be moving somewhere new and living with my husband (we have been living apart for the past year). I am hoping to make dawah to some of the sisters living in Spain as well as open spainards mind to niqab! Last year when i was in Spain, my husband and i were visiting madrid and my eyes fell upon a fellow niqaby! I was so excited that all i could do was stare, lol... Niqab is VERY rare in Spain, and i remember how my husband and i would walk down the streets and everyone would move to the other side of the street out of fear! One older gentleman made a comment about me being a hebrew woman, in which my husband corrected the man and informed him we were muslim. One couple made a comment about us dressing up in costumes (me in my niqab and my husband in his abayah). My husband stopped them and made some dawah and informed them that this is how muslims dress. They almost died of shock when they realized that my husband speaks fluent spanish!

Ah, and now i will be living amongst these people and I am determined to change their views on muslims and niqab. A lot of the muslims that live in spain are from morocco and Algeria and unfortunately a lot of the women are not very practicing. I feel that its important to first make dawah to muslims before I go out and make dawah to non-muslims. When someone converts they look to Muslims as their role model. Our ummah today is in very bad shape and needs to be woken up! I am hoping to work as a Social Worker in Spain, however i am almost certain i will need to be fluent in Spanish first. That makes me more determined to learn Spanish fluently.

Did I mention that it is rare to have a dryer in Spain? Everyone hangs their clothes from clothes lines! That might take some getting used to, i'm quite dependent on my dryer! One thing i like about Europe is all the walking! I hate getting on a treadmill and running or doing exercise videos. I prefer walking, and I love how you could easily walk for 2 or 3 hours just sightseeing! My husband and I will be using the metro/bus to get around to nearby villages and cities and walking. In June we will be going to Morocco to visit my in-laws (hour flight from Spain), so that should be fun. The only thing i dislike is not having a proper shower! In morocco its common to use buckets instead of using a regular shower.

Tomorrow my family is having a dinner to say goodbye and then I will be off to the airport monday afternoon.