-_-

I been swindled.

I feel so stupid. And so swindled.

-_-

Exciting exciting things!

Exciting exciting things! I was in AR and I just met this Londoni-Bangali lady! Which just proves that Awlad Rajab is, in fact, the centre of the universe! I was moseying along a) looking for that brother, Abdur Rahman, and b) shopping, when I thought I heard a snatch of Bangla...and then I was like...nah. But the guy looked bangali, alright, and so did the kid, and I couldn't see the lady's face, so I hovered nonchalantly around them for a little bit, pretending to be an idle shopper (more idle than normal, that is), and I heard it again! It was definitely bongla! And then I was like, apne ki bangali? And she was like, ji! And then there were fireworks and the shurtas were called to take away one loony bongali XD No, not really XD

I forgot that bangalis always ask where your graam (village) is. Isn't that strange? And then I was like, Noakhali and she said she knew someone who was from Noakhali, but lived in Dhaka - and it turned out to be Nasreen (who is also a med student at King's)! And Rukhshana from Strand who did maths - and then we compared uncles we knew (everyone knows them). I say 'we' but really, I was doing most of the enthusing and comparing XD I don't know my phone number, how useful XD so I couldn't give her it, but she gave me hers, and told me that there were more East-London bangalis right here in Madinat Nasr. Of course, I do actually know that - dad met someone he knew from East London here, and so did Baya (or maybe baya met one of our customers? la atadhakkar). But isn't that so cool!!! I hoped we might meet some banglishes at Markaz Fajr, but there aren't really any there, apart from us - they're all Russian or Somalian or American or something...couldn't even discover a Pakistani. Who'd've thought I'd turn out so fond of my bredren compatriots? But, you know, don't miss 'til it's gone, etc.

Bangalis!

Okay, new topic.

It's hard waking up early. It is - no matter how early you go to bed, it vitally sucks having to get up early. And today was no exception - I found it even harder than usual to open my eyes. I was awake - my mind always wakes up very quickly, and then engages in talking my body into getting up, too - but I just couldn't open my eyes....or at least...I opened one all the way, and the other one...it was jammed. I'd already lurched out of bed and was on my way to the bathroom (for the mirrror - too dark to see the one in my room) when it struck me that maybe my eyelid was swollen up or something. It was swollen all right - like the swollen-grape eye of Dajjal. Isn't that horrible? And there were bites all over the left side of my face, bright red lumps, and on my neck, and even on my arm. I remembered that I woke up in the middle of the night with an itching finger. Oh merciless mosquito! (what a fine alliteration ^^)

So I went to school with this Dajjal-eye, and everybody carefully didn't comment on it. And then Samiha came in!!!! I was SO EXCITED to see her!!!111 She was in my class in Level 2, and we were CHUMS, and then she went back to France to have her baby and do the ID card thing, and now she's back. She looks ezackly the same (taba'an).

Oh and also today we had our new teacher - turns out to be Samia Saghira (one of the other Samias). She's fun and interesting and I do enjoy her lessons (we had her for a lesson before, about the Russian woman who eats people). Also on blown-up-eye day. I felt horribly rude throughout the lesson when I wouldn't look up when she was talking to me (I couldn't - could only open eye about halfway), and then to look up, I had to crane my neck upwards XD XD That must've been a sight XD

Now that I think about it, many unusual things happened today. With a grapey eye. Sigh. Vanity in the plain! Really. XD

The Markaz are offering qur'an classes for their girlies again. I went to see about them and have my hijab in a twist about it all. XD See, we can all read but we don't know the names of the tajweed rules: they teach those in the 'nursery' level. That would be kind of wasted on us. So I asked if we could do private classes tailored to exactly what we want/need, which they said was cool, but they won't let Abdullah with us. And they also said it was 30LE an hour - only for the three of us (girls). Which kind of doesn't work for us. I can't afford that much for only the three of us, and it also doesn't solve Abdullah's problem which is the most important. It all kind of sucks. I was getting all excited again, too. And it's been nearly 6 months now. Long.

:(

my teacher just phoned to say we don't have lessons for the next 2 days, and that after that we have an ustadha jadeeda. I don't want an ustadha jadeeda :( I want ustadha Samia :(

:(

And I didn't even get to see her for our last lesson because I felt too ill to go to school :(


:(

I hate it when people leave. I hate being left behind and I hate leaving.

I wish she hadn't left :( She is such a lovely person, and people didn't appreciate her.

I miss her already. :(

And it seems Maryam really has left :( She was the chum supreme. :(

In the wee hours,

Baya's just left, and there is a curious feeling of desolation. I really am very sad that he has to leave us - when will we get used to this succession of departures? If there is something we've overdosed on, farewelling is one thing, and anticipating England another. And for some glorious moments we imagined internet at home XD - extremely wishful thinking.

We had one of our parties yesterday (we have one every month on the tenth; it's our 'monthiversary' party) and it was a dismal flop. Today, we didn't really plan anything party-like at all, but it seemed to spontaneously happen - even without our 'aflaam al-utlah' - and it was pleasant and comfortable. We had nice food, and happy tempers - the invaluable condiment.

Mum and dad phoned during the party and told me to say things to everyone, and I was like okay, sure, outwardly but inwardly all, huh? Me? kayfa? But I told mama I would, and plus, it's a family way for us to sit together and have our meetings whenever we are about to separate. I am sad baya is leaving - has left - we may not be the best of friends, we may have trouble even being on talking terms to each other - but for all that, we're family. And Family is Family is Family. If you haven't family, you likely will never understand how thick blood can be - when nothing ties you but blood and the deen.

'Emily was up against one of the contradictions of human nature. She was learning that you may fight with your kin--disapprove of them--even hate them, but that there is a bond between you for all that. Somehow, your very nerves and sinews are twisted with theirs. Blood is always thicker than water. Let an outsider attack--that's all.'
- Thicker than water, Emily Climbs


Wise woman, Lucy was.

Sana Jadeeda!

Woah, new year already.

Anyway! Baya is here, and boy is it a strange story - but alhamdulillah he is here safely.

Lots of things! Mum and dad sent lots of cereals again (yay) and they even sent a big 4-pack of beans! It's funny about beans, but I don't think it's all that. When mum was coming, I was desperate for anything from home, but I think that desperation's spent itself. Maybe it's that we've finally settled in and I'm not so desperately homesick anymore - we've passed the stage of denial, and have come into acceptance. I'm having fun finding new foods and making new things, and making work what is available here. I'm still kind of *blink* about having the brainwave about making fuul into beans and making our own ketchup and stuff.

And oh wow, mum sent eid food! She was sad when she came that she didn't get to cook special khana food for us but she sent a two whole big containers of pholau and tandoori and even baza maas fried fishies! She knows we don't really eat fish here, and we certainly don't have the nice kind we have at home, so we're even looking forward to eating it! It's like opening a treaure chest!

Okay, I gotta start at the beginning of yesterday. Ish. Seeing Baya the first time was like, *blink* - he's so tall and bearded and stuff. It's so comforting to see his beard. That's probably the bit of him I was gladdest to see - it's like, look! An honest to God beard! I kind of instinctively trust someone with a comforting beard - a nice, well-kept, well-covering beard. There's something honest about it. All those men with their cleanshaven pretty-boy faces looking like girls - wear your beards, gentlemen!

So anyway. After the fiasco of Saturday night, we arranged with Shamim Baya to meet him at the foot of the building at 2.30 am, and then go to the airport. So when he turns up one hour before, and says I'm downstairs, are you coming...well, no. No, I'm not. We arranged to meet at 2.30. Why are you here and 1.30? WHY? And then you tell me to come anyway? NO. We arranged an AGREED TIME. Don't come at an ungodly time and tell me to go somewhere and THEN get mad with me. I'm a girl and I'm not related to you. Don't treat with familiarity like I can or will traipse out with you at any hour of the night. So he got mad and said, fine, I'm going on my own. Anyhow, I'd been waiting for ages to watch TV (XD) so I wasn't about to leave at the part I wanted to watch most (where everyone Jack dies)(it was Titanic XD XD). So I was like, fine, whatever.

Grumpy, grumpy.