Heard on the street

Tonight I am very tired so tonight I will keep it short. I have been around a lot kids so I have some pretty hilarious statement and some really interesting questions. so this my version of kids say the darn-est things. Any one who spends time with children knows how incredibly inquisitive they are. They are really honest and they will call things as they see unless of course they ditching trouble and then the creative lying comes into play.

If you are around children you will learn how to get around their curiosity and their requests without  lying to them. And has no one has mastered this as well as my auntie. Masha'Allah she is a clever lady. I went shopping  with her  and the kids today.  Her son came up to her with a toy gun and he said "Hooyo (mom) can you buy this for me?" and she replays "ok, I will get it for you when you join the army!" A few minutes later her other son comes with a pair of NBA arm sleeves and says "Hooyo, can you buy me this?" To which she answers "ok hooyo, I will get it for you when you join the NBA!"

Living the good life (Somali style) in Minneapolis

Minnesota has a large Somali Population and the Majority of the Somalis in the state live in Minneapolis/St. Paul area and they have had major affects  on this area since they arrived in huge numbers after they came to the United States in the 90’s.  It has been a very interesting day here for me. My whole day was filled with many nostalgic moments and many hilarious moments; nostalgic when I took a tour inside a Dugsi (Islamic school for kids) because I was reminded of my childhood. Every Somali kid back home went to Dugsi in the weekends and I was reminded of studying my Arabic alphabets and memorizing chapters of the Quran and reciting to Macalins (teachers). This has been especially touching for me because since my settlement in this country my Islamic studies have gone solo and lonely, with no company but the internet and occasional Thursday lectures at the masjid.

Something that made me laugh was how really at home the Somalis have gotten in Minneapolis, I mean they marked the place with special quirky way that only Somalis can do. Many of the people who know me really well know my dislike for the big Curtains that you can only find in Somali households.  Every Somali I know covers the inside of their houses wall to wall with these special curtains. Sometimes when we give each other directions in Lansing we would say things like “you wouldn't miss it… it is the gray house with the blue curtains on the left of the street” They do come in many colors but the most favored colors are usually burgundy and gold and these things were everywhere today when I was driving around town and that really made my day and changed how felt about them!

                                        An office building with burgundy/gold curtains lolz :)

The reality is that the Somali population of Minnesota has found a place that they feel at home curtains and all and they have positive affects that changed the face of the state as well as the nation. They run businesses in the area, attend and send their kids to universities and they are consumers within the local economy. They are involved in politics and  had a big part in the campaign and election of the First Muslim U.S congressman Keith Ellison and that’s a fantastic achievement in my book! (Sheik-Abdi, 2006)

Driving by a grocery/bakery with a Somali name 

                        Inside Karmel Mall (the most Somali businesses I have seen outside Kenya)

Sheik-Abdi, S. (2006, November 15). Local Somali vote is hidden, yet powerful. In Hiiraan Online. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://www.hiiraan.com/news2/2006/nov/local_somali_vote_is_hidden,_yet_powerful.aspx

The Travel Dua (prayer)

In Islam we are taught to be in constant state of  remembrance (dhikr) of Allah. But you know life gets in the way and some Muslims, including myself, just get too preoccupied with whatever activities our day throws at us. So we forget. Traveling in itself is a stressful thing for most us and for people like myself, a home-buddy who likes the idea of traveling more than the reality of it the stress is more. Not mention the whole flying-while-Muslim bit which I have been hearing horror stories  left and right  from family members and friends and  no wonder I am even more stressed these... but insha'Allah I hope that non of that happens to me. 


It is more important now more than ever that Muslims make dua (prayer) before traveling so Allah can give us the strength to cope with all the stressful situations that we come across at the Airports. With that mind, I will go ahead and post this travel dua for myself and any of you  who are traveling anytime soon or in the distant future. 

   
Translation: 

Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great. Glory is to Him Who has provided this for us though we could never have had it by our efforts. Surely, unto our Lord we are returning. O Allah, we ask You on this our journey for goodness and piety, and for works that are pleasing to You . O Allah , lighten this journey for us and make its distance easy for us . O Allah, You are our Companion on the road and the One in Whose care we leave our family . O Allah , I seek refuge in You from this journey's hardships, and from the wicked sights in store and from finding our family and property in misfortune upon returning.

To see this dua and more information about Islam and Muslims go to 
http://www.islamawareness.net/Dua/Fortress/096.html

Hello World!

 I am very excited to be able to do this. I always wanted to keep a weblog. Wait a minute! Do people still call it that? Anyways, time to get to the important stuff. I have always been writing, I kept a diary from the time I was in the nineth grade and all through high school and college. But since I am all grown up now I call it a journal. What are there differences between diaries and journals you might be asking? Well for one, I don't begin my entries with the ever so corny "Dear diary".

Well the reason for the blog is to record my upcoming trip to Minneapolis MN. I will be there for sixteen days and so I plan to make an entry for each day insha'Allah, and who knows where life takes me after that?  I might turn this little blog into a travel blog or maybe not. There will be entries though... you can be sure whatever I end up doing after this trip I will keep writing inshal'Allah! So keep reading

Here is something pretty to look at until my next post. Hope you enjoy!