Livin' the good life.

والله لأتزوجه

I love her conviction.

guilty of neglect.

Dude. Arabic readers read this. Creative.

MIA

Where have I been?

Month-long trial at a company, we'll see how it goes...(2 weeks in)

Still freelancing.

Trying to have a social life.

Let's not forget its still human mating season. (and babies, and death)

For Now...

Sometimes, the only thing that makes me feel better is that nothing is permanent.

Hysterical song, enjoy.

Faith: practice makes perfect

As cliche as Nike's "Just Do It" has become I find that it best describes my attitude towards the ritualistic aspects of Islam.

Faith, like everything else in life, is driven more by habit than by internal spiritual motivation. It's a matter of conscious commitment.

The problem is that puts me at odds with the popular religious rhetoric.

We pray our five daily prayers because we believe. We only come to miss praying when it becomes a habit. When I lived in the U.S. praying Isha'a in congregation at the mosque was something I did daily. I miss it when I don't go, not because of some spiritual calling but because it has become a habit. The sights, the sounds, the motions and even the people at the mosque made my night complete.

Yes there is a bond that develops eventually, at least I hope, but it doesn't happen instantly. News Flash: The minute you start praying your life won't change. Chances are NOTHING will happen. Eventually, it becomes part of who you are, you develop a stronger God-consciousness by habit.

This has always been my approach to religion, if something is prescribed and I believe it then I won't wait for a "calling" to at least attempt it.

I've always been bothered by preachers who make rituals romantic. "Fajer prayer will bring you peace and sakeena..." Riiiight. May be true for some BUT personal experience has taught me that in the immediate future fajer prayers will disrupt my sleep and annoy the crap out of me because I have to take it into account while trying to get to sleep the night before.*

Romantics say "hijab will feel right and you'll feel spiritual and protected." I say clearly that's a statement made by a man. Hijab is hot and it crimps your style (if you're doing it right) but that's all beside the point.

If you believe that hijab is right should it matter how it'll make you feel? Because regardless of the way you feel, if you start you'll get used to it and it'll be part of you soon enough. I'm not saying the practice is without challenges.

One of the tabiyeen, the generation after the companions, said something to the effect of "I struggled with myself to pray Qiyam ul-Lail for 20 years, then came to enjoy them 20 years after." If it took a tabi3i, who arguably had a stronger connection to the Prophet than we do and much less distractions, 20 full years to begin to enjoy the voluntary prayers why are preachers talking of instant gratification to my generation?

I guess like pretty much everything else, my approach to religion is practical and logical. And I think religious romantics are doing us all a disfavor with their rhetoric.


Earlier posts on faith here.

ChickenPox: the Quirks meme.

Like an ugly stomach bug that's been going around, I knew this was coming.

The 6 quirks meme courtesy of Palomino



1) I hate gum. (and poprocks.) *
2) When at a restaurant, I can't sit with my back to an aisle or anywhere else people walk. (I got whacked on the back of my head with a hotplate once, my life has never been the same.)
3) I have to wash my feet before I go to bed.
4) When IMing...I punctuate everything with ellipses...I do that on the blog also... I dunno why...it just seems like more of a conversation....like this...*
5) I cannot sleep with wet hair. (I thought this was normal.)*
6) I'm obsessed with organizing, decluttering and minimalism. My vanity's top is completely empty, everything is in drawers. In my bathroom, the only visible products (I tear of labels or change bottles to nicer ones) are those I use daily, everything else is in baskets on shelves.


Consider yourself tagged if you'd like to do the meme.

* quirks provided by NobRa.

Over the past ten days, I learned:

• I love big cities. I feel more at home.
• As I expected, Kuwaitis don't do London well.
  
• Shopping for more than three days straight will make me miserable.
• I need alone time.
• I could be having world's of fun, but without the internet I feel like there's a gaping hole in my soul.
  
• My dependence on coffee has reached serious addiction levels.
• That me traveling without Arabic coffee grinds is not good for anyone. (Indeed, I am a little old bedouin lady.)
• Ipod's rock.
• Turkey has issues.

I made it!

Aayan in London
Originally uploaded by aayansiddiqui