Happy New Year

I guess a lot has happened to me this year.

The biggest thing being "Goodbye, Saudi. Hello America".

I made a lot of new friends in the first half of this year, and during the 2nd half of the year I got separated from them all. Old and new. When we first moved here, I missed the new ones a lot. Now, more than anything, I wish I could see the older ones. I don't think it is even possible for me to meet anyone that had as much in common as we did.
I don't know when I'll see any of them again.

We moved back to the US after living in K of SA for 13 years.

I became a lot more moodier this year, I've noticed. So have others.

I've had braces this entire year. (Can't wait 'till I get them taken off!)

My nephew has officially become my favorite person in the world.

I think I've matured a lot this year.

There's a lot I hope to accomplish in 2008. To name a few:

-Top priority is to stop procrastinating.
-I'd also like to get my driver's license.
-Eat healthier, and become more healthy in general.
-I'm hoping that my new schedule for this coming semester is more flexible so I won't have classes everyday. Then I'll have more time to do other things.
-I want to sign up for sewing classes! There's a place near by that offers them. I'm going to give that a shot.
-I'm going to do more reading this year. Start and finish reading more books.
-Read more Qur'an.
-Stop losing my glasses =/
-Read more Arabic books so I won't start forgetting it! I wonder if I can order Arabic novels on Amazon? At any rate, I'm definitely aiming to keep up may Arabic blog.
-Get a job! Or an internship.
-Stop dwelling on me missing life back in Riyo would probably be a good thing to do. I'm not saying that I should forget it (And it's not like thats possible anyway!). But I won't be going back anytime soon. So I guess it's time for me to start accepting that.
-Try to be more outgoing; hopefully I'll make new friends by this time next year.
-Try not to lose myself and forget who I am.
-Seize more opportunities instead of letting them pass me by.
-Become more independent.
-And last but not least, keep on wandering down the road of self discovery.

Happy New Year everyone.

P.S. Happy birthday to my blog.
My (2nd?) blogiversary. ;)
I started it on New Years Eve, 2005.
(^_*)
I had Haloscan comment boxes (they're sexy as hell!) back then though, so as I look back at the really old posts, none of the comments are there :"( I had such fond memories in the old comments. I think removed the Haloscan comments and switched to the normal blogger ones some time ...last year?
Happy Birthday bloggi al7abiba <3

An open letter

Dear parents,

There so so much that I wish I could say to you. I just don't have the guts to.
For fear of being called disrespectful. For fear of you accusing me of hypocrisy. And for fear that you really won't care of my opinions; which you usually don't.
How dare you, may I ask, have an attitude with me because of the so-called "too much time" that I spend on the internet? Most of the time spent is staying in contact with my friends; it's not like I have a booming social life at the moment, and even if I did; I'm positive that you'd find something wrong with that. I've canceled many previous plans of going out just because I didn't want to have you down my back. There will always be something found wrong with anything that I like and enjoy it seems; unless it's something "Islamic" and even then! If it's not something that follows your same theology or opinion or whatever, then it's deemed wrong.

You know, I'm sorry that I'm not the perfect little Muslim daughter that you'd probably like to have. I'm sorry that I'm not interested in reading that Islamic books that you try to push down my throat form time to time. I'm sorry that don't really enjoy going to Mosque with you. I'm sorry that even though I try to wear Hijab just to please you, it still isn't good enough for you.

What was the point of me ever being the "good" kid? I do what I'm told for the most part. Teachers never complained about me. I stayed out of trouble. I like to think of myself as a pretty respectful person. I have never cursed at you. I've never done anything that you should feel ashamed of. Yet in return, all you do is find things to complain about.

Well you know what? I'm fucking tired of it.
I'm 20 years old. Must I walk around the house smiling and gleeful when I'm in no mood to smile or feel happy, just to make YOU feel better?
Reality is, I'm pissed off. A lot. And I have every right to be.
I feel like I have no control over my life. It's always everyone else telling me what to do. How to act. What my opinion should be. How I should feel.

It's not fair. I often find myself asking now more than ever "Why couldn't I have been born a male?" I think the male version of me would have a much better life.

If I'm not mistaken, when you were my age, there was no one telling you how to live your life, nor were you very religious. So why such expectations of me?

You do not know how badly I want to be out of the house, living on my own, right now.
Hopefully, I'll have my chance to. Maybe not very soon, but at the same time sooner than you think. And if you think that it'll be because of me getting married, then I think you have another thing coming.

Do I sound rude? Sorry.



I think I'll stop right here.

NC, essays, Sweeney Todd, and sheesha.

It feels like this post is overdue even though it probably isn't.
I feel like I have an obligation to update this bitch! Haha.

Let's see. Hmmm..

- I just got back from North Carolina last night. Well, technically the night before last. But I'm up at odd hours so it still feels like it's tonight when in actuality it's already tomorrow? Yeah.
Anyhoo, we (my mother, nephew, aunt, aunt's foster kid, uncle, cousin, and I. My brother was supposed to show up, but he didn't of course. As usual -_-) went down to see my grandmother for Christmas. Nothing too interesting happened. The most exciting thing I did was probably the movies; my uncle wanted to see The Great Debaters. OK movie, but I was expecting better..

I did learn one thing, though - I really dislike North Carolina. The town my grandmother lives in anyway. Blekh. I won't be going there again ANY TIME SOON. It's so dead =/ I seriously felt as if some of my senses had been cut off while I was there. And when we got back home, it felt like they all of a sudden got turned back on.
It felt great.


- Writing college admission essays is a bitch (I'm trying to transfer next September) :( What is it exactly that they want to read about you? And how do I know what it is that I need to say to grab their attention? Bull.

- Went to see "Sweeney Todd" today! 'Twas pretty good. And cute for some reason.
I find grinding people up and serving them in meat pies cute. Yeah.
But really, I loved it. Good movie - and not just because Johnny Depp is in it.
I'm one of the few females that does not find him hott. Ha!
The guy who played "Wormtail" in Harry Potter, and Alan Rickman who played Snape in Harry Potter both played the parts of villains in Sweeney Todd. That was a plus in my book.

-I'm dying for Sheesha at the moment. Craving for it like mad. And it sucks.
Which reminds me of the times we spent on Phaty's roof back in Riyo. Most of the time we'd all share one. Looool. I've been told that isn't very healthy.
Sheesha along with 2 pints of ice cream and 7 spoons. Aaaah...bliss.

(In Phaty's roof room)

(Outside on Phaty's roof. It was really chilly that day, haha.)

*goes into depressive 'i miss my friends' mode for the 80th time this week*

Heh.

And they're back (the dreams)

I'm in an apartment, on one of the highest floors and I look down, and I see this guy with sunglasses on, holding a child's hand approaching our apartment building. Even though I'm up really high, I can see them quite clearly. A few seconds later, there's a knock on my apartment building door, and someone answers it ( I don't know who). I'm in my room, and in walks Djimon Hounsou (!!!) with a child. The kid was a kid that I know back in Riyo. But in my dream he's blind.
I see him, and I start crying because apparently, I had taught him Qur'an (??) and I hadn't seen him in years. We then hug, and he gives me 3 little pieces of paper; one of them has a grant on it. I don't remember what was on the other two, but I think they were both positive.

Then they both turn around and leave.


The end.

:">

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Muslim man jumped to the aid of three Jewish subway riders after they were attacked by a group of young people who objected to one of the Jews saying "Happy Hanukkah," a spokeswoman for the three said Wednesday.

Friday's altercation on the Q train began when somebody yelled out "Merry Christmas," to which rider Walter Adler responded, "Happy Hanukkah," said Toba Hellerstein.

"Almost immediately, you see the look in this guy's face like I've called his mother something," Adler told CNN affiliate WABC.

Two women who were with a group of 10 rowdy people then began to verbally assault Adler's companions with anti-Semitic language, Hellerstein said.

One member of the group allegedly yelled, "Oh, Hanukkah. That's the day that the Jews killed Jesus," she said.

When Adler tried to intercede, a male member of the group punched him, she said.

Another passenger, Hassan Askari -- a Muslim student from Bangladesh -- came to Adler's aid, and the group began physically and verbally assaulting him, Hellerstein said.

"A Muslim-American saved us when our own people were on the train and didn't do anything," Adler said.

Adler pulled the emergency brake and the train stopped at DeKalb Avenue station, where police came on board.

The 10 suspects, ages 19 to 20, were taken into custody, said Brooklyn district attorney spokesman Sandy Silverstein.

Askari was first handcuffed alongside them, but he was released when Adler told police he was not an attacker, Hellerstein said.

Alder was treated at Long Island College Hospital for injuries that included a fractured nose and a cut lip that required several stitches, while Askari suffered a black eye, Hellerstein said.

The suspects are to appear in Brooklyn District Court on February 7 on charges that include assault, attempted assault, menacing, harassment, unlawful assembly, riot and disorderly conduct, Silverstein said.

The New York Police Department's Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident, and will determine whether the suspects will be charged with hate crimes, Officer Philip Hauser told CNN. [source]

(Here's the video)




Awwww, finally something positive about us!
I demand more of this, and less teddy bear rioting.
Seriously.

Hassan, you don't know how much you've just done for our PR.
Hats off to you, man. I'm so proud. Really.



And btw, a shout out to the lovely Mochness!
Happy Birthday, hon!

Love you.

Snow! Hey oh

Writing my moniker in the snow like the deprived desert person that I am. I got a stare.

Hungrily taking pictures whilst waiting for the train. I got a few more looks; but phuck them! Ha.

Cutting my photography class final presentation photos.

Acting deprived again =D This time on a Potbelly sign. Bam!

Popping this virgin snow's cherry with my sneaker, whilst waiting for the bus.

A trash can...with snow on it's rim! ZOMG.

Home.

On another note.
We had this activity in class today where we were supposed to anonymously write down a positive and a negative trait that we've noticed about each of our other class mates.
Then we get to read what everyone wrote.
Some of mine:-


"+Quiet. -Needs to interact more."
"+Seems intelligent. -Needs to be more outgoing."
"+Nice, quiet, sweet, her own individual, unique, different. -Needs to speak out more about her ideas and thoughts."
"+Good listener -But quiet. Too quiet."
"+Quiet, observative. -Unexpressiveness ( are those even real words?). Express yourself with volume to be heard by all."
"+Very quiet -Needs to open up more."
"+Open minded. -Reserved."
"+She is always quiet and very polite. She alomost never misses the class. -She needs to respond sometiems to be more open; she never talks"
"+Very sweet and calm. -Needs to be more open, though."
"+Very quite -English needs improving."

Pfffft. Yeah, OK. When you learn how to spell >:D
(I think people subconsciously believe that my English "needs improving" just because I'm a transfer from Saudi.). That being said, I admit my English isn't perfect; but it isn't something you would notice by talking with me a couple of times =/
And that being said, I think I know who wrote that one. We aren't friendly.

Anyways, I obviously have a problem. LOL.
Thing is..I don't really know how to fix it...


I described this one guy as "charismatic" (Which he so is.). I got a kick out of it.

Shamaghs & Kefiyahs

I love how they've become a fashion statement here.
Everywhere I go, some person has one on. Mainly the black and white Shami ones.
Even though I have an assumption that most of the people wearing them can't even show you where Palestine or many Arab countries are on a map ;) Maybe I'm wrong.
But still, it's cute.

Funny thing is though, I would never go out in one (well, not on my Hijab days).
I'd be too scared some person would think that I'm some anti-Israeli terrorist or whatever.

I still haven't bought one. Been thinking about it, though.
To me, if you wear something like that, then it shouldn't just be a fashion statement.

Like, when I first saw a person in one, I was like "Oh wow, a Palestinian struggle supporter".
Then I noticed that every other person seemed to be wearing one.
And there was no way in hell that that many people were. Unless I'm wrong =)

Hmmm..I wonder how the Jews feel about this current "fashion statement"...