[ Thursday, September 01, 2005 ]
The most random update everWe recently took a family trip along the coast on Hwy 1.
It was very relaxing and a lot more fun that I thought it would be. We stopped along the road many times to do salah, each time laying out the tarps and blankets to pray on. It's so peaceful praying outside while hearing the waves splashing against the rocks. We spent the night in Pismo Beach and took some great photographs of the scenery:
After going shopping, we decided it was time to turn around and head back home. We love having road trip music and we sang everything from nasheeds to Pushto music (Sardar Ali Takkar's songs). I remembered a song that I had liked back from the summer before 6th grade, when I was into the oldies station. I sang it and my sis made a video of it with her new digital camera, but of course I can't share it with everyone online. It was funny though!
I couldn't remember who sings that song, but yay for google! I typed in a few lines and voila! It's actually The Turtle's "So Happy Together". I love that song because the lyrics are sometimes so random. Take for instance:
Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice
It had to be
The only one for me is you
And you for me
So happy together
So happy together
How is the weather
So happy together
So anyway I downloaded the song and now it's playing on repeat! =)
Onto other news:
My sis and I were invited to my friend's sister's mehndi. Their photographer was messed up enough to bail out on them the night before even after signing a contract, so my sis and I were the photographers for the mehndi. Alhamdulillah the pics turned out pretty good and we had so much fun. It was exciting to be at a mehndi where we were helping the bride get ready. They had a dholak and all the girls sang and danced as well. The bride's mom made awesome food, masha Allah! I was invited to the formal reception the next day as well. It was fun getting dressed up and seeing a lot of my friends from college there.
I started my junior year at Berkeley this week and can't say I've been that productive, though I am trying. I'm only taking 13-15 units this semester, and I'm repeating Bio1A. I hate that class, and I have to get an A in it...I'm not saying I want to get an A or think it's possible...It's that I have to get an A in order to balance out the crappy grade I got on it previously. Sucks. I'm also taking an upper div Genetics course, which sounds tough but insha Allah khair. The only science class I'm exciting about is Medical Ethno Botany, which I hear from non-science majors is very interesting and fun. I've had the same professor before and I think he makes the material really interesting. I'm only taking the lecture portion. The only non-science class I'm enrolled in is Geog 10, which my dad finds hilarious because he thinks I'm geographically challenged. Hahaha, he's actually right. I can't even name all the locations of the other states in the U.S., though I hear that's normal for Californians. I'm also trying to get into a student-led fashion course; there's some mix-up so I'm not sure if they'll have the class or not. It's cool though because they teach you tricks for sewing (I already know how to sew though) and have you create a design portfolio and sew a few outfits from scratch. They then look over your portfolio to see if you're a competent designer for the Spring Charity Fashion Show, which seems really exciting! I really want to do it! Insha Allah I can. I'll just have to design modest clothing, but I think it's possible to make it modest and fashionable...and funky! =)
As for extra-curriculars, I've decided I can't teach Sunday School anymore because it takes too much time and effort and right now I need to focus on school. I figure I can always go back to that after I graduate, insha Allah, and hopefully the whole Sunday school system will be more organized by then as well. I'm not on the MSA board this time, so insha Allah that'll free up a lot more time for other things. I applied to volunteer at the campus clinic (I find out whether or not I got in today!). I'm also applying for three research positions: 1) Nutri Sci – body fat stigma and self esteem; 2) Psych – Cognition in children; and 3) haven't decided yet – probably a lab position. The funny thing is that I'm not that thrilled about a lab position. But anything is better than nothing and insha Allah I'll be accepted to at least one lab position.
So yeah, I'm trying to prioritize my life and focus on school. I feel kind of bad because it means that I'm mostly cutting back on all the Islamic activities in my life, but I know that right now I need to do that. I tend to get so caught up in Islamic events and planning that I forget about school. I will still be attending the weekly sisters halaqa though, because I can't function without them. Insha Allah after I graduate I can go back to all the other Islamic activities. I haven't even been to any of the daily MSA activities this week, though I might stop by for a few minutes at the sisters' party tonight. I need to live in the library this semester, which means that I'll be looking like I get no sun.
Which reminds me...Brothers don't make comments about sisters' physical appearances! I know that came out of nowhere, but let me explain. When I walk to class, I tend to be oblivious to those around me. I walked right by a brother on my first day back in school and didn't notice him until he called out my name and said salaams. The usual small talk followed and then he felt the need to tell me that I look more tan now. "I've been in summer school this past summer, so yeah I guess that's why," I explained, not sure why I even needed to explain that. Then yesterday, one of the brothers and I were chatting about classes and whatnot and he asked me if I have a guy cousin who goes to our school. I replied that I didn't and he said that he had seen a brother who looked like me and he had asked another brother who knows me better if that guy was related to me. And the guy they thought looked like me has a beard! "What are you trying to say, M?" I demanded, in a mock angry tone, giving him a hard time. Yeah, I know, they were joking and they meant that we have similar facial features, but that's just weird and creepy. But whatever, I don't care that much because we all joke around. But anyway, the take-home message is: Brothers, don't even bring up the subject of physical appearance, ok?
It's so hard to get a real sleeping schedule, because I have 8 a.m. classes MWF and then T and Th class doesn't start until the evenings. Monday night I couldn't fall asleep until after 3 a.m., so I decided to pull out my sketchbook and draw. I always get my artistic urges at random times of the night. I ended up sketching some hijbified outfit designs, and then sketched a self-portrait. It doesn't look like me, probably because I was tired, the lighting was so dim and it was hard to see, and I wasn't really trying. But here are the results (It’s kind of messed up because I drew really hard on the other side of the page):
I trimmed the hedges in the front yard yesterday. Our house is on a slope, so the hedge is shaped like steps going down...maybe I'll post a picture of it later. Haha, imagine little me with a chainsaw! =) It's fun though.
Anyway, this has been the most random update ever. Maybe next time I can stick to one subject.
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