All Hearts are dead except those with knowledge... All those with knowledge are asleep except those who perform good actions... All those who perform good actions are deceived except those with sincerity... And all those with sincerity are in a constant state of anxiety... [Imam Shafi'i]

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

বই মেলা

Salam to every1,

Guess what! Remember the group I told u all about in a previous post? "Probashi" - the grp fundraising for acid victims in BD? Well, at the most recent boi mela we had a food stall. We sold:
ঝাল মুরী, ডালপুরি, শিন্গারা, লাচ্ছি, Cake, Lucky Dip (4 the kids) and Audio CD's.

Alhamdulillah we had a lot of customers and many people were extremely supportive of our cause. Many Ozzie people came and brought SO much from us just for the sake of donating. May people brought things for more than what it was priced at. But at the same time there was also people who complained abt the price too, lol.

Guess what our profit was at the end of the day? We made $1038! Alhamdulillah, we are all very happy with this. Insha Allah at the end of the year all our funds from this year will be sent 2 BD through Prothom Alo Shohaiok Tohobil. Insha Allah I pray that this money is put to good use.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Cruel World!

Salams ppl,

I was making breakfast this morning for my sister, myself and my mum. Roti 4 my sis and me. Those of u that know me well, esp me in the kitchen, will know that I'm really clumsy. Ranna banna korte giye pura ghor jalaye dite pari ami! Anyway, what happened this time was, I was frying 4 roti's. Ektar por ekta khub taratari chulai dichilam arki. Then ekta roti deyar shomoi, ami gadhar moto eto forcefully frypan e rekhechi, many drops of tel (oil) chite eshe lagse amar mukhe! I am scarred! But not 2 worry, I thought I'll put some cold cream or something on it after putting it under running water. And guess what? The only cold cream thingo is my dear sisters! And she wont let me use a drop of it! So much for "sharing is caring". So ami ekhon boshe boshe ice niye mukher shathe dhore boshe achi. The ice is melting on my face so rapidly. Only if i cud use the cold cream!

Thursday, February 02, 2006

The baton... (and my poor poor brain!)

Alrite, Dags passed the baton thingo 2 me a while ago and oitar bhoye ami post kora aro komiye dilam. But alas, I shall use all of my everdying brain cells to answer some of these questions.

10 years ago:
OK, How old was I then? Hmmm??? 19 - 10 = ... Wheres my calculator, lol. Ok, so I was 9. It was my 2nd year in NZ, the year we moved from Auckland to Dunedin. Auckland was great, I was 8 when we arrived there. And since my family never really sticks to one place for too long, we were out of there in 11 months! Not even a year. When we were in Auckland, we were something like the 4th or 5th Bangali family there. It was so peaceful, until the new fleet arrived from BD. I remember that there were 2 groups amongst the Bangali's: "Association" and "Society". I think it was a political division, and each grp had their own circles and even organised their own functions and cultural programs. Oooooh, I cant 4get, I used 2 sing then. I had my own harmonium and I used 2 always be invited 2 the functions of both groups 2 sing. I remember at one of the functions i got into a HUGE fight with my sister in the kitchen. Other uncles and aunties had 2 break us up. Abbu ammu were sooooooo embarassed!

The move 2 Dunedin was good. Once again, we were the 2nd Bengali family there. After after us came the new fleet from BD. Why do Bangali's always follow us!!!!! In Auckland the school i went to was officially labelled as the worst school in the city (at one stage some student had stole the principals briefcase!!). In Dunedin the school i went to was the most Multicultural one in town and it was a great school. I'll never 4get it! Lunchtimes were spent swinging on monkey bars, playing "1,2,3 Home", having races and playing other games in the field. It was so fun!!!

5 years ago:
Ok, by now I'm 15 right? Wait, 19 - 5 = 14. Ok, I was 14, close enuff. I remember that year so clearly! It was one of the worst and best years of my life. We moved from Dunedin, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia. Let me mention, while we were in Dunedin (for 5 years) we moved houses 4 times! And when we arrived in Sydney, our moving habit was still very much alive. The year we arrived in Sydney, we moved 4 times (within that 1 year!). Ammu, my sis and I came 2 sydney. Abbu was in Tasmania for work. He came much later. The circumstances under which we came were quite sad. I remember always wishing that abbu cud be with us. But alhamdulillah he came later. I enrolled at Randwick Girls High School. That year I made a few friends whom I can never 4get and who I still have contact with alhamdulillah. Some inlude: Progga, Nahid and Zuhrat.

We also went to Bangladesh that year, for the first time in 6 years. But once again it was just my sis, ammu and me. But nevertheless, BD was a good experience, not always fun, but i learnt loads abt life and the different types of people in the world.

It was also during this year that i put the hijab on. Me and Nahid started wearing it 2getha alhamdulillah. But I wasnt too serious abt it. But in that year I also changed schools, to Beverly Hills Girls High School (because we moved houses AGAIN!). And here I met some new friends who I wish to remain friends with 4ever insha Allah. These frends at Bevo taught me what hijaab actually means. My transformation started then alhamdulillah.

Middle School:
In NZ, middle school is intermediate school. My School was called Dunedin North Intermediate School (DNI for short). I was a Loser with a capital L. Honestly, I remember being the biggest tryhard there was. Maybe thats y I never really had any true friends in NZ. I was a terrible terrible person then and I was involved in certain illegal activities (wont mention anything here). I put my parents thru hell during that time and i pray that Allah (SWT) 4gives me 4 my stupidity then insha Allah. Its quite funny actually, one of my frends from DNI who lives in sydney now bumped into me in a mall. And she was so shocked 2 c that I had become relgious! She was speechless, literally! Like I was the last person she expected to see religious, lol.

5 Bands and Artists:
U no wat? I've been thinking abt this recently so much: there are so many people gifted in singing. Only if they used their talents for the sake of Islam! I dont have any fave singers or bands. I like all sorts of nasheeds and i admire the singers for using their talents for the good of the Muslim ummah. Some of these singers include: Sami Yusuf, Zain Bhikha, Dawud Wharsby Ali, Native Deen, Raihan, Yusuf Islam.

But there are other singers whose voice I really like and I pray that one day Allah (SWT) brings them over to the side of Islam and their talents can be utilized to benefit the Muslim Ummah insha Allah. I wont mention any names but there are many young people in BD who can cause Islamic Revival by just promoting Islamic Entertainment. Many already have the fame and now if they start using it 4 the sake of Allah (SWT) to bring Islam to the masses, insha Allah it will be a great great blessing!

5 Things I'd do with £100,000,000:
Firstly, eto taka amar jibone hobe na, unless a handsome rich guy falls in love with me and wants to marry me, lol. So u can c, its highly unlikely. Kintu jodi somehow eto takay hat pore, tahole:
  1. I'd pay off all my parents loans and send them 2 hajj.
  2. Buy a nice little cottage near a lake (and a good neighbourhood) and a cute little car.
  3. Donate to YMSA and other good Islamic Organisations.
  4. (OK, some of u will slap me 4 saying this) Get Hair Transplants and braces.
  5. All the rest of the money I would give in aid to Muslim Countries in need. Not just for aid but for Islamic Development. (But before that i'd give a lot of money 2 poorer family members in BD or anywhere else who needs assistance).

5 Places I would run away to:

Ok, when u mention running away, I wouldnt go 2 any persons place. When i'm in my "running away" mood, I like being alone. Kaoke dekhle oder chool tene chire felte icha kore, lol. So 2 run away, I have a few ideal places in mind.

  • Any isolated beach where I'm the only person at sunrise or sunset and pray there. (Amar na shundor scenic jaiga dekhlei oikhane namaj porte icha kore).
  • A scenic lookout at the top of a mountain from where if u look down u c the entire city (on a windy night when u can hear the trees moving), and I'm the only person there.
  • A nice park in a scening setting with swings, slides, monkey bars and many more kiddy rides. I wanna be all alone there hogging all the rides, especially the swings!
  • A HUGE empty road (scening setting of course!) where I can walk alone by myself without any1 staring at me or making comments.
  • BD'r je kono gram er khet e ba empty land e giye boshe thaktam eka eka if I felt like running away.

5 things I like doing:

  1. Getting 2getha with friends and hanging out for AGES!!! Even Talking on the fone or chatting on msn with them 4 ages.
  2. Reading (I'm very picky abt what I read though)
  3. Spending LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of time with ammu, abbu and my sis Anika.
  4. Talking
  5. Going to nice scenic places alone (as u mite have guessed)

5 things I will never wear:

  • Tight Jeans (eeeeeeeewwwwwwww, OK Flynn and Dags has called me a FOB b4 but I am not THAT much of a FOB!!!)
  • U no the fashion that was "in" a while ago? When people wore bootlike shoes (that came up 2 the knees) over their pants? Ok, that I shall NEVER EVER wear. I DETEST that look!
  • Ketketa bright colours (fluoro stuff).
  • A wig or a fake bun (i.e. khopa)
  • Anything that makes me too too fat.

5 Movies I like:

  • A walk to Remember
  • Skeleton Key
  • Black
  • LOTR
  • All Harun Yahya DVD's (theyre absolutely AWESOME!!!)

5 People I'd like to meet:

  • Prophet Muhammad (SAS) - even if it is in a dream!
  • Prophet Musa (AS)
  • Prophet Isa (AS)
  • Aasiyah, the wife of Firawn!!!!
  • Khadijah, wife of prophet (SAS)

Ok theres one person I wanna meet, but its 4 a stupid reason. I have been told by many people that i look exactly like her so I really wanna meet Api Kareem one day.

5 biggest joys at the moment:

  • No Uni! Still Holidays!
  • YMSA - the girls and the programs.
  • Still living with my stupendous family :-D and alhamdulillah they are all healthy and alive.
  • LOST returns 2nite!!!!!! YAY!!!! I have been waiting ALL holidays!!!!
  • The greatest bunch of friends any1 cud ever have!!!

OK, I feel like I wrote an essay. If u've bothered to read up till here I honestly admire ur patience. 2 phrases 4 u: Masha Allah and Jazakallah :-D

Now I have 2 pass the baton thingo on dont I? OK, I shall pass 2 HP and Eccentric Human. Get started u guys. It took me quite some time 2 rite this!