Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
reflections on this week
I was reminded of an important lesson this week; personality and the ability to get along with people goes a long way. It is useless if one is the most gifted person on earth but has no personality to deliver that gift and share it with others. May Allah beautify all our characters and make us get along with each other giving each other the respect and appreciation we all want for ourselves.
With that out of the way, I have a funny story to share with you; I went to my local store earlier on this week and as I was walking past the ladies' I saw a trail of tomato juice leading up to the ladies'. Shortly afterwards security as well as the store workers came to the scene and guess what; some dude who must've been bored out of his skull thought this was a funny trick to pull. He was apparently so bored shopping with his wife, he psyched himself up to be the store entertainer for the day! Message to all married men; Don't agree to go shopping with your wife if it bores the living daylight out of you!
At work I had a particularly busy week, I re-edited and extended my report on the UK prison system and the Somali youth locked up in it. After some longwinded office politics, it has finally been scheduled to air this Sunday (March 14) as part of the sunday discussion program. It is the longest investigative report I have done so far for the VOA and I sincerely enjoyed doing it. I hope listeners enjoy listening to it as much as I did putting it together.
Stay blessed folks :)
With that out of the way, I have a funny story to share with you; I went to my local store earlier on this week and as I was walking past the ladies' I saw a trail of tomato juice leading up to the ladies'. Shortly afterwards security as well as the store workers came to the scene and guess what; some dude who must've been bored out of his skull thought this was a funny trick to pull. He was apparently so bored shopping with his wife, he psyched himself up to be the store entertainer for the day! Message to all married men; Don't agree to go shopping with your wife if it bores the living daylight out of you!
At work I had a particularly busy week, I re-edited and extended my report on the UK prison system and the Somali youth locked up in it. After some longwinded office politics, it has finally been scheduled to air this Sunday (March 14) as part of the sunday discussion program. It is the longest investigative report I have done so far for the VOA and I sincerely enjoyed doing it. I hope listeners enjoy listening to it as much as I did putting it together.
Stay blessed folks :)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
getting to grips with Americanism..
For the first time today I noticed I'm slowly getting accustomed to American culture. I went shopping for soup and found myself instinctively reaching out for chicken noodle soup! Back home I would've grabbed tomato soup or a veggie one but kids like lil' mama keep singing songs like 'chicken noodle soup and peanut butter jam' and I find myself frowning at first but slowly getting in line for a taste..
Anyway I then leave the shop all wrapped up with my hoodie on my head and my gloves on and some knucklehead crosses the street only to stop and stare at me hurling ' you're the eskimo lady'! I hurled right back 'Yes I am'! (whatever that means). I've embraced folks shouting about whatever they feel like, only in America though. Another indication I'm getting to grips with American culture.
On a more serious note I saw this video on youtube the other day that really made my heart tremble; young Cameroonian girls whose breasts get 'ironed' with hot stones as soon as they start to develop to prevent them attracting men and getting pregnant. Apparently this has been a long practiced tradition in the rural areas but there's just as much practice in the cities.
And then there is the case of orphaned children who become too old for the orphanages that took care of them i.e. they become 16+ , and the centre needs to create space for new orphans but yet these 'grown' orphans have nowhere to go, no family to support them, most of them can't stay in school once they're out of the orphanage and thus end up being on the street exposed to god knows only what. Who is responsible for these children's welfare if society keeps drifting their attention to whatever the media portrays as important? It's often the under-reported, ignored cases that really matter in terms of aiding humanity.
We keep seeing devastating pictures and portrayals of man-made destruction and civil strife and the world is urged to intervene but who vouches for the children too old to stay in orphanages or for those who end up being smuggled from East africa to the Middle East sold for pittens because they're hearts or livers or kidneys are useful to some spoiled family with an ill child? their little bodies are slashed into, their kidneys are taken and then they are discarded on the streets of Saudi Arabia.
What about the abused and maltreated East African maids working in the Middle East in places like Dubai and Jeddah who's bodies get tossed out of a window if they don't perform their duties well enough, forget being paid? They're illegal and that means in those countries they have no human rights. One has to wonder, who is looking out for these people if all members of society turn a blind eye? May Allah bring relief to them.
Anyway shifting the focus back on to me I am finally picking up my French lessons again as I've met a sister who's French and willing to help me practice so I'm back in the swing of things. I previously stopped cos I got tired of conversating with myself hehe but all is good. Danc j' aller coucher maitenant (which I hope means I am off to bed now otherwise I'll be needing more polishing than I thought lol).
Anyway I then leave the shop all wrapped up with my hoodie on my head and my gloves on and some knucklehead crosses the street only to stop and stare at me hurling ' you're the eskimo lady'! I hurled right back 'Yes I am'! (whatever that means). I've embraced folks shouting about whatever they feel like, only in America though. Another indication I'm getting to grips with American culture.
On a more serious note I saw this video on youtube the other day that really made my heart tremble; young Cameroonian girls whose breasts get 'ironed' with hot stones as soon as they start to develop to prevent them attracting men and getting pregnant. Apparently this has been a long practiced tradition in the rural areas but there's just as much practice in the cities.
And then there is the case of orphaned children who become too old for the orphanages that took care of them i.e. they become 16+ , and the centre needs to create space for new orphans but yet these 'grown' orphans have nowhere to go, no family to support them, most of them can't stay in school once they're out of the orphanage and thus end up being on the street exposed to god knows only what. Who is responsible for these children's welfare if society keeps drifting their attention to whatever the media portrays as important? It's often the under-reported, ignored cases that really matter in terms of aiding humanity.
We keep seeing devastating pictures and portrayals of man-made destruction and civil strife and the world is urged to intervene but who vouches for the children too old to stay in orphanages or for those who end up being smuggled from East africa to the Middle East sold for pittens because they're hearts or livers or kidneys are useful to some spoiled family with an ill child? their little bodies are slashed into, their kidneys are taken and then they are discarded on the streets of Saudi Arabia.
What about the abused and maltreated East African maids working in the Middle East in places like Dubai and Jeddah who's bodies get tossed out of a window if they don't perform their duties well enough, forget being paid? They're illegal and that means in those countries they have no human rights. One has to wonder, who is looking out for these people if all members of society turn a blind eye? May Allah bring relief to them.
Anyway shifting the focus back on to me I am finally picking up my French lessons again as I've met a sister who's French and willing to help me practice so I'm back in the swing of things. I previously stopped cos I got tired of conversating with myself hehe but all is good. Danc j' aller coucher maitenant (which I hope means I am off to bed now otherwise I'll be needing more polishing than I thought lol).
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