Little Sufi Dude

Little Dude now does the cutest thing. When i put Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on he begans to dance to it - he sways and bounces occassionally clapping his hands - looks like those kids in Madrassa schools. Then in two of the chants he begins to chant with him. It is the absolute cutest thing. He even turns the stereo on himself so he can dance to Nusrat. So it looks like I have a little dervish on my hands mash'Allah. What else could a mother want? I would put the video out here but it would violate the privacy practices of Little Dude. :-/ A few of you that i know might be getting a video email soon though.

My new logo

And thanks to Sobia for her "how to build a blog" blog for getting me motivated. Still needs work but i think it looks better already. (I'd link you Sobia but my eyes are so buggy lol that i gotta get off this thing!)

Linky Love - Enjoyment for all

Eye candy: Coffee Art

and this is what i see in my own future: Mission Impossible Amina

(see more of her in #6 below - had me cracking up)

and some very funny video blogs about issues in islam and within the muslim communitys presented by a muslim convert:

#1 - Funny Things at Jummah - Tips for the Khattibs
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5992841176037344588&hl=en

#2 - Meeting People Online - Matchmaking via Internet
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1363384296789557474&hl=en

#3 - $25,000 Muslim Weddings! (and the better alternative)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-790933345917442127&hl=en

#4 - Muslim While Flying
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3823055891922953980&hl=en

#5 - Muslim Characters at Work
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4499163849784556026&hl=en

#6 - Distractions During Salat (Prayer)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-15650760202344364&hl=en

#7 - Seasonal Muslims
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3468704506693391887&hl=en

#8 - Parental Advisory - Culture vs Islam
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2550624663098213426&hl=en

#9 - Who Hijacked my Religion?!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8523733033479133693&hl=en

#10 - How did you convert to Islam?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2595049084736890574&hl=en

(A big thanks to Lindsey for finding most of these great links. :-)

My disappearance

First things first. I hate CompUSA. No, not dislike, actually hate. These people suck and totally lied to me time and time again. Long story short - my computer crashed (not saying how because that's a whole nother depressing story of how stupid i can be at times). I didn't get the stupid thing replaced like they said they would, nor fixed. They offered to fix it for $300. Oh gee, thanks morons, like i will ever spend a cent in your store ever. Ha! So the dilemna was 1) buy the hard drive, try to install it myself or 2) buy a new one. After a week of hating all things computer and seriously thinking of just staying offline, i caved in. I did enjoy my time away and i got a lot of stuff done and cooked a lot and played a lot but then there were nagging deadlines that required a computer. I can't believe they charge what they charge! That's highway robbery. Everyone said "Don't install the hard drive yourself or the operating system. It's too hard." (two people believed i could do it - thanks Eddie and little brother). After looking at the packaging - it said: "Professional installation highly recommended. No instructions or installation software in package." I got a little nervous but i was determined to fix my computer without paying for "labor". It took me five freaking minutes. Well a couple hours if you include all the reloading of software but still i was up and running in about 20 minutes. I can't believe how much they rip people off.

That being said i read a lot of books over my little internet break, Little Dude is not so little and is all over the place which is how i spend most of my time these days - chasing and chasing and well chasing. That and laughing at him. He's so smart! I taught him the hand play "twinkle twinkle little star" and "wheels on the bus" and he does the whole twinkle twinkle little start bit. I can't believe it, i just start saying the words and he does it. Even if it's the instrumental version. He makes me laugh with the wheels on the bus too slapping his hands and cracking up. He now has an absolute favorite book - Good Night Gorilla. He turns the pages fast until he gets to the eyes in the dark and just cracks up laughing. He likes it when we say "uhhhhh oh" - he likes saying it too. It's been thundering a lot lately - the thunder that scares the ibby jibbies out of me - and with the booms he says "uh-oh" lol...it's toooo cute. He's the man i tell ya. I love this kid. It's unbelievable that he's going to be a year old in a few weeks. Downright scary.

I had so much to say but now i forget. Ah well.............

Birthday present to myself....

staying away from the news today and spending time with my dear ones who surprised me with an early morning surprise party. :-)

Husband is making breakfast, Little Dude is walking and blabbing and if you ignore the outside world it's pretty much a perfect day mash'Allah.

Off the Battlefield, Hezbollah Provides Aid

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content//video/2006/08/04/VI2006080401132.html

Wow...this dude is interesting....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7bQLw0s0I

I can't believe he's part of the Brittish Parliament as in "i can't believe 'they' would allow it." What a speech!

To Lebanon With Love (More Time To Bomb)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogiSMfjOrk0&mode=related&search=

Great post! - A Letter from Israel

Got the link from Scorp...

http://www.moorishgirl.com/archives/004230.html

Peace Propaganda and the Middle East

A very good documentary on Middle East: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7828123714384920696

Who are the terrorists? How can anyone not understand how awful Israel is? Even before Lebanon? I just don't get it...

and on a lighter note...

A man goes to his rabbi and says that his son has come back from college converted to Christianity, and he says, How can this happen? I send my son away to school and he becomes Christian. The Rabbi replies, Funny you should say that! The same thing happened to me! I sent my son to study in Jerusalem, in Israel, and he converted to Christianity there. In Jerusalem of all places, and the son of a Rabbi! How can this be happening? So, I complained to God about it and told him, God, I sent my son to Jerusalem and he became a Christian! And God replied, Funny you should say that! The same thing happened to me!

Lebanon

George Galloway (Brittish member of Parliament) says Hezbollah is not a terrorist group (duh! I still don't know how people can think it is. Most of the world doesn't list it as a terrorist organization...only Israel, US and UK do) and other rational thoughts: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14391.htm

if that one doesn't work, here is another: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9071731896689197790&pr=goog-sl

I feel so let down by mankind. I just can't believe the Arab world. Obviously I can't believe the Israeli's but why aren't any Arab countries stepping up to the fight? It's their Islamic duty. I realize most aren't Islamic in action but even so, it's their duty to humanity to help. What has happened to this world that they let two countries run the rest of the world? Is materialism that wonderful? Is fear and greed that powerful? I don't understand anymore. I feel so angry, sad and hopeless. I keep thinking something's gonna change and then i realize it's just not. What fools Arabs can be. They were fools when God sent a prophet to them to set them straight and with that they just throw it away by creating dictatorships and monarchy's. While people are dying, they stand by and watch. Throw a few dollars at it and wash its hands. I'm not saying Arabs as in all Arabs are all bad, but the leaders and those who don't join the fight (have they even read the Qur'an and what it says about that?). They were given a gift, a very precious gift, the best kind and they cast it aside to play with their billions while the world suffers at the hands of the true terrorists. I used to feel that innately people deep down are good. I've lost that feeling.

Timely hadith...

My advice to you is to be conscious of Allah and steadfast in your religion. Do not yearn for the world, and do not be seduced by it. Do not resent anything you have missed in it. Proclaim the truth; work for the next world. Oppose the oppressor and support the oppressed.

– Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

Hyderabadi food

chicken65-lrgf
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.

My inlaws are Hyderabadi, well my fil is from Luknow (spelling?) but we all know who wins who out when food is discussed. Hyderabadi food is the best food of India. Anyone who disagrees just doesn't know!

Anyhow, i get this email from my mil today, forwarded from her brother. They now sell Hyderabadi masala mixes at the Indian stores in like 5 states. Guess where is one? Yup, right here! I can't believe it's not available in NJ with so many desis there. I guess we have a lot here though too.

I don't like shan mixes much and prefer to do masalas on my own, i just may have to try some of these for "hamburger helper" nights. I don't consider shan mixes cooking....just like i don't consider hamburger helper cooking. You can disagree, but i don't. It just doesn't taste as good as true homemade food. Anyhow, check out this lovely (and true!) description of the Hyderabadi way of cooking (it's what i've been saying forever, food cooked with love tastes so much better than food just being made.) I have gone to houses for food where the love was obviously missing. I could feel it, it was just food. There's probably some hadith that says that food shouldn't be fussed over but just like i don't drive a camel to work, i don't follow all that's sunnah.

Here's the email (it's an ad for the masala mix):

Connoisseurs of food all over the world have had a special corner for Hyderabadi and Mughlai food. In Hyderabad 's 400 year history the Hyderabadi cuisine has, like its culture, stood high and unmatched by any other place in the Indian subcontinent. In fact, Hyderabad is known for the spectacular way its aristocracy entertained. The erstwhile rulers of Hyderabad were connoisseurs of food and insisted that their cooks lay out elaborate ten-course meals on a daily basis. The Hyderabadis do have rather unusual ways of seasoning their food. Hyderabadi cuisine is a distinct dialogue in food, based on the traditional method of combining the sour and the sweet, the hot and the salty.

Hyderabad has taken the highly developed and refined Mughal cuisine of the North and imbibed it with the zesty sauces and spices of the South to create a vast and seductive repertoire quite its own. Hyderabadi food, as it has come to be known, like the city's culture, heritage and language, is a melange of several influences--Hindu, Muslim, North, South, Indian and foreign. As they say here, food is best created with fursat and mohabbat--with time and love. Being devoted to Hyderabad means being devoted to food. Here, food is not just something to fill the stomach; it is the very essence of life. The quintessential Hyderabadi is known for his nawabi lifestyle--a gracious but rather laid-back way of life. But when it comes to food, the Hyderabadis won't tolerate any laziness and have very exacting standards.

This is why my Little Dude eats so well...all of his food is prepared with love and time. My friends whose kids eat jarred food always ask me why he eats so well and is not at all picky and i believe this is why. What would you rather have - processed food or homemade food. Even something as simple as a hamburger is so much better made at home on the grill. I do think i'll give this mixes a go around though.

We called Pakistan for a Kashmiri tea recipe and i got his aunt's way of doing it. Yum! I'm so excited to finally make Baghare Baigan the Hyderabadi way this week. I'm also on a Nihari kick - it's like a serious craving once a week, you'd think i was pregnant or something.

A day in the life of Little Dude...

6:30 Wake up and have milk. Mmmmmm, roll out of bed and play for an hour then eat yummy cereal (oatmilk, rice, apples, and brewer's yeast) and have vitamins and juice.

9:00 Take a nap until friends show up.

10:30 Play with friends, have some more milk, cheese and some crackers.

(Where he kissed a girl besides his ammi for the first time! Uh oh...........)

1:45 Take another nap.

3:45 Eat lunch: Homemade eggplant parmesan, beets, and papaya for dessert.

4:15 Play ball with mom, play with plastic slinky, crawl around and watch mom pick up after me. Come crawl onto mom's lap for a rejuvinating hug. Watch CNN with mom, stick tongue out and make raspberry sound. Make mom laugh. Have a laughing contest and win.

and it's only half way through...such the life!

Tonight for his dinner: Baby Mousaka and leek and potato soup. Isn't he so spoiled?

Okay, gotta go, we're about to play soccer. He's got a good head butt and doesn't even hog the ball but i think i can take him. I love this kid.

Qana

WARNING: Graphic images depicting the reality and horror of Israel's Invasion and destruction of Lebanon.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14273.htm

Haven't Americans had enough of 9/11?

Why the two new movies? I'm serious here, it's like they are addicted to this little blot in history. Thousands and thousands and thousands of people have died since. The only lives that seem to have value to Americans are Americans. The only lives that seem to matter to Israeli's is Israeli's. So strange to me...

Where do you pray?

Prayer Area
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.

This is my little prayer nook. In the basket are prayer clothes and rugs. On the shelf by the window there is incense, prayer beads, and a few dua books. On the other shelf are prayer books, supplications, etc. My prayer rug and little dude's. On the window are two plaques with verses from the Qur'an. Make this a meme and show where you pray...

Prayer Rugs
Originally uploaded by wayfarer.