My Ramadan

Assalamualaikum and Eid Mubarak to everyone!!

I really am sorry for not keeping u with the blog during Ramadan. But, I'm back now, so, let me give you a short fill in:

Aunt (Dad's little sis) came for 5 days
I do the Quran contest.


When my Aunt is pretty cool. We call her Choto Phupi, which basically means "little Aunt" or "younger/youngest Aunt." She's a doctor, I think for kidney or something like that. She said it's very depressing, because most of the time there's not any solution to the problem. She lives on the border of Ohio, and works on the border of Pennsylvania, all alone. I feel really bad for her. She lives in a two bedroom home with no one to keep her company except the TV. Not to mention she just went through a slight depression because when she came i could barely recognize her cuz she was so thin....................................

So, I think she really enjoys coming here. Our house is smaller than hers, and ours is FULL of people. When she comes, there's 7. And it's all fun. Sometimes its annoying, but Baba always says that later on we'll miss it.

The night Choto Phupi came, my mom made really good Bengali food, and we all ate till we were full. Then we all went to the living room to get our stuff. Auntie just came from BD (AKA Bangaldesh) so, we were sure to get lots.

My sisters got LOTS of clothes. I got two new shelvar kamis, and a bag full of pens, a ring, and two bracelets. And the bag.

The first day, we were all sitting at home and getting bored, so we thought we'd go to Lagoona Beach. I was like, "Why not?" I guess everyone else was thinking the same thing, so we went, and came home before 5. I was amazed. That was like a record breaker compared to our other visits.

Then, another day, Choto Phupi took me to Ross, and I bought a really cute ans funky hijab, a ruffled sweater, and a pair of black flats. I just LOOOOOVE my Aunt.

When she was leaving, I could tell my dad didn't want her to go. As a big brother, I think my dad is especially attached to his sisters. Even the one older that him. He took my aunt into a looong biig hug. And then watched her go. I felt bad for both of them, because even though my Aunt seemed cheerful, I knew her long enough to know that she was hiding a crying heart.

Ever since the "certain incident" (which I cannot tell you because it is family business. Even I don't know everything) everyone has gotten more attached to Choto Phupi. She really suffered through an emotional breakdown. Now, my mom calls her almost every other day, and I'm happy. There's a chance that she might move here, closer to us. My Grandmother really wants her to. It would be good.



No, about the Quran contest.

Not much, except I was SO NERVOUS, I thought I forgot a word (I know, I'm dumb) and stumbled on it, but I got it right. I don't know if the judges liked it or not, but they said a big mashaAllah and JazakaAllahu Khairan, and the lady looked at me with BIG WIDE EYES. I just hope I'm not humiliated.


Eid was OK. I got the worst eid gift though. An ugly green pen, a plastic book mark, a snickers bar, and a sheet of stickers. I mean, what type of ___ year old likes that? (I'm not gonna tell you my age just yet. Maybe five years later or something. But I am old enough NOT  to like those stuff)  I'm probably gonna ask for something else. Like, when I memorize another Juz or something, I'll put it all together and ask for an abaya from SHUKR. Now that's something I would LOVE.

I'll tell you about my eid day in another post. This one is getting too long.

Ramadan Day 2

Yesterday was fulfilling mashaAllah. As I said, I wore my blue skirt, a light blue top and a blue hijab. I also wore a sliver bracelet with hearts dangling on it. I wonder if you liked it.

I liked yesterday a lot mashaAllah. The only thing was that Ammi and Ibrahim didn't come. Well, first we go there. And then I hear something about a contest. I was itching to find out what. I am always one of the first to enter a contest. I love challenges. Well, sooner or later, I forget about it and get food. Today, for appetizers, they have watermelon and this soup with all these vegetables. It's really thick, and it doesn't look really good to me, so I just fill myself up with water instead. Then I go to pray.

After Salah, a man says something about the contest in the microphone. I get that itch again, but I can't find the paper you need, so I just ignore. But, I ask a woman, "Do you know what the contest is about?" She hands me a paper. Here's what it says

Name two other names for Surah At-Tawba (Other than Tawba):
Name:
Number:
Email Address:

Now, I have memorized Surah At-Tawba, but I never thought of checking if there were any other names for it. When I come and sit on my table, there's a different woman talking to one of my "Aunties". She's talking in Arabic  AlhamduliAllah I can pick up bits and pieces of it, and then I make up that she knows what the answer is and she's telling "Auntie" what it is. When she's done, I ask, "Can I do it too?" She gives me the answer and I write it down on the paper!!! Yes, I know that's not right, but there were no rules. So then I ask her were to put it and she tells me in Arabic that it's ________.  Just before I leave the woman's sister asks me if I know Arabic, in Arabic. I reply a little in Arabic. So I go and put mine and Auntie's paper in the box. What they'll do, is they'll not look and just pick one paper and if it has the right answer the person gets a prize. I don't think I got it, because then my father would get a call on his cell phone.

I didn't notice, but by that time the line for food and grown REALLY long. Oh, well. I didn't really mind. The woman who gave the answer and her sister are standing next to me.When we were half way to our destination, the woman's sister asks me what my name is, in English. I answered, "Samiha." Then she asks what my last name is. I say, "Shaheed." Both she and her sister go wide eyed and she says, "Your name is Arabic!" I just smile.

For iftaar, they had good food mashaAllah. They had:

• salad
• rice
• meat (with lots of meat)
• a bean side dish
• spaghetti and meat sauce

They have extra today, so I bring home lots of food for us and Ammi. I have a little when I come home, and then I pray. Then I have some cherries.

For suhoor, I have the leftover suhoor. Because I had no milk, I "substitute" it with about 4 and a half glasses of water. I'm still not sure if that was good or not, because after fajr, I had to wake up 5 times to use the restroom.

I'm not hungry now. Just a little thirsty. I hope you don't think my post was to long