Allahu Akbar

Well, I finally took the plunge and converted to Islam on Sunday. I even went to the mosque to do it.

Since then, I've been trying my best to pray 5 times a day (sometimes making it to 4, other days I get my 5 a day in). I am starting to remember some lines (keep in mind, this is all in Arabic). So far, the family is taking the news pretty well (Mom, Dad and Mary Ann). The friends who have found out seem ok with it too. So far, so good. The people in the community seem very kind too.

On to not so great things. I officially hated my job today, totally hated it. I have to do my full-time job as well as the secretary's full-time job. In past years that was fine but now I have to do things I had gotten crash courses on. There are also problems with some reports used to put things I need together. Anyway, I am just really hating on the department head right now. I almost walked into her office this morning (after her pulling crap on me twice) to tell her "you can take this job and shove it! Now you can enjoy replacing the secretary until she comes back from vacation!". GGGRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

And then knitting... well... Oh forget it.

I've just had an all over bad day and I just need to have a good cry now. I'll go pray and just leave it all in God's hands.

Call me Auntie Caro... oh, and WTF?!

Well, it's been a few days (or a week?) since I last posted. I've been busy with knitting, the gym, work and my friend Lea, who just gave birth yesterday to 9 lbs 8 oz baby Damian. I was the first to see the baby (other than mommy, daddy and Lea's mother). It's times like this that make working at a hospital worth it.

I absolutely love the baby, he's so cute and very quiet. I think I'll love being his Auntie Caro... except for the par that I'll see his dad more often. Yes people, I do not like the father. Why? He's a smartypants know-it-all jackass. Of course, I never tell Lea that as she's very protective of him.

He's said comments here and there that I am never too sure how to take: is he teasing, joking or just using it as a cover to be a jackass. He also really likes to give hugs and hello/goodbye kisses (like us francos do) which makes me a bit uncomfortable as I reserve this for family members only (when it comes to men) - females can get all the hugs and kisses they want - aren't you lucky?! ;-P

He's also said a few things that I consider to be going over the line of "you should only say this kind of stuff to your girlfriend". Ex: today, I was wearing an above the knee skirt and a wrokshirt that's a bit low-cut but not much - I really like the shirt and have worn it many time and no one has ever said anything. I was sitting next to his mother, talking and he was leaving the room and he said "sitting there crossed-legged with your sexy secretary outfit - hahahahahahaha!!!!". Errr.... like WTF?! At another point he said "oh we all know why you dress like that, you must like the attention the guys give you (we were talking about how I hate it when guys check me out - Lea had shared this info with him). I made sure to correct him and let him know I only dress like this to please Salem, I really wish other men would just not look at me. Now why the hell is he making comments like this? All this is making me think maybe I should review my wardrobe and dress even more conservatively. I mean it doesn't help that I am converting to Islam, but I am feeling more and more of a pull to wear the hijab because I hate these kinds of comments and this kind of attention. But what kind of a world do we live in where I feel the need to cover up simply because a friend's boyfriend can't watch what garbage comes out of his mouth?

Anyway. I want to see the baby more often, but I'm not going to look forward to seeing the father. Perhaps I will make sure that Salem comes with me in case the guy says anything weird. I'd love to see Salem put him in his place.

So yes, it is playing on my mind. To the point where I went for some shopping therapy at the pharmacy - I got waxing strips and an all-purpose, bio surface cleaner.

So, Am I just nuts or is this guy really a jackass?

What the hell is going on???

I must ask this question because so many weird things are going on all over this great country of ours this week.

1- 17 year old girl gets kidnapped and killed by her boyfriend's repeat-offense father.
2- Man is found dead in manhole in Montreal (whaaaa?!).
3- Crazy 40 year old stabs to death then decapitates 22 year-old, complete stranger on a Greyhound bus.

I woke up to the news of #3 yesterday. At first I was thinking this was some kind of sick joke, that it must be a mistake, but as time went on, I figured out it wasn't some kind of joke. Hearing the stories made me feel ill (and as someone who watches all those forensic/medical shows, it's hard to make me feel ill).

I feel I am really saddened by what happened as well as enraged. This young man did nothing wrong, nothing, yet this crazy psychopath decided he had the right not only to kill some random person but also cut off his head!

Now this may shock some people, but it's times like this that make me think we should bring back capital punishment. There are some individuals whom I think really do not deserve the right to live, to take away the right for one person to live, you take away your right to live. Now, would I advocate this in all cases? No, of course not, only in extreme cases.

My condolences to the family of the young man who's life was brutally ended. I also hope that the people present at this horrible event will be able to heal and deal with the circumstances of this event. I can;t even begin to imagine how these people feel.

Onto brighter news now: I took a day off and went over to Alison's place with Janet. Unfortunately the weather was horrible, but we still had fun stuffing our faces with pizza and some black bean brownies Janet brought along (mmmmm yummy!!!). Also, I couldn't believe all the plants Alison has outside! Whoah! I know who I'll go bug for advice if I ever get a garden of my own! Thanks girls for a wonderful day out!

So far it seems the swap is going well. Hopefully people are in the process of starting projects and plan on sending a little something soon to their spoilees.

I guess I best get going as this is the 5th time Pumpkin jumps on my desk since the beginning of this post. She just doesn't seem to get that I am busy.... GRRRR!!!!!!!! More posting later or in the next few days.

Wedding etiquette question

Ok, a quick post as I have some questions on the subject of weddings which I'd like people to give me their opinion.

Wedding thank you notes:
Salem and I have been to 2 weddings this summer: one of which was a month ago, another about 2-3 weeks ago. Keep in mind the couple from the first wedding went on a 10-day honeymoon. I wanted to know: what is a normal/acceptable time to wait before one gets a thank you note/card in the mail from the married couple? We gave pretty good gifts ($$$) at the weddings and have since not heard a peep from either couple. I ask: What gives? Am I being too impatient? Is there a set time to wait? Where's Emily Post when you need her?!

Of fleece and swaps

Yes, I know, I know, it’s been over a week since I’ve posted. May I offer my sincerest condolences to you in these hard times. How are you dealing? It’s ok, everything will be alllllright.

Alright, lets move on to business!

I’ve had a bit of a busy week, but I’m not complaining about it (well, not at the moment).

Last Wednesday, we had (what I would cosnider) one of the largest knitting meetings I’ve ever been to. Quite strange really. Usually attendance at knitting meets drop off in the summer but for some reason, we ended up being about 15 people in all (they just kept coming!). Basically we took over the whole terrasse at Java U on Monkland (thank you guys for putting up with us – I hope you made out with a lot of cash and tips!). Did I ever mention how much I love the staff over at Java U (on Monkland – I can’t speak for the Westmount staff - YUCKO!). We had a very rowdy time and I only got home at 10:45! Woopsy poopsy!

The weekend was fairly quiet: I made my first ever attempt at strawberry rhubarb pie (2nd attempt at a pie) and strawberry rhubarb compote. SUCCESS! But, next time I will prebake the pie crust for just 5 minutes. Salem liked all my experiments so I sent him home with some things (half the pie and some compote). A big thank you to Tante Lise for helping me out with the strwberry:rhubarb:sugar:water proportions for the compote. MMmmmmm....

Oh, a mini lesson I learned on the weekend and would like to share with everyone: NEVER DRIVE TO OLD MONTREAL ON A FIREWORKS SATURDAY!!! NEVER!!!!! It’s impossible to find parking! I highly suggest you walk, bike or metro it in. I also suggest people try to Core Sundae from Ben & Jerry’s – very sinful and full of calories. Thankfully Salem got it while I got the light fudge brownie making my ass not expand quite as much. Score!

And now, for something completely different: Fleece!
Upon Janet and I’s arrival at Ariadne on Sunday, I found a table covered in, yes, sheered sheeps wool! Oh wow! Also on the table: carding brushes and combs. Well, I spent the next few hours brushing out bit of dirt, grass and countless other things out of the wool, and prepped it to be spun. Yes, I do think I am catching the spinning bug. God help me! I e-mailled Molly-Ann yesterday, asking her when I could set up an appointment (and asking aslew of other questions) to learn how to use the spinning wheel. And the addiction begins!

Of swaps: I have decided to organisea secret pal swap (much like Secret Pal 12) for those of us who missed out on/didn’t know about the swap. It’s for Montreal knitters only and it’s fairly short (only 6 weeks). Just a little something to give us all a little taste of what these swaps are and to enjoy the coming of packages in the mail (yes, finally, something other than bills!). The swap officially starts on Thursday as soon as I send outthe assigned partners and ends in early September. I hope everythign will go swimmingly and that no one will flake out. I must admit, I am getting quite excited! :-D

Henna and Preggo news: I went to my friend Lea’s place last night (my preggo) to do henna on her stomach (my first time). I did have quite a bit of fun and finally got to see what happens when a baby moves around. No, he’s no longer kicking, he is shifting all over the place! So weird but so cool! She’s due in a week and a half but I really hope he comes early for her sake (poor girl feels like the top of her stomach is bruised and he keeps pushing his feet up against her ribs). I must admit, seing all that movement last night (I even taped some on my camera), makes me really look forward to my turn – someday Caroline, someday. God, I’m turning into such a sappy woman!

The Kuffiya is NOT a fashion accessory!

Over the last few months, I have seen a disturbing trend growing stronger with every day.

What is that trend?
Why, the use of the Kuffiya (hatta) as a fashion accessory.

What is the kuffiya?
It is a traditional head dress worn by many arab men. The size, pattern and colours can vary depending on the country/region.

Why the big stink?
Because the kuffiya has (since the 60s) become a symbol for Palestinian nationalism/solidarity, it is a very strong political symbol. People wear it to political rallies for many reasons (to show their support to the Palestinians, to show resistance to the occupation, to speak out about human rights injustices, etc).

How has it become a fashion accessory?
More and more people are buying and wearing the kuffiya without even knowing what it stands for (many stars are wearing it, I even found some at Le Chateau last week!).

I first became aware of this change a few weeks back. I was out shopping with a friend and happened upon a halter-top in a window. I was looking at it when I realized it was made with a kuffiya. Yes, someone had taken this political symbol, cut it into pieces, resewed it and fit it to a mannequin to display in a window. To me, it's like taking a flag and cutting it up into pieces and using it to accessorise. You are altering the original vision, the essence of this symbol and making it into a disposable product, you are changing it because you think you can do better, because you just need something to fill the gap. I find this degrading! I would never take my beloved Canadian flag and desecrate it by taking bits and pieces of it and using it willy nilly here and there. Needless to say, I took a picture of the shirt and asked a few people for their opinion. Indeed, everyone agreed with me.

Since then, I have seen plenty of people wearing kuffiyas around their neck. Every time, I wonder if they really know what it means.

So what do you plan on doing about it?
I was looking to buy a kuffiya to show my support to the Palestinian cause. I've decided I will not be buying one unless I am 100% sure it was made in Palestine, that the money is going to support the cause and I will only wear it to rallies. It's a shame because I wanted to wear one out and about, answer peoples' questions, inform them, but I do not want people to look at me and ask themselves the same questions I ask myself when I see someone wearing a kuffiya "Are they wearing it for the cause, or are they just another ignorant fashion whore?".

My long awaited return... Well... maybe not awaited

After a long time of not coming on here, I've decided to give blogging yet another try. Perhaps this time it will work for good.

I've now graduated and I am working full-time. I am working a lot on knitting and coming up with new projects all the time.

So here's to hoping I can keep this up for once, maybe even entertain a few people along the way.

PS for those of you who are perhaps wondering, I successfully completed my fasting for Ramadan last year. I found it was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life and plan on doing it again yet once more.