Another year has gone by.
Another year has come.
2010 to some and 1431 to others 
This time I was in Niagara and there was no way I could avoid the 2010 New Years Eve celebrations since they were pretty loud
In the evening, Husband and I walked to Niagara Falls and watched colourful lights illuminate the falls.
We found it quite ironic that here is the beauty of Allah’s creation in front of us and it’s even illuminated, yet most people were at the massive free party in the park.
It was peaceful and as I viewed both the the US and Canadian fireworks as they went off over the falls, I pondered about the year gone by and the year ahead.
This year went by like a whirlwind.
We moved homes a few times, eventually even moving continents so that my husband can further his studies.
I moved to a country that the media portrays as ‘Not Muslim Friendly’ i.e. the USA, but amazingly, we have not been disrespected and I have been able to wear hijaab without any controversy whatsoever. It was a bit tough in the first week as we were still orientating ourselves to the area and Ramadaan was coming up. I got flustered and worried about Halaal food (and the lack of it) but now we’re pretty well adjusted and accept that we won’t get a mean Toasted Steak Special until June 2010 Which makes the time away from the take out food totally worth it.
I have found that my favourite once-a-week-only soft drink, Coca Cola, tastes very different over here. It has an odd taste. Strangely enough, Coca Cola in Canada tastes like the Coca Cola in South Africa. Weird. Upon further investigation, we found, that in the US, they put this High Fructose Corn Syrup in EVERYTHING (even bread..let me not get started on bread) and that is what makes the Coca Cola taste odd.
When we moved we didn’t have anything in our apartment except clothing, books and bedding. It was like making up a home from scratch. It was an adventure to do it in a foreign country where you knew nothing and knew no-one. This challenge brought us to IKEA! We went ballistic at the amazing things that they have for homes. Their wares are so incredibly cheap and it’s great quality. The only problem is that it’s quite a distance from Boston so we couldn’t overdo it:)
I have decided that even though Haagen Dazs is pretty expensive in SA, it’s so worth it to buy it over here.
I have gotten in touch with Islam a bit more. I finished a qualification in Islamic Law through UKZN, started to study Arabic and Tafseer with a friend whilst in JHB and I have started to observe the laws of hijaab a bit more strictly – which was hard when I got around my close male relatives. However, it had to be done. I realised that I cannot wear it in front of them the one day and not wear it the next day – that’s not hijaab. Like any goal achievement plans, there has to be constancy in what you do to make it real. It doesn’t benefit the menfolk that are closest to me. It benefits me and it’s for my Creator. And that trumps everything else.
Alhamdulilah, it has been an easy transition.
At the end of 2009, the beginning of Muharram 1431, in search of more spirituality, Hubby and I attended the Reviving the Islamic Spirit in Toronto around Christmas Day.
Amazing.
Imagine the Ijtima in JHB. Now add women, 6 GIANT LCD screens, Camera’s, nice seating, a proper stage for the Speakers and pretty great audio in a large conference hall. Add something like 400 volunteers (male and female) to make it work. Apparently there were something like 17 000 registered attendee’s at the conference.
The diversity of the Canadian muslims made me proud to be Muslim – they are from all walks of life, all ethnicities and I didn’t find any of them disrespecting another Muslim (well it could be under the surface, you never know). I loved that there were so many hijaabi’s and non-hijaabi’s there and it made me feel very proud to be Muslim at that point. Nobody (at least I don’t think so) judged another person in plain view. There were no whisperings of, ‘Can you believe what she wore?‘. It was a relief. Some fresh air, right?
I loved every single second and refused to budge from there. There was Tariq Ramadan, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, Tareq Suwaidan, Yusuf Islam and South Africa’s own Shaykh Sulaiman Mulla amongst many other fantastic scholars. The Allah Made Me Funny Trio were there as well and they provided some comic relief to the conference. Now tell me, would you leave from that line-up?
The conference started at 9:30am and ended at midnight every single day. There was no time to breathe!
I met Liya while she walking past (yes Liya, those pics of you and V helped!) and due to strange cellphone malfunctions (My phone worked in Ottawa, but not in Toronto - really Canada?), I couldn’t get a hold of her again. Yes she is lovely and stunning as she is on her blog
My favourite parts of the conference? Whenever Imam Zaid Shakir came running up on stage announcing, ‘I’m back! And you know what that means!’
We then witnessed the change of a person becoming a Muslim.
A newborn baby was being born at that moment.
My eyes welled up. Every. Single. Time.
I don’t know why I was filled with so much emotion each and every time the Shahadah was recited. I guess it’s because this person is coming into Islam without sin, without any pre-conditions and can start their life anew. It’s a gift.
I have to say I felt at home and at peace while I was at the conference. I wish that I could somehow bring this experience back to SA with me.
So 2009/1430 has been full of busy and many life changing experiences.
I’ve learned a lot more about myself over this past year.
I have learned that I have more patience that I thought possible (when I try), that ‘Allah is the Greatest’ moments are all around us constantly, that even though some people can be really doff at times – you gotta smile and give them a break You don’t know what they’re going through…
I am entering 2010, with a new candle on my cake at the beginning of January, with few resolutions.
1) Get healthy – In the spiritual, physical, and emotional way.
2) Spend less time on Nazrbook i.e. Facebook. It’s led to too much procrastination from my part and I feel that I could’ve gotten a lot more done without it. Maybe logging on every second day…then third day…etc. Hopefully bring it down to just once a week. I know that a lot of people I like and know use facebook to keep in touch, so I will keep going on just to see what’s happening in their world – since we’re so far apart right now!
3) Don’t get so annoyed, exercise more patience and learning to restrain the tongue a little bit more at the silly things in life. 
4) Achieve at least two things from the ‘Secret Goal List’
5) Take more walks in the garden/park and have at least have a picnic on a beach somewhere this year.
6) Spend more time with children. They are innocent and view the world in interesting ways. Perhaps I’m feeling somewhat broody now? Lol
and lastly:
7) STOP PROCRASTINATING!
