“It’s been a while” would be the understatement of the millenium. Nearly two years; it’s a wonder I still remembered the password to my account. Anyways, I’m back in sandbox for a while. It’ll take a few days to sort this blog out and publish the drafts I’ve saved up. First things first though; I have to see who else is still around.

That up there, ladies and gentlemen, is the first stop light upon entering my city back home; which I will pass through in the next few days Insha’Allah. That will leave me with a few days to taste the Ramadan spirit back in Saudi Arabia; the food, the evenings, the prayers, the whole atmosphere; did I mention the food?

It would certainly be different from what we have here in Malaysia. Living in a bachelor pad, one can only dream about all those delicacies and mouth watering aromas that used to leak out of their mother’s kitchen. Although the boys and I are somewhat good cooks, laziness overcomes us after those hectic days, leaving us with no energy to step into the kitchen, let alone start preparing breakfast. That leaves us with either the Indian, Malaysian, or Yemeni restaurants close by where the foods are prepared in haste in order to keep up with the hoard of customers during the peak hours right before Maghrib prayer, compromising the food’s quality and often being oily; something my system isn’t fond of.

That being said, I wish you all a happy Eid in advance. Do visit your relatives, friends, and sick ones, and spread the love…

No one is free when others are oppressed.

I’ve noticed a trend in some Muslims living in Western nations during Ramadan. Come the holy month, one can observe that they’re afraid to show their religion openly and some even go to lengths to hide their fasting. I’ve observed in some, and heard it from others, and this desire to hide Islam does not serve them well.

A young friend of mine confessed to how she has a hard time dealing with Ramadan. She and her friends frequently eat lunch together and come lunchtime, she doesn’t have it in her to tell them she’s fasting so she makes up a story that she’s joined something new; last year it was the library I think. Considering her situation, I had no choice but to advise her that she must tell her friends the truth, rather than keeping her religious duty a secret and avoiding all the questions they might ask her.

For one, aside from this being a Da’wah opportunity, being frank and open with her friends and observing their reactions will show her just how much they respect her as a friend. Two, through her, they can ask her any questions regarding Islam and receive first-hand information rather than hearing all sorts of stories from the media. Most importantly, she’ll be able to practice her religion more freely rather than suppress it every time she’s around her friends.

Another case is that of the workplace. As some of you can relate, many feel that practicing their religion in a non-Muslim dominated workplace is quite a challenge; not from others, but from within themselves. Little do they know that usually their co-workers will be more than willing to offer them whatever they require, such as a room to pray in. Fortunately, most Muslims I know are respected at work and are even provided with a clean space to perform their obligatory prayers. An example would be an uncle of mine, who while under the watchful eyes of his superiors, and while trying to obtain a much sought after position with lots of competition, still put up Ramadan decorations made by his little kids on his office door for all to see. Subtle, yet thoughtful, since that reminds his colleagues that he’s fasting. Needless to say, all he got was respect.

Yes, I understand; initially it might be difficult and somewhat uncomfortable to do at first, but eventually you’ll wish you’d done that earlier in your life. It’s 30 days out of 365, 4 weeks out of the 52, a single month in the year in which the gates of hell are closed and we are given a chance to invest in spiritual growth and commit ourselves to Allah. Islam is not just a practice; it’s a way of life. And you shouldn’t hide it.

Keep strong M.

Ramadan Kareem brothers and sisters!

 Not the way to spend your Ramadan…

Anyone who knows me understands that I’ve been into cars ever since I was 5. Although not my only hobby, it is by far the one I’m most passionate about. Most of my pocket money since my freshman year at high school was spent on fuel. I was and still am as much an addict to driving as the Insider is to gossip and knowing what a certain celeb drank last night.

And then just as I was thinking about what car to buy once I’m officially on my own, Lamborghini dashes my dreams by unveiling this machine. This is by far the best Italian sports car I have ever seen. With all that geometric symphony, it makes me love math all over again. Not only does the design look like something a fighter jet designer would have made; the instrument panel itself looks like a fighter jet HUD; and probably goes undetected by radar as well!

The perfect morning would be to wake up with this Lambo in the garage right next to my Jeep and mountain bike. But with a price tag of $1 million, that dream will stay put on hold for the mean time. Now to wait and see which rapper rents it first and slaps on some custom rims with spinners in his latest video…

Glaciers must have melted since my last post. Two, nearly three month hiatus. In case you don’t have your abacus with you, that’s nearly 100 days, which is quite remarkable for me. One would be inclined, even expected to give some sort of reason or excuse for being away for so long; but let’s not get into that.

Friends got married, others graduated; bloggers disappeared, while new ones surfaced; friends went on holidays and came back with pictures and stories, while some of us slaved with our projects and tasks. There’s so much to write about, but I first have to catch up on the blogs I used to frequent to see what’s new in other people’s neck of the woods.

On a much different note, here’s what might become one of the best Somali websites around. Compared to the other sites springing up every once a while, this one actually looks drool worthy…but time will tell.

Resembles your average commute on a Saudi freeway – minus the decals

A recent Arabnews article brought back certain memories. Having spent quite some time driving in Malaysia, I have somehow forgotten the many driving experiences and close calls I’ve had on Saudi roads.