Chasing the Soul

My heart wanted to have a free soul. A soul that chases the dreams of her heart. I have been looking out for a sign that say you are independent and free to move. But, this is not right. Something is not fair. It was my culture who has kept me bound by itself.

 It was always in my mind why can' t do this or why can't I do that? Hanging out with friends was far, far away from my thoughts. It was not related to my family it was related to my society. The society; who I was a part of. I had a chance to live my life for a year as I wanted. I was allowed to hangout with friends, play when I want, watch television, play on Wii, slack off from work. It was a chance to try all those adventurous stuff, I had dreamed for. A year without any anyone looking out for you.
 This is not morally fine either. Right? For all those who asked me questions how did I do in America? What I did? How I spent my days and some irritable, annoying questions. (Not all of them are stupid questions). This blog is dedicated to them.

In short, I was placed in Troy, Missouri first then I moved to Salem, Missouri. My host family was changed once due to not getting mutually understand each other. Being different is good but being to much different which would count as weird is not so good! Well, moving on. I got a family whom I can rely on. A family who I called a family after my natural family. Although my host family was not rich as shown in American movies, it's just a stereotype about them. Saying this from what I have experienced.

Coming back to my host family. I had a host dad name ''Brian Inman''. The hilarious one; just like my real father whom I can fully trust on and can share anything with him. We would talk with each other for hours and can not be bored. I think, I would not get bored. There was so much to tell him. Our culture was so different from each other. He has always advised me and try to correct me. Unfortunately my little brain is just messed up. I forgets things pretty easily. He taught me fishing, swimming (not really) actually he threw me in water with a life jacket on with a believe that ''I will not drown''. He was so funny. Moreover he taught me riding four wheeler (secretly) on my request. We went for frog gigging. It was the scariest but fun experience ever. I can't forget that day. Everything was covered with darkness and we were with flash lights trying to blind frogs. He would teach me how to sing songs and taught me how to whistle but it was an epic fail. I was so horrible. I still am. But I miss all those days.

My host mom, ''Nancy''. She is just apple of an eye of everyone. She is a good cook plus she manages her kitchen greatly. She always tease me by saying ''clean as you go''. One day I cooked Biryani for host family. I did not turn out pretty good because I was out of some spices. Well, what can we expect from a county side. It's okay. Well, after that the whole kitchen was just a disaster. She did not yell at me for messing up with kitchen although I cleaned it afterwards but I learned the lesson of ''Clean as you go''. I miss her sometimes and all the lessons she has taught me. Before going to bed we always gave hug to each other. That was really so sweet. Sometimes we would misunderstand each other but it's a part of our life. We move on.

Salem High school was the school I went; I graduated from. SHS gave me lot of love, respect, memories. Me and my best friend of America, LIEN MAI NGYEN fromVietnam. My 4th sister. We would do some crazy exchange students stuff together and everyone would appreciate it. Salem's people are very warm welcoming people. Some of them were racist too beside them everyone is love. I would say it was just a very small town for a girl who has lived her life in a city. I miss my very first high school too. TROY BUCHANAN too but it was in a fate to move to different location.

P.S: I had a host family, A coordinator,  A great Regional director, host family's friends and my friends to look after me and keeping an eye on me.

Coming back to the story, I had a chance to be a rotten egg in that freedom of religion and culture's country but I choose not to. The culture is inside you not relying on the society. Yes, society means a lot to everyone and we should not do anything against it. Besides that man's will also matters a lot. We can not loose our true identity in order to gain society's praising words. People loves to talk behind back. They backbite, they gossip but is it what you want? No, then seek what you like for your own sake. No matter where you travel in this world every Country has their own culture and traditions; what I have learnt through my exchange year can not be defined in words. Especially I can not defined it myself but the very first lesson, I learnt is respecting those cultures and diversity without losing your true identity.

Spice of S.M.S

It has always been most of the Pakistani mother's reciting words that the cellphone in your hand goes in hell, you loose it, drop it somewhere, it will break by itself or I will split it into two pieces or someone snatch it from you so that I can live in peace.

 This is not my only mother. I bet, your mother would agree with my mother's word. It is a true story of every teenager. 

 I have been thinking what if we loose the messaging opportunity, what the life would be like without messaging or without talking  with friends. It is obvious texting itself is not a big deal. Talking with friends in a low, cheap cost matters that is why most of us message friends even if we are not chit chatting, we would forward messages. It is a leisure time fun activity. I am a texting freak when it comes to boredom. I send message to everyone in my contact book. Yes, it is a shame but I am proudly proud of it.

Here's are few advantages if we leave texting.

1. Our parents would be proud on us.
2. Life can not be annoying.
3. It will all tension free.
4. There will be no one to yell at you or say curse you.
5. You will be concentrating in your daily matter life.
6. Education? You will be a nerd somehow.
7. You will keep yourself busy in home choirs.
8. Instead of taking time to text, you will be going out to play.
9. People will know you inperson and know the truth.
10. Actually, they can see you while you are talking.
11. No more accidents due to texting and driving.
12. No more cheating. fraud or falsly statements.
13. No more wrong numbers stressful messages.
14. There will not be any usage of wrong sentence due to the bad habit of texting.
15.No more confusing acronyms and spoilt spoken language plus spoilt writing.
16. there will not be any gazing eyes of any aunt or uncle while you are playing S.M.S, S.M.S with your friends.
17. You can sleep peacefully.


On the other hand, if we do have the facility to text.

1. No one can be bored anymore.
2. Friends will be with you at any time
3. You will not be forever alone.
4. Actually, you will have fun by planning a hangout with friends.
5. Friends will always be there for you when you need them plus you can contact them in emergency if you do not have balance.
6. Life will be less stressful by not caring about anything at all.
7. Who cares if someone scold you. You can run away from it and talk almost freely with friends.
8. You can do fights secretly without letting anyone know.
9. You will have your love with you all the time just a minute away from cellphone.
10. You can say all those words which you can not say inperson and are afraid of it.
11. Ugly ones can get make people fall in love for them.
12. Writting all those things rather than telling them will help you not loose the person you like becasue if they are infront of them, then you can be in trouble. so writting all those things, clearing all points and send them to get a fast reply without waiting would be so awesome.
13. You can do flirting and pass your freaking bore-to-death time.
14. You can know strangers very well and be friends with them. That's always adventurious. ( I have never done this before)
15. You can bully people or blackmail them just for fun. (I don't agree with this one)
16. Funny jokes? There are always amzaingly funny messages revolving around; that will make you laugh out loud.
17. No more sadness due to sitting alone and not having a best friend by your side.
18. The list can go on and on but texting is just amzaing without it we will be doomed with all house choirs if we have some leisure time.


I do not know what to say about to text or not to text. The choice is yours. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, if we 
misuse any opportunity, then we can not be happy with life. For a time being it will give us pleasure but in later on life we can not be happy from what we have.

Random!!

Well, I have been thinking what to write and I couldn’t come up with anything but the only reason I want to write is enhance my writing skills and to help boost my vocabulary.

 I am not a good writer and I don’t have any good reason to continue writing.

 I have heard good writers start with writing one or two lines and then continue to pen down their thought without any hesitation or complications. 

As the matter of fact, I have written couple of blogs but they didn’t get to be encouraged by people. I think they didn’t even try to read them. Pitiable. Right? Well, it’s okay I am going to write till my hands and my brain start working to write things up.

For that reason, I have decided to do a project called “6 days in a row’’.  In this I am going to write daily whatever click my mind. To write a blog I need to be persistent which I am not. True that. Well, I think I can do it. I almost spend 1-2 hours daily on facebook doing nothing; if I give my 30 minutes to write few lines then it will not be a big deal. 

Still a lot of lessons to learn.

Knock, Knock, Knockkk*
 I jumped out of my bed, rubbed my eye in order to clean them and opened the door. It was my host dad waiting for me to opened the door. I greeted him and he did to. He asked me if I am ready to go for the picnic.
Dad, what time is it?
''It's 6:45 and you are not ready. Get ready in 5 minutes or else we are going to leave you at home''he replied in a resentful manner.
Well, I picked up my backpack and went upstairs to my bathroom to wash my face and changed my clothes. After 10 minutes I was sitting at the back seat in the car. Moving on we started our trip to Clear water lake. I didn't dare to say anything because I was still sleepy a little bit from the night before it. I stayed up late that night. At 7 a.m. my alarm started ringing. My host mother looked at me. I told her it's my alarm so I could be up for today. She asked me why did I put for 7 a.m. I told her that you told me we will be leaving at 8. That's why I put that. She denied it and told me that we said that we will be leaving between 6 to 7 a.m.
 Well, it's not a big surprise. Sometimes she changes her mind like changing clothes. I didn't want to argue with her. They changed their plan because they wanted to eat out. I apologized her still after knowing that I was right.
 We went to sonic, I had French toast and lemonade for breakfast.
 Then they drive to their friend's house to pick them up, they were going with us too. At 7:45 we arrived there and found out that they just got up and we had to wait for them about 1:30 minutes there.
Every minute was thorn in my side. Those 90 minutes were rational to the hunger pain of  last minutes of a fast.

At last we finally moved towards our designation. This waiting procedure was horrible to me and now I know when you wait for someone on something how it feels like. I have gotten a lot better after living in United States where people stress more on time where as if I compare it to my family in Pakistan, I think that it is our family tradition not being on time. The journey continues. I pray to Allah that make me a good person in future with all the good deeds. (Ammeen)

Feeling of Boredom

I have nothing to say but I am pretty much bored and I have no idea what to do. So, I decided to write a poem. This is my fourth poem I have ever written and I am not so good in writing them. But I tried to write one.

I am just sitting here
Staring the windows of my laptop


My friends are having fun
I am stalking each one


My parents are enjoying the weather
Where as I am shunning the sun


I'm looking for a movie
But none of them are groovy


I'm thinking to listen to a song
besides my head is not getting along


I am feeling alone
I sense this mood is overblown


It's getting dark outside
But I think it's nationwide


There's nothing to be surprised
because I live at the west side


I have finally realized that I am bored
All these emotions are floored


This poem has stored
But please don't abhor

Blind.

 The new controversy which is really big deal now in my town. Everyone is talking about it. So, I decided to write about it.

There's a always good side and bad side of everything. As well there's pro and cons of everythings.It depends on visual perception and how he/she thinks. A Gift for Muslim Couples controvery started when a old man (Ahmad) sold a book from India in Canada which was written by (Religious Scholar) Maulvi Ashraf Ali Thanvi in 19th centuary who passed away in 1943. A Gift for Muslim Couples'  book basically told Muslim couple especially man of the family how to treat with your wife.  In that book there are some pages which tells how to deal with dishosnest wife or who doesn't listen to you and it gives the refrence of  HOLY QURAN. I personally did some research and it took me forever to find that page of the book which said to beat. The book says to do this: To re-approach, to scold, to beat with stick or hand, to pull the ears, to utter harsh words, to physically detain, to apply financial restraints. 

Ok then let me tell you, Maulvi Thanvi,  the verse you quote from Quran (koran) was taken in completely a wrong way. Those verses were for women who cheats on their husbands or having a sexual relationship with other man.There's nothing in Quran which tells you how to beat yourwife and beat your wife when they don't listen to you. Here are some quotes from Quran which is taken wrong by extremist people and they think they owned their wives. If you think you can treat however you want then you have to read this. 

 "According to Quran the relationship between the husband and wife should be based on mutual love and kindness. Allah says: "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect." (Quran: Ar-Rum 21) 

 The Holy Quran urges husbands to treat their wives with kindness. (In the event of a family dispute, Quran exhorts the husband to treat his wife kindly and not to overlook her positive aspects). Allah Almighty says: “Live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good.” (Quran: An-Nisaa 19) 

And the Surah (Verse) they take it in wrong sentence is this:

 "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more strength than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore, the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in the husband's absence what Allah would have them to guard. As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance)acquainted with all things." (Quran: An-Nisaa 34)

In Quran in Surah Al- Nisa it is first stated admonish them and try to urge or explain or warned them next if they don't listen to you. Second statement is to refuse to share beds mean in Islamic divorce them and make them survive with yourself and at last beat but lightly. But, what do you think? after divorcing can you beat some one? NO! that's why it is stated in the last. Everything which is in QURAN makes completely sense and lots of people takes some bite which ever the piece they like and use it in their own way.

Beating wife or treating them badly in Islam is considers very bad. In any religion they don't allow to beat wife even in Western countries and after selling a book in western country made every one looked down upon. So, this is the controversy which have been revolving around  now-a-days. I want to end my blog by saying that there is nothing in Quran to beat wives and who ever think that he is extremist. Well, it doesn't happen a lot but it varies in different cultures like in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan or other South Asian countries where women are not empowered alot.

And I learned something from a seven years old boy!

As it is one of important message of Hazrat Muhammad(P.B.U.H) that '' Baroon ki Ezat and chooton ka ehtaram karo.''
''Obey and respect the elders and adore and respect the yougers''

This quote just came into my mind when I was playing with 7 years old Trevor; my host nephew. We were looking for the tree house when we found the stacks of hay bundles. They were on top on each other and together the were making the mountain of Hay bales. Suddenly travor climp on it and said come up. First I was not sure if it will be secure to play on it. I wanted to finish the game and take Travor home before some one gets hurt. And I said Travor come down now! I did not expect any response from him except him to come down but, he gave me a look and replied in a very cute way, ''make me.'' and then continued, '' If you will make me then I will come down.'' Out of blue I asked him, '' How can I make you?'' He taught me how to make a child. He said, '' say manner words and please.''
I continued as what he told me to do, ''Tavor would you please come down?'' and he came down and I put my hand on his head and said, ''Good boy.'' He stopped and said say THANK- YOU now. I couldn't take him to home until I would say all the nice words to him.
I had learnt when I was coming to America that always says three magic words: Thank you, Please, sorry or excuse me and I have been practicing also but I didn't know that I have to say to small kids also.
I would say Travor taught me some good lesson. After this I thought about my younger sisters; now I realised what used to make my siblings fight with me. If I would say some appreciation words; there would not be the same as today. And it will not be false if I say I didn't fight with any of my sisters and I miss them alot.
Today I learnt the forgotten message of Holy Prophet(P.B.U.H) and what my parents taught me again and again.
I hope when I will get back home; I will be a positvely changed sister for them. I am positive =D