Mirth and Melancholy

Guys. We don't need money. Why are we so obsessed with it? Did you hear about the people who are shaving cats to make them look like expensive sphinxes and scamming a bunch of people? And the people who put dead fish in their skating rinks? All just for money? I honestly hate people these days. Why is money all they want? Why do people do everything for money? Get a freaking LIFE!! I personally think we shouldn't have money as something to make transactions with. I believe if we truly want something, we shouldn't just have the money for it. We should actually work for it. Maybe we should do some cleaning. Something that contributes to the improvement of the world. That's how we will earn stuff. Food should be free. Clothes should be free. Anything a human needs to live a normal life, should be free. And if houses are needed then everyone should pitch in to build one and as payback the people who live in that house will do service work for those who b...

Day 3 of vacation. I just realized that I've stopped labeling these posts with the date of the occurrence. Eh. We went to breakfast in the lobby. Then we cleaned up the motel room and then we went to a boardwalk and walked on it. Then we went to a turtle sanctuary. Then we checked out of the motel. Then we walked around and got attacked by a bunch of mosquitoes on our way to the beach. Then we ate lunch at the beach. Then we headed home. On the way back we stopped at a fish restaurant. I was all mad and groggy because a shark ate my guts so my day wasn't very dandy. I was forced to go inside the restaurant and order something. I didn't order anything because I'm not a fan of seafood to begin with. I just got a chocolate nesquik drink. Then we got our food and went back to the van and they ate their food while I drank my nesquik and continued to be all grumpy about the shark attack. And I slept most of the way back but we stopped at a random vendor along the highway wh...

Day 2 of vacation. I woke up all groggy and annoyed. Did I shower? Can't remember. Umm... well, that's not important. Anyway, I changed into my outfit for the day and then we all set out to the beach. It was very early in the morning, about 6:30 AM. Our intention I guess was to watch the sunrise but of course we wanted more cool beach pictures. We spent the majority of our time doing that while H's timelapse of the sunrise stood on his tripod beside the shore. We saw a few crabs, and a giant one lying by the shore. Hmm, now that I think about it again, we should have buried under the sand. Or should we have? A seagull may have wanted it for its meal. But what if some other people who came to the beach kicked it back in the water or even threw it away? Who knows what kinda crud people can do to animals. *angry emoji* Wow, um... after the sun rose, we went back to the motel. Some of us showered. I think I did too? I really can't remember. But after that we went to the...

I had such an interesting day today!  Well some of it was a drag, so lemme just emphasize on the important parts.  My geo teacher was kinda rude to me today. I finished up my lab and was about to head out as I passed by his desk. I said, "See you," and he just grunted. And before me, there was this guy who said bye to the teacher also, and the teacher said "take care." I always had this hunch that my geo teacher doesn't like me because he always gives me this look. He probably voted for Trump. Lol. Anyway, after that I went outside and something amazing happened. IG saw it first, but now you guys will.  I'm simply sitting outside in the warm sunlight in front of the library on the metal benches, and this man sits down a few seats away from me. I pay no attention to him at first because, hey, anyone can come sit down by me, you know. Then all of a sudden he says "Assalaamu alaykum!" Taken by surprise I say "Wa alaykum salaam!" And ...

Let us continue on our journey through my lit week. THURSDAY, 24 NOVEMBER We stopped driving at about 6 in the morning and we slept in the van for a little before Fajr time. We'd parked at a nearby masjid, where we were supposed to meet up with my mom's friend's husband. Well, after Fajr we met up with him and we went to his house to relax, take showers, while the wife prepared breakfast for us. I was feeling so depressed and annoyed throughout because of a new pimple on top of my lip. I'd peeled it earlier and now it wouldn't stop bleeding. And it made me look super ugly, too. I was like, crap, I can't carry on with this ugly face . But hey, there was no way out. ALSO, I woke up to find my hoodie zipper broken somehow. I couldn't think of one way it could be broken. Heck, I was sleeping the whole time! Had I been attacked somehow in my sleep hence leaving my zipper to be ripped off? Good thing is, it kinda still works. Just a little more complicated to...

My entire week was lit. Let's go through all of it again, shall we? SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER  YM had its monthly mother-daughter potluck. I didn't really want to go since my mom wasn't coming, but Momo said she was going and I hadn't seen her in nearly three weeks, so I made myself go. I went alone with a bottle of homemade iced tea and my fail at curled hair. I was so happy to see Momo in real life after such a long time of talking to her on Gmail and seeing her face on Snapchat. We didn't really talk until it was time to eat, when she and I and our friend N sat at a table with two other girls. We talked about the weirdest things and they were all cracking me up which made it difficult for me to eat my bean dip and some delicious grain thing that Momo brought. Momo told me to stop dying even though it was clearly HER fault I was dying. I was so high that day, mates. Momo was sassing me to no end. And she and N and I created a new meaning to the contraction LMAO, and ...

I went to a lit party last night. It was LIT. Still thinking about it makes me smile. That's because I finally got to see my SMAE, Momo! It's been like THREE WEEKS. How is that even possible? To go on and live life without Momo sass. I must be invincible. I haven't written my book for two entire days. I feel like a horrible human being. Also because Momo likes to read my book and smaes do not sadden their smaes. I had to get homework done though. Saturday, I did nothing except try to get my homework done. Sunday, I went to a community breakfast at 9am, and then I went to the lit party at 5:45 pm. I don't wanna go into the details of the party, but Momo and I and another friend created a new version of the abbreviation LMAO. We were trying to figure out a less inappropriate word beginning with A, and then N, the other friend, suggested apple. And when she said it, "Laughing my apple off," we burst into laughter higher than the heavens. They told me to stop ...

What an uneventful week. That's why I haven't been posting. I don't really have anything to say. But that doesn't necessarily mean anything bad has happened. I'm just bored and I don't go out to find adventure lol. That's because I stay at home... WRITING!!! It's fun. Call me boring but it is only the writer who finds the good in the littlest things. I'm gonna break it to y'all now. I'm writing my first legit  Muslim romance story. And before you ask, no, it is not a halal love story where they get married at the end. Nah, mine is more of a casual "young love" story. My main characters are 13 and 14. That's when things start happening, isn't it? I mean, I for one "fell in love" at 10. And I've had a crush on that same person until today LOL. I'm eighteen now. What the heck. Anyway, back to my book. I started writing it October 14. Then November came along and I thought, "Hmm, I'll use this ...

Got up 30 minutes ago, had me a good cup of coffee. Then I cut up three potatoes to make some fries. (8:09 AM) I haven't been using my gratitude journal. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, I've been going to bed feeling pretty dandy these days even without using the journal. And before this, the journal affected my mood before I went to sleep at night. I managed to go an entire week without crying (as a young adult living in this generation, this is considered an accomplishment). So, since I don't use the gratitude journal as regularly, does that signify that I've carried on and earned the trait of gratitude and the journal has done its job, or does that simply signify my laziness to settle down from my exciting life and set pen to paper? I feel like it's my laziness because hey, I'm always lazy so it's more likely. Anyway, THE PLUMBERS FINALLY FIXED OUR BATHTUB YAAAAAS!!! *parties under a disco* Okay, I'm starving. BRB. I had myself ...

Today was a short day. My English teacher came back and we had a session today. I hate using the computers in the college library because their keyboards are too loud and also very clackety which therefore makes typing very unenjoyable. There are only very few computers there that have nice keyboards. Anyway, I only had time to have a cup of coffee in the morning (7:10 or so) and I managed to survive without food until about 11:20 and my stomach started to make noises in class. Then I ate a granola bar during our break and I managed to survive for another four hours. After I prayed Asr, I got myself some Sour Patch Watermelons from the vending machine. I wasn't hungry for them, but I decided I'd get a snack. So, I can safely say I've survived eight whole hours with minimal intake of food. And may I add that even as I got home, I wasn't that hungry. And I wasn't weak either. IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE COFFEE KEEPING MY SPIRITS UP. So, we got our grades back for the ...

You know those memes that say people prepare for Christmas right after Halloween? I don't even celebrate those holidays but this annoys me. Why do you forget about Thanksgiving? It has occurred to me that people are only genuinely excited about Halloween and Christmas, and tend to forget about Thanksgiving. That says a lot about people. They only look forward to getting loads of candy and receiving tons of gifts. But they don't look forward to being thankful for what they have. I was at Walmart a couple of weeks ago, and Christmas decorations were already up. I recall saying, "They should be preparing for Thanksgiving, if anything." And yes, they should be! Heck, there was even a guy dressed as Santa and a nun! If you realize the weight of this, you'll see that people these days, more specifically this generation, look forward only to receiving and not being thankful. That's awful. It's just so disappointing. I can't even express my thought...

Yesterday I spent most of my time reading a GREAT book called "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. It's this wonderful story about a girl with dyslexia whose teacher helps her to see that she isn't stupid or slow. Such a heart-wrenching, beautiful, well-written story. Recommend :) ... what do I have to say? EVERYTHING IS BORING ALL OF A SUDDEN. WHAT EVEN. I'm just gonna end this post here because there is nothing to talk about right now lmao lol yes you can hate me right now for the short post I'll be back tomorrow thanks bye Until next time! :)

My title is not fit for the upcoming season. But lately I feel like things have been breaking through the ice due to thawing. Not literal ice, you know? I mean in a metaphorical way. Just ignore that. My thoughts are very very whimsical. Anyway, I come to you at the beautiful time of 2:30 pm to bring you a story of my very entertaining life. Joke's on you, I was writing my story and left this tab open. Now it's 3:38 pm, and there is a pan of uncooked brownies in a preheated oven. Now it's 4:53 pm, and my family is going out for grocery shopping. I have to get ready to go to my youth meeting. I AM BACK AND IT IS 9:54 PM. I LITERALLY HAVE AN HOUR LEFT TO BE AWAKE. I STAYED AT THE MASJID FOR TOO LONG. But anyway, let me get a new blog post in before the day ends. So, I... ughhhhhhhhh I don't wanna go into the deets of my day because it was very uneventful. WAIT NO IT WASN'T HOW CAN I SAY THAT WHEN THE PLUMBERS CAME TO MAH HOUSE. Actually that's boring so ...

Thanks Raef for the post title inspiration. I may be fangirling a little too much. I need to chill. (but please listen to this ) Anyway, I can't recall what happened today. I do remember getting up to make fluffy pancakes with chocolate chips in them. Something went wrong, though. They weren't as fluffy and beautiful as the ones I made on Tuesday. I always have an issue with getting the heat just right. Sometimes I make the heat high because I don't have it in me to wait that long for the pancake to cook. But then the pancake gets black. Smh pancakes are so stubborn. Aaaaand ... I tried to do a homework submission but I was too distracted by something. Hmm... what? I'm not gonna tell y'all lol. But I ended up submitting the assignment around 2:30 pm or 3 pm. But BEFOOOORE all that happened ... I did my dancing/exercising routine. TBH, it's not very organized. But I do make sure to start slow so that my system isn't all like what the heck nura we did...

Literally. What the hell, America. Why did you do this? Okay, I've been in a state of shock this whole morning and I haven't been able to focus on anything. I felt self-conscious as I walked through the halls of school today. And as I sat down at my usual place to wait for the classroom to open, I noticed that my classmates, my friends, didn't acknowledge me. Then again, I didn't meet their gazes, but my self-consciousness was overtaking me. I kept worrying, "Will they think differently of me now?" At 7:40 I began to feel somewhat concerned because the professor usually comes and opens the classroom around this time, but he hadn't arrived yet. I walked to the door and started waiting. Then the girl who sits next to me, Nat, came over to me. I expressed to her my concerns for the professor not arriving yet. "Yeah, maybe he didn't feel like coming today," she said. "Yeah, probably because of the elections," I said. She sco...

I lack creativity for blog post titles. I'm going to rant about something that I wanted to post last night but had no time to do so. Okay? BEEE PREEPAAAAARED (TLK reference) One thing I hate most, guys, one thing I hate most... okay let me be completely honest. I HATE IT when people disregard any favor I've ever done for them and when suddenly I do something wrong, they lash out at me. For example, when I came home yesterday, there were three hijabs, unfolded, on my sister's bed, right? And I left them alone because I was too tired to do anything about them. And then, a few hours later, after she came home and I napped and everything, she got mad at me for just leaving the hijabs on her bed. "You were here most of the day, so do something about them!" What I really wanted to say: Yeah? Well if you have a problem with it, then get them off by yourself! What I actually said: [nothing] I said nothing because I knew that arguing with her would be poi...

Hola mi amigas and amigos! (Hmm... who are my guy friends who read this blog anyway?) I would ask you all to kindly appreciate this one last day of freedom. Who knows what can happen tomorrow during the election? Anything can happen. Anyway, let's not worry about that right now. What we should be focusing on is the presentation I just did in English class! I wasn't nervous about presenting. My classroom is a very comfortable environment and I feel like most of the people are my friends or are friendly. And this is the first time in my history of group projects that I actually have reliable, friendly, and hard-working group members. When our time came, I had to open us up, so I said, "Hi, I'm Nura, and these guys..." and I proceeded to motion to my group members. They all introduced themselves, and then I turned back to the class and said, "Our story was The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Stetson." And then I proceeded to talk about the auth...

Cold. Hungry. Sleepy. Three worst situations. And I was dealing with them all yesterday morning. I was awakened at 8:30 am, took a shower, and was rushed into my goth outfit (for the fifth time this week!). Then I grabbed my handbag and climbed into my sister's goth black car. We stopped by SA's house to pick her up, and then we arrived at the masjid. We had a short discussion with the rest of the volunteers, and then we got to work. SA, another volunteer Fr, and I went to work trying to find good doorstoppers for the entrance. It was early in the morning and all the guys in the masjid were taking up the gym, playing all kinds of sports, so no one was manning the main office. And that meant we couldn't go and ask them if they had doorstoppers by any chance. So what we did first was see if a chair would be good enough to keep the doors open. It wasn't. Then I noticed an orange cone outside and suggested we use a cone to keep the doors open. We did find a cone outsi...

To whomever is going to "chill" with me in the future, please know that I adore writing. Like, I ADORE it. ALMOST as much as I'm going to adore you. Almost. But when I'm mad at you, writing will be on the top of the list. Because I'm going to use writing to document how annoying you are. Anyway... Today was a stressful day. I can safely say I have been out of the house for 11 consecutive hours. Volunteering. At an event I've previously told you about. My job was welcoming and ushering everyone in the building, and I was feeling in a smiley mood despite the cold weather and my very empty stomach. I don't really wanna relive it right now, so lemme talk about something else. Well, well, well, would you look at that. Daylight Savings Time is coming to a close. Time to set our clocks back and all that jazz. This means Fajr will be at 5 am instead of 6, which means there will be three hours for me to chill until class time. Yaaay :D I want to make this...

^^post title goals, y'all I've been wanting to write another post, but held back because "I'd already written one for the day and I'm gonna write one for every day in November." Well, screw my rules. I told myself just now, "Just write it. Nothing's holding you back. You can write another one, it's okay. Why hold yourself back just because of your perfectionist rules?" I argue with myself sometimes. In the end, it's a win-win, because I am me, and I always win. Anyway, let me get on with what I was going to say. I just realized that I'm going to be really busy tomorrow volunteering at a job fair in the masjid tomorrow, so I may not be able to write a blog post for tomorrow. So writing another one now is actually a really good idea. I praise my own ideas sometimes because I'm that brilliant. Oh my god I just peeled a pimple scar and now it's bleeding. SOMEONE MAKE ME #STOP As if I'll stop even after you tell m...

Everyone knows the best way to exercise is to make it fun. And that's what I did today. Hold on. Before I talk about that, let me tell you something. I'm gonna be completely honest with you, regardless of who you are. *picks up nearby saucepan of Nutella-covered oatmeal and takes a spoonful* Here's the truth about me. I sit in my room all day with the computer before me, chatting with friends, surfing my social medias, listening to my nasheeds, adding on to my story, and a bunch of other things I can't even name right now because whatever I do on the computer, I don't even keep track of. And before I know it, the day is over. There. That's the truth. I'm not productive at all. My dad has been yelling at me to get off my bed and do something like exercising because staying on the bed all day is not healthy. He's right; it definitely isn't. I feel so empty after a day spent in my room. What I even do, I don't know myself. Well, I deci...

Hello hello hello! It's Nura again, here to entertain you :) I stayed at home for the majority of my day, but I feel as though quite a lot of things happened. I was awakened at Fajr time, around 6:36 AM. My sister was going to go to the masjid to pray Fajr, and then she would come right back and send me to school. Now, why did I go to school on a Thursday? (My class days are M & W.) Well, because I had to meet up with my group partners in English class so we could discuss what we learned the other day (did I mention that the guys didn't come to class yesterday?), which was how to get an A on our presentation. Anyway, I dressed in all black, mostly because I didn't have the time or energy or clean clothes to put together a decent-looking outfit. On a side note, I've been wearing black this whole week. On Monday, I wore a black long-sleeve shirt, a black skirt, my new black hijab, and a flowy leopard tank top that's black on the inside. My shoes are also black...

I love being at school! (Again) Today in English class we didn't do warm-up sentences like usual, just because the teacher said he didn't feel like doing them. And he asked the class, "Do you ever feel like doing them?" And what I did was just smile, but in all honesty I enjoy doing the warm-up sentences. I think it's a great way to start the day and get the writing muscles at work. Anyway, we talked about presentations and how to make them successful, and then we got into our groups to peer edit each others' rough drafts. The guys in our group didn't come for some reason, so it was just the three of us girls peer editing. One of my group members, C, called me "English professor #2" because she has this impression that I'm smart, when in reality, I'm just good at English, hehe. And then C and our other group member L started talking about how they couldn't believe B, another group member, was 19, because his facial hair made him loo...

I always thought the word November had an evil and sadistic implication behind it. November. November. November. Maybe it's the appearance of the word "No." Maybe it's the V? It couldn't at all be the fact that this word begins with my initial, nope. Well, I guess we'll wait until someone with a high I.Q. comes up with a good answer. Let's leave them to that while I transition to my next topic. Which is, respectfully, the coming of November. Can y'all believe it? This year is almost over! Several memes on social media are saying how this year should not be spoken of, but I personally believe that this year, for me, was a great one. I can never forget this year, because this is the very year in which I collaborated with my online friend on my first official book in my entire writing history! Gotta keep that in mind, eh? Oh, and this month is National Novel Writing Month. Dang it, it slipped my mind. I'm going to try it this year, inshaAllah. I...