A China man

Not blogged for a while, is that because i have nothing to say? Far from it I just havn’t had the time to sit down and write. Time has lapsed since my last blog and because of this I can't seem to remember what I would ordinarily consider worth writing about.

But I shall rant about an incident, which took place on the bus, yes another one (I must stress that this is because I can't drive, and public transport is very accessible where I live and even if I did learn to drive the opportunity to drive would be far and a few between, since I can’t afford a car).

So anyway, the background story to this incident was that a friend had asked me to do her a favour and buy her a few cushions for her new house, which the girls had, not yet seen. So 4pm on a school day I get ready to leave the house, I opened the door put my mp3 player in my ears preparing for the hour plus journey to work (it’s a struggle getting it under a hijab, but on the plus side they never move unless you want them to). I got on the bus found a nice empty seat and sat down, put my bag on my lab and proceeded to stare out of the window busy with my thoughts.

The bus started to fill up quickly but I didn’t register. Imagine my annoyance when a bunch of school kids (school not necessarily a place which prepares you for the world unless thuggery is the norm) got on the bus, sat around me, the language they used was appalling, the content of the conversation was enough to make a grown women blush and turn her mp3 player up to an uncomfortable volume (there was ringing in my left ear for at least a day).

If this wasn’t enough 2 of the boys (group consisted of 2girls and 2boys) decided about 15 minutes into the journey that they would try to smoke right in my face. That was the last straw, the man opposite me and I shared a look, which displayed our mutual disgust!! By now I was ready to FLIP but before I reacted the man opposite me (a Chinese brother) got up and walked toward them. He politely asked them to put out the cigerates, the girls (embarrassingly so for the female race) giggled and told him to shu’up.

I turned around so I could see better and one of the boys asked what I was looking at, I raised a brow and pointed at him while saying you (inspired by the lottery adverts) he looked enraged (to cover up the damage to his pathetic little ego am guessing) and walked towards me. The Chinese man stood in front of me (ahh bless) and out of nowhere got into the a kung fu style stance, raised his opened hands just in front of his body (jet lee style)

The taller boy looked like he was going to cry and the girls looked at each other and the more vocal one told the man to take it easy. By now everyone one on the bus was staring at the situation unfolding before their eyes with utter disbelieve. I was by now openly laughing, I couldn’t help it the look on these schools kids faces!! They obviously didn’t except this and neither did anyone else.

The vocal girl got up and told the Chinese man to move out of the way, her tone was betrayed by the wild look in her eyes (Again I must confess I laughed) He did a couple of moves with his hands to scare them a little more and waiting for his performance to take affect. He then moved out of the way and they practically run out of the bus as fast as their little legs could take them.

I couldn’t stop laughing and the man sat next to me and asked me if I was okay, I thanked him and we got talking. He was disgusted by the way the kids had behaved and told me that in china kids would never dream of disrespecting their elders that way. So an idea was born, I propose we Send problem kids to China for a few months on an exchange programme so that they can learn some respect! The one problem I can foresee is that British schools may corrupt the Chinese students.

I object

On my way back from work I bumped into a friend of a friend (LL) and we started talking as we walked towards the bus stop.

I can’t remember much of what we talked about I had a massive portion of chicken Biryani for lunch and was feeling rather sleepy. That was till we somehow got to, how she recently saw one of her best friend that she had not seen for awhile, because she got married and I quote

“Her husband was a little strict and wouldn’t let her see her friends” unquote.

I must have pulled a face of shock or utter disbelieve or maybe it was a twitch but either way I was quickly informed.

“ She was a free spirit before! But once you get married that is it”

By now I must have been twitching uncontrollably because LL looked really worried and proceeded to jubilantly tell me, that her friend remained patient and alhamdullah she is able to see SOME of her friends again!

At this point I am wide awake and I had a few thoughts going through my ahead, such as

1) Why did he marry a strong willed women and then proceed to break her spirit?
2) Would it not have been easier for him to marry a tame woman in the first place?
3) Is he in fact a sadist?
4) Was he bullied as a child for not being Manly enough?
5) Why not just choose women who are running short on the friends department?

What nonsense is this? I hope for the sister concerned he was worth the sacrifice?

How insulting that after he has chosen you and you have chosen him he decides he doesn’t like your friends although the prophet (saw) said if you want to know a person look at their friends? What is he trying to say? He doesn’t like you or worse some bits of you are fine but the rest need to be radically changed? The audacity?

And brothers complain that women try to change them after marriage!! Well am citing this as an example of brothers trying to change sisters!

Once again am tempted to call the brother a LOSER but I shall refrain and continue with the 70 excuses only 65 to go eh?

Recall

I was browsing through Maryram duale’s blog titled “The Bus” when I remember this situation:

MM and I where on the 111 bus, when the bus was about to stop at our bus stop MM saw a women she thought she recognized and when we stood up to get off, she walked over to this women eagerly (anticipating the greeting) when MM stroked this women’s arm to gain her attention, which she most certainly did.

When the women turned around she wasn’t MM’s friend in fact MM had no idea who this women was!!

Of course I had to intercede, but I couldn’t resist (only human after all) I turned to the women, gave her an apologetic smile. Grabbed MM’s arm and marched her off saying (loudly enough for half the bus to hear)

“M why haven’t you take your medication again…You know what the doctor said?!

I turned around to see the women MM had stroked, holding her arm and looking rather scared!!

MM looked at me shocked and kept mumbling over and over again in Somali that she was SO embarrassed her legs were failing her and she couldn’t walk!

wadnihii baa' i gaririya,ma soconikaro,shaki baa' igalay;laabati baa' istaagtay

It’s fair to say that it was one of the funniest moments of my life but MM didn’t see it that way she still remembers the look on the women’s face (Classic)…To this day when she remembers she threatens to get me back but hasn’t managed to do so!!

I am still waiting MM

WOOHOO

Salam ppl ( a greating of peace used by us Moselms a.ka Muslims )

my first ever blog!!

okay I am a little excited, i like getting to grips with new things and any day now the world of blogging wont just sound like a laymans term for some terrible viral desease.

A little about myself then......erm..... oh i graudated may of this year and was really lucky to get a cool job...basically I am working on a women's project funded by the ESF, which means i get to go to European countries on BUSINESS, lol free mini breaks moro like, my first transnational trip was to Belgium strange ppl but very friendly and the CHOCOLATE my God, May God bless the chocolatiers!!)

anyway i found out my project which comes under youth only had the one trip!!! Imagine my horror when i heard this, i was almost heart broken so i did a little Investigating and found out that the other partnership disability and health has 4 trips to destination like Italy and France, so I sent this email to the head dude.

I must mention in my defence that this is highly plausible


"Hi Bob
Hope this finds you in the best of health
Just wanted to let you know that my project may need to be linked with both the Urban youth and Employment partnerships as the preliminary work and general info gathering is pointing towards the women choosing something health related i.e. a health centre or something of that nature.
Naima."




I got this reply


"Hi Naima
You mean you fancy more trips?
Anyway, we are booking for the trip at the moment - this is the initial meeting and we're booked up with the disability-related partners currently. However, don't despair, there will be plenty of opportunity to join various study groups on various issues over the next 2 years, and you are welcome to join any of those. I will keep you informed as to the progress
Hope everything is good with you.
Best regards"

And in Ramadan as well, what was i thinking ( oh yeah the free trip to france)

i really should go now am at work but i have the to go to present the children's show on the local community radio at 3pm

Naima

peace out (Wasalam)