Saturday, April 08, 2006
Summary of my week.
Assalamu'alaikum w.b.t.
It's been a refreshing week thus far. In terms of my new life in Melbourne, I've learnt many, many things.
And this is other than the blistering cold weather of autumn that has hit the city suddenly and painfully. Lips crack and bleed during solat, and you can't begin to imagine how hard it is to sleep when your feet are impossibly cold. Typing becomes a problem, as Jamie learnt last night. You keep missing the keys, and it takes you twice as long to finish writing a decent email. Winter coats are less fashionable than functional (although they make dressing to class an easier task -- coordination is not an issue. It's COLD.). Studying and concentrating is harder to do when your digits are numb. I feel less hungry, somehow. I feel like I can eat less and not be the worse for it.
Not that I do.
Hmph. I sound ungrateful. But alhamdulillah, all that I'm experiencing here will have (and prolly already has) taught me a lot about life. These are all small tests, after all. I'm much better off than most people, like, say, the people of Liberia in 2003. Or the people of Palestine. Na'uzubillah.
"Waslami fii kullihiin..." (from this patriotic song for the warriors of al-Quds, by, I have been told, an Indonesian group)
Due to the slight inconvenience that has befallen my fingers, maybe it's best if I just summarize my week in point form. It's been such an interesting week, that it would be a shame to not record it for posterity (which is the only excuse I have for not perusing on organs of the plant (I am almost done with the chapter, okay?)).
- Monday - Went for the MUIS barbie and had mui delicioso pita hot dogs. Handed in my edited (within the word limit) business assignment on the pros and cons of bilateralism. Did a small sketch during tute parodifying Australia's attempts to get into ASEAN. Discovered during Bio tute that I had better read up on photosynthesis or be lost forever.
- Tuesday - It was a very cold night that night. I joined an impromptu discussion with Sisters Aina and Rahimah on Islam's stance on backbiting (and when circumstances allow it) in the surau, based on Imam Nawawi's book. Alhamdulillah, new knowledge gained, and new friendships formed. Did the ILT in the bio lab on photosynthesis and realized that my situation had just been saved by Allah.
- Wednesday - Went for the revert panel (meaning a discussion panel made up of people who have reverted to Islam) discussion during lunch hour. It was interesting, how people of so many backgrounds could find their way and the truth in Allah. All of them were inspirational in their pursuit of knowledge, and their conviction in, using a term they all referred to in the discussion, 'the absolute Truth'. MasyaAllah. *Note: Brother Musa, in his pursuit of the right path, learnt every language used in the original texts, i.e. Aramaic, Arabic. Sis Davav, from a Jewish family, has silently fought her way through to be a Muslim. Such devotion! Can we find such faith in our hearts today? Food for thought.*
- Thursday - Discovered that Frances, my business tutor, was taking over for Andre's lectures. Yay! But does this mean that we'll be getting Andre during tutes instead? Uhm.. Him, leading group discussions in a classroom setting? It will be interesting to watch. For sure. Also had another long discussion with sis Aina, who explained to me some interesting things. I am fascinated by the way she refuses to impart knowledge that she cannot verify, e.g. she always ensures that she uses hadith sahih to stress a point. How many of us spread news and information, the origins of which we do not know and cannot testify to? How many of our words are taken out of context and spread as hearsay? Another piece of chocolate for thought...
- Friday - Realized that I GOT the Taylor Polinomials after all. SanMing is not hard to understand, people. Went to the documentary screening of Islam: The Empire of Faith. Again, inspirational and thought-provoking. From there, Intan, Atikah and me made our way to Bouverie St. to help out Kak Dayah with the rojak buah for the uni's Night Market that night. Had wonderful satay made by the sisters, and tried Otomiyaki (a Japanese pancake) from the Chinese Culture Society booth (?), the vegetarian status of which, I learnt later, was not enough to make it edible. Astaghfirullahal'Azim.
And so that was my week. And now, I have to solat zohor before studying for my double-doozie test day come Monday. Pray for me.
Wassalam. JazakAllahu khayran.