Assalamu`alaikum (السلام عليكم) Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Brothers and Sisters.
I hope your day is going well today, InshaAllah. =]
Bismi-llāhi ar-raḥmāni ar-raḥīm (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم)
Okay, so, I was tagged by Kimono (<3) to write ten things that you (my readers) may or may not know about me. You may be surprised. =)
1. I was born 2 days before the date for Leap Year. I was born on February 27th, 1990 -- if my birthday had been 2 days after the 27th (the 29th), I would only have the opportunity to "celebrate" my birthday in 4 year intervals. (I don't celebrate birthdays, though) =D
2. I was born with a condition called Sytus Inversus where all the organs in my body are on the opposite side (a mirror image of) than that of a normal anatomical physiology. (i.e., my heart is on the right side; not on the left). When I tell people this, I usually get responses along the line of: eye-pop outs and gasps. Or stuff like "I didn't think that was ever possible!"; "How are you even alive?!"
Beoble, beoble.. it's OK. It IS possible, and I'm living proof of that. =)
3. I'm an "accidental artist." I had never had training or practice in art, but I did have a lot of friends who were amazing Artists; so, one random Summer, I decided to try it for myself, and I was surprised at how all this inspiration came pouring in. I began to draw, and I couldn't stop -- however, eventually, after that Summer I had become so involved with College and lost motivation to draw again, so I'm sort of going through an "Artist-block," if you will.
Here are some of my drawings (I've listed them by name/link(s) -- just click the names):
Andddd, that's all I pretty much was able to muster up during the Summer of '07. =)
4. I collect souveniors from my past. I already have two shoe boxes filled with little things I collect over the years, and I label them "Memory Boxes." Anything that reminds me of a special moment in my life, I save and collect them. I still have diaries from when I was 11 years old, and when I feel like taking a visit to my past, I open these boxes up and go through them. They always make me smile. =)
5. About 30-40% of my palm (left hand) is healed, melted skin. When I was about 1 year old, I crawled up to a iron box left on high heat and placed my palm smack dab in the middle of it. This was actually better for me, because unlike most kids, I had an indicator to tell my left hand from my right. It was quite easy. =]
6. I know this may sound a bit irrational, but I have a huge fear of bulging veins,* broken bones, and anything that causes harm on any part of the body. I tend to develop a sort of empathetic attitude towards these "fears." In the Qur'an, there is so much of an emphasis on treating your body as if you would treat something very precious, and maybe this is part of why I feel so strongly about anything that harms the body.
*Okay, I know bulging veins don't necessarily "harm" the body, but I really do have an irrational fear of of them. I don't know why, but I feel like crying when I see them (ROFL). Seriously. :/
7. I was born into a Muslim family, but did not find the True way of life, and start practicing it fully until much later. I actually became more faith conscious during the Summer of '08, and Islam truly touched my heart. Prior to Islam, I was a mess, to say the least; Alhamdulillah, all my questions, doubts, and preconceived notions about Islam have diminished. Ever since then, I have been addicted to Islam (literally). Every little thing I learn about Islam, my heart just opens up more, my eyes open more, and I feel like the Truth is where it belongs -- in my heart. SubhanAllah for this guidance. I don't know where I'd be without it, to be honest.
8. I'll let you in on a little secret: I absolutely would love to major in Art or English in College, but I'm practically pressured by my parents to go into Biology or some Science-related field. I mean, the pressure is not as direct as I probably make it seem, but combined with how much of an emphasis Islam places on how you're supposed to be obedient to your parents and try your best to make them happy, I feel like I'm not sacrificing too much in terms of what I want to major in. And perhaps the most important reason I feel like I would love to major in Art or English is because it would be a major cop-out and less complicated as opposed to majoring in Science and having to go through so much of MATHEMATICS (lawl). I lack the confidence in myself to do WELL when it comes to Science/Math. I'm sure I'm not alone, but it's still a scary thought.
9. I finally have my own room/space. If most of you don't know already, I moved to a new place recently. When I came to America (oh, about..8 years ago), my family settled in Astoria, NY for 8 years, and we finally made a drastic change to move to another part of New York (still in NY, though). This new place is absolutely great. There's an attic upstairs, sufficient to split into two separate areas; so finally, my Sister and I are not going to be sharing one room anymore. Yay! I do miss her, though. However, we're just a screen apart nowadays, and it's hard to pry us apart, regardless. Sisterhood, FTW.
10. Last but not least, I am planning to wear Jilbab/Abaya this August (my sophomore semester in College), InshaAllah. When I started learning about Islam during the Summer of '08, I wore Jilbab (just to try it out, and see how I'd feel wearing it), and Alhamdulillah, it was the most amazing experience ever. I felt so liberated, and content with myself. Sure, I got many stares for my long black dress, but I felt good inside. I felt like I was finally doing something to satisfy God's commandments instead of other people. I have already started looking online, and to be honest, I can't wait! I'm too excited, and I've already picked out some which will go on my "Wish List" until I can calculate if I have enough money to order some, InshaAllah. I am very happy about my decision, and I feel like I have all the support in the world (rude stares, and idiotic comments, aside). Alhamdulillah.
I hope you guys enjoyed these. =)
With (luv),
-Simply me
