Who Needs Food? - I Need Pants!

I haven't resisted and I've bought two pairs at Tranquillo. They are made from good material and are eternally comfy too :o)

Here's what they look like:

Seriously ladies?!

Everytime I go to the ladies room at work, not only here but also at my previous jobs, it smells like a monkeyhouse hosting diarrhea... and just sometimes I would rather see the whole Saw horror series than what I am seing. There's paper, there's water - for crying out loud, there's even a insence spray and desinfectant! What is the problem?

How to Tie a Sari

I have bought a sari a few days back, because I think it's beautiful, it can be humble and can be even worn to work, if an appropriate colour is chosen.

However, I've been fighting with the application very much (haven't handled it yet) so I dare post the instructions from a Czech site Sari.cz
1. Chose an appropriate underskirt with a firm rim, so you can hold the sari in place with it and start at your right hip at the front, stuffing the sari behind your belt. The wider rim is the bottom one. I would chose to wear a carina top underneath and matching hijab, unconflicting with the colour of the sari.
2. Turn the sari once around you firmly.
3. After you have it once firmly around, create a harmonica on your belly with your fingers, approximately 10 to 12 cm wide, 5 to 10 bends, depending on the length of the sari and then turn the harmonica to face the other way.
4. Turn the sari around you once again, but this time pull it upways, above your breast and below your armpit.
5. Now fix it to your shoulder, possibly with a safety pin. The part to be on top is the decorative rim.
6. Now pull the remainder of the material over your way and fix it to your hijab as best it suits you.

It is really beautiful, yet still halalible and is a type of dress which will insulate heat, thus keep you cool in summer and warm in winter. For summer, light viscose (or for those of you who can aford it silk) is best and in the winter, I would use either a thicker viscose, or cotton (or the silk, but more layers?).

Would you wear it?

My Blood Type - Don't Be Square

I have found the shop I would burgle and strip bare to wear! I am in love. Being muslim doesn't mean I have to be boring in black. It's elegant, but that's the best I can say. I would literally kill for the trousers below and their collection is pretty much hijabee. Feel comfortable and funky in Tranquillo.

WE WON!

WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!!!!!!!!

Slovakia beat Italy 3:2 and New Zealand and Paraguay ended 0:0 so we are through!!! Us and Paraguay.

Ode to FIFA World Cup

The time just made an eight year loop and I am 14 again and sooo excited about the FIFA World Cup. In 2002 I was so in love with Brazil for their Yoga Bonito style and great players. Who wouldn’t fall in love, if their first visual contact was that of Ronaldinho tackling the whole field and scoring a goal to a stunned David Seaman? I was lost and the passion for this player held me a very long time. My admiration will always stay the same, though the same cannot be said about his skills.
However, Brazil had a dream team. Does any of you not recognize Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and their like? I think that anybody, who knows that football is a game played with a ball, handled in majority of times by the foot knows who these are.
The finales then had me sitting on the edge of my seat the whole of the +-90 minutes. Though I was supporting the winning side, the Goalkeeper of all goalkeepers in history, Oliver Kahn, was on the same side of the pitch that my favourite forwards spent most of their time. I wanted Brazil to win, Germany to lose, but simultaneously I desperately wanted Kahn not to let anything in.

This year, the Brazilian coach, Dunga, decided to abandon the Yoga Bonito style completely, if favour of injecting the Brasilian representation with fresh young blood. I don’t deny him his right to do so and since Brazil have secured their place in the next round, neither the wisdom of such a decision. However, there was no beauty in the matches I have seen. Cafu and R. Carlos are old, Ronaldo is fat and Ronaldinho notorious for his preference of the N Clubs above the F Clubs and what happened to Adriano I just don’t know. However, having at least one of them sitting on the bench, to be sent out at least for a few once the lead of Brazil is secure would have me sitting on edge again, waiting for the last five or ten minutes where I could enjoy the samba football. Nostalgia is a strong sentiment and it would secure my loyalty, no doubt. Ronaldinho at least. Please. He had some bad time in Barca and later in Milan, but from reports I have read, he improved to his former form within the latter part of 2009 and in 2010 and was beyond praying to be included in the 23 chosen ones.

I am a fickle fan it seems. I will support those, who I respect and who can provide me with a show, which will pump me with adrenaline for the suspension and awe for the beauty of the game. Though my national team is still in, probably singing their requiem in a play against Italy as we speak, Spain have caught my heart. I do pray for a miracle for Slovaks, and as Gigi Buffon is supposed to be taking a day off today there is a possibility, though very faint. However, my football faith in them is proving weak and I am skeptical.
Replacing my canary number 10 is a La Roja top marked with a 7. Art is art and Villa caught my heart. The two goals against Honduras were the most beautiful I have seen in ages (though I haven’t seen much football lately, except for a Barca match here and there) and I was hoping to see a hat-trick and failed by a few centimeters in a free kick. I am forgiving though and will give the talent of this tournament a chance to charm me further tomorrow, when Spain will have to prove itself against Chile to move on to the next level. He does have a one up for me as he transferred to FC Barcelona recently.

I am currently trying to pirate through work to stream the Slovakia-Italy match, so will abandon you for the moment, but I’ve just been informed, that Slovakia is winning 1:0. Sorry to rush it, but I’ll be back!

PS: Pictures and style will be edited later. Very restricted here.

The World Is Turning Way Too Fast

At least that is what I feel lately. I get up in the morning and before I even notice I am getting up in the morning. Except, that it's not Monday anymore, but Tuesday... Wednesday... A brief flash I don't even register, which I think is called a weekend and Monday again. I've heard of the term social life, briefly in passing during my short encounters with the TV, but I haven't had time to look it up in the thesaurus yet.

How does this even happen? All through high school time dragged and if I tried I had whole hours of "I just wanna be bored now" and I used to dislike them, at least if I didn't have a book in hand. Now I know, that being bored is a privelege.

It's been bugging me, where all the time went, but then I did some simple math and suddenly I knew.

A day has 24 hours. 8 hours of that should (if you have any respect for your health) be sleep. 24-8=16. 9 hours is my working day. 16-9=7. At least 1 is personal hygiene. 7-1=6. 1h 30 is transport to work and back. 6-1h30 is 4h30. Another 30 minutes are transport to the gym, 1h is excercise and 30 minutes on top for the extra hygiene in order to be able to get home without killing flies by stink. 4h30-2=2h30. In that, there is still breakfast, dinner, some pet care, shopping, checking out the news so that I am aware, whether there is WW3 or not, possibly house chores, if unless like me you have some decency in yourself and contribute to maintaining a home a home and not a stable.

I spend an hour every morning trying to force myself to get up. Alhamdulillah, I have a family. Since in this I am a failure they do the forcing for me and make sure that I don't get fired from my new job while within probation period.

The new job is the good news! I've started on Monday and I am eternally happy to be given such an opportunity. Thank you ex-boss! If it weren't for your continuous efforts to get rid of me, either by bossing or by defenestration (and as the modern offices don't have openable windows, only the fist option was valid) I would still be stuck in a job I hate, working with people who often aren't my cup of coffee and getting a smaller salary than now.

Have you ever noticed how beautiful silence can be? In this world you almost cannot, but I have found a peacefull oasis with only waves of stress, not an innondation. The printers are behind glass walls, all phones on silent and phone booths for people to call from, so I get to do all my online trainings in an atmosphere, which sounds like paradise.

As the day is way too short, I still don't have all that much of a social life, but now I have a life. One that I can be proud of too :o)

Another sad disappearance

Have been away for quite a while, have had many situations to handle, but as it seems its not getting any better any time soon, I shouldn't procastinate and should show some activity.

There isn't much to say, really, though too many news, just some are too private to share. One I feel very upset about right now though is my other little baby, Pani Mysova. She was an angel dropped down from heaven in February, when Onyx passed away. Our Valentyne. She came to save the situation and to restore both our and Opi's happiness. She has blessed us with her presence for such a short time and now has disappeared after Onyx - crossing the rainbow bridge forever.

I will miss you :'-(

"BossPissOff"

My boss has never liked me as a person. I can deal with that. But ever since I have put my hijab on my everyday life at work became hell on Earth. He started giving me the good old “if looks could kill” classic and started searching for any reason to give me hell. A short stint of productivity issues has done the deal. Forever.

No matter how hard I try, how much results I gain or how much I speed up I still get criticized. His favorite activity is to diss me and to go actively fish for any criticisms on me he can find. While my project management gave me praise he gave me hell for the same project. He watches me like a vulture watches a tired animal, waiting for it to drop. By simply existing I can get his jugular to pulse so hard that if I were a vampire he’d targeted himself in a crowd. I've found a lovely picture to illustrate how I feel about him and the gossip crew (see below).

Honestly, I don’t mind constructive criticism or follow up which doesn’t sound so good and I can take it like a (wo)man, but I like fair treatment. When I improve, I want if not to get some acknowledgement at least to be left alone. If there is detriment in my productivity I want support before I get hateful treatment. I’ve been losing sleep, heath and nerves to this.

But I have found the perfect attitude - a perfect game. I call it "BossPissOff". I will not almost

throw-up over going to work anymore. This morning I have decided to walk all over the office with the enthusiasm of a tree-year-old wearing a mask of joy so strong I look like I won the lottery and got proposed to by Mr Big all at once. I stood up to this promise and did this all of today. Have you ever noticed that if people really don’t like you it pisses them off when you are happy? It works way better than if I would be offending them right in the face and so far it has no backfire on me. Whenever I skipped past the gossip crowd they all turned on me, their eyebrows furrowing and gossip frequency speeding up and going higher in pitch. I also met my boss and he almost popped a vain on his forehead. In the morning, through my depression from Monday morning I was forcing it, but as the day went on it turned into full-force vindictive joy and became more natural and the happiness authentic.When someone is trying to beat you down to the ground try this attitude for a change. It might actually make you feel happy and satisfied.

My Beloved Soccer Styled Up in New

I was searching for pictures to put up a new hijabee style combo to put up and came upon this on http://www.turkishjournal.com. I just had to share :)

Ninja Style

Spring is here. How did I know? My face is in full bloom and my skin is reminding me how ugly I felt all through adolescence. It’s just as bad as Amy Winehouse or Kate Moss. My bad skin scares little children and the eczema stigmatizes me even more, because I have the urge to scratch. It itches loads. A few more days like this – and it’s only getting worse – and I will OD on anti-histaminic. Any suggestions what I am supposed to do? By the way, it does provide me one good argument for niqab. With what my face looks like today, it would be service to the society to hide under a black cloth. To top it off, I’ve run out of blemish concealer.

I think I might have thought of ideal outfit for wear. Maybe I’ll try the ninja-style. It would solve the “scaring little kiddos” problem and it would solve my fashion/religion issues during sport. I took up aerobic-kickbox to get back in shape, but skipping keeps shaking-off all my head-wear. I think I will tape the scarf to my forehead in order to keep it there. Though, I did get a good suggestion from a friend. Try check-outhttp://www.thehijabshop.com/capsters/index.php. I am considering getting either the Aerobics one, or the Basic one. Haven’t chosen yet. I have a big head and would probably look funny in both. The rest of my “I am behaving healthy” clothes are black and yellow.

Niqab - does "chaste" clothing really deobjectify a woman?

One thing I believe I will never in my life understand is niqab. Why anyone would wear it? To me it does not protect a woman’s chastity, but dehumanizes her. One thing is, to cover your face and body, which leaves you chaste and makes it easier for men to lower their gaze. That is good and makes sense to me. I feel more human, when someone hangs around to talk to me and look me in the face, listening to what I have to say, or wishing to talk to me for who I am, rather for liking the view in my cleavage. Covering clothing is to make sure that people take you as a person, not as an object.

However, if I talk to someone, I want to see, whether they are sincere or ironic, happy or sad and to know, how they feel. Without being able to see this, I feel very uncomfortable and insecure talking to them. Many of us have been taught to be diplomatic and to listen, even if we are not interested, but I would rather be able to tell and change topic. To me, without a face, there is no person. I can’t help myself and feel, like if I am speaking to a computer.

How does a child find his mother in a crowd of niqabees in a playground? By the smell? Lovely. I would find it very frustrating. How can children trust their teacher, if she is all hidden from them in a freaky outfit? If I am an old person in a hospice – dying – I’m not sure, whether the comforting words from a nurse, looking like death herself would be so comforting after all. I would want to see her kindness and compassion in her face, dancing around her wrinkles and touching her eyes and brow.

And the worst thing of all – have you ever seen a niqabee eat in a restaurant? I’ve worked in a restaurant so speaking for myself, I have. Not once. It is a sight that I would rather delete from my memory. Otherwise I find the black shadow just scary, but this is kind of sick. I’ve seen this kind of consumption executed on spaghetti. I still lose sleep to that. I would post a link on youtube, but the description is way to offensive, so I will rather not.

If you are a niqabee, please do not be offended. I do not judge you as people. I just simply don’t understand what leads you to the decision and what attracts you in wearing niqab. Rather, if you know how to explain, please let me know. I am looking forward to see this topic from a different perspective.

Here the one in niqab looks best

Dancing Politics

I don’t appreciate opera, don’t tolerate theatre, save for Shakespeare, but I LOVE ballet!

Today we have gone to see Faustus, made into a ballet. It was used as a background for a Nazi era love story; I didn’t get the whole thing, but it was emotionally very strong. Compared to the performance I saw a month back, there were no semi-naked Adonis dancers, but it was visually just as impressive. A round of applause for Mefistoteles and the female lead.

At first I thought it was an allegory for artists being cheap w****s, willing to be blind to various regimes and willing to collaborate, just to be able to perform (Faust was not a scientist, but a violinist). Later, I lost track completely, there was too much Nazi’s. Some of the historical facts portrayed were far off mark, but they still deserve credit. It was very emotional and when the families were shot instead of being able to emigrate it really caught me off guard and made me cry – and I used to be a lecturer on the topic of holocaust so I am not easily swayed.

The costumes were impressive, choreography too, hilarious at times and very elegant at others. The girl was elegance and beauty impersonated... I am sooo looking forward to the next performance!

What is your vice when needing culture?

How Creative a Cook Are You?

I am a stricktly no fruit, no diet food kind of person. I do not dig on fresh fruit, mainly if it isn't either a banana or a kaki and I am politically opposed to low fat products of all sorts too. I do like vegetables, but that is an exception and I prefer them in juxta positioning with a big steak or a bit of lamb or red meat in general.

Maybe as a reflection of that, my personal cook prepared me fresh herbal tea this morning. The herbs were called BARBECUE MIX. How sweet is that? Actually, it was really delicious.

Fire and Ice

My favourite poem:

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost

Patches

Lately, I keep hearing of patches instead of pills for contraception, nicotine patches and today I heard of patches, making sure you lose weight. Wow, how great, we no longer have to remember taking pills, make an effort to stop smoking (regardless of the fact, that you can recognise a stopping smoker, by the ink stains on his lips from nibbling on the pen all day long) or work out and eat healthy to lose weight and body fat!

Honestly, I don't belive in patches. Considering some things, like the fact, that contraceptive patch has to be worn all week long before changing, I don't think it's halal. How can you wash with that all over your shoulder. If nail polish is haram, then so is this patch.

As for smokers, many aren't as addicted physically as they are psychologically, so I don't see a point in sticking something on to help you. First off, nicotine is not the only addictive substance in a cigarette and second, most people just have to do something with their hands or mouth, because they are neurotic, hence the chewing gum, half chewed pens and nibbled fingernails.

...And the only patch that will work with losing weight is the one below.

What do you think? And what is Marv's problem in Sin City? He doesn't look like a stopping smoker, nor does he seem to have problems with remembering to take the pill. Weight loss effort?

Grunge for me

I've always loved everything about grunge style and music, except for the Sex, Drugs & Hygiene habits. Well, at least I loved the music and the comfy wear that makes me feel "Yeah... I'm sooo cool!" Though I've never been the 'too cool for school type of person'. Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and a few others, less famous were (and still are) my first choice of let's play this, whenever I wanted to feel relaxed and comfortabe, or whether I was really depressed or angry. Basically my first choice of music, full stop.

After hijab, I've realised how many types of clothes I appreciate I will never be able to wear in public and that's a part I really miss. I've spent ages of woolgathering 'what if I combine it this way or that way' on may way to and from work, but most of these will never work with anything. Luckily for flannel and boyfriend jeans, there is a way to wear this halal :) Meaning, there's still a chance that there is an outfit to which I could buy my first pair of Converse to (I never had them).

First in, my combination (just pop the Palestine on the head), further a few celebs, sporting a cool, hijabifiable style.

Onyx has gone

I have two little cute ratties, just over a year old. I HAD two little ratties. From today I have only one. Opium's sister Onyx passed away. Most likely cause of death is brain tumor. My little baby is sleeping in a shoebox at my feet, together with a few sweet things for her to nibble on the other side.

I've got a phone call from my friend, asking about the sleeping one:

"So what about your rat, is she really dead?"

"Hey, you're asking as if she was the wicked witch!"

"Sorry. So you burried her?"

"Not yet, she is prepared in a shoebox."

"Ahhh, poor girl. Is it at least a good label shoe box?"

"I don't really think so, but it's a pretty box."

"Such a sweetie, but she's there all alone."

"I've considered packing the other one with her, but I thought that might be a little cruel."

"Uh uh. Well... good luck with the burrying part. Bye."

What a conversation. Honestly, I am mourning, but trust a friend to take it seriously. Hopefully, there are cables to nibble on and lots of cream in rat heaven.

Alexander McQueen Goodbye

I am so sad, that Alexander McQueen had to go. He was one of the best. Four times British designer of the year. Women dressed by him looked like women and didn’t look cheap. He created beauty… and some of his peaces were not only easily hijabefiable, but even could be considered hijab as they were. I think I can say, the world will miss you Alexander.

Assalamu aleykoum all,

I've done it. I've set up my blog in English, hopefully avoiding the grammar atrocities I commit in Czech and also hoping, I can get you to read me :)

As a short intro, I am a fresh muslimah, living in Czech Republic, aged 22 and sometimes a pretty odd person. I work as an office rat (no disrespect to people working in administrative, I appreciate the job done), but surely I will land with some sort of miracle job soon.

There actually is a keyboard story, but unfortunately, it isn't funny at all. Basically, I would be a night bird, going to sleep way past midnight and getting up at noon, but my boss doesn't agree with this. No appreciation for my biorhythmn, just my work results. Thus, every single afternoon, I struggle not to fall asleep at my computer. A constant struggle is doomed to failure now and again.