Too much for a Tuesday?

Since moving in, I've been coming up a little bit short in the sleep department and getting up for fajr and work was extremely difficult. But since I have moved so close to the mosque, I would like to pray there more often. I had some errands to run before maghrib, including having dinner with the girl whose apartment I've moved into ('Susan') at a Korean restaurant near school. That was interesting... first time I had Korean food. But anyway...

I prayed maghrib, getting there a tiny bit on the late side but still before the first rukuh. I was quick to leave also, but when I got back to the apartment I noticed that my other roommate (let's call her 'Megan') was there, but I was on the phone when I walked in. When I finished talking, though, I knocked on her door and introduced myself... and was very happy to find out that I do live with a pleasant person and I think she and I will get along very well. Yay. She and 'Rachel' don't get along, however, and both want to move out when their leases are up (quite funny, actually) but neither knew the other was planning to move.

I also explained to Megan that I was Muslim, that I wear the scarf, and that I downloaded the automatic adhan, and told her how to turn the speakers off in case I ever left it on while out of the house. That went well, no real troubles there, but she told me about Rachel's boyfriend, which is another funny story. But I got to meet him last night, too, and his brother, and his brother's friend... yeah... in my apartment. So I guess I should just be careful and listen out for when I need to wear hijab if they come over a lot... and I'm told they do.

Around Isha time I drove back to the mosque, and made it in plenty of time for the prayer, but also to hear part of a lecture going on beforehand. Now, after the prayer this woman who I'll call Amatullah comes up to me, who I've talked to several times, and we listen to the end of the lecture a little while. She is... an interesting woman. She is a white American convert, married to a Palestinian (I think) brother, with 6 kids. I get the feeling she wants me to marry her oldest son, who is about a year younger than I am, which is a little strange for me... but anyway. We're sitting in the back behind the stupid curtain thing and she wants to give me a massage. I don't want to be rude or anything, so... yeah, and she wants me to lie down in front of her so she can do it. Have you ever gotten a massage in a musallah? Yes, it is strange...

And then she wants me to go by her house (I think she wanted to introduce me to oldest son, but he wasn't there, whew.) So I go over there, because she lives right beside the mosque, and meet some of her kids. And get this, she gives me a jilbab... it's a little tight (I'm kinda big anyway) but definitely better than what I had... nothing. And I always feel weird going to prayers in my jeans, because they are snug, and I just don't have that many options (can't wear the 1 skirt I own every day, or the same pairs of pants always) and right now funds aren't available for clothes, but more basic things. So anyway, that was really nice of her. And then she wanted to show me how to belly dance, so she taught me a few moves. And then she wanted me to drink this stuff she had for her son's asthma I guess that she made into a drink. Didn't taste that bad... and then she wanted to give me all these CD's. First she was trying to find one that I could practice bellydancing to (because she wants me to practice this now) but she didn't like some because of the 'instruments.' (She's pretty strict about that with herself, I guess, but lets her kids listen to it.) So she gets me the CD, and then like 6 more CD's of random stuff about Islam. And then around midnight!! I finally get out, with a list of bellydancing moves I'm supposed to practice, another glass of this funny drink, and a jilbab... oh and a scarf to match.

And then this morning when I showed up at the mosque for fajr (she told me she is the only woman who is ever there for fajr) I was a little bit late (trying to fix this) and the door was locked! The sisters door, that is... and I didn't want to go in the front door because I was so late anyway so I just went home. :-(

I'll wear it tonight to isha though, inshallah. So... anyway... I thought that was strange and definitely worth writing about!! :-)