It's a bit late, sorry. I was doing other things!
Baby! Whee! His name is Naseem. :)
Seriously, babies are gross looking when they come out. All covered in blood and that white gunky stuff. What is that?
The part with Nader just talking to him is so sweet.
*sniffles* Nader whispering the call to prayer to Naseem is so *touching*.
So I read somewhere that the show got started because one of the people on it got the idea and shopped it out to TLC. I will lay even money that that person was Suehaila. (Whose name I always have to double check the spelling on.) Hey, so she's a judicial executive/court clerk! I work with people who have that job.
It's not really only in their community that females who are unmarried are expected to live at home. It's that way around here. It's probably more acceptable around here but it's not the norm.
I have to admit to being surprised that Nina and Suehaila are friends.
It's not just that you don't wear hijab Nina, you dress like a club girl. All the time. I expect to see mob guys surrounding you at all times.
And at least half the women at that table are drinking. I assume that they're all Muslim, given the show. Yes, it bothers me. Shut up. I know I'm being judgy.
Nawal cackles because she doesn't have to fast...:)
For the record, every second of this show with Naseem in it I just go coooooooooo....
blahblah...Nina...yadda...mosque...where's the baby again?
Seriously. Can't stand Nina.
Nina - your wardrobe *is* over the top and it is sexy.
'I don't know what those things are called'...it's an abaya sweetie.
I actually think Nina just has an eye-twitch. She just has this weird look.
Oh, hey, Nina's flirting with the cops. *Married* Nina is flirting with the cops. Judgy Amber is judging...
So, what? The 'Night of Power'? If you pray on this night it makes up all the prayers you've ever missed? Is that true?
Return of Naseem! Cute sleeping baby!
Oh, okay. So they were having night practices while school was out. Now that it's back in they've had to switch back to day practices and still fast. Rough.
Why do guys hang out at high school football practices? Or, no, I think this is just for the show. A set up thing because there's no one else there.
I do feel bad that Nina maybe won't be able to open her club because of family and community reputation and pressure. It's not right that men can own the same sort of business and not get a bad reputation but a woman wants to do it and it's oh, no! Not appropriate! *raspberry* And that's what I think about that.
What's more important? The tenets of your religion or football?
Right. For the record, Mike has lost points with me for putting football before the faith of the players. I'm fairly certain God doesn't give a rats behind about football. But if he commanded a fast then I think he cares about that. Or are there football exemptions in the Qur'an that I missed?
That being said, this game has been kind of a slaughter which is too bad. I wanted Fordson to win.
I want to hug Suehaila right now.
More baby!
Nawal is very controlling, I think I've said that before? And I can see it giving her trouble with Naseem now. A lot of figuring out what's what and not being able to do everything herself.
I also want to hug Samira.
The guys hanging out and exchanging baby stories is nice.
I really do feel for Suehaila.
Aw, sweetie, if the guys are intimidated by you, they aren't man enough. You'll find someone! *throws self at her through the tv to hug her*
Um. This 'virgin stories' thing that comes on afterward. Uh. She's never seen a penis? That's crazy. Pick up a medical book or a porno. They're not that scary. Actually, they're pretty ugly. Going on looks of the genitalia alone, I would never bother with guys. And that's your 'it's way too late for me to be up' piece of information for the day.
You're welcome.
I haven't seen any of these since the first episode. :-/ I had a break that took me away for two episodes, and then I just got out of the habit and decided not to start again since I'm busy with school and in a week I'll be in a place with no cable again. So I'm sort of lacking context here and just going off what I remember from the first, which could mean I remember things wrong. Oh well!
ReplyDeleteIt's not really only in their community that females who are unmarried are expected to live at home. It's that way around here. It's probably more acceptable around here but it's not the norm.
Heh, it's what my mom expects for me. I never realized it, but she was pretty upset when I decided to get married. "But...but I thought you were going to come back and live with us for awhile..." Like, why would I do that? :D I know I had said once or twice that I missed them and wished I could just quit it all and come back, but I was kidding. I'm grown up and I'm going to be finishing school and hopefully having a real job soon. If I actually get the job I'm educated for, that usually comes with its own house. I'm not going to live with my mommy. But all the same, now that I realize it was expected that I would, I feel kinda bad taking that away from her.
Re: Nina and drinking. Yeah, I get that way too, and also feel sort of bad because it's judgy and I'm not even a Muslim so it's not really my place at all. But then again, when I wore hijab, even though I wasn't Muslim, I quit drinking because of how it looked, because I realized that people in the bar were going to see me and think I somehow represented Islam even though I'm only one person and not even a part of that religion. So it's a little odd to see people who are Muslims doing things like that on a TV show about Muslims, with (I assume) nothing being said about it. It also sort of feels like TLC wanted to be all "Look, Muslims are just like you!!!" and so chose the least observant in the community without explaining that was the case. But I am glad that there is a mix in the group and that's not all we're seeing, at least.
I love the name Suehalia. I tried to convince Mr. Sanil (I like your name for him, have I mentioned that? :D) that we need to name a kid that, but I don't think he's going for it.
Only slightly related, a Muslim woman came to speak to my religious dialog class tonight. She was very interesting, but I have to admit that during a big chunk of her presentation, I was paying more attention to her scarf and trying to figure out what kind it was so I could find one like it because it was PRETTY. I really do miss wearing them, and I sometimes wish covering like that was more common around here so it wouldn't draw so much attention. If it was just a look instead of coming with lots of assumptions, I'd still be dressing that way.
Football exemption...hahah!
ReplyDeleteOh,I loved this and I was waiting for it so I'm glad you were able to recap the last episode. It's always fun reading your thoughts! :)
Thanks!
I am also glad you wrote it. I canNOT believe I forgot to watch it this past Sunday???!!! I wanted to see the baby?! :(
ReplyDeleteI hope I remember this weekend.
~Shell
sanil,
ReplyDeleteReally, where are your priorities? Never go anywhere that doesn't have tv access! ;)
Heh. See, here, getting married would be a perfectly acceptable reason not to move back in with your parents. You can move out of the house to go to school or something but when you're done if you don't get married then it's assumed that you'll be moving back home or into a place very very close to your parents.
re: the drinking. It bugs me a lot. And I get that a) I'm not a Muslim so I really have no reason to be bothered by it and b) even if I was a Muslim it's not my job to police other peoples' lives, especially not their religious practice. And *yet*. I did the same thing as you did, when I was wearing hijab I didn't drink and I didn't eat pork when I was out because I knew what it looked like and I didn't want to give a bad impression even though it wasn't my job to uphold the reputation of Muslims everywhere.
The show is a mix of levels of observance, which I appreciate, and it came out a little later that at least one of the women at the table was not a Muslim but a Christian. So maybe some of the others were also Christian or non-religious. I just made the assumption, you know?
Personally I think I'd keep forgetting how to spell/pronounce it! I like Samira myself. And Nawal. Heh. I'm glad you like my name for Mr. Sanil.
scarves: we're so shallow, aren't we? I would absolutely have been distracted by the pretty scarf and wondering where she got it too so don't feel too bad about it! :)
I actually would love if the hijab was more prevalent, not just as a religious item but as essentially a sartorial choice. Then I wouldn't feel so strange about wearing it on occasion - which I don't anymore but sometimes I *want* to.
Susanne,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's in there somewhere. God loves football and *clearly* worked it into all the holy texts *somewhere*.
"Do all these things I commanded you. Unless it's football season. Then you do whatever you want as long as you win. Thus saith the Lord."
Shell,
ReplyDeleteWell they replay the eps all the time so you should be able to catch it.
Naseem is possibly the cutest thing ever, but then I say that about all babies. Until they start crying. Then all bets are off.
Also, I really really still want to read your thoughts on my 'theoretical simplicity' post. *hints* I set up an gmail account to attach to the blog so that's up on my profile. *hints some more* :)
*I* want to read Shell's thoughts too! :)))
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved the football verse, Amber. thanks for finding that for me. :)
Well you know her, so go bug her until she shares her wisdom! Goooooooo....because I'm burning with curiosity, no lie.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I knew it had to be in there somewhere. Of course that's the Biblical football verse. I don't know the Qur'anic one.
ROTFL "what is that" Its an ABAYA Nina. OMG I fell off the couch. She is so annoying. And even I as a non Muslim would never go to a mosque dressed like she wanted to. Or a church for that matter.
ReplyDeleteI love Suhaila. LOVE HER. She reminds me so much of one of my friends in NY. I want her to have her own show.
I thought the drinking thing was weird because they are most likely Shia and Shias are even more strict about drinking because Yazed was considered a drunk and he is considered responsible for Imam Husayn's death. So I was a bit shocked.
ANd I hear you on occasionally wanting to wear hijab. This show makes me want to do it just because too.
LK,
ReplyDeleteI know, really. I'm hoping that she was being sarcastic or something, you know? But I secretly think she was serious. And the clothes she brought as 'mosque appropriate'? Wow. Not appropriate for any house of worship.
I wasn't a big fan of her at first, something about her rubbed me wrong but she's grown on me and I like Suehaila now! Her, Nawal and Samira are my favorites. Of the men, I only really like Nader. And that's because he's funny and adorable. Anyway...
I did not know that. But maybe they weren't all Muslims? It's not spelled out and Suehaila's one friend turned out to be a Christian. So maybe that's why.
This show makes me want to wear hijab so bad. It doesn't help that it's winter now so the thought of walking around with a warm scarf over my head is really appealing some mornings! Short hair is great but my ears get cold! :)