UPDATE

I am back in Canada for the tim being all. I have no computer or intrnet so I am sorry for the lack of posts!!!!!! Keep me in yor duas sisters!

Hirjah

a poem about a short experience in UAE

HIRJAH

Skin so pale
Why the veil?
A choice that I make
Not to break
Ties with my ancestors
Forebears of these shores.
Go back to your country!
What kind of effrontery
Is this attack on ethnicity
What kind of duplicity
A mere headscarf?
Worn around the neck
Like Alek Wek
On a catwalk?
So different from my walk?

So I make hirjah
No more ninja "hi ya!"
"Is it halloween yet?"
Or "nigger", I'll never forget
But what for?
To stand on foreign shore
Men, hunting, predator---
The jahililiya before---
Almost more pure.
I watch you drink in Shaytaan
On your desert lawn
As if your demons were sweeter than melon.
And Virtue is a disrespectful felon.
I recklessly laugh: Go learn Islam?!
Hypocrite, am I dressed for ayaat or pslam?

Where is Shariah?
My people taunt, make "Hirjah"
But they are more my people
Minuret or steeple
For at least there Muslim men are men
Mohammed, Chad and Ben.
They don't hide behind their flags
From the Will of God. Who nags
Come to prayer
You "Muslim" "player"
While you bother young girls.
Mustang twirls.
Music bleats vainly.
Thobe and ghutra I have witnessed plainly.
Here is a Muslim land, they play the adhan.

But when is the echo answered?
I have made my hirjah.
Toured your Masjids and your malls.

I have yet to see a Muslim man.

We've Arrived Safely in Oman, Alhamdulilah

He he he. We've arrived in Oman safe and sound alhamdulilah. After the trip being delayed to the fact that our driver was held at the border for a lack of the right paperwork for over 24 hours (poor guy, LOL he promised to take us through the Wahiba sands to make up for it), me almost being arrested in Emirates for not puting up with stalkers anymore (that's another story, one for the desert diary), and forgetting to have our exit visas stamped leaving UAE (the driver we had is an old friend and Omani and they said we didn't need to pay but Boxie and I thought, hey, yes we do), we had to drive back, and I ended up praying fajr at the border making wudu out of a water cooler LOL. My Mum and our American friend (we'll call her Gamly) were probably worried sick about us at this point since we were supposed to arrive in Muscat at 10:15 pm originally, LOL, and didn't end up there until 2:30 pm the next day. The drive was still fun and besides the fact that the driver and me consisted on highly caffinated energy drinks and chocolate for 24hrs, I love Oman so it didn't matter, and we were all in rather good humour, laughing about the fate of the original driver and apologising and thanking profusely both Omanis efforts and their ammazing hospitality. We WERE supposed to pay for the gas, their time, our visas, and food and meals, but the only thing we were allowed to pay for was one measly case of Red Bull, and our visas.

I also met a sweet and kind Omani family for the quick change our driver had to do before his real job started. They gave me Vimto to drink lol, and we watched cartoons. Said driver had come straight from his real job to driving all the way to the UAE to get us, then did this crazy adventure of a drive, and then, had to go straight to work again, 48hrs sleepless and his only payment a case of red bull (since he insisted on FEEDING US whenever possible), may Allah reward him for saving our stranded butts. He also showed us the coolest random masjid where we all stopped to pray. Mmmmm. I love the scent of frankincesnse.....

tHANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR DUAS EVERYONE AND i CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MY oMANI FRIENDS!!!!!

For Now....

Back at "said" skeezy internet cafe (not the skeeziest to be had apparently). Due to some drama in a week and a day or so I will be in Oman (inshaAllah). Make dua for me. It'll be interesting. Plus, from there we will finally start taking orders for abayaat. That we will ship to ya'll the best way possible. So... until I get set up in my home, we will wait and see....

Love Pixie

Designer Half-Niqabs from the Gulf

InshaAllah, I do intend to be wearing my niqab full-time when I return to Canada. I'll try. I believe it is mustahaab (recommended) so I'll do my best. But of course, I've wondered on what I'll do to wear mine differently. Colours of course. Pins of course. Neats ways of styling the shayla as khimar + the niqab. Decorated niqabs----???? Such as the like that are sold at this website http://www.bestabaya.com/abayas/niqab.html perhaps... but only for super special occasions (like my non-muslim family weddings or galas).These are certainly unqiue but... they all come in sheer. Which is not niqab to me. So I'd have to wear a half-niqab underneath of them for them to be niqab at all. Which might be a tad uncomfortable.

What do you think?

Do you like the idea (if not the exectution of it) of individual style on the niqab, or do you think this might be a bit too exotic/overdone or tacky?

This simple ribbon one is pretty though to me.

Russian Empress anyone?

Sakeenah's TAG: THIS IS ME

[I like to take my father's old beat up work belts and wear them as MY belts over skirts and dresses, and I love wild print maxis and African accessories like wooden and beaded bangles]. I also like to dye my hair alot. Keep an eye out for my natural roots:p
__________________________________________________________________

Sakeenah: THIS IS A TAG FOR ALL THE FASHION BLOGGERS. POST PICTURES THAT RESEMBLE YOUR PERSONAL IN-HOME- STYLE (what is your non-hijab look). SO THAT WE GET A TASTE OF YOUR PERSONAL STYLE. So here's my style:
____________________________________________________________________

I hate jeans. I never buy them, unless they are vintage and already hemmed to my height and no more than $20.00. But I like coloured ones, pink, yellow, baby blue, seafoam... so I tend to pic these up from used stores. I only own one piece of denim.

I love the Americana-Parisian look designer Erin Fetherstin does, and that has sort of been my signature take on casual dressing. Lots of ruffly airy cocktail dresses worn in day with lady like coats and ovesize bags, or tights and oversize lady-like sweaters (before this was "IN" I'd buy plus-size for the length and use brooches and pins to get it all to fit my petit frame). For some reason I love puffy feather mini skirts, and ostrich feather vests. No idea why either.
I like to dress up, and always look for vintage Valentino and Dior pieces, and anything Oscar de la Renta (even his lower end labels found at Winners) because the pieces and look just suit my body very well. I found a Dior suit at this store called "The Patch" in my city for $10.00 CAD. I also mix these peices with trendier cheapo bits from Le Chateau, Jacobs (Jacobs isn't that cheap so this is actually my most expensive splurge and is usually a gift from my habibi), Sirens, Suzy Shier, and Urban Planet. Like t-shirts, tourist shorts, tights, the occasion vest or blazer, or structured button-up. I like the sale dress at Club Monaco and Jacobs since my size (0) is always left on the rack and I can get a good deal. I am cheap btw, he he he. My husband always asks me wear are you going in that, and I am like, um, to watch TV, or to clean my room.

I love headbands (since I hate styling my hair), and oversize chandelier earrings. They look dressed even if all I've got is a pony-tail or crummy looking bun.
And lipstick (pink, brown, red, coral, you name it, I wear it).
Coloured tights... Right now I really like the colour navy. But jewel-toned purple is "IN". But I like lilac.

For special occasions with my family I like to wear party jalabiyias with my hair down and earrings. But I'm afraid of ruining these so they are only a "party" thing.The rest of the time I am lounging in Egyptian-cotton jalabiyias. Which I wear as pajamas. I don't buy fancy lingerie or slips or anything, but I have vintage Victorian dressing gowns which kinda go with my four-poster bed he he he. And all my underwear is those cotton panties from the kids section at Wal Mart. Cuz they're comfy. But you didn't need to know that did ya??? Ahhh, too much information. Moving on.

I love khaki and olive pants. Cargo, linen trouser. With black sweater or grey tee, that is a casual me doing work around the house or my father's property (were we have a wood fireplace that involves me chopping and hauling wood). Pair with heels and someting chic and black, and sunglasses and diamond studs (fake--- NONE of my jewelry is real---I don't wear real), and my husband thinks I look great he he he. if only he knew.... Bwaaaah ha ha ha. I'm spending too much time with Aalia as she is the only one who laughs like that. [end post]

GUIDE: How to Wear Mona/Kuwaiti Hijabs

For those who want a quick and easy style (a tiny bit sporty, a tiny bit girly), I prefer Mona Hijabs (sometimes called Kuwaiti hijabs) to Al Amiras (which suit some faces amazingly but not my own alas). They are very easy for travelling, ect. They basically ARE Al-Amiria (slip on) hijabs but with a short peice of decorative fabric attached that you can pin with a pretty hijab pin (I prefer to use a brooch for these instead of a stick pin so that it doesn't come loose for sports and I don't have to fuss). Pluys you can get more chest coverage out of one. They can be bought online and try and find a hijab store that sells the brooch too so that you don't have to pay extra shipping form two different online stores! For DIY stylists (and very curvy sisters), any old Al-Amira CAN be made into a Kuwaiti hijab. Just sew a hijab you like onto an-almira hijab in the desired length (to get the coverage you crave but that manufacturers don't cater to) and be reassured you are then wearing khimar (not just a headscarf).