Yikes! That’s about as much Italian as I know! But I’m assured there’ll be a translator. At least I’ve worked with one before. It was in Mexico, and his name was Pepe. The best thing about him was that not only did he translate simultaneously as I spoke, he was able to infuse emotion into […]
What an experience! I’m glad I didn’t know that I could have become a librarian when I was a kid, because if I’d become a librarian, I never would have bothered being a writer, I think. I’d have been having too much fun just reading all those fantastic books! It wasn’t the first library convention […]
31 May
Posted by: Rukhsana Khan in: cultures, history, Muhammad (peace be upon him), presentations
Fitna is an Islamic term that I think roughly translates into trial, but it’s more like a test of faith, I think. Don’t quote me on it though. I’m no Islamic scholar. I’ve just heard the term bandied about all my life and figure that’s what it means. These last few weeks have been a […]
There are a lot of Chinese malls around here, and my daughters, who all wear niqab, have often gone into them to go shopping. Surprisingly they said that the feeling they get walking around in Chinese malls is nothing like what they get in ordinary shopping centres. The Chinese people completely, hmm, I don’t know […]
I’m sorry for blogging about clearing my desk yesterday. When I began this blog I vowed never to blog nonsense. I was just so relieved to see so many projects like the travel grant and other various applications completed and neatly piled in a set of oversize envelopes that I succumbed to talking when I […]
Day four in the office with the marathon sessions! We get forty-five minutes for lunch and two-five minute breaks! I use the one in the afternoon, at 2:30 to pray. The first day was great, there was an empty boardroom. I just popped in there, dropped my sweater on the floor and prayed. But ever […]
I just read a fascinating article about Muslim girls in literature and thought I’d share it: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/24_02/24_02_muslim.shtml I think it’s a very good article, and very accurate in its portrayal. It talks about how Muslim girls are portrayed, putting into words so many of the feelings I’ve experienced while reading some of the books mentioned. The […]
Frankly, I’ve never really thought about how school boards and PTA’s decide who to invite to visit their school. I just go when I’m called, but today I had a very interesting conversation with a former teacher who was privy to just such a conversation. She’s Muslim and she was hired by a particular principal […]
Because I was sick. I cooked spinach and beef korma, and chicken pilao. I cleaned up the house (as best I could) and invited my daughters over too. Just finished washing up the big pot and putting it back in the pantry, and I’m bone tired. But it was lovely. We spent the afternoon together. […]
I had three presentations at a school today in the West end. I’d been to the school about ten years ago, when I was first starting out, and my has it changed! Back then this school had the distinction of being one of the most homogenous immigrant population schools in Toronto. About 96 or 98% […]