Saturday was the annual Wuddistan gathering, and, fewer people this year, gave me a chance to talk to Ph-R-D. He put pictures on his site, which is where I am taking the picture below from. Apparently we are possibly going to find a few other people to bust out traditionalist duroods with us after Jum'ahs on campus, ie. until people get us to stop. Also though I am going to learn to play the duff, and then we are going to sing classic anashid and Amish Paradise randomly. But: after soccer, after food, i was cornered then interrogated about Syria/learning there/etc by a dozen women. One of the questions asked: "How do you feel about being back, in Edmonton/etc?" "I actually find it quite exhilarating," I said, and laughed as everyone looked taken aback. Then said about although i've only been into the city four or so times it is so thoroughly banal and mediocre, so self-centred and sterile, so cheerfully and completely secular, that i find it amusing and to laugh at. And then how amusing is probably the wrong way to react, but it’s better than the alternative, which would be depression. I still don’t completely know i’m here--"i'm expecting reality some time next week."
Yesterday Noor Usman and i walked together to the back field, kicking dried grass before us, the smell of summer so potent in the air and monarch butterflies flying around us, bright sun, mole hills and potato flowers.
tashaffa' yaa rasulaLlahi fiyna...
