Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Read at your own risk series :: Pilot

Summer is kicking in, even though we are amidst some serious showers(right now) with a nice cool breeze setting in. Last night though we have officially experienced our first night of, kicking the covers off the bed while contemplating turning on the AC so we'd have a more restful less sweaty sleep.

One of the questions I get asked often by random strangers in this season is: How can you possibly wear this thing on your head? And/or Aren't you CRAZY hot? You poor thing!( The last sentence is usually a look that summons the questions)and the interesting thing is I only get asked these questions by women. ( I also get complemented about my scarves a lot by women. what can I say we're curious beings:))

To answer all you curious women out there: Yes. I am crazy hot wearing a scarf on my head. And you can't see it, but I am also sweating intensely around my neck area. Especially that it's not only hot but the humidity level in this part of the world reaches up to 90 percent. I don't mind being asked these questions by-the-way. What I do mind is the "poor you" look I get. Because I choose to wear this extra piece of material, that makes me about 3 percent more hot than you are(I hope the people who asked me these questions are reading right now, because I can never be that articulate on the spot, plus I am shy, plus, plus this person is probably not reading this because they're either in the mall where I left them or in the farmers market where I also left them! And yes I'm pretty sure it's only 3 percent. My hot-o-meter affirmed it to me). It's not a big deal. It's not easy. It's a little annoying but it's what I do because I am a practicing Muslim.

Just like because you are an ethical person who chooses to recycle or compost or support your local farmers or a number of things that can be a little annoying or not the easiest thing to do. But because you believe in it, you go a little out of your way. Maybe I am not putting it in the best context, but this is as much approximation as I can think of at this time of day after successfully putting two little people to bed (after a long day, part of which I was forced to go out in the pouring rain *which I was grateful for afterward* and splash like crazy. kids are fun!)

OK this wasn't meant to be a rant. I don't like doing that. I only like to blog about happy things. Who wants to read about this stuff. There's plenty of this stuff out there, let me not add to it. This space is to be thankful and grateful which I truly am. Alhamdulilah ( All praise to God)

Actually what started this whole thing was reading this ( I don't think she's sloppy at-all by the way. You should have seen me in my glorious teens!). And remembering how in my pre-scarf wearing Era, I used to like/wear the sloppy look a lot. But lets face it with a headscarf, it just looks too strange and too... well, if you will- Sloppy.
I'm pretty sure I confused all of my non-Muslim readers. But then, yet again I'm pretty sure my Muslim-readers aren't in a better shape themselves. If you have questions you can email me or just leave me a comment.

For now this is all I have for you. A read at your own risk, and from the title you might have figured, there might be more to come. We'll see won't we.

Later...

Peace

3 comments:

Sarah said...

I sort of got used to feeling hot with the hijab on... sometimes however it gets really bad and I have to loosen up around my neck area.

It helps if you take a shower right before you go outside. Wet hair helps keep me cool for a bit. But then I have to shower again when I get home because my hair would smell iffy...

Kate said...

I love this post. for its honesty. for its infromation. for its glimpse into your life, because I'm thinking you are kinda fantastic.

And in this world, anyone who is willing to embrace their faith and be rooted in something bigger than our little individual lives, well, I just say prayers of thanks-- truly.

Robyn said...

I used to get asked this all the time. And I didn't mind, either. It's funny, though, that when I was considering becoming muslim and thinking about the hijab, I never once really thought about how it would make me hot. Instead, I was focused on what others would say about how I looked different. But even so, here's the thing. I get hot in the hijab and jilbab when I wear it (I mix in jeans or skirt and a long, loose blouse, too), but i always figure on those hot summer days when someone else is asking me if I'm hot, they're probably hot, too. And the hijab can actually have a cooling effect because once I've sweat a bit, the hijab works to keep that moisture in and after a bit I don't feel the heat so much. Also, I remember my days of tanning in the sun and how that sun just beats down on your skin and how hot my skin would get. So, even though I wear hijab and experience heat, I don't feel it in the same way someone without long sleeves or pants might it experience it. they're sweating, too.