THOUGHTS OF A SOMALI GIRL

Hi everyone! I'm back in Canada safe and sound! Alhamdulillah! I'm so happy to be home. I've never missed my home so much. Neither have I missed nor appreciated food in Canada, my bed, my stove, and yes, even my washing machine! My trip to Mogadishu with my family was definitely a humbling one. I've never appreciated the life we have as much as I do now. You only come to understand and appreciate your life when you put yourself in someone else' shoes. I was already somewhat aware of what life in Somalia was like. But actually living there was what made me have more appreciation for the life I had.  I could never live in Somalia. The family I have there would always ask me whether I would move there. Whenever I'd politely say no, they'd say the same thing: "This is your home, it's where you are from. You're whole family is here." I'd feel conflicting emotions. On the one hand, Canada is where I grew up. I consider ...

Hello world. Peace be upon you all. So last night we went to visit my cousin's cousin (I know, a bit of a mouthful huh?). Her 6-year old daughter was sick. For 2 days, the little girl had diarrhea and was vomiting everything she ate or drank. We went into her room to see her. She was on a mattress on the floor shivering. When she saw us, she whispered hello and weakly lifted her hand for us to shake, despite her frail state. It was a strange sight to see her like that. Usually full of life and energy and a great help to her mother around the house, my cousin's niece was now quiet and aside from her shivering, lay still. When we were leaving, I shook her warm little hand and said, "Mac salaam, Illaahay ha ku caafiyo".   Goodbye, and may God heal you . She gave me a little smile and went to sleep. When the family was eating suhuur (meal eaten before dawn when fasting) her condition seemed to have improved and she had the strength to go to th...

First Day Hello everyone! I think I've gotten used to life in Somalia. I don't hate being here as much as I first did (but seriously, life with no internet at home sucks!). I still wouldn't choose to live here. Anyways. Here's a little something about my first full day in Somalia. On our first morning in Somalia, my sister, cousin, and mother got to making breakfast for the rest of the family. My aunt was fast asleep. I took the wooden bowl thingy with the charcoal to the outdoor hallway. People in Somalia usually cook inside the kitchen where there isn't proper ventilation for the smoke. We made anjeero and y'all it was hard! Besides being used to cooking on a stove, I was used to using a metal ladle to make the circular shape of anjeero. We had to use a little metal cup for that. My mother cooked at first so she could show us how it was done. My grandmother ordered my mother to stop cooking and said my sister, cousin, and I had to learn to cook. ...

Hello world!  Here are some old photos I found of Somali people. The Somali culture is a nomadic one which unfortunately isn't really practiced today.