kata and cough

11/15/2002:
kata [mucus; stuffy nose & throat] and cough knocked me out last night. also a lot of food in my belly. i ate hummus and pizza at Maggie's. i'm sure allergies didn't help my kata and cough. that cat disturbs me! could not even breath right when i got home.

the crew came in from their nkambe-nyos-wum trek on wednesday. tired and a little less than positive about their journey/adventure. yet in good spirits. it rained on them the first 2 days/nights. little sleep. lack of food. injuries. gendarmes issues at Lake Nyos. regardless, they're alive to tell about it.

i did Moral Instruction at GBSS on "ramadan and fasting" a couple days ago. went OK, i think. it's too general of a topic. i did "patience" at GHS yesterday. went better. it went well, actually. they're also more used to me.

the Bubas, Yusufu and i are organizing a Qur'an competition, on juzu' 3amma [the last 30th of the Qu'ran]. 4 categories. by the end of Ramadan, insha'Allah. with Qur'ans as prizes. of various sizes. my prediction: that little girl in GHS will win a prize (if not 1st prize) in category 1.

one note... as i was introducing Imam 'Ali's khutba on patience, i asked about the khulafa'/Caliphs. who were they? who led muslims after the Prophet? people were unsure/didn't follow/didn't know... who came after the Prophet in leading the muslims?

finally, one young man raised his hand and said "Shiekh Ahmed Tijani." OH MY LORD! i just moved on with a simple "no, that's not it brother." OH MY LORD! talk about brainwashing–no, wait, that's not fair. just lack of knowledge. unaware. unread. under-educated.

the blame begins with the parents, i think. it's unfortunate. Yusufu was saying the other day after we prayed taraweeh [ramadan evening prayers] at Buba's that he wouldn't know a thing abuot prayer if it hadn't been on his own initiative. that no one at home told him to pray or read.

i asked about muslim girls in school. there are so few of them. 3 in GBSS. 2 in GHS. sad... again, gotta go back to the parents. but can we simply blame them? do they, on their part, know any better? did their parents know any better?

subhan-Allah, how much parents are responsible for... for generations. not just our children, but of entire peoples. alhamdulillah for mine... God bless the. they've done their part. Lord guide and protect us... help us do our part.

adam from up north

11/12/2002:
it's market day. i ran into Adam from Kousséri [northern Cameroonian town bordering Chad] in the market. he's the young man teaching the kids at the Omaru compound Arabic and Qur'an. he's also their imam [prayer leader] for Ramadan. nice guy, nice voice.

i broke fast and prayed taraweeh [evening prayers during Ramadan] with them last night, at the compound. really enjoyed it. a lot of food. good company. Ibrahim, Manjou, Alhadjijo, Usmanu, Haruna, Sani [the older Omaru brothers]...

hold on, there seems to be a mouse stuck somewhere in the kitchen. i'll investigate, then explain...
--OK, strange. no sign of it.

...i was saying that i enjoyed the company, food and prayers at chez Omaru. we ate in Saleh's place [another Omaru brother]. low, soft couches and carpet. very comfortable. but the mold was killing me!

there were pictures all over the wall, of Sheikh Ahmed Tijani and Sheikh Ibrahim [Niasse]. i mean all over. like wallpaper. i even got a brief bio on the latter sheikh from a couple of the guys. something about 75 years, 75 children and 75 "hadiths" [sayings of the prophet]...

i didn't get that last part, but Adam explained that they were poems or odes in praise of the prophet. Adam also talked about the tariqa [sufi path], somewhat indirectly. he's not a follower, but also not one to take issue with it. he's simply keeping quiet, which is wise. i asked him if he thought some of the local followers were being misguided by itinerant sheikhs. he said they weren't. i didn't ask any more questions.

Adam's problem is the food. it's lack of variety. which came as a surprise to me, coming from a northerner like him. but i suppose rice or fufu with sauce and some bland pap [bouillie de maïs] every day can get tired quick. he's just looking for some flavor, he said. probably also missing his family. aren't we all?

so i was saying that i ran into Adam in the market today, buying fruit. avocados, tomatoes and bananas. for a little salad and something sweet. i told him i'd give him dates if he came over to my place. he said he'd come around on saturday morning.

i passed the devil on the street today

11/11/2002:
i saw the devil walking down the street today. staggering a bit. visibly drunk.

he saw me, too. and for a brief moment, when our eyes met, i think both of us thought of saying something. but then quickly thought better of it.

there was really nothing to say, both of us knowing ourselves and the other person all too well. but we almost spoke.

in fact, he was so close to speaking that he caught himself only just in time to raise his hand, turn his face and say "oh no, i shouldn't talk to you."

somehow, i wasn't surprised. i suppose i agreed with his conclusion. and so went on my way.

now, i think of the encounter and chuckle. amusing. funny little encounter there in the middle of town, in broad daylight.

i passed the devil on the street today. he was so drunk he thought better of saying anything.

still beautiful

11/6/2002:
saw the hilal today. just before sunset. clear sky. i smiled and was happy to see it. Daouda and Mommy Petel, too. we agreed that it must be a couple days old. الله أعلم. no matter. still beautiful.

writer's block...

11/3/2002:
it's Sunday evening. haven't gotten much school work done. but i did read through that yale bulletin. their school of forestry and environmental studies. has some attractive programs. MS in Env Management, Science or Forestry... opportunities for dual degrees in management or int'l relations. the school sounds good. really good. but living in connecticut? i don't know. we go see... insha'Allah.

i need to write rama a letter. and to email OMZ. i'm trying to get through a little-big writer's block. right... what to say? i'm also procrastinating. got a couple exams to write. tests, actually.

we're in week 2 of GLOBE, and people are still interested. but we need to keep it growing/going. more stuff to do and stuff to do it with.

i made a comment about this journal getting beat up in my lumbar-pack... between my raincoat and my nalgene [bottle]. something about the dry season or Ramadan coming soon. so i'll stop carrying either or... or both. Ramadan is in a few days, insha'Allah. and, until today the rain had ceased. but it's been raining all afternoon. i'm sure my notebook can survive a few more days of bends and bruises.

"Place where pussy di chop Chrismas, rat no fit pass for dat side."

...this is Ibrahim's pidgin translation of a proverb from the BBC's Network Africa. it was aired in English, but i like the pidgin version much better.

get things done

10/29/2002:
2 positive notes:

i'm in the kitchen again. mama came just in time b/c i was sick of the place. barely stepped foot in it while she was here. God bless her! now it's taken me a week to really step back in there. Ibrahim actually made the observation to me earlier today. he dropped in for zuhur [midday prayer] as the rain started to fall. yes, the rain fell. anyway, i'm not trying to spend all that much time in the kitchen. Ramadan is coming, insha'Allah. that'll help!

i'm also getting out and doing things again. out of bed. out of the house. go see that man. talk to that women. get that. buy that. don't just sit there. get up, get out and get things done. discipline. insha'Allah it'll continue. no excuses. get out there.

waiting... at council hall

10/5/2002:
this journal is being bent out of shape. carrying it in my lumbar-pack between the nalgene bottle and my [rolled-up] raincoat is the problem. insha'Allah the rain will cease (or Ramadan will come) before this my journal falls apart.

mama and i made an attempt at participating in Int'l Teacher's Day. sparse march. long wait at the Council Hall. too long. Mayor no dey [pidgin, for not there/present]. DO no dey. SDO no dey. "God dey" ...as one alhadji put it when thanking mama for her support of the upkwa masjid.

back to the Council Hall. only our students and primary school staff were there. as an aside, i spoke with Hamza's teacher. we're on the same page. Mr. Nshu was there. he and i spoke about lack of student motivation. no priority on education. needing someone to talk to them.

we even developed a debate topic around the idea. so as we'd address such issues in an informed manner, la prochaine fois [next time]. unfortunately, i did not stay. mama lost patience. rain was coming. hunger, too. but when you wait that long and leave, is it worth it?

part of me just wants to sit tight. leaving makes the wait you waited a wait in vain, doesn't it? staying, no matter how long (hmmm???), and seeing what you came/waited for somehow justifies the wait. or have i just been here for too long?

la ya3dam as-sabour al-dhafar – wa-in taala bihee az-zamaan
[success will not elude the patient – even if it takes its time] -Imam Ali

Ramadan Feast

i cannot see the moon. new moon, that is. but, as i’ve already fasted 30 days, i can fast no longer. tomorrow is the feast. the day we celebrate and break our fast.

some folks broke their fast yesterday. w/Nigeria. i’m sure some will only break their fast day after tomorrow. it’s always like that... keeps it interesting, i guess!

anywho... tonight is the 1st night in a month that i won’t have long evening prayers. i’m sure i’ll miss them, but i also need to start sleeping regularly again. my schedule was shot. especially these past few days. i’ve got papers to mark and things to wrap up within less than a week.

hmmm... what to say? all is well. i hope to be on the beach within 2 weeks. and in Egypt with my family within 3. hope all is well with wuna. especially the married/soon-to-be-married... all the best! CONGRATS! PEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
12/4/2002
WUM/NWP

busier better

i’m up late again. got work. fasting really changes my schedule around. i’m busy. classes. teaching practice. clubs at school. all is well though. the busier the better. Feast of Ramadan is around the corner. next week! then i cruise into my most deserved holiday in my PC experience as of yet.

alliswellasihopeitiswithwunaPEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
11/27/2002
dusty Wum!

thank God for teaching

hey... you know what?! site visit with our APCD went well. really well! can you believe that? i still almost cannot. i asked everything i wanted to ask. got answers. sufficient ones, at least. i said everything i wanted to say. he listened. even wrote a few things down! all-in-all, again, a very satisfactory site visit. who would’ve thought?

anywho... i’m in week 2 of fasting. and i must say, i’ve been hungry. not a bad hungry. but hungry. which is fine. that’s how i’m supposed to feel. hungry. school’s all right. teaching getting good. administration a mess. totally. in shambles.

if i didn’t enjoy teaching i can’t imagine i’d still be here. things just aren’t right at that school. if it wasn’t my second year here i can’t imagine i’d still be at this school. that bad. and if i worked at a place like this in the States... i know i wouldn’t be at the place for very long.

BUT, and there’s always a but...

• i’m NOT in the States. i’m here.
• this IS my second year. i’m staying.
• i DO enjoy teaching. thank God!

it’s just funny that as soon as i think school can’t get any worse. it does. but no matter... i laugh a bit and move on. i imagine most of you feel the same way about professional frustrations now. i pray you can do the same with the personal frustrations also. i pray all is well with all of you... PEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
11/12/2002
Wum

losing it, losing weight

this’ll be a little more on the sane side and short [i'm referring here to the entry just before this one in my peace & freedom journal that i'm too embarrassed to publish here... "wacky-vac" worthy!].

no worries. all is well... no matter what the previous entry might reflect. i’m happy and healthy. day 4 of Ramadan. fasting. i will be losing weight. i know it. not good. just can’t eat enough.

anywho... our APCD is coming to visit tomorrow. good 4 me! no, really... i do need to talk to him about a few things. COS [close of service], replacement here and the GTTC. hope that goes well... you know how talking to him can be.

i don’t foresee myself switching this book with anyone soon. i’m staying put here until the end of the month. maybe?! hope i can get a few of you to write in here again before too long. i pray all is well with wunna... PEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
11/8/2002
Wum

Salaam Imam Ali

bism Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim

.

12/2/2001:
a few thought-provoking things i came across during ramadan reading. worth looking into...

{wa Allahu yad3u ila dar as-salaam wa yahdi man yashaa’ ila siraatin mustaqim}
Yet Allah calls to the Abode of Wholeness (Dar as-Salaam) and guides whom He pleases to a way that is straight.
-Qu'ran, Surat Yunus (10:25)

Kalimaat mukhtara min hikam Amir al-Balagha, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib
Selected Sayings from the Wisdom of the Prince of Eloquence:

-Loss of loved ones is exile.
-If the mind is sound the speech is little.
-Expand your notion of the Creator and it will belittle your view of the created.
-The passage of time will not betray the patient, even if it takes its time.
-He who keeps his secrets is free to make his own choices.

December 1st

December 1, 2001: World AIDS Day
...haven’t done much in the way of HIV/AIDS work/education here yet. some thinking on the topic only. here’s to getting something/anything achieved by this date next year, insha’Allah.

this morning i had suhur [pre-dawn meal] out at Sufyan’s chop-house. bean omelet, bread and tea. moon was so full. so bright. so prominent in a clear sky. didn’t set until much past 6am. prayed fajr at the masjid. would like to keep that up.

i took several photos of the moon and the grassy meadow below the hospital. it’s in full bloom. experimented/fooled around with the camera (flash/no-flash), so i hope some of the shots come out all right. oh... the furniture is slowly arriving.

praying for peace within

 
“Don’t force a journey.”
-written on the rear-bumper of a taxi here in Bamenda.

11/24/2001:
at the slum. pretty full. even Kristen came in from Mamfe. looks good and is doing well. we’ll be feasting today. THANKSGIVING! 1st... we have a meeting with our APCD about IST [In-Service Training]. 9am. PC Car will come pick us up.

i did maghrib/iftar/taraweeh [sunset/break-fast/night prayers] with a few Hausa shabab [young men] yesterday. that was nice. Muhammad from the mosque in Old Town Bamena. the one who translates Sheikh Muhsin’s Arabic into Hausa. well versed young man. there was also a young man whose folks live in Wum.

we ate at Hajja’s house. an older ma who takes care of them. we at so much, masha’Allah! Muhammad led us in taraweeh. even made a long du’aa [supplication] for witr [last prayer of the night]. the atmosphere was so comfortable for being around people i barely knew. so kind and hospitable.

good people here. makes Ramadan that much more blessed. makes me content. makes my heart a little less fleeting. Allahumma ij’al al-tama’neena wa as-sakeenah wa ar-raha fi qalbi [Lord, let there be peace, serenity and comfort within]... AMEN!

Ramadan 1st

11/16/2001:
kul 3aam wanta bekhair [happy new year] and Ramadan mubarak [blessed Ramadan]! Day #1.

my runs are on the run. Thank God. still not 100% though. no complaints. looking forward to a healthy, blessed month, insha’Allah.

i bought a twig for 50cfa today. guy at the mosque assured me it was a miswak... r-i-g-h-t!

oh... and i was the late on 2 occasions today:

1. Apollo, the plumber, came around at 2:30—no! 2:20—and i was just coming back from prayer. said i’d be in after 2pm. don’t know what he was in such a rush for???
2. i was also late to the Bio Dept Social. at which we simply ate and watched a Nigerian flick. Chindong, the HOD [Head of Department], didn’t show until most everyone had left. ~7pm. i showed up about 5:45pm. was supposed to be there at 5pm.
   

what happened to polychronism??? anywho... not making anymore commitments this month... insha’Allah.

good to be the king

 
11/3/2001:
been staying up late recently to do work. seems like the only time i’m productive and uninterrupted... but it means that i have to take wicked naps during the day. wish is cool, i guess. i was also physically beat today. that added to the nap time.

Paul and i ran to Lake Wum and back. early, like ~6am. cold out there. the lake is nice. large. way out there. SDO has a house overlooking it. a nice spot... “Good to be the king.” i also did my push-ups/sit-ups... felt deprived of energy and O2 for much of the morning. a food thing, i think. Allah ya’eenah ‘alla Ramadan [may good help us during Ramadan]. although i won’t be running then.

i just realized that it would be nice to reach Bamenda before Ramadan, but don’t know if that’s feasible. need $. need to em@il! guess i could wait until Thanksgiving but site-visits roll around then. we’ll see...

another big moon

11/2/2001:
another big moon over Africa tonight. saw it last night and this morning. the evenings are cool and comfortable. wish i could/would spend more time out there. stepped out for just a moment to admire the badr [full moon, in Arabic]. Jarvis and Karin [my neighbor's children] were outside doing school-work on my porch under the “security light.” kinda cute.

anywho... the moon reminded me of Ramadan. in about 2 weeks time it’ll be upon us... grace us with its presence. i said a little prayer out there. i’ve been praying for comfort and serenity [tama'neenah wa raaha] in my heart here in my new home/community. also prayed to see both the beginning and end of the blessed month. and, of course, to see my family “soon”... safe/sound, richer in knowledge, wisdom and faith ['ilm wa hikma wa iman].

Ameen.