Report Says Nearly 1 in 4 People Worldwide Is Muslim

Report Says Nearly 1 in 4 People Worldwide Is Muslim

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Get me that Jasmine

Jasminum polyanthum
(whilte flower jasmin/arabian jasmin)

I have been feeling low much of the winter of last year as it was a challenging time for me and my son to get settled down in my home and with my husband. Seattle was nothing but a dreary place that I had to adjust and thinking about what I had to give up to relocate made it all the worst. The absence of the sense of the pleasure and confidence I used to derive from having a stable career, solid friends, and sharing home (in London) with my mum from whom I used to depend on so much for strength and guidance at times when life gets bit shaky; are all real reasons that make the whole relocation to my new home difficult. But lately the search for happiness in the hope of coming to terms with my new abode fueled my drive and so I kept thinking back and forth of what it is that could make me happy in my home and allow me to become passionate about life and living in my 2-bed apartment ...just I used to be!!.

It took me a good 8 months to figure out that having a full grown JASMINE PLANT in my apartment was the answer and I knew all along that plants that I associated with my childhood years in Somalia always uplifted my spirit. And white Jasmine along with the cactus and acacias has very endearing memories for me. The sweet and the unusual fragrant of Jasmine flowers was something I learnt to associate with happiness. The dew in early mornings on my bedroom windows in my grandmother's home in Hargeisa, Somaliland/Somalia always used smell so wonderful; especially during the Deyr (autumn) season. Mornings in my childhood while on vacation in Hargeisa at grandma's were times full of reassurances, hope and anticipations of the wonderful adventurous times to be had in the environment we lived in. So serene and child-friendly!.

Post-war Hargeisa in its desolate and semi desert outlook, of course, is nothing like the environment of the old city at the time (mid/late seventies) which was full of green forests filled with all kinds trees and edible plants bearing all sorts of berries. My favorite berry was gooseberry (dhafaroor in Somali) and grandma's place had three large shrubs of the plant just by the entrance gate; where I used to hang around playing with other children during the day. We used to often peak through the gates to see who would be walking outside or coming towards the house so that we could throw ripped gooseberry at them just to dirty their clothing….We were such a precocious lot...so full of innocent mischief. Such were the joyful times of my blessed childhood in Somalia.....Yes there was once upon a time! a Somalia which had all the beauty and potential anyone could wish for.

So coming back to my adjustment plans in Seattle, I have decided to get white (flower) jasmine plant to uplift my home and myself. However, I am having hard time as it is in locating a plant nursery shop which sells white jasmine. However through talking with native seattlites I am told that white flower jasmine is only available in certain times of the year here in the Northwest of USA....one of which is late winter (February) about valentine time when it's really a hot item for lovers. For me the thought of preparing for yet another northwest winter without the warmth of my childhood and old home happy memories which can bring zest to the living room of my new place is really daunting. So I must soldier on and keep searching for that jasmine plant that I so wish to have next to my sofa by the entrance door leading to the balcony. Yes that would put me at ease!!!

How can the story of countless human tragedies in Somalia be told

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/human-tide-of-misery-flees-the-anarchy-of-somalia-1669948.html

The Somali pirates hijackings and the media frenzy

Piracy is not something unique to the Somali coast or the waters off the Horn of Africa. It happens in other areas namely in South Asia, including in the Malacca’s as well as in the West coast of Africa. The frenzy in the US media last week during the wake of the Maersk Alabama hijacking was amazing...all reporting on this event stirred up all kinds of American national outrage. You couldn't turn on any news or current affairs channel without hearing calls for full-blown attack on these "Thugs of the seas" "Scourge of the earth",” Maritime gangsters" etc. Being a passive spectator in all of these, I wondered what Somalis who have connections or who know of these Pirates or who happen to be from the Pirate areas in Puntland/ NE Somalia thought of these off-the-cuff verbal aggressions. I felt and remained ambivalent as to what these media stirred-aggressions and subtle animosities towards an all elusive Somali enemy would achieve.

Most people were in agreement that taking hostage of someone who gave himself up in goodwill was utterly wrong...there is no compassion in that. Besides it was the Somali Pirates who reneged on the agreement they made with the ship's crew in exchange of the Captain with the pirate they captured.This showed the stupidity of the Pirates if not their cruelty. Nonetheless the constant mentioning of Somali this and Somali that; Somalia being failed state and the Somali anarchy and Somalia's being a barren, ungovernable piece of 'dirt' really made me mad. Ok! Ok! We Somalis are a failed nation state but America of all countries has no right whatsoever to bad-mouth Somalia’s tragedies. Let us not forget after all that America's previous administrations were the main culprits in the story of what went wrong in this piece of geographical space called "Somalia". What do you think?

It was surprising though, to see the lack of response on the part of the Somalis (wherever they happen to be). I was yet to hear or read about any positive or negative viewpoint on the rescue of Captain Philip by the US Navy from any group of Somalis.... what was that silence about! Must mention though the rare comments made by the Somali-born professor at Rutgers University (Said Samatar) on CNN on Saturday 11th of April 09. I thought when he was first introduced that he would really give us an interesting insider account of the Pirates operations, but to my disappointment he seemed to be regurgitating old/out-dated news that was intermingled with his partial Somali-political viewpoints, which of-course stems from Puntland clan-affinity.

I believe that the story of the Somali Pirates is one of myriad number of tragedies that make up the present-day picture of that country. It's a symptom in combination of lack of governance, poverty, never-ending clan wars, Warlordism, Islamic extremism and broken-society. It's a country where the most misfortune group of people on earth lives. The story of Somalia is haunting and really following me everywhere I go to find peace and tranquility. I left there in 1991 when the onset of the first catastrophes of the Civil-war began, lived abroad since then: in Europe for 16 years and then changed residence to the Northwest. Yet regardless of how much I try to ignore events in Somalia, there is a magnet that pulls me right back at it all the time. Although I don't know how to rationalize such attraction I am nonetheless cognizant of this weakness which I have towards this anarchic land.

Which memories would you rather have erased?

Scientist at the University of Georgia discovered particular proteins in mice that are controls the storage of memories in the brain. It's said that in near future a bill could be developed to help erase bad memories selectively in humans.

We all know however memory and remembering bad and good things that happen to us have evolutionary purpose. When we are young if we cut our fingers or burn them we avoid repeating them once we experience the harm. Mistakes we make in life often leave us with bad memories and although we tend to learn from them we sometimes rather have some of these bad memories erased all together.

What do you think? Share your thoughts here.

Who do you most trust with your inner thoughts

I am a mother of one and currently living in Seattle with my husband. I relocated to settle here from London England, where I have been living and working since 1990. It has been hard keeping in touch with the few friends that I trusted most, particularly with the 8 hours time difference between Seattle and London and have had that experience of living in absence. Missing them and that cozy, absolutely confidential, non-judgemental conversations I used to have with them. Oh! how I do miss that.

I am someone who pride herself with that stone-set relationships that I held with these few dear friends over the years...some since the high school. These friends who are all women..who know me well, who can predict me, who know my character and personality...what I am/not capable of ,and like wise whom I know them well, created such a gaping void with their absence.

There are little things as well as big issues that I face in my new life here every day that most often than not conjure up the feeling of sharing thoughts about them with these dear friends.

Cultural constraints often lead me to bottle up things here. My friends in London were not of my culture...but they know me well and more than my family and those who claim to share the same culture background. I am bursting at the seems.....whenever I manage to call them ..there seem to be no enough time to unload on the phone.Time limitation is always the obstacle.

So who do you trust most with your inner thoughts?. Is it someone that you see everyday, week, occasionally or keep long distance contacts?. How much cultural constraints play part in your life?