Wednesday, September 15, 2010

السلام عليكم


About three months ago, I dropped by my neighborhood’s dry cleaners with a bag of laundry. I popped into the tiny store with a self-assured “Hello!” only to face an old, somber looking Pakistani man staring at me curiously behind the thin, wooden counter. “Inti Muslim?”* he asked me quietly. I nodded and replied yes. He put his hands dramatically on his chest and declared wholeheartedly, “Ana ba’ad Muslim! Laish inti gooli ‘Hello!’ Goolee ‘Asalm alaikom’ ashan ana oo inti akheth ajer!”* I smiled at his genuine nature and good intentions. “Inshallah.” I nodded as he grinned and looked at me in sincere approval. And I stuck to my promise ever since.





* Are you Muslim?

** Well I’m Muslim too! Why would you say “Hello!” when you and I can both collect virtues!


MP3 Download

Alizee - Moi...Lolita

Talking Heads - Creatures of Love

Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman

at 10:40 AM

10 Comments

  1. Anonymous q8othug posted at 1:11 PM  
    usually when i leave for work i see my mom NOMing breakfast. after a quick NOM myself and hurry to leave i say 'bye bye' in which she replaies 'm3a esalama' stubbornly lol.

    so now i alternate between m3a esalama and bye bye just to tease her more

    p.s. today he gave up as she replied to my 'bye bye' with a 'bye 7beeby' ^___^

    p.s.s alizee lolita ?! 0_o really ?
    loool thnx anyway
  2. Anonymous Veritas posted at 4:24 AM  
    Cute. Though I find it disconcerting that a grown man actually believes that he'd be getting celestial brownie points for saying certain words.

    I'm in awe at the power of indoctrination.
  3. Blogger Erzulie posted at 10:57 AM  
    q80thug: that's sweet :> & it's a good song!

    veritas: he was kind & meant well & that's all that matters to me :)
  4. Anonymous Veritas posted at 6:57 PM  
    I have no doubt that he meant well.

    But wouldn't it be nice if people did good things for the sake of goodness and not for some afterlife reward? Don't you feel that it undermines the whole point of doing good?

    I do not blame him. I merely lament the fact that invoking preposterous metaphysical beliefs has become part and parcel of our culture.
  5. Anonymous Anonymous posted at 10:06 AM  
    Assalaaaaaam 3laykum Erzuliyah!

    (I'll take all the brownie points I can get)

    How's your day going so far? Mine's frenetic! I think I miss being a lazy bum pajama queen...
  6. Blogger Erzulie posted at 10:43 AM  
    veritas: he made my bland laundry visit a pleasant memory & that's what counts for me. and whether people do good to be on god's good side or just for the heck of it, what matters is that they're doing/saying something positive

    ms.baker: wa 3alaikom isalam my beautiful ms. baker! 3omrich 6oweel i was thinking about you on my drive to work :) and you're anything but lazy mashallah 3alaich :*** call you soon :********
  7. Blogger Traveleer posted at 11:11 AM  
    it has been a while Erzu.. soo..

    السلام عليكم
  8. Blogger Erzulie posted at 1:23 PM  
    traveleer: وعليكم السلام :>
  9. Anonymous Jewz4Jahra posted at 3:07 PM  
    You should have answered SHALOM ALAIKUM! (Jewz of tha gulf reppin' loool)
    A stupid nosy question deserves a dumb general answer :)
  10. Blogger Erzulie posted at 12:28 PM  
    JahraJew: That's your opinion :>

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