#FROM MY EID MONEY TOO

[httpshujii]

I LOST MY MEGUMI KEYCHAIN ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️

[gojonanami]

HI SAB ILY YOURE SO AMAZING 💞💞💞

I read your response to someone else’s ask abt the arranged marriage au for cult leader geto and I have thoughts :0

Reasons why Geto would marry a non-sorcerer (arranged marriage au):

- Funding for his cult, a big time investors daughter. Just a non-sorcerer family who supports something they’re not all too aware of, and make a contract that he marry into their family for their support on a wider scale and he accepts.

- She comes from a prestigious clan and they support his ideals greatly, and ask that he wed their daughter for their continued support and funding, since they’ve failed to marry off their oldest girl… because unlike everyone else in their strict and high class family, she’s the only non-sorcerer. So since she has ties to a very high and mighty clan as their firstborn so he’s like eh ok and does it cause like yk money power influence wehee, and even though it disgusts him in the end it’s more beneficial for his cult in the long run since now they have a prestigious clan tied to them and ready for the new world he’s proposing, and with their daughter by his side they likely wouldn’t deny his cult anything.

I think this one is kinda interesting cause like he’s more likely to go for it imo since she still has some ties to the jujutsu world and understands it more than most, and he’s like twice more ‘disgusted’ by her since despite having everything needed to succeed and be a powerful sorcerer, she wasn’t born one, so she’s like a failure (angst but cute to explore if he eventually like warms up and he’s like oh noooo you’re okay you’re fine ily)

(BONUS: She’s not a sorcerer but if you go with the children route, their children would still have the potential to inherit her family’s ct which is like strong) (soz I keep bringing up kids—)

-Nanako and Mimiko (when they’re like 5 and still traumatized af having just been saved) love her and won’t respond to anyone else, terrified of most others, but have fallen in love with her since she was the only one who was kind to them in the village Geto saved them from. When he burnt it all down, he missed her family, one of the important ones, by chance, and when the girls started begging for her he reluctantly went to get her for them even though ew non sorcerer monkey whatever, and her family on the brink of desperation demanded an arranged marriage so they’re survival would be guaranteed and he was like ugh fine.

THATS ALL I GOT MWAH HAVE A GREAT DAY AND EID MUBARAK IN ADVANCE CAUSE YAY ITS THE FINAL TEN DAYS OF RAMADAN 💞💞💞

ok these are really interesting ideas omg — I def am leaning towards the second one — I think that’s the route I will go with the cult leader fic 🤔🤔 I like all these idea though — but I def think reader without jujutsu from a clan would be the best course

EID MUBARAK bb!! it’s early but Inshaallah next week!!! I got my period so I can’t do the last few fasts but I’ll make them up after 💕🥹

[shartingan]

apologies if this is kinda out of left field but what is your current opinion on ao3? me personally i do like to read and write fic on it due to the tagging system and other aspects but the amount of whack shit makes me uncomfortable and I do wish you could report harmful content easily (I think you can now but it's a bit of a process)

sorry this took so long to answer! i had to finish graduating college 😔 i tend not to think about ao3 too much or too in depth, and i don't really get involved in the discourse on this site about it. please take everything i say with a grain of salt because im uninformed and not really looking to involve myself more in this discourse! but i will gladly answer this ask with the information i do have because i think youre starting an interesting conversation and i like to talk ( •̀ .̫ •́ )✧! feel free to hmu i dms, anon.

under read more because i started to ramble a bit. tldr please stop donating to ao3 and donate to one of these vetted palestinian fundraisers instead, especially for eid

personally i agree with all that youve said about ao3 in your ask already. i wont get on a soapbox and moralize about fanfiction and stuff like that because, again, i really dont care, but also i think it is really neat to have these spaces where people can safely interact with IPs in a transformative way and share their works with others without the threat of legal action. that's not ao3s doing, but it does provide a hub for people to publish without ever running into the treat of legal action. and, like you said, the tagging system makes it really easy to sort through fics and find what you like vs. dislike.

my main problems with ao3 come from its mismanagement, and the fact that it really has no competitors. ive been on ao3 since 2015, and i think the only significant change i can remember in the 9 years ive used it was the fact that they added the ability to filter out tags along with filtering in some. that's literally it. there could definitely have been some significant behind the scenes additions im unaware of, but from a users point of view, there has only been 1 update in 9 years that has majorly impacted the way i use the site. that seems like extreme mismanagement to me, especially since ao3 manages to meet and then significantly past all of their donation goals that they run pretty frequently. it seems like ao3 is making a lot of money which isn't being put into improving the site in any significant way. ao3 has been a site since 2008, its making a lot of money, and has a huge base of donors and volunteers, but it's still in beta? that seems like major mismanagement to me. again, this is just me speaking as a layperson not involved in the site itself.

also, it's pretty much become the only site that you can read fanfic on. there are sparse communities on tumblr, ff.net, and wattpad, but they're definitely a lot smaller and spread out. ao3 is the biggest and most centralized place for posting and reading fanfiction on the internet, meaning it virtually has no competition, and there's no alternatives that offer the same scale or quality. despite all that, it has almost no internal user moderation, and ao3 has actively been resistant to implementing those kinds of changes. that has resulted primarily in users of color getting targeted and attacked by racists. harassment is easy on ao3, and people can easily abuse the tagging system to do whatever they like. there's not even a perma-block tag feature, which is the first thing i would've implemented with the filter out feature. like you said, anon, if they're even implementing these changes, they're implementing them slowly, and behind a convoluted multi-step process. there's still little to no internal moderation or blocking system, which is just incredibly irresponsible.

ao3 almost has a monopoly on fanfiction on the internet, which means that it can kind of just do whatever, and no matter the gripes it knows people will keep coming back if they want fanfic because there's no alternative. and people keep chucking money at it because, again, its a hub for people to post and read fanfic without ever running into the threat of legal action because the website provides a safe, transformative works shield for authors. it's just insane how mismanaged the site is, but people keep giving it money despite that, so there's no real incentive for OTW to change anything or put in any effort. HOW IS IT STILL IN BETA. ITS BEEN 16 YEARS AND THEY'VE MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. MINECRAFT CLASSIC WAS LAUNCHED IN 2009 AND THEY MOVED THROUGH BETA TO ALPHA TO A FULL LAUNCH AND THEN HUNDREDS OF UPDATES IN THE SAME TIME FRAME AND WITH A SMALLER TEAM AND FUNDS, INITIALLY😭😭😭 that's just insane to me, there's definitely something weird behind the scenes, how can they be this bad at site management, it's gotta be deliberate or something.

anyway, please stop donating to ao3 and donate to one of these vetted palestinian fundraisers instead, especially for eid

[enmi-land]

DIDIDIIIIII OMGG I MISSED YOU SMM DHSKBSJSJS I'M BACK LOL😭

UMHH ramadan isn't actually over but there is only like 6 days left and I'm so excited for eid shksbsjsa well imma explain what eid is cause the things i want to say won't make sense until i tell you what eid is😭😭,, well eid is a 3 day celebration (kinda?)after ramadan where we go out and meet up with our families and we also buy new clothes and we eat lots of good stuff and the best part is that we are given money hehe but I'm now deemed to be and adult so they don't give me any money(😭)and for guys they go to the mosque to pray the eid prayer and also not all people do this thing but alot do which is that every family gets a sheep and they slaughter it to eat it later and this makes more sense in arabic😭😭 since this eid in arabic is called (عيد الاضحى) Eid Al-Adha where it means like you give away the thing which is the sheep 🐑 you know.

but me and my family don't do this because the sheep costs a kidney😭🤭

BUTTTT I MISSED YOU SO MUCH DIDI AND I'M WAY TOO EXCITED TO READ EVERYTHING YOU WROTE DHSKSBSK 💗💗💗🌷💌

btww add me to the taglist of all your future writings cause bae???? i would love to read everything as soon as it is released hehe🤭🤭💗

Love you mwah

-mina🐑(he's so cute hehe)

LAJSLSJ MINA WELCOME BACCCCKKKKK I MISSED YOU SM!! sorry i wasn’t active on discord i ended up deleting it for reason 😬 BUT I’M SAUR HAPPY TO SEE YOU IN MY INBIX AGAIN YOU HAVE BO IDEA 😭😭🌸💖💖

OOOOH I didn’t know about the eid so it was actually nice to hear it from you!! i always enjoy learning more about different religions, so it was rlly interesting to know!! thank you for sharing with me!! 🫶🫶 but ahhh sheep are so cute 🐑🥺 but it’s too bad it’s expensive 😭😭

BUT AHHH STAWP I MISSED YOU MORE 😭 KAJSKS i didn’t get up to much hehe but a full length chap is coming out… whenever it’s finished 🫣 but ofc you can be on my taglist!! i’ll add you right away!! 🌻🌼💛

[ah0yh0y]

91. boxes or bags?

56. favourite tradition?

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

from this ask game

ooooh huh. that first ones a hard one. boxes are good for lots and lots of stuff but i cant carry them bags are also good for lots and lots of stuff but it will tear all my ligaments off . i will propose a third option: wheels

(but also bags bc easier to carry for me what if boxes have too much stuff and gravity ends up being petty what then?? bags will lie about their structural integrity but at least i have a running chance against physics)

favourite tradition. first of all i would like to point the better spelling of favourite . its gotta the letter u. its directly telling the reader that they are the favourite. second of all... we dont have many traditions in this household i dont think but we have started and stopped many. actually wait my mum makes string hoppers and sambol and we eat that on eid morning. and we blast nasheeds on the night before and on eid morning. and there was a couple fo years we made a pinata out of a plastic bag (sofunny) and whenever we had a dinner a big one we would buy sparklers and light them outside im gonna restart that actually.

soft drink receptacle... probably cans? i never got to drink soft drink outta cans like with my own money as a kid so i savour that now. theres only been one time ive drank soft drink out of a bottle (or proabbly more but maybe overseas but i dont remember) and that was the soviet themed soft drink my teacher gifted us after my history exams that was so nice i love that shit i felt so cool (also learnt about the existence of twist its caps that was exciting). glass cups is probably below them i think plastic cups just dont capture the cold ness you need with soft drinks in summer

okay ranking 1. bottle bc that was such a cool experience

2. cans bc thats were they belong

3. glass natural habitat

4. plastic cups

[starry-dream-moonlight]

......uh. What.

my mom's the one who bought my new phone (the current one i'm using right now), and even if it's with my money that i got from eid, she's Still the one who bought it and i didn't go with her so technically she's the one who paid for it. but even then she still says it's my phone.

your parents are weird........

I’ve seen weirder parents but nothing I can’t do about it…

now give me a sec I need to clear the ask box before it gets too flooded..

[ladyfingerstyping]

I miss

the বাসা I lived in for 17 years and the walls where I would bump my head while I played hide and seek,the windows of the other buildings directly across ours,the money plant in the veranda,waking up but still going to drawing room er বিছানা because I felt lazy,sitting on the sofa while brushing my teeth because my low pressure kicked in,coming back home from school to my mom and she would bring me water while my cat,Tuni would smother me with love until she thinks its enough,the kitchen where I made the most pastas in my life,looking out the bedroom window to see 3 no road not being the same anymore or maybe peeking through veranda to see what chaos is going on in 4 no road.I miss the big ass gate where outside there was a sticker with my fathers name,the gate which my brother decorated because the neighbours had decorations up too,the gate where I put barbie stickers which বাবা bought me from the eid card and sticker stalls in front of nowakhali departmental store during ramadan.I miss eating puri from the রেস্তোরা beside nowakhali,and how it tasted so good with their salad.I miss the stairs where I would eat ভাত with লাল শাক্,the stairs where I slipped while chasing Tuni,the stairs which had a small window to look out into লিমিটেড মেইন রোড and where I would look out all evening for my dad to come home before iftar,the stairs where I would pant while getting up because we lived on the 5th floor.I miss going down and opening the main gate for when I was going to school alone for the first time and my mom would look at me through that small window to see if I could get on a rickshaw and leave properly,the main gate where which I went down to open so many times and locked so many times,the gate from which I came out and saw Monir uncle outside of sweet lady fashion house almost everyday,where I saw vans with vegetables and fruits and হাড়ি-পাতিল and what not, where the কলাওয়ালা uncle would always have the চাবি to our buildings gate.The gate which first welcomed me when I was a month old.I miss limited main road,I miss saying "মামা,লিমিটেড ৪ নং মেইন রোড এই নামব,কোনো রোড এ ধুকা লাগবে না,৫০ টাকায় যাবেন?" I miss this place where I resided in for more than 1 and a half decade.I miss my home and asking আম্মু everytime we are outside "বাসায় যাবা কখন?" because thats where the বাসা of 17 year old Ohona forever will be.

[b-lessings]

Salam sis, I wanted to write to you because I couldn’t sleep thinking of something. A few weeks ago, I travelled aboard for the first time in my life and I met some friends there. On our last day, we wanted to spend all the money that we had so we would be left with currency that won’t be of any use to use once we go back to our country and I had a few more change than one of them so when she wanted to buy a piece of clothing to her daughter I gave her that money. I had the intention of not asking it back from her because I felt weird about it and she didn’t mention giving it back because she kept telling that it won’t be of any use later on. I felt okay then but when I came home and I was telling my mother, she thought I asked her to give it back. It wasn’t that much (around 15$) but I just felt bad for giving it to her because there is no such thing as useless money. I keep feeling bad for doing things to be able to maintain friendships with people but when we came back she didn’t ask about me at all (none of the other friends did) and I keep saying I shouldn’t have given it to her because she doesn’t care about me and she just used me and so on. How do I shake this feeling and how do I get that peace of mind? Any advice is highly appreciated. Jazaki’Lah xx

و عليكم السلام و رحمة اللّٰه و بركاته 🤍

What I understood is that we have two issues here, the money issue and the friendship..

As for the money, you have already said that it wasn't a big deal just a few change and that she used it to buy something for her daughter so if you want to forget about it, consider it as a sadaqa on your behalf and/or a gift to the little one, then May Allah swt count it in your good deeds' balance. Unless, you do feel really bad about it and you feel that you can't get over it. If asking for it back is what will bring you peace then do it. Asking for your money back is not a bad thing, as it is your money.

After all, there is only so much a person can give as advice, but at the end of the day we are all different people, what I would do wouldn't necessarily be something you'd be comfortable with. So, just follow your heart on this one. If you want to ask for your money back then you should do it because it is coming from your own conviction and your own will, not because anyone else thinks it is the right thing to do.

As for the issue of friendship, we tend to be a little vulnerable and sensitive when it comes to our circle of friends. Honestly, I don't think you should be too quick to judge or too quick to get upset with them for not getting in touch with you or asking about you after the trip, because a) we don't know what everyone is going through and b) did you reach out to any of them? This friend in particular, obviously she is a mother so she will be super busy after the trip getting her life back on track and going back to her routine at home and possibly at work, some people tend to get sick or exhausted after trips and they need their rest, I don't know sweetie, I am just trying to show you to broaden your perspective and be a little more flexible to consider other people's situations and circumstances. It is okay to give people some time and some space, adult life is really hard and people have responsibilities, I am sure so do you. So my advice on this particular topic would be to focus on yourself, your life and your priorities and not dwell much on how they're not being or getting in touch with you. Eid is coming up in a few days in shaa Allah and that would be such a good opportunity to start a conversation with them or send them texts or call them or something. And then, you can test the waters, if they mentioned they were busy or wanting to talk to you but getting distracted because life happens, and you feel that the love and the energy between you is still the same then that's great, but if you feel that it's not matching and the love is not being reciprocated then you can take some step back and set your own boundaries. You ought to surround yourself with people who treat you well and care about you the way you care about them.

Also, one more thought, if you want to ask for your money back and you don't know how to do that, let's build up on the idea of Eid coming up, you can ask about her and her daughter, and ask how did she like the piece of clothing etc.. that gives her an opportunity to bring up your money if she is planning to give it back, without embarrassing her, but if not, then you directly ask, I guess 🤷🏽‍♀️.

Anyways, remember that whatever you do you should move from a place of kindness, and Allah swt loves al-Muhsineen.

May Allah swt bless you and put in your life good pious people who care for your well being in the duniyah and the deen, ameen 🍃

[purposelynana]

What Did I Watch: #32

This week, what? Been drowning in work and Eid. But I'm back.

Step By Step was a nightmare and it was fucking good. Nightmare is such an understatement. It was thorough portrayal on being a corporate slave. That's why I called it nightmare. And a blessing.

For the longest we'd been served by half-assed representation about office workers. Before Step By Step, there was A Boss and A Babe, and I swear to God I should know from the title alone, this would be a complete trash. And also Bed Friend, where definitely the focus wasn't on the office. Too bad. I know the sex scene was the talk of the town, but well lemme emphasize once more, if you want to watch porn, just watch porn, instead of pushing porn onto contemporary show. Or at least if you take out the porn, it still makes a decent story.

Yet Step By Step is different. It was scary because how similar it was to my office life. I had this unsettling feeling while watching it. I don't think it was bad per se, but definitely that was something I don't want to repeat. Yes, this is written by someone who has been in the office, worked in the office and maybe get abused in the office. And for the love of God, thank you for its depiction of office love story that it's believable. Love in the office does happen very slowly, delicate (dude it'll involve HR at some point it has to be delicate), and full of understanding.

Such a good watch.

Skam-fication of Korean BL.

The Eight Sense is why we need Evak-coded characters grace our screen. The moment Jihyun and Jaewon met is a constant reminder that to me Skam will always be the greatest queer media out there. Because it was true to themselves. And heck, I don't think anything will ever get close to it, until now. Wow.

There was no necessary side couple. Weird filler. Every scene has its purposes and actually push the narrative. The characters did develop. Great cinematography and directing. Phenomenal acting by rookies??? And I had the loudest sigh after finishing it. Thank God for your mercy.

I got shredded in pieces, then stitched bit by bit, and the wound healed in the most pleasant way. I lived by angsty stories and beautiful resolve. From time to time, I wonder when will we get a story that it's just beautifully heartbreaking and still giving a sense of hope at the end of its run. Maybe it will take so many years and a great deal of trial and error until finally we're going to come across something like this.

And finally on a whim, I decided to watch La Pluie. No idea why. Perhaps because the color palette on it seemed soft. Or the idea of having to listen to your soulmate on the rain sounded too whack but somehow I was convinced of the world building that had been going on in the back. Plus, this little pulp never wasted any moment and I appreciate that. There are plots going on in the times when BL just having only vibes without substantial context.

My only beef for now, is the sound. The background sound was too loud, sometimes buried the surrounding sound that supposed to come out. Such as when they talked on the side of the road, I barely couldn't hear any cars or as simple as other people talks. It lessen the believability of this world.

Yet, it's still a good recommendation. Up till now it doesn't make my blood boil for having some stupidity shit that no one couldn't explain. Fingers crossed it could land smoothly. Well somehow it makes me think why I couldn't accept Oxygen but I could embrace this. Big question indeed.

There will be rants coming shortly....

I promised myself to watch Our Skyy then naaah. I kept thinking about the way GMM does things. I've never seen an entertainment agency that bad of handling the misbehavior of their actors. The very obvious way that the only thing they care is just making more money from shitty fan services and merchandises. To make more money from parasocial relationship that they build over time. I don't care if in real life the actors actually close or not. We suppose to don't care in the first place. It's their privacy, in which should not be trading commodities. It's fucked up. Our Skyy is a trading commodity. Well, it has always been trading commodities. But at least don't make that obvious. Dolls, blanket, snacks, it's not fucking smooth at all. I'm bothered. It's not helping the narrative. The narrative is already over. It is a walking ads. That's for sure. You're fucked when the dolls is the one taking over the discussion rather than the story. But well, these days who cares right? People need money, not some substantial storytelling. Not every production house can act like HBO right?

[okasuka]

randonm

Texting Before the Party

Aminah: u ready yet

Adil: do i look like i’m ready man my mum still shouting at me

Aminah: LOOOL

Adil: she moving mad tryna make me wear this ugly ass kurta i look like a roadman in disguise

Aminah: na send pic

Adil: allow it

Aminah: SEND IT RN

Adil: [image sent]

Aminah: NAH ur actually finished😭 why it look 2 sizes too big

Adil: cos it is fam my dad told me i’d grow into it??? bro i’m fully grown

Aminah: ur dad is funny man tell him i said safe

Adil: go tell him urself he probably rate u more than me at this point

Aminah: maybe cos i don’t complain abt everyyy little thing

Adil: bro u complain more than me don’t even start

Aminah: ok but i do it with style

Adil: u do it with violence

Aminah: same thing

Adil: anyway u ready?? bet ur gonna take another hour

Aminah: u think i’m a wasteman like u??? i BEEN ready

Adil: oh yeah? send pic then

Aminah: no

Adil: wow ur moving mad rn

Aminah: i want the DRAMATIC entrance innit

Adil: wow ok miss main character

Aminah: finally ur catching on

Adil: hurry up and get there man my mum already stressing bout being late

Aminah: see u there loool

At the Party

The venue was packed. Every brown family in a 10-mile radius had clearly decided to pull up, aunties dressed in their best outfits, uncles standing in corners talking politics, and kids running around like it was a football stadium.

Adil walked in with his family, immediately spotting his cousins at one table chatting up some random uncles for Eid money. He barely had time to breathe before his mum started greeting every aunty in sight, pinching his cheek like he was five.

Then, through the crowd, he spotted her.

Aminah stepped in like she owned the place, dressed up but still effortlessly herself. She clocked him across the room and smirked.

Aminah: rate the entrance out of 10

Adil: solid 9 still, lost a point cos u didn’t trip over a kid for dramatic effect

Aminah: ur an idiot😂

Aminah made her way over, dodging aunties and cousins trying to pull her into conversations. The second she reached Adil, she rolled her eyes. “Fam these parties are the same every year, I swear.”

Adil laughed. “Bruv, I been here 10 minutes and already got my cheeks violated by some random aunty. Like I’m a grown man, allow me.”

Aminah snorted. “Nah it’s peak, they still treating u like a toddler?”

“Bro, I could turn 40 and they’d still be like ‘beta, when you getting married?’”

Aminah grinned. “Jokes on u, I already got asked if I’m engaged.”

Adil’s eyebrows shot up. “Swear? To who??”

“Dunno, some random aunty talking bout ‘oh mashallah you’re so big now, any rishtas?’”

Adil made a disgusted face. “Nah that’s a violation.”

“Fully.”

They both looked around, scanning the hall. The food hadn’t even been served yet, which meant they had at least an hour of auntie politics, uncle debates, and hyper kids launching themselves across the room before anything interesting happened.

“Empty spot?” Aminah muttered, tilting her head toward the back where a group of older boys were chilling.

Adil nodded. “Say less.”

They slipped away, dodging a few lingering aunties, and made their way towards the back of the room where the older boys had taken over a little section, passing around the PS5 controllers.

“Yo, empty spot?” Aminah asked again, eyes on the screen.

One of the older boys, Ibrahim, glanced up. “Hold up, man’s in the middle of a match.”

Adil leaned in. “Who’s playing?”

“abdul and Ali,” Ibrahim replied. “Jeff’s getting smoked tho, man’s actually trash.”

Aminah smirked. “I rate it.”

They both dropped down onto the sofa, watching the match unfold. The party continued around them, but for now, they had their own little corner, away from the aunties, away from the chaos, just chilling like they always did.

The PS5 match ended with a dramatic final goal, and the whole group erupted into laughter and shouts of “Nahhh, that was a violation!” as Jeff sat there, stunned.

Adil leaned back, shaking his head. “Man got humbled on Eid, that’s crazy.”

Aminah smirked, nudging him. “U’d get packed the same way, don’t get comfy.”

Before Adil could respond, a group of aunties waddled over, their brightly colored shalwar kameez glistening under the venue lights. One of them, a short, round-faced woman, beamed at them.

“Mashallah, look at these two. Definitely getting married when they’re older, insha’Allah!”

A chorus of “Insha’Allah!” echoed through the auntie squad, and suddenly, every adult in the vicinity was nodding in agreement like they had all planned this in advance.

Aminah let out a short laugh, rolling her eyes. “Man said definitely.”

Adil coughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ayy, allow it, man.”

Cosmo snickered from the side. “Bro’s blushing.”

Aminah smirked. “He’s finished.”

Adil shot her a look before one of the older aunties—the type that had been running these parties since the 90s—squinted at Aminah. “Beta, why you always dressing like a boy, huh? Always in them big clothes, looking rough rough.”

The group chuckled, and Aminah’s smirk froze in place.

The aunty continued, voice dripping with mock concern. “No bangles, no earrings, no makeup? You’ll never find a husband like this. You wanna look like the boys, or what?”

More laughter.

Aminah shifted slightly, adjusting the sleeves of her hoodie. Her jaw tensed, and for a second, her usual sharp comeback didn’t come.

Adil’s smile dropped.

“Nah, auntie, chill—” he started, but the woman just waved him off, still smiling like she was joking.

“I’m just saying! Girls these days, they wanna act like boys, running around in trainers and hoodies. Back in my day, we had grace, we had elegance.”

More aunties nodded in agreement, still giggling amongst themselves.

Aminah let out a small exhale, staring at the floor. Her fingers curled into her sleeves, and Adil caught a glimpse of the bandages underneath before she quickly shoved her hands into her pockets.

The laughter continued around them, but Aminah wasn’t hearing it anymore.

Adil glanced at her. “Yo.” His voice was low, just for her.

She forced a smirk. “Man said ‘grace and elegance’ like I’m tryna be in a Disney film.”

It sounded like a joke, but her voice had lost its usual bite.

Adil frowned. “Come, let’s cut from here.”

She shook her head. “Nah, I’m good, innit. Let’s just—”

“Aminah.” His voice was a little firmer this time.

She finally looked at him.

He nodded towards the exit, his eyes saying more than his words.

For a second, she hesitated. Then, with a final glance at the group still laughing, she exhaled and stood up. “Say less.”

Adil followed, hands stuffed in his pockets, jaw still tight.

As they stepped away from the crowd, Aminah let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding.

The party carried on behind them. But for her, the buzz had already faded.

Aminah and Adil moved through the crowded hall, dodging little kids zipping around in new Eid fits, aunties carrying plates stacked high with food, and uncles deep in discussions about petrol prices like it was life or death.

Finally, they reached the quieter part of the venue—a dimly lit stairwell leading to the back entrance. It was empty, away from all the noise, the perfect spot to just breathe.

Aminah plopped down on the steps, her plate balanced on her lap as she dug into her kebab. Adil sat next to her, unwrapping his samosa before nudging her leg with his.

Adil: “You good, yeah?”

Aminah didn’t answer straight away, just took another bite. Then she sighed. “Man, these aunties are actually jarring.”

Adil smirked. “They move mad every year, though. Act like it’s their full-time job to violate people for no reason.”

Aminah let out a short laugh through her nose but didn’t say much else.

Adil watched her for a second, then leaned back against the railing, voice a little softer now.

“You know I’d marry you either way, right?”

Aminah paused, mid-bite. She turned her head slightly, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

Adil shrugged, tearing off a bit of his samosa. “Yeah. Even if you dress like a roadman for the rest of your life.”

Aminah scoffed. “Shut up, bruv.”

Adil grinned. “Nah, fr. Even if you pull up to the wedding in a tracksuit, I’ll be there, suit and all.”

Aminah gave him a look. “Ur dumb.” But her lips twitched up at the corners.

Adil nudged her again, a teasing glint in his eye. “What, you don’t believe me?”

Aminah rolled her eyes, shoving a spoonful of rice into her mouth. “Man said ‘tracksuit at the wedding’ like I’m gonna roll up in a full Nike Tech.”

Adil cackled. “Wallahi, you actually would.”

She shook her head, chewing, then swallowed. “Would you still love me if I wore TNs with it?”

Adil wiped a fake tear from his eye. “That’s a madness, but yeah, I would.”

Aminah smirked, finally looking at him properly. “Bet.”

They kept eating, their plates getting emptier, the mood getting lighter.

Adil dipped his last samosa in some chutney, humming. “At least the food’s banging this year.”

Aminah nodded. “Swear down. Last year’s was so dead, I nearly had beef with the caterer.”

Adil laughed. “Nah, real talk, their biryani was moving suspicious. Like, how’s rice tasting like cardboard?”

Aminah shuddered. “Don’t even remind me, man. That trauma runs deep.”

Adil snorted, finishing off his plate. Aminah followed, wiping her hands on a napkin before leaning back against the wall, feeling just a little bit lighter.

The party still raged on in the hall, the aunties still chatting, the music still playing. But here, in their little quiet corner, it didn’t really matter.

For now, it was just them.

Aminah flopped onto her bed, kicking off her Eid shoes and stretching out, still full from all the food. The day had been long, the aunties had been wild, and the whole “marriage talk” situation still had her spinning a little.

Her phone buzzed next to her. She grabbed it, already knowing who it was.

Adil: fam today was actually weird😭

Aminah: nah fr😭 them aunties were moving mad

Adil: swear down they made it sound like we got nikkah done in secret😭

Aminah: wallahi😭 i can’t believe they said mashallah like we’ve been married for 10 years

Adil: u shoulda seen my mum she was PROPER smiling i’m actually scared💀

Aminah: naah ur done for😭 u better start writing ur wedding vows rn

Adil: real talk tho

Adil: today was mad but i kinda liked it yk

Aminah: yh??

Adil: yh

Adil: just the whole thing, being w u, chatting shit, eating on the stairs, idk man, i just love being around u

Aminah: …

Aminah: ur feeling soft rn huh😭

Adil: ok and?? i can’t love u in peace??

Aminah: LOOOL i never said that😭

Adil: good

Adil: swear down tho, i proper wanted to kiss u before i left

Aminah: ????

Aminah: bro our dads would kill us

Aminah: or just u, tbh😭

Adil: nah real talk ur dad would fold me like laundry

Aminah: yhh u’d be dead in 0.2 seconds no respawn

Adil: smh would be worth it ngl

Aminah: ??? ur actually insane

Adil: for u, yh probably

Aminah: ur moving mad

Adil: just say u love me back n go sleep

Aminah: i never said i didn’t?

Adil: say less

Aminah: gna sleep now before u start confessing more😭

Adil: ok ok goodnight future wife😌

Aminah: u actually want a death wish

Adil: let me dream in peace man😔

Aminah: gn my cute weirdo

Adil: LOVE U GNN

Aminah locked her phone, shaking her head with a small smirk.

Yeah. Today had been weird.

But maybe not fully in a bad way.

[mygainyear2024]

Day 81 Camel

After waking up at 5.50am to sit on a higher dune to watch the sunrise at 6.12am (Rose complained we got up way too early, but I just did what the staff suggested, perhaps they thought I'd have a shower or something!) with sand blowing at us sideways, we now have the pièce de résistance. We see the camels and the shepherd coming over the dunes and we quickly asked for help to put on our head scarves.

It was a small challenge for me to get that leg over and the ascent from the ground was quite the experience (as was the descent later). We were off in no time and I hadn't anticipated the challenges - trying to keep my shoes from coming off, taking photos while needing to hold on (as there was quite the difference between hard and soft sand without warning) and within five minutes the scarf came off, so I was also trying to cover the right hand side of my face to protect my ears, eyes and mouth from taking on board too much sand and still take in the magnificent views, and occasionally the need to adjust my seat, as I think my saddle was on a lean!

After the exhilaration of an hour plus camel ride, and like my first hammam in Istanbul, I don't think I need to repeat it, the rest of the day was spent in the local area exploring. First stop some small farming plots (dates, figs, sprouts etc). Some primary school aged children wanted us to try the small unripened figs!

Next stop to see where the nomads live, although they are not nomadic anymore, as tourism provides resources for them they've decided to stay put. The family Mustafa usually visits is most likely away for Eid, so we just have a look around their camp site. A stop at a fossil mining area. Mustafa explains it used to be mined for mascara (he shows me samples in a bottle, it looks more like black sand than mascara and I question whether he means eye liner or if it's mixed with water?), and now the site is mined for a substance I can't remember the name of that makes glass!

Next stop a Berber "depot" to look at some more carpets. Rose finds one she likes for the hallway. It's this salesman who says my carpet is not made with natural dyes, and it's cactus silk? I said I would have a chat with Mustafa about this and he asked me not to say anything as it would cause issues! Hmmm. I did say something to Mustafa and he absolutely avoided my question. Rose also learnt from her love interest, Hassan, that Mustafa would probably get 50% of the sale price. Rose is very upset that the money is not going to the Berber woman who made the carpet. And I absolutely empathise with her. But I understood this was all a possibility and that I paid too much for my carpet, but I could have done some more research and started at a much lower price. At the end of the day, it's an experience, and I won't forget where I purchased it, and meeting the 95 year old grandmother who doesn't like her picture taken. For those who are interested in buying a carpet made by women in Morocco, where the money goes to the women, don't worry I have a legitimate solution which I will post about in day 83! And there's even an online option!

We are in the car of a friend of Mustafa’s today so we can go off-road. Except it’s not registered for tourism and at one point we swerve suddenly to take a different road to avoid the police, who are everywhere! Mustafa has been constantly using his phone while driving and on enquiry it is also illegal here to be using your phone while driving! As well it’s illegal to ride a bike without a helmet, but so many do, even with kids. I did see one motor cyclist pulled over by police, so hopefully in time things will change, as Mustafa confirmed my suspicions that road accidents are high.

Next stop to listen to music played by "black" Africans, as Mustafa describes them. And then onto the eagerly awaited Berber pita, that Mustafa mentioned on day 1. Mine is chicken or turkey, but to be honest, it was a little oily and I preferred the sauce and rice that came as a starter.

Rose was quite unwell today, we stopped at a pharmacy and we were able to buy antibiotics and cough medicine and all Rose wants for lunch is avocado on rye with lemon and salt and pepper. Mustafa did try and find us an avocado (we actually received a plate in our room of 2 apples, 2 oranges and 2 avocados at the riad on the first night, so it wasn't an impossibility). Second choice is french fries! They don't usually serve french fries, but Mustafa has organised for her to have some. They are a long time coming, and she is impressed they are hand cut!

Mustafa keeps calling Rose "cheeky", I think he means "spoilt", as the day before he was describing these kind of characteristics to me. Perhaps compared to Muslim children Rose is spoilt, but she is definitely sick and was a real trooper managing the heat and being upright for so long.

We are dropped off at the most beautiful Riad Chebbi, opposite the highest dune, at 170 metres. It can be climbed, and under cooler circumstances I might have given it a go. Time to wash all the sand away and then we sleep until dinner. That rosé purchased yesterday was ok when first opened (it's not from the vineyard I was hoping to visit either), but not so good having been in a very hot car for most of today!

[taetr4ck]

THE FIRST SLIDES FOR BOTH CHENLE AND JISUNG'S TEXTS WERE ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS PLEASE 😭😭 as always you slayed my love thankyou 🤍🫡

and I'm glad my message made you feel better <33 I hope things are easy for youu

my week has actually been pretty good!! eid was fun and I had a good time. I've got a couple of pretty important exams starting from the 26th so I'm diligently trying to prepare for those nowadays 🙇‍♀️ the horrors persist, but so do I 🗣️

anywho queen have you heard bam yang gang by bibi?? It came out like 2 months ago but I just listened to it yesterday ITS SO CUTE‼️ daldidalgo daldidalgo daldidan bam yang gang 🗣️ bam yang gang 🗣️

I'm done yapping for now thankyou and much love!! drink lots of water 🔊

-☄️

HEHE I'M GLAD IT MADE YOU LAUGH !! (the jisung one was actually based on a true story LMFAOOOOOO) and ofc my queen !! feel free to request more anytime 🫡

things lately have been quite.. easier than before !! i hope it gets better eventually, we'll get there hehe 💌 and meteorie you never know that you're one of my comfort person here, so it's all thanks to you ☝🏻

and also waaah eid mubarak my love !! 💗 so glad you had fun, i hope you spent it with the people you love ! and i hope you got so many eid money 😋

omg the exam season is real 😭 i'm also having my exams on thursday so the grind never stops 💯 i wish you the best of luck queen, don't let the horrors of the exams stop you from ballin ☝🏻 you're gonna slay and serve on the exam day so hard i can feel it 🗣️

OMG BAM YANG GANG...... the earworm that lives constantly in my head rent free !! you have taste pookie i love that for u 😋 it's so cute i agree !! but the lyrics are the complete opposite of the melody of the song LMFAO that's what makes it iconic !! daldidalgo daldidalgo daldidan bamyanggang bamyanggang so true 🙏🏻

hehe you can continue yapping anytime queen !! i'm always here to listen and reply to each and every bits of it <3 love lots and stay hydrated !! take breaks between study sessions too 💘

[howluckyiamm]

spending holiday away

Almost 4 months have passed this year and here I’m just made the very first entry of this year haha. Been very busy with works and studies for this few months, until i realize it’s just few more days before Eid holidays.

This year will be the first time i tried to stay at Jakarta for Eid holidays, one of the reason why i choose to stay here is that I’m really curious about how this city will look like when more than half of its residents are leaving to their hometowns. Well, aside from that ((lame)) reason, another reason is that this year I’ve also tried to commit on saving some money, because on peak season like this, the price of plane and train tickets are just too damn expensive for me.

It’s a bit weird not to spend this holiday at home. I’ve always spend Eid holiday at home because on the first and second day of Eid my family usually go to my grandparent’s home to meet my uncles and cousins from my mother’s side of the family. I guess i will meet them on other occasions. Also, when I’m on my grandparent’s home I could enjoy the food and snacks that my grandma made/prepared exclusively for Eid holiday, and in the span of two days usually i would just indulge myself in the cycle of eating and sleeping haha

Aside from that, I also cherish the fasting season even though I didn’t participate on the fasting itself(obviously). During this period, it’s certain that most of my friends will be in town, and we could hangout together. What makes it special in the holiday season is that i would hangout not only with my closest friends but sometimes also with old friends from junior high or senior high, it’s an opportunity to know about their current situations.

To sums up, the only thing i could do this holiday would be looking for something to do in this city during the holidays(staying in bed for the whole day will always be an option tho, hahah). But surely, will be looking forward to spend my time home next year.

[cveenso]

Fourth.

I tell you what, though. The news of our new family member reached me when I woke up. Frankly, I felt like there was a lot to do today. The combination of my anxiety and lack of sleep prevented me from getting any rest. Knowing that my sister had delivered the baby successfully prompted me to head straight to the hospital. Nevertheless, I'm not whining.

He calls himself Daryn. That name is very charming. You won't get over how adorable he was. He was just too adorable and I wanted to take him away. His father's absence was the sole regrettable part of the circumstances. He finally gets to meet his only son after a nine-month wait. How dismal. However, I think that every choice we make in life has an impact. And my brother's response is this.

Whether it were evident to me now—I'm not sure whether it is—I would know that my family was damaged. Nothing was the same. Everyone went their separate ways, and we will never be able to laugh well together again due to anger, bitterness, and hatred. To be honest, I'm not sure what the real problem is. However, I am aware that if the entire family chooses to get down and have a conversation, this issue may be resolved quickly. Adults in their middle years, I think, have the biggest egos.

I will not lie; I long for the past. I miss exchanging old stories and celebrating Eid at my grandmother's. Traditions include pleading for forgiveness, making financial contributions to the mosque, and giving money to the next generation. Doesn't that sound amazing? I wish the past could be revisited. None of us are deserving of this. They also miss it, I know that. They are deluding themselves into believing they are independent of one another, merely to stroke their own egos.

I have always asked God to reunite our family, whatever the situation may be. To ease everyone's mind and consider the past, I composed a du'a. It's 2024. I mean, we're all family. May my du'a be accepted and my yearning for everyone to forget their history and become one is not seen as conceive of myself.

Yours Truly,

cveenso

[ritsahsilmi]

Day-8

Since I can earn my own money, I never ask for financial funds from my parents. I have the privilege of not being a sandwich generation, which I am obligated to support financially to my family. For instance, they never request fresh money monthly. Instead, whenever I give some amount of money, they tend to refuse it. My mom advised me to save my salary for my own needs. So, yeah, I don't regularly transfer money, but occasionally on some special events, such as birthdays or Eid days. Speaking of birthdays, it was the fourth time my mom had a birthday, and I wasn't there. For the first three birthdays, I was in Jakarta for work. And now, I am also working away from home, not in Jakarta anymore, but in Ngawi. So, I ordered good stuff and sent them as a gift. Unluckily, I forgot to search for them earlier. It was on the weekend, two days before my mom's day, and I was about to scroll down to pick the present. I texted the seller to send it sometime soon, but they couldn't accept my request. They already set the picking up date for Monday. I was upset about not delivering the gift precisely on the day. After all, it was my mistake. I hope the gift will arrive at the door of my house not too far from the birthday. I chose a set of pans for this year. These pans had been on my mind since last year, but my finances weren't the best. Let alone pick them. I bought less expensive presents. I am not stating I have a better and more income, but I sensed that this was an opportunity to give the gift, and I hope it will be beneficial to fulfil her needs. Anyhow, I realise it would be better if I were there. I could see the expression on my mom's face while receiving the gift and also celebrating together. Maybe next year, but there's no guarantee of it. Since I realise my holiday schedule doesn't match her birthday date. Lastly, have a fabulous birthday and many happy returns for my mom. Age is just numbers. I know she keeps getting better every day.

#30haribercerita

[rubyastari]

The Eid Mubarak Feast @Home

Well, this year was our family's turn to host the Eid Mubarak Feast this year. With great pride, I can tell you that Mom and Brother had done most of the great hard work. Shopping, cooking, cleaning, dish-washing, table-setting, and so on.

With honesty and shame, I couldn't do all that they did well. I mean, I did help with most of the activities mentioned above. (Except for cooking, since everybody at home knows what a disaster I can still be in the kitchen.)

I always do. I mean, I know I'm much better at working with words. I'm a tad clumsy, and not always physically well-coordinated. Don't even ask me about my athleticism. Despite it all, I'm still trying. I still try.

The Funny Exchange with Gyan-ku:

I love all my nephews and niece. Still, I can't lie that my 12-year-old nephew (Sister's second son) and I have developed the closest bond with each other. He often says I am his favorite aunt - and always giggles whenever I remind him that I am also his ONLY aunt.

So, this morning, he was fixing his own breakfast in the kitchen when I approached him and started this conversation:

Me: "Gyan-ku."

Him: "Yeah, Bibi?"

Me: Imagine this. In the future, the twenty-something you visits me or vice versa - and I approach you like this." (pretends to hold on to a walking stick and staggers, then fakes a croak) "Hi, Gyan-ku."

Him: (looks horrified at me) "Oh, no. Please don't, Bibi."

Me: "Why not? Does the imagination scare you?"

Him: "Yeah."

Me: "What? You can't picture me as a crone?"

Him: (shakes his head) "No. You've looked just the same to me for the last ten years. About 20s or 30s."

(By the way, I am 41. Isn't this boy sweet or what?)

Me: "Aww, you're so sweet!"

The Flopping Chicken Liver with Herbs and Spices

Unfortunately, we had to cancel one of our menus - a few hours before our guests arrived. For the first time in years, Mom's chicken liver with spices had given off such a strange, foul smell. It might have been the cool storage that wasn't cool enough for the liver. (Mind you, it's been so hot and humid lately that it feels like a giant sauna. Everyone seems to be sweating profusely. The last weather report stated 33 - 34 C / 91.4 - 93.2 F.)

In the end, Mom had to dump the whole thing. It was sad because it wasn't just the money and the whole ingredients. All her hard work for it had gone to waste, but she tried to hide her emotions. Honestly, I felt sad too.

"Fear of the possibility of food poisoning our guests?" Me and my big mouth. Shut up! She glared at me before replying sternly:

"No, I don't want them to get diarrhea from this."

"Ma, that's the same thing!"

If she ever read this post, I'd be in trouble. Thankfully she's not too fond of the internet.

Disasters or no disasters, we had to make sure that all our guests enjoyed the feast, felt welcomed, and were entertained enough. So, here's to another Ramadan and another Eid Mubarak next year.

Aameen ...

R.