Tagging y'all back
Thanks everyone who left comments. I am going to send all of you a comment after dinner, so if you get here first I am not being lazy I promise. DawnUK, you are getting a separate post since you asked a question. For the rest of you, with links back to their blogs, here we go:
The Big Finn:
1. First question is the typical expat question, but I can't resist. So, are you ever, you know, gonna "go back" to Chicagoland? Or back to the States period?
2. You are super tall. Did you feel weird in Japan? Have you ever hit your head in a medieval chateau? Do people want to touch your head? Am I being rude? What is the rudest question anyone asked you about being tall?
3. Travel diva question: is there any route in from Switzerland where it is NOT worth it to take business class? See I can think of a train where you are actually better off in second class (one of the Lausanne commuter trains) but I must ask The Expert about planes.
4. Being "Finnish." You totally look like someone from Finland from a mile away BTW. You grew up in Canada and the States but you speak Finnish and go back there. Do you "feel" Finnish? Do other people look at you (other than your unfortunate stalking incident at the Basel watch show) and their Finland radar automatically goes off?
5. I am obsessed with other people's pets as our apartment layout right now is not conducive to cats. Which is why you and Stacey both get a cat question. Is your cat as strange in real life as he seems on your blog? Have any of your guests heard him "howl" or caught him in the act of doing something weird that you and Mrs TBF are used to by now?
Umm Abdurrahman (the one married to the Algerian not the Jordanian, for those of you following the plot:
1. What is it with us NOLA girls and Algerians? Is it just that our menz are just irresistable like that as individuals, or do you think there are some cultural commonalities that people don't think about? Is it the pseudo-French part maybe?
2. What is your favorite Algerian food to eat? To cook?
3. You have a feisty Algerian baby macha Allah I do not have one. Were I to have a strong-willed, male, Algerian child, what advice would you give me?
4. You, Umm Farouq and Safiya get to share this question because I want to hear all three points of view. What do you know now that you wish you had known before you converted? I am not talking about "big bad Islam", I mean like what do you know now that could have made the journey easier?
5. My mom is a nurse and used to come home with all these ER stories that made us numb. I can watch CSI and still eat dinner at the same time. However the hours were long, the work was stressful and she saw a lot of crazy stuff. For you, what is the hardest part about being a medical professional?
Umm Farouq
1. As a fellow southerner, I have this theory on how non-Muslim southerners deal with Islam that goes a little like this: Because in the more remote places in the south people don't see a lot of culture mixing, people go along with whatever crap Bushie says on tv, but when they see us in person, we're treated as more of an oddity rather than a terrorist out to blow up the country. On the whole, how has it been going "back home" to visit?
2. You, Umm Abdurrahman and Safiya get to share this question because I want to hear all three points of view. What do you know now that you wish you had known before you converted? I am not talking about "big bad Islam", I mean like what do you know now that could have made the journey easier?
3. You have a unique parenting style macha Allah. In a lot of Arab and North African cultures there is this whole "it takes a village" thing for parenting which can be good because lots of adults around, but it can also be bad because people always wanna tell the white girl how to raise her kids. How do you impose yourself as a parent, especially in Jordan?
4. You had an old post that made me laugh about asking people if they are pregnant. If one is not pregnant, what is the best response to this question? The "no I'm just fat, *slaps knee*" doesn't always get the point across in Europe and I need new lines.
5. UZ often mentions how people try to get her to speak Arabic in Jordan just to hear her talk. Do you get that? I never get it in Algeria because people just assume that Kabyle is too deep and complex of a language for an outsider (little do they know how much I really know). What are people's reactions to you speaking Arabic?
Safiya
1. I too followed the Vicky Hamilton story. I was so sad for her, I really wanted her to be out there somewhere with amnesia or just wanted to think she was a punk kid and needed a few years away or something. What did you think happened to her before the truth came out this week? Do you follow other missing persons stories (I do)? I have two that bother me the most. One involves an Algerian girl kidnapped from Finland. She's like 19 now, I wonder where she is. I hope she's not holed up in Kabylie somewhere. Another one I have blogged about, a European girl who was thrown off a bridge in Kansas. Nobody knows who she is, and it hurts to think of her family looking for her.
2. Preach on about advice you recently gave in your blog about accepting your spouse as they are when you get married. Is there anything besides that jewel that you know now that you wish you could have known from day one? You have mentioned on your blog the steps you take to make it work in an interracial marriage from the inside. From the outside, how have people in your entourage/community reacted to your marriage?
3. You, Umm Abdurrahman and Umm Farouq get to share this question because I want to hear all three points of view. What do you know now that you wish you had known before you converted? I am not talking about "big bad Islam", I mean like what do you know now that could have made the journey easier?
4. Its the Outlines version of the Brass Crescent. What is your favorite Muslim blog that doesn't have as large of a readership as it should?
5. You don't like to talk about Mr. Outlines that much and I don't want any hassad up in here (everyone say Macha Allah right now!) if I make you talk about him so I am going to ask a really stupid question instead. Did you ever learn his national anthem? In my experience, "Kassaman" comes in handy at border crossings and police checkpoints.
Stacey:
1. You hate germs. You hate germy people touching on your baby. You posted a few weeks ago about people who did mommy drive-bys about Ace walking, but what happens when well-meaning strangers start gushing about your beautiful child and his big blue eyes and want to touch all over him? BTW his eyes are really blue. Your husband's are more like pool water blue but Ace's are much deeper.
2. Why do you think people love Fry Day so much (for the uninitiated, read her blog)? Is it because nobody wants to go to the mall, or is it our deep love as a nation for fried food? Or is it just getting to hang out at your grownup party house?
3. Your most recent blog post talked about how you are not an issue voter per se, but you have two issues that are no goes for you in a candidate (will not mention them). So you're like a reverse issue voter. If you had a friend who was a single-issue voter, and your candidate had everything going for him BUT the issue your friend is a single-issue voter on, how would you convince him or her to come over to the dark side? (BTW I know the Mississippi primary has passed, I'm just curious).
4. Your cats obviously barely tolerate the presence of humans in their house unless food or trinkets are involved. How have your cats adjusted to Ace now that he is moving around? Especially Stella (BTW that's Stella's house y'all)?
5. You and your husband have the coolest group of friends from college. Makes me jealous I didn't go there (at least y'all didn't have a football team that is currently the suck). Even if one of your friends kinda doesn't like me too much. They're still cool. I miss my college friends (Joey if you still read this holler). What do you think is the secret to maintaining these lifelong friendships, even when you lived across the country?
6. You get an extra one because I like odd numbers. You wear a lot of hats and have a very full life? What do you do to stay Stacey the individual?
The Big Finn:
1. First question is the typical expat question, but I can't resist. So, are you ever, you know, gonna "go back" to Chicagoland? Or back to the States period?
2. You are super tall. Did you feel weird in Japan? Have you ever hit your head in a medieval chateau? Do people want to touch your head? Am I being rude? What is the rudest question anyone asked you about being tall?
3. Travel diva question: is there any route in from Switzerland where it is NOT worth it to take business class? See I can think of a train where you are actually better off in second class (one of the Lausanne commuter trains) but I must ask The Expert about planes.
4. Being "Finnish." You totally look like someone from Finland from a mile away BTW. You grew up in Canada and the States but you speak Finnish and go back there. Do you "feel" Finnish? Do other people look at you (other than your unfortunate stalking incident at the Basel watch show) and their Finland radar automatically goes off?
5. I am obsessed with other people's pets as our apartment layout right now is not conducive to cats. Which is why you and Stacey both get a cat question. Is your cat as strange in real life as he seems on your blog? Have any of your guests heard him "howl" or caught him in the act of doing something weird that you and Mrs TBF are used to by now?
Umm Abdurrahman (the one married to the Algerian not the Jordanian, for those of you following the plot:
1. What is it with us NOLA girls and Algerians? Is it just that our menz are just irresistable like that as individuals, or do you think there are some cultural commonalities that people don't think about? Is it the pseudo-French part maybe?
2. What is your favorite Algerian food to eat? To cook?
3. You have a feisty Algerian baby macha Allah I do not have one. Were I to have a strong-willed, male, Algerian child, what advice would you give me?
4. You, Umm Farouq and Safiya get to share this question because I want to hear all three points of view. What do you know now that you wish you had known before you converted? I am not talking about "big bad Islam", I mean like what do you know now that could have made the journey easier?
5. My mom is a nurse and used to come home with all these ER stories that made us numb. I can watch CSI and still eat dinner at the same time. However the hours were long, the work was stressful and she saw a lot of crazy stuff. For you, what is the hardest part about being a medical professional?
Umm Farouq
1. As a fellow southerner, I have this theory on how non-Muslim southerners deal with Islam that goes a little like this: Because in the more remote places in the south people don't see a lot of culture mixing, people go along with whatever crap Bushie says on tv, but when they see us in person, we're treated as more of an oddity rather than a terrorist out to blow up the country. On the whole, how has it been going "back home" to visit?
2. You, Umm Abdurrahman and Safiya get to share this question because I want to hear all three points of view. What do you know now that you wish you had known before you converted? I am not talking about "big bad Islam", I mean like what do you know now that could have made the journey easier?
3. You have a unique parenting style macha Allah. In a lot of Arab and North African cultures there is this whole "it takes a village" thing for parenting which can be good because lots of adults around, but it can also be bad because people always wanna tell the white girl how to raise her kids. How do you impose yourself as a parent, especially in Jordan?
4. You had an old post that made me laugh about asking people if they are pregnant. If one is not pregnant, what is the best response to this question? The "no I'm just fat, *slaps knee*" doesn't always get the point across in Europe and I need new lines.
5. UZ often mentions how people try to get her to speak Arabic in Jordan just to hear her talk. Do you get that? I never get it in Algeria because people just assume that Kabyle is too deep and complex of a language for an outsider (little do they know how much I really know). What are people's reactions to you speaking Arabic?
Safiya
1. I too followed the Vicky Hamilton story. I was so sad for her, I really wanted her to be out there somewhere with amnesia or just wanted to think she was a punk kid and needed a few years away or something. What did you think happened to her before the truth came out this week? Do you follow other missing persons stories (I do)? I have two that bother me the most. One involves an Algerian girl kidnapped from Finland. She's like 19 now, I wonder where she is. I hope she's not holed up in Kabylie somewhere. Another one I have blogged about, a European girl who was thrown off a bridge in Kansas. Nobody knows who she is, and it hurts to think of her family looking for her.
2. Preach on about advice you recently gave in your blog about accepting your spouse as they are when you get married. Is there anything besides that jewel that you know now that you wish you could have known from day one? You have mentioned on your blog the steps you take to make it work in an interracial marriage from the inside. From the outside, how have people in your entourage/community reacted to your marriage?
3. You, Umm Abdurrahman and Umm Farouq get to share this question because I want to hear all three points of view. What do you know now that you wish you had known before you converted? I am not talking about "big bad Islam", I mean like what do you know now that could have made the journey easier?
4. Its the Outlines version of the Brass Crescent. What is your favorite Muslim blog that doesn't have as large of a readership as it should?
5. You don't like to talk about Mr. Outlines that much and I don't want any hassad up in here (everyone say Macha Allah right now!) if I make you talk about him so I am going to ask a really stupid question instead. Did you ever learn his national anthem? In my experience, "Kassaman" comes in handy at border crossings and police checkpoints.
Stacey:
1. You hate germs. You hate germy people touching on your baby. You posted a few weeks ago about people who did mommy drive-bys about Ace walking, but what happens when well-meaning strangers start gushing about your beautiful child and his big blue eyes and want to touch all over him? BTW his eyes are really blue. Your husband's are more like pool water blue but Ace's are much deeper.
2. Why do you think people love Fry Day so much (for the uninitiated, read her blog)? Is it because nobody wants to go to the mall, or is it our deep love as a nation for fried food? Or is it just getting to hang out at your grownup party house?
3. Your most recent blog post talked about how you are not an issue voter per se, but you have two issues that are no goes for you in a candidate (will not mention them). So you're like a reverse issue voter. If you had a friend who was a single-issue voter, and your candidate had everything going for him BUT the issue your friend is a single-issue voter on, how would you convince him or her to come over to the dark side? (BTW I know the Mississippi primary has passed, I'm just curious).
4. Your cats obviously barely tolerate the presence of humans in their house unless food or trinkets are involved. How have your cats adjusted to Ace now that he is moving around? Especially Stella (BTW that's Stella's house y'all)?
5. You and your husband have the coolest group of friends from college. Makes me jealous I didn't go there (at least y'all didn't have a football team that is currently the suck). Even if one of your friends kinda doesn't like me too much. They're still cool. I miss my college friends (Joey if you still read this holler). What do you think is the secret to maintaining these lifelong friendships, even when you lived across the country?
6. You get an extra one because I like odd numbers. You wear a lot of hats and have a very full life? What do you do to stay Stacey the individual?
Labels: Giving back, not ganking, tagging
posted by The DP at
6:45 PM
