Childhood Memories (February Blogging Challenge)

So it's Monday again, the day that no one really looks forward to.

What should one talk about today? How about a short insight into my childhood?

So here goes.

Birth

My mum gave birth to a gem on a Monday morning on February 6^th 1995. 

My father and mother decided to call me Salma Razia Khatun. 

Khatun is my family name, Razia was chosen by my eldest sister so it could rhyme with her name 'Nazia'. I was told my father chose Salma for me as it ends in 'ma' which mean mother. So even if he had no mother, he would always have me. Salma overall means 'Safe' in Arabic.

It was the holy month of Ramadan when I was born. After I was brought home one of the first things my brother did was feed me sweet honey mango. I was three days old and already eating solid food. When my mum saw this she panicked and got out what was left in my mouth. (I was a big eater since day one)

My mother wanted a son initially as she only had one son, but God blessed her with another daughter. At the time while I was still in the hospital, my siblings were still at home. When they got they news that they had had another sister, they thought it was a joke until they came to visit me. 

I don't do jokes!

This didn't stop my siblings from buying me boys clothes and toys which I loved and could not stand feminine things.

Childhood

My best friend at nursery was a boy. I remember we would go around the playground and hit the girls... and remember those red and yellow plastic cars which two kids can sit in and you use your feet to move around... we used to pull girls out of those and ride around like bad asses.

As a kid I used to make up names for people I did not know. So that boy who was my best friend, till this day I have no idea what his name is. I used to call him 'Nahoolmi' and weirdly he used to reply. An Indian girl, her name was something like 'Vashinavi' but I used to call her 'Vitamin'.

For my fifth birthday my neighbour asked me what I would like to which I responded clothes. On the day, as I unwrapped her gift and came across a leopard print collared top and bottoms, my face dropped and in front of everyone I threw the gift on the sofa and ran out crying. Now don't get me wrong, I was not spoilt and didn't always get the best things (even till this day, gifts I get are probably bought from High Street shops and I appreciate them) but how can you give a tom boy something so grown up and girly.

As boy stressed as I was as a kid, I used to cry a lot. Every time my father used to go away for a month to tend to his parents in Bangladesh, I would cry my eyes out. I would hold on to his legs crying as he walked out of the house.

I used make my dad promise me that he would collect me from school and the days he wouldn't come, I would cry and think he didn't love me. 

I loved the comfort (and I still do) of sleeping with my mum and staying at home with her while everyone else was at school.

When I was about six years old, my father took us all to Buckingham Palace. My sister told me that the Queen waved at me through a window. I believed her. (I only found out the other day that my whole life had been a lie)

There's so much more memories that I could write down, but as always when it comes down to it, my mind goes blank.

Hope you enjoyed it so far.

Next blog will be out this Wednesday hopefully.

If you haven't already, read my previous blog
http://salaamsalma.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/birthday-girl.html

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Instagram: SalmaKhatun95 & SalaamSalma

Twitter: SalmaKhatun95

Birthday Girl (February Blogging Challenge)

Probably when I was one years old

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY...
But that isn't going to stop me from posting today.
Sadly, I am no longer a teen but I am still 20 years young... that's younger than millions of you out there.
However, one must appreciate the beauty of ageing as it is a privilege denied to many. With age comes new experiences and new lessons. 'Experience teaches what no teacher taught'.

Family Traditions
My special day started four minutes before 12:00...
The tradition of birthday beats applies in this house and is taken rather seriously.
There is no escaping the punches, kicks, pillow beats and sometimes, the odd weapon comes out. (We've had: baseball bats, a samurai sword, boxing gloves, butter knives & even a saw... Do not try at home)
As I tried to make my narrow escape from the bathroom to my bedroom, I realised I was to be attacked by five monsters (my brother and four sisters). Luckily my father (my saviour last night) came to my rescue and became my human shield as the monsters attempted to grab me. I was caught from behind but made an escape. As I ran up, my father blocked the passage way cutting of access to the horrible monsters. I could hear their footsteps and conversations outside my door and the lie 'OK, we're going now'. Haha. I wasn't going to fall for that. Finally minutes after 12:00, one had to visit the little girls room and that is where I was doomed. It's OK. The self defence I taught my self in my room had come to use. I gave them as good as I got.
So entering my twentieth birthday was pretty … what's the word … hectic?

Blessings
But all in all, I am blessed to have such an amazing family by my side to give me such an entrance to a new age. I thank my mother for giving me birth and spending her life raising me to become who I am today. I thank my father for giving up so much and working hard to provide me with the basics and luxuries I may want. I thank my siblings for sticking by me through the thick and the thin, scoulding me and motivating me and being there whenever I have wanted a punching bag. 
May there be many more years to come.

Me today... Birthday cake...

All grown up
I find it hard to believe that I am actually 20 but still spent the morning of my birthday watching Disney Channel. Some things will never vanish no matter how old you get.
It's weird to see myself as a grown woman, 20 years old, having learnt so many lessons throughout my years, having had so many experiences throughout my years, being there for family and friends and having them by my side when needed. I think one thing that makes you realise how much you've grown up is when your family give you a chance and listen to you when making big decisions. As a kid, what we say doesn't really matter.
My tomboy years of wearing boys clothes (still applies to some extent till this day), beating the girls, using the boys facilities in my early years are all behind me, everything I've ever done, all the tears I've cried and laughter I've laughed are all memories now and I am on a mission to create more memories.


Let us make use of every year. We don't want to look back in another 20 - 30 years time and regret things we may have or have not done.
"A man who views the world the same as fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life". Muhammad Ali.
Oh something to note... me and Bob Marley share the same birthday... We are both Buffalo soldiers :D


If you haven't already, read my previous blog
http://salaamsalma.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/this-is-me-february-blogging-challenge.html

Follow me on:

Instagram: SalmaKhatun95 & SalaamSalma

Twitter: SalmaKhatun95

This is me!!! (February Blogging Challenge)

So here goes... My first proper blog post for the 'February Blogging Challenge'.

I'll start of by introducing myself (I have done an intro before in my very first blog but this is a bit more updated)

Hi, my name is Salma, I am a second year Journalism student with a dream to travel the world. I wanted to become a war journalist at one point in my life as the thrill of going onto war grounds and dodging bullets and ducking behind cars gave me a rush but the more I look into it the more dangerous it looks. But hey ho, life is full of risks right?

But to be on the safe side I have decided that I'll stick to freelancing but in different countries. Should be fun.

I come from a family of eight people – My parents, four sisters & one brother, sometimes nine when my Nan stays over. And I have a cat for a brother. Okay, so I come from a family of ten.

My parents are from Bangladesh but me and my siblings were born and bred in London. East London to be precise.

Salaam Salma – What does my blog name mean? Salaam is an Arabic word سلام which means peace so I thought why not use the use of alliteration to my advantage. My name Salma derived from the word Salaam so jackpot. Salaam Salma – what a contradiction to how I really am. As much as I want peace, I am not very peaceful. Always yapping, singing and bothering those around me :D

Travelling

I love to travel and meet new people from around the world and I have made some life long friends from around the globe. I used to be very active in youth projects and community work but the older I've become the less I've participated. I guess I'm falling out of that youth age.

I've travelled a fair amount compared to some people my age but then again I've gone nowhere compared to other people who have lived out in different countries.

Where have I been?

I have been to... Bangladesh (my mother land) 2002
France (school trip 2008 for a day & Paris for my 14^th birthday) 2009

Morocco (to celebrate the end of my GCSE's) 2011

Morocco - Ourika Valleys

Atlanta (for a conference for Usher's New Look Foundation) 2011

Usher

With Dougie Fresh & the crew representing the UK

Sweden (for an exchange where I made some amazing friends and lived near the lake) 2012 

Greece (for a European Exchange on environment) 2013

People from around Europe... (spot me)

Switzerland (Caux, for a conference) 2013

Then to Paris with family a few months later

And again to Switzerland straight from Paris

With my sisters sitting on a tree

Making a speech in the UN

Arabia (Makkah & Madina for the smaller Islamic pilgrimage – Umrah) 2014

Algeria (to tour) 2014

Monument des Martyrs

Bangladesh (again. To tour this time) 2014

Rickshaws

Lal Bagh Fort

and India (where we went to Kolkata & Darjeeling then back to Bangadesh).

Queen Victoria's memorial in Kolkata

With young girls in Darjeeling

I have always dreamt of going to Egypt. Not too sure why but it just appeals to me. Over the past few years I have been determined to go to Palestine and visit the holy Mosque – Masjid Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock. I was meant to go last year but unfortunately I had to cancel my flight due to the bombings. Summer 2014 was a sad one for the civilians of Palestine and for those around the world who showed their support for them. I hope I can make these trips come to life this year. 

Education

Although I hate politics, it surrounds us hence why I need to have an awareness of it. And if I want to become a journalist, I'll need to have an understanding of a little bit of everything. But, Middle Eastern politics interests me more than British Politics. I guess I have always had an interest in the Middle East since my early teenage years and to be quite frank, British Politics is boring.

Goals

I know a month of the new year has already gone but I am actually struggling to accomplish or even make a start on my goals. New years resolutions are weird. Every year I write up goals which I hope to achieve for that year but I end up rewritiing the same goals for the next year.

I accomplished about seven goals out of sixteen in 2014 – To finish the Qur'an, Travel alone, Go Umrah, Go Bangladesh, Be happy and content with life, Appreciate and show gratitude, say Alhamdulillah 'Praise be to Allah' for everything. Small but doable. And every year for about six years, the one goal I've written everywhere is 'LOSE WEIGHT' and 'BE MORE HEALTHY'. I'll get there one day.

Some of my goals for 2015, apart from losing weight and being healthy are: To start and pass my driving, Make my blog bigger and better, Volunteer abroad, Go Palestine, Learn Arabic, Learn more on religions, and to be Happy. It is important that I remind myself to be happy especially during times I feel low. I need to remember that someone out there will probably do anything to be in my shoes so I should have no reason to complain and be sad about life.

So this is me. Salma.

Just an East Side girl livin' in a huge world.

I hope y’all enjoyed that.

Next blog will be this Friday around 9pm.

I look forward to it.

Follow me on:

Instagram: SalmaKhatun95 & SalaamSalma

Twitter: SalmaKhatun95

February Blogging Challenge

As off this week, I am going to do a 'February Blogging Challenge', something I have set for myself to get me into the routine of blogging as opposed to posting here and there due to my laziness. 

If you are someone who goes to Uni, is always on the go or sometimes extremely lazy, love to travel, have boring days and sometimes the most productive of days, you will be able to relate to my posts. 

Some days will be advice about anything and everything like lifting yourself to infinity and beyond if you are feeling down, other days will be about my opinions about the latest issues, other days will be me moaning about how much I've stuffed down my throat and overall, life. 

Ah and maybe a poem here and there if I am feeling creative. But we'll see. 

So... Why not embark on this journey with me through lifes highs and lows. 

Let February posts come alive!!!

I should be posting every Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays around 9pm. 

If February goes well, who knows, I may even do a different challenge in March.

Let me know what you guys think I should do and what my posts should be about.

(So show the support guys. Criticism and ideas will be appreciated)

Be ready for Wednesday's first proper post!

Can't wait!

If you have not already done so, check out my previous blog posts

http://salaamsalma.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/salmas-selma-experience.html

Follow me on:

Instagram: SalmaKhatun95 & SalaamSalma

Twitter: SalmaKhatun95

Salma's Selma Experience

When I went to the screening of Selma at the Odeon cinema in Marble Arch, I was asked 'Do you know what Selma is about?'.

My response: 'Yes, it's about a woman named Selma and Martin Luther King'.

How stupid was I?

My name is Salma and I have a confession. I actually do not know much about Dr Martin Luther King except that he had a dream.

He had a dream that there would be more equality for black people - Negros as they were referred to in the 60's, that black people would be given the rights to vote and be allowed to vote. He had a dream that there would be freedom and justice and God will help them through it all.

Dr King was portrayed to be an active leader for his community who did not give up and negotiated without using violence but peace - something which lacks when trying to make change in today’s society, people who believed in him and followed his steps as he tried to seek justice for his people. After marching towards Montgomery from Selma with the support of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators they were stopped at the bridge.

To what extent Dr King had worked to attain equality or basic rights for 'Negros' I had no idea of.

Selma made me more aware of his work and reminded me just how harsh black people were treated by the authority who were mainly white men. It captured the brutal reality of how heartless and unjust authority figures were when beating black women and elderly people with batons and whips sending them back the way they had come had from in a huge group.

After walking the bridge again, this time with the support of white people from around the States as well as 'Negros', the white officers on the other side of the bridge stood down and let them through. But Dr King knelt down, did a prayer and turned around, heading back towards Selma.

Why did he do this? His supporters did not know, nor did we - the audience.

Whilst watching this film, I could not help but compare it to the modern day. Today.

Black people have fought for freedom worldwide. South Africa, America, to some extent the UK as well. Racism has been an issue that still exists today even though the law covers equal rights.

The hard work and effort of successful activists has been thrown down the drains and history is once again repeating itself.

It is hard to not compare the white people beating, killing and discriminating 'Negros' in the United States during the time of Dr King to the killings of black people today in the United States. Surely the 21st Century would be more different and the system would have changed to not favour anyone. White authority figures have got away with shooting black men with stupid reasons such as: 'I thought they were carrying a gun' or 'he looked like a threat'. Black men have been strangled to death for no crime but for being black in America.

Though there is this sense of pride for Black people in the US for having a coloured President -Barack Hussein Obama, an African American, it seems as though not much has been done for the black people. There may be no more signs saying 'No Negros Allowed' but in some areas of America, they are treated with no respect. This needs to change.

There is a lot more Obama, a black President, can do for his people. Majority of African Americans voted for him and he needs to help them out before helping countries outside like Israel or sending his troops to fight useless wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Remember the Ferguson Unrest protests and riots which happened during the summer of 2014 in the United States? All the uproar over the killing of a young black man - Michael Brown - by a white police officer.

People had to take to the streets in the 21st century, protesting for their rights as black people.

Why do black people have to protest for rights? Why do they have to get targeted for not their crime but their colour? Are they not humans?

So what was one thing I learnt from the film Selma? Aside from learning about the active work of Dr Martin Luther King and his friends I learnt that Selma is a place and not a person.

I really do suggest that you all watch this film on February 6th 2015!

I have nothing negative to say about it (maybe a suggestion - they could have included the 'I have a dream speech' at the end)

I hope you all enjoyed that and that it probes you to go watch Selma.

And remember 'There is a king in all of us'.

By Salma Razia Khatun

If you haven't done so, check out my last post and previous posts.

http://salaamsalma.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/goodbye-2014-hello-2015.html

Instagram: SalmaKhatun95 & SalaamSalma
Twitter: SalmaKhatun95

Goodbye 2014 - Hello 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

As 2014 has closed it doors on us, I sit and reflect on all the good and bad.
Every year consists of its ups and downs but it makes us who we are. It teaches us new lessons and it drives us to move forward and make beneficial sacrifices. 
Every year our lives take us on different journeys and 2014 took me on many journeys. 

My 2014 didn't start with a 'BANG'. But grateful I should be as I was in the comfort of my home and family. Millions out there would do anything to be in my shoes. 

When I Performed Umrah
Whilst I was having an 'eugh' time at university I made the intention of going to perform my pilgrimage in Makkah. I felt that I needed this spiritial awakening and to draw closer to Islam as my surrounding and my attitude was not helping me. By the Will of the Lord Almighty my family and I were invited to the house of Allah and we performed our Umrah. 
I must admit, I am not a very emotional person and sad films make me cringe or laugh, if I see someone crying I'll awkwardly comfort them. However, when I lifted my head to see the Ka'bah (House of Allah) for the first time, I could not stop bawling. I cried like a baby and I do not even know why. Everything I've ever kept bottled up was released here and it felt like a lifetime of burdens were off my shoulders. 
My life revolved around prayer and I loved every second of it. I was one of many who were privileged to have kissed the Hajre Aswad (The black stone), follow the footsteps of our beloved prophets and companions and of some of the most amazing women in Islam.
I was one of the many who were privileged to have given my Salaam to our beloved Prophet (saw) in Madina.

The Bleak Summer
After such a journey, the summer of 2014 wasn't a great one. 
Why? Because of the 'wars' going on around the world. 

There is a saying like - The Ummah is like a body. If one part of the body hurts, it hurts the whole body. If some people of our Ummah are hurt, the whole Ummah hurts. 
Gaza, Syria, Rohingya, Central African Republic (and more) Muslims have been getting killed in masses. Though these have been ongoing, the summer of 2014 brought about more awareness of the actions of the real terrorists. It didn't matter how many protests happened for the sake of humanity, such actions still took place. And it hurt. It hurt those who could not help or do anything about it. Except pray. The conflicts were not even Muslim issues, it was and still it the issue of humanity.
Thousands of lives have been taken away this year but it has also educated a mass amount of people as to what happens around this world. 
How horrid people can be!
It does not stop here, the recent killing of students in a school in Peshawar (Pakistan), the shoot down of a Malaysian Plane, the tension between authority and the public after the killing of black men in America... The list goes on and on. 

Travelling
2014 was the first time I travelled alone to another country even though I missed my flight. But it's ok. I learnt for next time, don't sit with your sis an hour before boarding to have breakfast!

I also got accepted to the University I'd wanted to go to from the beginning and I got accepted straight into second year which was a bonus. 
I climbed mountains with loved ones in for the fun of it (Mount Hira, Scafell Pike, Mount Snowdon)

and I have seen sunrises and sunsets in so many places. (Arabia, Algeria, Bangladesh, My Bedroom Window)

I had the opportunity to travel to my mother land - Bangladesh and see the beauty of this country. The longest natural beach, tribal people, animals roaming free, seeing people live their lives. It seems pretty relaxed compared to our rushed lives here in the UK and it was something to appreciate. But people do work very hard to make a living. 




I got the chance to go to the neighbouring country - India: Kolkata & Darjeeling. It's amazing how people have made homes and towns, railways and roads high up in the mountains.

I met people who share the same language and culture but different religions and features. 









2014 reunited me with certain people and made me distant to others. It has allowed me to make new friends and experience new things. It has allowed me to make change and adjust to changes. 
I have become more determined to accomplish my goals of 2014 (which will have to follow me into 2015). I want to travel more and more and see the wonders of this world. I want to visit places that people have not heard of and places were there is conflict. I want to be more knowledgable in my faith and more knowledgable on the world around me.
I want to start and finish the small things like learning how to drive and learning a new language. 
I want to be more humble. 

I have been sad and I have made others sad but I have also laughed, cried from laughter and made others around me get stomach pains from laughing. My highlights of this year has to be, making my mother laugh nearly every day and giving her a funny story to tell my father. Irreplaceable.
I have asked for forgiveness and I have forgiven. I have been loved and I carry on loving.

All in all, 2014 has been a mixture of emotions and I must say I am grateful. 
I am grateful for the lessons and experiences. I am grateful for the people I have spent time with and the lonely times. 

Now bring on 2015. Take me on new adventures.