Eid

Eid mubarak everyone. It's been a long, long time since i last posted- it just hasn't occurred to me to post, for some reason- but after today's eid, i want to share.

This eid-e-gadir was a very good one. The Bangkok jamaat is just so different than the Chicago jamaat. It’s tinier, for one. Today there were only ten thaals. In Chicago there haven’t been only ten thaals for ... 30 years?

The Bangkok jamaat is old, though. Over a hundred years old. The masjid is old, too. The floors are gleaming, polished hardwood. Covered by a very thin sheet. Very uncomfortable to sit on for hours at a time- I am used to the plush carpet in Chicago ;)

The masjid- I walked in today and realized, all of a sudden, that I really do love it. It’s sparsely decorated yet solidly built. It’s nothing at all like my Chicago masjid- my home masjid. But I appreciate this Bangkok masjid’s beauty. Yes, I would prefer to sit on carpet, but I know that carpet would spoil this masjid. So would décor. so would frills. It’s not a cozy place, this masjid. it was built a long, long time ago, and it gives me the distinct impression that it will be around for a long time to come. It is a very… genuine place.

I do miss our lovely masjid in Chicago. It has rooms and hallways and corners and photos and carpets and carvings. but for some reason, opposite as the Bangkok masjid is to all of this, despite the fact that there is a rotten-vegetable smell pervading the entire area around it, I have come to think it’s great.