let's have some laughs: CONVERSATIONS AT CHECK OUT.

[proud2bmom3]

Assalamu alaikum sisters,

how many of us found ourselves almost bursting into laughter, or throwing a fit , at the check out counters of some store or another?  when the cash register person starts with questions or comments about your hijab, your skin color, or what language you are speaking with your kids. How many of us wanted to scream.. or just roll on the floor laughing? I know I have been in quite a number of these situations myself/

today was a particularly funny conversation for me. if the girl did not look really naive and clueless, I would have been really offended. LOL.  I will tell you this story in my reply to this post, please share with us your stories over the years, The good , the bad, the funny and the ugly if you want LOL....

[purplecandle]

When I first decided to convert, the easiest thing to do was to not eat pork. So, the first thing my kids really learned was to not eat pork.....they did not understand why...but they just knew they should not eat pork

In the check out isle

My son picks up some candy (marshmallow with chocolate).

My daughter : Mikey put that back you can't have that

My son: why?

very loudly and very country sounding: Cause God don't like marshmallows!

another time...walking down the busy halloween candy isle

My daughter very loudly: Mom all these people are sinning! Halloween is bad!

She said that even though she has been bugging me to go out trick or treating. 20 people were all staring at me like I was crazy.

[proud2bmom3]

assalamu alaikum

so today I took my son to soccer practice, it is a bit far out, and about five minutes from Sam's so I decide to drop him off and head for Sam's to get some supplies, so I'm running like crazy and finally get to the check out counter.

the girl looked so nice and so naive, she smiled at me, and then asked me,

- can I ask you something?

me ... - sure go a head

why you wear that on your head?

the head cover? it's a worship.

I don't understand. you mean like religion

Yes,

so where are you from

here

what do you mean here?

I mean that you are asking about my nationality and that is American. but my religion is Islam.

so how can you be from here and still be Islam?

well, Americans can be whatever they want to be, they can be Jewish, Christian, pagan, or Muslim

oooh, well, I'm regular..

what do you mean regular?

I mean I'm not anything, I don't go to  any church or anything

oh, so you are an atheist.

oh, no no no . I believe in God.

( she shows me the cross around her neck and the I love Jesus T Shirt)

I believe in God too.  and I believe in Jesus. but jesus to me is not God

what do you mean? so which God you follow?

the God that created Jesus

I don't understand.

The God that created Jesus and Adam and Moses.

oh, so Jesus is like a  human?

yes,

can I ask, why you became Islam?

it answered all my questions, I am at peace.

I don't know much about being Christian. my roommate is always bugging me with that

well, we all make the choices that best suite us. sorry gotta run. thank you.

<><><><><>,

and that was that. been in shock ever since.. I always thought I was regular!!! can't believe I am not LOL. may be I need more fiber. wink wink.

[graceandlilly]

and that was that. been in shock ever since.. I always thought I was regular!!! can't believe I am not LOL. may be I need more fiber. wink wink.

Awww....don't take it too hard.  Being regular is kinda like being normal, and ya know what they say about that??  Normal's just a setting on your dryer.    And come to think of it, Regular is a setting on my washer. 

I remember a few years back when I was getting over a nasty bout with pneumonia (not a lot of fun!)  Anyway, when the doctor told me I was almost back to Normal, my friends got a big kick out of it, saying "You?  Back to normal?  Normal to you would be a whole new experience!" 

[sakeenah35]

Assalamu Alaikum:

This happens to me very often. People see me and I start talking and I get asked :DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH"? I say yes I was born here, and the look on their face is one of shock! I went to school and I am a regular person, I get that most of the time. Another incident a group of students started to talk about Africans, and I was sitting near them and they looked at me like they were offending me, but I just kept quiet. It was not very nice comments, but I guess I just have that face. I was asked if I was born in Africa, but I consider it a compliment. My greatgrandmother was a slave.

I always dont assume anything, you wont feel too nice afterwards.

[RPS78]

my family is from Pakistan, I was born in England and live in the US.

So when people ask me where I come from I tell them England, they start scratching their heads? it is very funny how naive and ignorant some people are!

Sometimes I tell them I am from the state I live in, or the town i live in

[b_cheerful]

Since the start of Ramadan, when I started wearing the hijab here are my favourites:

Are you a sister/nun?

You speak English very well. ( I should, beyond it being my first language, I happen to have a degree with an English major).

And this was my personal favourite - I was at an open house for an organization that assists immigrants and refugees.  A man (recent immigrant) asked where I was from.  I responded from here.  The woman doing the tour of the facility responded she means she was born here, trying to clear up the conversation for him (I think).  And I said, no I mean I am from here.  2nd generation Canadian with German and Norweigan heritage.  The woman was so shocked, and her mouth even fell open.  It was really funny and the man started to laugh at her.  Still cracks me up.

[AzIzAzIzA]

When I was younger some friends and I used to go to Mexico, for shopping trips.  Once my family and another family all went together.  Everytime they would think we were nuns, really cool-hip nuns with jeans and sneakers (lol).

The most I get is people assuming I dont speak english.  Altho half my family is middle eastern, I was born in the US.  I have a university education.  They just automatically assume that you cant speak a word of english.  One lady patted my shoulder once and said I did a remarkable job speaking english.  I just look in shock at the woman....a remarkable job?  I responded by-THX HUN YOUR ENGLISH AINT SO BAD EITHER!!!!

Now that I am in Belgium, its a bit different.  English is one of the common languages spoken, but again just seeing the scarf they assume you cant speak anything other than arabic and that you have NO EDUCATION.  I had to practically fight with the woman at the university to prove that I have a degree and do not need to place in a GED equivilancy course.  SHEEEEESH

[proud2bmom3]

Quoting graceandlilly:

 

and that was that. been in shock ever since.. I always thought I was regular!!! can't believe I am not LOL. may be I need more fiber. wink wink.

Awww....don't take it too hard.  Being regular is kinda like being normal, and ya know what they say about that??  Normal's just a setting on your dryer.    And come to think of it, Regular is a setting on my washer. 

I remember a few years back when I was getting over a nasty bout with pneumonia (not a lot of fun!)  Anyway, when the doctor told me I was almost back to Normal, my friends got a big kick out of it, saying "You?  Back to normal?  Normal to you would be a whole new experience!" 

UUMMMM< I hope you know I was being sarcastic about the whole regular thing.. ( hence, the fiber comment ( IE, laxative...)

come to think of it, I think normal for me would be a bit of a drag as well.  I love being just me. and there is nothing normal or regular about it. LOL LOL LOL. so I guess we have that in common.

[muslimmom]

Well sister i havent had anything at the check out , but i have been walking down the road 2 different times and someone has yelled screaming from there care  Jesus ..........   i couldnt make out all of it for sure but i think it was  Jesus Loves you or something like that .   I just found it a little funny seeing as though i know as a muslim honor and respect jesus PBUH more than i did as a christian

but that it for me besides the few stares or things like that

salam alakum and hey who want to be "regular"  LOL

 

[maisah]

I don't get mine per say at the check out counter... I get mine in eatery's and in the supermarket itself.

My Girls just finished Juz 'Ama, I treated them to IHOP and I tell ya, We got grandmas down to children looking at us... I do not understand, It is like they were never tought not to stair at people... I look up and they are just looking.... I just look back... my more annoid times, and at some times I smle or wave like when I wnt out to eat with a few friends.

We were at the buffet, we were walking to sit at our table and all eyes ae on me, then you se the whispering and the the whole table starts to look at me. No smile from them it was like pure disgust or hate... maybe both if you aske me....  The friends whom I was with was very annoid and one of them made it known... I just ignore them. I went to get another dish and some yeast rolls.... as I was walking up a lady and her husbands table was right by were I had to go, there were some people ahead of me so I had to stand there and wait, the lady was looking at me like what are you doing, why are you standing here..... I am saying in my head, I am in line, why is she looking at me like this... I move up.. he line does that.... she looks, and id flentching the more I move up, she begings to look over her shoulder, and flentching more ... I am closer to her now so not her flentchng are more like tics... like she has a problem....she moves closer to the table and she keeps turning and looking.. by now I am in back of her, I think she got more fightend.... now that she could not see me she did a 360, turned all the way around and watched me til I got what I did and walked away....

I tell my girls when we go to Walmart to shashay....lol, lol... it is a funny thing that we have between us.... cuz when we walk in all eyes are on us, so it is like we are modleing or on the runway....lol,lol  I say wow we are superstars.... it is a shame how many people are o ignorant and rude.... I have gotten use to it... I have had in my past much wore that this here in the South.... Up North I have had a woman say to me...."Poor thing you, You are here in America now you do not have to wear that, You are free", I have had a old lady tell me to get out of her country, and that they just let anything in now aday", I use to waer Niqab and I have been called NingXia, I have been called a Nun.... I ave been even accused of going to bomb a place or rob it cuz my face was covered....

I have been asked so many things... and so many things have been said to me it is really sad....

You have me ROTF LMBO proud..... I tell ya,

Kids have even said some things,  one is ... mom, why she has a contume on and it is not holloween....