Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Moccasin Journal-Pakistan's Religious and Ethnic Groups

Moccasin Journal
Put Yourself in Someone Else's Shoes
You will write a journal entry from the point of view of a Pakistani teenager from the perspective of the ethnic or religious group you received in class (green card). Using the research that you did in class yesterday, write a diary entry using first person that details an average day in the life of the teenager you have "created". Use vocabulary in context relating to your group in Pakistan.
Remember Expectations for Performance in order to earn full credit.
Type your response in Word in order to spell check your entry. You must enter the verification in order for your blog entry to post.

45 comments:

  1. Dear Diary,
    My name is Aalia, and I am a teenage girl in Pakistan. Although it’s summer, I wasn’t hot when I woke up this morning because I have a fan in my room. Most people here don’t have electricity, but I live in the Punjab state of Pakistan where electricity is more common. We speak Punjabi, and the state is very religiously and racially diverse. Our village is circular, and my house is on the outer edge. The houses are so close together that my house and my neighbor’s house share one of our walls. I hurriedly put on my shalwar, kameez, and dupatta, because I had a lot of chores to do this morning. After chores, we had chapattis and tea for breakfast. The tea we drink is much stronger than in most places. We have a big table because we have a big family. My grandparents, my parents, my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, my brothers, my sister-in-laws, and my nieces and nephews all live in the same house. Some of the younger boys in my family are going to take our herd of animals to the pasture today. All of the girls around my age are going to stay home with my grandmother for her to give us lessons in housekeeping. She is the senior wife, so she’s in charge of teaching us about housekeeping and leading us in the housekeeping of our house. Usually after our chores and lessons, we get to ride around on some of the families few scooters and motorcycles, but my relatives took all the bikes to the pasture with them. It’s a privilege to have bikes because most people’s only transportation is their feet. People here don’t ride on animals either, so that’s not an option. My friend Daliya and I meet each other after lunch at the darwaza every day, so I had to walk. The darwaza is the entrance to our village, and it’s also a meeting place. I also have a friend named Pir, but we can’t meet at the darwaza. We have to meet in secret because he’s in a lower caste than me. The caste is a big part of life because it controls who you can be friends with, who you can marry, and many other parts of life. It’s based on you job. For dinner, we had goat meat and sag with tea. This time, we sweetened our tea, so it tasted much better than the tea from this morning. My family likes to sing together, so after dinner we sang Mahiya. The Mahiya is a common Punjabi song about love. Later that night, we did something very exciting! We went to see a movie! Movies are pretty new here, so everyone loves to see them. Daliya has already seen the movie, so we’ll talk about it tomorrow at the darwaza. My cousin and I raced back home on scooters. Now, it’s time to go to bed. Today has been an exciting day

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  2. Dear diary,
    My religion is Pashtun which theirs a lot of fighting going on around me and my village. My village is a nomadic village like most Pashtun villages; we live on grassland also like most villages. But my village will still live between the Suleiman Mountain Ranges and the Indus River since that is our tribe’s territory. The Jirga or village council is having a meeting today to talk about where we will move the village.my village’s religion is Islam which it has been since the 18 century. My house isn’t that big or nice since we have to frequently move from area to area so we have to sleep next to each other. My dad is the head of the house but one day I will be when the sad day he dies comes because when it is traditional for married sons to stay with their parents and their wife lives with them also. So it becomes one big family which is my family because of my brother, he is married and has two children of his own who have to sleep next to me. My mother is making me a new qmis which is a type of loose fitting shirt that reaches down to the knees and some shalwar which are trousers that tie together with string. Mother is making my favorite food tonight called pulaw a rice dish with seasoning like coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom it is very good. One of my friends named Aaban can speak not just Pashtu but also Russian which is cool because I can only speak Pashtu. His name means angel of iron and my name is atash which means fire. I have to work in the field now for one of my duties so bye for now.

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  3. Dear Diary,
    My name is Arjan and I am a teenage boy that lives in Pakistan. My religion is called the Punjabi religion and we are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. I woke up this beautiful Saturday morning and it was raining! It was a huge surprise since we only get about 10 inches of rain a year. I got out of bed and stepped on the rugged feel of dirt and rocks but it was only our floor. I went into our kitchen and saw my mother, Arshpreet, cooking breakfast for me, me two brothers, my father, my grandma and grandpa, my cousins, and my aunts and uncles. By the time our food was done cooking the rain had stopped falling. During breakfast I could fell the taste of Amritsari Aloo, my favorite vegetarian breakfast, going down my throat. I saw my brothers fighting over the last bit of Amritsari Aloo and I saw my father, Balkaran, about to walk out of the door. He stopped and said he will be back by noon because he was on his way to work to pay for our electricity. I’m one of the few of my friend that has electricity. When I finished my delicious breakfast I went back to my room to get dressed for the chores that I had to do. When I finished putting on my Salwar Kameez suit and started my chores. After the dishes we spotless, I started the laundry. When I finished the laundry I was done with chores for the day and now I can go outside and play. I went outside with all of my neighbors to play our favorite sport, soccer. We played until 11 when my mom called me and my brothers inside for lunch. When we completed our lunch, our dad walked through the door smiling. He told us all he had a present with us that he bought with his promotion. We walked outside to his car and looked in the backseat and saw a brand new television set! This was the first time I have ever seen a television or TV for short, in my entire life. By one o’clock we turn on the soccer championship to watch our favorite team, the United States, play against Brazil. As the time went to two o’clock the score remained the same, zero. At the end of overtime the two stellar teams went into penalty kicks. It started bad when the Brazil goalie blocked our first to shots and our goalie let in their first two shots. Then with some hope our best player took a shot that hit the crossbar and went in the goal. The Brazilian powerhouse, as known by the fans, stepped up to shot. The goalie looked her in her cold black eyes. When the Brazilian went to shoot our goalie jumped for a corner of the net. The ball went flying towards her, as she reached her hands up she miraculously caught the ball and saved the game. We scored our next to chances and our goalie saved the next two to bring USA on top as the World Soccer Champions. Around six o’clock we sat down for dinner. Everyone was still excited from the amazing victory today. Our dinner was a Pakistani dish called Amritsari Fish. We the clock struck eight it was time to get ready for the day tomorrow. I laid my cloths out and brushed my teeth. Then I went to the kitchen for a glass of water. After I drank the water I went to bed. Today has been one of the best days of my life.

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  4. Dear Dairy,
    My name is Akbar. I live in a small town in India am 15 years old. My religion is Hindu being a Hindu person can be very scary at sometimes. A lot of the Hindu people live in India for the most part. A lot of Muslim invaders such as the Aurangzeb who have destroyed Hindu templates scary me the most. It’s scary walking out side and knowing that I might get killed for nothing. But today has been a fun day I got to go to the market to help my dad sell food clothes and etc. Then after that I got to go with my friends to play soccer I usually don’t get to play most of the time I have to stay at the market all day unpacking, packing up, sell stuff and by food for the family then go home and do choirs but my dad said I have worked hard and said I could go play soccer with my friends. So that’s what made my day so good. But as usually when I got home I had to help set the table for diner and after dinner we sat down and had a little prayer time as Hindus we are a very religious and we have a little pray group time every day before we go to bed. Looking back to what I have done today, I think it has been one of the best days I have had in a very long time and I love my dad for letting me go play soccer I still felt bad because when I went off to play I forgot that my dad would have to bring everything back by himself but it turned out my brother went there to help him because we are a big happy family. But has I get older and older these times will stop and I will have to work every day to make money to support my own family sometime in life our else am going to end up in a bad way for me.

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  5. Dear Diary,
    My name is Aamirah, which means inhabitant. I’m 14, almost 15, and I’m Hanafite Muslim. Most of us are down here in my country of Sindh, Pakistan. 97% of us are Hanafite Muslim, 2% are Ismaili Muslim, and .9% of are nonreligious. The women in the family stay home in their mud or baked brick houses. The houses are designed to keep the male guests from seeing the women. The men go out to the farms during the day for work. The majority of us are engaged in irrigation farming, like wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, various fruits, and oilseed. Some of us raise sheep, goats, and camels, too. The men who live in the city work as merchants, physicians, lawyers, and teachers.
    We did something special today! I put on my long, black dress and put my heavy veil over my face, so we could go to a religious ceremony for a child that was born in our caste! We got to witness the baby boy getting his name. They named him Jai. In our country Jai means Conqueror; Defeater; Victorious One. They shaved his head, which is a symbolic act of sacrifice. They bury the hair from the child with the bones of a sacrificed goat. The father whispered in the child’s ear, “Allah is great.” They say that to the child because they want Allah to be the first thing the child hears when he’s born.
    I would like to get married someday. Here in our country of Sindh, marriages between first cousins are preferred. Long engagements are common around here, too. My cousin Barakah got engaged to another one of my cousins Safa, who is the most loving lady ever! They got engaged about a year ago and still haven’t gotten married. I hope it will be soon, because I’m getting excited! I’m not sure who I would marry in my family of cousins. If I had to choose at this time, it would be Ghaith. His name means rain. He is very sweet and never lets anything get him down.

    Love,
    Aamirah

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  6. I am Asunnis. I am named after my religion which is Sunnis or Sunni being plural. I live in Pakistan with my family. Life is not easy here. My religion is strict and my family is poor. We struggle for food to eat. My day basically consists of watching my many younger siblings and büyükanne, or Grandma as the Americans call it, I speak Turkish. Cooking our little food, cleaning, and watching my brothers and father go off to work or schools are also things I do. I pray to God regularly for a better life and the chance to go to school as my brothers and nephews do. My religion is especially dangerous due to the forever feud between the Sunnis and Shia. This feud was started as a war long ago created when two leaders fought over the position to replace Mohammed after he died. Being Seventeen, I am next in line to be married off and I do not like my future husband Zaim, he is cold and mean, even though he is handsome and rich. I have no choice but to marry him because my father has already arranged it. Most girls would say I am lucky to be married to him, it is not common for people to be married into different statuses, this is an exception. He is shallow, he chose me for my looks and since we share the same religion. Even though we are poor we are not the poorest in our small town. I my family would be considered “Middle Class” as the Americans say it. The status is a lot like the Castes neighboring India uses but ours are more focused on religious views, but still money and a place in society are also big factors. My deepest secret is that I do not love Zaim but a boy with a lower status than me and that i wish to be an American. I could be killed for having a relationship with him. I am deeply intrigued in my thoughts today as I do my chores, several things are going through my mind about my religion, my future, my education, my true love, tell me diary, is this how it is in America?
    Feeling:  (intrigued) Sincerely,
    Asunnis

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  7. Dear Diary,
    It is me again Aban and today was a fairly normal day but today I found out what my name means and it means water. I had also found out that my name originates from Persia even though I am Pakistani I am ok with a Persian name. Today my morning went on as usual like as soon as I woke up I took a shower and brushed my teeth I put on my long tunic and my trousers and in Pakistan that would be called Shalwar Qameez and if you haven’t noticed we dress differently than the people that live in the united states of America. After that I had to walk to my school and when I got to school we were reading the Islamic holy Bible. Later on in the school we got to go outside and play games like for example I played several different games for example I played some field hockey and scored 2 goals in a row then after that my day at school was over and then I went back home. On my way home I saw a couple of boys playing cricket and asked if I can join and they said okay and then I scored like 3 points. Then when I got back home I greeted my mother and father and then went to my room to listen to the radio and see what was on and then after I got bored of listening to the radio I worked on my assignment for my art class which was to draw anything you wanted. After I was done with my homework it was still pretty early out so the family decided to go out and see a movie at the newly opened movie theater. Then we went back home and it was time for dinner so we all got out the bread and some cold drinks out as well plus we also got some meats mixed with vegetables and it was a good dinner and it was also a dinner much like what the people that live in the united states of America eat. So when I was with my dinner I went back into my room I got my guitar out and started practicing some music then it was night time which meant time for bed so before I went to bed I brushed my teeth and went to bed and that was how my day ended.

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  8. Dear Diary,
    My name is Ajun Batekiah. I am from Pakistan, and I am 14 years old. Many people around the world don’t have to live with their whole family, but here in Pakistan we are very tight. As I was growing older I always wondered what it would be like to live somewhere else, and discover different things. I want to l travel around the world and explore. You only live once. I don’t like living here with all these people. It’s almost 25 people living here its barely enough space for 5 more like 25. I love all of my family but sometimes I feel as if I don’t get the attention I need. Mom and dad talked to me the other day about marriage. In Pakistan some of the young girls are forced to get married when we hit puberty. Occasionally I feel like we shouldn’t be forced to get married if we don’t choose to. My entire family is Pashtuns. We all speak Persian. It felt really weird when I first started to learn Persian. A couple of years ago we didn’t live like this. Just recently all of my family m moved in with me and my family. The others houses were blown up and torched. Today me and family went out for a walk to this tiny clear spot and played cricket. It was nice. I enjoy spending time with my family, but sometimes it’s kind of crowded and what not. Eventually y they will move out, and hopefully everything will be back to normal. Well that’s all for today.

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  9. Saturday January 10th, 2011
    Dear diary,
    Hi my name is Maha I’m 16years old and I live in Jhang, Pakistan. My religion is Shi’a Muslim. I wake up every day before the sunrises for my first prayer of the day. In the morning I cook breakfast for my brothers and sisters before we get ready to go to the Shia School of thought. My parents are very strict about our religion. Today my parents are taking my sister Anaan and I to the Imam Ali in Parachinar. When we got to the imam Ali my sister and I went inside to for our Arabic classes our parents have us take every Saturday. We stared our class off with our Dhuhr prayer. After the prayer we ate lunch. When the class began the teacher signaled for silence. Anaan and I were still talking after the teacher signaled for silence so we had to write “I will not talk after the teacher has signaled for silence “, we had to write that sentence 180 times in Arabic. When the class ended Mr. Fawaz told my sister and I to stay after class. “فما يهم حتى أن لديك وقتاً للحديث عن بلدي فئة السيدات” (in English: Ladies what was so important that you had to take my class time to talk about) Mr. Fawaz asked. “We are very sorry Mr. Fawaz it will not happen again” anaan and I said apologetically. Well after that we went home ate dinner and prayed and we went to sleep that was all for today .

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  10. Dear Diary,

    My name is Druki and I am 15- years- old, I am from Pakistan, and me and my family practice Buddhism. I woke up this morning and unlike other people I and my family don’t believe in wearing shoes in the house because of our religious belief, but if we do decide to wear shoes outside of our house we wear kids which is a type of shoe that is commonly worn by Buddhist. I then put on my Zen robe so that I could join meditation with my family. I usually meditate for about two hours because I believe that meditation is a form of mental concentration that leads ultimately to enlightenment and spiritual freedom. After meditation I eat a very strict breakfast since I am a vegetarian and also because Buddhist are not allowed to eat meat or fish. Today I plan to visit one of my dead relatives, but it doesn’t bother me much since being a Buddhist I believe that once you die you are reformed into another life form, so I know that she’s always nearby. During the visit of my dead one I brung offerings as a sign of respect and remberance and said a prayer called Metta Sutta. After my visit I had to walk home since most Buddhist like me, don’t believe in material things such as bikes and other forms of transportation. Whenever I got home I took my kids before entering my house and went to the living room. Before me and my family go to be bed we come together and say a prayer for Shakyamuni Buddha to give him praise for all that he blessed us with today. After our family prayer we separated and went to bed. I can’t wait for tomorrow!!!

    Until next time…..

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  11. July 27, 2002
    “Get up Krishna and pray before the sun comes up,” “Ugh yes mom.” Each day before the sun comes up we have to pray to Allah it’s one of the five prayers that we have to do each day. Praying is one of the five pillars of Islam. I’m part of the Muhajir group and that means to migrate in the Urdu language which is the common language spoken in Pakistan. I can still remember the big migrate that we took from India all the way to the coast of Pakistan in Sindh, Karachi. But after I finish praying instead of going to sleep I help my mother prepare breakfast for the rest of my family and help with cleaning up the rest of the house as well. For breakfast we typically have a hummus, a dip consisting of chick peas, and pita bread on the side. We mainly drink a lot of water and hot tea to keep us hydrated throughout the day. My father is a hardworking man he travels by horse to the city every day and try’s to sell household goods to consumers in the city market. But after I complete all my chores my siblings and I including my neighbors usually go down to the Indus River and ride some of the camels there. Since we don’t have many toys we usually make our own, my favorite is making kites with my friends and then flying them. Sometimes my father takes me fishing in the river or we take picnics. Now its lunch time and I must go in and help my mother prepare the food were having my favorite today rice and meat with a very thick sauce made of garlic, chili, and ginger. Don’t judge it till you try it. After lunch I have to clean are clothes we have a pair of western styled clothes which we only wear when we go out to the city and then a basic pair which is are everyday clothes usually a simple shirt and pants. Since we don’t have any running water or electricity in the house we have to get water from the river and make a fire to heat the water. This is a typical day for me as a Muhajir it may not be interesting but I like it!

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  12. Sunday October 18, 2011

    Dear Diary,
    Hi! It’s me, Gurleen! Last night was the best night of my life! I’m going to tell you all about it, but I’m going to start at the beginning of the day. I woke up at 5:00 that morning so I could get my chores done. I had to wash the clothes in the creek then I had to pick the crops out of the field while the hot sun was bearing down upon my back. The sun is very hot this time of year here in Punjabi, Pakistan. And then if that wasn’t enough; I had to walk 3 miles to my grandparent’s house to help them with their crops, because my grandma had broken her back while plowing the field. When I got done with that I went back home and took a bath. The water that we have access to is from either the pipes or irrigation drainage ditches. When I got finished taking a bath I put on a nice pair of shalwar (pants) and a nice looking kameez (shirt). When I went to the kitchen for dinner my mother had prepared Zan dipped in butter with bread and tea. After dinner I went to the dance. I danced all night with this very nice boy; Arshdeep. I danced the Sammi while Arshdeep danced the Dankara. That was a very exciting day for me because I had never been to a dance before, and to dance with such a nice boy was really nice! Well, I have to go to church now, so I’ll talk to you later! Bye!

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  13. Dear Zion’s Journal
    Being a Sunni Muslim is great but comes with some sacrifices. I need to pray to Allah 5 times a day. If I’m at school and I need to pray I ask the teacher if I can be excused to pray to Allah. Usually the teacher says yes but if it is a substitute I get a strange look and then I have to explain why I must do it and how I want to do it. I finally show the sub the note that I have from the principle saying that I may have time to pray even during class. Finally I go to the prayer room in my school and I point my Musallah( prayer mat) towards Mecca so that I can pray to Allah. My prayer last average about 1 hour and because it’s hard adapting my religion to daily live in Sibi so I have a lot to pray about. Most of Sibi population is Hindu but luckily there is one mosque I can go to for prayer and then fellowship with other Sunni Muslims and share experiences and become closer to Allah. Thank Allah for keeping me strong and for friends who care because I think they are helping me have more riches in Jannah(heaven).

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  14. Dear Diary,
    My name is Baika and I live in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Today is Saturday, work day. This week I have been partaking in schooling activities and today is the day that I will perform my family duties. This will include, herding Yaks and Dzos, milking them, and cleaning them. After that, I will help Mother with tonight’s meal of curried meat over chapatti. Father always tells my brother and I that these chores must be done with a positive mind and the desire for happiness. Although, he has to think that, he is practicing to be a Buddhist Monk. But for right now, he works as a lawyer in one of the nearby cities. Our family is Buddhist, meaning that we are leading ourselves morally through life to find enlightenment. Today we are also doing one of our rituals which is the placing of flowers and candles in front of one of our many Buddha images, and sharing Merit among the small village in which we live in. This shows respect towards our faith. We do this about once a week, sometimes twice. Right now I am getting dressed in my room. My Shalwar are made to keep me cool in the heat of the day and my Kameez are hand sewn by my mother. As I walk out the door, I slip on my sandals to keep my feet from burning in the fields. Of course… my family had to live in one of the hottest regions of Pakistan… great. Fortunately, my family is pretty well off, therefore my house is a reasonable size so I don’t have to share a room with my brother. We also have many fans that my grandfather has given us to keep the house breezy. After I get dressed I will probably go have a boiled egg with Roti and a cup of tea for breakfast. Finally, my brother and I will walk to our nearby Temple to sit in for a children’s lesson on Karma, recite our daily prayers, and then thirty minutes of meditation. I will come home and start on my chores. That will be my day; I will do it with joy in mind and enlightenment in my heart.

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  15. October 18th, 2011
    Dear Diary,
    My name is Aamilah, meaning “doer of good deeds” and I take pride in my name. This is my first diary entry ever. My tribe is one of the few Sindhi tribes that did not move to India from Sindh, Pakistan in 1947, and I remained in Pakistan now with my tribe. Lately, I am getting extremely anxious because the Indus River is starting to become less prevalent due to the people of India building dams and this is restricting our water flow and we rely heavily on the Indus River for water resources and our economy. The Sindhis are hardworking people, and I always feel proud to see all of my Sindhi people in politician seats and it is not uncommon either. The Sindhi people are also live in huts made out of mud and built adjacent to each other for security, as you can see, the Sindhis are very close and rely on each other. I live in a more rural area in Pakistan and I work in the wheat fields but it is my dream to become a world renowned poet and live in the more industrial areas. My people work heavily in irrigation farming including cotton, rice, fruits, etc. but the Sindhis that inhabit more industrious areas work as merchants, teachers, and lawyers. I have a real passion for poetry and I have been working on perfecting my poem based off of Adal Soomro’s poem “Roz Tiran Rabel” for children. My dream is to become a famous Pakistani poet, and I would like to write children’s poems. I am a Sunni of the Hanafite school and we are considered the more liberal school of all four schools of the Sunni religion and the largest religious group in the Sindhi ethnic group and all of Pakistan. It is one of my wishes that men and women one day become equal to each other, now that we are independent from India I wish to be an independent person. In the Sindhi tribe, men are considered to be the “head of the household” and women are expected to stay at home and tend to household responsibilities. Traditional women of the Sindhi tribe such as my mother are required to wear long black dresses and black veils that cover their facial features; I personally find this quite degrading and wish that women were granted the same freedom as women. Another issue that I will face as a woman of the Sindhi heritage is that since women are not granted the same rights, I may not be able to pursue my desired field of work because I will more than likely have to get married and stay at home and I am not sure how well I will deal with that.

    With Kind Regards,
    Aamilah

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  16. Dear Diary,
    My name is Aisha Isupzai. I’m a fourteen year old Pashtun girl. I live in the United States. My family and I live in the city, but my mother’s side of the family live in a village in Pakistan. A month ago we were invited by my mother’s tribe to come to Pakistan and visit, and my mother thought it would be a great opportunity for us, so now we’re here. My mother says social get-togethers are significant in the Native Pashtun village. I received you as a gift from one of the local tribe women, whose name I can’t recall. At, first I wasn’t too enthused about this whole idea, but it turned out to be a pretty decent day. Pashtun is one of Pakistan’s national languages, so it was sort of hard to understand, but my mom was able to translate. When we arrived, we were greeted by the women of the tribe. One of the girls of the tribe greeted me with an extended arm. At first I was a little confused, in America when families meet we hug, but for the Pashtun religion you shake hands. The girl told me her name was Zala, and lucky for me she was able to speak a little English. She told me that we were walking to an area where we all could sit, and socialize. When we reached the area, there were baskets with fabric and needles and thread in the. She explained to me that Pashtun women took interest in sewing, and that it’s custom for women to sew unique designs, and make silk hats. She tried to teach me how to sew a design, but I found it a little difficult. Nearby I could see men riding horses. I thought maybe they’re a little more like Americans after all. But, Zala clarified that they were playing a game called Naiza bazi. The game involved riding horses, and throwing spears. When we finished sewing, according to Zala it was time for dinner. This brought a smile upon my face, for I had been starving and craving a delicious meal. As I was expecting burgers and French fries, a plate of rice, bread, mixed vegetables and a glass of milk was placed in front of me. I really wasn’t that pleased, and didn’t want to eat it, but Mom says I have to use my manners and at least try it. I sampled the meal, and it was actually pretty delicious. By the time I was done eating, it was time for dessert. I didn’t get my hopes up this time, with the expectations of cake or pie. I was handed a bowl of fruit. It wasn’t a delicious apple pie, but I was happy with a satisfying and healthy bowl of fruit. Soon it was time for bed, and Zala showed me to her sleeping area. There were two mats, a pot for digesting purposes, and a window covered by a sheet. I was a little disgusted by the looks of Zala’s room. But, we would be leaving for America pretty soon, and I’d be in my comfy bed. But, overall I actually enjoyed spending the day with Zala, but next time she’s visiting America, and I’ll show here what fun really is!
    Sincerely,
    Aisha Isupzai

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  17. Part 1
    Dear Diary
    My English teacher is making us write these. We are to record our day and thoughts that we feel are important when we get home every day. He said It would help us practice our English and grammar so we can remember the language. Personally I don’t know how I feel about this but he said to be honest so I shall. I really hope I get a good grade on this, I’m doing good in his class but it could always help.
    So Today was like any normal day in my life. I woke up to my mother calling my name “Aslam…Aslam Figar get up right now or you will be late for school.” Sighing I got up and shook my head rubbing my eyes. As I stood I headed to our family washroom, my father was in there already finishing shaving.
    “Good morning, my son have you said your prayers?” I shook my head no and he frowned but patted me on my head. “Don’t be late for school, and be happy we can afford to go to school.” I nodded and shook my head sleepily before splashing water in my face and starting my day.
    Our apartment in Islamabad is not very luxurious but not unbearable either. It is about average and I am very happy and proud of it. My father is a doctor and works for the government at the local hospital. My Mother works at home and makes quilts and other things household items and sells them from our house. Together they manage to provide a very decent income for our family. Though there is only us there living together now I come from a big family. I am the youngest of my siblings my four older brothers are at University or having their own families.
    My school is in the heart of the city and one of the newer nicer ones in the capital. My first and favorite class would probably be English. My English teacher is a very nice older man. He is one of the original Muhajir people like my grandmother and grandfather and came from India during the spilt. His English is very good and he is a strict teacher but I have a lot of respect for him. Some days he will tell of his life in India and the great struggle that he and the others of our people suffered when coming from India. In class when not speaking English we speak Urdu. Most of the students understand the language but occasionally have struggles, though to me it is my native lounge and like my English teacher both of us are fluent in it.
    After English I have my other core classes, Math and Science are my least favorite classes. Though it is not because of the teachers, both of them are very nice on the contrary. But the subjects give me trouble and confuse me. They are not like English where It is simple memorization and logic. They can both be complex and have twists and turns that are unexpected.

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  18. Part 2
    Before lunch we have a school wide prayer. I do not mind it but it seems odd the majority of the students are Sunni Muslims like me but a few of the Shia and the one Hindu student who also have to participate make it seem almost unfair to me. My father says Islam is what makes our nation great but sometimes I think it is taken too far.
    At lunch the cafeteria has Korma which is one of my favorites. It is a dish that my mother usually makes at home and though not as good as the one she makes, it is still very tasty. Korma is made with yoghurt, cream, nut and seed pastes or coconut milk it is very delicious and one of my favorite foods.
    After Lunch I have my History and Religious classes. I enjoy them both it is interesting to me learning about the history of my nation and religion. Though in the religion class I tend to look back at the Hindu boy, he usually seems very attentive but I don’t know if its just me but he seems to look like he’s extremely bored which I can slightly understand. I imagine I would feel the same way if I had to go to a class on Hinduism.
    When I come home from school the first thing I do is jump on my homework. It takes me about 3 to 4 hours when I add in studying but when I am done it is time for supper. I go to the kitchen and help my mother cook. When we are done we pray one more time before we set the table. My father soon arrives home and we all sit and eat and tell each other of our day. After supper I help my mother with the cleaning before going into the bathroom and washing before the night. When I am done, I go to my room and read for 1 or 2 hours before falling asleep but instead tonight I have wrote in this journal as a plan to do every night from now. I am interested after this month is over to go back and read through this. Perhaps even after this ‘project’ is over I will continue writing in English to keep my skills sharp. Only time will tell.

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  19. Dear Diary,
    My name is Alam, I am a teenager at the age of 14 and yes I am a boy. Throughout the 14 years I have been on this earth I have been learning and experiencing new things in Pakistan, the country I live in. In my country people in the Pashtun group are also known as Afghans. Even though I am not from Afghanistan we are known as Afghans because most of our population is primarily in Afghanistan. One statement I found interesting about my ethnic group is that we have an estimated population of about 40 million and are in good stead for being the largest Muslim tribal group worldwide. Another statement I found appealing was that between the 13th and 16th century the Pashtuns moved from Afghanistan to Pakistan. My ethnic group stands out from others around Pakistan. I mention this because of the certain requirements needed for my ethnicity. For example the women and men are required to wear a certain type of clothing. The men wear long clothing called a shalwar, sometimes it reminds me of a pajama set. We also wear a headset called a turban and a vest. As for the women there are three different clothing styles. The first style is called a burqa which is mostly a full body cover with an opening for the eyes. The second style that women are able to wear is called a chadar which is like a long scarf wrapped around their body. The veil and coat is the last style the women in the Pashtun group can wear which is called niqab and jilbab. Pashtun people have different beliefs than other ethnic groups. Nearly all Pashtun people are Muslim and will be banished from families if converted to Christianity. Well now I am starting to crave pizza so today was very fun and exciting.

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  20. Sonia Zane
    June 18th, 2011
    Dear Diary,
    Today I woke up and put my hijab on. To wear my hijab is a choice but I choose to where it because my family is traditional and I believe in being pure. I walked into the kitchen and my mom had prepared potatoes and pita bread for breakfast. I noticed that my dad had already left to get the cattle rounded up. After I had breakfast the bell rang from the mosque throughout the town for the first prayer of the day at sun up. A mosque is a Muslim church and that is where I go to pray throughout the day. In my religion we pray five times a day. I do not go to school because women are below men and not many girls my age go to school. I stayed home and helped my mom with cleaning around the house and I watched the cattle while my dad is at work. While I cleaning I heard my mom get news from a friend that violence has broken out in our town between Shias and Sunni Muslims. The Shias and Sunnis do not get along. They believe the same thing there just separated groups. The reason they are separated is because when Muhammad died neither agreed on who the next leader should be. I personally am a Sunni Muslim. Well as the day went on I had rice and gravy for lunch and I went to the mid-day prayer. My prayer is a big priority for me. Later on I went into town to shop for groceries and the violence was still going on! There were people shooting everywhere so I decide to go back home. I have to say that was really scary for me. Anyway I went to my evening prayer and prayed for all the violence in my city. When my dad got home we had a big dinner with rice, chicken, bread, and beef. My family all gathers at the table for dinner every night. Family time is very important to my family. After dinner I and my family went to pray at sun down. After prayer we went home and gathered the cattle to put in them in their stables. I am now about to say my last prayer of the day before I go to bed. Looking back through my day I have realized it has been a great day.

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  21. Dear Diary,
    Hello, I am Eymna Jatoi Baloch and I am a 15 year old Balochi who lives in Balochistan, Pakistan. Our land, larger than France, is very much like Mars. Geologists like to call it Mars on Earth because of our inhospitable land. The Pakhtu have a saying to describe our land. They say it’s “the dump where Allah shot the rubbish of creations”. I’m not quite sure what they mean by this but it doesn’t seem very nice. Even though other people put us down, we are really nice people. We believe in maintaining personal honor by showing hospitality and give protection to those who ask for it, even if they aren’t in any real danger. There are two types of Balochians: the Hanafi Sunnis and the Zikri. The Zikri, what I am, are much smaller than the Hanafi Sunnis but there are still around 500,000 to 700,000 of us. The Balochi is against the security of Pakistan and we protest many times. I wish we would not protest because the guards get angry and kill people, even teenagers. We have lost many teenagers in shootings just because we don’t believe what they are trying to shove down our throats! I have lost both of my brothers in such shootings. Why can’t we Balochi just live in peace? Why can’t we see that protesting doesn’t help, it just causes more problems in our nation! If we leave it alone for a while and not get so angry maybe we could get somewhere. My father always says I’m just too young to understand and that may very well be. No one tells me what is going on because they are afraid that I will get scared. What they don’t understand is that I get scared no knowing what’s going on and not knowing what will happen next. I get scared when my parents leave the house because I have no idea where they are going and I can’t tell for sure if they are coming back. Now that my brothers are dead I am the only one and they leave my by myself sometimes. It’s not for very long but it’s still very frightening. Maybe one day it will all make sense and it will come to an end. Maybe if I could go to school I could learn but my parents say that school is for men and housework and childcare is for women. I believe that everyone has a right to an education. Women should be smart too but I can’t change my parent’s decisions. Although one night I did overhear them talking about school and how sense they no longer have sons they still want our family name to live on. Maybe I will be able to go to school one day instead of staying home and being the maid! I hope that day comes soon because I’m already 15 and soon I will be a married woman with children and I will have no time for education. Please make up your mind soon! Well I have to go now; it’s my turn to clean the house. I will write again when I get the chance.

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  22. Zoey Hancock


    Dear dairy,
    My name is Zakiyya, I’m 14 years old and I am Sunni Muslim. This morning I woke up early and did my morning rituals. I washed my face and put on my Jilbab (long lose dress) then my Hijab (headscarf). I walked quietly into the kitchen to make breakfast with my mother for my father. My mother and I made *Gaymer and Kahi*. Then a pan slipped from my hand and woke father up. When he walked in I could feel his steady gaze on the back of my head as I cleaned up the mess I had made. As soon as I stood up he came towards me I was ready for the smack I knew was coming. I said “Father I am so sorry I did not mean to drop the pan and disturb you form your sleep. I-I am so very sorry…” I looked up and saw his hand descend towards me; I felt the harsh burn of his hand across my face. He walked to his chair and waited to be served. I stood there a second and then went back to work cleaning as mother served father. I kept my eyes low and walked to the chair that was far out of fathers reach just in case he slapped me again. I look at me food in disgust but ate it anyways to keep form fathers painful punishment. As soon as father was done I cleaned up his dirty dishes and watched him walk towards the door. He said “There better be a meal on that table that’s hot when I get home.” He looked at me and added “and there better not be another misshape and food all over the floor at is gone to waste or else you will be eating it! You got that Zakiyya!” I nodded and said “Yes father I understand.” With that he left the house was quiet for a moment then mother asked “Zakiyya are you alright?” I remembered all the times mother had disobeyed father and when he would beat her and could hear her scream then everything was quiet and I thought father killed her. But all I could do was sit there and listen to that horrible sound that came from that room. “Yes mother I am fine!” I said cheerfully holding in the tears that begged to let them fall. I asked “Mother may I go outside today?” she looked at me crazily like I knew she would “No you may not go out today.”
    It has not been safe since the Sunni Muslims had killed those people on the bus. If a Sunni Muslim girl my age walked on those streets they would get stoned, shot, or kidnapped. I helped mother with the dishes and then helped clean the house. When mother spoke “I know this must be hard for you to be like this but things will get better don’t worry.” I nodded and then asked “may I go to my room and clean?” she nodded knowing I was going me there to pray. I walked in my room and inspected my face where father had hit me there was nothing more than a small red mark left. I sat on the rug and looked at the small picture of Allah our god on my wall and thanked him for mother and father, for our health and I thanked him for protecting my mother, father, and me. Then mother called me “Zakiyya come and help me with dinner please.” I was so busy praying that I missed lunch, my stomach grumbled and I went to help mother. She told me that we were going to make fathers favorite meal Beef with Fruit. I loved this meal; I went to the cabinet and got out dried prunes, apricots, and apples. We were placing the food on the table when father walked in the door. He looked at the food which still had steam rising form it and smiled. He sat down at the table and started to eat. After everyone was done I did the dishes and got ready for bed. But tonight my father did something that he hasn’t done in a long time. He walked in my room and tucked me in then said “goodnight. I love you.” I smile and say “I love you too.”

    *Gaymer and Kahi*--

    Gaymer- is the word for very creamy, thick white cream made from buffalo milk.

    Kahi- consists of very thin folded layers of filo-style dough that is baked and then drenched with honey or a flavored sugar syrup called sheera.

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  23. Dear Diary,
    My name is Aara and I live in a small town on the border of India and Pakistan. I turned 13 years old about a month ago and I’m super ready for the event taking place today! It’s about 5 o’clock in the morning and I’m way too excited to go back to sleep. Today I’m having my ritual were I will turn into a young lady, you have this ritual right before you go through puberty. Every girl dreams about going through this and I’m going to be the first one of my friends! Ugh, it’s now just turned 5:15. I can’t take it, I’m getting up. My religion is Parsee, by the way. We are all very religious and very close to one another. The only you way you can be a part of the Parsee religion is if one is born a Parsee and you must participate in the blood covenant to be a true Parsee. Our primary belief is Zoroastrianism, which is a monotheistic pre-Islamic belief of ancient Persia. It’s almost 6 now and I’m all dressed and ready for the ritual. During the ritual I will be bathed and then offered bull’s urine, which is considered to be the blood of God, by the temple priest and thus establishes a covenant allowing my soul to be one with God. We are then given a white shirt and a band of a covenant which is to be tied around the waist. These are never to be removed and are to be worn for the rest of their lives as a reminder of the covenant. Another big event that Parsee people go through is the six seasonal festivals known as the Gahambars. Each festival lasts for five days and it is a time of worship dedicated to Ahura Mazda. After worship there are acts of feasting, fellowship, and goodwill. Okay well it is almost 7:45 now and I need to help my mom with a few things and get ready for my ritual, wish me luck!

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  24. Dear Diary,
    My name is Tashi and I live in a small village in Pakistan. I have high hopes for today. I am wishing that today will be great because it’s my birthday! It just so happens that today is Buddha’s birthday, the eighth day of the fourth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. Even though Pakistan doesn’t have a huge gathering or praise for this day, I always take advantage if my birthday happens to fall on Buddha’s. Today wasn’t any different than that of yesterday as I would have hoped it would be. Instead of celebrating my birthday with a small party with my friends Bodhi, Nima, and Rinzen, my mom decided it was time for me to learn more about the Buddhist religion. My first thought in learning what our religion was, I quickly declined. I would rather have a small party and get gifts than to sit and learn about our beliefs on my birthday! Even though I would rather get gifts, I decided it might be good for me to learn something that would be useful in the future. In my learning, I have found that the reason for practicing these beliefs is to provide simplicity in your life. The biggest factor of Buddhism is that Buddhists do not have that many materialistic things. Buddhist monks give up most items for a quest in finding eternal happiness. To practice this you have to rely on happiness to find your inner peace. In finding these facts about my religion, I have learned many things about myself that I didn’t realize before. Even though I thought that learning about Buddhism would ruin my birthday, it turned out to be one of the most enlightening days that I know of. Now that I think back on today, my mom really did want me to have a great day of happiness and joy. Even though my mom’s “lessons” aren’t always the most intriguing, they always teach me a lesson that is easily learned. The main reason why my mom wanted me to learn about our religion is because to practice Buddhism you have to live life simply and not want for things that you don’t typically need in daily life. To be honest, I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but even though my birthday wasn’t as extravagant as I thought it should be, Buddha granted my wish of a great birthday!
    Love,
    Tashi

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  25. Dear Journal,
    My name is Ajeet and I am a teenage boy that lives in Pakistan, my ethnic group is Punjabi. Today I woke up at sunrise on a bunk bed that I share with one of my brothers. I got out of bed to wake up my three brothers and 2 cousins so that we could pray. We all got together into a circle, crossed our legs, put our hands together and prayed. My religion, Sikh, requires you to pray 3 times a day. After prayer, I started to walk towards the bathroom but my mom was giving the younger children a bath. While I was waiting outside of the bathroom, my uncle who never liked me told me to move out of the way because he wanted to go into the bathroom next. I thought about saying something really mean to him but I thought about the consequences that I would face so I decided to walk away from him. From a distance, I could smell the parathas, cooked dough, which my aunt was cooking for breakfast. I hurried into the kitchen and quickly grabbed a seat. I had to wait until everyone had gotten to the table so that we could eat together. After 10 minutes, everyone was ready to eat. After breakfast, I rushed to get to the schoolhouse; I had to be there at 7:00 in the morning. The boys went into their separate classroom and the girls went into their separate classroom. Class didn’t seem to be as challenging today as any other day. I left the schoolhouse at 1:00 P.M. to go work in the fields with my brothers, uncle, cousins, and my dad. We pulled wheat from the fields so we could make bread. I was sweating a lot; the temperature in mid-day is ranges from 100o to 110o Fahrenheit. Later on after we got done in the fields, it was sunset so I gathered with my brothers and my cousins so that we could pray. After prayer we ate dinner and we had a family conversation. We talked about things that we felt like we wanted to share with everyone. After dinner was over, I went to my room with my brothers and cousins and we said our last prayer of the night. After prayer, we went to lie down in our beds. I told everyone goodnight and then I went to sleep.

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  26. Dear diary,

    My name is Aarya, I am a teenage girl and I live in Baluchistan, Pakistan and I speak balochi. I am a Sunni Muslim ina major ethnic group in Pakistan, the baloch. I just got home yesterday with my animals from the coastal Plaines for the winter. I did not like it there much for I had to live in a tent with my relatives. I am back now in my village in the valley for the summer. While I was in the Plaines, I overheard my dad talking with my mom about thinking of taking a brideprice of livestock and cash for me. Even though I am at the age of being eligible to get married I do not wish to for I would have to marry my cousin. Even though in my religion most prefer to marry their cousins, so we are able to keep land in our family, I do not for I am an educated Pakistani, I say this for many Baloch cannot read or write. I also don’t want to get married to my cousin because I truly want to marry Azhar a boy from another village, but he is not baloch and marrying a non-Baloch is strictly forbidden.If I cannot marry Azhar then I shall take the little education I have and help my people out in the future by helping build schools and roads. Even though the governments of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan all have a share in Baluchistan's welfare, even withthe roads they begun building and the developing agriculture programs we have remained largely unaffected by these developmental changes.Baluchistan is not a “pretty” place. As an old Pakhtu expressiondescribes Baluchistan as "the dump where Allah shot the rubbish of creation." So I want to do whatever I can to help my community. I did not do much today for my shoes have ripped during the walk back from the coastal Plaines. I will have to make some new ones from leaves of my favorite wild plant, called the "dwarf palm," when I grow up I will have real shoes like those American girls wear. I have to wake up early tomorrow to help find water for the crops, so I have to go to sleep now good night.

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  27. Dear Diary,
    My name is Lalita and I am a teenage girl. I’m Hindu, and I live in a small village in Pakistan. Being Hindu means that we believe in many gods and it is the world’s third largest religion, so it makes me feel good than many others share my same beliefs and traditions. This morning I woke up and went to get dressed. My day attire consists of a cotton sari for my body, a scarf for my head and then sandals for my feet. Soon after getting dressed, I went to the eating space and my mother had served us stuffed idli and some tea. Stuffed Idli is my favorite and I love it when my mother prepares it for my sister and I. I always help clear the table and do the dishes after each meal. Soon after cleaning up, it was time to go do the chores for the day. Each day is full of chores and helping out my parents around the house. Some chores I do are cleaning the floors, doing the dishes, doing laundry, and watching my sister while my parents are out getting food and water. Luckily after my chores I get some free time. During my free time I get to go outside and hang out with some of the other village girls and boys. We sometimes do yoga, ride camels or go on picnics. Daily, my family and I participate in religious rituals, and meditate. I enjoy meditating the most because it takes me to calm and stable place where I can just relax and be worry free. In the evening my parents make us dinner and tonight we had a dish called Punjabi Rajma which consists of a red sauce with kidney beans and seasoning on top. After dinner we clean up and get ready for bed. Tomorrow is another day and maybe I’ll get to go for a picnic with my family.
    Love, Lalita

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  28. Dear Diary,
    This morning I woke up and walked to the spring so that my family and I could have water to go with our curry. When I woke up I almost forgot to put my sudrah (shirt) and my kusti (cord around my waist) on. These shirts are made of two pieces of thin muslin white cotton. The front of the shirt resembles the future and the back of course resembles the past. The reason why the shirts are white is to remind of us that we need to be as pure and spotless as the white cloth. Along with clothing women do not leave our heads uncovered. Before I could put the sudrah on I had to turn on a lamp in my room. The reason why is because we worship fire because it provides light, warmth, and energy to the other six creations, and creates life. I don’t remember the exact age I was but I know I have to wear the sudrah and kusti for the rest of my life, I’m 14 almost 15 now and I was initiated into the Parsi religion around 6-7 years ago. The only way that we can be a part of the Parsi religion is if we are initiated before we begin puberty. While walking back to the house I felt that in my pocket of righteousness a piece of paper with a reminder to follow the three principles of life, they are good thought, good words, and good deeds. We have remained faithful to Zoroastrianism belief. My family and all of the other people within our community look down upon marriage outside of the community. If a woman were to marry outside of the Parsi community we would not be allowed into the Fire Temple. The Fire Temple is where we worship. After breakfast my mother and I went to milk the yaks. Then we went and purchased rice. Here we only eat rice for special occasions or when guests come. Today we are having my cousin’s fiancé over. The reason why my cousin isn’t coming is because she passed away a few days ago. Another thing that we do differently in my religion happens during “burial”, we don’t have a traditional cremation or burial service we leave the bodies of the deceased in the Dakhma or Towers of Silence for the vultures to devour them, this ensures that they are pure. My cousin’s soul was to be judged at the Bridge of the Separator, where she was to be rewarded or punished. If her soul was righteous then she would ascend to light and joy if not then she would descend to the depths of gloom and darkness, but her soul would not stay there for eternity because in the religion of Zoroastrianism we do not believe in eternal damnation. We encourage to lead a good and prosperous life and hence monasticism, celibacy, fasting. The mortification of the body and anathema to the faith are seen as weakening us and our power to fight evil. Now it is time for me to go to the Fire Temple. Goodbye!
    Love,
    Husna

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  29. Dear Diary,
    My name is Aashir. I am 14 year old boy living in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Today I woke in an uncomfortable sweat due to the summer heat. Summers are typically very hot where I live. After Morning Prayer, my family and I sat down to breakfast. Our family is quite small compared to most families in Pakistan. I live with my Mother, My father, and my two brothers. We had Loli Du-dh. This is one of my favorite dishes! It is kind of more of a lunch dish, but when served with yogurt it makes a delicious breakfast. Mother and Father appeared to be having a disagreement this morning. I usually avoid contradicting them. Growing up, I was always taught to respect my elders. This means refraining from things such as arguing. My younger brothers were being rowdy as usual, but father corrected them as he always does. At breakfast father informed me that he would be taking me fishing out on the river today. I was very excited! Father and I rarely spent time together. His job keeps him so busy. He is a lawyer. He says that this is what I will be as well. I hope I don’t get as caught up in my profession as he is when I am older. This will be an excellent time for father and me to bond. My brothers stayed home with mother to help around the house. Mother doesn’t often leave the house. Not unless father is with her. Before leaving, I had to do my chores. I am never exempt from my chores, even on days when there is no school. After completing my chores, Father and I packed our fishing gear and headed out to the river. Mother packed us bread and butter to have as a snack. I saw my friend from school, Chakor, on the way to the river. My father often mumbles things under his breath at the sight of Chakor. I suspected it was because of Chakor’s religion that father behaved this way. Chakor’s family is of Hindu descent. Our family is Muslim, as are most of the people in the Sindhi province. I thoroughly enjoyed my father’s company while we were fishing. We shared conversation and laughed at jokes we told one another as we fished. As the sun began to set, we decided that it was time to head home. When Father and I returned home, Mother was preparing our evening meal. My brothers and I set the table so we could eat. After dinner, my family and came together to talk about the events of our day, say our evening prayers, and then tell each other goodnight. I will write again soon.
    Sincerely,
    Aashir

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  30. Dear diary:

    Today I woke up today after my nap and saw that outside my window you could see the city lights in my home city Lahore, country Pakistan. I was awakening by the noise outside. My city is big and loud not like in the country but I love it just the way it is. I’m 15 years old my name is Akashdeep. My father is a architecture that works for big companies, there for my father insists that I become something of myself. I just finish my homework, and my literacy class too. Because my father says “Above all there our heritage.” I take classes to understand poetry because that the way I will understand who I am, and because Punjabi Poetry is renowned for it’s extremely deep meaning, beautiful, exciting and hopeful use of words. I also take dancing classes because I would love to learn how to dance Jhumar or Gidha. My nanny is from the country and she doesn’t like city food, she Said’s that it’s best nice and warm. So I when I hear the knock on the door I expect her. She’s at the door and says “oh you woke up” she brings rice with meat and potatoes. I love the way she cooks and probably would not survive on other people’s food. After I finish she Said’s I have to get ready for bed. I take off my long dress and put on my night cloths then, head for the bathroom him and me have our own bathrooms. My mother died at my birth, my dad has not found a wife because he has too much work to be looking for a new mother. My religion, Sikh, requires you to pray 3 times a day. My dad is a workaholic so we can’t pray together but I still pray for our lives and thank him that we have a house and commodities. Also I pray so he finds someone who’s worthy of him I feel terribly sad to see him lonely.

    See you soon, with Love Akashdeep 

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  31. Dear diary,
    My name is Aara which means adoring in Parsee, I am 12 years old. I live in Pakistan very close to the border of India, my mother and father are Parsee thus making me Parsee. One must be born Parsee and have to participate in the blood covenant ritual to truly be Parsee. The ritual takes place before us kids reach puberty, which I just recently did. I was so excited this morning about my ritual I felt like I was going to explode of happiness. This ritual was the biggest step in my life I had butterflies in my stomach since this was all about to happen today I felt the adrenaline rush through my veins when my ritual was going to start. I had so many emotions going through me scared, worried, and excitement. I was scared because what if I messed up during the ritual it would have been so embarrassing kids would pick on me I would have probably been the first one to mess up. I guess I felt worried because I could have messed up or I could have done something dumb. The excitement was running through me because I was happy to participate in the covenant ritual. I was bathed and then was offered bull's urine, which was considered to be the blood of my god, by the temple priest and thus establishes a covenant allowing my soul to be one with god. After that I was given a white shirt and a band of the covenant that is tied around the waist. Which is never to be removed, and is to be worn for the rest of my life to remind me of the ritual that I had done. There were more kids that were also going to take the ritual, I found out I was not the only one who was worried about messing up or full of happiness for taking an important mile stone in their life. I was relieved that my friend Darious was having his ritual with me he helped me relax a bit. He was telling me about how excited he was and how he had been waiting for this day. After I had done my ritual my family was congratulating me about it, my mother even made me my favorite food chicken farcha which is fried chicken. Today was definitely the best day ever, well goodnight diary I have to go to sleep before I get in trouble.

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  32. -Yesenia Santamaria
    -Current Affairs & Issues
    -October 18th, 2011

    Dear Diary,
    My name is Yasamii I am 16 years old and I live in Pakistan. Today Wednesday April 13, 1998 I woke up early as any other morning at 5:00 am. I got up I made my bed, brushed my teeth and got dressed I put on my yellow Hijab (headscarf) that covers my head and hair. I choose to wear the Hijab for religious and traditional purposes. The religion that I follow is Islam and so as a Muslim I wear the Hijab because I believe that “Muhammad, Allah’s commands women to be modest, and cover their beauties like their hair and their chest”. As I finished getting dressed I started to make breakfast for my younger siblings and my ill mother. I made egg somolia since we were low in food supplies, with luck I made enough to feed my two brothers, my ill mother and a little for me. My diligent father was barely home he was always gone traveling trying to find a stable job to help our family. After my brothers finished eating their breakfast I helped them get ready for school. Since I am a girl and my mother is ill I don’t go to school due to the fact that I have an ill mother in need of help and there is housework to be done so I’m pretty much left to do it, but it really doesn’t matter to me. Right after my brothers left I prayed next I went to clean the kitchen and washed all the dirty dishes. I went to go check on my mother to make sure she was taken care of; my mother has a severe case of tuberculosis. At the moment we don’t have enough money to buy her the medication she needs. It’s hard to see my mother suffer with her sickness so I try to do my best in taking her place of all the work she used to do. It’s hard to be the responsible young lady and take care of the chores look after my mother and brothers have all the meals ready to feed to my family, but this is just life and how it is. I get pretty lonely out here with nobody to talk to but everyday try to make the best of each day. After I’m done with all the chores that needed to be done I made my way to making an afternoon meal for me and my mother I prepare Chicken Biryani which is basically rice and chicken. I took her lunch into her bedroom to help feed her since she has very little strength. As soon as I’m done feeding my mother I eat afterwards and I quickly clean up the kitchen and went to get some groceries I needed to buy milk, eggs, and bread I paid the items with a little money I had saved up. I try not waste time since the walk to the store wasn’t short and I had to get back home since my mother was home alone. I walked inside our small house and went to go check on my mother she was asleep. My two brothers soon arrived home I greeted them and had them start their school work. I began to prepare dinner for my family hoping my father would get home soon since it was getting late. I made Chicken Shakooti, after everyone was done eating, I finished cleaning up the kitchen. Then I got my brothers to take a bath while they got cleaned up I ironed their uniforms and ready to put on for the next day. After they were put to bed I checked on my mother once again to make sure she didn’t need anything she was praying at the moment so I Ieft her and walked out of her bedroom. I went and took a bath my feet ached from walking around the whole day. Then I was glad to see my father had arrived I served him a warm plate and left him to eat while I went to go rest, to prepare myself for another big day tomorrow.


    Sincerely, Yasamii

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  33. Dear Diary,
    My name is Aafiya and I’m a teenage girl living in Pakistan. My religion is the Shia Muslim let me tell you a little about my religion. My religion believes the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and the religious guidance of his family. We put importance on the death of Ali and we go by the teachings of the Islamic holy book. Tomorrow I’m going to a Shia Muslim wedding my aunt is getting married. My aunt went to the Mangni, this engagement ceremony gave her blessings and a prayer for the couple and this is where the wedding date was decided. Fifteen days before today my aunt had free of chores but she was not allowed to leave the house. I can’t wait to see her in her beautiful dress. My aunt was decorated everywhere she had really expensive jewelry on and 22k gold earrings I wish I was her. Weddings are really important in our culture and I respect that. It’s getting late so I’m going to go to bed can’t wait for tomorrow.
    Sincerely,
    Aafiya

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  34. October 18

    Dear Diary,
    Today was just another ordinary day. I woke up to the incredible smell of my mother baking Roti (made with whole meal flour). I could tell this was going to be a good breakfast. After we had our family breakfast, we sat down in our praying rug in the living room to pray to Allah. After our prayer, we read parts of the Koran (which is our Bible). We do this at least 3 times a day. Then it was time for my papa to go to work. He owns a farm of cattle and sheep. My siblings and I headed to school. We are very blessed to go to school. Not many kids have that privilege in this village. In our school, the boys and girls are taught separately. This is part of our religion. But I enjoy going to school because we learn how to speak English. I can now introduce myself to others by saying “Hello my name is Vasani”. My parents are very strict about my education. They would like me to graduate college. My mother never finished school… she always stayed home to help my grandma with the house work. I guess it was because they lived in a rural area back in the day. After school, I took my little siblings to the Jallo Park so we could go to the zoo; they enjoy looking at the animals. My mother told me to be back by 6 so we could have dinner and pray again. I did as my mother told me. I helped her but the food out so we could all sit in the rug to eat in our living room. Then it was time for bed again.
    Xoxo,
    Vasani

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  35. Dear Diary,
    This morning I woke up and walked to the spring so that my family and I could have water to go with our curry. When I woke up I almost forgot to put my sudrah (shirt) and my kusti (cord around my waist) on. These shirts are made of two pieces of thin muslin white cotton. The front of the shirt resembles the future and the back of course resembles the past. The reason why the shirts are white is to remind of us that we need to be as pure and spotless as the white cloth. Along with clothing women do not leave our heads uncovered. Before I could put the sudrah on I had to turn on a lamp in my room. The reason why is because we worship fire because it provides light, warmth, and energy to the other six creations, and creates life. I don’t remember the exact age I was but I know I have to wear the sudrah and kusti for the rest of my life, I’m 14 almost 15 now and I was initiated into the Parsi religion around 6-7 years ago. The only way that we can be a part of the Parsi religion is if we are initiated before we begin puberty. While walking back to the house I felt that in my pocket of righteousness a piece of paper with a reminder to follow the three principles of life, they are good thought, good words, and good deeds. We have remained faithful to Zoroastrianism belief. My family and all of the other people within our community look down upon marriage outside of the community. If a woman were to marry outside of the Parsi community we would not be allowed into the Fire Temple. The Fire Temple is where we worship. After breakfast my mother and I went to milk the yaks. Then we went and purchased rice. Here we only eat rice for special occasions or when guests come. Today we are having my cousin’s fiancé over. The reason why my cousin isn’t coming is because she passed away a few days ago. Another thing that we do differently in my religion happens during “burial”, we don’t have a traditional cremation or burial service we leave the bodies of the deceased in the Dakhma or Towers of Silence for the vultures to devour them, this ensures that they are pure. My cousin’s soul was to be judged at the Bridge of the Separator, where she was to be rewarded or punished. If her soul was righteous then she would ascend to light and joy if not then she would descend to the depths of gloom and darkness, but her soul would not stay there for eternity because in the religion of Zoroastrianism we do not believe in eternal damnation. We encourage to lead a good and prosperous life and hence monasticism, celibacy, fasting. The mortification of the body and anathema to the faith are seen as weakening us and our power to fight evil. Now it is time for me to go to the Fire Temple. Goodbye!
    Love,
    Husna

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  36. Today was my usually day of working at this house with my mom, while my dad went out to work as he went up to the market trying to make money. He always is going up to people for work and trying to get us to eat food every night. That’s why I respect him so much he never gives up on us, by just getting us some food just enough for one person to eat, but we somehow all get enough for my brothers and sisters. My two siblings get on my nerve so much even though they are younger than me. It can be annoying when they did something and I get blamed for it, but that’s life you just have to keep going even though it gives you a hard time. I think that my parents realize that we don’t have the best life like Americans, but they seem to love it here even though we don’t have running water or enough power to run the whole house, which isn’t much by the way. I also which that I could go to school but my parents says that it’s too much money to pay and I had to much work to do around the house while my mother is taking care of my little sister. I have to get the water for the day, I have to make sure the sheep’s are all there, then I have to do all the yard work all day until my dad gets home from work while my brother gets to cook all day for my little sister, and he also waste all of the water while cooking that I got from river, and nobody has stolen them before. I can’t wait until I turn 15 then my dad will take me with him to work with me and then we would get some extra money. When I get older I would like to have a much better life then I have now because I would to have running water in the house, the whole house have power and my kids go to school every single day. I didn’t get to see my friends today that also live in the village with me. I have heard stories from my father that kids are dying in the streets because there aren’t a lot of us and people are taking advantage of us. People are protesting also i hear in the cities, but I am not going to let people do that to me though. If I work too hard then I feel proud of myself because I know that I am doing that extra for my family. My friend named Qambar Nazar turned 15 today and started to work with his dad today and said that it is so much work, but also loved it to and the new things that he got to see. Since I don’t have much paper I don’t want to waste it all on just one day.
    P.S. i have enough paper but my mom is calling me Bye….

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  37. Dear Diary,
    My name is Leila which means night here in Pakistan. I am a Muhajir. The Muhajir people were originally refugees from India that mostly migrated to Karachi which is located on the coast of Pakistan but that was way before my time. After all I am only 15 and this happened in 1947. It was difficult for my people to fit in well with the locals because we were different from the Sindhi people and their cultural and religious ways. This is how I ended up here now! Today I have to go to the mosque which is where Muslims go to worship Allah and Friday at noon is the most important and special day of service! For breakfast my family had rice, toast and paya. For breakfast we generally do not eat very much but for lunch and dinner we eat a wide variety of foods. I just can’t wait for dinner because my mother and I are going to make my favorite. My favorite food is beef curry. It is a dish that originated in India. We eat a lot of food that originated in India because that is where my family came from. Right now I am at school. My family is in the middle class so I have the opportunity to go to school. Some of my friends that are in the lower class do not have the opportunity to go to school. Pakistan is a developing country so not all people have the luxury to go to school. I find that this is sad and I wish that everyone got the chance. To me everyone deserves an education!

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  38. Dear Diary,
    Welcome to the life of me, Sahira Das. I am a Hindu girl living in Pakistan, a place where Hindus are found very scarcely. I start my day by waking up and putting on my proper attire, the choli is first which is a blouse worn under the sari. A sari is a long piece of fabric in various designs and colors that can be draped over your body in several ways. Then, I find my finest sari because today is the day of my favorite festival, Diwali, the festival of lights. My favorite sari, royal purple in color with gold detailing stitched in by hand is unlike any of my other saris. I wrap my sari the way that I prefer and head to the shrine with my family to pray to Brahman for wealth and prosperity. After that is over, I head to the kitchen to assist my mother in cooking breakfast. Realizing our food was low in supply, I was sent to go to the market. On my way, several people grasping that I was Hindu, gave me dirty looks. It is definitely not a comforting feeling when living in Pakistan where Hindus are discriminated against. I have finally arrived to the market. I avoid purchasing any food acquired from killing animals, which includes beef, pork and chicken. I picked up lots of dairy products which are believed to increase spiritual purity, and tons of vegetables. When we finished eating, it was time to help my mother set up the finishing touches for Diwali. Colorful Rangolis, lamps, and kandils, which are lanterns, brighten up our house in preparation for the festival. Lighting lamps in the night is a way of paying tribute to god for good health, wealth, knowledge and peace. This is the first day of celebration which is called Dhanwantari Triodasi. Now it’s time for me to pray to the goddess Lakshmi, asking her for blessings of wealth and prosperity in businesses. Bye for now!
    Love,
    Sahira Das

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  39. zhantel c. wilson-bishopOctober 19, 2011 at 12:35 PM

    Dear diary,
    My name is Zhantel Charnice Wilson-Bishop and I’m a 15 year old girl that is a Shi’a Muslim. I live in southwest Pakistan. It was a frightening experience. We believe that there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and Alí is the Friend of Allah. Today, while praying in the temple militant forces attacked us in the temple. We speak Arabic and that about it. I don’t go to school but my brother does. He teaches me, I guess you could say I’m homeschooled in a way. I don’t really like covering my whole face its annoying. Especially, when I have to go out into the hot sun. Shi’a Muslims usually have more of a faith based religion. I don’t really get what we have against believing in a god. I mean it doesn’t make since. I guess it’s one of those things that you can’t understand. I guess that’s it for now.

    Sincerely,
    Zhantel

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  40. Erick Xicali
    Period 4
    10-18-11
    Moccasin Journal
    Hello my name is Tali Qaeda; I woke up today to my little brother playing his dohol (a large cylindrical drum with two skin head) and a folk song which we Baluch play a lot of that music. Oh sorry for not saying who I was, I am Baloch teenager living in Baluchistan, a western province in Pakistan. You’re probably wondering what or who is that. Baloch is an ethnic group not a person as you thought. You also may be thinking how is Tali writing this when most Baluch are illiterate. I’m lucky enough to be going to school and learning English. Well to continue with my journal writing, I slipped on my shalwar kameez and ran outside. Once I got there I started helping my mom with our animals and to pick the ripe fruits and vegetables. After we were finished we came back inside the gidam (tent we live in), my mother cooked we all ate unleavened bread except she ate in the kitchen, and my brother and I ate in our room. It’s a custom that men and women eat separately. Later that day my mother had pulled me aside and told me “Tali we have to get ready to move our animals, now that the cold is coming.” As soon as I heard that I thought about how 2 years ago my father was captured and kill in front of us. For some reason they don’t like us here in Pakistan they consider us savages. That night I started packing and help my brother pack.
    The next morning we got our animals together and picked up our tent. As we were starting to move, it got colder and colder. By the time we got close to reaching the end of Pakistan, the ground was beginning to have a thin layer of frost. When we looked ahead of our path it looked like we were going into a white sea. The day we got there we set up our gidam and unpacked a few cloths to cover up in until tomorrow. when I woke up I heard my mother’s rattling as was unpacking. I just got up as I was and checked on our sheep, cattle, goats, and chicken to see if all of them were still with us.
    The days passed and passed, so we waited till that day came were we went back. That’s a little on the life of a Baloch teenager named Tali Qaeda

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  41. Dear Diary
    My name is هسك, (which means heaven in Pashto) I am a 15 years old girl and I currently live in Pakistan, inside a little village called nomadic, I am Pashtun and my native language is Pashto. Today was like any other ordinary day; I walked to local area to play with some friends. We talked about all that was going on with our country and deeply expressed each of our opinions about all the fighting and constantly moving and typically what boys we were interested in. My religion is Islam and has been this very way since the 18th century, were I come from most women or males marry people this the same ethnicity but doesn’t have to be the exact tribe. My house is not that great but that’s only because we move around a lot. Currently my father is the head of the house hold but he always say to my brother that when he passes away he is then the head of the house hold. As soon as we got done talking my brother came running. Saying “هسك there you go we been looking all over for you, you better hurry up before you make us late” As we were walking to the village I grew tired and weary of all the walking. I asked my brother what was the meeting about today and he replayed and said “the new council wants to talk about our new location” “I hope this one will be safer” “it’s never safe” I looked up and gave a scary look but he would just stare straight ahead. When we got to the meeting I seen my mother and father so I went and set next to them. After the meeting was over we went home and went had a family dinner and then I went to sleep. Well that’s it diary and until next time.

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  42. Dear Diary,
    This morning I woke up and had to go through my ordinary schedule of putting on my hijab, and the rest of my attire. But today is going to be out of the ordinary because my Navojte is today! A Navojte is basically being initiated as an adult. I even had to take a sacred bath called a Nahn, which purifies my soul. Even though being initiated is supposed to be one of the most important days of my life because I am becoming an adult, but it’s also one of the scariest! I am now taking full responsibility for my thoughts and actions. I am no longer going to be an innocent child that doesn’t know right from wrong. I am soon going to be in control of my fate on judgment day, so my thoughts, intentions, and actions have to be pure and innocent. So when I begin the ritual today I have to put on the sacred kusti around my sudreh. A kusti is a sacred girdle that is worn around the waist. It is constructed of 72 woolen threads to represent the 72 chapters of the Yasna and shows your dedication to God. The sudreh has 9 parts that all give a significant moral. For example the straight thread symbolizes that evil is always around. The front and back of the sudreh signify the past and the present. I had to learn the meaning s of the sacred attire and prayers I say at the ritual. I am so scared I might forget the prayer s and mess up the whole ritual. So today is going to be crucial to my fate and to the rest of my life.

    Bita Manek

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  43. Aquil El-Amin
    October 19, 2011
    Dear diary, my name is Aqeil Aljeet and I’m 14. I live in the hot and sunny country of Pakistan. I live in the capitol Islamabad with my Mom, Dad, and two twin little brothers. My ethnic group is Sunni Muslim. Since I can remember I’ve always been a Muslim. We’ve had to practice and go through every single tradition of being a Muslim. I dislike having to go through fasting every year. I do like praying 5 times a day. It’s good to pray it gives you a since of being. Because I’m the oldest in my brothers my father says I need to set an example. With being the oldest I need to be able to protect my little brothers. I just don’t know if I can protect them from everything. Violence in this country is really gruesome. I saw a women buried in the ground and then stoned to death. Most of the laws affect women but I never seemed to know why. While I’m pondering this I’m ending this entry.
    Sincerely, Aqeil El-Amin

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  44. Dear diary,

    My name is Akashdeep (which means light in the sky). I am 14 years old and I live in Pakistan. My religion is Punjabi which is the largest province of Pakistan by population. This morning when I got out of bed I smelled the delicious smell of chicken karaii. It is my mom’s favorite dish to make. When I got to the table my parents, my grandparents, my aunts, my uncles, my nieces and nephews, my brothers and sisters, and all my cousins were already at the table. Here in Pakistan we all live in the same house. We may be crammed at night but there is a lot of love and we get along really well. After breakfast I went and took a shower. Here, it is so hot and humid that after you get out of the shower you instantly start sweating. I would do anything to go to the U.S. for a year. You guys have air conditioning and water. We are lucky enough to have a river to take a shower in. When I got out of the shower I went and put on my Shalwar Kameez and I went to school. I am one of the 27.5 percent of children that attend school in my country. Hopefully I will be the first in my family to get out of here and go to college. Today in school we learned math. It was kind of hard but after getting a little help from my teacher I understood it. We also learned that she has a daughter that was about to get married. Here in Pakistan our parents choose who we marry. We don’t get to go out and find Mr. Right like most American girls which can sometimes be a bad thing when you are choosing your own husband but nine times out of ten it’s not because most of the time our parents know what’s best for us, we are just too selfish and caught up in our lives to see it. I am one of the quiet students in the class so I don’t have many friends. I do have one friend. His name is Ali and we are like family. We tell each other everything. We have been friends for a long time and we have the same goals (the ones I said earlier). He is getting married next week and he is only 18! What does he know about marriage? When I found out I was losing my best friend to some random woman I was devastated. We have been through a lot together and I really don’t want to lose our wonderful friend ship. Plus the girl is 16. I bet in some other countries it is illegal. I may sound selfish but I had him first!!!! He just told me today and some words slipped out that I didn’t even know were in my vocabulary at age 14. I went home and got some advice from my mother. All she said was “اس کے ختم ہو، زندگی ہے!” (Get over it, its life). I was so angry; I could get a sheep and bite its head off. I am so tired of laws in this country. I bet if he was allowed to choose he married it would be me and not that American girl. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention his family is moving to America to live with sierras family. Sierra lived here for 8 years and became a citizen. Her parents are the ones that chose him. I should give them a piece of my mind but my parents would punish me. Well I guess I better go pick me a few oranges from our tree because I am hungry.
    Sincerely,
    Akashdeep
    Akashdeep

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  45. Dear Diary,
    It’s me Padma again. Today I put on a silk sari. Silk is my favorite cloth to where. Whenever I wear silk I always like to run my fingers over the smooth cloth. It makes me feel like royalty to where such beautiful cloth. Before our first meal of the day we always offer it up to the God’s first so that they may bless it. For breakfast today we ate a sweet and sour dish with wheat. It was very delicious. In the Hindu religion we eat in moderation so I always eat simple and small portions of food. If you saw a prepared meal in our house you might think we were trying to feed a family of six with a meal for four! It’s not that we can’t afford to eat more; we are faithful to the Hindu religion and it teaches us that we eat to purify.
    Sometimes I feel that I would be a different person if I wasn’t Hindu. I wouldn’t believe in eating little for purity. I would eat more meat, maybe even beef and pork. I don’t think I would ever have the courage to eat the forbidden meat of the cow and the pig. If I wasn’t Hindu I couldn’t go to the Hindu festivals with my friends and family. That would truly sadden me because I love the Hindu festivals. When I was a little girl my mother always told me a story about the history of each festival before I went to sleep. I always loved the beauty of the festivals, my favorite is Dussera. If you didn’t know diary, the Dussera festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil. I think that is a really beautiful thing.
    Diary, I’m not sure I told you about my sisters the last time we talked. My mother didn’t have any sons so I’m always around my sisters. I have three sisters and I am the oldest. Malati is the second oldest. Then there is Nila. She used to have a twin named Nasha, but she got very sick and died at an early age. Bala is the youngest of the girls. Mother said she called her Bala because it means young. Today my sisters and I did our usual chores. We helped our mother clean the house as usual. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to do housework. It’s not any fun but I know it’s my duty. After we finished cleaning we wove cloth. It takes a lot of time to make a beautiful cloth. After that my sisters and I helped make our evening meal. We ate rice with lamb in cream sauce. That is my favorite meal.
    Now it is night time diary, and I’m getting sleepy. It’s very late and I have to be going now diary. That’s all for now, but thanks for listening diary.
    Sincerely,
    Padma

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