Thank you for the standing ovation you may all take a seat now.
The whole event is just mind boggling. So many things happening simultaneously that you are lost before you know it. I ended up spending moret time at the bazaar than anywhere else just because it was right there in front of me and required no effort whatsoever, just stamina to keep walking and discovering a new aisle at every turn. I tried to get in to two lectures and even listened for a while but in one case the speaker was too repetitive and in the other Mehnaz(don’t believe her side of the story) wouldn’t let me focus so we had to walk out.
I did however get to see some friends. It was a pleasure meeting Mehnaz and her sister, met up with Ira, got a couple of minutes with Fraudia, one minute with Spock and a about half with HCMQ. Ended up walking downtown twice and not even once could I visit Lake Shore Drive Too many people to decide on anything without having first killed an hour or two not leaving much time to actually do what was eventually decided!
No more ISNA for me. Next time I go anywhere i will go strictly for siteseeing.
Don’t believe Femme, we are both more spiritually enlightened and at peace internally after ISNA. The lectures were amazing, haina Femme? We really learned a lot. :halo:
TWO Fayz. You gotta start reading properly. He only may have only given two minuts but we got more out of him seeing him run around the hall atleast 10 times.
All I can say about ISNA is that whatever you are looking for, you will get it. If you want to party and have fun, that is going on … and if you want to attend lectures and learn about Islam, you can do that too … and if you want to go to “non-halal” parties, you can also do that. ISNA seems to cater to everybody.
Well, I should make it clear that it is not actually ISNA the organization but the people who attend that do all the non-Islamic stuff. It was really amusing to watch everything that was going on around us. It felt like a big mela, but mind you, I kept missing the lectures I wanted to attend. Our hotel was so far away and there was no shuttle service. My advice is to book on your own and not go with a large group of people. We went with a group so the hotel location was not in our control and it really made me angry. At least Femme was staying across the street from the convention centre which is a lot more logical cause you can come and go as you please and not miss any lectures cause you are busy arranging for transport to the convention centre.
However, I was able to get quite a bit of shopping done. I got this lovely kurta that everybody kept stopping me and asking me about and so I went back and got more kurtas from the same place. There was a lot of Islamic art being sold, so I got a few pictures and a calendar based on Andalusian photography. I thought that would be nice for my brother as he’s really into old architecture and history.
Chicago is really beautiful. I only went to a small area of downtown Chicago (Michigan Avenue) and I was so impressed. There is nothing like that in Toronto, the streets, the buildings, the architecture, the parks … :love: … the lakeshore and water is CLEAN and smells and looks nice unlike Toronto’s lakeshore. I definitely have to go again.
Femme, were those Eskimo jackets of your enough to protect you from the ‘chilly Chicao weather’?
Mehnaz, Oh thank you for describing my beautiful city with such words of appreciation. Next time, make sure you visit us. Well, I will make sure I don’t plan my vacation around your visit. Same goes to Femme.
And Fraudia giving only two minutes to the ladies is so believing. No wonder he is called the ‘Minute Man’ in desi circles of Chicago.
Femme, yeah two minutes...don't tell me Fraudia is like one of those extremely busy guys who are just disorganized and running around at the last moment..finding out important details like meethay paan pohnchay kay nhin?
Mehnaz, the mela description sounds interesting. I agree it is always the people who make the event what it is.
Chicago downtown and the lake makes it an awesome view.
Sounds like the girls did their shopping.. now that could be a spiritual experience too. :-p
No don’t blame Fraudiya please. We met at the Naseeb party and he really was very busy.
FG wasn;t it you who told me that one must always carry a jacket in Chicago because the evenings are chilly? Khaak chilly. Im glad I didn;t carry any jackets with me at all realising how you always exaggerate
Yeah, Fraudia was really busy with Salman Ahmad ... who was surprisingly entertaining (I'm not a big Junoonie). Anyway, we were not expecting to meet him, Spock or anybody else from Gupshup at the Naseeb party. Khair, it was fun. :)
Too many people to decide on anything without having first killed an hour or two not leaving much time to actually do what was eventually decided!
still standing…
and so I went back and got more kurtas from the same place. There was a lot of Islamic art being sold, so I got a few pictures and a calendar based on Andalusian photography. I thought that would be nice for my brother as he’s really into old architecture and history.
