Parting from family members and living 22 hours flight away from them do make us homesick sometime. Thanks to Skype, the longing to hear their voices and to look at them, asking how they are doing, are made easy twice or three times a week. Perhaps more when necessary.
Caring for two little girls with only each other to lean on is challenging. But at times we have friends helping out and when we realize that we are very much involve in our children growth and development; the enjoyments are worth it.
Getting along with new friends and neighbour too is not very difficult because here nobody really cares as long as your business do not interfere with theirs.
It is not the food that we miss because there are many Asians around Vancouver thus the ingredients for homemade cooking are easy to sought for. Halal meat is easy to get. We only need to take a bus to get it.
Studying in a totally different system is intimidating and doing research can be daunting but there is always a way to solve a problem. The challenge is trying to find an elegant solution to it.
Being a Muslim here put us in absolutely different light. You are suddenly the centre of attention. Everything you do is associated with Islam regardless if it is your own personal attitude or your home cultures and customaries. To the non-Muslims, that is Islam. In a way it is excruciatingly scary because none of us can really step out and say, "I am a true Muslim. I am doing exactly what Islam teaches." Only Rasulullah s.a.w can say so and his sahabat.
On the other hand, it is a blessing because we become more cautious in our practices and slowly improving ourselves as Muslims. All the comparative religion classes is paying off because we do need all the answers at our fingertips whenever they raised the questions about Islam and being a Muslim.
Thus have We made of you an Ummat justly balanced, that ye might be witness over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves; and We appointed the Qiblah to which thou wast used, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heel (from the Faith). Indeed it was (a change) momentous, except to those guided by Allah. And never would Allah make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people Most surely full of kindness, Most Merciful. (al-Baqarah: 143)
