Wales Camp 2010 - Girls Day 3

Just as we fell into a deep sleep with quiet breathing and a few occasional snores and grunts from Sumayya... “STOMP, STOMP, STOMP.” The silence was broken. What could this creature be?! It was ... oh, only Sayyada Bai. “Wake up girlies it’s Fajr time!” After our many groans and grunts we finally tumbled out of bed...

 

After our lovely breakfast of beans/sausages/eggs/hash browns/chips/mushrooms we showed off our Quranic talents then skipped off energetically to our lessons, with no rust on our hearts as mentioned in one of Imam Ali’s (AS) hadith. From Sayyada Bai’s lesson we learnt the consequences of backbiting. Then we boasted off our other talents; acting, by putting into practice what we learnt into a role play. This explained the difference between gheebat and tohmat.

We reflected on our test in this world by meditating and as Aliyah Bai said, the best test is when you are around your friends (i.e. the sheep in the fields behind us). Our last lesson was on Quranic art in nature. It made us grateful for what we have in this world; however, we did all end up with glitter in our eyebrows (from Sajeeda Aapa’s art DIY kit).

Our lunch consisted of fish pizza, crispy chicken strips (which vanished as soon as Alan the cook/gardener placed them on the table), samosas, spring rolls and salami sandwiches. Once we finished our prayers, we got into our two groups from yesterday. We then squeezed into our stiff wet suits, lifejackets and helmets and became known as Clowns United. As we waddled over to our Canadian canoes whilst trying our best to breathe fresh air (the many animal droppings did not help), we ‘warmed up (if that’s what you can call it). We then ‘expertly’ got into canoes and had great fun playing an unexpected game of Bumper Boats. There were many giant splashes as we popped in one by one into the river due to our canoes ‘mysteriously’ tipping over.

Two people out of six in Mercury did raft building. Nayla described it as being “Fun! The girls in the group were split into two. One of the groups Rafts broke when they were lifting it into the water. Then they had no raft. So they had to share a raft with the other team. Mostly everyone fell in the water, it was so funny and Maryam fell in BACKWARDS again. I walked into the water and got my feet soaked and nearly fell. There were lots of tadpoles and tiny fish. Maryam also got a fish in her boot and Faye the instructor had to pull it off!”

After our steaming hot chicken curry and rice (bet your mouth is watering  now...) and these mysterious things in tin foil mounds which turned out to be poppadoms. It was time for the dessert (banoffee and cream cake) which was so good it had to be mentioned in this diary; it was scrumptious.

As the blind led the blind (we were blindfolded) through the dark and muddy forest along the Nightline course, we discovered the youngest were the bravest as they helped us all under the rope, through a tunnel and over the branches. Bariah and Sakina really stood out!

Once we returned to our rooms, we had a Hijab fashion show, styled by Sayyada Bai. Tasneem marvelled at her beautiful appearance for hours upon end in the tiny mirror inside our rattling wardrobe.

And now we sit on the floor stuffing our faces with our Midnight Feast; better go or there’ll be no food left!

Mercury Campers: Sakina Asaria, Maryam Kazimi, Tasneem Janmohamed, Bariah Iqbal, Nayla Panjwani, Sumayya Manji
Mercury Mentor: Sayyada Mawji