Fiona Aboud

Fiona Aboud

Her project on Sikhs In America. Not sure how I even feel about the other images but make sure to watch the video about amputee soccer players.

The image Fiona Aboud shot above reminded me of this story.

The other day I was with my brother Paul going to eat. He did some design work for trade for this restaurant, Baba Pita. We went there to eat some AMAZING shawarma and spinach pies and Medhi came to sit with us while we ate. He flipped the channel on the TV to some sort of CSI show. On this particular episode they were busting a stereotypical Al-Queda terrorist network sort of thing like they often do. As Medhi sat beside me I just look over at the time I realize that his nationality was being portrayed on televison as a ruthless cult of terrorists. I had never been apart of that sort of contrast, side by side, play by play experience. I find that quite saddening that it took 19 years to feel like I felt at that moment. It was humbling. I told Paul that was the exact experience I craved while being in Alabama and knew was out there. That's one of the many reasons I had to move. Alabama is great and parts of Huntsville are diverse but often times I would find that the cultures are bending theirs to mold to American standards. I'm not sure that, for instance, their restaurant would be successful without that. Sort of like the Chinese restaurant that serves chicken wings and fries. I simply felt that I wouldn't have been able to slide into that situation without moving.

On a lighter note socially... Medhi shot some penalty kicks on me in the restaurant. "Best of three for a dessert", he said. He got the last one in. But he still gave me my fig newton sort of dessert with date in the middle. It was quite good. Almost as good as the spinach pies and perfect chicken shawarma.