Museum/ Street synthesis: Encounters with Islam

"But she said, sitting on the bus going up Shaftesbury Avenue, she felt herself everywhere; not 'here, here, here'; and she tapped the back of the seat; but everywhere. She waved her hand, going up Shaftesbury Avenue. She was all that. So that to know her, or any one, one must seek out the people who completed them; even the places."
Mrs. Dalloway

To prepare for this entry, I read over the pages of my journal to help me recall the heaps of things we have done on this trip. I ruminated over the fabulous museums, the different neighborhoods, the new and interesting types of food, and the incredible people I've met here. This trip has truly felt like a dream most of the time, simply because of the dizzying and overwhelming things I've seen and felt, in this world so far from my life in Texas. Cliche as it may sound, I feel just a little older and a little wiser from having come here.

I think the aspect that reflects my experience here the most is my contact with Islam. It is so funny-- Islam is one of the main religions in the world, and yet I know almost nothing about it. I thought I did, but London taught me otherwise. Seeing the Muslim women in Hyde Park made my ignorance blatant to me; as I gaped at the women, I noticed the gaping hole in my education and open-mindedness. I still do not know as much as I should about Islam, but I would like to correct this in the future. Then, I had the amazing opportunity to pray in a mosque. I don't think I know a non-Muslim who has prayed in a mosque. I will never forget seeing my own reflection in the glass of the women's section with my classmates and the other Muslim women, kneeling, sitting, praying in a wonderful, synchronized togetherness. I am so very thankful I had the opportunity to pray with these women, and I feel I might have just as easily not, especially in my own little bubble at UT.

These experiences have been most valuable to me, both in fighting my ignorance and humbling me. I am constantly reminded of how much I have yet to learn here, and I am so glad! This may sound cheesy, but I've realized that small moments, like figuring out maps with other people in London, or in quiet moments alone walking around Oxford, or simply observing people on London's streets from the bus, are spiritual. Indeed, I feel I have seen God more times on this trip and in more people than I ever have in my life. My interactions with Islam have added to this so much. We've taken these grand field trips and explored the exciting, bustling city. Yet it is the moments in between, like seeing my reflection in some glass at a mosque, or having the best conversations with people on bus trips, that seem the most real to me, and seem like they matter the most. Like Mrs. Dalloway on the bus, feeling an affinity with the people around her, I have connected with things and people around me like I have at no other time. I hope I will take those moments with me, and I hope that my experience here will translate to UT, even if only a small amount.