Fact vs Fact

The half an hour tube ride in the evening is never a pleasant one. People are rushing back, exhausted from the long working hours that it's almost impossible to see a commuter with a smile. There are times when I'm lucky to get a seat and frantic to find a newspaper being left behind. Otherwise, it'll just be another girl standing in the train with her earphone plugged in and her scarf distorted.

Even so, I always have this book to accompany me throughout the ride in the crammed and overflowing carriage.

It contains important historical events that had happened in the past for every day of the year. The author has also included interesting facts that never fail to have me go aahhh, oohhh, ahhhh and *grin*.

Let's see what's there for today.

Senegal achieved its independence on 20th August 1960. 

It is the most westerly country in Africa.

But hang on! Tomorrow's are more interesting.

"A real life, female Dracula died on 21st August 1614. Countess Elizabeth Bathori, the niece of King Stephen of Poland, but originally of Transylvanian descent, took to kidnapping young girls and bathing in their fresh blood to preserve her own beauty. When her gruesome secret was discovered in 1610, she had already disposed of 650 victims and she was walled up in her own room for her final years."

and

"The last state was added to the union of USA when Hawaii became the fiftieth on 21st August 1959. Mount Wai-'Ale'Ale on Hawaii Island is one of the wettest places on earth. Rain falls there almost every day of the year and there are scarcely seven days in the year when rain does not fall."

So, did the book put your history and general knowledge to a test?

Curious to find out what happened on your birthdate? Hehe.

Anyway, on a separate matter, I thank God for giving me the time to perform my first tarawih in jama'ah since Ramadhan started. Isya' is way too late here, 22:40 most of the days, that I could never do tarawih without being late for work the next morning. I'm so proud of myself even when I had to stay until midnight.

A conversation we had in the car,

Ai : Did you know that it's forbidden to perform any sunna prayers after performing the obligatory Asr prayer, until Maghrib kicks in? 

Amir : But there are exceptions to some of them.

Ai : No. Any sunna prayers are disliked and sinful in this period. Same for after Fajr prayer.

Me : Errr.... REALLY??!! 

Thinking of all those effort I've put just before we left for iftar.

And, the most vital book in life.