Khat, Jaad, the green stuff

[Baluug]

LOL Everyone in here are a bunch of goody-goody's. I've tried almost everything under the sun(before I became Muslim, of course) and I think that's part of what turned me away from khat. I was told "Have you ever tried this stuff? It's great!! It keeps you up all night and you want to talk more, and it gives you more energy, and blah blah blah.... and to top it all off, it's Halal!!!!!". So finally the day came when i found out a friend of ours had some jaad, and he invited us over. I was like "All right!! I'm gonna get mirqaan!!! I was all excited because I'd never tried this thing before. But I was extremely disappointed when I tried it. It was disgusting, and I didn't really feel anything(I thought I was gonna get high or something LOL). But it turned out I was chewing it wrong and I was swallowing it as well, not supposed to do that, apparently. But I didn't learn my lesson because I did it about 6 or 7 times after that. Oh well, at least I never had to pay for it......

[Pucca]

I find people look like cows when chewing gum and knowing that i can just picture how much more cow-lookin they'd be munching on leaves.

 

no, i've never tried it and dont plan to ever.

[Kool_Kat]

Originally posted by Tagsiile:

LOL Everyone in here are a bunch of goody-goody's.

TELL ME ABOUT IT eh...Afkeygaa ka daftay...

[Ms DD]

Nobody like to brag about their sins especially in this holy month. Ha inoo ahaato bacda ramadaan.

[Jacaylbaro]

I would confess if i've something ,,, but i missed that khat thing.

[Jamster]

Shameful

[rudy-Diiriye]

u is in sland and u missed it? than cant be. something is not jiving here.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Originally posted by Tagsiile:

LOL Everyone in here are a bunch of goody-goody's. I've tried almost everything under the sun(before I became Muslim, of course) and I think that's part of what turned me away from khat. I was told "Have you ever tried this stuff? It's great!! It keeps you up all night and you want to talk more, and it gives you more energy, and blah blah blah.... and to top it all off,

it's Halal!!!!!

". So finally the day came when i found out a friend of ours had some jaad, and he invited us over. I was like "All right!! I'm gonna get mirqaan!!! I was all excited because I'd never tried this thing before. But I was extremely disappointed when I tried it. It was disgusting, and I didn't really feel anything(I thought I was gonna get high or something LOL). But it turned out I was chewing it wrong and I was swallowing it as well, not supposed to do that, apparently. But I didn't learn my lesson because I did it about 6 or 7 times after that. Oh well, at least I never had to pay for it......

I think you need a little background about jaad and its effects.

 

Jaad, unlike other drugs, needs certain time span to be consumed or chewed or otherwise the leaves' juice will try out within days. A one who chews the leaves when it is few days old does not experience the same effect the one who did chew when it was fresh off from the soil. That is why the banana peels are wrapped on it, to prolong its freshness.

 

The jaad that gets into Kanada or Mareykanka [uS] is usually certain days old, some even upto ten days old, after passing its routes from Holland, then to UK and then its secret travelling to North America. That is where your bitter taste and least effect you got it from since it was probably some days old.

 

Jaad also has three kinds: Laari, gisa and gaangeeti. Gisa is the most expensive, the shortest and with the most juice.

 

I know this, despite and although growing up a household where my abtis and older brothers and other male relatives chewed jaad almost daily in Nairobi in the idle days of sponsor-waiting of early '90s, yet it had never occured to me to taste one leaf, even when I saw my childhood friends from Xamar who started chewing it in Nairobi in their early teenhoods.

 

About jaad being 'xalaal," I don't think any sane Soomaali believes that. It is a drug after all, as mild as it is. However, some Soomaalis at the same time do think jaad is a social habit, just a little rank above sigaar. Comparing jaad to cannabis or marijuana or xashiish, it is unfortunate.

 

Jaad is not that advanced drug. It may give to those who chew a mild euphoria or it might shut the talkative, while it looses up the quiet one -- still jaad iyo marijuana iskuma dhawo. Jaad never fully alters one's mind, the maanka. The chewer is always aware his surroundings.

 

Some say balwad waa loo dhashaa ee la iskama dhigo; I think I might believe it since jaad, sigaar, clubbing, et cetera, never attracted to me in my boyhood and I don't think it will into my adulthood now. I have lived here Kanada and Mareykanka more than a decade, I have yet to set a foot at a club, especially considering I was a teen when I came to North America.

[Jacaylbaro]

u gotta pay a visit dee ..... yaan lagaaga sheekayn

[Som@li]

I have tried a couple of times,first time I just wanted to taste it, maybe it has diff effect on diff pple,I didnt feel anything other than pain in tongue the following day,and lack of sleep, once a friend of mine cut a whole tree and brought to my house, and that was in New Zealand.

 

Somalis introduced Khat to some of white locals there, and started chewing it.

[Sharmarkee]

^^This guy chewed the living daylights out of his life, he chewed out all his money and all his sheeps and camels till be become senselessly broke.

 

he left with a few gabay line:

 

Subax walba daa baan idhaa damacna waa kii

Diyo toban nin way gooayn layhd taan dabaka sudhay

Qaraamaad intaan guran laha qaaadku hay dil'ee.

- means let me die onspot while bloody chewing that green stuff.

[Kool_Kat]

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar:

I have lived here Kanada and Mareykanka more than a decade, I have yet to set a foot at a club, especially considering I was a teen when I came to North America.

What? No club? Stop it? Naga dhaafhee adi...

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Yes, club [or as I call it, kalab kalaab] waligey cag ma saarin, umana socdi hadda.

 

I can't even tolerate standing meel, as seeing from the films or on tv, saas u huur, kuleel badan, waligana nalal saas u birqaayo kala nooc ah, laguna wareeraayo. No, dankis, ha iga ahaato.

 

Yes, I've been to ruwaayado, though.

[Pucca]

you aint missin much if you've gone to ruwaayado then...from what i hear ruwaayads are alot like clubs nowadays.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

For one thing, there are no alcohol served at ruwaadayaha, at to those I've been to. That alone makes a great difference to me for I would have never present myself where qamri and aalkolo is sold.

 

Secondly, almost all the patrons are Soomaali. That too makes a difference since it might be considered a community event.

 

Third, the songs almost are sung in Afsoomaali and are Soomaali songs by favourite singers. Another distinction. If there were no Soomaali songs, umaba socdeen.