The Battle for Maat

Just Out "Egypt: Rise of the Resistance"

2012-01-18T01:03:00.001+02:00

I was racingthrough to make the second installment in The Battle for Maat available beforeJan25th, 2012.

If you are not inEgypt, you may wonder why.

I will tellyou...It's because the aborted Egyptian revolution is planning a comeback onits one year anniversary. For all newsand details follow hashtag #Jan25 on twitter.

Do you think itbefitting that the book is titled Rise of the Resistance?

Well, let me tellyou. It is no coincidence ;-)

This book willwitness the birth of the true organized resistance movement...the"Resistance."

Follow in Aya' sfootsteps and she will lead the way.
She will take you on a little journey away from the harshness of the mundaneand into a world where the impossible is just one step . Follow her and she mayenthrall you with bewitching tales as old as time...

You can download a copy from Smashwords HERE
Or if you prefer to cuddle up with a real book order it HERE

Our Martyrs... Our Heroes

2011-12-12T12:01:00.000+02:00

Thispost is translated from Arabic. You can find the original Here in the wordsof blogger extraordinaire and activist Mona Seif

The Adel Imam You Should Know

I met him atthe doors of Zeinhom morgue, home to the bodies of all our fallen heroes.

Allhe wanted was to take his son's body to Tahrir Square.

To honor him with a funeral march and prayerin the Square that bore witness to his son's final hours and demise at thehands of the Ministry of Interior and Army goons.

We started tospread the word and rally for a march. The local crowd, however, advised the father against it, and so he left, along with the boy's mother.

But our pathswere destined to cross again, on thefollowing Friday. The one we designated " Martyrs Friday."

This time itwas at the entrance of the notoriousMohamed Mahmoud Street, home to the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, where hundreds were injured and many losttheir live —and most important where Adel's young life was snatched awayfrom him.

We stood therestaring at the list of Martyrs.

Hesitantly, heasked, "Is Adel's name on there somewhere?"

Confidently, Ianswered, "Of course it is." Then I started to scan for his name—AdelImam.

"Here it!Here it is!" I pointed at the name excited. "Right up there, on theleft."

He stared atthe name and called out to his wife, Om Adel, " Adel's name is on thelist...here it is!" He said sobbing.

Adel's fatheronly wanted recognition. He sought no compensation, no vain words,. His parentsonly wanted Adel be recognized as the hero and the martyr that he is. Instead,what they got is the constant denial of police authorities that live bulletswere used. But they knew better. They saw the hole in their son's head withtheir own two eyes.

The real storybehind Adel Imam's death is a story we will not be hearing any time soon. Wewill not be hearing the truth as long we have notorious officials who dare stareat the bullet-laden bodies of the fallen and claim that no bullets were fired.As long as Egyptian national media only cares about the better-lookingbourgeois of the revolutionary lot. A long as the international media insistson reducing the Egyptian revolution to social media and As long as the media is obsessing overIslamophobia and ignoring anything else.

We will never bereading this story—the true story ofAdel Imam —anywhere:

Adel Imam , a young manual worker, who went to Tahrir demonstrationsbehind his parents' back.
Adel Imam is a martyr who was murdered in cold bold on February 21st.
Adel Imam was killed with a bullet in his head, and a receipt in his pocket—areceipt for the medical supplies he bought, with the pennies he makes, for theTahrir field hospital.

It thus remainsour responsibility to spread the word and tell their stories. Tell theirstories to our friends, our families, our children. Etch them in our memory sothat we may never forget.

It is ourresponsibility to document the true history of our revolution. It is ourresponsibility to sing the names of the fallen heroes and hang their pictureseverywhere...until one day we overcome, or become one of these untold stories waiting to be sung.

The Adel Imam who doesnt matter

For those whoask when will the Egyptian revolution be complete, I answer: when "AdelImam" becomes a name synonymous with this young hero and not a proregime hatefulactor.

Please pray forour unsung heroes... our martyrs.

Remember Remember the Dead and dismembered

2011-10-06T00:39:00.001+02:00

Dear Justice,

I am writing to you today because I have been told that you are blind--and so I am helping you see.

I understand it is easy to overlook the weak and to further forget the forgotten because, well, they neither bark nor bite.

But to continue ignoring blindly those in need --Lady justice, that is just too cruel...even for you.

Sometimes I fear that you. Lady justice, do not like freedom. Not only do you take it away from those you deem 'wrong-doers,' but also you do not extend you grace to those who fight for it.
Do you not think that freedom fighters deserve to be avenged and defended and taken care of?

Photo Credit: Hossam Haplas Facebook Account.

Maybe you do...but you are just too blind to see. So I bring to your attention Randa, a young nurse who was beaten into paralysis by the goons of a dictator and mistreated in the hospitals of his successor.

Randa was tending the wounded on a fateful night in Tahrir square, oblivious to the fact that she will never walk again. She sutured a wound and for that a policeman decided to give her a beating that will alter her life for ever.

February 2nd was the last day Randa walked on her own two feet. With a shattered spinal cord and an old rusty wheel chair, Randa suffers from medical neglect and psychological abuse at the hands of the staff of the rehabilitation center.

Do you think she deserves that Lady justice?
Do you think fallen heroes and those who lost the normalcy of their lives deserve no swift retribution?

I know you don't. I am sure you don't.

So please Lady justice, I beg of you, please do something--or we will all be doomed.

Sincerely,
A troubled human.

Beware the Flogging You Driving Woman!

2011-09-28T03:42:00.004+02:00

Lest you thought erroneously that the darkages are a thing of the past, please be informed that just yesterday a womanwas sentenced to ten whiplashes because*drum roll* she was caught driving a car!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I kid you not. Andthis of course takes place in none other than the backward-minded "Kingdom."

I hate to refer to that country, wherebeloved Mecca and Medina lie, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because, like myvery wise grandmother always said, no country should be name after its rulers.

How can women still face such cruel anddemeaning corporeal punishment in the year 2011--and by order of a judge? Whatis wrong with the world?

And before you jump to conclusions aboutextremists and Islamic Sharia law, let me tell you that Saudi king and royaltyare not as pious as they would like us to believe. They, and their beloved/favoredones, are out of the reach of said Sharia law. They do whatever the hellpleases them and in many instances have to travel far and wide to enjoyfreedom.

So again the case of the Kingdom is merelya case of chauvinist pigs used religion to exercise their misogyny. It's an ageold trick. Watch the locked uphousewives of Venice in the movie Dangerous Beauty do they remind you ofsomeone?

Women of the Kingdom, fear not. You willsee the light of freedom, soon I hope--in our lifetime.

Disillusionement and the Arab Spring

2011-09-20T00:51:00.001+02:00

One of most interesting Arab intellectuals on the blogging scene, Rami Zurayk, Professor of Ecosystem Management in the American University of Beirut, wrote a piece on why he is not disillusioned with the Arab spring.

Now, it is only natural that I find his post intriguing. After all, disillusionment was one of my most common states of mind--guess the hapless romantics all know what I am talking about.

There comes the time when you realize that there is no place for disillusionment, because all your worst fears are true. Utopia is truly nowhere, and happinness is more fleeting that a cigarette's wick.

This was precisely where I stood right before the Arab spring worked its magic on me.

But then, like spring always does, the Arab spring gave way to a cruel and harsh summer--with bodies all over the place and hope no where in sight.

Zurayk argues that disillusionment is a natural state of affairs that one should embrace, as a part of the circle of life, rather than worry about it. He also firmly asserts that disillusioned with the Arab spring he is not and will never be. Why? because the Arab spring has remolded our societies perceptions and ended the infamous acquiescence of Arab people for all time.

You cannot really argue with that. But the way I see it, oil monarchies are poison to the Arab's freedom springs. Rich corrupt kings do not freedom for their people--or their people's neighbors. They would like to see the dictator-free countries in a perpetuel state of chaos. So that they serve as cautionary tales for the people of the gulf--lest they dare seek freedom for themselves.

This brings me back to the question: are YOU disillusioned with the Arab spring? Or do you see a dim light at the far end of the tunnel?

On Hope and Being Young

2011-09-05T15:57:00.000+02:00

I found a quotations notebook from my teenage years the other day.

It started off with stanza One of Emily Dicknison's

"Hope is the thing with feathers.

That perches in the soul.

And sings a tune-- without the words
And never stops at all."

It was written up in beautiful colors with an elegant hand writing complete with decorative motifs and small happy scribbles.

The notebook's was full of quotations, some attributed some not. I flipped through it without much attention--until I found that final page.

I had not remembered collecting these quotes or making that notebook at all. But from the choice of first quote I had assumed that it was a happy teenage girl's little book--a guide to life, or something of the sort.

Until I came across the last page.
The page held the last quote:

"Contentement is when you finally realize that life is a gift, not a right." with a small circular drawing beside it, labeled "Vicious Circle of Wants and Needs." The circle, scribbled in fading pencil strokes, showed how the "quest for happiness" leads to "unfullfillment" which, naturally, leads right back up to the "quest for happiness."

Then, a sad question a few lines down: "How can I break free?"

The answer was shocking: " God," circled in red.

I must have been fourteen or fifteen when I wrote the first quote. But I remember nothing of the circumstances of writing this one last page. That page was not just a pious girl's quest for Nirvana, or a plan to relinquish material life. This is was the beginning of what was to be many years of learned helplessness.

I wonder who taught this young intelligent human being full of potential that she has to "stop wanting." Who taught her that happiness is bad? Why did she think that there was no use trying?

What happened between the first and the last pages, you may wonder. Well, the patriarchal misogynist Powers That Be had finally gotten the best of me. A very long story that I am sure I am going to tell someday, or even put it in a book. For many years I battled with this there-is-no-use mentality. Sometimes I won, but most of the time the Powers That Be had something entirely different in mind.

How did that story end? Well, I ultimately came out victorious! The Powers That Be are no longer in charge. I'm in charge!

But somewhere deep inside still lies that sad scared little girl. Is this why I was drawn to writing YA fiction about a girl who thought of herself no good but turned out to hold all the power? Perhaps. But maybe I also wrote it for my daughter, to tell her of all the things that she can be and all the things that she can do--if she chooses to.

The operative term here is "if she chooses to." This is a theme I will come back to time and time again in the Battle for Maat. Aya is not just someone who is fated by blood and heritage for greatness, she had to choose to be great. She will even defy common sense on many occasions because she wants to do what she feels is right and wants to find her own way.

"We are who we choose to be." The blind Seer tells Aya in the beginning of her journey. I believe in that wholeheartedly. Don't you?

Turning A Blind Eye

2011-08-07T02:25:00.003+02:00

Today I write not about Egypt the Uprising, or the Battle for Maat. Although I am pretty sure that Ma'at, had she been truly here, would not have left this disastrous situation go unchecked.

Today I write to you about the spreading famine in Somalia.

Somalis are dying--dying of hunger and thirst. While we, the whole world, sit there watching.

What wretched nations have we become that we do not even care enough about the plight of our fellow human beings? Where is Somalia on the news I ask? Where is the media?

Are only the latest of entertainment news or flamboyant rock stars worthy of our Television hours? What about malnourished children with bellies swollen and lost dreams?

The World Food Programme (WFP), the largest humanitarian agency operating in Somalia, reports "serious shortage of food" due to "severe funding shortage." And this is a UN organization speaking. They were forced to stretch the dwindling food supplies and are urging nations and individuals alike to donate to save the lives of those struck by hunger.

Now what pains me the most is that the reaction of the so-called 'Muslim' nations.

Somalia is a muslim country. Why on earth aren't the Gulf countries chipping in big time with their Oil money? Why is Saudi Arabia paying no attention whatsoever to the Somali crisis? What is their excuse? The king is too busy squandering his money on Ramadan feasts and beautiful maidens ?

Update: Ok, so the great King donated a measly $60 million and launched a "National Fundraising Campaign." Who is he raising the funds from..beats me! He sure is rich enough to support ALL Somalians for the next 10 years if he wanted to.

Muslims everywhere are now observing the month of Ramadan, a month of austerity and piety according to Islamic tradition.

A month where muslims are instructed to refrain from food and drink from sunrise till sunset, to instill in them compassion and sympathy for the pains of the hungry and poor everywhere. Ignoring the draught and famine in Somalia beats the Ramadan spirit people.

Update: Awareness raised and everybody is donating in Egypt. Most local Mosques are holding donation campaigns... even the poor are donating! Aren't they just awesome.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind fasting muslims everywhere of Surat Al Balad (the City) where it states unequivocally that one of the surest ways to heaven is through "feeding the hungry in a day of famine."

Donate NOW!

"But what can we do?" Some people ask.

For starters, you can donate money to your favorite humanitarian organization offering help to Somalians.

I am including a few links at the end of this post but they are by no means an exhaustive list.

And before you dismiss this issue as something which does not concern you, please remember that what goes around most certainly comes around... global weather patterns change and before the new ice age sets on you have no idea who might get all their waters dried up.

UNICEF donations

Doctors Without Borders donations

Islamic Relief Organization donations

Oxfam America donations

And, if, for whatever reason, you cannot donate. Please do not forget them in prayers. Do not turn a blind eye to the misery in the world... remember them, at least in your heart.

Guest Post by Aya Salaheldin: How It All Came into being

2011-07-12T14:58:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Aya Salaheldin and I am 16.

Amira and I were working on an interview, but I hate answering questions... makes me feel like I'm on a test :-S

And so the idea of a post came into being...

First, let me tell you about this website/blog. Amira has graciously agreed to host "the Battle for Ma'at" on her popular blog after we agreed to work on the book together. I do not have enough time, because of all the things that you'll find out about soon enough, to run a website full-time. AND I want to stay in the shadows.

It would be dangerous if I were identified by the powers that be at this moment--the battle is still on and the struggle is full-fledged.

I was a regular teen, until I realized that the world is far from what it seems.

My account of the events that transpired in the week of January 25th 2011 is presented in "Egypt: the Uprising."

What is going on now, however, is an entirely different game-- you will hear about it soon... in time... when it is safe.

Until then, stay strong my brethren(Amira is that a word? She nodded yes, great!) and remember: we, freedom fighters, shall eventually overcome.

Disclaimer: this is a Character Interview (i.e an interview of a fictional character.)

Print Copy of Egypt the Uprising

2011-06-25T12:04:00.000+02:00

Now, finally, you can order a print copy of Egypt the Uprising

click here to get your copy now

Author Interview: Writing Inspiration and other quirks

2011-06-24T07:15:00.000+02:00

Check out my author interview over at Derek's cool blog .

http://dw-perspectives.blogspot.com/2011/06/interview-with-author-amira-aly.html

Read my Author Interview

2011-06-14T01:23:00.000+02:00

My first author interview

where I talk about writing, twitter vs, FaceBook, and a few of my favorite things

Tutankhamun's Trumpet

2011-06-07T10:02:00.000+02:00

I wrote about it on BlogCritics: Steer Clear of the Trumpet of War

Read... Comment...Share :)

Egypt the Uprising A 5-star Read

2011-06-07T02:18:00.001+02:00

Today is a major milestone for me, Egypt: The Uprising has received an Amazon review and a 5 STAR rating!

The book has been described as

A fast-paced read, riddled with adventures and trials and problem-solving.

Reminiscent of "National treasure", this young adult book has a little of everything for reader - sibling rivalry and love, family dynamics, young crushes, loyalty, magic,fabled creatures and beings, strange worlds and journeys.

National Treasure? Hmmm, funny my husband used the same reference. I thought it was more along the lines of the Da Vinci Code ;)
What do you think?

Egypt the Uprising is Available Ladies and Gents

2011-06-01T18:51:00.002+02:00

Available for immediate download Click here

And soon on Nook, Apple iBookstore, and Google ereader.

If you intend to read it on your computer download the pdf file :)

Happy reading!

Update 02/06/2011: Also on Amazon (this is still the ebook or kindle edition) Click Here

Q&A

2011-05-29T13:04:00.000+02:00

I will be adding all the Questions&Answers pertaining to my book "Egypt: The Uprising" and the series "Battle for Maat" , to this link.

Feel free to post in the comments section or email me with any questions you'd like to see answered.

When the Armed Reign Supreme

2011-05-23T01:44:00.002+02:00

My friends and family from all over the world ask me: “how fares the Egyptian revolution?”

And in all honesty, I choke on the answer. I usually gulp down some coffee and stare into the empty space ahead and shake my head.

For those of you who don’t know, Egypt is now run by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF). Does the name sound scary enough? Sounds pretty scary to me!

I’ve always been wary of those who are armed, especially if they reign supreme.

The Egyptian people, however, has a completely different view. Army tanks deployed on the streets of Tahrir square back in the Mubarak-days were greeted with loving chants. Army officers were being hugged by people from all walks of life. Tears of joys were in the eyes of many of the protestors who had once chanted “wahid, itnayn, el gayesh el masry fayn” which roughly translates to “ one … two … our army where are you?” The truly believed in the Egyptian Army as their savior and deliverer from the hellish grip of the brutal police.

“What the hell is wrong with these people,” I had asked .

“What do you mean what’s wrong with them? Nothing is wrong with them, they’re welcoming our Army.” He said looking at me as if I had just landed from a different planet. “Our army. The army that has sworn to defend and protect us. The army that stands guard to keep Egypt safe.”

I still failed to understand the true reasons behind the love affair between Egyptians and the Army. Not because I had anything against them, but because I knew all too well that the disciplined army soldiers, who live and die by a sacred hierarchical structure, have no taste for democracy--or rights.

Mubarak stepped down, or rather was forced to step down by a yet-to-be-identified entity. And SCAF stepped up.

I immediately did not like this. Armed forces are trained to fight, not rule. It is just a simple as that. They undergo rigorous training that encourages blind obedience, suppresses individuality, fosters patriarchal world views, and teaches blindness to the rights of the one when it conflicts with the good of the many. And herein lies the rub!

SCAF’s current version of the good of the many involves keeping ex-president Mubarak in 5-star suite in a private Sharm El Sheikh hospital.

SCAF are just extending some courtesy to their ex-leader Mubarak, you say? You want us to let it go? Well, Mubarak has ordered the police to gun down protestors which resulted in the death and maiming of thousands of Egyptians, most of them young and still had a full life ahead of them. Mubarak lies in a 5-star hospital bed while the dead lie in their graves. Does that sound fair to you?

Egypt is spiraling down a very dark tunnel while our future is not revealed to us by the powers that be. Lack of transparency, camouflage-clothing inspired perhaps, is baffling us. When EXACTLY are the elections? Dates… numbers? No one knows for sure. Who’s voting? Rumor after rumor followed by a denial here and a confirmation there.

Civilians undergo military trials. While Mubarak, once the high commander of the Armed Forces, is being investigated by the Attorney General. Justice? I think not.

We seek justice for those who were wronged and we seek our long-lost freedom. That’s how I know we are on the side of righteousness.

May 27^th is when we attempt to right the wrongs and walk-down the paths of Tahrir Square again. If you cannot join us, I beseech you, remember us in your prayers.

Novel Coming Right Up

2011-05-19T02:16:00.001+02:00

Did you notice that awesome new mysterious background I have?

Have I been doin' something behind your back? ;p

Yes, 'tis true boys and gals, I've been up to something ...

I have been hiding out writing a novel.

It will be coming out in the beginning of June 2011 *fingers crossed.*

Want a sneak peak?

Here's the cover...

Egypt's Sectarian Clashes : Same Misogynists Different Shit

2011-05-10T00:05:00.000+02:00

It is with a heavy heart that I write today about the God-forsaken events that shook Egypt in Imbaba , a poor Cairo district. Two churchs were attacked and lives were lost. Egyptian precious lives.

Here I beg to argue that the root of all evils in Egyptian Sectarian tension is partiarchial misogynist attitudes that feed on tribal values and male chauvaunistic tendencies.

A woman is always at the heart of it all. Camilia , then Abir, and probably to be followed by many other unfortunate souls who are denied their rights to choose their lives, their destinies-- and of course , above all, fall in love.

The story always goes like that: a woman, whatever her religion, defies the socio-cultural norms and makes a husband, brother or father angry. It is usually the story of a woman seeking freedom from a shattered marriage; or a young girl looking for love in the arms of someone who happened to be from a different religion.
The angered opposed male figure starts to rally for his cause Matters then escalate into a frenzy.

Men are especially prone to going insane over anything that remotely touches on the hackeneyed concept of "sharaf" or honor-- which is coincidentally also our PM's last name. Their 'honor', naturally, is to keep their women nicely tucked away with halos of virtue and chastity , real or imaginary, hovering over their head.

Egyptians... Please grow up before Egypt burns to the ground!

Children of the Egyptian Revolution

2011-04-28T00:31:00.000+02:00

This piece first appeared on the Imperfect Parent,
titled Tahrir Square Presents Children of the Egyptian Revolution

“Mommy! Don’t ‘Oust’ me! I am not an evil president.” Said my six year old as a reply to my “Allez! Oust! Au lit!” which is French for C’mon and get to bed right away. She associated the interjection ‘oust’ with the English verb she heard so many times from me, as well as on Television where news of attempts to ‘oust’ Mubarak, the evil Egyptian president, was all over. She said that to me in English then switched to Arabic to ask me if I can take her to Tahrir Square tomorrow.

The way she pronounced ‘Tahrir’ square made it clear, beyond any doubt, that she was truly Egyptian. The way she formed the “h” of Tahrir, the letter we represent phonetically as ‘7’ in our Arabic text messages, was impeccable. “Tahrir means Liberation in Arabic, is that why we chose this square mommy?” It was, in fact, just a coincidence--a very befitting one indeed. Liberation square witnessed the largest protests in Egyptian history. Protests which lead to the putting an end to the thirty-year reign of the dictator Hosni Mubarak and has set the country on a path for political reform.

Tuesday January 25^th was the date it all started. My daughter woke up and sat next to me as I was watching live feed showing the protests. I explained to her that people are demonstrating because they want the president to leave because he is not a very fair person and he had done many things that are very wrong. She heard me talking on the phone to friends heading towards Tahrir and that was the first time she heard the word dictator-- or a deektaatoor as we would pronounce it in Arabic. She giggled because a ‘toor’ is a bull in Arabic, so to her, that was a funny way to insult someone. After I was off the phone she said to me, “I know why you call him a ‘tor’. It’s cuz he’s a bully right?” Her eyes sparkled and I did not want to burst her bubble. She spoke the whole sentence in Arabic except for the English word “bully.” She had made an interesting association between the word bully and ‘toor’ which in her mind meant bull. I though this quite amusing and wondered whether I should correct her at all.

“No honey, a ‘deektaatoor’ is called a dictator in English and has nothing to do with bulls. A dictator is someone who likes to hog power and authority all for himself, and he uses them to control people.”

“Aha! He IS a bully then! Told ya mommy.” This exchange was again in English, and then we went on a discussion, in French, of the differences between ruling a country and being Mayor of ‘Toy Village’--her own imaginary make-belief play land. She did not think there was that much of a difference and so she firmly believed she can be an excellent choice for the next Egyptian president, like Cleopatra. The fact that Cleopatra was not a president did not matter too much to her. A person who rules a country, whether elected or not, should be just and fair. You can hardly argue with that.

Our trilingual conversation is just an example of the multiculturalism that exists in Egypt. We have French, Canadian, British, and American family members in our extended family. In fact, almost every family in Egypt has. And they all have backed up and supported our revolution.

This February, all the children of Egypt, like my daughter, are learning important lessons about freedom, courage and standing up for their rights--values which were only whispers prior to January 25^th,2011.

Speechless in Tahrir Square

2011-02-23T03:52:00.002+02:00

Blog about it Amira... write about it.
Well sometimes, the fact is, you are just speechless and utterly at a loss for words.

When history is being written, and we are there, we live it. I could not write about it while it was happening, I was too shaken--and too bitter at all those trying to abort the revolution.

When Mubarak stepped down, I wrote about it on Blogcritics.

And now there is so much to do--and so much to write about.

So let the journey begin....

Egypt Shark Attacks: So long Diversity!

2010-12-09T13:59:00.001+02:00

Shark attacks tourist in Sharm El Sheikh. Egypt attacks shark.
First the pig slaughter in the name of swine flu, and now the shark crackdown for the sake of catching “the killers.”

I should note that I am not at all suggesting that being environmentally friendly is letting your local sharks feed on humans. I am merely pointing out the ludicrous manner in which the Egyptian authorities deal with any animal-related threat whether real or exaggerated, as in the case of the swine flu. If a species is suspected of causing any trouble, they are just simply wiped out of the country by whatever ministry that fancies getting the credit of making people feel safe.

Actually, somehow I suspect that the officials in Egypt would just love to do the same to a certain subset of the Egyptian population *wink wink.* The motto in Egypt is --if it bothers you, finish it off!

Now that the investigation is being held in Sharm el sheikh, many of theories proposed suggest that humans messing up the environment was most likely the underlying cause of this aberrant shark attacks.
Someone was either drawing them to shore with churned-up fish. Or, as pointed out by dailymail, a cargo ship dumped a load of animal carcasses in the sea instigating the hungry sharks to gather. This brings us to another point--hungry sharks. Guess who made them hungry? Humans you say? Yep, absolutely! The depletion of the marine life ecosystem leaves larger predators starving.

But while we are kissing biodiversity goodbye, we should keep in mind that some of these species could hold the key to curing our ailments.

Language Learning (Part Two)

2010-12-09T02:04:00.004+02:00

In part 1, I talked about language fluency as a product of incorporating the new language in your life, not just learning the language mechanics and application of grammatical concepts.

Now, in the second part of the series, we will look at the first of many practical tips and suggestions every language learner should embrace--not just because I say so--but because they are tried and true. They are also the concepts behind all language learning programs out there.

Immerse yourself in the Language.

You want to learn English?

Then read English. Listen to English.

Speak English, and above all, write English.

The rest of this post will tell give you a list of No-No’s, what to steer clear from when trying out this language immersion approach.

Do NOT read Junk.

When I advise you to read for language acquisition purposes, I will urge you to only read material written by native speakers--or writers at a near-native level. Refrain from reading awkwardly composed fiction or non-fiction written by someone who is merely translating their thoughts from their mother tongue into English. As a rule of thumb, you should stick with material published by renowned publishing houses.

Do not zpeak Inglish Wiz Your Cousins (unless your cousins are cool Americans or funky Brits).

This one has always baffled me. People ‘practicing’ a language by speaking to their immediate family members or friends who are no better than them. The sight of mamas in malls instructing their kids to “bleaze go get ze rice” makes me cringe. Why don’t you just tell the poor kid to fetch you a bag of rice in Arabic? Do you really think this enlightening conversation will turn the kids into a Hemmingway?

Do Not Bother Reading something that bores you.

You should choose a topic that genuinely interests you. Don’t just pick up any generic language learning book and start reading it. These usually are workbooks. It’s true that they have ‘comprehension’ passages, but that is not what I want you to use for reading material. Choose a topic you’re passionate about: a hobby, a certain genre of fiction you like, or even politics. Your interest in the topic will make it more likely that you continue reading, and you will find out that you retain better the sentence structure and syntax. You will begin to ‘echo’ your favorite writers unconsciously as you begin to absorb how to build sentences and use words precisely where they belong.

Read Thoroughly.

Read thoroughly and read well. Don’t skim over the material. Highlight sentences which strike you as pretty. Underline words that are new to you. And, oh, by the way, the dictionary IS your best friend. You have to look up words as they cross your path. If you find yourself not reaching for the dictionary at all during your reading session then maybe the material you’ve chosen is too easy for you. Get out of your comfort zone and look for more challenge!

If you are looking for specific reading suggestions, email me with your general interests and I’ll give you a few examples of reliable material you can use.

Next time we will talk about the listening and speaking components of the language immersion program.

Will Be Right Back

2010-11-23T15:22:00.002+02:00

I haven't forgotten about part two, or the rest of the 'fluently' series that I promised.

I am just ultra-busy with my grad school work, and will be back --hopefully-- on December 8th.

Meanwhile, as one of many assignments for my HPM600 class, I started another blog where I will be commenting on a book by the Pultizer prize winning author Paul Starr.

How Can You Learn Any Language Effortlessly

2010-10-24T02:33:00.000+02:00

Effortlessly? Did I say effortlessly? Well, almost effortlessly anyway. Contrary to what many believe, language learning does not have to be a boring, tedious, complicated task.
In fact, the more fun you, or your kids, have while learning a new language, the more successful you will ultimately be. I stare, in awe, at howling mothers sitting in the club on gorgeous Saturday mornings wasting their time forcing their children to etch in wretched notebooks line after line of smothering sentences : " Good morning Hassan. My name is Khalil and I like bananas." Pffff! This is , supposedly, an attempt to teach kids English in Kindergarten/first primary. Then comes of course the endless hours of grammar, whether it be English 'if sentences' or French conjugaison.
After years and years of that in traditional school systems, how many students became fluent speakers of the second languages they were taught? Not enough I would say!

So what IS the secret of language fluency ?
It is as simple as this: to speak a language fluently you must process your thoughts in that language and not perform a literal word for word translation from your mother tongue into that language.
Yes, it is true, believe me. To speak a language well, you have to think in it.
Why? You may ask.
The virtues are too many to count but most importantly you tend to speak faster, hesitate less, and always find the right words. Choice of words, in the context of a conversation especially, is not easy when you try to translate from another language.

I'll give you a simple example. You are a native Arabic speaker. You met an American friend and you started chit chatting with him. He asks you a question and you would like to reply mish a'wee or nos nos*, but can't exactly find the right words, so you hesitate and stop to think. If the friend was asking you how you did on an exam for example, and you weren't too happy with how you did, you could reply : "I did OK, wish I could've done better though." This is a much more eloquent answer than the awkward translation many Egyptians use: "so and so." Or even the Ridiculously literal " half and half," evidently because nos literally means half.

In part two of this series, I will indulge you in fun and relatively easy ways you can start to think in the language of your choice.

*mish a'wee/ nos nos are Egyptian slang terms used to indicate that things aren't going too well, but not too bad either.

I Write Like

2010-10-01T01:35:00.001+02:00

So I was surfing the web, not out of lack of things to do --just quite the opposite actually, where I came across this " I Write Like " gadget.
The idea is simple and quite appealing to someone looking for pointless self-inflating fun.
You insert a snippet of your writing and it gives you a badge telling you who you supposedly mimic in your pathetic attempts of being a writer.
So, I reluctantly chose a piece, cut and paste it, press enter and wait the results:

DAN BROWN

hah! I thought. So my sentences are choppy, my syntax is rudimentary, and my story line is horrendously spiraling!!

But unlike Mr. Brown, I am not about to diss the Church, or the mosque, or the synagogue for that matter in my novel. So I think that my chances of turning my book into a world wide phenomenon are , ahem, well , next to nil!

Men, Women and the Whole Nine Yards.

2010-09-26T23:25:00.000+03:00

Ever notice how women are the only ones to ever read a how-to relationship manual? Women are also more likely than men to read how to please advice. Who do you think "Men Are from Mars Women Are from Venus" was written for? Do you think men care to know where women come from, let alone to please them?
In Muslim countries, the man-pleasing quests take on the form of righteous and pious religious behavior. In the west, it is the quest to be PHAT and sexy--but it is all one and the same. Look the way men want you to. Act the way men want you to. Make them happy. Why?? Because maybe then they will care about your happiness and needs.

All this women-power propaganda is just a thin veil of smoke hiding the ugly truth. It is only the women who are willing to go the whole nine yards. They work and earn money and put on make up. They learn how to cook better, dance better, be better in bed. They learn to be nice and motherly and 'appropriate.'

When was the last time you saw a man Google "how to please your woman" rather than indecent pictures of Carla Bruni?

A woman , on the other hand, Middle eastern or otherwise, will seek to understand and please a man even if it meant turning into a bleached, painted, Silicone sack. I am not saying it's wrong, rather I am wondering why this isn't reciprocated. Forget the why-- maybe it is too obvious.
I guess the question should be will it ever change?

The All-Egyptian Grand Night: Best Puppetry Show

2010-09-26T00:15:00.001+03:00

Neither blinded by mere childhood nostalgia or a soft-heart for puppetry shows, I have deemed 'The Grand Night', or el layela el kebeyra as the best puppetry show that was ever made.
I was surprised to learn today while reading the Egyptian Chronicles: RIP Salah El-Sakka that this little operetta was directed by Ahmed El Sakka' s father. To all those who don't know, Ahmed El Sakka is the Kevin Costner of Egyptian cinema-- well, the "Bodyguard" Kevin Costner not the Swing Vote Costner.
This el leila el kebeira show then brought together 2 Salahs a master puppeteer, Salah El Sakka, and a master poet, Salah Jahin.
It is an authentic, funny, witty, larger than life, show. I wonder if anybody has ever translated it into English .... maybe I should try one day.....

Islam The Politically Correct Religion and Racism in Egypt

2010-09-18T03:03:00.002+03:00

Racism in Egypt is back by popular demand!
Seems like racism will always be a popular topic-- be it in Egypt or elsewhere.

There are basically two types of responses:

a) Non Egyptians (of all colors of the rainbow) agreeing with my observation and some recounting their bad experiences with racism in Egypt.

b) Egyptians who are mad at me, and who utterly deny that any of this is true.

To all those who claim that Egyptians are not racist, I offer them the definition of racism from the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
"1. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.
2. a belief that race is the primary determinant of traits... and confers superiority"
So does that ring any bells? Superior race anyone?? Yep, as Egyptians see it, whites or khawagas are considered inherently superior.

While, like a dear friend brought to my attention, racism in Egypt does not have 'evil' manifestations--just harmless mocking and "slight" discrimination --mind you I don't know if discrimination can be trivialized--
I just find it a behavior not becoming of Muslims. To see a woman in a burqa or a niqab call her Sudanese neighbor "ya sawda" , i.e. black, to insult her, just makes me utterly mad.

Islam was the first politically correct religion. The Quran instructs muslim to abstain from derision, mocking, and name-calling against other 'peoples' -perhaps the Arabic word kawm can also be translated as race ?? It also says explicitly in the Quran that God has created all humans equally, but made them into tribes and 'people' so that they can get to know each other. And he let them all know that the most superior or 'best' people are the ones that fear him and act in accordance with his orders -- you know, the ones that are generally good people!

Egypt The Land of Oil Spills

2010-09-16T00:51:00.001+03:00

YAY!!! We got our very own oil spill-- aren't we lucky!

But oh wait-- didn't we just HAVE an oil spill off the coast of hurghada last June? Yeah, but this oil spill is just way cooler.
It is 110 tons of Diesel spilled right in our drinking water supply-- THE Nile. Call me pessimistic but TWO oil spills in the span pf two months is just down right outrageous.
What exactly are we waiting for? Where is our "ministry" of environment?

While authorities have graciously announced that most of the Diesel has 'evaporated', they failed to tell us anything about the long term implications of this ecological disaster. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency stated that the Nile is 'free' from contamination --because the diesel was ' immediately sucked by hoses.'

The no-contamination article preceded the closing of five water treatment plants , this does not give the authorities much credibility does it? First you say that there is no spill, then you say that it has been sucked away, later you announce the closure of water treatment facilities and that the Diesel has evaporated away
!!
Well, here's a bit of Environmental Science 101 for ya:
There is such as thing as fate and transport of contaminants. When contamination occurs, the contaminant does not just vanish in thin air. Evaporation is not ,by any means, nature's way of cleaning up the water. Evaporation , correctly termed volatilization in this instance, means that part of the compound has switched compartments, from water to air. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency assures us that Diesel is not very water soluble. While that is, at least to a certain extent, is true, it presents a problem of that not many people are aware of . Contaminants that are not very water soluble tend to stick more to particles and deposit in sediment. This simply translates to polluting the Nile, and the Red Sea before it.

But why am I elaborating so much on this topic? Well, the first time an oil spill occurred I thought to myself :"let it go accidents happen!" But now I am just worried that there may be a pattern about to develop here.. you know, much like the electricity blackouts, water shortages, and soaring meat prices!

Seema Jilani Journalist Extraordinaire!

2010-09-13T01:26:00.000+03:00

Want an example of a kick-ass activist, journalist, and humanitarian worker who writes about things that matter not just topics that are right-wing friendly and demeaning to third world countries, and ,either directly pr directly. glorify the west? Look no further, you can read Seema Jilani's great article in the guardian's comment is free section.
Seema Jilani dares to challenge the ill-mannered expatriated party animals drinking their woes away at brand new luxury bars in Afghanistan. She is ferociously attacked by the "free thinkers" who support the right of their poor fellow colonials in partyin' til dawn.
This reminds me of the scenes from old Egyptian movies where brit soldiers are swaggering drunk at the early hours of the morning in Cairo streets. But I think that what's happening in Afghanistan is worse.
Back in Colonial times, it was not claimed to be a war on you "for your own good." The British Army did not march into Egypt claiming to free its women and help human rights prosper. They knew they were the big bad wolf, and they didn't care! Ah, it was easy back then. Now things are more complicated. There is terrorism. There is Bin Laden. And there is of course the post 9/11 world of shiny bombs and sticky ambushes and dead civilians in a handful of countries in the name of the war on terror.
People like the pediatrician Dr Seema Jilani humble me tremendously, but they give me hope. Hope in honest, fair, and enlightened journalism.

Two thumbs for sensitive, eloquent souls like Seema Jilani!

When Radio Silence Is All You Need

2010-07-14T14:42:00.000+03:00

Yes, it's true! Radio silence has been broken and I'm out and about again.

I can't tell you how thankful I am for all the wonderfull people who emailed/texted/twittered me to ask whether everything is fine. It is nice to feel like you are not alone in cyberspace!

It's not just that I've been extra super busy lately.
I also felt really down since that freedom flotilla incident. I felt like the world is generally a very depressing place; a place where writing and words have very little meaning if you do not own a lobby that controls the media ( hint..hint).

So I will steer clear of politics as of now-- I don't feel like sinking into the deep pits of depression just yet.

Next posts will be more on the light-and-breezy side!

Read A Book And Stop Watching Tom and Jerry

2010-05-31T03:02:00.001+03:00

The verdict has been out for eons people... Tom and Jerry is NOT a kids cartoon! It is too violent, too mischievous, and too downright pointless--hey, it's not even politically correct!!

You would not let your kids watch "South Park", so why let them watch Tom and Jerry?

What I can't understand though is the Egyptian obsession with Tom and Jerry. It's like a cult 'round here. People tell me :"C'mon we all grew up with that stuff!!" No we didn't, not all of us anyway. Some people were watching the cuter, but much less entertaining I admit, Mickey Mouse.

And then again, why do we have to watch anything at all? Whatever happened to the idea of snuggling up cozily with a good book? Nobody seems to do that anymore...

I wanted to start a book club--I was sneered at whenever I suggested the idea to people I know. "We just don't have the time for that sort of thing." They'd argue; but these same busy bees follow religiously at least THREE different TV shows.

I do read for my own pleasure, of course. But I miss discussing books, and analyzing poems.
The way you revel in the subtleties and finess of a book you are reading with a willing companion is a pleasure I have been denied for so many years now. The moment I stepped into Med school actually. The literary artsy types are not exactly a dime a dozen over there. Sure there are some--but I was part of the elite" awal el dofa" gang --ie.top of the class. So mark-hogging was all we cared about; not exactly the setting for discussing our literary inclinations!
I wonder if there could be an "online book club" of some sort-- I'll look into that. *making a mental note*

This was meant to be a post about not watching violent cartoons, like Tom and Jerry, and maybe instilling the love of reading in your children; but we got a little side-tracked...yeah just a little *wink*

A Muslim Miss USA Is No Cause For Celebration - Culture - Blogcritics

2010-05-25T02:18:00.001+03:00

My article on Rima Fakih is an Editor's pick A Muslim Miss USA Is No Cause For Celebration - Culture - Blogcritics

I have nothing against the girl; but she is no messenger of cross-cultural negotiations!

Check it out and leave a comment!

UPDATE so miss Fakih says that she is 'proud to be Muslim', but she , unfortunately, only states so in an Arabic newspaper yom7 and not in any of the American media !!

Florida Mosque Bombing A Hate Crime

2010-05-20T11:37:00.004+03:00

I hate hate crimes, especially the ones that escape the mainstream media radar.
AOL has an article about the bombing of a mosque in Jacksonville, Florida. The explosion shook the mosque at the time of the evening (isha) prayer, and luckily none of the 60 Muslims inside were hurt.

The FBI has some leads--including a video recording of the incident, and the The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)has put out a monetary reward for anyone steps forward with information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator.

This bombing took place May 10th, and media coverage remained mostly local. CAIR says that there has not been adequate national media coverage.

This is again a classic case of use/misuse of media power that I talked about in my previous post.

Media, journalist, and bloggers skillfully choose which hate crimes to ignore and which ones to dwell upon for months--depending on what suits their purposes of course!

So what are your purposes?

P.S. Special thanks go out to Naaila Hassan and Dena Shunra for bringing this to my attention through their tweets.

Selling Your Soul To the Devil And Sending Out Hate Mail

2010-05-20T00:42:00.002+03:00

Apparently many were insulted by my post. Some have been successful in 'tracking down' my email--that's the way they put it, as if my email is a runaway rogue!--and have gracefully showered me with insults. So I now provide a direct link to my email, just in case anyone else wants a piece of me.

I have been called : backward, conservative-not an insult, but they used it as if it was--, and retared. That tells more about them than me.

Still, I'd like to make a few things clear.....

I have not disabled comments on this post, or any other. In fact, I do not even moderate comments. That was a blogger glitch (and it has happened before!)

I am not an a rigidly conservative person; I am quite open-minded and I do support freedom of speech; but what I do not support is the dichotomy of the media, best illustrated by the article "Bashing Islam is Freedom Criticizing Israel is a Hate Crime" There just seems to be too many Muslims/Arabs out to get the faults in our countries, and not nearly enough people that care about what's wrong with the rest of the world.
Marwa ElSherbini and Mohamed Aldora were faces brought to the attention of the world through the media. Writers , in choosing what to write about, exercise choose the fate of nations. And they do so in either through love or hate.

You can spread love, equality, and hope through your writing from time to time. Find a positive example and interview them. Highlight an accomplishment. Write a piece suggesting solutions once in a while people, it won't kill ya!

Journalism And Selling Your Soul To the devil

2010-05-17T02:18:00.002+03:00

I am sick of Egyptian/Arab/Muslim writers and journalists selling their souls to the devil, and giving up every tiny-winy inch of self-respect they might have had one day to please the 'crowd'. There is of course the premise of fame and perhaps making a living out of bashing your own country. Stirring up a storm sells! Who cares what the consequences are!

You know the type? They write article after article listing all-the-things-wrong with Egypt, make Islam look bad, and then they look the other way and say :"but Islam has nothing to do with it. It is a great religion REALLY!!!" Well, why don't you write, at least once in your lifetime, about something positive in Islam.

I am not suggesting to follow the lead of Al Ahram newspaper's writers and sing the praises of the government but COME ON , honestly, you think nothing is wrong with the West? No human rights violations by our dear neighbours the Israelis??? Diversify, dear writers! It does not only suck on our end of the globe. It sucks everywhere.

Of course, If you feel like you have a calling, a cause you are fighting for, then by all means focus on that. But your focus should not be what ever pleases Mr.Editor (pictured in Blue-Gray above)

You think I can't back my case up with evidence, think again. I will not even begin to discuss the pieces written by Egyptians/Arabs in 'International' newspapers/magazines. For now, at least in this post, let it be local.

A couple of months ago, Al Masry Al Yom ran a feature on Nubians, Great people. What was not so great was that the paper had an article about the Nubians 'religious beliefs.' It stated that they believe in, and practice, an esoteric religious mixture of Islam-Christianity-and-Judaism. It also stated that they keep it a secret for fear of persecution. Well, guess who got the secret out!!! I was appalled by the piece. I could not think of one reason why anyone would want to write about that, except to fuel further discrimination against Nubians. I wondered whether this was ethical. Did they decide to reveal their 'secret' via this article, or where they duped into spilling their guts out?

I like journalism with goal, purpose, and --like I said-- a calling. I wish there were a few more peace-loving writers out there. You know, the type that don't care much for spreading hate and negativity, and perhaps highlight the positive once in a while.

Top creative uses for you blog

2010-05-14T04:27:00.001+03:00

Writing an article on how you could blog for money, or using blogs for marketing, is just so banal; there is no way I would want to do that. Some bloggers blog for money—or at least HOPE that someday they might be able to generate cash out of it. Some bloggers blog for a cause; animal rights, women rights, human rights, or convincing others to go green.

But what about you, creative but not ready to rally for a cause just yet? How can you put your blog to good use?

Get back at an old Ex.

your ex is zoo-worthy, and should never have another relationship?

Let the world know what an ass he/she is!

Maybe you should even start a blog to gather testimonies from his/her previous EXs as well, to further prove your case.

Diss your current partner.

This one is definitely more tricky. but a lot more therapeutic. If you wanna do it the easy way, you can be anonymous of course. But where's the fun in that!! When you're pissed at your current partner , they'd better know that you are--lest they soon join the EXs ranks. You have to figure out a subtle way of letting them know what you think.

Send hidden messages.

Here's the scenario: your birthday is coming up, and there is this hot new gadget that you are dying for. In order to be 'subtle', write a lengthy post discussing why this gadget is better than its market competitors and why it is a must-have!

Share your vice with the world anonymously.

No you are not alone. Start a blog about it, and enjoy the company of mad chocoholics like yourself.

Introduce your alter ego to the world.

Alter egos tend to get quite cranky if they are not noticed. Introduce yours to the blogosphere from the comfort of your own home and watch him/her thrive!

The Cairo House

2010-05-10T18:46:00.003+03:00

I reviewed The Cairo House on Blogcritics and the review is featured on Seattlepi

I have always been intrigued by autobiographies and memoirs in our culture. How many women can actually retell their lives in all honesty and truth without having Fatwas issued against or without getting disowned by their family?
For the already controversial, a bellydancer with a sex tape or an actress who lured a famous politician, I suppose it is easier. But for the rest of us, the ones who appear so harmless and innocent to all those around us, it is a different matter.

The fictional autobiography is nice; many things can be left unsaid. Yet still, there is a liberating power in saying everything like it truly was. I feel like it is a first-rate cathartic experience.

But then again, who am I to know. I have never written a memoir-- at least not yet!

Vegetarianism: Why Egyptians are not Big Fans

2010-05-09T15:59:00.001+03:00

The relationship between Egyptians and meat is quite complex. Unlike many other places in the world where meat is consumed merely for carnivorous purposes, meat in Egypt is a status symbol.

Meat-consumption, red meat that is, in Egypt goes beyond the occasional juicy steak. The traditional method of cooking vegetables in Egypt is a stew with onions and tomato sauce. The rich add meat cubes to the mixture; the poor make it meat-less.
Egyptians even have a term for this 'meatlessness" . They call it 'ordayhi'. To cook vegetables ordayhi is ,in essence, signaling that you are poor and can not afford meat.

Poorer Egyptians have a staple diet of Koshari (a dish composed of rice, pasta, and beans), Mahshi (vegetables stuffed with rice), potatoes, green salad, and bread. Meat is a luxury, especially beef. And because wealth goes hand in hand with health; meat is assumed to be a 'healthy' food. Kids who don't eat, or like, meat are considered 'weaker', and in need of supplements.

The traditional media, doctors, and even medical education, does not focus on healthy alternatives; or concepts like alternative sources of protein. And not much attention is given to the health benefits of reducing meat conception.

Addressing these issues is paramount to the health and the economic wellfare of Egyptian society. People who can not afford meat should no longer feel deprived of a privilege. It is a cornerstone of a healthy/wealthy diet.

Outbreak

2010-05-07T01:53:00.000+03:00

Time: 1995.
Place: Biology class. Video running, showing us the movie Outbreak.

This was a defining moment in my life; I had been hesitating whether to honor the family tradition and be a doctor, or pursue my writing/literary aspirations. Outbreak glorified combating disease. I want to do THAT. It was just so unbelievably cool, and majestic, and idealistic.

What I failed to realize that I wanted to be an epidemiologist; not a physician who treats individual cases. I wanted to solve mysteries, study disease patterns and natural history.

I wanted to be the Sherlock Holmes of medicine, not the guys that get information handed out to them on a platter -- the clinicians. But I will only come to that realization 14 years later, after an enlightening trial and error game with medicine.

Epidemiology, as I am studying it now in my postgrad years, is fascinating beyond belief. I fell in love with it from day one!

As I was reading some articles now, Outbreak flashed back in my head.... and I wondered how my life would've turned out if I skipped school that day.

"We Are Not Egypt"

2010-05-05T02:17:00.003+03:00

As I was flipping through the channels, and I stopped at FOX NEWS --which is something I often do if I am in a mood for a laugh at the stupidity and sheer ignorance of these right wing Bush-loving farces.

The host was none other than Glenn Beck whom I rarely have the stomach to listen to for more than 10 seconds; but he was talking at the failed Time Square bomb and the arrest of a Pakistani-American who was 'fleeing' for Dubai.

Glenn Beck went on and on , for at least 5 minutes, about how it was no surprise that the bomber is a Muslim. Then, he was contemplating what should they do to him to make him confess and rat out the rest of his buddies. Shahzad, the wanna-be bomber, is an AMERICAN, to the dismay of GB: " we are not going to tie him down and torture him into confession. He is an American Citizen. We don't do that to our citizens." Then, unexpectedly--and totally uncalled for-- he added :" We are not Egypt. They do that to their citizens. But not us; being a citizen of the United States of America is a privilege."

Yeah GB, you just send them down to Guantanamo Bay where they do that for you!

As for the part about Egypt, well, umm, I think I will just stick to "no comment".

Justice: Lebanese Kitrimaya Style

2010-05-02T16:04:00.001+03:00

The story of the murder and mutilation of the corpse of an Egyptian worker in the Lebanese village of Kitirmaya is all over the news.

According to Al doostor newspaper, the deceased had been previously charged with the rape of a 13-year-old girl from the same village ?! So either this guy was a Bona fide monster, or this is the same scape goat mentality we have here in Egypt--except of course Egyptian officials use the 'insane' and the mentally-challenged!

Vigilante-style justice is one thing but utter brutality is another. I would like to draw a few comparisons between what happened in Kitrimaya , and the infamous Nag Hammadi massacre.

Both were perpetrated because of , supposedly, heinous crimes. I say supposedly because , again supposedly, 'innocent until proven guilty' still applies as far as I know. The Nag Hammadi crime was supposedly , according to the ministry of interior, incited by a rape of a Muslim child. Mohamed , the tortured deceased in Lebanon, has also been implicated by an anonymous Lebanese official in a rape of a girl in the same village; how this ties in with the other crime, no one seems to be sure. In Kitrimaya, the angry mob took revenge into their own hands, making the act --even if Mohamed was guilty-- disgustingly barbaric. In Nag Hammadi, angry men took out their wrath, and turned it a vendetta into a hate crime; something that happens often around here: generalizations are very popular. I am just afraid that one more generalization could come about: Kitrimaya villagers killed an Egyptian; therefore a political crisis is in order between Lebanon and Egypt!
Let us not forgot that Lebanese officials, including the president himself, have condemned the crime; and assured the public that it will not go unpunished.
Please, let us not turn this into another Algeria/Egypt face off situation. it did NOT happen because he was Egyptian; it happened because these villagers, who are not necessarily representative of the Lebanese population, are barbaric savages.

Floppies are obsolete

2010-04-30T11:19:00.002+03:00

As I was reading the google news last night, I was disheartened to find out that floppy diskettes are officialy out! Not that I actually own any, or even know anyone with a floppy drive , but still :(

"Prince of Persia" ,"King Quest", even the first encyclopedia I ever owned was on diskettes.

This signals an end of an era; there is a certain bitterness in things you used and enjoyed as a kid becoming obsolete. You feel antiquated yourself. But I guess with the technology nowadays nothing should be taken personal; mobile and cell phones become obsolete within a year.

It is not a world for sentimental technology fools!

Technorati verification

2010-04-30T04:32:00.001+03:00

Ummm, I have no idea how to do this but I'll just post the code here U4QBTNSJ46KA and hope one day I make their top 100!

Olfactory memory

2010-04-29T12:12:00.000+02:00

So I was back in Kasr alAini med school for some business; I was walking down the sidewalk by the anatomy 'mashraha' --the morgue-- when I was suddenly hit with the unbearable stench of badly-ventilated, partially decomposed, formalin-soaked bodies.

But instead of eliciting a powerful gag reflex, which it most rightfully should, the smell just transported me years back : to my first day of medical school.

I could, literally, feel 18 again! The black pants I was wearing that first day, the mauve taupe silk blouse I wore--and of course had to throw out because of the stench that wouldn't get out-- flashed back in my memory, uncalled and uninvited but most certainly welcomed.

The excitement and the rush of being a doctor, with my brand-new white coat dangling on my arm, was so refreshing. The premise that I might change the world, or at least the medical practice in Egypt, and the dreams that I will be saving lives each and every step of the way all came back to me.
What was strange is the happiness and sheer bliss that I felt. I was not disillusioned. I was not sad that none of that had happened. It was as if I was transported back in time, to that moment, and I was that hopeful, idealistic girl again. It was magical!

Before, I had never been a firm believer that olfactory memories can be so vivid, but let me tell you this belief is long gone...

Girl Vs. President

2010-04-28T08:01:00.001+02:00

Standing up against a sea of troubles is never easy. But how many people have the courage to do what this young woman here did?

I am not about to discuss the political aspects of the picture, because this is not what struck about it. My first impression, like many of you, was 'WOW! This girl has guts!!'

Not too many people have the courage to stand up against their oppressors; the beaten woman, the abused child, the underpaid employee usually end up just taking it laying down.

We always need little inspirational tidbits, be it a quote, an article, or a picture. I think this is as moving as the 'Shoe' journalist who tossed at G. W. Bush what he deserved.

The imagery of it is beautiful too. Look at the girl, veiled, so small, and standing up against a huge crowd, a big car, and the one of the most oppressive b political forces in the world: the Iranian president. Ahmadinejad is looking as pretentious as ever, arrogant, and surrounded by bodyguards who could not protect him from this woman's courage.

I received this in an email titled "woman of the year". Well said.

This girl SERIOUSLY got game!!

Water Politics and What Citizens Should do

2010-04-25T11:04:00.003+02:00

I like what Helmy Sharawy wrote in Shorouk newspaper about the water geopolitics being far from a 'football match' where Egytians will just go about the streets ranting and raving and the government will let steam blow over. This is a serious matter that needs serious interventions; nothing is more ridiculous, in my opinion, than the whole israel-is-behind-this-all sharade.

Conspiracy theories aside--although I myself am a HUGE fan-- our fellow African neighbours are pissed! And if we were in their shoes, we would be pissed too. They think the Nile is theirs, and they want to capitalize on it. We think the Nile is our God-given right; hey, just because Herodotus thinks so doesn't mean the whole world has to agree!!
Compromise is in order here, and real negotiations on our part.
It is imperative to re-educate citizens on the vital importance of reducing wasted water ; there were many campaigns in the past, which I vaguely remember from my childhood, that unfortunately stopped, for some unknown reason. We tend to view the Nile as infinite, well, it is not!
Stop taking the Nile for granted!

Shoot Em Down : MPs in Egypt

2010-04-22T10:33:00.001+02:00

As a sort of a twisted come back at the esteemed MPs suggesting that Egytian protestors should be shot down, I will argue that these members of the so-called Egyptian 'parliment' should be hanged in public display. Why you ? Well I have a whole bunch of reasons:

1. Legal grounds: Since we have the death penatly in Egypt, it should be applied here in this case, with no reluctance or regerts because the above mentioned MPs have caused political apoplexy in Egypt for the past 3 decades or so.
2.Religious: "al ifsad fi al ard" which translates to 'spreading mischief/corruption in the land', what corruption is worse than killing a bunch of innocent protestors??
3.Added bonus: there will be many more 'treatment at the expense of the state' decisions available for other MPs to fiddle around with!

So, what do you all think?

The Herd Theory: When to Follow and When to Lead

2010-04-20T16:12:00.006+02:00

My bestfriend and I used to spend countless happy hours at the water fountain on campus contemplating what we thought was our 'herd theory.' We marvelled at the seemingly endless capacity of our fellow medical colleagues to just follow the herd and stick with the crowd.

There is a total reliance among university students on word of mouth. They follow in the footsteps of those who came before them: which 'notes' to study from, which private lessons to take, whether to skip class and not give a damn or attempt to bribe to bribe the person in charge of attendance. Do you know why they do it? They are not necessarily dumb or uncreative. They do it because they know it works.

There is no room for textbook reading, note-taking, or even deducing facts from information. There is no room to try to be different, or approach things differently. If you want success, you have to follow the herd.

This is by no means applicable only to medical students. This scenario is the basis for our whole 'higher' education system. And, of course, it goes beyond education. You are also expected to follow the herd as you move on with your life. If you want to be accepted by society, you have to live as they do, marry whom they approve of, and follow the career path laid out in front of you.

Don't believe me? Just look at anyone who wants to get married to someone out of the norm. It is considered ok for Egyptian men to marry 'foreigners' as long as of course they are white. What if one decides to marry a far Easten/Asian, or a black woman? What about Egyptian gals? Marriage Herd theories here allow them only to marry younger Egyptian men: marrying a guy from another culture--even if Muslim-- is generally not acceptable, neither is marrying a younger guy.

I am not claiming this phenomenon to be purely Egyptian, au contraire. It is charateristic of the human condition: straying away from the pack is dangerous for the pack, therefore, it is frowned upon.

But honestly, who cares about the pack??? Following the herd sure is a lot easier than exploring the undiscovered paths out there in life. But you know what? It's a lot less fun; and less rewarding. Happiness and achievements stem from putting yourself in challenging situations and conquering that challenge, and ,again, conquering INACTION.

So next time you want to stray away from the herd (make a wild career leap or try out something new) by all means do so. The world is a better place because of those who innovate, not those who copy.

Boycott Meat before We Start Buying From Israel

2010-04-19T16:13:00.002+02:00

As I was googling the meat boycott in Egypt today, an obscure Jewish blogger brought to my attention an article posted in Palestine Today.

According to Palestine Today and Almasralyoom newspaper, Israel has kindly offered to help out with our meat woos by offering to secure a meat export agreement of 150 tons. The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture has graciously refused! THANK GOD! They also asserted that there is no meat shortage, and they urge consumers to boycott meat to stabilize prices.

Well, I have a couple of problems with this news piece…..

In the news headline, the Palestinian newspaper wrote that Israeli government is "offering meat to Egyptians free of charge." Well, free of charge is not the same thing as export. My guess is that Israel would have tried to make a gazillion dollars out of this deal!!! And if the Israeli authorities are so considerate and ready to donate meat, why don't they give it to the starving people in Gaza.

I found the whole thing disturbing. And do you know what my biggest fear was?

Honestly, I fear that one day we MAY have to buy meat from Israel!

We have to be less carnivorous and boycott meat!

Recap on Racism and The Khawaga Complex

2010-04-19T01:53:00.001+02:00

By definition, if you are discriminated against because of your race: that's racism.
Does it happen in Egypt?
Just read one of the replies to my first post about racism , a reply by a foreigner living in Egypt, and you will get the picture.

What I find striking is the fact that we agree that there is prejudice, yet we disagree on who the Egyptians discriminate against. People from the Far East? Yep. Black? Definitely...

But when it comes to Europeans and 'white' North Americans I beg to differ. Being white IS considered superior in Egypt. The locals here think themselves inferior to the white 'master'. Being blonde can get you a job as a teacher--even if you make spelling mistakes writing in your own native tongue. While a highly qualified African-American college graduate gets repeated rejections!

The 'khawaga complex' (khawaga: is a term slightly similar to 'agnaby .ie. foreigner' but carries a positive connotation, and is usually reserved for whites) is an inferiority complex, no doubt about that. Does that make the Khawaga happy? Definitely not. I am not suggesting that; I understand that no one wants to be labeled, and treated on the basis of their skin color.
And this is really the essence of a tolerant, modern society. A society that does not discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, race, or color.
But we are a long way from that whether in Egypt, or in the even-less-tolerant Arab world!

More Reasons to boycott meat in Egypt

2010-04-19T00:15:00.000+02:00

Al masry al youm in today's issue has uncovered yet another health scandal in Egypt.

The ink used for meat inspection stamps used in most slaughter houses in Egypt is internationally banned!!
Instead of a food-grade vegetable dye, we are getting a lovely carcinogenic methanol-containing dye.

You wouldn't scrub your toilet with it, so would you eat???

Meat Boycott Update

2010-04-18T03:10:00.001+02:00

It's officialy THE hip-and-happening thing to boycott meat now in Egypt....
The Egyptian Consumer Protection agency,
the Giza Governorate ,
even the minister of agriculture are urging Egyptians to boycott meat.

Cattle breeders, farmers, and traders--along with butchers of course-- will have to do something about the prices if nobody buys meat from them, wouldn't they?

Meanwhile, what other creative culinary options are out there?

The un-creative options are fish and chicken--don't just give in to the urge to rely on these only, or their prices might soar!
Have Koshary once a week-- we'll call that 'Authentic Egyptian' day.

Mac'n'Cheese will also provide a hefty serving of proteins (Macaroni and cheese is quite simple --and utterly delicious!)
Mexican-inspired day: cook some rice and eat it with a side of red kidney beans and salsa (chopped tomates, spring onions, green peppers).
Sauteed mushrooms with pasta ('al funghi'), or served with potatoes and green beans.
Lima beans with tomato sauce and rice.
Yellow lentils cooked with spinach and rice.

A nice warm Cheese souffle (also very elegant to serve).
Shakshouka -- if anyone needs to know what that is let me know, I'll give you my grandma's recipe!
fattet-hummus. Cook regular fatta but instead of meat on top, you add a scrumptuous mixture of hummus cooked with onions, cut-up tomatoes and tomato juice. Serve it with a side of tabouleh .
Mushroom and onion quiche with a large mixed salad.

You should take this opportunity to tantalize your taste buds with an array of dishes from all over the world...

The Meat Boycott in Egypt: A call to Action

2010-04-16T00:28:00.002+02:00

Several Facebook groups, television programs, and journalists have issued a call to action. Opposing soaring red meat prices in Egypt is now definitely a necessity. Meat prices have increased 25% in the past month!!! And of course, this is expected to continue if the vicious cycle is not broken somewhere. Our precious Minister of Agriculture came up with the ingenious idea of importing more 'frozen' meat, and some more 'live' cattle (hope they don't turn out diseases like the batch we got last year!!) In my humble opinion, the government-has-to-solve-everything mentality has to be challenged here.

There is truly a chance for the citizen sector to be mobilized into doing something that will be VERY effective. For the skeptics, I invite you to let market mechanics , i.e. supply and demand , regulate the price. If no one's buying, prices WILL go down.

Boycotting meat goes beyond market mechanics. It sends a message to the butchers/cattle raisers/whoever-is-responsible that we, the Egyptian people, are NOT going to take anymore of their crap. They can't live withour us buying meat, but we can live without eating meat, This message is EXTREMELY crucial. We , the consumers, are going to stand up for our rights.

I found this great link on the boycott meat Facebook group. It tells the story of a triumphal meat boycott in Amman. It was organized by the Consumer Protection Society and they achieved what they were set out to do: meat prices went down.

So, in a nutshell, what's the deal......

GOAL: 1.Reduce Meat prices.
2.Show them who's the boss (the consumers).
HOW: Boycott fresh and frozen meat.
BEST CASE SCENARIO: meat prices will go down.
WORST CASE SCENARIO: meat prices will stay the same, but you will be much healthier without all the red meat you usually eat!!!! After all, 3 oz (85 gm)of beef gives you around 300 calories vs. 120 for a much healthier (lower in cholestrol) chicken breast.

See, it's all good!
So why don't you hop on the meat boycott wagon in Egypt?

Racism and Prejudice in Egypt

2010-04-14T05:04:00.002+02:00

There is nothing in the world I hate more than racist bigots, and unfortunately most Egyptians are both. Being a racist is one thing, but NOT admitting that you are one takes the issue to a whole different level.

Some prejudice is expected, because of cultural/religious norms, such the prejudice against homosexuals, atheists, and other people who do not abide to the norms. Yet, some other forms of prejudice are just mind boggling: like the 'color' prejudice in Egypt. Yes, it is a color prejudice. If you are not a certain hue of white, you are inferior by Egyptian standards—God forbid that you might actually be black!!

The irony of it all is that Egyptians are not Nordic Aryan descendants of Vikings. We are Africans, among of course a wonderful and exotic mix of races that our DNA has picked up through thousands of years of foreign invasions of the land of the Nile. I suppose that therein lies the problem, foreign invasions! Through hundreds of years of Turks ruling Egypt (who have fairer skin than the native population), fair skin became associated with superiority and dark skin with the working slaves! And hence was born the infamous 'khawaga complex'. No matter how pathetic this may seem, it is true. The Egyptians identified more with the oppressors, instead of wanting to break the cycle, they were eager to mate with the invaders so that they would have 'whiter' kids. To this day, having 'Turkish blood' is supposed to be a sign of superiority!! Heck, come to think all of the invaders were white: Romans, the Brits (C'mon, you can't count the French-they didn't stay long enough!)

This might just seem like a lesson in pseudo-history (or at least my interpretation of history); when in fact this little tale has modern day repercussions. Kids at 'International' schools, with highly educated parents, play 'who-is-whiter' games. The 'fairest of them all' gets to be Cinderella or, appropriately, Snow White. And the darkest? Well, one of the evil step-sisters or a maid in the palace of the princess. This is , albeit psychologically damaging, small-scale discrimination.

The true victims of overt racism here are the Nubians. The quite, peace-loving, people down South who have been screwed over and over again for years. Their villages were drowned; their heritage sunk to the bottom of Lake Nasser, and the whole of Egypt just celebrated the building of the high dam. They are taunted on the streets. Their kids are made fun of, if dare to live up North. Even when a half-Nubian president, Anwar El Sadat, came to power, the word on the street was that he was 'too brown.' Zahy Hawwas came out a few years ago assuring Egyptians that Tutankhamon was Not BLACK! Being black is grounds to get you harassed on a Subway .

I still do believe that the problem goes beyond that. It is a problem of self-acceptance, of wanting all-things European, and turning away from who we truly are as a people. Parents, inadvertently, through all their subtle little comments and messages teach little 'brown' kids that they are somehow defective and inferior, that they should feel bad in their own skin—literally!

When my daughter came to me with the story I wrote earlier in the post, I told her that next time some kid talks about that in front of her she should say :'mommy says, we are not supposed about skin color. It is haram. And God doesn't like people who do it.' And then I showed her pictures of very beautiful black women, as pretty as Cinderella, to prove to her that beauty has nothing to do with skin color.

Top Ten Things to Do While Pulling a Baby-All-Nighter

2010-04-12T14:58:00.000+02:00

The first three months of babyhood 'or more for those unlucky few' revolve around staying up all night fighting sleep, and finding things to do when all you really want is sleep!
Hope this list helps.......

10. Watch muted Television.

This is by and large my favourite. You just have to make sure you are not watching something that "flashes" a lot, or you risk to hyperstimulated an already sleepless little soul.

You need , of course, to choose something with subtitles-- or learn how to lip-read!

9. Practice mental math.

Not fun, I admit. But if you stick to it you can turn yourself into an everyday mathematical whizz in no time.
Start simple: add and subtract, review your multiplication tables, then on to more complex operations--like figuring out how fast you need to lose weight to be able to get back into shape before summer (then decide of course which summer you're talking about.... the summer your baby turns 1, or 2, or goes to college!!)

8. Meditate/Pray.

If the idea of turning into Al khwarizmi does not appeal to you, maybe you fit more in the Ghandi category. Meditation is quite successful at these unholy hours when everyone is asleep.
You can also Pray , or repeat daily Azkar. Being with a baby is a nice opportunity to count your blessings, and thank God for them.

7. Use Visualization techniques.

You know these nasty habits you've been trying to kick? Try and use visualization techniques to conquer them. Or better yet, try and ease your stress through relaxing mental scenery.... your baby sleeping soundly and cuddling up in your arms on a Hammack in the Maldives.

6. Make a mental list of your chores for the next day.

Less relaxing, but definitely more productive.

5. Listen to your iPod.

Who says a sleep-deprived mama can't enjoy her tunes?

4. Recite/Rehearse

Have you been dreaming to memorize something? Poetry, Soliloquies, Quran? No better time than now. Just wait until the little one is quite enough for you to focus and concentrate.

3. Think of ways to make it up to your hubby.

No doubt that your morning grouchiness, combined with your late-night tiredness, has taken its toll on your marriage. Try to think of all the nice little ways you can be nice to your husband. Telling him that you miss your old self is sometimes enough!

2.Open Up a Facebook account.

This could keep you entertained for hours. Cooped up in a room with baby on your lap, Facebook gives you a window to the outside world where you can safely envy all those who have a life while you water your crops and feed you Farmville cows!

1. Doze off.

Ahhhhhh... the least glamorous but most desired! Assume a position that's safe for the baby (ie. that won't make him roll off your lap), rest your head on your shoulder, or back on a headrest, and get some shut-eye. You may find that even 10 minutes might invigorate you.

And remember, this is just a phase and it won't last forever! Think of all the blessings of motherhood. Not easy. But truely puts things in perspective. Think of all the happy-squealing months you have ahead of you, and all the 'I luv you mum' cards you will be getting, and the little hugs and kisses and you might just feel a little better.

International Universities In The 6 Of October

2010-04-06T13:29:00.002+02:00

According to Al Masry Alyom, residents of the sixth of october city might finally be able to compete with our 'New Cairo' rivals!!

It's true that the American University in Cairo has moved far far away from us, but there maybe branches of The Sorbonne, Nottingham University, and even Georgetown University in our neighborhood sometime in the future.

Needless to say, these are not the educational institutes themselves, they will operate under affiliations. Unlike other flimsy 'affiliations' that did not offer much to attending students in profit-making private universities, this is supposed to be different. They will be affiliated with various faculties of Cairo University.

Currently, I have not been able to find out whether this has anything to do with the land Cairo University owns next, and is building upon, next to Hyper One market.

Does this translate into a glimmer of hope for Egyptian Higher education?

I believe so. Let's not forget that the Sorbonne-Faculty of Law affiliation in Cairo University (what is known as 'Faculty of Law, French division') was quite fruitful to Egyptian graduates.

My only concern is: will they recruit a teaching staff up to the job?

I guess we shall see....

Chinese Geely Buys Volvo: or how China will rule the world

2010-04-05T11:21:00.000+02:00

In Egypt, our story with Chinese products goes back a long way.

It all started back in the late eighties and early nineties. Egyptians, who happened to work in the Gulf or go there for pilgrimage purposes, used to scout the markets for gifts to bring back home. People used to search far and wide for products 'made in the U.S.', or U.K, or France, or even India for that matter.

What did they avoid like the plague?? Yep, you guessed it! Made in China. Now that was just THE ultimate insult: getting your in-laws made in China gifts was just another way of telling them that you think they are worthless and deserve no better than cheap, tasteless, scraps of merchandise.

As time went by, it was getting more and more difficult to find these no-made-in-China items. In fact, now it is next to impossible. Want to know why? It is because of YOU. Yes, you! If we had cared about quality as much as we do about price, or about the condition of the workers that make all our little gadgets, or even the environment, none of this would have happened.

China will rule the world through a very simple premise: sell cheap, you sell a lot. When you sell a lot, you make money. And when you make enough money, you can drive your competitors out of the market—and then you will be free to do whatever pleases you. It will be all you, and no one to answer to.

Let's take a look at the case at hand: Geely vs. Volvo. Geely, originally a refrigerators parts supplier, was literally born yesterday. It started making cars back in 1997. Yet, in 2010, it sealed a deal to take over the Swedish giant trade name: Volvo.
What started as operation building bon-bon colored flimsy cars, now has its eyes on Opel.

Some people might just disregard this as a David and Goliath story, but it is far from it. The implications are quite dim.

What do you think will happen if a country with an atrocious human rights record , and isn't too keen on the environment , continues to replace the more regulated manufacturers?

Well, so much for green living! We will have to welcome living a la Chinese instead!

Not so pretty huh?

Egypt The Land Of Unfortunate Events

2010-03-09T12:45:00.001+02:00

I had promised myself at one point that I will try and keep my blog light and breezy. That is why I try to stay clear from all unfortunate events that strike us here in Egypt. Yet, I am overwhelmed. It just seems that Egypt is no longer the land of mysteries, nor even the land of the pharaohs. It is the land of 'crisis'—or azma in Arabic.

But I just can't stand this any longer! Our life here in Egypt is just a series of unfortunate events! One 'crisis' after another: the 'black cloud' crisis, the lack of bread crisis (aka tabour el eish ), and of course the all-time star azemet elzebala: the 'garbage crisis'. Honest to God, what decent nation, in the twenty-first—no heck, even in the twentieth Century—could have a full blown garbage disposal SCANDAL with rubbish lying around everywhere?

But never mind that, let sleeping dogs lie. The last of the unfortunate events is the diesel 'crisis' causing line-ups in front of gas stations, and creating ever-more increasing traffic jams!! As if we needed that here! This 'crisis' shortly followed the Butane distribution shortage—in fact that was only two weeks ago. Well, things aren't going so well in the Petroleum ministry then!! And, as usual, don't expect any explanations or answers from any officials. The scenario goes as follows:

1. The responsible authorities deny the existence of the problem.

2. The media does not stop howling about the non-existence problem, and they coin some catchy 'crisis' term to it.

3. The government newspapers urge the president to personally intervene.

4. The problem disappears into thin air, and no one ever gives an explanation as to why this happened in the first place.

5. Conspiracy theorists have the time of their lives coming up with potential causes.

6. People try to catch their breath, and of course, prepare for the next crisis!!!

Personally, I've just about had it! What about you?

Only Fools Rush In: How To Find The Courage To Be

2010-03-08T01:42:00.002+02:00

Yes, the wise men said it. Elvis said it. And everybody knows it: only fools rush in!

We are programmed as children, by our parents and our society, to avoid hastiness. We are always told to 'take our time' and to 'think about things carefully'. As we grow older schools, universities, and even our employers want us to assess and reassess every decision before we take it. We are asked to relentlessly think about our decisions. We are required to contemplate, ponder and ruminate lest we take a wrong decision or say something we shouldn't have.

You may wonder, what's the harm?

Well, let me quote my alter ego, Hamlet, on this:

"And thus conscience does make cowards of us all,

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought.

And enterprises of great pitch and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry,

And lose the name of action.—"

Dangers do lurk everywhere. It is our consciousness, our awareness of these dreads that makes us coward. When the ultimate indecisive tragic hero Hamlet says that our thoughts cast a 'sickly' shadow over our resolution, his wisdom does transcend the ages.

Please, try to humor me and forget for a second that he was actually contemplating suicide . Notice how resolution is referred to as 'native'. It is innate; we are resolute by nature. If an infant had dwelled over his first step, nobody would have walked the face of the earth!!!

Want another modern day example?

Brainstorming! The reason brainstorming is so effective in generating good, creative ideas is the way the process flows, without much interference from the conscious mind. You don't think, you just "do".

Inaction makes your life turn 'awry'.
Take my word on it, sometimes you need to rush in, just dive in and let what is meant to be happen. Over calculation sure makes life safer, but you risk being trapped in your own head, shackled by your own inertia while the rest of the world goes round.

Romantic To The Bone: A not so modern take on Valentine's day

2010-02-07T11:15:00.006+02:00

Article first published as Romantic To The Bone on Blogcritics.org

With Valentine's Day around the corner, we should revisit the definition, and the very essence, of the word romantic.

One thing I am sure of is that St. Valentine is tossing in his grave.

Romance now is just yet another opportunity for businesses to capitalize on.

Everywhere you go: buy this, buy that. Take your girl here, then out and about over there. Wine and dine the night away, at the finest five-star restaurant that will charge you double 'cause its V-day.

SUCKERS!

Whether you fall for this depends on your definition of romance. I say V-day is for wussies!! You heard me, ladies.

Want true romance? Go back to prehistoric times. Picture this:

Prehistoric mama is snuggling with her baby cozily in the cave, by the fire, roasting some mammoth leg her man had hunted for her and the kids a few nights ago. Hunter-man has been out all day, going about his hunting-gathering business to feed his lady, his children, and their newborn.

As Hunter-man was coming home, he spotted a saber-tooth tiger lurking, blocking the entrance to his cave, posing a definite threat to the little ones and the Mrs.

Lo and behold, Hunter-man attacks the saber-tooth, stabs him two hundred times, slices his head off, skins him, and takes the fur to his beloved to keep her warm at night. Now THAT's what I call romance!

That's romance as it once was, and forever should be; not some measly guy bringing in a box of chocolates and taking his woman out for a restaurant he worked so "hard" to find a reservation at. Heck, he may even have her pay half the bill – or worse yet, she may be the one doing all the planning and in the end getting none of the fun.

Guys, romance is about taking care of your women, and fighting off the predators!

Gals, guys who buy chocolates on V-day are suckers. They should be getting you chocolates every day of the year!

My Girl From Face book: Meg Ryan From Egypt

2010-02-04T15:21:00.000+02:00

We spend a lot of time looking for inspiration, for some hope, for some potential reason to keep us smiling and looking forward for the future.
Well, I found mine today.
A delightful, sweet, optimistic, passionate person contacted me through Face book, and we shared dreams about a public library in Sheikh Zayed.
A place where kids can read and adults can borrow books. "The Shop Around The Corner, you know, like in Meg Ryan's you've got mail." She said to me; honestly, how sweet is that !
I loved her community spirit, her will, and her oozing enthusiasm.
Such a dreamer she is! And I'm just mad about dreamers.
I don't come across many nowadays, ever since I grew up and became an adult. When I was 18, life seemed like a perpetual series of hopes and dreams, to me and everyone around me.
I thought that this spirit was lost in time… so glad I found another dreamerJJ

Britney Spears to Follow Nancy Ajram's Lead and Issues a Children's Album

2010-02-01T13:00:00.003+02:00

Got your attention, didn't I?

Well, if anything of the sort DOES happen, I assure you that public outrage will follow. People aren't done criticizing Miley Cyrus and the 'High School Musical' stars for being too provocative, and sexualizing youth.

But in the double-standard, hypocrisy-filled Arab world, nobody seems to care that the not-so-motherly singers, Nancy Ajram and Haifa Wahbi, are promoting themselves to kids now through songs.

Honestly, people, how can you be so uptight and conservative and NOT see anything wrong with sexually-suggestive women, whose careers thrive solely on their ability to give men a hard on, provide entertainment for your kids and in the process be role models.

You are defined by what you do. You want to be a sex-symbol? fine, your choice. Marilyn Monroe is admired for her sexiness, Pamela Andersom for her raw sexuality. But can you imagine either of them running a children's show???
When you are a Celebrity, you have a persona--and that's what you are to your public. Haifa, Nancy, and all the lot of the look-at-me-and-fantasize singers shouldn't be allowed to have their cake and eat it too. They are NOT Mohamed Fawzy , or even Nelly . They are what they are, and we --as audience-- should not condone what they are doing. Morals are not to be taught by someone whose name is synonymous with x-rated fantasies.
Celine Dion can sing for children, Haifa and Nancy can't.
Should you let your kids listen to Nancy's songs ??? Only if you want your kids to listen to someone has been described by the Los Angeles Times as -- the "most effervescent of Arab sex kittens"!

Egypt: Torrential Rainstorms

2010-01-27T06:16:00.006+02:00

Article first published as Egypt: Torrential Rainstorms on Blogcritics.org

2010 is off to a disastrous start in many areas of the globe.
You have disasters of colossal magnitude, like that of Haiti, and you have other ,less monstrous, yet with equally important repercussions such as the torrential rainstorms that struck some of Egypt's already poor and underserved cities in the Sinai Peninsula, and upper Egypt. Starting on January 18 and lasting for four days, flash floods in Egypt have left thousands homeless and starving, many injured and an uncertain number dead. It is worth noting that Gaza has also been struck by the downpour.
Egyptian authorities have allocated 25,000 L.E. (about 4,400 U.S.D) as a compensation for each family that has lost a home. Two blankets were also promised; the catch is that those stricken by the disaster have to present their national identity cards, which have been washed away along with all their belongings, to receive food and blankets!
The affected communities are outraged by the inefficiency of the relief efforts, and the delay in response. One of the heavily criticized issues is that building licenses were granted in areas around riverbeds known to be at peril in case of heavy rains and flood. The citizens are also concerned at the possibility of further damage if the Rawafe' dam succumbs to a next wave of heavy rains.

Philips Avent Express Steam Sterilizer Review

2010-01-23T01:19:00.005+02:00

No matter how long a woman breastfeeds, eventually, you start bottle-feeding. Everyone knows that bottle sanitation is essential, but everyone dreads the 'let's fish the teats from the boiling pot scene.' It looks rather prehistorical—not to mention that it is very time consuming.
If you make up you mind to buy a steam sterilizer, the Avent express is an excellent choice. As its name suggests, it's fast. It is also very user-friendly, you don't even need to read the manual to operate it.
It takes six Avent bottles, and comes equipped with two of them, and depending on the package you need, you can get it complete with a breast pump. They even took care of the residue building up in the steamer by providing sachets for de-scaling (along with instructions.)
Is it worth the price? Yes, every penny!

Reverse psychology, or how to beat a devout feminist.

2010-01-18T03:06:00.001+02:00

"You are not the boss of me now! You are not the boss of me now! You are not the boss of me now, and you're not sooo big!" from the Malcom in the Middle
theme song was my favorite chant for years. Me, the rebel, likes having absolutely no boss. I like taking my own decisions, playing my own game, and dealing with the consequences for better or for worse.
Many men in my life didn't like that, mostly my dad and grandfather. Mom saw it as a sign of lack of discipline as a child, but in all truth, it was character.
So how do you beat a woman with character you might ask? Well, it's easy, tell her that you don't care what she does either way, and that it is TOTALLY her choice!
Better yet, tell her that you'd like her to do the exact opposite of what you want (yes, the old 'reverse psychology' trick). My DH swears by it!
I have an interesting job proposition and I feel hesitant because my baby boy is still tiny-so what does hubby do? "You really should take that job. It's a wonderful opportunity. We could use the money..etc..etc"
Outcome: I want to stay home with the baby. I'll be damned if I let someone decide for me >>>>>Grrrrrr! J Actually no, since he tells me that I am my own boss, and lets me be myself, and accepts me for who I am and what I am not.
I tell him that he's the boss of me!

Copy me this, Copy me that

2010-01-18T00:42:00.002+02:00

Aaaaaahh! You poor saps!
Lacking imagination and creative power is really plaguing the Egyptian society. And that is why we have 'trends' that wax and wane in almost EVERYTHING: baby names (you have generations that are called Sara, Dina, Imane and Rasha, now it's Yussef, Loujy, and Malak), going to university (for some time the 'it' thing was 'seyaha w fenade2' (ie. Tourism and Hotel services) to be replaced years later by 'tegara English' and '7o2ou2 English' (commerce and law schools—English department), and of course shops and businesses.
Back in the eighties, you had a video rental shop at EVERY corner. It starts by some random guy starting the business, it's a success, so about 10 or 20 other guys in the neighborhood say : ' yeah, what the heck! If it worked for him, it is bound to make me rich too!!' so in a matter of a few months, you have a street with 5 rent-a-video shops on it and no supermarkets! This was later replaced by Net Cafés, and then by playstation venues, and of course mobile (Cell Phone) shops!!The funny thing is it is always the SAME shop-owners that keep changing activities, always on the look-out for the next hip-and-happening thing.
I check-out a few cool businesses on Face Book; gift-making and the like. Well, I am sure that within a few months many people will have 'borrowed' the idea and didn't think of particularly adding any new twist to it.
Honestly, people, GET A LIFE!!!!!!

Girl power ! "mais maman je veux être une princesse, moi !"

2010-01-12T05:10:00.000+02:00

To my dismay, my 5-year-old daughter made the above statement in reply to why she doesn't like Kim possible, and she prefers watching Spiderman!
MY daughter-me the bona fide feminist!-prefers to be the damsel in distress. She doesn't want to be the savior. She wants to be the little helpless princess locked up in the tower waiting for prince charming. That is her idea of romance. Where did I go wrong? How did society get her? She says she prefers when boys defend girls, and that she hopes that she marries a guy with a nice house! She says her baby brother shouldn't play with dolls and should not wear any color remotely related to pink!!!!!!!
Good God! How did that happen? And more importantly, how can it be fixed?
I am definitely going to gather up some ammo to attack this backward thinking. I will be vigorously searching for books, movies, and story ideas in counteract the patriarchal pop culture rearing its ugly at us every minute of the day.
Maybe I will never get her to take that Karate class, but at least I can teach her to stand up for herself; and that knights in shining armor are just a figment of men's imagination to keep females hidden and locked away, never achieving their true potential.

Avatar: an uplink into nature

2010-01-12T03:02:00.003+02:00

Article first published as Avatar: an uplink into nature on Blogcritics.org

In this age of technology, we are increasingly isolated from nature. As we sit here, behind our flat screens and laptops, we use Avatars to represent us in our 'virtual' lives. We uplink ourselves into the World Wide Web to lead a parallel life. A cold, barren, life. We have abandoned our physical selves to lead a parallel 'dream' life.
"They have killed their mother," said Neytiri. And she is right. As the human 'invaders' were leaving Pandora, they were hailed off as "returning to their dying world."
This narration in the final scene has sent shivers down my spine and brought tears to my eyes. Indeed, the whole movie has created insatiable yearning to reconnect with nature, a desire to weep over the lost rain forests and the extinct species everywhere.
This is really what sets Avatar apart from all other 'epic' movies set in parallel worlds. It is that poetic sweetness and romantic connection back to the 'roots'.
I could write an essay analyzing all the quest elements in the movie that could make my grade 12 English teacher proud! Avatar has definitely got something for everyone: the graphic lovers, the romance seekers, and even action fans. You can even view it as a literary masterpiece emblazoned with clever allegories and vivid symbols.
Bottom line: Don't miss it !!

Appropriate, inappropriate, or just downright crazy: how freedom of expression can change the world

2010-01-07T18:19:00.001+02:00

Deciding whether you want your virtual persona to be appropriate, or to let it be a representation of the wilder side of you is a tough decision.

Keeping on the safe side of things is, well, safe but certainly not rewarding. It is not that expressing yourself freely gives you an adrenaline rush, or that bordering on the risqué in and of itself puts you under the spotlight. The problem is that all creative, innovative, ideas are at first 'crazy'. If you do not let your ideas roam freely, you can never change your reality, solve your problems, or --if you are an idealist visionary --change the world.

Somehow, 'inappropriate' and 'out-there' ideas become automatically equated with the profane. People vigilantly censor themselves lest they break a cultural taboo. But sadly, in doing so they lock their potential away; and live as mindless followers in a pitiful herd.

When I say 'wilder side', I am not referring to taking your shirt off for a stranger in front of a webcam! I am referring to these thoughts that come to mind and you just brush them off because they are 'unconventional', or maybe you file them under the 'never going to happen' tab.

So before you censor yourself, trust it. Trust that you are genuinely good and that you have genuinely good ideas. Don't believe what the pessimists say. We humans are not dirty nasty creatures operating on basic instincts--our Cerebral cortex does, sometimes, take the upper hand!

You might change yourself, your community, or even your world if you just let yourself truly BE.

"Do I know you?"

2010-01-06T10:39:00.005+02:00

Everybody is on Facebook now, even my own mama!
This has odd social ramifications that many people are yet to realize.

So you keep adding friends, sending gifts and exchanging superpokes, matching up with them on various quizzes--some not so innocent might I add!

But are they REALLY your friends?

Looking at the hypothetical situation where there is this person that you 'know' on facebook ,a friend of a friend of a friend. You fertilize their crop on FarmVille, you are a 99% match on movie quizzes, you frequently engage in Vampire fights...etc.
You know their birthday, their work history, their relationship status and even where they spent their vacation!
And one day you see them in a party. What do you do?
Do you just go:'Hiiiii!! it's me, u know, from facebook?!' or do you pretendthat you've never seen them before?

Awkward , isn't it?

"Twilight: new moon" and the case of the disappearing ratings

2010-01-05T10:17:00.001+02:00

Where I come from "saga" is good!
But apparently that is not the case worldwide!!!

Let me explain... On a beautiful afternoon, DH and I were set out to watch Avatar, but the 3-D machine wasn't working in the Golden Stars Cinema. So we were left with either 2012, awlad el am "the cousins", or t twilight new moon. Since I've sworn off arabic films, and hubby has sworn off disaster Apocalypse movies, we were left with Twilight. I remembered reading "the Twilight saga" somewhere; so I thought that it might be interesting.

Little did I know, we were about to watch a ridiculous, boring, kiddy, cartoon-like depiction of a pathetic story! The only reason anyone can sit through it is if you find that vampire dude hot; and well let's just say you'd either be a pedophile or really really young.

This movies should come with a warning for adults, much like the rated R is meant to deter the youngesters; there really should be a rating of NFA16 (Not for anyone over 16)!

DVD player

2010-01-05T01:12:00.000+02:00

So my DH and I finally got that Philips DVD3260k so that we can watch movies on the couch instead of sitting on the PC......
But guess what, we can't play any of our DVDs *wrong region code*! Well, guess it doesn't pay off to be a goody-two-shoes and buy original CDs. I was quite upset. After all that anti-piracy preaching, how dissappointing!

So, I just kept the faith and searched the glorious world wide web and TATA: Found the answer here: http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks/philips-dvp-3260k/9657.

ALL in ALL: It's a great little user-friendly player, but remember you gotta break the region code!

English in Egypt

2010-01-04T18:19:00.001+02:00

It really goes beyond the pronunciation errors--I think that non-native speakers are allowed to have the few oddities here and there.
But to think that you're all that- a pro-a writer/editor, and make ridiculous mistakes, now THAT's inexcusable. Check this out. This is from a posting on Facebook. That person is seeking a freelance contract in Egypt!!! And guess what! She actually got a reply from a magazine seeking editors!!! :

"I'm interested in anything that concerns Writing, Editing or Proofreading as I'm a Freelancer Editor. Pllease *double l!* don't hesitate to ask any extra questions or as for writing samples.Looking forward to meeting your requirements and hearing from you."

Pfff..... Puhhhhhhhhleeeeezzzzz.... !

So I check the sad thing's profile, and guess what she's an MIU grad (Misr 'International' Univ.) Go figures!

Hairdressers in Zayed

2010-01-03T14:47:00.002+02:00

This is it in a nutshell:

a) The so-called "La Fayette": They charge too much for a shabby job. The best out there is called 'Hala' , not too bad, just not for what they charge.
ADVANTAGE: Veiled section, not too crowded
DISADVANTAGE: pas tres "a la mode", you can't get the latest hip and happening cut there--yet they charge as much as the salons that do
RATING: 2/10 (unless you're veiled then it becomes a 6)

b)"Zakaria Ghoneim":
ADVANTAGE: conveniently located in Dandy mall--get a manicure right before shopping! SOME--and i repeat some-- of the staff are very friendly and they really know what they're doing.
Also, a 'veiled' section is available.
DISADVANTAGE: Very high staff turnover. As you start to feel comfortable with a certain person over there, they just disappear on you! Can be packed at times, and you can not reserve ahead.
RATING: 6/10

c) Kriss:
That's the real 10/10 round here. Very professional excellent cutting, colouring, styling. You can reserve ahead. Only downside is that there is no veiled women section.

So there you have it... my 5 cent worth on dressers in my neighborhood

L'oreal Professional Vitamino Color

2010-01-03T14:21:00.001+02:00

For all you "unnatural" red-heads out there!!
The verdict is definitely out>>>> the Vitamino Color from the L'oreal expert series is the answer to the fading color. I've always hated how my gorgeous red highlights fade after 4 to 5 washes.
The shampoo and the hydro-resist "masque" are really a god send.
It's true that they are quite pricey, but still cheaper than getting your hair redyed every 4 weeks.

Rating? Definitely 10/10

Velcome dear friends

2010-01-03T10:39:00.005+02:00

No, it's not a typo!
"Velcome to my castle dear friends" in my best deep hypnotic vlad-the-impaler like voice.
SO... Now that I am finished setting the mood, on to more serious matters:-

Q) Why read my blog?
a) coz it's fun :)

Q) What's it all about?
a) Reviews, comments, and tidbits about things I come across: life in Cairo/Egypt,products on the market, books/movies/music. I will throw in the odd post here and there about women's rights and gender stuff, parenting/kids stuff, and maybe even some health medical/stuff *yeah, yuck, I know*