27th November 2012 Third Egyptian Revolution

The most annoying thing about living in the West is hearing very little about what happens in the East.

I was wondering what is going on in Egypt so I searched facebook and the internet to find out that there is another revolution!! This time called the Third Egyptians' Anger Revolution.

    ثورة الغضب المصرية الثالثة

Most recent post on Facebook by Wael Ghonim, a name associated with the first revolution and many political activities and social media, stated that "the president (Morsi) did not expect to see in Tahrir square that many people- just a few months after his election as a president- objecting to his recent decision. Just like many people did not expect him right after his election and the previous revolution to issue a decision that is not based on the constitution giving him a dictator's privileges and saying that these privileges are "temporarily"!!

‎Wael Ghonim - وائل غنيم‎

لم يكن الرئيس يتوقع أن يمتلئ ميدان التحرير عن آخره بعد شهور قليلة من حكمه اعتراضا على قرار من قراراته .. كما لم يكن الكثيرون يتوقعون أن يقوم أول رئيس منتخب في ثورة مصر بإصدار إعلان غير دستوري يعطيه صلاحيات ديكتاتورية بدعوى أنها "صلاحيات مؤقتة"

What is even worse is that according to the social media, the Egyptian TV is not broadcasting anything about Tahrir square or the news of what is happening around Cairo.

To see updates of the events please watch live online Reuters Live Stream: http://reuters.livestation.com/demo

You can hear clearly the crowds chanting: "Leave, Leave" "One Hand" Clearly the people have realised the implications of voting for one from the Muslim Brotherhood and refusing his manipulative ways.

For updates: Check: 27th Nov Revolution page:   https://www.facebook.com/Third.Revolution

To be continued....

Why do we "fall" in love

This has been a topic that keeps coming up from time to time and I always delay talking about. Finally I managed to sit down and gather my thoughts: Why do we "fall" in love?

"Falling" probably because if you were 100% aware of it, you would not have fallen in the first place. You would have resisted, thought hard about it and rejected it as silly or even useless.

Isn't it funny that we "fall" in love very early in our youth? Early or mid-twenties mark a time in our life where we are impulsive and prone to "falling" in love, mostly because we do not see clearly or think twice about anything at all.

I fell in love many times as a teenager and in my early twenties. Every time I recall thinking that it will be the last. The end of the world even but it kept happening until I finally gave up and married at 23. Yes, very young but I thought to myself if I waited longer I would probably never get married at all. Because: 1. I would have seen clearly why I should cherish my independence and 2. I would have already built myself a comfortable life that only revolved around me and it would be extremely difficult to let my guards down or allow someone to share what I have built.

So I guess the cruel, yet true, moral of this story is: the older you get, the less chance you have to "fall" in love...

Becoming religious?

Someone told me yesterday that some of the top scientists are the most religious and I thought to myself maybe because they realised man's inability in the universe, or maybe because they have hit a wall with their own studies that they truly believe that the matter is out of their own hands...whatever the reason, I think this statement could actually be very true. 

I am working on a book at the moment which introduces a new philosophy of life, or perhaps suggests a "better" view of life. The book is really saying the obvious, nothing new, but it is us who chose to ignore the obvious facts in the first place and as a result, now we see the book's message as a novelty. 

In all cases, I was told that by the end of working on the book, I may actually become "religious" and those who read it may follow too. Although I don't see right away how, I think there may be some underlying truth there. But what would make me really religious? Is it just reading this book and understanding what it says and giving it proper thought. Or is it witnessing the development of a baby day by day that I am in every moment in utter wonder and appreciation of God's creation? I think the later for sure, don't you?!

The truth about love that many people know but won't say

I was speaking to friend of mine recently on her birthday and she was basically complaining that it is her birthday and yet another year without love. I answered her without thinking "count yourself lucky" then I thought to myself, now why would I say that! She said back in her lovely accent "but Noooo I want love, I want someone to love me, to hold me and to kiss me, I want to be loved". AHAA! the mystery resolved.

So she does not want a "person" to love, but what she really really wants is "to be- herself- loved". Well surely a mirror could show you the best image of yourself and if you buy a small recorder and record I love you and stick it on the back of the mirror, it will totally do the trick. Well maybe that is a silly idea, but I think now it would have worked for me.

I asked her:

"Do you want to find socks everywhere? do you want to find empty mugs left in every corner of your house? do you want to find trousers left in the middle of your room and loads of dirty laundry every day or two? do you want someone to be in your face when you are really irritated and would love some "you" time? and on top of all this, as much as you'd love your own baby, do you want to be a full time carer for a child and a dad whom each has various demands every second and minute of the day and night? do you really want love now?

She looked at me with a big smile and said "well maybe it's not too bad being single then!" Seriously woman! not too bad, I'd say it's bloody fantastic being single with no "baggage" that you can only blame yourself for creating or wanting in the first place. No matter how cute, no matter how lovely and no matter how perfect....you cannot beat a day of being single and just doing absolutely nothing! Nothing at all.

I once watched Sheldon cooper saying on the sitcom Big Bang theory, on the episode where his friend was getting married, he said "The need to find another human being to share one's life has always puzzled me. Maybe because I am so interesting all by myself. With that being said, may you find as much happiness with each other as I find on my own." lovely.. I think with that said, I shall end this post.

Egypt backwards- Tpyge?

After elections and all the hassle and bustle, Egypt has finally got itself a new president! Hooray, no not really....Well for a start, he is from the Muslim brotherhood. One may wonder right away if this whole revolution was just another cunning plan to spread chaos, get the old president out of the way and pave the way for a buffoon to sit on the seat of power. The bizarre thing and perhaps lucky for the Egyptian people today is that he has no powers YET as the constitution is "under construction" which- according to the lovely Egyptian reputation of getting a job done- may take forever and ever. It is easy to think of this election like someone deciding to write a book but then decided that it would be easier to just hire a ghost writer instead, why exert the effort? why even lift a finger. That is exactly what happened.

The Egyptian revolution of 25th of January 2011 is sadly a joke and no one in Egypt could actually say otherwise at the current circumstances. (Dr.) Morsi- apparently a doctor of construction- has won over his rivals and has been giving "embarrassing" speeches that sounded to me, on Egyptian television, like speeches that could have only been written by an idiot over a cup of tea or a smoke of shisha- half awake and totally oblivious of what is at stake. The streets of Egypt are packed today with the poorest citizens who are sadly uneducated, impoverished and uncertain of the future. Morsi promises food and shelter! could they even be promises ? The most basic of all human rights- food and shelter- are now factors that should be addressed and promised to be resolved. Shockingly, the educated groups are not in any better position either, a few only are apparent on the scene shaking their heads and rolling eyes when they are asked about their opinion.

My mother said today to me in the car, "You will not find any people like the Egyptian people" I quickly replied "Well thank God they ARE in Egypt and not anywhere else or the world would have came to an end!" She giggled at my sarcasm. Honestly now, myself, my husband and my child have only been in Cairo for the last 6 days and are already wondering when will we go back to Liverpool. The speed of life- if I could call it so- is insane. It is almost like seeing your life fade away right in front of your eyes that you have not got a minute to catch your breathe or enjoy a single thing.

Bizarrely my husbands complaints of the heat, the dust, the dirt, the people, the noise pollution, the food, the attitude, the services, the quality, the standards and the list goes on cannot fall on deaf ears. I sympathise with him when he say he is out of his comfort zone. I wish I could of course make Egypt better and lovely for him and everyone visiting it, but the future looks worse than before and I cannot help my pessimism. I see Egypt going backwards and people thinking backwards. No development, no progress, just stupidity, wasting time, attacking ANY kind of thinking for no valid reason and my god, being so stubborn and not to mention- temper temper!

Will Egypt ever be rescued? That is a question that remains a mystery to date...

Read more on:
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/17/12270842-military-guards-egypt-power-as-islamists-claim-victory?lite

Age sucks

I just realised that tomorrow is the 22nd of May, 2012. That makes me 28 years old tomorrow. How time passes by so quick. I had the craziest idea of making a chart tracing my age, my mother, my husband and my child's through the years to see how old we will all be in correspondence to each other. The result was made my heart sink.

According to my chart- in 2012- I am tomorrow 28, my husband 31, my mother 51 and my child is 1.

Shockingly in 2021- I will be 37, my husband 40, my mother 60 and my child is 10.  

Even more shocking in 2030- I will be 46, my husband 50, my mother 70 and my child 20 years old.

And really now, with a big sigh, in 2041, I will be 57, my husband 60, my mother 80 and my child 30.

Age is such a B**** I told myself... I would certainly discourage anyone from doing the same as I just did. It will ruin your day unless you're all gonna be young forever and live happily ever after which is never the case of course.

I will try not to dwell on this although it will always be at the back of my mind now...I should instead say... cheer up me and have a happy birthday.

The best quote I've just read today is: "Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end."*

*Source:  http://quotegroup.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/age-quotes.html

Adios & thanks for nothing...

Egypt women to demonstrate in Cairo for representation in new constitution

I could not help today but notice in this article titled " Egypt women to demonstrate in Cairo for representation in new constitution" the image in support of the article with a crowd of women who are all veiled- some of them holding their mobile phones trying to take a picture (I wonder whose picture though)

Image link:

http://bikyamasr.com/66701/egypt-women-to-demonstrate-in-cairo-for-representation-in-new-constitution/#

To a person from outside Egypt, the first impression of an Egyptian woman would be a veiled oppressed woman who is hardly heard in society and whose demands are long lost throughout history. This, however, is not the case.

Egyptian women are not all veiled, and even those who are, certainly are not bound to any oppressive law or tradition. It is a huge mistake to believe that the veil is the cause for such an oppression- women are exposed to oppression directly or indirectly all over the world, whether in the work place or at home, it is up to a woman to allow the oppressor to be part of her life. Women, whether Egyptian or not, have the ability to voice their feelings loud and clear.

It is sad that the media chose this picture specifically because it conveys the wrong message to the world. The picture used in the article does not represent correctly the majority of Egyptian women, so why is the media using it, I wonder.

15 Things my Mum keeps telling me

1. Never, never give up!

2. Wake up smiling

3. Be the first to say Hello

4. Be a good listener

5. Always call people with their names

6. Deal with another person as if he/she is the most important person in the world.

7. Keep a note of birthday dates

8. Start with a compliment

9. Surprise the one you love

10. Keep your loved ones close

11. Make someone smile every day

12. Dress every day as if it is the most important day

13. Forgive yourself and other will forgive you

14. Always say please and thank you

15. Live every minute in life as if it is your last.

Flamenco Dance

  

Flamenco 2012

This year I have decided to take on Flamenco as an activity that I have always been interested in and intrigued by. The dance itself is fascinating. When I see a Flamenco dance several words come to mind: Sexiness, fierce, love, passion, hate, lust, control, style...The dance transforms the dancer into a person who has all these traits and feels all these feelings all at once. The audience becomes totally absorbed into a world of love, fire and passion. I totally loved watching the dance on stage or in a youtube video. The music and the movements are in total harmony that mesmerised me. 

Classes I started on 29th Feb 2012 every Wednesday 8-9 pm Beginners class at Unit 3H Wavertree Industrial park, Liverpool with Patricia.

Website for Flamenco Liverpool:              http://flamenco-de-liverpool.co.uk/

Lana Del Rey- Born To Die

  ♥  Happy Valentines' Day ♥

      

Lana Del Rey is an American singer-songwriter dubbed as 'the one to watch in 2012'.

By far is one of the most iconic singers today. I never thought I would be captivated by songs like that or absorbed in any video clip as much as I am when I watch her videos. Truly mesmerising. I came across one of her songs "Born to die" on UK television and thought to myself my goodness I love her voice and what an excellent video. Having a philosophical background myself and an interest in lyrics, I googled a few of her songs with lyrics to see more and hear even more. The debut album "Born to Die" (Interescope Records)" is flawless. It has been out in all retail and digital stores across the world from the last days of January. Her album comes in standard and deluxe editions, the latter containing all 15 recordings, that features the hit singles: "Video Games" and "Born to Die". Re-worked versions of previously leaked tracks like "National Anthem" or "Diet Mountain Dew", and brand new tracks like "Carmen"or the flawless and "Dark Paradise"which is in my view another great song.

So lets face it-- Who would have given much thought to the idea of being BORN to DIE?!! It's a fact but far away from our every day thought...

The fact that her voice is truly amazing doesn't mean that she isn't exerting a lot of effort in choosing her video clips scenarios or the messages conveyed or the style of dress & make up. Every detail in the clip seems well planned and thought through, not like those silly clips today with flashing images, boobs and silliness (I guess "I am sexy and I know it" video clip comes to mind here LOL) What a contrast that I am so thrilled about.

'I'm more of a studio singer and I'm fine with that!"said Lana

(Click on the songs to go to the site where you can find the lyrics and video clips)
 

1. Born to Die
2. Off to the Races
3. Blue Jeans
4. Video Games
5. Diet Mountain Dew
6. National Anthem
7. Dark Paradise
8. Radio
9. Carmen
10. Million Dollar Man
11. Summertime Sadness
12. This Is What Makes Us Girls
13. Without You
14. Lolita
15. Lucky Ones

  

* Quote from: Rocker Amy Rebecca Klein who wrote a very good analysis of Lana Del Rey and her songs in her blog.

"Lana Del Ray is sitting at home waiting for you to come home so she can fix you dinner and a drink. Lana Del Ray is waiting for you to come home so she can watch you play video games on the couch and ignore her all day until it’s time for bed. Lana Del Ray is waiting for you to come home so you can go to bed and act out all of your wildest fantasies which is exactly what she wants to do—what you want to do, that is. Lana Del Ray is waiting for you because she is your mirror.

It's you, it's you, it's all for you
Everything I do, I tell you all the time
Heaven is a place on earth with you ♥

Tell me all the things you want to do

I heard that you like the bad girls
Honey, is that true?

It's better than I ever even knew
They say that the world was built for two ♥

Only worth living if somebody is loving you
Baby, now you do

                                                      ---------------------------------------
So it doesn’t matter if Lana Del Ray is entirely sarcastic when she belts out, “It’s YOU, it’s YOU, it’s all for YOU.” It doesn’t matter that there is an edge to her voice that sounds something like rage and despair. Lana Del Ray has conquered America with plastic surgery, video games, a regression to nostalgia, and an appeal to the sex drive of every male music critic on the planet. It doesn’t matter if she has anything real to sell because Lana Del Ray has made us think about the relationship between selling fantasy and selling lies."

Oh well, no matter how controversial Lana Del Rey is, she is still a great voice and that is all that matters...to me at least.

Dying from a broken heart ?

I have always wondered if how can people say "he or she died from a broken heart" seems to me like something from a fairy tale with a sad ending. I wasn't really convinced till I came across this article and it made me think more:
          http://www.familyhealthavenue.com/2010/02/is-it-possible-to-die-from-a-broken-heart/

It must be terrible to see a loved one slip away without being able to stop him/her or accept it altogether. Every new year I realise that another year has passed without my grandpa. I cannot recall the exact date he died but I recall the day very well as if it just happened an hour ago. I never really accepted that he died. I was so angry that my grandma started decorating the house right after- I was full of rage thinking over and over how could she wipe the memories I have of him in the house. Now I understand that it was her way of coping with his loss. I feel bad now for being mad at her. I just wished that she wouldn't decorate so I can continue feeling him around and seeing things as I always did when I lived their.

I am not sure that there is a man on the face of the earth who deserves a woman's love to that extent. I perhaps realised it when I saw my baby son. He is the only man who deserves all the love and care because to the world I may be just one person, but to him I am the ONLY person.