Eid!! (vegetarian warning)

First of all, I tried to make this post through google wave but it didn't seem to work out. I added bloggy and tweety!

I should be asleep now since tomorrow is Eid El Adha (my dad is in Hajj- and will be here on TUESDAY! I miss my daddy!) I've "hajjed" three times :) thanks to him. I am thankful for my father, he's paying for my degree as well!

Eid el Adha, if you are not performing/in hajj means:

• Waking up by 5:30
  
• Meeting friends at dawn and heading to the masjid for eid prayers
• Breakfast with friends.
• Calling everyone up wishing them a happy eid
• Lunch with family.
• Repeat for the next 3 days except for the waking up early and prayer part. (and breakfast- and you can have lunch with anyone really)

Well, Adha literally means sacrifice, so we usually sacrifice a sheep or a calf...keep one third of it and give the rest to as many people as possible- people who cannot afford it. I don't really like mutton but my mum and grandmother make YUMMY fried liver slices. YUMMY, I TELL YOU!

Recipe:

1. You need sliced liver, salt garlic (crushed/ground) black pepper, cumin, vinegar and flour.
2. Mix salt, pepper cumin and 5 tablespoons of vinegar  (you can add ground green peppers as well!)
3. Marinade the liver "fillets" in that for up to 2 hours
4. Coat with flour
5. Fry!

You want to see our Mr. Stinky? We met him today for the first and the last time, and I don't think I'll be able to eat his liver...even though the flash on my camera made him seem mean.

PS Happy belated Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate(d)
PPS I didn't mean to offend any vegans/vegetarians.

A Birthday Post!

Missy, you deserve a post of your own.
Because you are twenty-two.

And that's a blah year (after the big 21..and the jump from teens to twenties that is 20!)

But you will never have a blah year, or at least that's what I hope for you. I wish you never have a blah year- ever! You are now as old as I am! How amazing is that?

This is for you.

I hope you make all your wishes happen (here)

And here's a teacup full of love for you

here

Love you Chels!

This week was also Kristin's birthday!! Spread the love everyone and wish these lovely girls a special year!

Fragments.

• Check this out: LSA 7736! I think it's such a great project!
• This made me cry... I wrote this for you 
• Saskia is featured on Diamond in the Rough 

here

I just realized the amount of books I have on my shelf... and the tens of them there for me to read. Maybe I should do this. This plus working on my research paper (due December 15th)

My little sister turns 13 on December the third!! THIRTEEN...and it's almost Eid :)
Yet, I prefer the other Eid to Eid el Adha....mainly because the streets smell of sheep this Eid.

I love how thanksgiving is on Thursday and Eid on Friday- talk about festive!

here

Wow, my thoughts are definitely fragmented and I am feeling far from productive and my back hurts. I want to go to the gym and stop whining about it. I am not happy with who I am these days. Does this come with being almost halfway your 22nd year?

I'd hate to think so. I'd like to think it's about being unemployed. Yet, I wouldn't consider myself unemployed since I am not really looking..

Maybe I should write a letter to myself.

Early Bird

New blog: here
Check this and be inspired!

There was a point in my life when I used to watch Lizzie McGuire... and I thought Gordo was cute, with the hair and the voice!
Where is he?

Aren't they cute? Through here

Sometimes I miss being younger, and all the awkwardness that involved....school was just almost totally awkward. And at the time, it's your worst nightmare, why and how I miss it now, is beyond me! All those moments that could have been something very different, and you think about it now and think what if...or maybe it's just me? It probably is. Because I am stupid like that.

here

I got my grade...
*drum rolls*
***
**
*
I got an "A-/B+" which I consider a B+ and I am disappointed. I wanted an A. But I can still get an overall A right?

One of my favourite songs! here

I got up early today to fix my sleeping pattern. And by early, I mean 5 am!

A festival gone bad

I don't know why I haven't been updating my blog, and I haven't been catching up on my reader either.

On Friday I went to this festival that I usually go to, but then stopped, because it has gone too commercial for an underground music festival.

I still believe so.

But one of my favourite bands was performing, a reunion performance, and it was...heavenly. It was seriously divine. (The band is Eftekasat) they play oriental jazz instrumental songs. LOVE! [myspace]

Another band I like, Bad Apple, a rock band, was singing a rather obscene original song, you know what they did? the organizers cut them off, we could only hear the music and the song is actually a good one!! [myspace] And that was that for me, I mean with the festival..

Yes, I do have a very eclectic taste in music.

I am hoping to get my economics grade today...wish me luck?

Oh and a huge thank you goes to everyone who prayed for my cousin, or sent him positivity, he had his operation six days later than I thought he'd have it but it was a success!!

....

What happened in Sudan yesterday was sad. Sad...and just very, very sad...I can't find the words to express how I feel about it...but it was just very...barbaric.. and I don't mean that in the discriminatory sense of the word.

We lost. But that's not what's making me sad. In fact, this and this. I had friends in Sudan who we couldn't reach, Egyptian celebrities contacted live talk shows saying their buses were being attacked...

It just breaks my heart..the violence. On both parts, I am not going to be biased..but then...oh, Egypt!

I was guest blogger yesterday at Shokoofeh's! Check my post here.

I found this.

here

The only good thing about yesterday was the fact that my professor liked my proposal and I am going to present it to the class today! Wish me luck :)


This world needs to learn how to see beauty.

So Today...

here

I love my friends.
I love my friends for so many reasons!
One of the reasons why, is a day like today, and a conversation like the one we had today.

Ok, it was more of an argument....and we were loud.

So we were sitting there at my favourite coffee-shop and it started by my arguing that I think marketing (some marketing) is unethical. We were sat there, a law major, an economics major (yours truly), a political science major and two marketing majors.

Then it moved to something I am somehow passionate about, the evolution of the Egyptian political system, and the law major (Menna) was justifying Nasser and sort of standing up for him in a way, Wessam and I were more for King Farouk, the marketing majors chose to remain silent.

Then we moved on to the origins of a state!! As a political organisation that is...and Wessam and I were arguing that philosophers (Plato and Aristotle- and Rousseau) are in a way politicians, (we were then joined by another law major) and the law people argued that the state was formed by law. I say politics.
Now, I have to credit the marketeers! Who, as the argument reached it's climax, proposed that we form a team of lawyers and that of social scientists (if I may call us that!) and they should market our point of views! How creative is that?

As we were joined by even more law majors, we became louder and louder, and eventually the discussion took a nationalist course, and how the qualification match was turned into a nationalist cause and a marketing opportunity! (will post about that later) and how we think it is sad. Watch this: a touching embodiment of unity!

lawyers in the making

I am not showing my friends off really, but I am rather expressing my pride in the potential we have. The potential that we, as youth of a developing country, have but cannot really realise. Due to the fact that we are driven to believe we have not the means to realise the great potential in us!

my very own musician! he wasn't there though...

We are such a powerful driving force! We are revolutionary! And of that, I am proud :)

Even though we have to accept the fact that we are only human (that applies to everyone!) we should also realise that humans have such great power! We are superhuman in a way, only if we choose to be!

Rise up, and change your world. Promise.

PS We are fun people, not always geeky/nerdy/whatever you would like to call it!

Kreativ!

I've been given the Kreativ Blogger Award by Athena, Janice, and this very lovely lady!

here are the rules:

one. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
two. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
three. Link the person who nominated you for this award.
four. Write seven things that a small number of curious folk might be interested in.
five. Nominate seven Kreativ Bloggers.
six. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
seven. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

seven facts: 

1. I have 201 followers now and that is making me insanely happy!!
2. I am not a big fan of football (due to ignorance...really) but the fact that there's a chance for Egypt to qualify for the world cup is AMAZING! I am so excited, but the fact that the corporate sector is capitalizing on people's sense of patriotism and nationalism is irritating me. A lot!
3. I cannot drive a manual gear car.
4. Studying for my master's degree has made me think about and question things I have never even considered before.
5. Oxymoron. I love.
   
6. I love my country and my family. In fact my family plays a HUGE part of my life. My cousins are  closest friends, and in that Menna becomes family (Menna knows who she is)
7. I will write a book one day.

Dear Followers,
Feel free to consider this tag/award yours. I love you x

PS Two more awards/tags to go!!
PPS I have an UGLY headache. Any natural remedies?

Random Overload!

We all get our not so nice moments. I can be very mean, very, very mean sometimes...ask him!
I tend to lose my temper when under stress (don't we all?) and I get the worst mood swings, and ugly PMS.

I just thought I should let everyone know. I thought I owe everyone the fact, honestly. But then, there's beauty in the errors.

here

I miss my hair, I miss how it touched my shoulders, or how I used to check how long it has gotten while in the shower. Please, please grow out. I miss you hair!

Do you ever feel cold? Read this to warm your heart.Someone needs a friend.Friends are such a blessing. Such a great blessing. And family, too.
My cousin has gone in for an operation today and I need everyone to pray for him with me, they operated on his knee, but you see, football is his passion and he needs a perfect knee!

here

I finally sent the giveaway photos...FINALLY months later. I am sorry. I tend to get preoccupied. Right now, I am procrastinating. I should be writing my proposal and doing my readings. I wish citing and bibliographies were as easy as linking.


But I remember so many things when I am supposed to be doing even more things!

Afiori has a new line. And there's an ornament swap going on which I am part of even though I don't celebrate Christmas! I just thought it was a beautiful thing to do!

Oh, Paris, oh how I wish....

here

Meet Mohammed

Or the boyfriend. Or the boy. Or the "almost" fiancé.

he's the one in the middle :)

The best friend I could ask for. The older brother I never had. The man with a beautiful voice. And a big, big heart.
He may not be James Marsden (YUMMMMMMMMM!) but hey, he loves me!

here

I won't begin to tell you how we met, or how we are such a weird couple (we could write volumes and volumes of books about our lives and arguments and jokes). Because we are. We are weird in that quirky way...in a way that might make people laugh really...but it's fun and we love it. Because that's how we are. He tells me jokes no one else would laugh about and they crack me up!

That no matter what happens, it's always him. He even got me a promise ring (for my birthday)! And wrote me a song! (two actually!) and we are finally making it work out. That's how you do it, right? You work on your relationship!

You can't not like him, because...well he's funny and sincere and he just cares. And he is such a good friend! Even though it might be true that he leaves a not so good first impression.. He's a perfect older brother (we're both the eldest of four!) my little brother loves him (yes, that's important to me) OH, and he makes a mouthwatering tuna cake!
He has a really nice family; great parents, a sister 13 days older than I am, who I can call my very own (I miss you Sarah)

here

Sometimes he has temper problems, and when he does, he drives like a madman. He's also loud when discussing something serious (which is when he needs to be quiet the most, I guess)
Oh he parks perfectly, too! He was kind enough to teach me and that is why I don't park like a woman! I surprise myself sometimes!
Have I mentioned that he's just...amazing?

PS I have temper problems to, and he's just this nice- to absorb that. We compliment each other, you see

He has a blog  and this is his band's fanpage!

Books and Links x

You have to see this!! Thank you loveliest Iris! She has a beautiful blog, too! So this made my day today :)

here

All of you lovely people have been asking me what I am going to do next, after my professor told me I was/am in the wrong place...
I honestly don't know. I think I will go on with this, or maybe wait until this term's grades come out and see? What do you think?The thing is, if I want to do creative writing or any writing program, I will have to leave my dear country- I don't think my dad would let me. And I don't think I would be able to survive as long as it would take without my family.

Do you think having a career or a job in general changes you?

here

I got three books this week! Beer in the Snooker Club, Miramar, and Adrift on the Nile. And it is not by coincidence that they are all set after the 1952 coup d'etat in Egypt and tackle the social mobilization (or the lack of) that took place at that time as reflected on the different strata of the society.

I am not going to impose on myself a language I do not speak!

I will base my political science paper on literature!

Check this and this!

A Silver Lining!

My political science professor didn't like my proposal.

He said it was a great proposal for a reflective paper, and that it had a great creative sense to it. But it wasn't a good proposal for an analytical essay.

But you know that every cloud has a silver lining right? YES!!

here

Guess what he said! He gave me the best compliment ever! He said "you are in the wrong place." I said "what do you mean?" he said, "You are in the wrong place, from the very first day I could feel it, you should be doing creative writing, I could even see it in your emails"

I said "wow...that is such a great compliment.... thank you!"

Yes, I love that man. Dr. Abdel Aziz Ezz El Arab, thank you for being such a great person. And thank you for your constructive criticism! Thank you!

Procrastinating

I am addicted to Farmville! It makes me want to have a real farm/garden so bad! Add me of Facebook if you have the same obsession? You can still add me if you don't! Just let me know you added me through the blog okay?

Speaking of obsessions, I have quite a few!
I am obsessed with Vera Wang's Princess. I am obsessed with my hair (despite it's almost permanent unruly state)I am obsessed with being right. And with knowledge, I have to know everything which gets quite tiresome at times. I am also obsessed with my family. I love my family to pieces!

Speaking of my family, being the eldest of four, and having an almost thirteen year old sister (who has a Jonas Brothers obsession which I consider a sin, a disgrace and a serious lack of musical taste) and an eight year old brother, my house is usually more of a circus. Noisy and messy and just...hectic! I blame them (and the traffic) for my close to zero tolerance to noise.

What's your favourite livejournal community? And fall/autumn song(s)? (Missy, I asked this with you in mind!)

Oh, and Nasser is not making my essay any easier...why did he have to be such a contreversial person? I mean, I never even liked him, because my grandfather didn't, basically, but now that I have to actually write a whole research essay about anything Nasser related, I hate him for giving me so much trouble!

I still love you Egypt!

at the stadium- Fifa U20

view from the Cairo Tower

Both photos taken by me!

Weather and Economics

For Kristin:

Florida, even Cairo is a bit (Relatively) chilly now! will you do that please? You can keep the sun, because it's sunny in Cairo (mostly) so please for Kristin's sake (and mine!) stop being so warm!

It was a full moon last night, and yesterday, the clouds were very cotton-candy like. And they were so close I could touch them! In fact, I have touched clouds before, when my grand father took us to Switzerland, my sister and I touched the clouds.

Of suns and skies.

here

A while ago, I argued with someone about applied rule and act utilitarianism. I don't know if you are familiar with the terms but rule utilitarianism is what John Stuart Mill believed in, that if it is not right, then nothing could justify it. whereas, act utilitarianism (Bentham) is basically "the purpose justifies the means", if it's for the general good then just do it.

When it comes to my values, I am strictly rule utilitarian...and it leaves me with one of two problems, either I can't please people I am supposed to please, or I go against my values...

here

The sun is out and the clouds are pretty, I am staying in because of a mood swing and TONS of studying to to, it turns out that the grad-school business is not easy after all! Very time consuming and demanding and...just challenging! I am not used to that...I am used to everything being feasible and relatively easy!

Help!

How is your Tuesday everyone?

PS I have tons of awards that I am saving up for one or 2 posts! yay?

Welcome Back, Me!

This here is such a great description of my lovely lovely city. Wessam, I don't think I've been able to describe the beauty of Cairo in such eloquence

here

I am thankful that Cairo has finally given us what would be accepted by us Caireines (sp?) as autumn weather! There is a cool breeze and a few clouds- it is in fact quite gloomy out there. And the occasional rain during the day. I slept with the AC off yesterday! Ankle boots and cardigans are now allowed!

Thank you, Cairo!!

here

So, next week I have a midterm and I had to submit a proposal last Thursday about Nasser....and I hate it and it scares me. Research papers scare me.

Also, Thursday we sort of had a costume/Halloween party at my best friend's and it was ....funny. Seriously so, I don't remember the last time I laughed that much!

The AUC employment fair is a must-go, okay?

Magic here

I need inspiration really...I just finished reading all the post on my reader. I have a lot of studying to do and I need to leave it all behind and head to the beach..I am being to random, but that's just me.