Missing Cairo

I've opened my blog twice then closed it, wanting to write a post but not knowing where to start. Alhmdllah i feel alive, despite the fact that 2 days ago when i came back from Egypt i was depressed. Thank God for friends. Honestly the difference between the busy bustling loud and crowded streets of Cairo and between the quietness of my city in Canada are striking. I'de take the busy any day. I think the greatest thing that struck me in Egypt is that history is everywhere! literally, I'll be walking next to a century old building, or gates from some older dynasty, people walk around it not giving a shit, but to me that clashing of old with new makes me get goosebumps. Never the dull moment in Egypt, I've countless times fallen and refallen in love with my country.

Enough of my love letter though, after some mishaps with Egypt airlines, I'm finally back home. Two weeks behind in school but nonetheless here's for planning on having a great year and a memorable last semester.

Cheers!


View of Cairo from atop


Masjid Muhammad Ali

One of what was once an old gate of Cairo, Khan Elkalili

Checking in from Riyadh

Hello!

I'm in the middle of the sun! Or so it feels like it. I don't know how Saudi's did it before the AC, specially in all this black women must wear. So life took an unexpected twist of events, but first i shall update.

Egypt was great, sure i was somewhat culture-shocked after 7 years of not visiting but overall it was a great trip alhmdllah. I acted the role of a tourist and visited all the fancy shananagins. I visited the pyramids for the first time, rode horses in the desert and got ripped off doing so. I sat at Elfishawy, prayed in Al-Azhar and AL-Hussien, went to Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum, watched bats in Al-Azhar park and I wish I could have done more and met some of the amazingly awesome bloggers I got to know,  except time wasn't so permitting especially with Ramadan
 Halfway through we decided well what if we can do Umra. We didn't expect to make it till after Eid, but couple days before Eid we found ourselves on a plane heading to the  "Land of all Holys" -Makkah. and thus me finally ending up in Riyadh visiting my uncle.

If I stop being the lazy bum I am, I'll do several posts regarding my stay in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. As for now I'm gonna enjoy what's left of my break. By that I mean im gonna drink me some tea and watch some National Geographic. Cheers!

Travel Butterflies

Sitting in the living room at 7 in the morning and on 3 hours of sleep I'm feeling a whole variation of different emotions. My suitcases are next to the door and my siblings are still asleep. Our flight isn't for a while, so technically I should still be sleeping, but i can't. I know i should be excited for my trip for Egypt, it has been seven years after all, but I'm too nervous. I'm not sure why, I play some Quran and continue sitting. I take a deep breath, I'm praying for the best.

Take all my blood

9. Donate Blood 


I've always felt that blood donation was a great way of helping others and using yourself and your body in the service of others. Unfortunately I was always below the weight limit to be able to give any blood. I finally decided to eat alot alot alot till i reached a 110 pounds.

Kidding.

It was just one day i checked and lo and behold I was a 110!

I was of course excited because the first thing that popped in my mind was, " ITS ABOUT TIME!"
and the second was, " they can take my blood now! party!"

and since i have no fear of needles it wasn't really that big of a deal. I did find out though that my blood type is A+

Winning!

Getting Things Done

Oh blog how I've neglected thee!

So I was catching up with a friend the other day and we started talking about our goals in life and she was telling me how she developed a list of things to do in life before she dies as an inspiration from mine, and that got me thinking, " when was the last time I actually looked at that list and crossed things off!" So I went back and what do you know, I've achieved 4 of the things on my list! Also going over it after so long I found that I had new things I wanted to add and others which are probably not a top priority any longer. So I shall dedicate a post for each of the things I've crossed off my list or am in the process of achieving. May your lists be all crossed off and growing! :D

Different Personalities, Same Person.

Life has a weird way of letting you experience all the things you swore you would never do.
Perhaps it's drugs or maybe something as little as trying a particular food or looking at life from the eyes of a particular ideology. Then all of a sudden you look out and you are everything you said you never would be. Sometimes it's good and you wonder at your previous state of mind or what you would call close mindedness. Other times, you become that thing you hated most, you embody its essence and breathe its soul.
We all experience it to some degree or another, sometimes noticeable other times not.
I guess where i'm heading with this is that I've noticed myself being that person who looks back and discovers that she's a whole other person. The one who's almost shocked at the changes which came little by little to all of a sudden open my eyes and find the person who i am today.
It's not in a bad way mind you, I'm actually glad to have reached where i am today.
and to this, cheers all around!

Figment of my imagination

If this life is a figment of my imagination
then i am twisted in every sort of way
If my life is a figment of my imagination
where my mind makes up the reality around me
then i have a sick sense of humor.
and Oh God, i'm surprised that
i haven't yet given myself a tumor,
If i'm the "primes cause" as they say
and the things i perceive are
the only ones which i can prove
then why the hell am i creating
alll.this.pain!
Because somehow i like
creating a reality of a man
who is perfect in every sense of way
who is my idea of prince charming
you could say
then i add a minor detail of how
he has no interest in me.
Moreover, to add some sugar to the cake
i'll put together some other guys who like ME
and whom i have no interest in.
and because my mind is really something
I'll imagine, greed, famine, hate and war
then i say it is so that i cannot have a hand
in changing that reality
or if i do, it is on no massive scale.
That odd sense of humor
decrees it so that
i can imagine a reality
in which i cannot bring forth
unicorns, neither can i fly or
breath underwater
or do anything intrinsically
interesting!
or have it go my way.
Rather it seems my imagination
overall dwells on suffering
and takes its sweet pleasure in it.
it is crippled and unsupportive  
and if the life i see
is a figment of my imagination,
then we're all screwed.