3 Things I'm Grateful For

There are a lot of things I'm extremely grateful to have in my life but career wise, here's the ultimate 3;

Getting Published: I never thought, not in a million years, that I’d actually see my name in print. Sure there’s the dream of publishing my own novel after being discovered in a so-hollywoodish kind of way but to have my own column is something I’ve never foreseen before.

Winning Cubscribe: I know I was supposed to be optimistic about the whole thing but I wasn't. The topic we choose was alright though the approach we took could have been different. Nevertheless, my team and I won the The Week's challenge for Best Design and Overall Winner.

Writing and finishing stories: The only story I've ever written and finished was Perspective just because it was a school project. When I started writing after that, I've scribbled plots here and there and a couple of stories but it is when I posted them on here that I had the courage and the drive to work on them further. It has a lot to do with my readers' comments that I saw my potentials in the true sense of the word. So a huge THANK YOU to all of you out there who stood with me since the first days of my noob-ish attempts.

سوفَ نـبـقـى هُـنا

سوفَ نـبـقـى هُـنا, Mohammed Nabbous' favourite song dedicated to every Libyan and whoever out there believes freedom will come at last.

سوف نبقى هنا كي يزول الألم
سوف نحيا هنا سوف يحلو النغم 

رغم كيد العدا رغم كل النقم
سوف نسعى إلى أن تعم النعم
سوف نرنو إلى رفع كل الهمم
بالمسير للعلا ومناجاة القمم

In Mohammed Nabbous' Memory

Mohammed Nabbous or ''Mo'' is the founder of Libya AlHurra TV; a private station that provided the world with news and on-ground footages from Benghazi, Libya. On 19 of March, he was shot in the head by a sniper by pro-Gaddafi troops. Ever since the beginning of the revolution, Mohammed's been wandering the dangerous streets of Benghazi, shooting videos and pictures of the regime's crimes that haven't been aired to let the world know what's going on without censorship. He founded the channel on livestream and people have started following his videos since Feb 17th.

I haven't known him personally, but his sister, a teacher of mine is so proud of him and for what he's done. A real hero, 28 years of age, lost his life and left his wife behind him and a yet-to-be-born son. Mohammed's famous statement is this  "I am not afraid to die, I am afraid to lose the battle." And inshAllah, his son would come into this world and get to live in a free country, a free Libya. 

الله يرحمه  ويغمد روحه في الجنة إن شاءالله

Is It Too Much To Ask For?

Millions and hundreds are being killed each passing day in Libya.. It's saddening to hear the toll of the deceased being spoken about as if they're counting any ordinary numbers.. What's yet more devastating is the fact that we're hopeless, we can't see anything happening in order to stop all these killings of innocent lives. As if it became the norm to hear/watch people being shot down, murdered without feeling a pang of pity... Can't imagine how the Libyans are living right now with planes flying over them, dropping bombs and killing whoever comes in the way. We'd say it's none of our business, but how's that so? Aren't they Arabs? Muslims? More importantly, human beings? 

Can we live in peace again? Is it so much to ask for under all that's going on? Would I be selfish to wish that all of this stops right now, at this very second? Just last night, my Libyan teacher's brother was killed in his own house..just because he's a reporter, for getting the truth out there. Does he deserve to die for telling the world what's taking part in his country? When did taking one's life for doing his job become ordinary? May all of their souls rest in peace.

A question to think about; Can't we do anything at all to stop this madness?

It's The Small Things...

As you’re heading out the door a total stranger opens it for you, the smile you see on the face of an elderly woman when she’s leaning on her son for support, the cute and warm laughter of a baby… I know I would not stop here for these little gestures that lighten up our entire day deserve a list of its own but here is me trying:

[Photo Credit]

Whenever you go, make sure to carry a valuable thing with you, it’s not a pen nor a bag but a facial expression and what is more beautiful than a smile? Yes, this smile of yours at the first of the morning can encourage others to be positive, to follow the same path in order to have what you seem to spread around contagiously: energy and happiness.

‘Sorry’ is a one-letter word that can be easily said but when meant can have an even larger impact. Always be careful to say it at the right time and in the right places for it may change your relationship with someone or destroy it.

‘Thank you’ is a rather two-word phrase but can be used almost everywhere. Be thankful to what you have, to others, to your family, your peaceful life and just about everything in between.

Avoid any aggressive situations that can make you go angry in a blink of an eye, don’t let simple things like forgetting where your key chain is change the whole atmosphere for you.

Take time-outs, because who doesn’t need them? Reward yourself knowing that you deserve it. Go out, enjoy. Life, as they say, is too short. You have a remote control that doesn’t has a pause button so without thinking of its existence, just hit the forward button and have a blast.

11.3.09

Whenever I hear or read this verse, I remember him. He used to repeat it numerous of times without reading the verses in between. Now I regret not counting the times he said it, maybe they'd have been 31? Like it's mentioned in Surat AlRahman? Maybe he just forgot to remember the remaining verses yet was so persistent to finish reciting the Sura.

He went through a lot and I've only seen him in the true sense of the word in his last years. I was so stupid back then that I'd taken him for granted. But don't we all do that? Take every dearest person in our heart for granted? We'd love to believe that they'll be there no matter what but that's the sad part. There will be a day when we'd see them passing through the crowd in white linen, covering our eyes to think this can't be true, they'd be gone to where we all belong, beneath the ground.

Their memories will haunt us, just like a shadow. Wherever, whenever or whatever you do, there will be a point in which you'll remember what used to be between you, the times you shared... Just know that they're in a better place, a much nicer place than the planet we call Earth. To us, it may seem like they'll miss the great fun they could have here, but what do we know? They might be having a blast in heaven, looking down upon us, wishing we WERE there with them.

May he rest in peace.

11.3.09 to 11.3.2011 = 2 years.. feels like it was just yesterday.

Sick Leave: Day 3

For the past 4 days and 3 nights I've been feverish like never before. And before you start making any assumptions that this will be another rant post; it isn't.

The great thing about being sick to the point that you're bed-bound and can't move off your place without your head spinning so fast that it might fall off your neck is the realization of the small amount of people's pain from their permanent diseases.

It's only situations like these that makes you stop and appreciate EVERYTHING you have, starting with the greatest blessing that is your health.

[Guest Book Review] ولدت هناك، ولدت هنا

Remember the Arabic book I posted about here sometimes back? It's the same novel that I kept quoting and tweeting about. And finally, just on Tuesday, I've finished reading it and immediately bought my own copy from the book fair.

The novel got emotional at parts; made me realize the great struggle Palestinans go through while watching their country being taken away from them day by day knowing that someday they'd have it back. Only question is, when?

I knew I wouldn't do the book justice if I began reviewing it so without even thinking to try, I asked my good friend, Blogger and above all, an awesome tweep with informative tweets spamming (in a good way of course) my timeline: Salma to write a review and she kindly did so;

كيف لما كتب كسيرة مختصرة أن يختصر واقع شعب دون أن يغفل عن تفاصيل الأرض والسماء والشجر والزيتون؟
وُلدتُ هناك، وُلدت هنا.. كتاب يعطي الجواب.

يسرد الأب مريد زيارة إبنه تميم الأولى لفلسطين.. يحكي جهد السفر وشوق الزيارة والمعابر.. يعود حينا لماضيه في مدارس دير غسانة، ليرحل في المستقبل ليحكي عن إبنه تميم طالب الجامعة.. بوصف شاعري، عاطفي بسيط وصادق مؤثر.

الكتاب مزيج من قصص فردية ووقائع تاريخية وإنسانية.. مزيج يحكي واقع إنسان.. مريد وهو فلسطيني تزوج رضوى المصرية ليمنع النظام في مصر إبوته لتميم، ومن وجوده لجانب رضوى زوجته، الأديبة المصرية.

اروع ما في الكتاب هو إنسانية محتواه:

تكون اسرة فلسطينية مصرية..
كيف يعيد لإبنه "فلسطينيته" وكيف يعيد "فلسطين" لإبنه..
أسرة فلسطينية في زوبعة الشتات

رجوع خطوات في التاريخ مرة اخرى.. لحكاية التهجير سنة ١٩٤٨
وأخيرا.. النهاية.. التي كانت هي البداية..
كيف ضاع العمر؟ كيف ضاعت فلسطين؟
بعد أن كنت اجتزت شوطا كبيرا في قراءة هذه الرواية، قررت أن تجربة قرائتها ستكون أحلى، لو تعرفت على مريد، ورضوى، وتميم.. ولكم أن تجربوا هذا أيضا..

Muscat Lecture Tweetup

Updated: Visit Faith's blog for a review of the lecture.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

A lecture organized by @youthvisionnet and presented by Dr. Tareq AlSawaidan.

Day: Monday.

Date: 7th of March.

Time: 7.00 PM - 10.30 PM.

Venue: City Theatre, Qurum National Park.

Since a lot of my followers were planning on attending this lecture I thougt to create a Tweetvite page to make it as a tweetup where we can meet, have fun and enjoy. You can RSVP on Facebook or on the #MctLectureTweetup on Twitter here.

To know more about Youth Vision, visit their site: HERE.