Sara Tabana

Doha for the Weekend

2011-12-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

Unwinding in Doha was a good idea for the weekend. This was my first visit to Doha, and I really enjoyed it. Thanks to the presence of family and friends, I experienced a cozy side of the country that surprised me with its warmth.

Places I visited...

Souq Wakif: I enjoyed it immensely! There's a oud shop at the souk that I really liked... there are a bunch of restaurants with a really nice outdoors seating area... a bunch of small pet shops that sell parrots, other birds, cats, pigeons (one of the breeds has feather around the neck, in my head, it looked like a cross breed- lion and pigeon, hehehe), turtles, frogs, and some fish.

Karak by the water: There's nothing like stopping for a hot karak (tea with herbs and milk) and chilling by the water by the fishing boat marinas. You can see the skyline in the background and just sit on the trunk of your car and think of everything, or nothing at all...

Lunch at the Pearl (don't remember the name of the restaurant, but the food and view were great) the area looked very similar to the Dubai Marina though.

And last but not least, the W Hotel: There's a lounge and a club at the W that seem like the hub of all expats looking for a western clubbing experience in Doha. :)

When you're there, try to locate the Egyptian restaurant... will post the name shortly....

A New Me! #jan25 #tahrir #Egypt

2011-02-05T03:31:00.000-08:00

I'm getting anxious and restless. I am day dreaming of Egypt. I want to turn the page on the suffering, misery and shame. I can finally see a vision so tangible it makes me want to weep. I see clean streets, clean people, peaceful souls. I see passion, liberty, strength, optimism, and hope. I see Egypt claiming its role as the Capital of inspiration to the rest of the world. As a symbol of strength, prosperity and perseverance. A home to its proud people who were once chased out with no hope of return. A land of endless contributors of love, knowledge, and genius.

I close my eyes and I no longer see Pharaohs, I see space ships. I see innovation, creativity, and unbeatable intelligence. I see the people on the streets in bright colored clothes, with their chins raised, and their smiling faces. I see side walks and garbage cans. I see car lanes and traffic signals. I see bikers in bike lanes. I SEE ORDER AND RESPECT.

I walk through downtown as it exhaled its last breath of polluted toxic sadness inhaling a full long breath of self expression, arts and culture. I sit in the sun in the midst of the green field of Tahrir square, sipping my sugarcane juice, surrounded by street musicians, poets, writers, dreamers, women, men, and children who were all set free by the inspiration of the golden eagle on the Arab liberation flag.

The curtains close, and I sit in my dark room weeping in tears of joy, for my day dream that was once lost hope has turned into a goal that millions are determined to achieve.

Manhattan Subway Station

2010-08-14T01:22:00.000-07:00

A S....L.........O.............................W attempt to bridging the gap!

2010-04-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

Time and Precision Conversion Table
New York, USA to Cairo, Egypt

5 minutes = 1 hour
1 day = a week if you're lucky
Inshaallah (God willing)= If God wants it to happen, it will happen, miracles are possible. It could also be used as a nicer way to say, "aint happening", or "maybe" or "definetly not, are you out of your mind?!".
(7alan) hallan (Immediately) = I will walk around doing nothing for an hour, then I'll chat on the phone, I might go use the bathroom, then maybe I will go talk over the phone some more, then I'll argue with some other client, then I might, I said MIGHT do what you asked me to do 3 hours ago..

What makes it all tolerable is the smile on the face =) Things in Cairo are just generally slow; specially when it comes to service or giving commitments. The communication is vague compared to New York where you are usually given exact information that the supplier or service provider is held accountable for. So if you decide to live in Cairo, make sure you leave some of your expectations behind. Relax! everything will go smoothly ISA (Inshallah)!

Rekaby @ Makan

2010-04-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

MakAn

Arab tribes from Aswan

Jaafra music & songs

Sayed Rekabi

Monday April 19, 2010 at 9 pm

Review By Makan:

Sayed Rekabi is counted among the few singers who still perform the original repertoire of the traditional music of the Arab tribes of Upper Egypt. Born in the village of Jaafra in the province of Aswan, he learned these singing styles under the tutelage of the great masters of the Jaafra tradition, El Leithi and Abu El Amin whose repertoire encompasses numerous examples of popular poetry, such as the Nameem, a kind of poetic competition between two poet-singers in which each poet tries to "top" his rival's poetic lines with spontaneously composed poetry.

Except for the melodically improvised and un-metered introduction to each stanza ('ya leil" or "lolee" ) which is shared by other traditional Egyptian song forms, Nameem can be most clearly compared to the rhythmic and chantlike "Rap" or "Hip hop". Sayed Rekabi and his ensemble present a collection of Jaafra traditional songs based on traditional poetic forms (including adaptations of Nameem) with voices, oud (lute) and doff (small frame drum).

My Review: This was an awesome performance. The band was hosted by Makan. They've definitely got the talent. Consisting of 3 instrument players, 1 singer, 4 dancers/backup vocals. The oud sounds awesome! the lyrics, well, some of them were in Egyptian Arabic, but other songs were a bit difficult to understand. The one thing that is just so catchy about these guys is their spirit. They're just FUN! always smiling, and their love of what they're doing emanates through their smiles. It seems that I've attended one of their first performances at Makan, but from the way the crowd responded, I am sure that they will be performing many more times in the future. One last thing, there is a cat, a very energetic wild cat, that was hanging out at Makan the entire time we were there.. she's harmless, but just super energetic. check out the performance and the crazy cat pics below.

Leila and the Wolves (1985)

2010-04-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Leila and the Wolves is a movie/documentary that was produced in 1985. It was first aired in Great Brittan on channel 4 on 11/05/1987. I was lucky to meet the Director Heiny Srour and one of the cast members at the Townhouse Gallery during the film screening on the 10th of April 2010. There were about 30 attendees or more, and we all seem to have agreed that the movie was phenomenal. The director did a great job in portraying women's many different roles in defending the land during the wars that took place in this area. In addition to this movie, the director mentioned that she wrote a script for another movie, but spent almost 4 years trying to raise funding to film it, unfortunately, after 4 years of trying and not being able to get enough funding for the movie, she gave up. For more info, or in case you'd like to assist, the Townhouse Gallery would probably have more information.

Review by Townhouse Gallery:

"Leila and the Wolves utilized the episodic narrative style of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights to examine the role played by Palestinian and Lebanese women in their national struggles. And thus, the film performs a feminist revision of history. Unlike other Mizrahi Jews who were lured by Israeli citizenship, Srour remains an ardent critic of Israel. The film endeavors to show the hidden history of women’s contribution to independence struggles in the Middle East, by wondering through real and imaginary landscapes. As John Akomfrah says, “its images flowing in search of woman’s political and historical identity in the Middle East.” … “Leila is … a survey of mythic and symbolic protest.”
Leila, the main character, is a student in Britain who is putting together a photo exhibit on Palestine is the anti-thesis of the veiled women on the beach with sand running through their fingers – contrasting the passivity of a patriarchal society and the activism of Arab women. The film’s characterization of an exiled museum curator working on an exhibition of Palestinian photography in London serves as a launching pad for challenging the erasure of women from history. The curator’s reenactments situate women within the center of the Arab resistance, but refuse to replicate a discourse of heroism. Permeating the various acts of bravery and instances of gender inequality is an aura of senseless loss. Her effort thus challenges the dominance of masculinist war narratives.
Rather than representing a conventional character, Leila embodies the multifaceted experiences of Arab women generally. Transfixed by a vanity mirror, Leila’s self-reflections shift between different female subjectivities, each revealing a different aspect of social expectation, if not outright oppression. Srour says, “Those of us from the third world have to reject the ideas of film narration based on the 19th century bourgeois novels with its commitment to harmony. Our societies have been to lacerated and fractured by colonial power to fit into those neat scenarios. We have enormous gaps in our societies and film has to recognise this” (see Akomfrah).

عرض فيلم
"ليلا و الذئاب"
المخرجة السينمائية: هايني سرور
باللغة العربية و ترجمة بالانجليزي
انجلترة، لبنان. ١٩٨٥. ٩٠ دقيقة

يستخدم فيلم "ليلى والذئاب" أسلوب حكى ألف ليلة وليلة الذي يعتمد على الحلقات، ليبحث في الدور الذي لعبته النساء الفلسطينيات واللبنانيات في كفاحهن الوطني. بالتالي فإن الفيلم يقدّم إعادة قراءة للتاريخ من منظور نسوي. بعكس اليهود المزراحي (الشرقيين) الآخرين الذين أغرتهم المواطَنة اليهودية، تظل سرور ناقدة لا تهادن لإسرائيل. يسعى الفيلم لأن يعرض التاريخ الخفي لمساهمة النساء في كفاحات الاستقلال في الشرق الأوسط، بالتساؤل من خلال مناظر طبيعة واقعية ومتخيّلة. كما يقول جون أكومفراه: "تتدفّق صوره بحثًا عن هويّة المرأة السياسية والتاريخية في الشرق الأوسط"...."ليلى...نظرة عامة على الاحتجاج الميثولوجي والرمزي."
ليلى، الشخصية الرئيسية، طالبة في بريطانيا تحاول تنظيم معرض صور فوتوغرافية عن فلسطين، وهي نقيض النساء اللاتي يرتدين الحجاب على الشاطئ والرمال تتخلل أصابعهن، تكشف عن التباين بين سلبية المجتمع الأبوي وإيجابية نشطاء النساء العربيات. يعرض الفيلم شخصية منسّقة فنية بأحد المتاحف، في المنفى، تعمل على تنظيم معرض للتصوير الفوتوغرافي الفلسطيني في لندن، وهو ما يخدم كمنصّة إطلاق لتحدّي محو النساء من التاريخ. إعادة المنسّقة لعرض الأحداث تضع النساء في مركز المقاومة العربية، ولكنها ترفض أن تكرر خطاب البطولة. يتخلل أفعال البسالة المتنوّعة، وأمثلة عدم المساواة على أساس الجندر (النوع)، احساس بالهزيمة التي لا معنى لها. هكذا يتحدّى مسعاها هيمنة حكايات الحرب الذكورية.
بدلاً من أن تمثّل شخصية تقليدية، تجسّد ليلى الخبرات متعددة الأوجه للنساء العرب بشكل عام. بينما تتسمّر ليلى في مكانها بفعل مرآة التّزيّن، تتناوب انعكاساتها الذاتية بين الذوات الأنثوية المختلفة، لتكشف كل منها عن جانبٍ مختلفٍ من التوقّع الاجتماعي، إن لم يكن اضطهادًا صريحًا. تقول سرور: "هؤلاء الذين مِن العالم الثالث عليهم أن يرفضوا أفكار السرد السينمائي المبنيّة على روايات القرن التاسع عشر البرجوازية بتقيّدها بالهارموني. مجتمعاتنا تمزّقت وتفتّت بفعل القوة الكولونيالية لتتوافق مع هذه السيناريوهات المُحكمة. لدينا فجوات هائلة في مجتمعاتنا وعلى السينما أن تعترف بهذا" (انظر أكومفراه)."

Nass Makan

2010-04-06T15:13:00.001-07:00

For a sneak peak check out the video above, which, in all honesty, doesn't even match up to what these guys are like in live concert. The band is called Nass Makan, it's a blend of instruments and beautiful voices that is music to the soul, not just the ears. They all have such a warm presence to the stage that imitates through their tunes. I highly recommend that you check'em out. The performance is at Makan center. It's as small as a shack, clean, and has so much character. Check out the website for their upcoming events, but make sure you reserve by phone or email for cheaper tickets, and get there early since space is limited. They're located on Saad Zaghloul Street, in downtown Cairo. There is a metro station one block away from the center.

http://www.egyptmusic.org/index.html

Good chance you'll see me there! =) I'm truly in love with these guys. Oh! They also serve some great hot drinks. (Yansoon, Karkade, Mint & more)

Al Tanoura Troup

2010-04-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

You can stop by for an amazing live performance of Al Tanoura Troup free of charge at Wikalet El Ghouri on every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 9PM. Try to get there early because it's usually a full house every performance. I advise to at least get there around 8-830 latest.

Wikalet El Ghouri is located across the street from Masjid Al Hussein/ Khan El Khalili Area. The Wikale is a few meters from the pedestrian bridge that crosses Al Azhar Street.

Because I care..

2010-04-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Wadi Degla MTB

2010-03-02T04:36:00.000-08:00

Caption taken at Wadi Degla Protectorate. Check out my matching fox elbow and knee pads.. oh yeah!! =)

Breaking the Barriers - The Diplomatic Legacy

2010-02-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

I can so easily live without you. You have no control over my thoughts, actions, dreams, aspirations, hopes or desires. I am free of your nagging, screaming, pushing, pocking, shoving and harassment.

Your fake diplomacy like chocolate covered puke. We can see right through you, then why persist and why insist on continuing the legacy of fickleness; practice your delicacy of diplomacy as we all dawdle, linger then fall behind.

Will Rogers ~ "Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock."

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." ~ Ralph Waldo

2010-01-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

Your actions: like a huge pimple on your forehead that's on the verge of eruption. I'm finding it hard to hear your voice, it fades away like a subtle murmur, a meaningless flow of energy that rushes out of your mouth sporadically accompanied by some lip movements and gestures that don't even carry enough weight to make it to my senses. I hope you're not waiting on a reaction, because YOU, are miles away from my brain. Your vague words creating a void space between us where nothing can travel and no one can cross. All your actions push aside your meaningless lyrics. We're all watching you, scratching our heads and waiting on your next move, not your next speech.

I'm on the outside looking in

2009-10-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of Um Kalthoom. The below clip is part of a song called "فات الميعاد ".

el leil weda2et el sa3at tesa7y el leil
we 2aswet el 2ahat fee 3ez el leil
we2aswet el tanheed, welwe7da wil
lessa mahomsh be3eed
we3ayezna nerga3 zay zaman, 2ol lil zaman erga3 ya zaman
wehatly 2alb, ladab wala 7ab walangara7 wala shaf 7erman
yefeed be eih ya nadam, wete3mil eih ya 3etab
talet layaly el 2alam, wetfara2o el 2a7bab
wekfaya ba2a, ta3zeeb wee sha2a
wedmo3 fee fora2 wee dmo3 fee lo2a
te3teb 3alaya leih? 2ana fee 2edaya eih?

I will add the meaning for this verse later today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqJpsH8qjTc

Is this all worth it? Are you worth the fight? Because I just realized that Im putting it all on the line while you got nothing to loose1:31 AM Dec4

2009-10-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

Almost a year ago, I posted this tweet. It took almost a year to find the answer to my question, I'm glad it didn't take longer. The answer is no one is worth changing your entire life for but yourself.

However, I believe that sometimes God has his ways. He would want you to go in a path, for a reason that only he knows. To get to that path, he could introduce you to circumstances, people, love, and everything else; that would entice you to take the path. Although you might be taking the path for all the wrong reasons, but he knows how to get you there through the reasons that entice you the most. Once you're on the path, the real reason behind you being there start to take shape..

Self reflection......

"It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny." ~ Anthony Robbins

Worldwide Moments 09.09.09+09GMT@09:09

2009-09-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

Worldwide Moment is a simultaneous photography project that promotes peace. I came across the site a few weeks ago, and decided to participate in the 09.09.09+09GMT@09:09 moment. The number of participants grew from 270 out of 20 countries in 2008 to 1174 from 61 countries this year (and still counting).

The picture I dedicated to the WWM09 is the picture of the sleeping cat. I spotted this cat sleeping under this small stool in khan el khalili; a very touristy shopping area in downtown Cairo. Khan el khalili was attacked several times by peace opposing groups. It's a beautiful area with old buildings and mosques from different eras. The design and colors of the piece of cloth that is on the stool is very popular in Egypt. It is usually used in kheima (tent). It is seen and popularly used usually in Ramadan (the holy fasting month for Muslims). I figured this picture is a great representation of peace because of the location where it was taken, the cat sleeping so serenely and the kheima cloth, which symbolizes the peaceful holy month of Ramadan. I am patiently waiting to see the rest of the pictures from all other participants and I hope that more people get the participate next year.

Re: Manage Your Energy not your Time

2009-09-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

This article perfectly explains a realization of where I stand today:

Do you ever feel like someone is listening to you, hearing your thoughts, and trying to guide you? Well, I can assure you that it happens. This world is a magical place, and just because you can't explain nor control it, doesn't mean that it's a mixture of random events or happenings. If you're not a mathematician, a one line equation might seems to you like a bunch of random numbers, alphabets and signs; placed randomly, with no specific meaning or purpose. But for a mathematician, this equation could mean understanding a very tiny piece of the not so arbitrary puzzle called life.

With so many people, things, events, issues, religions, ideas, thoughts and more out there; it becomes very difficult to realize that there is some sort of conformity, some sort of matrix which undertones life. However, there are moments in each person's life when an incident, simple or severe, would make him stop, scratch his head, and wonder: "Wow, the stars lined up on that one.." out of nowhere, some invisible power just steps in and places something right in front of you RIGHT when you need it.. Well, that's how I felt when I logged on today.

I hadn't logged on in at least a few weeks. I am following a few interesting blogs, one of which is Dr. Drogan's. When I logged on today, the first posting titled "Manage your Energy not your Time" caught my attention. I read it, and I have to say, I was very glad that the stars lined up;) because right before I got home, I was stirring up all kinds of thoughts in my head, wondering about where I stand and how to continue my path with a better/wiser outlook and strategy. I felt like I needed to sit at my desk and reorganize my life, re-plan it. I usually do some reflection timeout, every few months, hoping to realign myself and better understand my surroundings.

This time around, I was really desperate for some bench time. There were too many variables that were introduced into my life starting about a year ago. With things pilling up, one on top of the other, I hadn't really taken time to reflect. I was trying too hard to adjust and keep up with it all, then it hit me, I knew that if I weren't to realign my strategy, I would eventually get closer to being burnt-out. I'm glad I finally made the conscious decision to sit back and ride the low wave and I'm grateful for the matrix called life for guiding me along the way.

"The creator of the universe works in mysterious ways. But he uses a base ten counting system and likes round numbers." ~ Scott Adams 1957

El Korba- Egypt

2009-08-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

El Korba is a beautiful area in Heliopolos/Masr el Gedida that is mostly popular by the beautiful architecture. enjoy the pictures!

Wisdom is Aggrandized Through The Abatement of Possessions: unedited V.1

2009-07-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

A collector of experience, I keep pictures in my head, make mental notes and try my best to make use of what little mental imperfect memory capacity God has created/released me with that allows me to store limited data, and experiences that sometimes get lost as I get older or altered through perception or due to the lack of ability to freeze moments and fully experience them in all possible dimensions. Sometimes I download my thoughts onto a piece of paper, other times I day dream about things that have taken place in the past. I go through my experiences to try and back my memory up every once in a while. But with my imperfection, I enjoy one thing, distancing myself from the obsession with material possession dependency.

There's a beauty associated with the lack of possessions. People are so accustomed to living their lives for the soul purpose of acquiring material possession in all of it's different forms.

We've managed to invent an amazingly diverse array of products and countless ways to help us on this life quest of junk collection. In so many different ways, we have managed to further develop the need of possession through different means and technologies. But is the endless lust for possessions distracting us from true living?

The answer is yes! We've pushed aside experiencing the world, and instead, we have chosen to try to own it. We walk around carrying cameras snapping pictures of anything and everything, there's not enough time, just keep snapping those pictures, try to freeze and own the moment; claim it yours. I am not talking about the talented photographers out there that speak through their snaps, I'm referring to the snap attack that most camera owners do nowadays at the rate of 300 pics a minute. Materialize every little bit of our experience on earth, and when we're gone, all the material things we've dedicated our lives collecting are left behind; some of which trashed and some other few thing are left for other people to hold on to and declare or associate a new meaning to.

Honestly, what triggered my thoughts was loosing all my belongings that were in storage. The grief, disappointment and worry, were accompanied by this subtle emotion of relief. I had finally realized a mistake I've been committing since I've moved here. I was trapped in the world that promotes material possession, and I so quickly became a puppet in the show.

Loosing the stuff felt like nature reseting itself, just as if the natural cycle of life finally complete. It's all the stuff "the material" stuff that I've claimed to have been working so hard to acquire over the past 11 years; now I leave without it. But what is most important, is that, when you really look at it; nothing has changed. I am still the same... I am not a lesser person.. on the contrary, I have added value to who I am, by experiencing a full cycle of life that is almost as magnificient as the birth and death life cycle..

It's this satisfaction of cycle completion that made me feel enlightened, not all the possessions I owned and stacked one pile on top of the other. And now that I look back, it was all piles of compiled human inventions, that only I had the ability to add meaning to. And through adding meaning, I added value..

At the moment, I am still overwhelmed with thoughts.. and I probably haven't reached a full conclusion yet..

honestly, I am still reflecting on what happened..

As usual.. some instances in my life, make me stop.. they freeze time.. I become very unproductive on the outside, but on the inside, my brain is working overtime.

Sometimes it takes me up to months to organize the thoughts..

Beautiful Dahab <3

2009-04-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

I managed to take a few days off and decided to go to Dahab. Dahab is located in Sinai, Egypt. It's about 8 hours by bus from central Cairo. I took the west delta bus from abaseya station around 2PM to arrive at Dahab around 11ish PM. The bus stops once in sharm al sheikh 90 KM before reaching it's final stop. Honestly, I do not suggest taking the bus, particularly the west delta buses. why? well, where do I start. 1- The bus stops at every single check point, it pulls over, and a cop would come on board to check for IDs. 2- It's a pretty uncomfortable ride, there's barely any leg room. 3- Depending on your luck, the driver might be a bit INSANE. (details provided upon request) 4. It's a LONG ride (it might be easier to just fly to Sharm al Sheikh, then take a 1hr bus to Dahab, or try the Superjet or Gouna buses instead of West Delta).

Dahab is one of the most pleasant, and laid back places I've ever been to in Egypt. So I get there around 11ish, I had already made reservations at one of the camps;( http://auskicamp.com/welcome.html) owned by 2 bothers. The place was recommended to me by many friends who go to Dahab on the regular, and always stay at the same camp. Many of my friends were actually in the camp and witnessed the bombs that went off in dahab a couple of years ago. One of the camp owners, Shawky (his picture is on the website, the guy on the left) sent a car to the bus station to pick us up. It was a 4x4 SUV, very old, but had so much character. This was the first step in the preperation of what I have witnessed in this charming little town.

Everything about it was magical, different and well defined by the essence of simplicity, calmness and beautiful imperfection. The camp was very low key, but clean. My room had a bathroom. The food was cheap but exceptionally good and the people/locals were so friendly and pleasant. The bedouin tea is one of the trade marks of dahab, they serve the best bedouin tea I've ever had. I looked up the reciepe and started making it myself, but it just doesn't compare to what I've tasted in Dahab.

On the second day of the trip, we decided to go rock climbing with a local guide. This was the first time I've ever rock climbed outdoors. I was really nervous, particularly that I have a phobea from hights. nevertheless, it was awesome! I would definetly do it again.

MTB Egypt Volunteer Meeting

2009-01-24T14:53:00.000-08:00

It was pretty dusty in Cairo Today. You feel like you're breathing the dust in every breathe you take. It sucks for people like myself who are allergic to dust and can smell it from miles away. My legs were sore, eyes watery, nose runny, and my head was throbbing. But in the midst of all the discomfort, I had a weird mix of emotions. I was very excited, yet extremely nervous. Today was the first scheduled volunteer meeting for the MTB race. I was skeptical, a part of me believed that there was a good chance that no one would show up. We walked into Cilantro, a coffee shop in Nasr City, sat down, and started discussing the race details. Hani had already jotted some pointers down.

A couple of guys showed up and said that they were volunteering for the race, I sighed in relief, and smiled. I was so glad to see that someone finally showed up. A few minutes later a few more joined then more people, until we reached a total of about 10 volunteers. The meeting went on for about 2 hours. We discussed almost everything related to the race, from route planning to logistics, First Aid, supplies, T-shirt printing, etc... It was great. All these people came together with one common goal; a belief that they might just be able to make this place a more pleasant one. The spirit was beautiful and the company was magnificent. I was proud to be surrounded by people who don't only dream, but people who get things done. Lead by a great leader, who keeps going and going; motivated by this vast unlimited power and perseverance that he feeds off of with a strong belief that he can incrementally change the world.

Will we change the world? maybe.. Will this first MTB race be a success? I sure hope so.

He's a great person, it just didn't feel right

2008-12-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't been out and about for a while now; between school work, fixing up the apartment, running around, and having some alone time to try to make sense of life. My social life has been deteriorating, haven't seen many of my friends in a while. It's just strange, life is strange. Last year same time, I had a full-time job, went to school full-time, was out with friends every night, I was going to different events, went to the gym regularly, and i still had free time. Nowadays, I'm not even doing half of what I used to do, but I always feel like I don't have time. Same with all my friends, they barely see one-another.

Anyway, I have a friend who lives in the area, so I decided to swing by her place. We hadn't met in months; she's one person I really value and respect. Now that I'm leaving in a few days, I wanted to at least see her before I leave. I don't know when I'll get a chance to see her again. I initially planned to stay for a few minutes but when I got there we were just chatting on and on for hours. We talked about everything, school, economy, religion, just everything. We started chatting about relationships, she was talking about her X-husband, and I realized I had met the guy.

It was really weird, I met him and we actually chatted online. I was in disbelief. I'd known her for years, and knew that she was divorced, and today is when I find out that I knew her X and I actually hung out with them both and a group of other people a few months ago, not knowing that they were together. The setting just confused me. If they were no longer together, then why were they hanging out with the same group of people. It's not like they had children together so they have to keep a civil relationship. I was intrigued to know what made them break up.

I asked my friend, and she said that it just wasn't right for her. They were married for a few years, then 3 years into the relationship, she started getting really depressed, and it took her more than 2 years to end it with a divorce. She felt like he wasn't the right one for her, he was too boring, antisocial, and dull.

All I could think of is how difficult it is to go through a divorce. It must have been truly unbearable for her to stay with him, she must have been very unhappy, she told me that she used to cry herself to sleep every night. She was miserable to the extent that she got into severe depression. She was stuck between the societal and cultural misjudgment of divorcees, finally gathered up the courage to ask for a divorce 3 years later. Knowing in the back of her head, that society will never look at her the same.

It's a courageous thing to do i thought. To be able to stand up against the current of societal rationale and make your own decisions based on your feeling and based on your own happiness, setting aside the future impact and misjudgments that lay ahead and putting yourself first. She's been divorced for about 3 years now. Although she's alone, she has managed to recover by surrounding herself with people and maintain a healthy life style. The year after the divorce was really difficult, alot of people cut her off for no apparent reason. Some people are just looking for reasons to get mad.

Anyway, it's sad with the increase of numbers of divorcees. Too many marriages don't work out, it's scary. I feel like people just fail to find reasons to tolerate another's misbehavior.

A Useless Digestive System

2008-11-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

For months now I've been having consistent pain in my stomach and intestines. The pain is nice enough to give me breaks. It only hits a few times a month for at least a couple of days at a time. But boy, when it hits, it's the most acute unbearable pain I've ever been through. Now, I KNOW that my eating habits aren't the best, my food choices aren't all that, and my exercising isn't as regular as it should be; but I find it hard to believe that this pain is only a result of my wrong doings. I finally reached out today, to try and find out if there is a chance of me being able to stand up straight for an entire month and not be crouched over for at least a couple of days a month as a result of my unbearable stomach pain.

What do I know now? well, I know that my food intake is going to be limited to, water and a few bites of whatever I didn't ask the doctor if I could or couldn't eat.

Sara: wow, so I can't eat cheese?

Master(doctor): umm, yeah, preferably no dairy products

Sara: oh ok, so vegetables and fruits, that sorta thing?

Master(doctor): yeah, actually, no.... please shy away from vegetables, fruits, and any fruit juices for a while..

Sara: (wow, this is gonna get ugly, I better be careful what I ask next).... sigh.... (I'm just gonna shut-up and let the man do his job, after all, it's Sunday 12 AM on a holiday weekend, it seems like the more I talk, the more I'll starve)

Master(doctor): Alright, no soda, juices, tea, coffee, added sugar, anything that is too acidic, cut down on carbohydrates, anything that's fatty... umm, oh, you can have milk that is free of lactose, low fat milk. Don't chew gum, and no candy either.

Sara: (Ouch... ok, ok don't ask about the fish... walk away now, before it's too late... quick ask to use the bathroom..)

Sara: (Cleared my throat) so, this is just for today, right?

Master: (Evil Grin, or so it seemed, followed by a sarcastic laugh) haha, no. This is for however long you can maintain it for. At least until we run the tests and find out what the cause of this pain is. Either way, you have to stay on a healthy diet and make sure you eat at least 3 times a day...

Sara: (eat 3 times a day?! EAT WHAT?!)

So, what is wrong with me? Not only do I get to starve myself for the next few.. I also walk out with options. We ruled out a couple of diseases, e.g eye infection, but ruled in a few.. Most of them I understand by description but no idea what the names are. All I know is that I am having Digestive problems; well duh, that's a no-brainer. Ulcer? Bacterial infection? Or a list of bambalalation of the bortilation (unfamiliar to the ear medical conditions).

What do I do now? the pain is not as severe as it was. I got home, grilled me some fish, drank water and that's pretty much it.. took the temporary meds, and am looking forward to a brighter day tomorrow. :)

One more thing, hate the symptoms listing..

MD: on a scale of 1 to ten how to you describe the pain? with 1 being least

Sara: it varies from 6.456 to 8.971, depending on how bright the light is and the variation in the direction of wind

MD: Where do you feel the pain?

Sara: (goooooose fraaaaabaaaa, did he just ask that? didn't I just say my stomach hurts?) somewhere between my pink toe and my lower lip.

MD: Specifically where do you feel the pain, in which area of your stomach.

Sara: (right, cause I'm 20 meters tall, it could get confusing)

MD: Sara, can you please describe to me the pain..

Sara: (did some one just smack me? yeah, I can describe it, IT HURTS!) can you give me options?

MD: sure, pressure, sharp, intense, cramping, stinging, shooting, deep, aching, excruciating, nauseating, stabbing....................

Sara: (hahaha, stabbing, I kinda zoned out as soon as he said that one, wouldn't I have to have been stabbed before, to know what stabbing pain would feel like?hmm.. so what do I answer now.. something vague, something general, but what if I get misdiagnosed, who is ever that good at describing their pain?and who has pain that is this specific?!) listen, I don't know. It hurts, it's a bit of everything, except for the stabbing.. (hahaha, I still can't believe he said stabbing)

MD:(looks displeased and unhappy with my answer, probably thinking: damn it, i even gave her options.. what does she want me to do? feel her pain?! People like her disgust me, I just want to fill-out this stupid diagnostic form and go home to my family. aghh!! goooose fraaabaaaaa ) oh, ok.. Can you be a bit more specific?

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Good night guys, and many thanx to all you awesome ppl who were concerned about me :D

Halloween in Manhattan...

2008-11-01T02:39:00.000-07:00

This year's Halloween is officially my first Halloween in Manhattan. Manhattan is probably the craziest place on earth. What was I for halloween? A Blow Fish!! why? well, most people think i live underwater, everything I do is water related; work, school, and hobbies.. I took advantage of the fact that my brother is engaged to an awesome talented artist Eileen, who decided to do my make-up for halloween.. We took the train to the city, walked around then went to a party that was hosted by Alwan for the arts . The party wasn't all that. The DJ was so-so.

What was the highlight of the night? Well, on the way back home, Hani and I decided to walk across the GW bridge back to Fort Lee.. It was 4am, a bit chilly and the Bridge walkway was closed. There were no vans going across the bridge, only 25 dollar taxis, mind you, it's a one mile walk. Anyway, we start making our way across, then half way through, we get stopped by security, who threatened that if we don't go back, the police would be waiting for us on the Jersey side of the bridge. That was enough to make us both walk back.

aghhh... Result? We took the 25 dollar cab.. For this much money, I figured it would be ok if the driver carried me up to my apartment, brushed my teeth, carried me to bed and while he's at it, tucked me in.... good night cab driver... please turn the lights off on your way out.

Where's my wallet?!?!

2008-10-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

I was over at my friend Gina's in Brooklyn. I had a license exam a couple of days after and I was in desperate need of studying. Gina and I decided to step out of the house and study at a coffee shop in Brooklyn to avoid dosing off every few minutes while sitting on her sofa in dim lights. We left the house and started heading towards the subway station. The station is about 3 blocks from where Gina lives. We walk in, slide our metro cards, and run downstairs to the platform. When we arrived at the plat form we both sat on this wooden block. I was wearing a messenger bag that had my wallet and a couple of other items, and had another bag in my hand with my laptop and books.. A few min later a young boy around 10 years old sits to my right and starts banging on the wooden block we're sitting on. Another man comes and sits behind us. THe boy continues to bang insanely loud that Gina and I start giving him looks, and he still didn't stop. Instead, he starts kicking it even harder.

The Subway arrives, so we get on it and 8 stops later we get off at the Bedford Street stop in Williamsburg. I walked out of the subway station and fell in love with the area. The area is loaded with cafes and bars, but what I loved most about it is the crowd. A pleasant mix of people most of them artistic, books sales on the streets, hundreds of bikes everywhere you turn. It was a nice, relaxed, laid back atmosphere. We walked into a cafe by the intersection of Bedford and N4th. The cafe was very cozy, it had a few small tables placed randomly. The place was fairly crowded Gina and I saw an empty table so we ran and placed our books on it to claim it ours. We sat down and I was tempted to saturate my coffee addiction, I reach into my messenger bag to pull out my wallet and it was gone; no where to be found. I looked in my other book bag, my pockets, and nothing..The wallet just disappeared!! I was sure I had placed it in my messenger bag and I was going crazy. I decided to study regardless of the circumstances. Gina offered to buy me a Chai tea latte and we sat and studied for a few hours. Hani, came by the cafe after hearing what happened. We leave the cafe go for pizza then back to Gina's. I called my credit card companies canceled my cards and had no hope recovering my wallet..

just another moto-B story..

2008-10-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

2 days ago my friend Isaac decided to pass by. Isaac and I go way back. The first time we met I was interviewing for an outreach youth counselor position at a youth shelter. It was right out of college, shortly after I had moved to P.A. I liked the job because at the time, I was hoping to get into the social work field. The hours were flexible, the position was aimed towards the children in the community, not the children at the shelter. So it involved some driving around, going to high schools, giving presentations, and talking to kids on the street. My idea of a relaxed fun job..

I was being interviewed by the program director, she was telling me more about the position and seemed really interested in hiring me. She went on and on about the job discription, then came to a pause as Isaac barged in. "Sara, this is Isaac, your future partner if you get offered this position. Isaac, this is Sara, she's applying for the outreach youth councelor position. Why don't you tell her more about the job from your experience." Me and Isaac clicked right away. We started talking and he seemed like an educated, intelligent, dedicated, and witty gentleman. I enjoyed our chat and was glad to know that if I accept the position, Isaac and I would rarely ever clash.

I got the job, and I started working, and Isaac was just as fun and hilarious as I though he'd be. We had a blast together, driving around the van singing, listening to music, playing video games, and so much more. The weather was getting nicer out, and one of my friends from school had just come back from the Caribbean where he was attending Medical School. Looking for a part-time job, I offered that I'd recommend him for a part-time position that had just opened at the shelter. Rich was excited about it, a little extra cash on the side won't hurt he said. Well, Rich started working at Somerset home shortly after, he had sold his car prior to leaving for Med school but kept his Suziki 750 Motorcycle. When he came to work at the shelter I would take his bike for a ride reminecing the old days when we used to take our bikes out to the shore. I like Rich's bike, but it wasn't as comfortable as my Honda CBR.

As the days go by and the weather starts to warm up, Isaac was under imence pear preasure to buy a bike. A couple of Isaac's friends ride including me, and we were all encouraging him to buy one. One weekend, he decided to go for it. A beautiful 2006 dark grey Yamaha R1. I had promissed Isaac that if he'd ever decide to buy the bike, I'd teach him how to ride. We started the bike lessons, I'd pass by him, leave my car by his house, then ride his bike to the parking lot and he'd tailgate me in his white Honda Accord all the way until we get there and that's where he practiced.

When Isaac called me a few days ago, I was quiet excited. I hadn't heard from him in a while. Although I hardly ever see him specially now that I've moved North, we still keep intouch and try to hang out every now and then. For the first time since I've moved, he decided to come to Fort Lee. The weather was gorgeous so he came on his bike. We hung out for a few hours, had dinner, then it was time for him to head back home. I took his bike for a 10 min ride around the area before he left, then asked him to text me when he gets home. Isaac leaves and I head out to a friend's house in the area. A couple of hours later, I get a call from Isaac, he crashed.

The mix of emotions that I felt when I got the phone call left me speechless. Afterall, Isaac is one of my dearest friends. I tried to calm myself down by reminding myself that he's ok. He explained with all the noise filtering through in the background, that he slipped due to construction as he was taking an exit in New Brunswick. He was ok, he said, a few bruises and some pain in his shoulder and back. My worry was, at the time of the accident, sometimes you're really hurt, but you don't really feel it. The adrenaline rush and shock take away from the feeling of pain.

I felt really guilty, knowing that this all probably wouldn't have happened if wouldn't have come to see me that day. I couldn't help but thing that God was trying to send me a small message, but I quickly ignored these thoughts thinking that it's just coincidence and I really shouldn't over think or read too much into it.

Well, now that I look back, I wonder if being on a bike is the right thing for me. At least maybe not right now. I figured, as I stepped back from the situation and looked at it all as an outsider, that if anything would've happened to Isaac I would've been so miserable. Noting that, I am not sure if it would be fair for me to put people who really care about me in this situation. But, as the wise man said, every person has his time.. I guess we're just gonna have to wait and see....

Where do we go from here? Running is the option...

2008-10-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

I decided to go out for a run today. I walked down the street towards the bridge, as I look over to my right, I see a field. I walk to the field and there it was, a beautiful public track around the field that I've never seen before.. I stared in disbelief and it almost seemed like it stared back at me making me feel guilty about never noticing it before.. I've lived here for an entire year!!! this place is literary a block away, and no, I've never seen it before.. Well, I sigh as I start making my way around the track thinking that I will put this place to good use to make up for the year of ignoring it..

The track is pretty nice, I have to say, it's relatively convenient, open dawn till dusk, 2 minute walk from my apartment, what more can I ask for.. well, some new socks for my running shoes; I'm sick of them digging into my skin. Other than that, I am quite content thank you very much.

It was getting dark and my thoughts carried me back home. Locked in my world of music, I wondered, if I could only freeze this moment of happiness. A mixture of happiness, comfort, pleasure, and satisfaction; and to top it all off perfect weather. I have to admit, I do love it here, it's just that I feel so safe in this area.

I am quite flexible, although I've grown to get really attached to the apartment and the area, I see myself moving elsewhere if a good opportunity arises. So, is now the right time to consider a move? back to Egypt?? I shake my head as I continue listening to my loud ear popping music. I am not sure about Egypt, in the back of my head I know exactly why my thoughts of moving back are stronger now than ever before. But in all reality, I think it's good timing if I was to truly go for it, I'd be taking advantage of this period of economic crisis and just hibernating somewhere until the storm of instability and panic passes through.

Anyway, I am still itching to go to the NJ Rock Climbing Gym. I have to take one final test and then I'll be certified to belay. big deal.. The card is going to be a new addition to all my kite surfing, and scuba diving cards.. oh wait, they were all in my wallet. Did I mention that my wallet got snatched out of my pocket book. Welcome to Manhattan Subway Stations! It happened about a week ago. Ok, well I guess it is going to be my first card.. I love new beginnings.

ok, so I like Motorcycles, and?

2008-10-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've been obsessing over motorcycles now for a few years. Particularly this weekend, I've had a lot of "me" time, since i was attending a research class this weekend, extended weekend that is, the class started Friday and ended Sunday, 6 hours a day.... same person talking... same people listening... same classroom...same everything.. just a bunch of different words in the air, after a while it all sounds the same.. a brief mumble through the air.. the consistent vibrations of the air particles made me wonder, what would I rather be doing now.. right this second..

The picture of a motorcycle got clearer and clearer, the image was so real, I felt like I was about to walk out of class and find it parked outside the door with a note that says, " Sara, we thought we'd do you the favor and replace the car with this beautiful BMW HP2 2009 bike... hey, why not, we had an extra one sitting in the lot, and we just thought we'd give it to someone who would appreciate it. No, no, no, we don't want your money.. it's ok... we really just want to give it away.. please accept our gift." signed, "Sincerely, Your Wildest Dream".

Ok, things like this would probably never happen, but at least I have the picture of the HP2 as my desktop background.. sooo, I start looking at bikes online, sending out emails to all the owners of awesome bikes out there who, unfortunate for them, are looking to sell their bikes.. The people making the same very mistake I had made a few years ago by letting go of my precious Honda CBR.

Sometimes I wonder what it is about bikes that I seem to love so much. Afterall, I did almost get myself killed on one. I am not really sure, I think it's the feeling of fighting against the wind, the rush I get out of the speed, and the kick i get out of the solo things. Being extremely sociable, I am around people alot, so I get to really appreciate the me/solo activities.. The "me" activities are high risk, extreme sports. I enjoy living on the edge every now and then.

Anyway, so, I can't get the motorcycle idea out of my head. I will be shopping for one within the next days/weeks. Class is very interesting, just too long, but I enjoy the topic and the Professor is excellent; it's just too long..

(bike stories to be continued... )

I fear what tomorrow brings...

2008-10-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

I've been watching the presidential debate on youtube, over and over again. I sit in the shadow of what this world used to be. The America I once knew, the American Dream that the world spoke of and I witnessed 10 years ago. I live in fear that this country will not stand for what it once believed in. As the count down begins, the country is hurting and is in desperate need for a new leader to turn things around. So who will it be? and what will happen?

Americans are all panicking. Well, at least I know I am, in addition to most of my high achieving, remarkably intelligent, and well educated friends who, just recently, lost their jobs in the past few months. Thing is, I might not even live here for the rest of my life, but I always wanted the reassurance that this country will always stand. Don't get me wrong, I am well aware that this is not Utopia, that would only be arrogant on my behalf. I might be looking at things from a selfish stand point, but in this country, I have lived and experienced the true meaning of accomplishment. There is nothing like working hard, and getting rewarded for it. The sea of opportunies, the comfort, endless possibilities, safety, human value, respect, are things that I take forgranted, not that I lived here. Tell you the truth, it feels good to take these things forgranted.

I have walked down the streets in Manhattan zoned out with my headphones blasting, seeing a different nationality everywhere I turn, all these people united in one place having at least this one thing in common; the drive to learn about new possibilities, the strength and belief that they can accomplish their dreams.

The countdown begins, and the world as we know it is about to change; to the better or worse, who knows. All we can do is dream. When it's all said and done, In serenity, I will always cherish the beautiful memories and thank God for experiencing this world.