Just writing

I love holidays

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This summer holiday, my children wanted to visit the pyramids and go to any nice beach in Egypt. The beach was a good idea but visiting the pyramids in August means we would melt.  Anyway, both plans didn’t work which was great because the weather was too hot to go out during the day.

As usual, we spent the holiday visiting the family which was good for my children to practise their Arabic.  Sometimes, we went shopping at night; big shopping malls have been one of the modern characteristics of Cairo. My children liked to go to some of them but this holiday they were shocked at the prices; when I asked them to calculate the difference between the Egyptian and English pound, they realised that it’s the same.

One of the main things I always mention in my posts is that I really love being on holiday with my children. Together; we laugh, we play, we talk, we eat, we try new things, we go shopping, we see old photos, remember old days,  listen to old tales, we sleep by sunrise, we get up at noon, and we really have fun even though we couldn’t have any of our plans done.

Let me know how was your holiday?

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

 

Just writing

Giving Alms

nhpureandsimple

 

Image result for gülmek sadaka

 

Smiling is like giving alms, this is the title of the song I have recently listened to. I don’t know any Turkish and I wish I would learn it one day. I found its translation on the internet.

I think It’s a good way to teach children the importance of a simple act like smiling in such a bright cheerful way! What is more important, is that I knew about on the first day of the school holidays; let’s be optimistic!

Herewith the translation and the song,

Happy holidays everyone!

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla.

 

Smiling is like giving alms

Look up at the sun, look up at the moon

Look at the sea, look at the rains

How beautiful is this life, Masha’Allah…

Look to your right, look to your left

Look happily at people

How beautiful is this life, Masha’Allah…

Why don’t you give it a try

Put your hand on your heart …

Smile whatever happens

Smiling is like giving alms

Come join us…

Put your hand on your heart…

Smiling is like giving alms

Smiling is like giving alms

Please, open up your heart to people

You will surely find happiness at the end.

Your smile suits you, Masha’Allah…

What will happen if you open your arms

The hands will be clasped and you will be like one person

in this beautiful world, Masha’Allah…

Why don’t you give it a try

Put your hand on your heart …

Smile whatever happens

Smiling is like giving alms

Come join us…

Put your hand on your heart…

Smiling is like giving alms

Smiling is like giving alms

Masha’Allah, wonderful!

Why don’t you be happy always

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

Smiling is like giving alms.

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Just writing

The teacher

nhpureandsimple

“The teacher and the taught together create the teaching.” An Eastern saying.

Does this refer to the good teacher and the clever student? I do not think so.

In the same class, with the same teacher, there will be students who fail and others pass. I think It’s more about the student’s effort than the gift of having a good teacher. The teacher, the student and the subject create education. They all have to be there to make the process.

In my undergraduate studies, I had to choose another language to study. My choice was Spanish. Our tutor was Espanol and his teaching method was to give us long different topics in spanish. He was the one to read and explain and we were the receivers. He was too fast to follow or understand. I remember how my friend and I spent most of the time laughing; we could not understand anything, just looking at the translation most of the time. However we had never failed and surprisingly I used to have good grades.

I’ve almost forgot all of what I learned; it’s been long time ago, but I still remember my teacher.

Wishing you all the best,

Adios,

Nahla

Just writing

Football

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Image result for fifa world cup 2018

Do you like football? Which team do you support this world cup?

I am not a big a fan of football as a game or any special teams. In fact, I don’t understand that much about the game rules and strategies; I just know the basics or it can be less though my boys are good players and love the game. This world cup, I found it so funny to watch the game with the boys and teasing them by asking questions; I just want to understand what is going on. They like it when I watch but they found my questions a bit annoying, ‘mama, look at the screen,’ they would complain. Of course, I did but I just want more details; why the goal was cancelled if the ball lodged like a bullet in the middle of goal net, something like that.

I watched the game between Egypt and Russia but I couldn’t stand it. Yes, that’s true. I support my country but I found it so boring. I looked at my son, he was on his phone. He was bored too. This means I was right. There was no intense in the game, the players were not playing, they were scattered everywhere. And the star Mohammad Salah looked so poorly and couldn’t do his best without being supported.  I gave up and left.

Yesterday, it was Iran and Spain. My question was which team is best-known? ‘Really, mama. Is this a question?’ My son exclaimed and laughed as if it was a jock. ‘Spain, mama. Spain is one of the top teams.’ I really don’t know but when I watched the game, I realised this fact. They really played so well but the Iranian played well too, most of the time they were defending but they did what they were planning to, I think.

This is part of my humble experience about football this world cup. Let’s see how far it will go!

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

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Universal language

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Have you ever understood anyone speaking not your language?

It can happen and it did happen.

Many years ago one of my neighbours was from Mexico. She moved to the UK with her husband and her little boy, about three years old. Whenever I saw her on the stairs or the road, she was talking to herself. My neighbours and I thought she might be insane but she wasn’t. One day I gave her a leaflet about the English course centre which I was attending at that time. I cannot describe how her face changed that day. She smiled and thanked me and I felt her words were coming deeply from her heart. From that day, we became friends though we didn’t understand each other that much, she used to say that she doesn’t know why she understood me more than anyone else in the city. Honestly, neither do I. I just used to repeat what others said to her.  I wish I could have her details to keep in touch because once we moved I don’t know whether she was still in the UK or went back to her country.

I remembered her and remember how we can understand others with a different tongue on the day of Eid.  I was sitting next to an elderly woman. Probably, she was from Pakistan. She couldn’t sit on the floor, her daughter and granddaughter brought her a chair. So I was sitting on the carpet next to her on a chair. While I was talking with a friend on my other side, she tapped on my shoulder and talked as if she knew me. I understood from her looks and the tune of her voice that she didn’t like how women are chatting and didn’t listen to the Imam’s Eid speech. This was true, I was talking too but this was because the Imam’s voice was too low, probably he didn’t notice that his speaker didn’t work well. I nodded and admitted that she was right and repeated in English what she was saying in her language. She held my hand and smiled at me which I think meant she was happy I understood her though I couldn’t speak her language.

Can this be a universal language?   I think there can be a language that we can feel even though we don’t understand.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

 

Just writing

And the month has gone!

nhpureandsimple

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Eid is expected to be tomorrow. This means the month of Ramadan is 29 days this year. Yesterday, while we were having Iftar, my son said; ” Ramadan has gone so fast this year.” I thought I was the only one to notice that but we all did. Really the month has gone so fast. I cannot believe that 28 days ago, I wrote about my plan to post every day during this month. I tried but I couldn’t. Anyway,  I’m happy I’ve started writing more posts than before.

I mentioned in one of my posts that I was determined to make no experiments; no new recipes to try. I kept my word. However, there was a tiny problem; I usually forgot if I added salt or not and I cannot taste the food; I’m fasting. If there wasn’t enough salt, we would add some, no problem though the food wouldn’t taste as nice. The major problem happened when I added too much and it did happen, a couple of times. One of them when we have guests but their hands didn’t reach that plate. Thanks God, I prayed and wanted to take it away before they would think about it.

By the way, I didn’t cook the food in this photo. It was on my son’s birthday and we had our iftar out that night. It was Yummy Yummy.

Eid Mubarak,

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

 

 

Just writing

Simplicity

nhpureandsimple

 

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I found this photo in a post on facebook about happiness and simple life. At the beginning, I didn’t know why I liked the photo more than the post. My eyes kept scrutinising everything; the old pieces of furniture,  the cracks and scratches on the wall and the floor, the little chicks picking the grains, that old broom, the clear sky, the children playing, the infant taking the first step, the mother leaning, the granny kneeling and their faces radiant with joy

Now I know why I liked it more because it reminded me of my grandfather’s house. It was a very big house in the village but it was so old too. All of us, his grandchildren, we were so many, always asked him to renew the place,  just add a modern touch to that old building, we would always suggest. But he would never do; he liked his house the way it was. Honestly, though we would prefer that our grandfather would have a modern house, we really enjoyed every moment of our holiday together there.

I’ve heard that nowadays some people prefer to spend their holidays in simple country houses. This means that simplicity is recommended as a modern recreation option. I’m not sure if my children would agree? My daughter would do, I know, especially if there are those peeping little animals around. The boys definitely, absolutely,  certainly would never; but if Wi-Fi is available, miracles could happen.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

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The Pyramids

nhpureandsimple

 

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Have you ever visited the pyramids?

I have but a long time ago. My boys went there once but I’m sure they would not remember that trip because they were so young but my daughter hasn’t yet.

A long time ago, going to the pyramids was one of the main school trips and of course, it was always during the winter. They are beautiful; three pyramids; stand together not far or so close. The stones used in the building are amazing; they were collected or cut from a quarry, transported in boats sailing over the Nile, pushed over the dampened sand in huge sledges which were dragged by horses, camels and well-fed builders. At last, those stones were hauled through ramps over ramps over ramps until the building was done. How those ramps were exactly constructed is still one of the ancient Egyptian mysteries!

Do you think the Pharaohs had built these Pyramids to be one of the seven world wonders? Or to enter Guinness World records? Definitely NO.

These pyramids were built to be tombs; sacred, powerful and maybe cursed too.  The Pharaohs believed in immortality. Their corpses and food were mummified. Their jewellery, money and other special items were locked in their tombs too. Their Statues were sculpted and placed in magnificent temples. Paintings of their images and life were carved on the walls of tombs and temples. Why did they think of those complicated procedures? They did all that because they believed in life after death.  They believed their souls would come back to their dead bodies and they would rule and live but in a different way; not as a supreme ruler but as a god. This is why the heart was the only organ to be left in the dead body. This is also why they locked all their valuable and precious things in their tombs. It is also said that Pharaohs cast special spells to protect their tombs.

I don’t like to get inside the pyramids; so dark and humid; besides it is not well ventilated especially with so many people.  And the most important thing is not to get the Pharaoh’s curse (joking). This was many years ago; maybe things inside have changed.

Let me know if you have ever been there.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla