Tag: blogging

Just writing

Do you argue?

nhpureandsimple

 

Image result for why argue

 

 

 

An old man was asked; how you enjoyed such good health at your old age.

He said; I’ve never argued, and I leave when people start arguing.

Peace. That’s the word to describe that old man’s life.

Argument is not just to defend your point of view, or to prove what is right; I’ve read it’s also a threat response; maybe our pride, our reputation, our family, our future, our position,  and many other things that we ague to protect or conceal or even to gain others’ respect.

As a mother, I learned from my children that nothing would change when we kept arguing. The more we argue, the less we would reach compromises, but the less we argue, the more we agree to compromise.

My recent argument was on the way home with my daughter; she wants to buy a hairspray to colour her hair like her friends for the charity in need fundraising activity at school. In the beginning, I refused and insisted; and she cried and insisted. I explained that it might be harmful and she explained that it’s suitable for children. I told her there are other ways to have crazy hair and she explained that without colours it would be the dullest idea ever. I remembered the old man and said no more, and in the morning, she suggested to colour her plait and not all of her hair as a compromise.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

Just writing

Ask the wise!

nhpureandsimple

 

img_3341

One day the wise man was asked:

How old are you?

I’m in good health.

Do you have enough money?

I’m not in debt

Do you have any enemies?

I live away from my relatives.

 

Relatives. That was my inspiration for blogging today. I haven’t planned to live that far from my relatives but that’s how my life becomes. I’m missing family gatherings and talks.  I’m missing more the feeling of their support. Every year, we go to see the elderly who are still there and those who were once little but are no longer now. But also every year I appreciate how living far was a real privilege.

What do you think about the wise man’s answers?

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

 

 

 

Just writing

Mother

nhpureandsimple

 

Image result for anne turkish drama

 

Last week  Anne a Turkish series, just popped on as a suggestion on Youtube. Anne in Turkish means mother. I really like how it is pronounced. I watched its trailer but as there were no Arabic or English subtitles, I couldn’t understand anything. I didn’t give up. I googled to find out more about the original story; there might be a book, a novel that I can get and read. Soon, I found out that it was an adaptation of a Japanese series Mother and that’s it. Today, I’ve just finished all the eleven episodes.

It’s a heartbreaking story; something that really can touch your heart, something very noble in its significance and dramatisation. It’s about a young girl, about seven years old, whose suffering turns a desperate teacher into a real mother. Her innocence reunites an old mother with her abandoned daughter. Her small heart inspires a young mother to appreciate her baby’s life. Her simple words torture the abusive selfish mother. Her story teaches Love; the unconditional, the intuitive.

If you want to find more, it’s available on Youtube; it’s really worth watching.

Here is the trailer;

 

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

Just writing

Alchemist

nhpureandsimple

 

Image result for Al-Chemist

They said; ‘the moment you think to give up is the perfect timing for winning.’ Is this true? Sometimes we think that’s it, I have been trying more than enough and there would be no way to succeed or win this or get that. But at the same time, things become different and a silver lining is shown up not just to give us hope but to help us see those other routes, to think of those other possibilities and to perceive the hidden wisdom behind all of these changes and stages in our life.

When writing this blog I remembered Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Have you heard about it? Did you read it? It’s really good. If you did, you would agree that the moment Santiago believed he had lost everything and he should give up, was the moment when he won; when his dream came true.

I believe if we write our own stories, we would definitely find lots of those perfect timing moments.

PS,  I bribed my son to read it. He did but he liked it so much.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

Just writing

Was it yesterday?

nhpureandsimple

 

 

Image result for first day at uni

Today is the first day for my oldest son to join the academic studies; today is the first day of his studies for a BA degree at university. I am excited, happy, and even nervous. In fact, I think I am more happy and excited than him. This new generation is weird!

And I’m grateful, really grateful, deep in my heart,  for all those blessings, I have had in my life.

An hour ago, or maybe less, I told my son about my first day at university. I pictured it as it was yesterday. That day I was happy, excited and very nervous. I preferred to take the underground train because it was fast and less crowded. I had to walk quite a distance before and after getting the Tube. But that long way gave me more time to enjoy and relax and it was also a good opportunity to meet others going to university although they were joining different departments and schools.

That day, I didn’t understand anything. I was one of the quietest, more precisely; I was the quietest girl in my group. But I was lucky because most of those quiet girls were also getting the Tube so I had a company on my way back. It was a hot day. The café was all full and busy, the benches out were the same. I remembered how I hated my new shoes, its heels and my painful blisters. I got back with a list of books to purchase, read and prepare for the following week. I passed by my high school; it was so close to my house and saw the girls in white shirts and navy skirts. I missed those days, I thought when my neighbour stopped me to ask about my first day at university; good I said and smiled but I wish I wouldn’t have gone in those high heels.

Was it yesterday? Oh my God, how those years have passed like a glimpse.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

Just writing

2B

nhpureandsimple

 

Image result for 2b or not 2b

 

 

We all, actually not all, I mean those who studied literature or know about Shakespeare’s Hamlet would definitely remember the famous line ‘to be or not to be that is the question.’ Everyone has a story, a special story that s/he tries to live and be something throughout its lines, its days, its months and its years. We all try to be something. Ambition is multidimensional; power, wealth, success, knowledge, health, fame, family, etc are different directions to be something. I believe that every person has dreams and aspirations; whether they are great or humble, but we all have our own ‘to be’ plans.

One day, when I was coming back with my daughter from her friend’s birthday party, the taxi driver stopped at my house and looked at me; ‘to be,’ she said. I thought she was asking to make sure of the address, I said; ‘Yes, it is 2b.’ She then repeated seriously as if she was acting the scene; ‘To be or not to be that is the question.’ I looked at the number on my door and said; ‘Nice one’ and the two of us couldn’t stop laughing.

Isn’t it funny, as I didn’t notice that for about six months or more since we’ve moved, but the taxi driver did?

Has your address got any significance?

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

Just writing

The journey of the lifetime 3

nhpureandsimple

 

Image result for hajj 2018

 

Last year I wrote about Hajj under the title of the journey of a lifetime, I will leave the links at the end of my post so you can check them if you like.

These days Muslim Pilgrims are on their way to Makkah and this is why the memories of my Hajj journey become fresh again. In my previous posts, I explained how it was so hard for me to leave my boys who were at that time about 4 and 6 years old, even though I left them with my mother. On the day I went with my husband to Cairo International airport, I wept deeply from my heart and my friend, who was waiting for us there, hugged me tight trying to soothe me though I knew it was even harder for her because she also left her daughter who was younger than my boys and she was pregnant in the first two months. She knew about her pregnancy when we got all the documents of hajj done. I told her to postpone hajj: ‘You can apply next year. Hajj is a hard journey. You’re responsible for this pure soul growing inside you,’ I said trying to persuade her to change her mind but she said she wanted both and she would go for Hajj. And we went.
When I decided to write this post, I thought of sharing one of the very funniest moments that happened on that journey. On the day of Arafah, one of the main rituals in Hajj, we spent the day praying, making supplications and reading Quran. Food and water were available to everybody all the time. But we didn’t expect to have ice cream too. One of our friends was dead tired and was just having a nap when we discovered about that ice cream surprise. Her friend wet her lips with some yummy vanilla ice cream. She got up immediately and told everybody that she thought she was dead and was having ice cream in heaven. I couldn’t stop laughing when I heard her tale but I also thanked my Lord that I wasn’t next to her that day or else I wouldn’t be able to concentrate in any of the rituals.

 

There were lots of those funniest moments but I think one in enough this time.

By the way, my pregnant friend did well in Hajj and gave birth to a beautiful girl on her due date.

Wishing you all the best,
Nahla

Herewith my last year Hajj posts:

The journey of a lifetime!

The journey of a lifetime/2

I hope you will like this song too.

Error
This video doesn’t exist

 

 

 

Just writing

I love holidays

nhpureandsimple

img_2878

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

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

Universal language

nhpureandsimple

 

Image result for dictionaries

 

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