Just writing

Reading Challenge

It’s almost the end of the year, and I am running our of time to finish the 50 books I had planned to read this year. Actually it’s not that bad, I  read 47 books so far. By the way it’s thanks to my WordPress friend Arlene for starting this experience in the first place. I can’t remember exactly when I did, but I was inspired by her reading challenge experience.

Before the coffee gets Cold, is the most recent book I have finished, and here’s my book review for it.

https://nh825.wordpress.com/2024/12/05/before-the-coffee-gets-cold/

Please have a look. Hope you’ll like both the book and my review.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

WordPress

If you didn’t need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time?

It’s not that I would post more on WordPress. I am satisfied if I manage to share one post a day, as my hands are full with other priorities and chores.


But, if I have extra free time I would like to check and read more posts on WordPress, especially from you, my visitors and subscribers. It’s not mainly because you are reading mine, but also because I might get some inspiration from your posts or learn something new. It’s such a wonderful experience, as though you’re meeting different people and hearing their voices from all around the world. Though, in actual life, our paths might never cross.

I really appreciate your visits, likes, and comments, and I wish I could have some extra time to read more of your posts.



With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

A different aim

If you could have something named after you, what would it be?

Something named after me? The first thought was a mosque. But I soon changed my mind.

But why should mosques bear the people’s names? I asked myself. As a Muslim I believe that we should not boast our good deeds. Your left hand should never see what’s your right one is giving. Therefore, how can one justify writing their names on a mosque? It’s none of your property. Our money is mainly a means to construct the place of  worship. Besides, the Almighty knows your name, your intention, and your offering. So why name a mosque after me.

I searched my mind and urged each of its cell to find something. I thought and thought until the answer came to me.

It’s a title of a chapter in a book about the lives of Muslim women in a foreign country. Why just a chapter and not the entire book? Because it’s neither an autobiography nor a memoire which would  typically be named after a specific person. Besides, that wouldn’t be my aim. A chapter bearing my name would preserve both my experience and my existence within a colourful  picture and a broader narrative.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Reverie

What activities do you lose yourself in?

Whatever the thing you like, you will lose yourself in it. A book, a song, a recipe, a sport, a picture, a movie, …. . You’re losing youself because that thing makes you feel better, makes you happy, and, in some cases, makes you be yourself.

Do you know that some people lose themselves in talking. Oh, yes, some have the ability to talk nonstop. They lose themselves and others, and even if you interrupt, they don’t intentinally ignore you but just could not hear other voices.

But, that question also reminds me of my daughter a year or two ago when she found it hard to fell asleep. My advice was to think of pleasant thoughts. Lose yourself in reverie, I told her. Reverie is like a pause that can block unpleasant things and open a winow for pleasant ones, and that’s all free and for just a few seconds.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Five times!

What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

Could that be only me? But, would you really watch a movie or a TV series five times or more? I think that’s too much. Wouldn’t that be like watching everydays news that are useless to both your brain and your life!

It’s a great fun when a family snuggle together to watch a movie. Something funny, interesting, or even creepy as long as it suits them all, would make a good family time.

To be honest, if it wasn’t for my children, I wouldn’t have watched most of the movies I did. And, three times is the maximum number we watched any. And to be even more honest, if there ever is a third time, we become uninterested and one by one slip away from the gathering.

Perhaps, being a full time mother, trying ber best to find time for her own hoppies, watching movies  more than once is too much for me.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

No, not that!

What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.

Honestly,  it is not how old are you? Because 23 + is the simplest and more convient answer unless you’re been asked for specific reasons  Besides that won’t be a lie!

But there are questions that are so annoying, so inquisitive. These are mostly with HOW Much?

How much do you earn? How much do you pay for this or that?

Although I don’t hate these sort of questions as questions been simply asked as inquiries because that would not been considered rude. What I hate is when the person knows already the answer and asks to test your reliability. Or, when the person is asking to make you regret paying that sum whether it is  little or big. Or, when the person is such a telltale or a gossip whose job is spreading the news of others lives.

Is that not hateful?

With the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Believe me…

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

Things that go opposite to our expectations, dreams, and  hard work should not be seen as a failure. It’s a redirection.

We will weep, scream, hate , curse …  . Why me? That’s unfair!  But,  one day we will understand  how we’ve been saved and guided. One day when we look back over past years, we’ll understand how that all was a redirection and we’ve succeded in a different way, making different things.

What we really need to do is that after our every explosive reaction to that hateful news of failure is to not give up,  to not freeze at that spot. One gate is closed, but others will be opened.

And, one more thing, be honest to yourself for, perhaps, you are the main cause of the failure.

That’s how I’ve learned to see things and keep going after every redirection in my life.

By the way, is success merely admitted by gaining a certificate, a position, fortune, fame…. I don’t think so.

God knows the best,

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

People

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

What’s better than meeting with different people!

Living in a different country, meeting with people of different culutres, people with different tongues, is such wonderful, though hard, experience that I believed I’ve been blessed to live.  This experience has been teaching me valuable lessons everyday.

I’m still the same me, however in a much wiser, much knowedgable, much careful version. And there’s one more important thing; when you’re living in a froiegn country, you’re granted a silver opportunity for choosing who you want to be. Either to cut your roots, discard them, borrow different seeds, and plant a complete different crop. Or, keep your old roots, plant then in the new soil, feed and water them every now and then. Believe me, you’ll be suprised how your old roots make a unique plant of you.

With all best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

“Old fashioned life”

Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.

Don’t you miss your old fashioned phone?

Don’t you miss the days you use your brain, hands, and feelings to write a letter, a note, or a postcard?

Don’t you long for using a pen and paper?

Don’t you miss your old telephone and address book?

Don’t you miss a family outing without a phone, without a camera?

Don”t you miss privacy and respect?

The list of things that have become nowadays old fashioned is so long. I don’t know about you, but I do miss this phase of my life and that’s the phase I found too hard to say goodbye to.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla