wedding bells !!!

Hey..

I`ve been out and about recently preparing myself for my brother`s wedding... Dania likes it when we go out everyday..but for me it is really hard..the wedding will be on the 13th and 14th of December.. and I`m off to Libya next week.. so ... I`m and will be sooooo busy in the next few weeks...

In sha`allah everything goes as we planned .. ya rabb

best wishes to everybody

Um Dania

Dania`s Treasure chest..!!!

The other day I was invited to attend a meeting in dania`s school.. they sent a letter with Dania telling me that a box is to be given to her.. and that this box is full of story books , coloring pencils, drawing book and a guide book to the best of three year old kids books .... i was really amazed reading this paper.. i phoned my mum telling her of how the government here is so caring about young generations and how they would encourage reading from this very young age.. and so and so .. and reminded her that she did the same when we were young except that mum was doing all the effort on a personal basis .. she would buy the books , she would read for us when we were children and would encourage us to draw and imagine.. it wasn`t a national programme or something ,, it was my mum personal work with dad`s help (having an enormous library!!) .. and it worked .. we grew up loving books...


but I would never imagine that this box would be a real joy to my child ... it wasn`t a normal box.. and it wasn`t a normal meeting..I entered the meeting room and was overwhelmed with the hospitality and the warm reception the teachers gave us.. they offered hot drinks and helped us to choose where to sit.. and then they started their presentation,.. infront of them , there were some fabulously decorated boxes (in the shape of treasure chest.. you know,, the one pirates search for!!) .. one of the ladies opened the box and started to explain to us the idea of this box and benefits kids will obtain by using it efficiently.. guys.. i was really impressed.. i mean .. reading is becoming an aging hoby in our societies .. we are growing with this idea that books are for old fashioned people .. or a luxurious habit that need money and time..most of our people will laugh at the idea of reading a book to a three years child mind giving him a box full of books to read and enjoy..
anyway.. after an hour or so .. we finally reached the end of the meeting.. they gave us the boxes in bright bags .. and started to collect the names of the parents who volenteered to enter in a 5 hours course to udnerstand and learn how to make home made toys (to help these children understand the stories in these books .. see !! ahhh) i added my name (not coz i`m an angel but because i want to see and learn really) ... we waved goodbyes to eachother and headed home..

at home, I opened the box and started to enjoy what was there.. and imagining the reaction of my little princess when she sees this gift .. she has always been fond of books and children stories .. and i was sure that she will be so happy...

the teacher told us that there is someting in that box that would add more interst in it .. can you guess what is that .. look down here,,

yes... it is a secret place inside the box.. the parent could put something beneath it and let the child guess what it is.. believe me ,,, it added up all the excitement and joy..


i filled the secret place with other stuff .. some children magazines, a writen story book of Ratatouille the rat .. and some cookies..

Now .. you can imagine what my daoughter`s reaction was when she came in the living room.. i can`t describe the joy .. i was overwhelmed.. i love to see the joy poping out of her eyes.. and it was really simple to make her happy .. a bunch of babies books and some coloring pencils... isn`t a simple idea .. !! is it so hard to do so in our societies.. i guess no.. so what we lack??



P.S: many of you who lived here or still living would propably take these things for granted .. but i couldn`t help not talking about it .. it is an amazing idea .. and by the way ; this is the third set of books to be recieved by kids , first one in the first year, then second , then this one.. aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!

thanks mama and baba for giving us this everlasting love for books .. it was our gate to knowledge..

Um Dania





by the way: the box is part of a national programme that started in 1992 called Book start .. encouraging the nation to read from young age .. check it out

It is Eid time ..

Kol 3am w intu bekheir.. we had a wonderful time here in Newcastle .. my brother came to spend the Eid with us .. which was great .. and since the weather is great, we headed to the river Tyne side .. actually we crossed the river and ended up on the other side of the town.. the area is called Gateshead. we took wonderfull pics and enjoyed the weather to the full ..

Dania and dady

then we turned back to the town .. we ended up in the Gate .. ate our lunch in an Italian restaurant (my favourate!!) .. then , it was time to watch a movie so we headed to the cinema( in the same building) and enjoyed Rataouille.. really the movie was wonderful.. and emotional as well ..

this was our first day.. today we are planning to go to Durham a historical village full of castles and churches ..

i will post about our trip .. in sha`allah ..... again kul sana w intu taibin..

Um Dania

Ramadaniyat ... and many more..!!!

Hello everybody

it`s been a long time since i last post anything.. i missed many anniversaries : my blog first birthday, my actual birthday,and many more... i have alot of news to tell and alot of stories to share.. it was a lovely summer with all the family gatherings ( my whole family visited me during the summer) .. and now our lovely Dania has started her school or should i say nursery.. it is indeed a new adventure for our little family... and we are enjoy it to the full..

Ramadan is about to finish.. between me and u : Ramadan is to be spent in our homelands ..!!!! I mean it is so ironic to be thirsty to death while somebody next to u is drinking his chilly coke ..

and after sunset .. the whole area becomes so quiet .. people are already in their homes preparing themselves to sleep .. while our fellows in Libya are filling the streets and the air with their noises and voices.!!!!.... anyway.. Ramadan Kareem...

during this month, we became hooked to a lovely (and annoying) musalsal named : bab el7ara باب الحارة .. it is not about the story (as i feel it is totally nonsence) but it is about the details of the family lives in this 7ara .. the food , the houses, the furniture, people`s behaviour towards each other, and the whole atmosphere ...

but after this musalsal .. me and my hubby usually find nothing to do really.. we usually reach to our PC`s to open internet .. or we just randomely watch whatever it is in the TV.. REALLY BORING..!!! ( i already finished about four books during this holy month .. which is a good thing really!!.. but still boring ..ahh!!)

anyway.. Ramadan is about to finish.. life will return to normal .. on December, i will go in sha`allah to Libya for my brother`s wedding...

what else..!! nothing really.. oh yeah!! i decided to write in both English and arabic... i have alot of things to be written in arabic.. but i will never stop writing in English as it is part of my learning ...

i hope i still have visitors ... it is been a long time ...but i will promise to keep up the posting.. i`m not as busy as i was before .. so no excuses!!!

thanks

see u

Um Dania

Hibernation!!!!

Looks like I`ve been hibernating or something.. well the reality is that I `m soooooooooooooo BUSY with my studies that I don`t have time to anything litteraly!!
I would like to thank Faouzia (Global Voices) coz she was wondering where am I .. and Fauzia: Dania is fine thank you..
i noticed lately that a lot of new bloggers are joining our small world and I`m too excited to read their blogs ( when i finish my assignements in sha`allah ) .. anyway.. i`ve been following the news lately and seems that the world is now a better place to live since there is nothing to talk about but Paris Hilton prison break!!! ..



here is what i found













































see you soon...
Um Dania

STOP THE WAR..

Four years since the invasion of Iraq .. four years since the first lie begun.. providing people with security and peace.. what a big lie !…
Here are some numbers* which shows the reality of what become of a glorious country now torn into pieces…
1) 1,700,000 – Estimated number of Iraqis who are internally displaced. Up to 2,000,000 are refugees in neighbouring countries. (Source: Amnesty International)
2) 25% of Iraqi primary school children kept at home due to threats of violence and general insecurity. (Source: World Bank)
3) Over half the population of Iraq is under the age of 14. (Source: Save the Children)
4) 130/120 – Child mortality rate m/f (per 1,000). (Source: World Health Organization)
5) 134 – British Armed Forces personnel have been killed. (Source: Ministry of Defence)
6) 3,188 – US service personnel who have been killed on active service in Iraq since the start of the military campaign in March 2003. More than 22,000 have been injured. (Source: Iraq Coalition Casualty Count)
7) 1,500,000 – Barrels of oil exported each day. (Source: CIA Factbook)
8) 18 % of Iraqis said they had confidence in US and coalition troops (Source: BBC/ABC News poll)
9) 51 % of Iraqis thought attacks on coalition forces were justified. (Source: BBC/ABC News poll)
10) 0 – Weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq following the 2003 invasion. Most weapons inspectors now believe that the Iraqi WMD program did not proceed after the early 1990s. (Source: Iraq Survey Group final report)
11) 21,500 – The number of extra troops President George W Bush plans to send to Iraq, mostly in an effort to secure Baghdad..!!!!
Stop the war... Save Iraq... SAVE THE CHILDREN …

Um Dania
* Numbers taken from www.msn.co.uk

Travelling Alone??.. Always..!!!

* Floris Jespers1889–1965 BelgianThree Seated Women*

I was raised by free minded parents who always believe in women`s rights and gender equality.. i never felt inferior to any male member in the family.. my parents have always encouraged us to follow our dreams regardless of our genders.... this is was the enviroment i grew in..

My dad is a lawyer.. he would always say that Libya has the best laws regarding gender equality... and that women are privileged to live here because they will always know that they are protected by the means of law....and that they just need some knowledge and information about their rights and duties...

yesterday i read an article in a website saying that Libya will ban women from travelling alone... hello..!! i always travel alone..!!!.. it really shocked me .. it is like returning million years back.. i really hope that this in not true.. women in Libya had achieved alot .. it is just so humilitating to hear this ..

so to go to visit my family i need my husband to take me there...and since his holiday time is differnet from mine.. he will have to return back for his studies ,, then come back again to Libya to take me back.. as if i`m abag...or a piece of furniture..and what about my friend who lives in Germany alone for study purposes (sent by the goverment) is she banned from comming home untill she gets married or ask her father to pay unneccessary tickets to pick up his daughter.. !!!! this is total craziness.. i really hope that this is untrue.. I`m just praying that it is not true...

as usual..Um Dania

Stars!!

Sometimes, I like to look at a certain star in the night sky wondering how many persons are staring at the same star this very momment... a poet who is looking for inspiration.. a women in Iraq hiding her tears and remembering the people she lost .. a baby starving in Africa.. a lover trying to write a letter to his beloved woman.. a sailor in the middle of the sea missing his homeland...

Sometimes I just wonder how many people in this very moment died.. got married.. graduated.. cried.. laughed .. born..

Sometimes I just keep staring at the sky wondering what are people doing in America, Venezuela, China..Lebanon.. we are all under the same roof .. yet we are ways too different...we are friends, enemies.. relatives .. strangers.. white.. black.. women ..men.. kids .. adults..muslims .. jews.. so much differences in such a small world...

These are some of my weird moments that usually resulted in a severe headache..but I can`t but keep imagining this whole world as a one piece and us as some game pieces that are related to each other in a certain way..I don`t know.. I just wonder how could we make it work.. how could we overcome our differences and work together to prevent wars, hanger and poverty...

These are some thoughts to share.. I hope I didn`t bother you..

Um Dania

Welcome Meedo...!!!

Meedo with his mum(my sister)

welcome little sweetheart..it is nice to have you with us in this world ... it is a strange feeling to know that you arrived but not being available to hold you.. to kiss your hands .. to touch your tiny feet..
i didn`t see you yet ... but i`m already missing you.. you became part of my heart... this physical distance don`t stop me from feeling your presence inside my heart .. i just have to close my eyes .. and you`re there between my arms...

meedo .. welcome to our world..

your aunty
Um Dania..

It`s me again!!!

Dania after bath in her redecorated room

hey people ... finally i got the time to write down ... i was extremelly busy with my studies and assignements that i couldn`t even look at my blog...alot of events happened here and there..actually .. i was shocked to know that this is my first post in 2007 .. first one after two months from the new year.. waw .. long period!!
Anyway...i was checking the other blogs and i was so happy to see this growing number of libyan bloggers.. i even added some of them to my favorites..i liked Maisoon`s blog and her sister Damoon`s they really rock..the list is growing guys ,, this is fantastic.. i feel like if i have a seperate world apart from my daily stress and pressure .. this is my virtual oasis.. if i can call it this way.. people ..i`m addicted to blogs ...and it is beautiful.. reading others stories .. memories and funny moments.. it is so beautifull..
in the last few months, many happenings took place around the world and on a personal basis..i will try to catch up with some of them..

• Saddam`s hanging .. it was an extraordinary way to say Happy Eid...!!! few seconds in this man`s life changed his status from the ultimate monster and war criminal to a hero and a man of honor ... thanks America...


• a big new year`s eve party here in Newcastle Upon Tyne had been cancelled due to the extremely bad windy weather.. typical!!


• i had to write some assignements during the month of January .. and it was an arround the clock hard work.. i barely slept.. i`m not used to this kind of study ,, people.. give me exams and i will be great!!


• we had to buy a new small TV to Dania because she gave us a hard time playing her DVD`s ALL THE TIME!!! really all the time.. starting with Madagascar and ending with Shrek 2 .. every single day .. now we r in heaven enjoying watching normal programs while our little princess is watching her favourate films in a seperate room...


• My Husband started his studies at University.. we had a difficult time finding a place to Dania in one of the nurseries around us.. here in the old beurocratic Britain, children must complete three years old to go to nurseries ,, Dania is three now but would only go next september .. don`t ask me how ,, these are the rules!! we found a baby sitter or as they call them here: child minder..Dania is doing great with her.. i`m so glad that our hard time searching for a suitable nany ended up in a good way.. now we are both full time students in the same uni.. it is exciting.. thanks huppy ..for your patience throughout the last year taking care of our daughter .. you`re an ideal dad..


• there was this most talking about reality show that i was addicted to... yeah .. it is Celebrity big brother.. it was a worth watching with all the problems and bullies.. not that i`m a freak enjoying watching people being bullied by others.. noooo .. i was envying this Indian actor " Shilpa Shetty" standing to all this bully with dignity and self respect .. she won the hearts of all british people .. good for her.. i really respected her for her self respect... i also enjoyed the long cnversations between the two american celebrities.. Jermain Jackson and Dirk Benedit... by the way people .. Jackson was holding his Sebha all the time (you know he is muslim) and was putting his sallayah on the bed .. i really like this beautiful image of a moderate ..normal just normal muslim ..


• talking about Big Brother .. now in Italy there is a new series of big brother and guess what .. yes people .. me again watching the every day brief and waiting for the weekly nominations.. and go on .. definitly ..sings of addiction..!!!


• hey i was just watching a program in Italia Uno about big brother... they showed some infrared videos of the BB house at night ... where is the news? well apparently they discovered throught this footages that there are other happitants inside the house ... not only the contestants... but small ugly creatures running under their heads during the nights .. yes.. RAAAATS... three rats according to this program are running freely in the corridors and rooms of the big brother house... i don`t know if they cleaned their house after these videos leaked ,, i just felt disgusted to see these poor guys locked in this filthy house.. yackeeee!!!


• on the sixth of this month we celebrated the birthday of my Dania.. she was so happy with her cake and so excited that she almost burnt her fingers trying to remove the candles while still hot... i had to explain to my sister and mum why she was crying hard in the photos...!!!


• dania know all the numbers in arabic and english .. most of the colours and almost all of the animals even the Racoon !( one of her DVD`S had a character leader as a racoon called RJ) I`m soo proud of her as she didn`t learnt it from me .. nooo.. it is from a baby channel in TV..which is speicalized in babies from 0-3 ...


• my sister is expected to give birth to our new addition in our growing family within the next few days..i`m really puzzled .. mixed feelings are growing inside my mind.. happiness , excitement .. fear.. sadness to not be near my only sister... i`m just glad that mum made it and is now near her daughter with my other causin to look after her... i`m waiting for you little meedo.. i pray to god that you come to this world a healthy and loving baby..


• as usual i`m missing my mum more than ever.. she keeps assuring me that she will come as soon as she finished with my sister issue.. but i can`t but miss her...


• waiting for dad.. he is supposed to come in the next few days... i can`t wait to see him...


• proud of my borther Aladdin who is taking care of my family home during my mum absence.. he even cook for dad..and take control of the daily issues... Alaa..you`re unique ..


• we redecorate Dania`s room and now it is a Winnie the Pooh inspired room,,, she really like it and hardly leave the room now.. the new TV is there as well..


• is it me or this post is quiet long...and ...what`s wrong with Britney Spears..!!!

hope that i can go on posting regularly.. i really enjoy your company.. it is a wonderful feeling being part of this little libyan community...

Dania`s mama