Hey!! Finally! I found my blog! Will i return to writing? Maybe ❤️

almost a Year !

it`s been almost a year since my last post .. many things happened ..good and bad... I will try to look back to this year-gap-events in the coming posts in sha`allah ... but for now, I will just try to re-open my door to visitors ..if there are any still knocking !...
I here today to say I`m still alive !! safe and sound... I never missed my favourate blogs ..happy to see new ones... follow all the updates ... I was just too lazy to post !!! ....
I noticed that my last post was about Edinburgh ! ironically I was there yesterday ... and went to the zoo (AGAIN !!!).. I guess not much happening after all !! lol

see u soon ...
Dania`s mama

Edinburgh

" the entrance to Edinburgh Castle"

The last two weeks were easter holiday.. my baby was nagging all the time about going out then she asked me a surprise question : she wants to go to the zoo !! ... since she learnt about the story of Noah and his animals back in school and Dania is becoming more and more obsessed with animals. this is how the whole idea of Scotland came into our mind... Edniburgh is about 1 hour and 25 minuts away ( by train) and it has a zoo!!...

we surfed internet .. got a good hotel offer .. bought train tickets and off we went to the highlands.....

the city is huge with lots of hills and lots of ups and downs roads ( my legs are still aching !!!) ..scotish flags are everywhere .. as if they want to make sure that u don`t mistake it to any other british city ( coz honestly it is not much different) ...

although you are surrounded by many modern buidlings but still you can feel and breath the medivel atmosphere especially when you look over that famous castle ( it just reminded me of Brave Heart the famous movie !!) ..

" Dania infront of the castle with the princess !!"

the second day was Zoo day !! Dania was up really early.. very excited, she begged us to hurry ... we changed our clothes ..ate our breakfast and off to the street ... took the bus and few minutes later we were inside the zoo... I will never forget my daughter`s expression when she saw the first animal ( a sea lion ) swimming in the water.. she started to jump from one cage to the other .. as if she was afraid that animals will go away.... she would name each animal and ask me if she didn`t recognise one.... she enjoyed the monkeys ( we enjoyed watching them too !!) .. she was very excited to see the lion ... very afraid to see the snake ... but most of all very happy to see the pinguinis ( my favourate animals ) ...

the zoo is well equiped .. animals are maintained in their natural enviroments ...and facilities were excellent .. the only problem was the weather .. it was freezing cold .. most animals were hiding .. we had a hard time trying to find the tiger or the kuala !!

the day in the zoo was finished with a very funny ending .. the pinguins parade .. yes people it was a real parade .. we were standing on specific lines and peinguinis were marching infront of us looking at us in a very funny way ... I laughed really hard at the scene ... it was unbelievable...

here are some photos from the zoo:

"Dania at the entrance of the zoo"

in the evening we headed back to the hotel .. took our bag and went to the station.. Dania was exhausted ( so do we !!) she slept all the way back to Newcastle ..

it was a good short break .. we enjoyed the whole trip .. Dania is still talking about the zoo and about the castle with the princess in it !! ..but she realised today that Edinburgh zoo has no Giraffes or Elephants ... !!!! she was right .....

Best regards
Um Dania

If you`re still there !!

It`s been a while I know.. I must admit that I feel very guilty towards my blog .. it is like adobting a child then abandoning him in the middle of the road.. the guilt is intense that sometimes I would rather prefer to delete it than having it infront of my face whenever I open my PC..I would avoid checking it whenever I`m online.. i sometimes wonder what was the reason behind opening this blog.. and why the flame that led me to open it had faded gradually .. I must confess that alot of what is in my mind is hard to be poured into words.. not because it`s hard or something ..no .. it is just the courage to express myself more freely.. and the invisible bounderies that ban me from being more sincere ..
my blog was supposed to be about our family and our daily challenges... yet I found it really hard to give a record of what we see and experience on a daily basis.. maybe the language is a barrier since I decided to write in English ... the language choice was -maybe- because I felt that my own language will expose me .... hiding behind a second language was one of my ways to creatre a new space of freedom ... " they will never know who I am " I would tell myself.. then I will ask myself why am I hiding.... and from whom... I never opened a taboo topic .. and most of my posts are simple day-to-day records without any details..
I`m a free spirit who believe in equality .. justice and peace.. I have my strong opinions that lead to endless debates and discussions .. I don`t take life for granted.. I appreciate every single drop of water I dring ... every molecule of oxygen I breath.. I question everything in life .... yet , I never opened those topics with you guys.. prefering to be a normal working -now student- mother with a normal family ( what is the normality anyway?) .. hiding behind the safety of normality and anonymity..!!
I need to reflect on my blog.. it has to be changed.. I may consider changing the language or even writing in mix .. I love the Arabic language... mama and baba spent a good part of their lives teaching us how to use this beautiful language in a perfect way.. they believe that you would never master any language if you don`t express yourself correctly in your own language.. I think they`re right...
I may consider changing the title ... it is not about only my family... it is our lives and the lives of others...it is about the concept of life...
i need to take more time to think .. then I `ll decide what to do.. and for you who are still there .. wait for me .. I`ll be back soon

Long time..!!

Hey everybody, it`s been a while ha !!... well I`ve been really busy lately..with the studies and other stuff .... while I finished all my modules, I still have some work to do with my dissertation .. this is number one on my long list of must do for this year..!! the list is long, and it is getting longer day by day..!!
my days in Libya were awsome.. it is always great to spend some quality time with your family .. although weddings are not a perfect way to get some private time with mama and baba since the house is always full of people.. but the overall atmosphere was fantastic with all the gatherings and "gurmah" and fun...
I was back to Newcastle on the Christmas eve.. the following days were really dull .. untill last week when everything returned to normal .. first day of Dania`s school after christmas was really a big day.. she was really excited .. she got a big reception on her arrival (as she was off from the first week of December) .. with teachers hugging her and children shouting out her name.. I was happy to see this distinguished social development in Dania`s life...
as for me... I`m resuming my studies starting from next week .. the past few weeks were a good period to prepare myself and to research properly before meeting my supervisor.. it will be some stressful few months .. may allah help me..
here in Newcastle there is only one subject on people`s mouths : Newcastle United is without a manager ... you can`t imagine how these people are obsessed with their club.... my husband is one of them..!!!... the football club website have even provided a job description for the suitable candidate ... I hope that this problem will be solved as soon as possible.. I went once to the Stadium and it was one of my greatest experiences .....I would really like to do it again...

see ya
Um Dania

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