Our trip to Cairo

Recently my very adventerous sister arranged a one day trip to Cairo for the whole family...

By that I mean all our cousins and aunts from both sides of the family...it was all women and children .

Although we had some grumpy moments from some people who cannot seem to enjoy themselves at all ...yes you know yourselves...the over all experience was good & lots of fun...


Our 1st stop was at Fagnoon

fagnoon is located on Sakkara Road, Giza

It's other name is Sabil Om Hashim.It's run by some amazing artists....they really know how to get the kids excited about arts.

Once we got there the children and some of the more un-inhibited adults enjoyed playing on the monkey bars

Then we paid the fee of 45 LE for every participating child or adult.

they gave us a presentation of all the things we can do.

You can choose from

pottery, wood carpentry, agriculture, baking, jewelry making, iron smithy ,bead work,drawing with colored sand,and others.

They also give you a choice for a mud fight or a colors fight where they fill small plastic bags with colored water & you get to throw it at each other.really messy and fun stuff.



To reach fagnoon follow these instructions:



To reach Fagnoon from the Pyramids Road, turn on the Maryoutiya Canal towards Saqqara. Fagnoon is 12.5 kilometers down the canal.



If one is traveling by public transport, take a microbus in the direction of Saqqara and ask the driver for a drop off at Sabil Umm Hashem.



If one is coming from the Mounib Ring Road, take the Badrashein- Maryoutiya exit. From this point it is 9.5 kilometers to Fagnoon.



One of the things one will notice just before arriving is a bridge named after Nobel prize winner Ahmed Zuweil over the canal.

ofcourse everyone opted for the pottery it's so much fun

After that we went to the Egyptian Muesm...

I do not recommend this for younger kids ...my 5 year was so bored ...I struggeled to keep myself in a good mood and really try to enjoy it...

Ofcourse the muesm has some really exciting replicas and artifacts from different eras ....

the most amazing is the mummies hall ....but you have to pay extra to enter.

They also have a seperate hall for the jewelery from Pharonic & Roman eras....

After finishing the muesm we simply crossed the Cornich & took a boat ride in the Nile

it was so relaxing and peaceful after a very busy and noisy day.

A Card made for my DD S

My unhealthy Breakfast

My morning coffee

Basbousa

Gatou'

Essence

& Books...

Yes I was studying for my Exam...I needed the sugar & caffeine

قمح منبت

old pics from my phone

As I was downloading the Gouna pics from my mobile memory I found alot of pics i took before and totally forgot they even existed....


I downloaded all the pics & I'm gonna post them in the next few posts.
In sha Allah...

El Gouna.....

My DH always wanted to spend some time in El Gouna ..it was more like a dream of his to go there.

Alhamdulelah this year we were able to go there for a 4 days vacation...the hotel where we were staying was a resort with over +500 rooms....

It had 3 swimming pools ,a lagoon and of course the beach..

The children really enjoyed the water ...they spent over 6 hours daily at the pool....WOW ...this means alot of sun.....Armed with my islamic swimsuite I had my fair share of the cool waters too.

My DDs had a chance to really practice their swimming skills

Most of our days were spent inside the resort...with 2 kids we felt too lazy to venture outside although I would have loved to explore the city & maybe even visit Hurghada.We chose to stay within our hotel's premises as this vacation was mainly intended for relaxation only

Here are some more images that I took from my room's balcony of the nearby lagoon.....we sometimes saw boats & gondolas taking people around the hotel for a cruise.

BUSY......BUSY.......BUSY

I've been extremly busy these past few weeks...throw in going through one of my

depressive episodes & things weren't going as smoothly as I intended ...Alhamdu Lelah

I've neglected my blog for some while now...

but really I have so many ideas for posts lined up in my head..I hope I get the time to blog about it all..

I have a very important test coming up on Tuesday..& I haven't been studying very well....

after I finish the exam we are going to El Gouna for a 5 day vacation....YAY!!!!!!!!!11

But I'm so crammed up...with a very huge shopping list & I'll only have 5 hours of shopping available in the window between my exam & going to El Gouna.

I will take as many pictures as I can in sha Allah to share with all of you as I'm being told that El Gouna is heaven on earth....I hope so in sha Allah...

Ohhhhh how I need this vacation.......wish me luck sisters!!

نصير شمة

نصير العود........شمة عطر

Naseer Shamaa is an Iraqi born composer who does marvellous work on the traditional Oud

he has a website :

in 3 languages : Arabic ,English & French..where you can read about him & listen in to some of his work..

http://www.naseershamma.com/

One of my favourites is ...The Moon Fades...

If you go to the website you can find it under audio clips...in the album by the same name The Moon Fades...

so what do you think of his music??

Serenity Prayer

I'm reading an amazing book by one of my favourite authors

Jubran Khalil Jubran

The Prophet

What I find amazing about his writings is that he writes verses as if it's poetry..& I assure you that each time you return to his words you will find new meanings

You can find the English version of the book HERE

Another full version with Arabic translation done by Therwat Okasha can be found HERE

Now to my favourite peice in the book

When Al Moustafa talks of LOVE

Enjoy my friends

Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of LOVE."

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.

And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.

Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire,

that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart,

and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter,

and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart,"

but rather, I am in the heart of God."

And think not you can direct the course of love,

if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

المحبة

حينئذ قالت له ألمطرا : حدثنا عن المحبة

فرفع رأسه و نظر إلى الشعب نظرة محبة وحنان فصمتوا جميعهم خاشعين

فقال لهم بصوت عظيم :

إذا أشارت المحبة إليكم فاتبعوها

, و إن كانت مسالكها صعبة متحدرة

و إذا ضمتكم بجناحيها فأطيعوها ,

و إن جرحكم السيف المستور بين ريشها

و إذا خاطبتكم المحبة فصدقوها ,

و إن عطل صوتها أحلامكم و بددها كما تعصف الريح الشماليةبالبستان

لآنه كما أن المحبة تكللكم فهي أيضا تشدكم على الصليب ,

وكما تعمل على نموكم هكذا تعلمكم و تستأصل الفاسد منكم

و كما ترتفع إلى أعلى شجرة حياتكم فتعانق أغصانها اللطيفة المرتعشة أمام وجه الشمس ,

هكذا تنحدر إلى جذورها الملتصقة بالتراب و تهزها في سكينة الليل المحبة

تضمكم إلى قلبها كأغمار الحنطة

و تدرسكم على بيادرها لكي تظهر عريكم

و تغربلكم لكي تحرركم من قشوركم

و تطحنكم لكي تجعلكم أنقياء كالثلج

و تعجنكم بدموعها حتى تلينوا

ثم تعدكم لنارها المقدسة لكي تصيروا جبزاً مقدساً يقرب على مائدة الرب المقدسة

كل هذا تصنعه المحبة بكم

لكي تدركوا أسرار قلوبكم فتصبحوا بهذا الادراك جزءاً من قلب الحياة

غير أنكم إذا خفتم و قصرتم سعيكم على الطمأنينة و اللذة في المحبة

فلأجدر بكم أن تستروا عريكم و تخرجوا من بيدر المحبة إلى عالم لا تتعاقب فيه فصول

حيث تضحكون ولكن دون استغراق

و تبكون ولا تنهمر كل الدموع

المحبة لا تعطي إلا نفسها , ولا تأخذ إلا من نفسها

المحبة لا تملك شيئا و لا تريد أن يملكها أحد

لأن المحبة مكتفية بالمحبة

أما أنت إذا أحبتت فلا تقل : " إن الله في قلبي "

بل قل بالأحرى : " أنا في قلب الله "

و لا تظن أنك تستطيع أن تتسلط على مسالك المحبة

لأن المحبة تقودك إن وجدتك خليقا بها

و المحبة لا تنشد الا تحقيق ذاتها

فإذا أحببت و كان لا بد من أن تساورك رغبات ، فلتكن هذه رغباتك

أن تذوب و تكون كجدول متدفق يشدو لليل بألحانه

وأن تحس الألم النابع من فيض حنان دافق

وأن تتقبل الجرح ينتابك من احاطة ذاتك لمعنى الحب

و أن تنزف دماؤك و أنت راض مغتبط

أن تنهض عند الفجر بقلب مجنح خفوق ،لتستقبل شاكرا يوما في المحبة جديدا

أن تستريح عند الظهيرة مستغرقا في نشوة المحبة

أن تعود إلى منزلك عند المساء شاكراً

فتنام حينئذ و الصلاة لأجل من أحببت تتردد في قلبك و أنشودة الحمد و الثناء تتمتمها شفتاك