Ultrasound 13 weeks



Originally uploaded by faeriebell

i just had my first trimester ultrasoundhellip;

so far the babyrsquo;s 66mm long, 22 mm widehellip;beating 155bpm

was sucking its thumb whilst the pathologist was trying to capture as many scans as it could from my very full bladder/lower stomach (they made me drink a litre of water an hour before the scan) which made me go to the loo 5 million times after thathellip;

the next onersquo;s due at the end of next monthhellip;

just so relieved that everythingrsquo;s okhellip;particularly after all that its been through, as well as the fact that irsquo;ve got diabetes on my dadrsquo;s side and hubbyrsquo;s got high blood pressure on his -a fab combination!

should start thinking of names shouldnrsquo;t ihellip;any ideas anyone!?!

was thinking along the lines of a battler/warrior(ess) because even i had doubts that it would make it, especially with severe cramps i experienced when i had that internal bleeding a few weeks agohellip;

feel like its more real nowhellip;that irsquo;ve got something to look forward to, even though it was before but just seeing scans of its face, spine, feet, bladder, etc -evolving to a human being makes it more realhellip;

hubbyrsquo;s also blown away from ithellip;

wersquo;ve been ok so farhellip;

hersquo;s driving is still crazy, sense of direction like other women (:P) and its gotten to the point where when hersquo;s had bad days or is simply slow -im just catching the taxi or bus to and from work. he even banned me one time all because he couldnrsquo;t quickly respond or listen to questionshellip;until that fine he received a few days agohellip;-now hersquo;s feeling the punishment of driving too fast or basically not obeying Australian driving laws -which irsquo;m sure in a few days time hersquo;ll rock up to the nearest licensing centre demanding to not be charged with such a fee (when really it was his fault)hellip;

got underpaid today (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) for the overtime and 20% loading irsquo;m suppose to get on top of my usual pay. so might be short againhellip;

trying to figure out how i can get out of my fitness first gym membershiphellip;

i tried cancelling it a few days ago but when i mentioned i wanted to cancelled i think they were deaf and totally bombarded the benefits of me using the gym before i could even say anything, despite my dear doctor advising me to stay away from them for the time being

probably might have to pay the full $2k figure but i guess its better than being hounded every month to visit ithellip;

i think the only workout irsquo;ll be getting is a mental one

they wouldnrsquo;t even give me the bank discount for being part of bankwest!

irsquo;m doing credit card enquiries at the moment, will be upgrading to lending in a few weeks time so looking forward to ithellip;so sick of reseting online banking passwords!!!

wersquo;re still trying to find a place

they ask for references and history of renting which i think is not faor especially for first timers like us. our job references/salary earnings should be enough or how many applications do we have to go through before we really get our own apartment!?!? coz it is quite limiting staying with folks

just bought the marwa hamed style book from ebay mentioned in thehijablog.wordpress.com. use to buy so much stuff on ebay. now irsquo;ve forgotten how to especially when it comes to making payments from my credit card. i made it using my credit card but i think its defaulted to my visa and not to my mastercardhellip;just having problems to how i can update this or would it be done all through paypal?

does anybody know?!?

anyways canrsquo;t wait to get that book

matrimonial climax, Wuppertal



Originally uploaded by FrizzText

AFTER A DAY OUT AT SUNNY HILLARYrsquo;S BOAT HARBOUR WITH HUBBY 2 WEEKS BACK WE DECIDED TO GET BACK TOGETHERhellip;JUST TO GIVE IT ANOTHER GOhellip;

THE DECISION WAS FULLY PUT ON ME. HE WAS WILLIING TO GO WITH ANYTHING I WANTED, EVEN IF IT MEANT A DIVORCE.

AS MUCH AS THAT SEEMED THE BEST ROAD TO TAKE, I JUST HAD TO GIVE IT ONE MORE TRY, TO KNOW THAT IF IT DOESNrsquo;T WORK OUT THIS TIME ROUND, INCLUDING GETTING SOMEONE TO COME IN BETWEEN AND SORT US OUT, THEN AT LEAST I HAD TRIED EVERYTHING AND DONE MY BEST TO MAKE IT WORK.

WE JUST WENT OUT LAST WEEK FOR THE RED BULL AIR RACE. WAS GLAD HE HAD A BALL DESPITE BEING SUNBURNT YET AGAIN. I REALLY DONrsquo;T KNOW HOW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN I GO TO THESE OUTINGS BECAUSE ITS NOT SO EASY FOR HIM TO RELAX AND ENJOY HIMSELF.

I STOPPED BLEEDING THE SUNDAY PASThellip;Irsquo;M DUE FOR ANOTHER ULTRASOUND NEXT SAThellip;HOPE THE BABYrsquo;S OK. TOOK ANOTHER PREGNANCY TEST A FEW DAYS BACK BEFORE MY FIRST TRIMESTER SCREEN BLOOD TEST (BSL) JUST TO SEE IF I STILL WAS PREGNANT AND ALHAMDULILLAH I STILL AM. HAD TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE I FELT SO OUT OF TOUCH, NOT IN-SYNC WITH THE REST OF MY BODY LIKE I NORMALLY AM.

HE HAS CHANGED A BIThellip;FOR NOWhellip;BUT Irsquo;VE NO IDEA HOW LONG THIS WILL LASThellip;AT LEAST Irsquo;M NOT PUTTING UP WITH HIS USUAL CHILDISH AGGRESSIVE GAMES THAT HErsquo;S NORMALLY UP TO AND HE HAS SOMEHOW SOFTEN UP, BECOME MORE SENSITIVE BUT AS MUCH Irsquo;M ENJOYING THIS SOMEWHAT ldquo;HONEYMOONrdquo; PHASE, I REALLY CANrsquo;T EXPECT FOR TOO MUCH EVEN THOUGH I DO DESERVE MORE LIKE THIShellip;

WE MANAGED TO BUY A LANOS (BETTER THAN A lsquo;80S OLD-SCHOOL MERCEDES THAT HE HAD HErsquo;S EYES FOR) SO THATrsquo;S LETTING US MOVE AROUND MORE THAN JUST BEING RESTRICTED TO THE LOCAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

ITS BEEN TOUGH AT WORK WITH THE CRAZY SITUATION GOING ON WITH OUR FINANCIAL MARKETS WORLDWIDE. ITS LIKE I COME TO WORK BEING PAID TO LOOK AFTER EVERY IRATE CUSTOMER. ITS PEOPLErsquo;S LIVELIHOOD I KNOW BUT IT DOES GET VERY MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINING TO PUT UP AGAIN WITH MORE CRAP BUT ITS THE VERY FLAMBOUYANT COLLEAGUES THAT MAKE ME SANE EACH DAY WITH IThellip;

Irsquo;VE STILL YET TO SORT OUT AN INTERVENTION WITH AN IMAM FOR HIM TO CLEARLY STATE WHAT THE GUIDELINES ARE IN REGARDS TO A HUSBANDrsquo;S RESPONSIBILITY TO HIS FAMILY BECAUSE HErsquo;S STILL MIXING UP CULTURE WITH RELIGION. THE OTHER DAY WE HAD A DEBATE ABOUT CHILD MARRIAGES AFTER WATCHING ANOTHER PAIR OF TODDLERS BEING MARRIED OFF BY THEIR PARENTS. SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT CENTURY HErsquo;S LIVING IN BECAUSE ITS CERTAINLY NOT THE 21ST.

JUST LOOKING FOR A PLACE AT THE MOMENT, PREFERABLY IN THE CITY SO BOTH OF US COULD DO SOME OVERTIME BUT ITS NOT EASY LANDING UP AS ONE OF THE FINALISTShellip;

THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHOrsquo;S WRITTEN IN AS WELL AS HAD TAKEN THE TIME TO READ MY BLOG. YOU GUYS REALLY DO KEEP ME GOINGhellip;FEEL FREE TO WRITE YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONShellip;

The Plain Dealer



Originally uploaded by robbmonty

THANK GOODNESS OBAMA WON OR ELSE I DONrsquo;T KNOW HOW THE WORLD CAN HANDLE BEING SCREWED BY YET ANOTHER ONE-DIMENSIONAL, WAR-HUNGRY, DINSASAUR OF A RED-NECK!

ITS BEEN AWHILE SINCE Irsquo;VE HEARD SUCH A MOVING, INSPIRING, MOMENTOUS SPEECH TOO!

WONDER WHAT THE LIKES OF OSAMA AND IRAN WOULD REACT TO THIShellip;

الله



Originally uploaded by 7abo0ob el Emarat - An Emirati Identity

THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO DROPPED BY AND JOTTED DOWN THEIR THOUGHTS, SUPPORT, PEARLS OF WISDOMS TO MY CURRENT SITUATIONhellip;I WILL GET BACK TO EACH AND ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY WHEN I HAVE THE TIME. STILL NO INTERNET ACCESS AT HOMEhellip;

LAST FRIDAY MORNING (14/10/2008) -JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO HAVE A BATH TO GET READY FOR WORK FOUND OUT I WAS BLEEDING (THE EXACT TIME AS I HAD MY PREVIOUS MARRIAGE). SO RUSHED TO ROYAL PERTH HOSPITAL -THEY REFERRED ME TO KING EDWARD. HUBBYrsquo;S OF COURSE ELSEWHERE (BACKPACKERS. HAD BEEN SO SINCE THE LAST HE WAS ESCORTED BY THE POLICE). SO HAD TO TAXIrsquo;D ALONE 6AM IN THE MORNING.

I WAS BLEEDING LIKE THE RED SEA. AT FIRST THEY HAD TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A 70% I HAD LOST THE BABY. BUT THEN AFTER WAITING AROUND (3 HOURS) FOR THE ULTRA SOUND AND MANY TESTS LATER -THEY COULD STILL SEE THE BABY STILL BREATHING (ALHAMDULILLAH) BUT THERE WAS QUITE A CUT INSIDEhellip;

THEY TOLD ME TO GO HOME, TAKE PLENTY OF REST. SAID -THE BLEEDING COULD EITHER AFFECT THE BABY AND HAVE IT MISCARRIAGE OR BY THE GRACE OF ALLAH, STILL MAKE IT LIVE.

NOT SURE OF THIS ADVICE.

IF ANYONErsquo;S EVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING SIMILAR -COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT WERE MY OTHER OPTIONS (I.E. GET MEDICATION TO STOP THE INTERNAL BLEEDING?!? ETC ETC) BCOZ Irsquo;M JUST NOT SATISFIED WITH THE PRESCRIPTION.

HUBBY SEEMS TO WANT ME BACK AND NOT CONSIDER A DIVORCE BECAUSE (SO-HE-SAYS) REALLY WANTS TO BE THERE FOR THE BABYhellip;BUT Irsquo;M NOT BUYING IT YET.

HE EVEN WANTS TO MOVE BACK IN WITH HIM ONCE HErsquo;S FOUND A PLACE. MY FOLKS ARE SAYING A BIG NO-NO, SO DID THE SOCIAL WORKER WHO I SAW AFTER I HAD FINISHED UP WITH THE DOC AFTER SOME TALKS BUT I AM STILL THINKING ON THE DECISION.

HAVE TO GO NOW. GETTING CRAMPS AND HUBBY JUST CALLED TO MEET UP FOR DINNER TO TALK ABOUT WHERE THIS WILL GO.

TOLD HIM -WILL ONLY COME BACK AFTER AGREEING TO HAVE TALKS WITH THE IMAMS AND COUNSELLORS ABOUT HIS ACTION. HErsquo;S NOT HAPPY ON THE IDEA BUT KNOWING WHAT HErsquo;S LIKE -HAVE TO DO A LOT OF PERSUADINGhellip;JUST TO MAKE HIM UNDERSTAND THAT ITS NEVER OK TO HIT IN ANY SOCIETY, WALKS OF LIFE, SYSTEM AND MAYBE LETTER CHECK UP ON THIS CRAMP.

WILL KEEP YOU ALL POSTED.

THANKS SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ADVICE.

~A strong woman~



Originally uploaded by CharliesAngel2006

CALLED THE POLICE LAST NIGHT TO GET MY HUSBAND REMOVED FROM THE PREMISES AND HAVE A 24 HOUR RESTRAINING ORDER PUT ON HIM BECAUSE HErsquo;D BEEN BACK TO HIS ldquo;BOXINGrdquo; HABITS AGAIN -ALL OVER SOMETHING REALLY PETTY BUT TO HIM WAS A ldquo;VIOLATIONrdquo; OF HIS MANHOOD (LIKE USUAL I.E. MY SELF-DEFENCE/STAND FOR NOT PUTTING UP WITH HIS SHITE NO MORE AS A RESPONSE)hellip;SO HAVE NO IDEA WHERE HE IShellip;

WAS DIFFICULT SLEEPING ALONE IN BED LAST NIGHThellip;COZ IT HAD BEEN JUST A FEW HOURS BEFORE THAT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THAT WE SHARED KISSES AND HUGS, LAUGHS, DINNER BEFORE HE TURNED AGGRESSIVELY PSYCHO ON ME AGAINhellip;Irsquo;M GOING TO MISS ALL THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT HIMhellip;EVEN MOURN FOR THEM BECAUSE I KNOW Irsquo;M NOT GOING TO RECEIVE THAT AGAIN FOR GOODhellip;BUT I HAVE TO BE STRONGhellip;I DONrsquo;T DESERVE TO BE BATTERED AND CONTROLLED OR EVEN ALLOW MYSELF TO BEING SO NO MORE ALL BECAUSE IN THE NAME OF LOVEhellip;

FEEL SO ASHAMED AND ANGRY AT MYSELF FOR LETTING THIS GO ON FOR SO LONGhellip;

TRIED TO CLEAR AS MUCH FUNDS AS I CAN TO COVER ME TILL NEXT WEEK COZ STINGEY HIM WOULD NEVER THINK OF THAT, JUST TO GET BACK AT MEhellip;

MY HANDS AND BODY ARE STILL SORE AND BRUISED AS Irsquo;M TYPING THIS IN THIS REALLY SMELLY, SMALL, CROWDED INTERNET CAFE, GASPING FOR SOME FRESH AIRhellip;

I FEEL SO NUMBhellip;CANrsquo;T CRY NO MORE OVER THIS BUT I KNOW THIS IS IT -THE END OF OUR MARRIAGEhellip;

HErsquo;S WARNED ME THAT IF I EVEN REPORT HIM TO THE POLICE THAT ITrsquo;D BE IT. WHY MUST I BE AFRAID OF HIMhellip;AND I LITERALLY SHOUTED THIS OUT TO HIS FACE. JUST HAD HAD ENOUGH.

I KNOW HErsquo;LL NEVER ADMIT HIS WRONG AND SAY ITS MY FAULT EVEN WHEN HE WAS THE ONE INSTIGATING IT BUT BEATING YOUR PREGNANT WIFE ISNrsquo;T ONE WAY TO SETTLE AN ARGUMENT. Irsquo;M SURE HIS FAMILY ESPECIALLY HIS MUM WILL POINT THE BLAME AT ME BECAUSE HER SONrsquo;S A WONDERFUL SHAITAN, I MEAN ANGEL.

WANTED TO PRESS CHARGES AND TAKE HIM TO COURT BUT AS THE REST OF THE FAMILY WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND THE MUSIC WAS ON SO LOUD -COULDNrsquo;T WITNESSED ANYTHING.

RIGHT NOW READING AS MUCH AS I CAN AS TO HOW I CAN DEPORT HIM FOR GOOD SO HE NEVER STEPS FOOT ON THIS PLACE. Irsquo;M SURE HErsquo;LL PROBABLY TRY TO DO THE SAME WHEN HErsquo;S BACK IN EGYPT FOR ME. THATS HOW HE IShellip;

IF I DONrsquo;T GET ANY DIVORCE SENT TO ME IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, Irsquo;LL BE THE ONE GETTING THAT SETTLED.

BUT I DO FEEL SO LIBERATED FROM TAKING THAT STEP.

I KNOW IT SURPRISED HIM THAT Irsquo;D EVER GO THROUGH WITH IT BECAUSE Irsquo;D WARNED TO DO SO ONLY TO TAKE HIM BACK. BUT I CANrsquo;T RISK LOSING MY BABY AGAINhellip;Irsquo;M 8 WEEKS PREGNANThellip;

IF THAT WASNrsquo;T ENOUGH TO GET SOME SENSE INTO HIM THEN I DONrsquo;T KNOW WHAT CAN BECAUSE EVEN HIS DEEN WAS NOT ENOUGH TO CONVINCE HIM THAT ABUSING ME IS WRONG.

Irsquo;M JUST ASKING ALLAH TO PLEASE KEEP ME STRONG ESPECIALLY WHEN IT Irsquo;M ALONE IN BRINGING UP THIS BABY INSHArsquo;ALLAH AND PROVIDE US WITH A BETTER LIFE TO WHAT MY HUSBAND COULD PROVIDE MEhellip;

IT WAS ONLY WHEN AYMAN WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE AND BE TAKEN AWAY THAT MY MUM FOUND OUT ABOUT THE WHOLE THING YESTERDAY. EVEN THEN, HER INITIAL RESPONSE WAS, ldquo;WHY DID YOU HAVE TO CALL THE POLICE ON HIMrdquo;. AND I REPLIED, ldquo;ARE YOU WAITING FOR ME TO DIE FOR THE COPS TO COME AROUNDrdquo;. DISAPPOINTINGhellip;BUT SOMETHING I KNEW MY FAMILY WOULD SAY ABOUT CRISISrsquo; LIKE THIS.

ITS BEEN HARD TRYING TO MANAGE AND REMAIN COLLECTED AT WORK WHEN THE PAIN AND BRUISING CONSTANTLY REMIND YOU OF IT BUT I CANrsquo;T LET IT GET IT TO MEhellip;

ITS MY TIME TO SHINE DESPITE ALL THE DARKNESShellip;

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OF BETTER WAYS I CAN COPE AND GET THROUGH THIShellip;ITrsquo;D MEAN SO MUCHhellip;

Sweethearts

Originally uploaded by adwriter

THIS PHOTO: MY IDEAL IDEA OF MARRIAGE

JUST GOT A CALL FROM BANKWEST -I GOT THE JOB!!! YAY!!! ALHAMDULILLAHhellip;SO START NEXT WEEKhellip;AFG JUST LEFT A MESSAGE ON MY VOICEMAIL -WAS PAYING MORE (BUGGER) BUT HAD ALREADY TOLD MARGARET (MANAGER) THAT THEYrsquo;LL BE SEEING ME NEXT WEEK (BANKWEST). I GUESS HAVE TO POSTPONE MY MORGAGE BROKING DAYS TILL LATER. WESTNET HAD BEEN TRYING TO TRACK ME DOWN SINCE FRIDAY. THEIR SOCIALISING SECRETARIES OBVIOUSLY DIDNrsquo;T HAVE TIME TO CHECK THEIR MESSAGES THAT Irsquo;VE BEEN LEAVING SINCE LAST WEEK THAT I WONrsquo;T BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THE POSITION DESPITE THE GREAT VIEW AND VICINITY (CENTRAL PARK).

KINDA RELIEVED BECAUSE OUR FUNDS ARE RUNNING LOWhellip;HUBBYrsquo;S BEEN INTERROGATING ME AS TO WHERE ITS ALL DISAPPEARED TO (FOOD AND NETCAFES ). HE CANrsquo;T BELIEVE HOW EXPENSIVE THINGS ARE AS COMPARED TO EGYPThellip;HE WAS WARNED!!! BUT LIKE USUAL, HE NEVER BELIEVES ME UNTIL HE SEES, EXPERIENCES IT HIMSELFhellip;NOW CAN GO SHOPPING!!! :p (FOR NECESSITIES OF COURSE I.E. CAR, DRIVERrsquo;S LICENSE, NEW LAPTOP, APARTMENT, FURNISHINGS, HEALTH INSURANCE, PLAN FOR NEW HOLIDAY, NEW BABY OF WHICH DID I MENTION I THINK Irsquo;M PREGNANT?!? TESTED POSITIVE LAST WEEK BUT HAVENrsquo;T HAD TIME TO SEE THE DOChellip;)

SO WHAT HAVE I BEEN RIGHT ABOUT: -THE LIVING CONDITIONS -HOW BETTER BUT EXPENSIVE IT IS, ENGLISH COMMUNICATION ESPECIALLY FOR WORK, THE QUALIFICATIONS -ANY EXPERTISE NEEDS TO BE JOTTED DOWN ON PAPER, THE ISLAM -HOW ITS REALLY ALL ABOUT HOW YOU IMPLEMENT IT IN YOUR OWN LIFE AND NOT DETERMINED BY SOCIETY OR CULTUREhellip;AND HE THOUGHT I WAS EXAGGERATING!!! GRRRRRR!!!

JUST WISHED HE COULD HAVE MORE FAITH, TRUST, CONFIDENCE ME INSTEAD OF ALWAYS DOUBTING ME, MY ABILITIEShellip;

SO WHATrsquo;S IT LIKE BEING MARRIED TO AN EGYPTIAN WHOM YOU MET INITIALLY ON THE NET??? HARDLY ROMANTIC BY ANY WAYhellip;

WELLhellip; I DO GET ULTRA-CONCERNED WHENEVER HE OPENS UP HIS MESSENGERShellip;THE IDEA OF HIM SHOPPING AROUND FOR HIS NEXT LOVE-INTEREST, WIFE DOES CROSS MY MIND MANY TIMES BECAUSE HE DID MENTIONED ABOUT MARRYING ANOTHER-PREFERABLY EGYPTIAN (THIS WAS WHEN WE FIRST PHYSICALLY MET UP. HE OBVIOUSLY DIDNrsquo;T THINK I WAS THAT SERIOUS, OR MORE LIKE HIM FOOLING AROUND AROUND ME. AS IF NO ONE ELSE IN THIS WORLD IS BETTER -WHICH WAS ALL HEARTBREAKING FOR ME TO SWALLOW). BUT OUR PRE-NUP WAS, IF HE EVER WANTED TO HAVE A 2ND ONE BY ANY WAYS, Irsquo;LL NEVER ACCEPT IT (WHO EVER WOULD) AND THEREFORE HErsquo;LL HAVE TO DIVORCE MEhellip;OR Irsquo;LL BE DIVORCING HIM (WHICH I NEARLY DID LAST YEAR) BECAUSE I FELT HE WASNrsquo;T TOTALLY COMMITTED TO THIS RELATION.

ON A GOOD DAY -I COULDNrsquo;T THINK OF ANYONE ELSE TO BE WITH BUT HIM, ON OTHER DAYS, HE CAN A TOTAL ASSHOLE AND SOMETIMES MAKES ME WONDER WHY ON EARTH AM I STILL WITH HIM.

Irsquo;M FINDING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND, EVEN ACCEPT HOW HE THINKS YOU DONrsquo;T NEED THE ROMANTIC/LOVEY DOVEY STUFF AFTER MARRIAGE WHEN MARRIAGE REALLY IS THE REAL DEAL, HOW EVEN FOR ME TO CONSIDER HIM AS MY BEST MATE IS AN IMPOSSIBLE IDEA (WHICH HE OBVIOUSLY HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED), TO EVEN WANT PHYSICAL CONTACT -IT BE ONLY FOR INTIMATE REASONS, THAT EVEN IF HErsquo;S IN THE WRONG -ONLY IF YOU TALK IN A MONOTONE VOICE WILL HE LISTEN TO YOU, THAT ALL WOMEN MUST PUT UP WITH ANY OF THEIR MANrsquo;S VICES AND MISDEMEANOURS, BASICALLY LET THEM GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING AND YOU JUST SIT DOLLED UP, MUTE AND BEAUTIFUL (JUST LIKE POOR EGYPTIAN WOMEN DO, HIS MUM FOR INSTANCE AND I SHOULD DO THE SAME), THAT IF YOU LOOK GREAT/HAVE A GREAT BODY -YOU MUST BE A GREAT PERSON lsquo;SOMEHOWrsquo;?!? (HE STILL DOESNrsquo;T UNDERSTAND HOW ITS THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS)hellip;THAT ITS OK TO LOOK AT OTHER WOMENhellip;AND JUST BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH HIM EMOTIONALLY EVEN SPIRITUALLY -ITS LIKE GETTING THROUGH TO A VERY THICK WALLhellip;ITS VERY FRUSTRATINGhellip;

A LOT OF MY FRIENDS TELL ME HErsquo;S NOT WORTH IT BUThellip;I LOVE HIM TOO MUCHhellip;

Irsquo;VE TRIED TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS MARRIAGE MANY TIMES BUT AT THE LAST MOMENT COULDNrsquo;Thellip;

IN AN IDEAL WORLD, I WISH I DIDNrsquo;T FEEL THIS INSECURE ABOUT SOMEONE WHO Irsquo;M SHARING MY LIFE WITH BUT IN THE REAL WORLD I DOhellip;

I THINK ITS BY ALLAHrsquo;S WILL AND OUR LOVE THAT WErsquo;RE STILL TOGETHER TODAY BUT WHO KNOWS TOMORROW. THAT NEXT ARGUMENT COULD BE OUR LAST TOGETHERhellip;

MAYBE Irsquo;VE INVESTED SO MUCH IN THIS THAT Irsquo;M NOT PREPARED YET OR HAVE THE COURAGE TO SURRENDER AND MOVE ONhellip;BECAUSE HE HAS MY HEARThellip;AND THAT IS EVERYTHING TO MEhellip;

MAYBE Irsquo;M SACRIFICING TOO MUCH OF MYSELF LIKE MY FRIENDS ALWAYS SAYhellip;.

YA ALLAH PLEASE HELP ME, LOOK AFTER ME AND GUIDE ME ALL THAT IS BETTERhellip;AMINhellip;

Racist salt and pepper shaker



Originally uploaded by ThatWouldBeSeven

WAS SHOPPING IN THE MORLEY GALLERIA A FEW DAYS AGO WHILST WAITING FOR HUBBY TO DO ANOTHER WELDING JOB INTERVIEW (WHICH HE GOT YESTERDAY ALHAMDULILLAH!!! $$$ :p ) TO LOOK MORE ldquo;AUSTRALIANrdquo; (IN THE FASHION DESIGN SENSE, ANOTHER WORDS=BLAND) WHEN WAS REMINDED LACK OF, SOMETIMES NO CUSTOMER SERVICE YOU WOULD NORMALLY GET WHEN WEARING HIJAB AND LOOKING ASIAN (PORTSMAN, JACQUI Ehellip;). YOU GET THE SAME THING EVEN WHEN YOUrsquo;RE IN MIRRABOOKA SQUARE -SALES CHICKS LOOKING THROUGH YOU AS IF YOUrsquo;RE A GHOST. GUESS I MISSED BEING AMBUSHED LIKE FESTING SEAGULLS/PIRANAS (IF THEY KNOW YOUrsquo;RE A FOREIGNER) LIKE I GOT BACK IN EGYPT, WHEN BUYING SOMETHING. MAKES ME WANT TO BECOME A MYSTERY SHOPPER AND DO SOME SERIOUS FEEDBACKS ON THEM TO MAKE SURE OTHER PEOPLE DONrsquo;T GO THROUGH THE SAME THING.

EVEN GOING THROUGH THE DESIGNERS IN MYERS AND DAVID JONES -JUST MAKES ME WONDER WHY PEOPLE (LIKE HERE IN AUSTRALIA, UK, UShellip;ETC ETC) PAY AN ARM AND LEG, MAYBE SELL A FEW CHILDREN AND YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN( :p ) -JUST FOR SIMPLE, BORING FASHION (ALWAYS HALF-BAKED) WHEN COMPARED TO AL-CHEAPO EGYPTIANS -THEY LOOK ABSOLUTELY STUNNING BE IT NIGHT OR DAY FOR SOMETHING JUST UNDER AU$70. THIS INCLUDES PAMPERING, MAKEUP, ACCESSORIES, CLOTHES -EVERYTHING!

JUST PREPPING UP FOR ANOTHER BANKING-CLIENT SERVICE JOB TOMORROW. MAKE DOA FOR ME

fireworks at Perth



Originally uploaded by manypixors

IF ONLY PERTH WAS THIS INTERESTING EVERY OTHER DAYhellip;

ITS BEEN OVER 2 WEEKS SINCE WErsquo;VE BEEN BACK AND APART FROM THE CRISPY CLEANLINESS, LESS POLLUTION, BEAUTIFUL BLUE SKIES ON THE 330 DAYS ITS NOT RAINING AND MODERNITY, PROPER INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH EGYPT DEFINITELY DOESNrsquo;T HAVEhellip;Irsquo;M STILL BOREDhellip;OR IS IT THAT I GET RESTLESS REGARDLESS OF WHERE I AM?!? MAYBE ITS BECAUSE Irsquo;M NOT WORKINGhellip;

JUST FINISHED A 2ND JOB INTERVIEW WITH THE SAME COMPANY WHOrsquo;RE MORTGAGE BROKERS ldquo;MAKING MANY AUSSIE HOME DREAMS COME TRUErdquo; (Irsquo;LL BE THERE SOFTWARE/TECH. SUPPORT IF THEY ACCEPT ME)hellip;AND THINK I BOMBED OUT IN THE MATHShellip;WHY OH WHY DID I NOT PREPARE FOR THESE TESTShellip;GRRRhellip;BUT I THINK I DID GOOD IN THE ROLE-PLAY SCENARIO AND CASE EXAMPLEShellip;PLEASE MAKE DOA FOR ME THAT I GET THIS JOBhellip;PAYS WELL AND I CAN WEAR MY POWER SUIT AND CLIMB UP THE CORPORATE LADDER ONCE AGAINhellip;(INSTEAD OF BEING A BORING HOUSEWIFE)

Irsquo;VE BEEN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATOR AND DATA ENTRY PROCESSOR (FREE OF CHARGE!!! GRRR) FOR HUBBY ON HIS WELDING INTERVIEWS. SO GLAD WE GOT SOME CERTIFICATIONS FROM EGYPT TO SHOW HE DOES HAVE SOME EXPERTISE, AND EVEN THAT I HAD TO DO SO MUCH CONVINCING BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE WHEN HE WAS IN SOUTH KOREA -NEEDED WELDING TEST ONLY. THE PLACE WHERE HE DID HIS TESTING IN EGYPT WAS WEAR THE BOULDER-FALLING INCIDENT LAST WEEK IN CAIRO, NEAR HELWAN. JUST HIKING THROUGH THE WHOOP-WHOOP REMOTE INDUSTRIAL AREAS OF PERTH HAS BEEN SO EXHAUSTING, I THINK Irsquo;VE LOST ANOTHER 10 KG! :p (I WISH) HE DID MENTION THAT WHEN WE GOT OUT THIS MORNING TO CATCH THE BUS.

FOR ANY MALES READING THIS BLOG -WHY DO YOU GUYS LOVE TO PERVE AT OTHER WOMEN EVEN WHEN YOUR LADY IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD??? (GRRRRRRRRRRRRR) HARAM ALAIK. AND YOU GUYS GET MORE HASANAH IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR OWN MISSrsquo;S! AM HAVING THIS PROBLEM, EVEN THE MONTH OF RAMADAN, WITH HUBBY. THINK ITS BEEN QUITE AWHILE SINCE HErsquo;S SEEN OTHER BARELY NAKED PEOPLE WALKING. WE DO GET MINI-WW3 ARGUMENTS WHEN THIS TOPIC ARISEShellip;

BEEN HAVING THE MOST WEIRDEST DREAMS LATELYhellip;

THE OTHER NIGHT I DREAMT BALTIM (EGYPT) WAS HAVING RUSSIAN COMMEMORATIONS FOR THEIR MILITARY FORCE. LAST NIGHT I DREAMT THE SUN RISING FROM THE WEST -QIYAAMAH WITH KIM KARDASHIAN AS WELL PRESENT (WHAT THE!). WONDER WHAT ALL THESE MEANShellip;

HUBBYrsquo;S MANAGED TO GET MORE GYPO CONTACTS WHICH IS GOOD, COZ I DONrsquo;T WANT HIM TO FEEL THAT HOMESICK. TRYING TO MAKE IT AS HOMELY AS POSSIBLE WITH ME COOKING MAHSHI FOR HIM TOMORROW. WE TRIED INSTANT TArsquo;MIYA (SYRIAN)hellip;.THAT SOMEHOW TURNED ROCK-LIKE :p BUT HErsquo;S AMAZED BY HOW FORWARD THINGS ARE HERE AND HOW PREHISTORIC EGYPT REALLY IShellip;BUT ALSO HOW BLAND PEOPLErsquo;S SENSE OF FASHION IS BECAUSE EGYPT IS REALLY VIBRANT AND SELF-EXPRESSIVE (AT LEAST IN THE HIJAB SENSE)

ANYWAYS, Irsquo;M OFF FOR ANOTHER JOB INTERVIEW -CLIENT SERVICES ON ONE OF THE 2 TALLEST BUILDINGS IN PERTHhellip;WISH ME LUCKhellip;

Ramadan Greetings



Originally uploaded by Duraz

HAPPY BELATED RAMADAN EVERYONEhellip;

YES, WErsquo;RE BACK IN PERTH NOW AND CURRENTLY JOBHUNTINGhellip;

NO NET ATM SO DONrsquo;T NO WHENS WILL BE BACKS BUT WILL TRY TO DO SO

LATERS

42-15976040



Originally uploaded by wispalex

I might be a muslim living in a predominanly muslim-populated country with Coptic Christians making up 10% of the whole of Egypt -until tomorrow, but Irsquo;ve always felt like a minority (segregated,alienated)hellip;just like the Copticshellip;(until I learn how to speak Arabic more fluently perhaps?!?!)hellip;even then I canrsquo;t get away with my Oriental featureshellip;its just living in Australia as a muslimhellip;yoursquo;re part of something of which the rest doesnrsquo;t recognise you forhellip;or another words, yoursquo;re at home or should feel at home but other people donrsquo;t make you feel at home because yoursquo;re different in some wayhellip;-compehende?

Most of the Egyptians I knew in Perth were Coptics and the reason why they were in Australia was to escape persecution, discrimination faced in a muslim country. Even in Egypt most of the Coptics I came across were my docters, bank professionals, customer representatives at the Australian Embassy and I feel like I was treated better them than by my fellow muslim brothers and sisters here all because I looked different, especially non-European. You just wonder why such racism exists particularly amongst fellow muslims exists, when ideally wersquo;re really suppose to be one Ummah=brotherhood/sisterhood.

What made me bring this up was because hubby and I were watching a talk show debating on Muslims converting to Christianity -whether its right or not. Hubby was of course furious. Irsquo;m not going argue or put across my opinion on this, only to say that even with my husband, being Egyptian, living in Egypt most of his life -hersquo;s never ever had any Coptic Christian friends or real interaction with any other than the necessities. Wersquo;ve got neighbours who are Coptics but its like the rest donrsquo;t really give a damn about them, just like us living in Australia.

But then again just as there are calls to end Coptic discrimination in this country -you also get many Muslim-hating websites to call for the annihilation of all Muslims, regardless of any country, just like another holocausthellip;Google it and you will know what I meanhellip;

So how can we really stop all this hate???

Herersquo;s more info on Coptic Christians and just some current relevant stories/issues regarding them in Egypt:

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/copticchristians.htm

http://article.wn.com/view/2008/07/16/Egyptian_film_takes_on_ChristianMuslim_relations/

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56929

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080209-1646-egypt-conversion.html

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080203/egypt-rules-christian-convert-must-remain-legally-muslim.htm

128/365: job hunting



Originally uploaded by meegzcoop

Just met the cousin my in-laws wanted my hubby to marryhellip;kinda feel sick with jealousy and rage that she has the nerve to rock up and say goodbye to us (more like my hubby who funny enough her fiance looks a splitting image of -obsessed of what!)

Right on the eve of us flyinghellip;how convenienthellip;I told my husband whilst I forcefully made myself greet her (because of mother-in-law)that if she tries anything right now I will finish her off right in front of her mum, fiance and the rest of the familyhellip;luckily she didnrsquo;t understand a word of Englishhellip;

That was as far as I would go in terms of conversations with herhellip;why should I anywayshellip;especially when she doesnrsquo;t respect the fact that wersquo;re marriedhellip;

And my husband sayshellip;rdquo;but I see her only as her sisterrdquo;hellip;bullockshellip;Irsquo;m trying to pre-occupy myself with some job-hunting in the banking and insurance industry for when we immediately arrive to Perth because therersquo;s no way I feel comfortable staying with my parents againhellip;and we need to start living anyways, make money. Irsquo;ve felt so depressed not being to make any and rely just only on my husbandrsquo;s income. Its just good that we have a choice to do what we like, enjoy, unlike here in Egypt, where you have to settle for anything, even cleaning side of the roads or selling tissues like some people do just to make ends meet.

Irsquo;m still furioushellip;

Through the Clouds



Originally uploaded by fjny

Our Birth is our Opening Balance!

Our Death is our Closing Balance!

Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities

Our Creative Ideas are our Assets

Heart is our Current Asset

Soul is our Fixed Asset

Brain is our Fixed Deposit

Thinking is our Current Account

Achievements are our Capital

Character amp; Morals, our Stock-in-Trade

Friends are our General Reserves

Values amp; Behaviour are our Goodwill

Patience is our Interest Earned

Love is our Dividend

Children are our Bonus Issues

Education is Brands / Patents

Knowledge is our Investment

Experience is our Premium Account

The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately.

The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award.

Some very Good and Very bad things hellip;

The most destructive habithellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;.Worry

The greatest Joyhellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;.Giving

The greatest losshellip;hellip;.Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying workhellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;Helping others

The ugliest personality traithellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;.Selfishness

The most endangered specieshellip;hellip;hellip;Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resourcehellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;Our youth

The greatest rsquo;shot in the armrsquo;hellip;hellip;hellip;.Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcomehellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;..Fear

The most effective sleeping pillhellip;hellip;..Peace of mind

The most crippling failure diseasehellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;Excuse

The most powerful force in lifehellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;Love

The most dangerous pariahhellip;hellip;..A gossip

The worldrsquo;s most incredible computerhellip;hellip;..The brain

The worst thing to be withouthellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;. Hope

The deadliest weaponhellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;..The tongue

The two most power-filled wordshellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;rsquo;I Canrsquo;

The greatest assethellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;Faith

The most worthless emotionhellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;Self-pity

The most beautiful attirehellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;.SMILE!

The most prized possessionhellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;.Integrity

The most powerful channel of communicationhellip;..Prayer

The most contagious spirithellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;..Enthusiasm

The most important thing in lifehellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip;hellip; ALLAH

Life ends; when you stop Dreaming,

Hope ends; when you stop Believing,

Love ends; when you stop Caring,

And Friendship ends; when you stop Sharinghellip;!!!

what not to wear outfit 7 million



Originally uploaded by Gus Greeper

I had a big spat with my hubby this morning about what I wanted to wear to the airport this Sunday (yes, I do plan that far ahead, especially when we have to wake up at 5am that dayhellip;)

He didnrsquo;t agree with me wearing this gold silky dress top, with a black top underneath to cover my arms, black pants, with a black and gold sequinned embroidered hijab wraps to cover my head and a black leather jacket. He said I didnrsquo;t look ldquo;islamicrdquo;. Irsquo;m like thinking -how much more covered to do you want me to be?!? All because he thought the gold silky dress was like what the cheap bellydancers use to wear in the old days, basically lingerie, all because of the material! So I cheekily replied, ldquo;so if they danced whilst wearing cotton, I canrsquo;t wear cotton either?rdquo;. I mean Irsquo;m his in every sense, Irsquo;m not walking around nakedhellip;the dress isnrsquo;t even that tight but he says he can see the silhouette of my bodyhellip;grrrrrrrr!!!! Hersquo;s more relaxed when we go to Alexandria and Cairo but just stepping foot outside the home here is like a nightmare. I always have to end up wearing an abaya.

If yoursquo;re not married, you can get away with pretty much anything here in Kafr el Sheikh (well my sister-in-law does anyways and shersquo;s an engaged hijabi. I donrsquo;t see anyone fashion policeing her)hellip;donrsquo;t be surprised to see hijabirsquo;s wearing ultra-tight tops with skinny jeans (which disses the whole point of wearing a hijab-me thinks), Cairo is more modern and relaxed for both married and unmarried hijabis. But if yoursquo;re marriedhellip;they pretty much want you walking around in a tenthellip;another words niqabs, abayas 24/7, with only kohl in your eyes because its sunnah. Nothing tight, sexy, no jeans or anything silky or brighthellip;especially when yoursquo;re big and voluptuoushellip;

OK maybe it is keeping in line with Islamic guidelines for women and I do get the hasanah for obeying Allah and therersquo;s nothing wrong with wearing abayas but you shouldnrsquo;t be restricted to wearing ONLY abayas outside, black too. Irsquo;m not mourninghellip;.and the abayas donrsquo;t just come in black. So I demanded my hubby to get all the colours of the rainbow of abayas (just like how I wear with normal clothes) and another 20-30 hijabs of each colour matching the abayas so as to get a win:win result from this. I only managed to get 3 because he thought 10 was too much

Irsquo;m someone who likes to look good, modern, trendy, different, unique and its just been a complete and utter torture for me to look as bland and conforming as everyone else here in Kafr el Sheikh. Hence the spat. It was a build-up of 7 months of patience and accomodating. I just had had enough to be restricted yet again even whilst going to my own country where everyone doesnrsquo;t give a shite what you wear, better go nakedhellip;Irsquo;m going to be in a car, inside of the plane most of the time, like anyone would ever noticehellip;the only thing people would is my hijabhellip;

What I donrsquo;t understand is why they want me to wear abaya at the same time pluck my eyebrows?!? (haram) WT!!! Mine arenrsquo;t like an Amazon forest anyways.

For those who have no idea what a modern hijabi is please visit the following sites:

http://hijabstyle.blogspot.com/

http://thehijablog.wordpress.com/

http://hegab-rehab.blogspot.com/

http://hijabiwithstyle.blogspot.com/

http://hijabtrendz.com/

Ramadan Prayer



Originally uploaded by mekaeel

Just when I was hanging up the laundry on the balcony upstairs at 5:30 am in the morning, (-at least I donrsquo;t have nosey neighbours eyeing in on what kind of clothes, undies I have washed today from their balconies at either end, and how I hung them -yes, there is an Egyptian way of hanging your laundry: whites front, followed by coloured shirts, then pants, dresses -anything long, with underwear at the back to the wall. Do it any other way and theyrsquo;ll laugh at you. God knows why! anyways back to what Irsquo;m about to say), I suddenly noticed, streaming from each top and every balcony from each building, paper chains flowing, zigzagging right to the end of the street -me thinks to celebrate the coming of Ramadan perhaps? Interesting.

You also hear roosters echoing one after the other whilst you see the horizon gradually changing its night pallette to day.

Apparently when you hear a rooster crowing, thats the best time to make a doa.

http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/dua1/dua_timings.html

Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said: lsquo;When you hear a rooster crowing, then ask Allah for His bounties, for it has seen an angel, and when you hear a donkey braying, then seek refuge in Allah from Shaitan, for it has seen a Shaitanrsquo; [Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Sahih al-Jami #611]

The following are just some reminders to get you into the Ramadan mindset for those observing.

May everyone include me in their prayers insharsquo;allah.

*reminder*

*Ramadan daily doas*

*benefits*

http://www.crescentlife.com/spirituality/spiritual_and_health_benefits_of_fasting.htm

The Spiritual and Health Benefits of Ramadan Fasting

Shahid Athar, M.D.

This year the Islamic month of Ramadan will start on December 20th. Muslims all over the world will start this month with fasting from dawn to dusk daily for 30 days as ordained in Quran.

ldquo;O you who believe fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you can learn Taqwardquo; (Quran 2:183)

The Arabic word Taqwa is translated in many ways including God consciousness, God fearing, piety, and self restraining. Thus we are asked to fast daily for one month from dawn to dusk and avoid food, water, sex and vulgar talk during that period.

But why do we need to fast? ldquo;

It is our experience that temptations and ways of the world tend to spoil our purity and austerity. Thus we indulge in food all of the time, snacking and nibbling the whole day, heading to obesity. We drink too much coffee, or tea, or carbonated drinks. Some sexaholics can not stay away from sex unless they do it at least once or more a day. When we argue, we leave our decency aside and resort to vulgar talk and even physical fighting.

Now when one is fasting, he or she cannot do all of that. When he looks at the mouth watering food, he cannot even taste it and he has to give up snacking and nibbling as well as smoking cigarettes if he does. No constant coffee, tea or Coke drinking either. Sexual passions have to be curtailed and when he is provoked to fight, he says rdquo; I am fasting that I cannot respond to your provocationrdquo;. To achieve God consciousness or God nearness, a better word, we are advised to do additional prayer and read the Quran.

Medical Benefits of Ramadan

Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits which are of a secondary nature. Fasting has been used by patients for weight management, to rest the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as of crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The calorie intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the nutritional requirement guidelines. In addition, the fasting in Ramadan is voluntarily taken and is not a prescribed imposition from the physician.

Ramadan is a month of self-regulation and self training, with the hope that this training will last beyond the end of Ramadan. If the lessons learned during Ramadan, whether in terms of dietary intake or righteousness, are carried on after Ramadan, there effects will be long lasting. Moreover, the type of food taken during Ramadan does not have any selective criteria of crash diets such as those which are protein only or fruit only type diets. Everything that is permissible is taken in moderate quantities.

The difference between Ramadan and total fasting is the timing of the food; during Ramadan, we basically miss lunch and take an early breakfast and do not eat until dusk. Abstinence from water for 8 to 10 hours is not necessarily bad for health and in fact, it causes concentration of all fluids within the body, producing slight dehydration. The body has its own water conservation mechanism; in fact, it has been shown that slight dehydration and water conservation, at least in plant life, improve their longevity.

The physiological effect of fasting includes lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol and lowering of the systolic blood pressure. In fact, Ramadan fasting would be an ideal recommendation for the treatment of mild to moderate, stable, non-insulin diabetes, obesity, and essential hypertension.

In 1994 the first International Congress on ldquo;Health and Ramadanrdquo;, held in Casablanca, entered 50 extensive studies on the medical ethics of fasting. While improvement in many medical conditions was noted; however, in no way did fasting worsen any patientsrsquo; health or their baseline medical condition. On the other hand, patients who are suffering from severe diseases, whether type I diabetes or coronary artery disease, kidney stones, etc., are exempt from fasting and should not be allowed to fast.

There are psychological effects of fasting as well. There is a peace and tranquility for those who fast during the month of Ramadan. Personal hostility is at a minimum, and the crime rate decreases. Muslims take advice from the Prophet who said, ldquo;If one slanders you or aggresses against you, say I am fasting.rdquo; This psychological improvement could be related to better stabilization of blood glucose during fasting as hypoglycemia after eating, aggravates behavior changes. There is a beneficial effect of extra prayer at night. This not only helps with better utilization of food but also helps in energy output. There are 10 extra calories output for each unit of the prayer. Again, we do not do prayers for exercise, but a mild movement of the joints with extra calorie utilization is a better form of exercise. Similarly, recitation of the Quran not only produces a tranquility of heart and mind, but improves the memory.

One of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan is called the night of power when angels descend down, and take the prayer of worship to God for acceptance.

Fasting is a special act of worship which is only between humans and God since no one else knows for sure if this person is actually fasting. Thus God says in hadith qudsi that ldquo;Fasting is for Me and I only will reward itrdquo;. In another hadith, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) has said ldquo;If one does not give up falsehoods in words and actions, God has no need of him giving up food and drinkrdquo;.

Cairo Traffic

Originally uploaded by orclimber

*Irsquo;M NOT SURE IF ANYONE ELSE ON WORDPRESS IS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM BUT WHENEVER I TRY TO GO TO THE ADMIN SIDE OF MY BLOG IT TAKES FOREVER TO LOAD. THIS TOOK 20 MINUTES. SO APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO BRUSH UP AND EDITE MY POSTS LATELY, ITS DUE TO THIS REASON*

This is what you see all the way to Cairo and back. Not only are you sardined in the mini-van/bus/car yoursquo;re travelling, but yoursquo;re also sardined in the roads.

I went out of the house with makeup on to not look feral, but by the time I arrived to Cairo, mostly all of it was gone, because the drivers on the freeways normally go 130 km/h and the limit is 80km/h, and when I come home I found my face beautifully masked with salty black dust. Irsquo;m like somewhat 2 shades darker. Egyptian ldquo;Sheer Coverrdquo;.

Travelling to Cairo from Kafr el Sheikh is so exhausting, I think I loose about 5-10 kg every time I go there, with all the walking, rushing, sun, heat hellip;I donrsquo;t know how I managed to come home because every part of my body just felt numb, paralyzed.

It normally takes 2 hours from Kafr el Sheikh to Cairo. Yesterday it only took us 40 minutes faster from a different route -half of the road hardly had tar laid on it and it was in the middle of a sea of green and gold crops, literally in the middle of nowhere, it didnrsquo;t even have any houses. Was so relieved to see signs of an actual city (Tanta) because I really thought we were lost. Wonder what kind of response theyrsquo;d get from such a drama series like this

We went to Cairo this time to get my hubbyrsquo;s documents certified. Finding the right Ministry office is like finding a needle in a haystack because theyrsquo;re set in such obscure locations dotted around Cairo that even the locals, taxi drivers hardly know where the are yet alone know how to get there.

And on one English-translated (its normally LE 90 per page) document there normally is 5-6 ink stamps, 1 paper stamp stating how much you paid for it along with 5 million scribbles. Theyrsquo;ve not yet gone electronic yet. Ok, just one or two stamps means usually from one Ministry/Department and the minimum you wait for that is 2-3 hours, the maximum the next day. So imagine 6!

My hubbyrsquo;s gone to Cairo again right now just because of this. And -you have to get the right stamp to start off with, if not, its another dayrsquo;s travelling, which was why it took a month before we actually got married when I first came here last year, just to get all the right papers. Urghhhhhhhh so annoying!!!

Therersquo;s also the queueing. Everyone rushes and pushes in front of the counter and tries to get served first despite having a ticket. Doesnrsquo;t matter if you were there first and waiting for hours just for your turn. No courtesy here yet alone customer service. I just feel like getting into a sumo wrestling match with anyone that tries to push in front of me.

Is it me or whenever my hubby gets service in Arabic, the one serving really looks like they donrsquo;t give a shite and wants him to get out of their face asap. But when I start to talk English and demand things I get their full attention and everythingrsquo;s done quickly like in the Singapore Airlines office when we were booking our tickets. Its different though when yoursquo;re shopping particularly in Khan al Khalili in Hussein -all the vendors then starts pestering you and start upping the price by 10 knotches until I hit them back with a few Arabic lines. Its really like who can out-do the other.

After booking the ticket we went to Hardees because we donrsquo;t have one in Australia (this was the last time Irsquo;d ever get to munch on any HALAL fast food before heading back, we donrsquo;t have much at home) just on the other side of Tahrir beside the American University. There you see every face from all over the world. Could even find a few Malay faces. But the food was hardly as delicious and big as advertised. Should have known. I still prefer KFC here of all the fastfood joints. If anyone knows any other in Cairo or Alex, please let me know.

We headed to Khan al Khalili (http://touregypt.net/cairo/cairoislamic.htm) to cheer us up (after the incomplete doco assignment) and also rest our wobbling jelly legs at one of the cafes there, with views of Al Azhar Mosque (http://www.touregypt.net/azhar/alazhar.htm) to our left, mammoth tourist buses driving through this really narrow lane (an accident waiting to happen!) and to our right t-junction to more centuries-old bazzars. Just sipping our hot tea away made me wonder how life would have been like here back in the Fatimid era (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatimid_caliphate) (http://www.ismaili.net/readknow/cairo_fati.html) when it was built and the only time Egypt had a Shia Islamic rulehellip;with smells of incense smoking the streets from farway travels and maybe the usual fuul and tarsquo;meya (perhaps?!?!), harems, wives peeping through wooden-carved geometric-designed windows, vendors still screaming out their offers, men smoking their shisharsquo;s along the coffeeshops, turbanned pupils rushing to Al-Azhar mosque to learn the next hadith or tafsir for their ayah they just learnt (I know very Hollywood), to the likes of just decades before when writers like Naguib Mahfouz ( http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/articles/mahfouz/index.html) would write his pieces (like ldquo;The Cairo Trilogyrdquo;), taking his inspiration from this particular place before winning his Nobel Prize for literature.

To feel Egypt or Cairo in real not romanticized/bastardized, its best to read Egyptian (Alaa Al Aswany ldquo;The Yacoubian Buildingrdquo;, ldquo;Point Zerordquo; by Nawal el-Sadawi)works than foreign (-like ldquo;The Alexandrian Quartetrdquo; by Lawrence Durell, Agatha Christiersquo;s ldquo;Death on the Nilerdquo;).

The Khan just absolutely comes alive and buzzing before Maghrib/sunset and you get so disoriented more by the many labrinth of lanes, lights and more tourists beside you.

Tha haggling was what I enjoyed best here. My husband normally starts off in Arabic and when I know of the price I start haggling from 40% of the original price. Ahhhh the shock horror of the vendor faces every time they hear this. We do eventually settle for a good price. I guess this is pay-back for all the times we were scammed all because I was a English-speaking foreigner here. But just walking pass the stalls whenever a vendor see an Anglo-looking tourist pack go pass all you start to hear is a pelethora of languages spitting out from their mouths -just hearing it is just so entertaining because they sound like they have verbal gibberish diarrhea. What was not so entertaining, even depressing was to see small kids selling small bracelets, books, anything touristic to customers in the coffeeshops just to make a few pounds for their family to manage, when really they should be spending their day getting an education. But then again, just as you see many kids as small as 7 trying to make a living and not going to school, you also get many university graduates with impressive grades/ability but no jobs or in a demeaning job that doesnrsquo;t make great use of them. Are tourists making Egyptian kids not have a good education/better future? I wonderhellip;

When we were heading home, we caught a taxi and he dropped us right beside Ezbekiyya Gardens to get to the Attaba Metro. In the day it was litted with grubby dozing vendors with discounted-goods stalls of ties, shirts, boxers, books, tissues, at night of streetkids roaming around, causing mischief with passbyers, druggies inside the garden. Who are looking after them at this time of the night? Where are their families? They should be at home. My motherly instincts just make me want to rescue them, take them out of the streets and give them a more enriching, healthy, aspriring life than the one their living in. It really makes me so sad to see them like that.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/01/egypt.diary/index.html

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2007/08/19/a_bridge_of_dreams_bustles_in_cairo/?page=2

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/732/fe2.htm

To help, please visit: http://www.neareast.org/main/news/article.aspx?id=425

I needed to go to the loo badly and we happened to be at Mazzallat when one of the officers directed to one which happened to be a staff one but somehow everyone uses it. OMG the smell! The smell made me so fainting I really didnrsquo;t want go and this was a dirty squatting one! I had to rinse the area at least 10 times before I could squat and just prayed my foot didnrsquo;t slip inside the hole. If in Cairo -go to any Western fastfood joints and malls because they have more clean, sanitable, sitting, water squirting toilets with a few toilet paper leaves to spare. Its like paradise when you need to go. DO NOT USE THE METRO/PUBLIC ONES UNLESS IN DIRE DIRE DIRE EMERGENCIES! You have been warned!

Cairohellip;Cairohellip;Cairohellip;

Irsquo;m speechlesshellip;.

Just signing off, these are some vids that will remind me of Egypt before we fly (this Friday insharsquo;allah!!!). The first one I donrsquo;t have the translations to what hersquo;s singing but hersquo;s complaining along the lines of bread and water shortages, making it each day in Egypt (if anyone knows -please reply me), the second was what made me teary the first time I was to leave Egypt.

Enjoy!

http://www.arabicmusictranslation.com/search/label/SherineAhmed

Sherine Ahmed - ldquo;You Didnrsquo;t Drink from Its Nilerdquo;

Our country is safe in our hands

We hold it high as long as we live

We live in it years and years feeling secure

You did not drink from its Nile

Then you tried singing to it

You tried in pride

Donrsquo;t be sad

You walk in its streets and complain to its

You did not walk in its suburbs fine

You did not grow up in it

And you donrsquo;t have a picutre on the sand on its beaches

Look within yourself and yoursquo;ll find it is friends and family of my country

And it would be hard to forget them

Maybe you forget because you in it and donrsquo;t miss it

And you have never been away from it

But those who have tried to leave say there is nothing in the world like it

I was away longing for it

I forget the world and I come to it

And if I came it would remind me of a million memories that I carry in my heart

Our country is precious to us and will stay in our eyes as long as we love our country it will be in our hands

We are the ones who hold it high and preserve it in our hands

Most beautiful to us and our children no matter what

Diarrhoea at the Taj



Originally uploaded by Wen-Yan King

I actually tried yoghurt and lemon juice and it seemed to quieten my bowels after one hell of a dayhellip;

Had the runs from eating minced fittah bread pizza and no it wasnrsquo;t from a cheap restaurant like the sign in the photo says (-LE 12 for medium size pizza for one, can get cheaper and more better, tastier quality than this in Alexandria). Birthday boy was the first to go -immediately after consuming it, mine took the next day.

We had relies over from Aswan so that took up half of hubbyrsquo;s birthday. They wanted to visit us and in particularly -me, right after we got married last year but by that time I was already back in Australia. Was surprised the aunty kept a passport pic of our wedding pics inside her purse (which is quite a common practise here -they donrsquo;t just have pics of their immediate family but also their sons/daughters/nieces/nephews/relativeshellip;.everyonersquo;s! engagements, weddings) because I didnrsquo;t think it would ever go around amongst the relies but it did, as far as Aswan! (the other side of Egypt). I felt so at home with her because not only was she funny as hell, she spoke English as well.

So what did we do in Baltim? Nothing much really. Last year I threw him some fireworks, this year I couldnrsquo;t do much because we were still in Egypt. After munching on that cursed pizza, we went for a stroll on the beach before hubby decided he would try and swim to Italy -just because its his birthday and not wanting to feel that hersquo;s really getting that old. He use to do laps that would break Grant Hackettrsquo;s record any day when he was in the army. We watched the sunset and then went home. Donrsquo;t know if anyone else experiences this but when you walk on the beach, sand, water, wind and all -it always makes me sleepy. I dozed off immediately after we got home whilst hubby catched up with his family next door.

Therersquo;s one thing thats good about Egypt is that for me, it normally takes 4 hours to fly to Melbourne from Perth ($400 return), 2 hours squashed up in a mini-van or being gased in a bus (due to no air conditioning, heat, bad BO) from Kafr el Sheikh to Cairo (only LE 7), Kafr el Sheikh to Baltim (LE3 bus, LE 4 minivan). Whats not so good about travelling in these minivans are the drivers.

The last time we went to Alexandria, my husband only wanted to ask the driver how much it would cost us to go to Marsa Matruh (on the way to Libya) as well as how long it would take. He didnrsquo;t know so he asked a fellow driver. This fellow driver took our driver to be stupid and started to give him shite. The next thing you know theyrsquo;re boxing. Our driver hit this elderly fellow driver so bad that the other drivers had to give him first aid because he got knocked out for a few seconds and they were about to call the police on our driver -all because I wanted to know about Marsa Matruh (*blink*). Luckily the elderly fellow driver was ok. All the passengers in our mini-van were telling the people and the driver to just go because we were literally waiting for over an hour just for this to stop. The elderly guy after being bandaged wasnrsquo;t satisfied with his defeat that he wanted a second round and did his best to try and stop our mini-van, even jumping in the window to try and pull out the car keys. So crazy! That took another 10 minutes before the other drivers held this man to let our mini-van go.

Really, the men here fight over the most stupidest of things but they donrsquo;t have enough balls to fight over whats really important -their country being screwed by everyone. Was kinda worried about our Baltim driver when we were going home because he was about to have a big nasty fight with one of the passengers all because this passenger didnrsquo;t wanted to put his suitcase on top of the van. He was also going off at some other fellow drivers, even chasing them on the street. But we managed to go home with no incidents. So far wersquo;ve had no dramas when we go to the Shoubra Busport in Cairo or back here in Kafr el Sheikh. Maybe next time we should buy a car, even if it might cost us LE 250000 for a 2004 Toyato Camry.

What?



Originally uploaded by mquest foto

Its my hubbyrsquo;s birthday today -YAY!!! Good lsquo;ole 33! (getting ancient :P) -and hersquo;s complaining about it too! (daily sprouts of grey hair, more fat collection along the waist line, limited kung-fu activity unlike when he was 18 -flying everywhere, already reminiescing about his past -that he hasnrsquo;t done much, planning how to manage a family, more time to remember Allah swthellip;)

He prefers his Islamic birthday (13th Ragab -hersquo;s family named him after this special month, which I later found out with the Gregarian-Islamic calender that he was born one month later and told him he really should be called Sharsquo;baan ) than this one, all because its more Islamic and special?!? WT! Its not even Islamic to celebrate birthdays because EACH DAY IS A BIRTHDAY! :p Think about it.

Anyways, wersquo;re off to Baltim again to cool off. Its been an oven here and in Cairo. Hrsquo;es been travelling up and down 8 hours every day for the last 3 days just to get his welding certification for Australia that he canrsquo;t bear to stay in a moving vehicle for more than an hour. Was kinda hoping to go to Cairo or Alex because therersquo;s basically more romantic things to do but gotta do what brsquo;day boy wants. Its his day today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBS. LOVE YOU!!!

ldquo;May you live all the days of your liferdquo; -Jonathan Swift

Mideast Egypt Parliament Fire



Originally uploaded by m_twfeeq

This happened a few days ago but its still quite a heated topic.

If yoursquo;re parliament -specifically the Upper House (say the US Senate) was on fire and the emergency and fire services were taking their beautiful time -wouldnrsquo;t you be a little worried even skeptical to suspect it be just only an accidental fire. Sounds like a cover up. I think every Egyptian smells this but wersquo;ll see what the authorities make of it.

Herersquo;s more:

http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=15877

Fireman dies following Shoura Council fire, investigation continues

By Mostafa El Sawy

CAIRO: A fireman died on Wednesday from injuries sustained during the night-long efforts to control the fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon at the Shoura Council, Minister of Interior Habib Al-Adly told reporters outside the gutted building yesterday.

The minister also ruled out arson.

On Tuesday night, as the fire was still raging, Cairo’s Governor Abdel-Azim Wazir initially told reporters that there were no serious injuries just minor suffocation cases.

The governor also ruled out arson, saying “Please let us focus on the problem without misleading people with those worthless rumors.”

“We will wait for the Prosecution Office’s investigations to reveal more details about the reasons behind the fire,” the governor said.

At the time, the governor said, “The fire is being dealt with seriously and enormous efforts are being exerted to put out the fire. But the problem is the building’s wooden floors,” which fuelled the blaze.

The governor expressed his shock that such an important building could face a problem like this.

Although reports indicate that the fire was under control by dawn, smoke was still seen over the historical 9th-century building at 7:30 am Wednesday.

“Four emergency service staff members and nine people who were in the building, were reported injured, suffering from smoke inhalation,” an official at the Ministry of Interior’s media department told Daily News Egypt on Wednesday.

An eyewitness said that the fire started at around 4:30 pm and that it would have been easier to control if firefighters had responded more promptly. Onlookers said emergency service staff arrived 45 minutes later.

Firefighting departments were called in from surrounding governorates to help quell the flames. Trucks from Cairo, Helwan and Maadi fire departments were spotted on the scene along with fire trucks from the Cairo Petroleum Refinery Company and the Egyptian Armed Forces.

The flames touched the rooftop of the Tax Authority building, but firefighters were able to put that fire out in less than 15 minutes.

The ceilings of each of the Shoura Council’s three-storey building collapsed. The fire, which began on the third floor, spread downwards, engulfing the other two floors over the course of several hours.

Two army firefighting helicopters were sent to drop water over the burning flames, but they missed their target on the first attempt as most of the water was poured on the reporters and security officials standing by.

Both the fire trucks and the helicopters were faced with a shortage of water.

The helicopters went from the Shoura Council to the nearby Nile River to refill the small buckets, which did nothing to diminish the flames. Those attempts lasted around 20 to 30 minutes.

“The fire trucks were not well equipped nor were the firefighters well-trained; to be fair it should be said that huge efforts were exerted but in an inexperienced unorganized way,” Nabil Ahmed Abdullah, production security supervisor at a petroleum company who witnessed the incident, told Daily News Egypt on site a little after midnight.

Although state TV advised people to take alternative roads, instead of the vital Al Qasr Al Aini Street, home to the Council, the road was not blocked. The resulting traffic jam hindered firefighting efforts.

Several eye witnesses including one of the paramedics’ team said that two Shoura Council employees were trapped inside the building earlier when the fire started and were later seen clinging to the building’s outer pipes for more than 30 minutes before security forces helped them down.

A former general in the Civil Defense, which overseas the fire department, criticized the government’s response.

“Something wrong happened,” Gen. Adel el-Abodi said. “How come a whole building caught fire in an hour? Where are the fire alarms and where are the sprinklers?”

It was the second fire in the parliament’s upper house in 10 years, he said. “But in 1998, we managed to control the fire in the room it erupted in,” he said. –Additional reporting by AP.

Good Diner



Originally uploaded by A1KWords

Irsquo;m one of those people who whereby the only thing to stop me from being more neurotic is to feed me with necessary information. Ignorance really kills me. I have lost sleep just over worrying about everything and also because Irsquo;m so tense.

I just stumbled on this page whilst reading up on some things for my next post and it just literally blew me away.

If only I had read these hadiths earlier -I wouldnrsquo;t have felt so overwhelmed with the idea of being pregnant, especially when you not getting enough moral and emotional support from the people who should really be there for you. These hadiths would have defeinitely calmed, soothed my nerves and anxiety.

http://www.shariahprogram.ca/women-islam/virtues-of-pregnancy.shtml

THE VIRTUES OF PREGNANCY (IN ISLAM)

· When a woman is pregnant with a child, all the angels will make Istighfar (repentance) on her behalf. Allah SWT will, for each day of her pregnancy, write for her 1000 good deeds and erase from her 1000 bad deeds.

· When a pregnant woman starts to feel the pain from contractions, Allah SWT will write in her records as someone who is doing jihad (spiritual or physical struggle) in His path.

· When a woman becomes pregnant by her husband and he is pleased with her, she obtains the reward of a person engaging in fasting for Allah SWT and a person spending the night in ibaadah (worship).

· A woman from the time of pregnancy until childbirth and weaning the baby, is like the Mujahid (someone fighting in the path of Allah, swa) who is stationed on the frontiers of the Islamic land. If she dies during this period, she dies the death of a shahid (martyr).

· Two rakarsquo;at salaat performed by a pregnant woman is better than 80 rakarsquo;at salaat performed by a non-pregnant woman.

· A woman who is pregnant gets the reward of fasting during the day and of doing ibaadah (worship) during the nights.

· A woman who gives birth gets the reward of 70 years of salaat (prayer) and fasting. For each vein that feels pain, Allah SWT gives her the reward of one accepted hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah).

· If the woman dies within 40 days of giving birth, she will die as a shahid (matyr).

(Hadith)hellip;hellip;.rdquo;A woman that dies in her virginity or during her pregnancy or at the time of birth or thereafter (in nifaas) will attain the rank of a martyrrdquo;

Nabi(salalaallahu alayhi wassallam) is reported to have also said ldquo;hellip;hellip;.When her labour pains commence, the inhabitants of the earth and the sky are unaware of the stores of comfort that are prepared for her. When she delivers and breast feeds her child, then she will be granted a reword for every gulp of milk, if she had to remain awake during the night for the sake of the child, she will receive the reword of emancipating seventy slaves in the path of Allah Tarsquo;ala. O Salaamat! Do you know who these women are? They are pious, upright, with a delicate nature yet obedient to their husbands and not ungrateful to themrdquo;

[Source: Madrasa In'aamiyyah]

Irsquo;d just been flicking through the tv channels after watching a handball game between Egypt 4 Korea 3 when I stumbled on one of my favourite sporting events: RED BULL AIR RACE!!! http://www.redbullairrace.com

Yes, I might be muslim, but the only extreme thing about me is that Irsquo;m a peaceful, non-violent extreme sport loving fanatic (http://www.gravitygamesh2o.com/), healthy, non-toxicated, natural adrenalin-junkie (http://www.adrenalin.com.au/)

OK maybe Irsquo;m 5 races overdued (was only watching the semi-finals and finals of the Abu Dhabi one -Bonhomme won, the next onersquo;s coming up in 3 days time in Budapest) and the places these races travel to a 5 million times more exotic and beautiful than boring old Perth despite it being the finals, but just watching each one makes me feel I was actually there spectating the sport and feeling the pilots as well, just praying none of the planes donrsquo;t crash into any chacanes or crowds especially when theyrsquo;re going over 350 km/h and yoursquo;re right beside the foreshore (ughhhhhhh!!!!!!)

Irsquo;m a big Peter Bensenyei (Hungary) fan, very old school, but as dinasaur-looking as he is, its amazing hersquo;s still soaring the skies with such class. I was there when Ivanoff won the Perth race last year and watched Mangold take the World Series http://www.air-races.com/city/2007/Perth.htm minus the 3rd degree burns I experienced even whilst I was clothed from head to toe.

Yes, Irsquo;ve flown a plane before (well, co-piloting) but only on my birthday (see slide below) and it was the best birthday present ever (would do it again if I/my husband was a millionaire ) ! It was to conquer my ginormous fear of heights but in doing so I gained a great love of nature, especially from a birdrsquo;s eye view -to see how beautiful the world really is especially from above, feel so humbled to realise that you are only a mere mortal, not even as high or greater as the mountains or the clouds, and this was what got me into photography, just to capture those beautiful moments. It was such an estatic, euphoric, happy, freeing feeling I was singing ldquo;What a wonderful worldrdquo; -Loius Armstrong Now thats definitely one of my ldquo;happy zonesrdquo;.

Just stumbling on this show reminded me how much of a hole Irsquo;ve been living whilst in Egypt because I use to be so up-to-date with all the sports results because thats what Australians do -SPORTS 24/7! (well majority anyways). I use to spend my weekends just catching up on the latest news or going out watching a game (Perth Glory, Western Force, West Coast Eagles, Hopman Cup, V8 Supercar challenges) and at the moment -we (Perth) suck big time!!! I canrsquo;t believe the scores! See!!! -this is what happens when Nur goes out of the country

Its not easy being a hijabi and going to these games because most of the time you end up going alone or having to bribe/eloquently and lavishly persuade one of your brothers or friends to come along with you. And the friends who do love the sports as much as you do, yoursquo;re restricted from going due to marital reasons. There are also problems of also being easily spotted and judged. Like one time when I went with my brother to watch the Hopman Cup and this was the year right after the Bali Bombings, I had people giving me evils from every corner all because I was obviously muslim and Indonesian-looking/my hijab. Made me wonder if they were watching the game or watching me, to see if I might be up to no good (-whatever!!!). One bloke said to his mate next to me, ldquo;U-oh, another terroristhellip;why donrsquo;t they all go back to their own countryrdquo;. If only this redneck knew Australia was my country, -DOH! Can get very frustrating sometimes. A handful of misguided muslims tainting the rest of us.

Anyways, canrsquo;t wait till the 1st and 2nd of November -because thats when theyrsquo;ll be in Perth againhellip;YAY!!! Will make sure we get there early and not by car, bring a rug, munchies -because everything will either probably be closed or cost 10 times more at the races, an umbrella to keep the sun away, the radio and plenty of sunscreen. I donrsquo;t want to come blistering like last year.

Will keep yrsquo;all posted!!! Over and out

One more thing -if anyonersquo;s in Perth at this time and want to come join -let me know

Spanish Olympic Basketball Team

Originally uploaded by Satanosphere

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Another-Spanish-team-discovered-making-eye-slant?urn=oly,100968

If you were/are Chinese, would you find this offensive?

Of all the things that represent China, they just had to do this. If they didnrsquo;t respect the Chinese, why did they even bother going particularly when they donrsquo;t share the Olympic spirit.

I use to get teased with this gesture a lot when I was in primary school, the same with the king fu one all thanks to Bruce Lee but Jackie Chan made it more cool. And now because I wear the hijab its the bowing ldquo;I am not worthyrdquo; onehellip;gosh does it ever end!

Its the same if you were Indian and you started to out your hands together and your head swing side to side or the Egyptian ldquo;walk like an Egyptianrdquo; though I donrsquo;t see my husband and anyone else here walking like that

Lemme me know what you think.

SPANISH BASKETBALL TEAM POSES FOR OFFENSIVE PHOTO

by Chris Chase

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Spanish-basketball-team-poses-for-offensive-pict?urn=oly,100152

Spainrsquo;s Olympic basketball team posed for an advertisement prior to the Games which appears to show all its players slanting their eyes, a move that could offend its Olympic hosts in Beijing. The ads, for a Spanish courier company, appeared in the Spanish-language newspaper La Marca.

As the uproar over the picture has grown today, more information about the advertising shot has come to light. The ad was sponsored by a Spanish courier company, Seur. Spainrsquo;s team, ironically, also is sponsored by Li-Ning Footwear, a Chinese company founded by Li Ning, the final torchbearer who was hoisted along the top of Beijing National Stadium during the Olympic Opening Ceremony finale.

The Spanish-language paper El Mundo has a piece debating whether the ad was racist that basically calls out the British press for trying to smear Spainrsquo;s good name. But they miss the point. Whether the picture was made in good fun is irrelevant. It was a ridiculous idea that was bound to upset a lot of people.

Itrsquo;s baffling that nobody involved in the picture mdash; from the photographers to the players mdash; even seemed to consider that this ad would be looked at negatively. Did it not occur to somebody that it might not be a good idea to mock a large portion of the continent before the worldrsquo;s largest athletic competition that, by the way, happens to take place on that continent. Were they not aware of an invention called ldquo;the Internetrdquo; that allows pictures taken in Spain to be transmitted all over the world for the eyes of everyone?

And now that the inevitable controversy has hit, theyrsquo;re still defending themselves when a simple, ldquo;the ad was in poor taste, we apologizerdquo; would have sufficed. This story would be slowing down if the Spanish Basketball team had apologized immediately. Now itrsquo;s just picking up steam.

The Organization of Chinese-Americans has released multiple statements condemning the picture. George Wu, deputy director of the group, said, ldquo;it is unfortunate that this type of imagery would rear its head during something that is supposed to be a time of world unity.rdquo; Response in Beijing has been muted so far.

Madrid is thought to be one of the frontrunners to land the 2016 Summer Games (the site will be announced next year). Could this controversy hurt Spainrsquo;s chances of landing another Olympics?

Interestingly, the Spanish basketball team took on China tonight, winning 85-75 in overtime. No word on whether Pau Gasol was on the receiving end of any elbows from Yao Ming. The Chinese crowd did have a message for the Spaniards though, booing vigorously during the game.

Political - Rogues

Originally uploaded by DiscoWeasel

These guys should have been featured in The Dark Knightrsquo;s movie.