Lady Breeze

I think it's time to reveal this story... Long story short, Ramadan 2016, I was walking dawn the street in Maadi... yes in Maadi, and to be precise Street 10... Hence I live in Street 11. A Toktok driver harassed me. It was early bright morning and I was completely alone on the street. It was RAMADAN!! I was shocked, frozen and stood in denial. And he ran away... The feeling I felt at that moment is incredibly difficult to explain or even express. You feel helpless, not weak but you know you simply won’t be able to do anything… you are powerless. I tried to shout loud… but words didn’t come out.. I remember their was an old man in the street next to me, who asked me from far away what happened… I wasn’t able to express my self and put words in a meaningful sentence… how am I supposed to say what just happened?! But thank God, out of the blue, a man in a car showed up and run after him, lucky me I was able to put him in PRISON! He stayed in jail for couple of months and payed rans...

“Wait Mister Postman Oh yeah (Is there a letter in your bag for me) Please, Please Mister Postman (Why's it been a very long time) Oh yeah (Since I heard from this friend of mine) There must be some word today From my friend so far away Please Mister Postman, look and see Is there a letter, a letter for me" […] The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman (1961)   #SWYers  will relate. To those who know me well, know how much I appreciate letters and postcards until our time today. At the age of 9 years old, I had my very very first solo trip to Europe. Back then in the 90’s there were no internet nor mails and no cell phones of course. Thanks to my dad, he taught me the importance of documenting my travelogue as well how to keep in touch with people I meet along my journey, specially those who live abroad. And since then I’ve developed a new hobby of sending letters and post cards and collecting those I’ve received in return. Early this morning, I have received a very...

Few days ago, a dear friend asked me: Is there something in particular you miss from your time in SWY?  I miss the ocean. I miss how clear it was. I miss how the birds would fly freely next to our beloved home Nippon Maru. How nature reflected on us. I miss those early mornings by the sun rise and those late nights stargazing. On those fullmoon days I could see the moon is smiling back to us. How beautiful and simple our life was? SWY gone with the wind. I left everything beh ind and ran away. I ran to the ocean. I needed break from my life, from deadlines. I didn't want to worry about life nor what could be next. It was the best choice I have made since a quite sometime. I've encountered beautiful talented and successful souls. I've learned not to judge, to love, respect and accept. Most importantly I've learned a lot about my self. I miss the deep warm hearted conversations and the free hugs. I miss dancing everywhere on any beat as if you are a free soul. I miss...

And I can assure you, one of the main hobbies that all PY's* are good at and have in common through out generations; no matter how old you are, what position you are in charge of, which delegation you belong to, or even batch,.. would be Running . Surprisingly we all went though it, as if it's something that being passed on without actually mentioning it. You would find down the streets of downtowns of port of calls, young people running in sprints right in the middle of the street, malls, museums you name it, just to make it on time on Nippon Maru. ____________________________ PY: Participant Youth

"It’s about misunderstandings between people and places, being disconnected and looking for moments of connection. There are so many moments in life when people don’t say what they mean, when they are just missing each other, waiting to run into each other in a hallway." ~ Sofia Coppola on Lost in Translation (2003)

Fourteen years ago, I had a dream. A bitter - sweet one. A dream that kept me with butterfly. and joyous of a child. I prayed and Prayed. I prayed so hard day and night. I imagined, I planed, every second and every moment. Day after day, Year after year. Decades passed away until my dream faded away. Chattels have been forgotten Yearning, has been lost. Longing, has gone by the wind Little did I know, by the time I’ll grow. Perspectives, shaped me. Standpoint, evolved me. Time passes, Prayers answered, God responses. But difficult was it  to perceive it. Doors were open once again. To the moment We’ve been all waiting for. It’s right here in front of you. Sweep hands for second chances  and new beginnings. Warm words to heal the wounds. Sorrow and grief  I could see in your hazel brown eyes. But you forgot, you may forgive but never forget. Tried so hard ...

Princess Fatma Ismail: (1853 - 1920) Daughter of Khedive Ismail.  She is known as the mother of the benevolent (Um Al-Mohsenin)  Because of the lack of funds for establishing Fouad I University, she donated all her jewelry for the construction of the university.  In 1914, the foundation stone was laid and a gala held in Princess Fatma's honor. She then dedicated the revenue from 658 feddans of her land to be spent on the university. Her name is inscribed on a memorial at Cairo University.  She was a reason for Egyptian women to enter the University in 1928. She died before the University was opened. الأميرة فاطمة اسماعيل: ( 1853 - 1920) ابنة الخديوي إسماعيل. وتعرف باسم أم المحسنين.  تبرعت بجميع مجوهراتها لبناء جامعة فؤاد الأول. في عام 1914، تم وضع حجر الأساس وحفل على شرف الأميرة فاطمة. ثم أهدت إيرادات 658 فدان من أراضيها للإنفاق على الجامعة. نقش اسمها على نصب تذكاري في جامعة القاهرة. كانت سببا للمرأة المصرية لدخول الجامعة عام 1928.

لاموني الي غارو مني وقالولي اش عجبك فيها لاموني الي غارو مني وقالولي اش عجبك فيها جاوبت الي جهلو فني خدوا عيني شوفو بيها هاد الطفلة الي غرتو منها وحبيتوني باش ننساها مانقدرشي نبعد عنها وانا كالحوتة في ماها هاد الطفلة الي غرتو منها وحبيتوني باش ننساها مانقدرشي نبعد عنها وانا كالحوتة في ماها عاشق ومغروم في فنها حياتي كله وهبتو ليها لاموني الي غارو مني وقالولي اش عجبك فيها لاموني الي غارو مني وقالولي اش عجبك فيها جاوبت الي جهلو فني خدوا عيني شوفو بيها انا في عينيها ادم وهي في عينيا حواء قالولي علاش تعشق خادم قولتلهم افديه من جوا سمرا وغنا عليها العالم والعالم كله شاهد لاموني الي غارو مني وقالولي اش عجبك فيها لاموني الي غارو مني وقالولي اش عجبك فيها جاوبت الي جهلو فني خدوا عيني شوفو بيها يا ناس اش تحبو مني وغرته من السر الرباني فنية وعشقت في فني وانا الي عاششقها اني يا ناس اش تحبو مني وغرته من السر الرباني فنية وعشقت في فني وانا الي عاششقها اني طول حياتي عليها نغني وشعري وفني كله ليها لاموني الي غارو مني وقالولي اش عجبك فيها لاموني الي غارو مني وقالولي اش عجبك فيها جاوبت الي جهلو فني خدو...

Olá, Salut, Hola, Salam, Bula Vinaka, Namaste, Kon'nichiwa, Hujambo,  ‪ Kia Ora, Mālō e lelei, Vitavu! :) “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta Jet lag is destroying me but #SWY29 has been remarkable! For approximately two month I gave myself to ocean life, to a new routine, trapped on a ship with 200+ new faces from around the globe, sailed one quarter of the earth together, from Japan: Tokyo, Fukui, Yokahama, Solomon Island: Honiara, Vanuatu: Port Villa, Aotearoa New Zealand: Auckland to Fiji and back to Tokyo. An extraordinary mind blowing experience. I’ve traveled a lot, I even lived abroad, crossed continents, seas, rivers and oceans, but SWY has been by far my all time favorite yet rich experience... and the most tremendous one to my heart. The Kingdom of Nippon Maru, Nippon Maru, was not just a normal Ship… it was home and home is where the heart is. A ship full of magical e...

What is it that makes us human? Is it that we love, that we fight? That we laugh ? Cry ? Our curiosity? The quest for discovery?  Driven by these questions, filmmaker and artist Yann Arthus-Bertrand spent three years collecting real-life stories from 2,000 women and men in 60 countries. Working with a dedicated team of translators, journalists and cameramen, Yann captures deeply personal and emotional accounts of topics that unite us all; struggles with poverty, war, homophobia, and the future of our planet mixed with moments of love and happiness.

If it is important enough to you, you will find a way.  If it is not, you will find an excuse

And here dear readers comes my seven’s year of blogging. I may not be that active lately, but I always try my best to be around in away. There is always a lot I want to write down and share with you, but life when takes over… you know what I mean. Last year I did a promise to my self that at least once in the month I’ll post something. And gladly I managed it. This year I would keep in promise and try to write more about my life experiences and travels that I will be facing this year. On a site not…. where these six years go? How did time fly sooo quickly… I still remember the very first time I was thinking to great a blog, my first post… and the tones of thoughts I had for what I should write… the struggles I faced in putting my thoughts into words… phrases… paragraphs… articles… posts… all the time I gave to thinking of a simple layout… design…. Tons of time that was spent on mind blocking. Where did these years go? How did time fly that quickly? In blink of seconds… Let th...