Lady Breeze

Brussels, Belgium, Center, 10 March 2019 When everything stops for a second. You stand still. You wonder what brought you here? Was it the right choice? When you thought finally things are about to settle, when things seemed to be matching perfectly, but then in blink of seconds your entire life changes rapidly unexpectedly. Fear and anxiety of the unknown is all what keeps hunting your thoughts. You wonder in the eyes of strangers, aiming to find a clear answer. Yet you believe in God’s timing. You believe in how things work when it’s time. No matter how bad we want it to happen. It will happen in the perfect timing. You only see meters in front of you while God… God always see the end of the road. Have faith!

There is this thought that keeps hunting me every now and then that makes me feel bad about myself... When you meet someone, never build assumptions, never prejudices, never predict, never assume, never build an idea, nor conclusion on that person only through your first impression. People are so diverse and we all function differently. It could take someone an hour to show you who they truly are and another a life time to reveal part of themselves. I personally have been put in situations, where I’ve learned that I was completely wrong about people that I've met, and that there’s so much more one could learn and disclose only if the other person decided to reveal themselves.  Always keep the door open, because you never know what you may discover behind it, even if it might take you years. And excuse those who are not yet ready to divulge themselves. They might need a little more time to open up,.. maybe the key is already in your hands or the words lie between your magical ...

So what is Identity? Who am I? What skin color I have? What believe do I follow? Does it matter where I was born? Does it matter where I live? Where I used to live? Does it matter where I come from? Does it matter, which ethnic group I come from? Does it matter if I wear the Hijab or not? Would you care to know where my roots come from? Do we actually know it? Do we actually have hold on our grade grand parents? Would you think of me differently if I was white? If I was Black? If I was a mix? If I was blond? If I had green, blue eyes? Does it really matter to you? Why would you care? I’m an Arab, North African and Mediterranean. In love with the ideology of world religions. I’m a muslim but grew up entirely in a Catholic school. In my heart lays Austria as number one and in my vines runs Egyptian blood. To these two beloved countries, I’ll always be truthfully forever thankful. But yet in search to where I belong to, while others might judge me from only my skin color or my relig...

Life is a beautiful journey. Never lose site of the beauty within and that which surrounds us on all sides. Most profound soundtrack that still impacts me in a very specific way to this very day. Love, Peace, and Wisdom. You don't always have to make the perfect choice sometimes it helps to choose a path and be willing to bend as the path wonders. Eyes wide open and soul more open than eyes. 

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...

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 ...

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...

Everything in life happens according to our time, our clock. You may look at your friends and some may seem to be ahead or behind you, but they are not, they are living according to the pace of their clock, so be patient. You are not falling behind, its just not your time.

As 2016 comes to a close, it is a perfect time to give back to the community and show your appreciation for those who have helped you throughout the past year.

“Don’t only practice your art,  but force your way into its secrets,  for it and knowledge can  raise men to the divine.” - Ludwig van Beethoven

Life is all about stages and steps that we take in our life. For each stage there are hundreds of other steps and mountains that has to be taken, hiked, claimed or even walked now or later. For every mountain there is a test that we have to pass in order to reach to the edge of the mountain and have a clearer view and a full picture. We are all different and that's why, some of us take these steps slower because simply they can't hike the mountain all at once. Some need to take a break in between, in order to recharge energy again. And some can take it all at one shot. But at the end of the day, we all aim for the same purpose in a way or another. 

Essmat Mohsen El Eskandarany (1898 - 1973): aka Om El Baharia (The Mother of the Navy) - النص العربى يتبع She is the granddaughter of the Egyptian Navy Admiral Hasan Pasha El Askandaray a.k.a "The Prince of the Seas" who died fighting in the Crimean War between Turkey and Russia in 1854. From a young age, she had a passion for the sea, the ships, travel, the legend of her grandfather, the history of the Egyptian navy, the naval battles that the Arabs fought and the Arab trav elers.  She travelled around the world for 18 years and was named Bint Batouta, after the Arab traveler Ibn Batouta who lived in the 14th century. In 1948, she donated a fully equipped naval ship to the Egyptian navy. She also donated her house in Ras El Tin in Alexandria to the navy. She willed all her money and property to the navy.  In 1955, President Nasser awarded her the highest medal of honor.  She had written many articles and publications about the History of the Arabs, the ...

I think it's great how a lot of young people, in my generation, are not scared of being alone anymore. I used to dread the idea of traveling alone. I would look at people eating by themselves in restaurants and feel bad for them. As I grew older, I realized that treating yourself to a nice meal alone doesn't necessarily mean you're lonely. Packing your bags and moving to a new place doesn't mean you don't like being around people. We grew up in a society that taught us that socializing is what gives us purpose and that the more people you know, the happier you will be. I realized, however, that in order to be at peace with yourself, you must learn to enjoy your own company. When you no longer feel the need to always be among a large group of people and to fake interactions just to fit in, that is when you will truly be happy.

”ليس هناك شىء يسمى الحرية، و أكثرنا حرية هو عبد للمبادىء التى يؤمن بها، وللغرض الذى يسعى إليه.. اننا نطالب بالحرية لنضعها فى خدمة أغراضنا.. وقبل أن تطالب بحريتك إسئل نفسك: لأى غرض ستهبه؟!“ ― إحسان عبد القدوس

Culture is embedded in all human beings, in our mind, body and our collective memory. It is defined by everything from language to music, art, food, literature, fashion, humor, love, friendship, etc. It is the seed of a society, the web that keeps us connected, the foundation of our roots and the nature of our existence, our footprint, our mark in history. Culture is shared and nobody can do it alone. It is an ideal that is generated, transmitted and developed over time.

Muhammad Ali’s story meant a lot for me - beyond the boxing he spent a lifetime preparing to meet God, and was dedicated to a path of Tassawuf, to the inward path of Love. He believed that the secret of God is revealed through the knowledge of Love. Ali strived to become a truly beautiful human being; following the Tassawuf wisdom that ‘The outer beauty of a person must merge with the inner beaut y and become one. This is the source of true beauty.’ He was most certainly such a human being, and was once asked: “What would you like people to think about you when you’re gone?”. He responded that he would like people to say: ‘He took a few cups of love. He took one table spoon of patience. One table spoon, tea-spoon of generosity. One pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter. One pinch of concern. And then he mixed willingness with happiness. He added lots of faith. And he stirred it up well. Then he spread it over a span of a lifetime. And he served it to each and every deservi...

A year ago everything was different. I wouldn't have pictured myself like this and now that I look back, I have realized that a year can do a lot to a person.  So, in the end it is not the years in your life that count, it is the life in your years that count in order to have a life worth living. It is the pursuit of a memorable life!

I need to live out all the blessings that God has given me today. Blessings cannot be saved for a rainy day. There is no bank with a safe deposit box for them. If I do not enjoy these blessings today, I lose them forever. Whatever I have done or might do in the course of my life, whether it's good or evil, has been done freely; I am a free agent. My success and my misfortunes, the bright and the dark days I have gone through, everything has proved to me that in this world, either physical or moral, good comes out of evil just as well as evil comes out of good. God knows that we are artists of life. One day He gives us a chisel, another we may receive brushes and a canvas, and still another day He gives us a pen to write. I am bound to add that the excess in too little has ever proved in me more dangerous than the excess in too much; the last may cause indigestion, but the first causes death. I know that I have lived because I have felt, and, feeling giving me the know...

Making friends while traveling takes whatever standards you already had in terms of forming friendships at home and dilutes it down to basically nothing. You no longer look for things you have in common, friends you have in common or even places you have in common. It's more like hey you seem like a decent enough human who won't try to rape me or mug me so I will make the unusual-for me-decision and trust you for the day and see how it goes. We may not be united by land, race, religion, language or even thoughts. We may have nothing in common except for the fact that we are perfect strangers in a foreign place; we are united by our endless love for travel and deep need to explore. We are citizens of the world and that is why I will trust you. The thing about travel is when you're finally ready to come home, you will realise that the only thing that has truly changed is you.

It's funny but truly sad... how things that we actually thought we knew very well.. can turn all over in blink of seconds... in a heart beat.. and fly far away into directions that we never could have ever imagined... and yet here it comes... at the end... final destination... after all these long years... these years that saw tremendous excitements.. life changing experiences... stories and more stories... true love... all laughers... all cries... and I'm forever   utterly  thankful for all of that...  yet here it comes again... I am the storyteller... This is where everything in life actually starts... Once upon a time... there was a storyteller who told the forgotten stories of distant faces , broken objects and abandoned places for the storyteller knew that words are like magic and would bring everything back to life.. . would it?