Life is nothing but a candy crush saga

Life is nothing but a candy crush saga

Why and how to become addicted to candy crush

Generally at gatherings of friends and family, I get really pissed off when someone ignores the whole setting and just pick up his phone and plays on and on some silly game, starting from farm ville to that rail road parkour guy. All until my brother showed me candy crush. It felt so silly at first, you just make a combination and poof the candy disappears. With the interesting sounds and the colorful candies.

Then with all the political insanity that has been going on, the soothing sound of “delicious” became a needed sound barrier from the cries of ONTV and AlJazeera Mubasher.

But seriously, there is a thing or two to learn from something as trivial as candy crush.

1. Always keep an eye on the bigger picture.
2. Don’t be afraid in making mistakes, sometimes it ends up in your favor.
3. If you lose, try again. And if you lose 5 times, take a break, and then try again.
4. life offers you random treats, use them well.
5. a combination of 2 good things can change your life forever.
6. focus on what’s important and what’s urgent.
7. don’t give up, you might be one trial away from getting the next phase.
8. you always need your friends to help you in the train of life.
9. be there for your friends and they will be there for you.
10. if you don’t manage some problems when they are little, they will evolve and dominate you.

candy crush life lessons

ما بين العرض و الطول

روى أن إبن ” سينا” كان يسأل الله أن يهبه حياة عريضة و إن لم تكن طويله ، و لعله كان يعنى بالحياة العريضة الحياة الغنية بالتفكير و الإنتاج ، و يرى أن هذا هو المقياس الصحيح للحياة ، وليس مقياسها طولها إذا كان الطول فى غير إنتاج ،فكثير من الناس ليست حياتهم إلا يوما واحدا متكررا ، برنامجهم في الحياة: أكل وشرب و نوم ، أمسهم مثل يومهم ، و يومهم كغدهم، ، هؤلاء و إن عمروا مائة عام فأبن سينا يقدره بيوم واحد ، على حين أنه قد يقدر يوما واحدا طوله أربع وعشرون ساعة – بعشرات السنين إذا كان عريضا فى منتهى العرض ، فقد يوفق المفكر فى يومه إلى فكرة تسعد الناس أجيالا ، أو إلى عمل يسعد آلافا ،فحياة هذا – و إن قصرت – تساوى أعمار آلاف الناس ، بل قد تساوى عمرأمة ، لان العبرة هنا بالكيف لا بالكم .

أحمد أمين – الكيف لا الكم – فيض الخاطر ج1

Some people live their whole life without having a goal, just waking up, going through life then sleeping. Their utmost legacy is being remembered through their names of their offspring. While others through their short years leave some marks in history, and enlighten us for decades.
It doesn’t matter what sort of achievemnt they have accomplished, it is just they left something, and their contributions were felt (حياتهم لم تضيع هباء). Regardless of the achievemnt they wanted, may it be the discovery of a galaxy, or raising and educating great men and women, this is a life worth noting, and worth living.

يا رب اعطني القدرة على استغلال وقتي في ما يفيد، و الحكمة في اختيار أفعالي، و ابعدني عن ما يضيع الوقت و يذهب العقل بعيداً عن طاعتك.

Hiking diaries

I found some papers I had with me during the hiking trip 🙂 :

“The best thing about hiking is to learn how to grow the sense of endurance. The mind has two options, either to reach for the impossible, or to find the safest haven. Both choices are crucial to life, but when one side wholly conquers the other, then the human being is in serious danger. 

There is nothing better than the moment I’m living in. surrounded by amazing people. Observing the moon. Had an interesting challenge. Feeling self confident (in contrast to the pre-hike phase of uncertainty and fear).

The only thing that makes me feel out of mood is knowing that my mother is anxious about me because this is y first time to do something like that, but I know that I will make feel more comfortable. The other thing is feeling some pain in my feet and my back, but this will go away.

This is our second (and last) night, and till this moment I can’t believe that I am here! Please God, give me the opportunity to discover my potential and discover the world.I hope that this calm sensation will help me reach a good decision in the changes I want to have in my life.”

Shou ma3na hal 7ayah?

Last Friday was the anniversary of my blog. It’s funny how I anticipated this day few weeks ago, and kept thinking about the things I’m gonna say about my blogging experience, and on that day, I totally forgot! I had Iftar at my cousin’s (this was my first time to visit her after her marriage), then I went to el Azhar Park to attend a concert by Upper Egypt Choir (كورال الصعيد ) singing Sayed Darwish, Salah Jahin and Fouad Haddad songs and poems. (They were amazing btw! These kids were sooooo good, I’m thinking of going again on the 5th of October at the British Council). So I went home drained and fell asleep at once. No blogging thoughts whatsoever.

So what about this year of blogging…

Definitely I enjoyed it tremendously. I got to know amazing people, many of whom I discovered that we has lots of friends in common! El donia soghaiara moooot!

I remember when I was young that I had no problem in So`al el ta3bir, when I hold a pen I can write many pages non stop. This doesn’t mean that I write some significant in itself, I just loved the feeling of taking all on paper.

I also had all the freedom to write whatever coming on my mind, little things and big things.

Perhaps my next step in this blog would be to write some meaningful posts along side the small, unedited kind of posts. Hopefully I will have time to sit and arrange for it 

***

Anyway,

Last Saturday, me and my friends decided to have a different Iftar, so we took our dishes and headed to ein el sokhna. It’s not that far from Cairo, it’s only 1 hour of driving. We spent the day there, the guys went swimming, I took lots of photos, we ate, had small talks while sitting on the beach (mostly sentimental topics thanks to the romantic atmosphere  ), played a new game (التعلب و الفلاحين) which was surprisingly very entertaining, the guys played playstation (I really can’t believe them!), we also played Risk for a while, we sang in the car on our way back home. It was fun 
Elhamdlelah the place was deserted; no one could have tolerated the noise we made. 😉
That was the best Iftar I had so far!

***

This year I was surprised when I knew that two of my recent acquaintances do not fast during Ramadan! It’s really weird being a Muslim Egyptian (and living in Egypt) and not fast during Ramadan! Even those who don’t pray regularly (even at all) and don’t follow the rituals of Islam in general, they try to go with the flow and refrain from eating and drinking like the others. I don’t dare judge both sides, only God knows what lies in their heart, and only God knows that I am far from criticizing others when in it comes to their relation with the Most Merciful. But still, this remains to be a cultural shock in a way…

***

On the 14th of September 2004, I dressed up and started my professional life.
This was my first day in the company that I work in. I worked in the call center for a while. Yes, I used to answer the customers’ enquiries and demands and try to solve their problems (I should tell you about this period one day  )
(Before this one, I worked for another company, but it was for only 2 weeks, so it is counted.)
I remember sitting in a meeting room, trying to memorize the names of 15 newly hired colleagues (I’m very bad with names). We had few weeks of induction to the company’s culture and background. Then we started the real thing.
I remember my first day 
God, I was scared!
Now as I remember it, it feels like ages ago, not just 3 years!
***
شو معنى هالحياة
حلم ومارق ساعات
الباقي من عمري بهديك
وعمري لحظه بتناديك
امبارح واليوم ولاخر يوم حبيبي

حبيبي – ماجدة الرومي
****

Few days ago, I was attending a concert with some friends, and I was introduced to some of their friends. El mohem, one of the guys was sitting next to me, having this little talk, and after few minutes he asked for my number! The guy seemed ghalban moot, not the flirty type, but he was not my type of male friends. But I just gave it to him knowing that he won’t call me, and if he did I’ll not be that bothered as I’ll manage to end the conversation without giving a snobbish face. Nevertheless, I didn’t understand why he did it, it was like a teenager trying to pull it together and try to talk to a girl, and this guy was –at least- in his late 20’s or early 30’s, he should by now know how to differentiate between acquaintances, colleagues, friends,,,
***

L i F e

I am living an interesting phase of my life. In the past I used to have a steady rhythm to my steps. Mostly predictable moves. Taking it easy. One step at a time. Then few months ago I started to stir it up a little, because I found that doing some actions now based on futuristic predictions can turn into a waste of time if it was not planned perfectly well.

I started to redesign the way I live and started to think about my future in a different manner.

 

Normally I love of the feeling of anticipation. Just like in a roller coaster, the most exciting (and fearful) point for me is when you see the tip of the trail but nothing afterwards. And as I lived a very predictable life (from my point of view, however my family and some of my friends would disagree J ), I decided to be more daring. I started to plan for the things I wanted to do but was afraid of thinking that it might happen. Or in other words, start contemplating options that I have always thought would be out of my reach.

 

All of that accumulated in a certain point where I have to make a drastic decision.

And unfortunately I am not a person who can make up her mind easily when it comes to major decisions (except in shopping), but when I do I follow through till the end. And the funny thing is that I know that for whatever I choose I will put all my powers to make it work, and I know that whatever my decision would be I will not regret missing out the other options (hopefully), yet I still don’t know which destination I want to reach in -say- 20 years.

 

So I’m 24 and I still don’t know where I want my destination to be! What a shame!

 

My golf guru once told me that I have what it takes to do a nice golf swing. I have already a nice base of knowledge. I have the physical flexibility and strength that permit me to do it quite well. But it’s all in my mind. I have to let go. “Just arrange your thoughts, consider all the tiny movements you need to perform, then forget about all of that and release all your energy swiftly, because only at that moment you would truly feel the ecstasy of perfection”.

 

I used to smile when he said so. I didn’t know how would a simple swing would give me this pleasure. But when I truly did it right, it was unbelievable!

Oh how I want to feel the same way about the other aspects of my life…

 

 

Qui a le droit?

That’s a lovely song…

Qui a le droit – Patrick Bruel

On m’avait dit : “Te poses pas trop de questions.
Tu sais petit, c’est la vie qui t’ répond.
A quoi ça sert de vouloir tout savoir ?
Regarde en l’air et voit c’ que tu peux voir.”Qui a le droit, qui a le droit,
Qui a le droit d’ faire ça
A un enfant qui croit vraiment
C’ que disent les grands ?

And here is the translation:

I had been told : Don’t ask yourself too many questions
You know, young boy, life will answer you
What’s the use of wanting to know everything ?
Look up and see what you can see

Who has the right, who has the right ?
Who has the right to do that ?
To a child who really believes
What grown-ups tell him

I always wondered about this issue. When I was young I used to have zillions of questions, and it seems like my parents were sometimes bored with this flow of questions, I remember them saying something like what the song says (what’s the use to know everything!). One day I expressed that I really want to climb mountains, to dive, to fly, to travel all around the world, I remember something like “why would you do that? go and check the National Geographic collection and you’ll save yourself the time!”. Well, elhamdlelah I still have this urge for asking questions, but it’s frustrating how some people view this as a big disadvantage or something! Some people view that asking too many questions is just useless and as long as there are ready-made answers, why would they look furtherly. Most probably these people faced the same situation of asking questions and being told not to tire themselves with so much exclamation mark. What a life! Can you imagine living without this sense of wondering? without this feeling of excitment? of life? Well, for me I just can not!

Take Off From the Sand

What is your favorite scene in Aladin?? For me it is the one when he invites her to fly and they both go singing “A Whole New World” while sitting on the flying carpet. How romantic! How cute! How thrilling! Can’t u imagnie yourself seeing the whole world from above? (tab3an it will be much better if I had prince charming sitting next to me 😉 ) ….. ma 3aleina…

I think this was the first time I feel this spirit for flying. Later on I discovered that one of my female relatives actually did fly when she was young (it was in the 1940’s or something!),,, still,, my parents refused anything risky related to the air (I suggested flying and parachuting). So flying was was left among the hidden dreams I had. 

I tried for a while to dig on the possibility of flying, and I discovered that there is actually a club for amateurs aviators here in Cairo, and that they used to fly regularly, but now their activities are halted (due to $%^$%&!#$%%^%@!@#$). El mohem… I’m still waiting for this  $%^$%&!#$%%^%@!@#$ to finish so I can feel this thrill of taking off!

Then I discovered by mere chance about this amazing woman! I was checking out the new page in the arabist.net, it’s called Hatshepsut about feminism in the arab world (it is really a nice blog), and I found this article about Latifa El Nadi. It was my first time to hear about her!

I was SOOOOOOOOOO excited!!!!!

I was talking to my grandmother about this woman, and guess what! I discovered that my very own grandmother is named after this woman! I always wondered about the name of my grandmother (Lotfeya), and now I know!!!

El Mohem…

Here is some info about Lotfeya El Nadi:

At the age of 26, she became the first Egyptian woman to fly a plane between Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt.

She had a strict upbringing. To achieve her dream -in a time when Egyptian women fought to obtain equal rights- Lotfia had to distract her father to be able to attend flying lessons twice a week without his knowledge or consent.

When asked about the true reason of why she wanted to fly, she said “I learned to fly because I love to be free.”

More about her from El Thawra:

أوائل نشأتها عام 1932 ولم يكن معها نقود لان والدها فض هذه الفكرة فلجأت إلى كمال علوي مدير عام مصر للطيران وعندها فكر بالأمر وطلب منها أن تعمل في المدرسة وبمرتب الوظيفة يمكنها سداد المصروفات , ووافقت لطيفة على ذلك وعملت سكرتيرة بمدرسة الطيران إلى أن حصلت على إجازة طيار خاص سنة 1933 وكان رقمها 34 أي لم يتخرج قبلها على مستوى مصر سوى 33 طيارا فقط جميعهم من الرجال

I also discovered that there is a documentary movie about her! It is called “Take Off From the Sand” إقلاع من الرمال , directed by Wagueh George. The director uses this portrait of an outstanding individual to show how Egyptian women fought for years to obtain equal rights in a patriarchal nation and culture – rights seriously threatened till today. (for  glimpses of the movie, click here)

Friends, a moon, a horse and a book

هات ريشتك هات ألوانك

و ارسم على الأرض مكانك. 

هات ريشتك هات ألوانك

و تعالى نعيد يا صغيري

و تعالى نعيد من الأول شكل الأشياء و نلون

نرسم أول م حنرسم

نرسم لمّة و أصحاب

نرسم أول م حنرسم

قمرة و حصان و كتاب…. 

Bring your brushes and your colors and draw your place on earth.

Bring your brushes and your colors and let’s recreate all things.

The first things we’ll draw will be a group of friends,

The first things we’ll draw will be a moon, a horse and a book…

 

Bakkar – Mohamed Mounir

 

 

I love this song 🙂

I think that what really matters in this world are just these things: people, nature, animals and culture. Everything else is just secondary.

 

El Donia lessa bekhir

These days I have a couple of songs that I keep repeating over and over again. Tab3an Mesk El Leil, some ruba3eyat by Salah Jahin, Bahr El Hayah by Mohamed Mounir,

بحر الحياة

بحر الحياة غدار واحنا لفين راحين
شايل معاة اسرار واحنا معاة ماشين
ايام تفوت وتروح واحنا ولا حاسين
احلام تعيش وتموت يا قلوبنا يا خايفين
***
الطير بيهاجر وبيرجع الشمس بترحل وبترجع
الدنيا بتاخد وبتدى اليل لو طول هيعدى
فى ليالى بنحلم وتعبنا ورجعنا لوحدنا بعزبنا
حاول تتغيـــــر ومسيــــرك تقــــدر
وبلاش نستسلم يوم للحزن مادام عايشين
***
لو ينسى الواحد احزانة هيشوف الورد واللوانة
لو نفتح للدنيا قلوبنا هدق الاحلام على بابنا
دى ساعات الدنيا بتوعدنا ونقرب منها وتبعدنا
حبها من قلبك حبها هتحبك اضحك للدنيا
الفرحة هتيجى فى غمضت عين
***
بحر الحياة غدار …الدنيا لسة بخير
شايل معاة اسرار… فى حياتنا لسة كتير
ايام تفوت وتروح …بكرة هيجى اكيد
احلام تعيش وتموت… هيجينا حلم جديد

By the way, this site has a great collection of the lyrics of Mohamed Mounir’s songs. Remember when I was looking for the meaning of the Nubian song “allah lon ya lon“? Akhiran I found it ! 🙂

اللالون يا لون لونايا للونا
القمرة شايفينة …اييوة
واحنا مش عارفينة …اييوة
القمر دة فينة… اييوة
ياعيون رسينا
الحياة لها لون لون جمال ليالينا

I am also very happy to find the lyrics of another song I really love. I don’t know where to find it on mp3! it is called بيبه from the movie عرق البلح ,,,, It is written by Abdel Rahman El Abnoudi. Enjoy!

عمي حماده بيبه ..

بيبه جبلي طبق .. بيبه
بيبه مليان نبق .. بيبه

بيبه قاللي كولي بيبه..
بيبه قولتله ما اكولشي بيبيه

بيبه اديه لاماك .. بيبه
..بيبه امي بعيد بيبه

بيبه اخر الصعيد . .بيبه ..
بيبه و الصعيد مات .. بيبه

بيبه خلف بنات ..بيبه
بيبه خلف بنيه بيبه ..

بيبه اد الجطيه بيبه

ا خدها بدبايح .. بيبه ..

بيبه و السمن سايح .. بيبه

..بيبه سايح لوف بيبه .

.بيبه و عمللي طوق .

يالي يالي يالي يالي يالي ايل يالي

يا احمد علي يا احمد علي

اسمك علي لساني ..

بيع النخيل يا احمد علي

و هاتلي خولخالي

Even though the song rythm is sad, and it’s context in the movie is also extremely sad, but I don’t know why it leaves me in a good mood…

Last but not least, tonight is the full moon night. 3ala ra`i Sahar El Mogy in “Noun”: There is still magic in this world!   (aina3am ana lessa ma3rafsh fein, bas aho, at least I know lessa fi se7r fel 3alam)

Mesk El Leil

These days I can’t help but falling in love with Mesk El Leil by Souad Massi. The music is sooo captivating. And akhiran I found the lyrics kaman! (thanks to Hallelujah)…  So beautiful. And بحق و حقيق ,, I really miss Mesk El Leil (Honeysuckle). Its smell is beautiful. It reminds me with nights with the family at el sa7el, and sometimes I smell it in El Azhar park. Just listening to the song made me long for it…

In this season of this constantly changing weather

In this season of withering leaves

When the earth is heavy with the scent of rain

my eyes fills with tears and i think of you

i miss everything; i miss you and it hurts

and i miss the scent of mesck el lil too

in this season when the sun disappears

when the birds leave their nests

when the earth is heavy with the scent of rain

i miss everything; i miss you and it hurts

and i miss the scent of misck el leil too

i miss the streets of my childhood known by heart

and i even miss those people who hurt me

i miss everything; i miss you and it hurts

and i miss the scent of misck el elil too

 

 

فى هذا الوقت كل حال يتبدل

فى هذا الوقت كل أوراق الاشجار تبدأ تدبل

و ريحة تراب كتصب شتا

دمعة فى عينى تلعب

تفكرك انت

فى هذاى الوقت اللى تغيب الشمس و ما تزيد تبان

فى هذا الوقت كل الطيور تهاجر الأغصان

و ريحة تراب كتصب شتا

يبنللى طريقى طويل لا بيك انت

و اتوحشت و اتوحشت و اتوحشتك

و اتوحشت ريحات مسك الليل

اتوحشت الطرقان اللى حفظونى

اتوحشت حتى اللى يكرهونى

و ريحة تراب كتصب شتا

يباننلى طريقى طويل و لا بيك انت

و اتوحشت و اتوحشت و اتوحشتك

و اتوحشت ريحات مسك الليل