Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Till Your Ears Bleed - My 2010 Welcome theme




TillYourEarsBleed.mp3


I made this  piece in san francisco in year 2000.
in year 2001 my 'industry' (I.T)  'crashed' .. my company went under . i lost my job on my birthday in june 2001.
paradise lost .. the dream of freedom and dignity slipped again from my fingers .. that freedom i was only able to feel in the United States of America.
I am serious. I felt a connection with the land and the people. I felt i am able to belong , and belong and belong. I was able to live my different identities . i was able to be an Arab , an artist , a woman, a geek , a Canadian even , I was able to be a better Canadian in the USA. I was able to wear my  Palestinian Koufiyeh and my Jordanian shmagh without fear.. I was able to get involved and express myself as a citizen even though i wasnt even a US citizen! True I was living in a very special place , California is a special place. I was involved in politics without fear. I love that place!
i had to leave. jobs were scarce after the hi-tech bubble burst .. and after 911 there was no chance on earth for me to get a job .. an Arab and not even an american , arab looking and with an accent .. not the perfect age or gender or skin color either .. no way.. i tried very hard..  but ..no way
i couldnt afford it ... i realized my generous severance package will run out soon if i dont do something ...
so much soul searching..
so much .. day and night
battling with my fear
barely any support
i came up with the decision to go back to Canada! after all i am a Canadian citizen , this is my country too.. it is my country in a different and special way .. a country of choice. I jumped through hoops and loops to make it my country . I studied and passed. I went through rigorous examinations and had to live in freezing cold for years to earn my Canadian citizenship.
i was drawn to Canada because of the reputation it has, the values it preaches . not because i was starving in my country. I thought it was a place where people have dignity and freedom and equality. and everyone has the same opportunity and respect. I wanted to live in canada because i wanted to live in a democracy and in peace and have opportunities and be able to help others in the world. That is why I chose Canada to be my new country.
Living in the east wasnt bad. The culture in Montreal is awesome . there is racism but at least there is culture and passion and good food. but the weather is very cold!   it's just frigging cold ! so so so cold ! no one can comprehend the intensity of this cold except people who live in it.
the gas used to freeze in my car . i once cried from the cold. i made the mistake of taking off my mitten to try and open my car door , the lock was frozen , the exposure of my hand without the mitten for a few minutes made me cry , i felt my fingers will fall off ! it was so painful!
no way would i go back! so cold!
i decided to go back to school to become a film director !
i decided to move to Vancouver. and i didnt know anything about Vancouver. just that it's the closest biggest Canadian city, never been there and met maybe only 3 or 4 people from there in all the years i lived in Canada!
I drove up all the way to vancouver. I slept in the car at night  and drove during the light.
I had a dream long before this happened. It was strange because I dont know much about vancouver, I never think of vancouver. It was sometime in  2000/2001 I was working in silicon valley totally enjoying the sun and the freedom and the opportunitues..
i had a dream one day , in my sleep; I dreamt i was in Vancouver , and there was an earthquake ..
i was alone .. and the earth was shaking .. but a voice inside me was telling me not to be afraid .. i was ducking  under a small construction that looked like a box made out of concrete and i was feeling safe and that everything will just be allright!
this song was my canada re-entry theme. i drove up all the way to Vancouver.. it was fall time and the colors of the leaves was fascinating .. on my way i found a safari zoo , and then a bird sanctuary .. i stopped and visited ! i felt free and in bliss.
l never ended up living in vancouver or  going back to school.
my life took turns like i had never expected..
i discovered that the east is not like the west . the frost of the cold is mercy compared to the cold fire of the racism.
what a hard decade ! I call it my British Columbia decade!
the hardest in my life but fantastically transforming!
I thank Canada , I love Canada , and I am a proud Canadian , still inspired by the canadian values of human rights and freedom and protection of the environment and animals and caring and helping other people of the world.. etc..  which are unfortunately being stepped on by our government while canadians watch silently!

so there you go , that is the story of this music
Goodbye 2000-2009
welcome
2010 !
may it  be  THE year where the deepest human aspiration of peace and fulfillment of basic need becomes reality

Monday, December 28, 2009

Where are the horses? وين الخيل

سألت الطير ياخدلك رسالة
I asked the bird to deliver a message to you
تشرح لوعتي وشوق الليالي
That explains my burning and my longing nights
وانا قاللي الطير
and the bird said to me
ما يقدر جناحي
My wings cannot
على حمل الحنين
carry all the longing
اللي بالرسالة
in this message
....
وين الخيل
where are the horses?
تشق الليل
to break the silence of night
تاخدني ديار الغالي
and take me to the lands of the loved one
عالفرقة ما عادلي حيل
i cant handle being away anymore
حالي بيشفق على حالي
my self feels sorry for myself
مش قادر اصبر
i cant be patient
ومنين
and from where
صبر بلاقي
can I find patience
دلوني
guide me
...
...


javascript:void(0)

Monday, December 21, 2009

بنت الحارس - فيروز


Watch Bent El Hares (La Fille du gardien) in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

سفر برلك - فيلم من السبعينات لفيروز

Fairouz - A Queen in Las Vegas





The preparations




Fast Facts



 The concert was held in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on the 15th of May '99.
 The tickets were sold for: $50, $75, $150 and $300.
There was no tour, Ziad didn't go and there originally were 10,000 tickets for sale.
 The songs performed:
Instrumentals: National American and Lebanese anthems and Abu Ali (Ali was cut from the video)
First segment: Dhawi Yahal Andeel, Atem Ya Layl, Taree' Elnahl and Nassam Alyna Elhawa.
Choir: Haddouni (from Jisr Elamar) and Khayef Koun Eshetek (from Ziad's Sahryie).
Second segment: Ya Ana Ya Ana, Ahwak and Aetini Enay.
Choir: Daloni Ala Enayn Esood (cut from the video) and Ya Bent Elmeawen (both from Ziad's Sahryie).
Third Segment: Mawal Ana Wenta, Ya Henayna, Laylii Betrja Ya Layl, Ya Jisran Khashabian and Sanarjiou Youman.
Fourth Segment: Irjaay Ya Alf Layla, Ya Laylo Esabo, Law Kan Qalbi and Ya Man Hawa.
Instrumental: Sa'aloni Enas.
Choir: Qases Wara'a (from Nas Men Waraa/cut from the video) and Tallou El Siyadi (from Rings for Sale).
Fifth Segment: Arrab Elmoued, Nehna Welamar Jiran, Is'har, Kifk Inta, Khedni and Oudak Ranan.
Sixth Segment: Aa Hadir Elbosta, Lama Elamar Ghab, Iza Elard Medoara, Oghniat Elwada'a and Zorouni.

The Concert







here is the whole concert in case the above video doesnt work http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XODU1MDE4NzI=.html

 Alhayat says 16 thousand and Assafir says 12 thousand people attended the concert. Regardless of that, the concert was originally intended for 10 thousand fans. How can one explain this? Fairuz broke the record she set for herself in mere two days when the MGM Grand changed concert plans and expanded the arena to its full capacity. People came from all over the world to attend the concert. A lot have said they first heard about it from the Internet. That was one thing I liked very much because I hope this site has helped with it. The song titles and more information about the concert can be found in the articles which are now accessible from the special's general information section. But what's most notably great was the presence of Assy and Mansour through all the classics she performed, Ziad through the musical introduction and Kifk Inta and Nasri Shameseddine through Haddouni which the choir performed. That was not just a concert.
 On the back page of Assafir newspaper, there was an update of the concert. It's going to be a success! Not that I questioned it, but the ticket prices and the location ... Anyway MGM asked for Fairuz's permission to open the arena to it's maximum capcity because there's an enormous pressure on the ticket sales which I hope this site has helped in. Read the article in Arabic.
 Fairuz leaves tomorrow (Sunday) for Las Vegas on the Middle East airliner. Maestro Mike Haro, who conducted her recent concerts, will accompany Fairuz in her trip as well as 24 musicians, 10 choir singers, technicians and managers, all totaling 42 persons. She has made interviews with both the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times newspapers. She has been rehearsing for a week now. Please contact me if you have access to the interviews. You can also check the article in the general information and promotional material part of the special. Source: Assafir 5/8
 MGM fixed the seating capacity of the stage for a maximum audience of 10,000 seats not 16,000, by Fairouz's request.
 Ziad will not join Fairuz to Las Vegas.
 There will NOT be any tour. It's one concert like it's being advertised. If the technical issues are quickly settled in Las Vegas, It's being thought to produce, with MGM grand, some promotional items as commemorative memorabilia. Unfortunately, it seems already short on time for this to happen, so all you folks going to the concert, start praying.
 To all those still having second thoughts about attending the concert. What's wrong with you? If you are not 100% sure that you will attend other future concerts, can you tolerate forsaking seeing Fairuz in concert? It's not easy to make a concert every year in the States and it can be a long time before Fairuz returns there. The last time she was there was years and years ago and the next one can be years and years away, if it was even considered. It's not late to buy yourself a ticket but it can be very soon. If you've never been to Las Vegas, it can be an interesting experience. With all the colors and lights of the city and then attending the Fairuz concert, the experience can be too surreal that if not for the photos you're going to take, you may question if it was only a dream. One that will linger in your memories forever. Don't waste anymore time. Really.
 Just to clear something out, the news on the American tour is not confirmed. Add to that MGM is advertising the Las Vegas concert as a one historic performance. It seems logical that there will be more than one concert as it is cheaper to produce and guaranteed to succeed. However, to be on the safe side, anyone planning to see Fairuz should attend the Las Vegas concert. Again, no need to remind everyone that the tickets have been on sale for more than a week now and that the concert has been advertised about in major American newspapers, so it's wise to buy tickets now, if you plan to attend the concert. This week you can get to see the seating configuration as well as the press release of Fairuz's concert. There is also a scanned ad from Los Angeles Times of the concert.
 Fairuz's upcoming concert in Las Vegas is closing in. The May 15 will be marked as the greatest day of 99 by loyal Fairuz fans in North America and the concert as the greatest event to end this century. She will perform in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The arena can hold up to 16000 seats. The tickets are on sale and they are going fast, after all it's only one concert (that I know is confirmed). The tickets prices are set at $50, $75, $150, $300. For ticket sales call toll free 1- 877- 984-7263 or 702- 891-7777. Information on Fairuz's concert at the MGM site. Information of the Arena, Concert Configuration of the arena and the Schedule of the upcoming concerts including Fairuz's. The promotion is starting up and as Ammar has posted on the message board, there was an ad in the New York Times of the concert. Thanks Ammar. Will post follow-ups when become available throughout the week.





General Information + Promotional Material


 MGM Concert Press Release.
 Seating Configuration.
 LBC's pre-concert report (realvideo).
 LBC's pre-concert documentary (contains pictures and media files).
 Radio Advertisements: Arabic Version & English Version(Special thanks to Arab Dreamer.)
 The Concert's Promotional Material: The Concert Poster (current/original).
 The Concert's Promotional Material: The Concert Poster 2 (temporary poster).
 Assafir article about the concert. (5/8/99)
 Assafir article about the concert. (5/15/99)
 Assafir article about the concert. (5/17/99) CONCERT DETAILS
 Alhayat article about the concert. (5/17/99) CONCERT DETAILS
 Yet another article about the concert. (5/17/99) CONCERT DETAILS - PICTURES
 New York Times article by Neil MacFarquhar. - CONCERT DETAILS - PICTURE (off site link)
 Beirut Times article on Fairuz.
 Beirut Times article on the Las Vegas concert.
 Featured Advertisements: Concert Advertisement (Color) and Los Angeles Times.
 Concert Pictures: Fairuz in white and in yellow. And a newly added picture in white and yet another picture.
 An autographed photo of Fairuz.
 The special booklet from the concert.
 Personal Experiences.
 Click here to visit an off site link that contains some concert pictures.

فيروز - مسرحية ميس الريم Mays El Reem - Fairouz, Nasri Shams El Deen

From Aleppo to Hollywood -العقاد A documentary about the great late Arab Director Mustafa Aqaad

Sunday, December 20, 2009

فيروز- ترنيمة نجمة العيد fayrouz -Christmas Carol-The Star of the Holiday






 نجمة العيد 



The star of the Holiday 
نجمة العيد - الأخوين رحباني 
Lyrics By The Rahbani Brothers


ضوي بليالي سعيدي
Shine your light
in happy nights
 يا نجمي بيتا قريب 
Oh, star
whose home is not far
جايي من دنيي بعيدي
She comes from a far away world
 تتلج عهالكون طيب 
That snows perfumes on this universe


يا سما
Oh... sky..
 و تتلج أشعار و سلام 
That is snowing poems and peace
يا سما
Oh... sky...
 و تتلج أشعار و سلام 
That is snowing poems and peace


حكيولي حكايي غريبي
they told me  strange story
 و الأرض عيونا دموع 
while the eyes of the earth were full of tears
قولي قولي يا حبيبي
Tell me tell me.. my beloved
 جايي لعنا يسوع 
Jesus is coming to us


يا سما
Oh... sky...
 و تتلج أشعار و سلام 
That is snowing poems and peace..







Friday, December 18, 2009

Paradise Now - Award winning Palestinian Film الجنّة الآن

(from Wikipedia)

Paradise Now (Arabic: الجنّة الآن‎) is a 2005 film directed by Hany Abu-Assad about two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Israel. It won a Golden Globe for best foreign language film and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.
"The film is an artistic point of view of that political issue," Abu-Assad said. "The politicians want to see it as black and white, good and evil, and art wants to see it as a human thing."



















Production

Hany Abu-Assad and co-writer Bero Beyer started working on the script in 1999, but it took them five years to get the story before cameras. The original script was about one man searching for his friend, who is a suicide bomber, but it evolved into a story of two friends, Said and Khaled.
The filmmakers faced great difficulties making the film on location. A land mine exploded 300 meters away from the set.[2] While filming in Nablus, Israeli helicopter gunships launched a missile attack on a car near the film's set one day, prompting six crew members to abandon the production indefinitely.[3] Paradise Now's location manager was kidnapped by a Palestinian faction during the shoot and was not released until Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's office intervened.[2] In an interview with the Telegraph, Hany Abu-Assad said, "If I could go back in time, I wouldn't do it again. It's not worth endangering your life for a movie."[4]

Distribution and marketing

The Israel Film Fund is underwriting the film’s distribution in Israel.

Statements by the filmmakers

In Hany Abu-Assad's Golden Globe acceptance speech he made a plea for a Palestinian state, saying he hoped the Golden Globe was “a recognition that the Palestinians deserve their liberty and equality unconditionally."[5]
In an interview with a Jewish American Tikkun magazine, Hany Abu-Assad was asked "When you look ahead now, what gives you hope?", "The conscience of the Jewish people" he answered. "The Jews have been the conscience of humanity, always, wherever they go. Not all Jews, but part of them. Ethics. Morality. They invented it! I think Hitler wanted to kill the conscience of the Jews, the conscience of humanity. But this conscience is still alive...Maybe a bit weak...But still alive. Thank God."[6]
Co-producer Amir Harel is a Jewish Israeli, who told reporters that "First and foremost the movie is a good work of art", adding that "If the movie raises awareness or presents a different side of reality, this is an important thing."[7]

Controversies

Oscars

Paradise Now was the first Palestinian film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. An earlier Palestinian film, Divine Intervention (2002), had controversially failed to gain admission to the competition, allegedly because films nominated for this award must be put forward by the government of their country, and Palestine's status as a sovereign state is disputed.[8] However, since entities such as Puerto Rico, Hong Kong and Taiwan have been submitting entries for years although they are not sovereign states with full United Nations representation, accusations of a double standard were made.[9]
Paradise Now was submitted to the Academy and to the Golden Globes as a film from 'Palestine'. It was referred to as such at the Golden Globes. However, Israeli officials, including Consul General Ehud Danoch and Consul for Media and Public Affairs Gilad Millo, tried to extract a guarantee from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that Paradise Now would not be presented in the ceremony as representing the state of Palestine, despite the fact it was introduced as such in the Academy Awards' official website.[10] The Academy Awards began to refer to the film's country instead as "the Palestinian Authority". This decision angered director-writer Hany Abu-Assad, who said it represented a slap in the face for the Palestinian people and their national identity. The Academy subsequently referred to it as a submission from the "Palestinian Territories".[11] In a further complication, Israeli writer Irit Linor points out that "according to internationally accepted conventions, the nationality of a film is usually determined by the country that invested in it - and that while the film was categorized by the Academy as representing Palestine, it was produced with European funds, by an Israeli-Arab director."[12]
On March 1, 2006, a group representing Israeli victims of suicide bombings asked the Oscar organizers to disqualify the film. These protesters claimed that showing the film was immoral and encouraged killing civilians in terror acts.[13]

Anti Semitic themes

In February 2006, Irit Linur, an Israeli novelist and screenwriter, pointed out to some anti-Semitic themes in the film.[14][15] Linur argued that the only Jew who has a speaking role in the movie is "Abu Shabab", the moniker of an Israeli Jew who take Said and Khaled to Tel-Aviv. Before they leave his car "Abu Shabab" wishes them "good luck" in Hebrew. "Abu Shabab" is supposed to be paid for transporting the suicide bombers only after the mission is completed. In this, the maker of the movie imply to the notion that Jews are greedy and will aid suicide attacks against other Jews for money, thus reflecting an existing theme inside Palestinian textbooks.[16]
Linur also drawed attention to another and more forthright example of an anti-Semitic canard, which is to be found in the conversation between Said and a Palestinian cab driver. The driver claims that Jewish settlers poisoned the wells by Nablus in order to harm the quality of Palestinians' semen. This accusation echoes the fib that the Black Plague was caused through poisoning of wells by Jews.[17] Again this accusation is reflecting an actual theme in Palestinian political discourse.[18]

Responses

Paradise Now has an 89% rating on the review compendium website Rotten Tomatoes.[19]
Stephen Holden, in his October 28, 2005 article in the New York Times, applauded the suspense and plot twists in the movie, and the risks involved humanizing suicide bombers, saying "it is easier to see a suicide bomber as a 21st-century Manchurian Candidate - a soulless, robotic shell of a person programmed to wreak destruction - than it is to picture a flesh-and-blood human being doing the damage."[20]
In February 2006, Irit Linur wrote that the film's use of sophisticated techniques and symbolism was used to present caricatures, recycle anti-Semitic myths and introduce Christological associations in the film.[21]

Awards

Academy Award

Golden Globe

Other awards won


Arabic only version - full length

Arabs/Muslims contribution to science

Monday, December 14, 2009

snow .. snow .. تلج تلج Fairuz فيروز


تلج تلج
snow .. snow ..
عم بتشتي الدنيي تلج
the world is raining snow ..
و النجمات حيرانين
and the stars are confused
و زهور الطرقات بردانيين
and the flowers of the streets are feeling cold
تلج تلج
snow .. snow..
عم بتشتي الدنيي تلج
it is falling down
و الغيمات تعبانين
and the clouds are tired
عالتلة خيمات مضويين
and on the hills some tents are lit
و مغارة سهرانه
and a cave is not sleeping
فيها طفل صغير
it has  a little child in it
بعيونو الحلياني
in his beautiful eyes
حب كتير كتير
plenty , plenty of love
تلج تلج
snow .. snow .
عم بتشتي الدنيي تلج
is falling down
كل قلب
in every heart
كل مرج
and in every meadow
زهر فيه الحب متل التلج
love has blossomed like snow
و جاي رعيان من بعيد
and shepherds come from far away
وينو الطفل الموعود
where is the promised child?
هون يا رعيان العيد
here , shepherds of joy
هون الليل االمنشود
this  is the  night you sought
تلج تلج
snow ... snow..
شتي خير
rain goodness
و حب
and love
و تلج
and snow
على كل قلب
on every heart
على كل مرج
on every meadow
ألفة و خير و حب
love and connection and goodness
متل التلج
just like snow..

تلج تلج
snow .. snow ..

 

Saturday, December 12, 2009

إرحل - Leave - Ahmad Qaabour - songs for Palestine





إرحل - Leave - Ahmad Qaabour - songs for Palestine


إرحل.. قالوا لي
Leave, They said to me
جند أتوا من بعيد
Soldiers who cam from far away

قالوا إرحل
They said : Leave!


دخلوا بيتي
They came into my home..
 قتلوا ولدي
They killed my son..
إغتصبوا امرأتي
They raped my wife...
قالوا إرحل..
They aid : Leave!

حفروا في الوجه مغارة
They engraved a cave in my face
مرّوا على جسدي
They ran over my body
زرعوا في القلب رصاصة
They planted a bullet in my heart
نصبوا لي الخيمة
They installed a tent for me
قلت سأبقى مارداً جرحاً يعانق تربتي
I said I will stay , a giant wound embracing my soil
و طرقت باب أمتي
and I knocked on the doors of my nation
وكانت نائمة
and it was sleeping
و بقيت وحدي
and i was left alone
وأمتي تحلم
while my nation was dreaming
دخلوا وأمتي تحلم
They came in .. while my nation was dreaming
قالوا إرحل..
They said : Leave!!

هذه بلادي واعلموا أن الصغار
This is my country and you better know that the small ones
من دورة الأحلام تمتلك القرار
from the cycle of dreams will own the decision
من سجون الليل تنتزع النهار وتمضي عواصفا
from the prisons of the night it grabs the daylight
and move like storms

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Yummy






Dalida - Salma Ya Salama




In the wide world
and it's many countries
I went around and around
and when it called me;
my first love..
i left everything
and i came
and i came
and in his embace I threw myself
and i sang
safe ..
safely
oh how sweet
we left
and we came back
safely

love is still pure
and the weather is still warm
and there is still
a moon
and after the sunset
we get together in a boat
and we stay up all night
and sing all of us together
there is a tree
in a garden
it has a sign on it
i have been thinking a lot about it
and question so often
i wonder if it exists
and is my heart engraved in it
yes
it does exist
and my heart is engraved in it

safe ..
safely
oh how sweet
we left
and we came back
safely



Saudi apologizes to his wife by posting a huge banner near her family's house سعودي يعتذر لزوجته بلافتة كبيرة علقها قريبا من بيت أهلها



                 The banner says in Arabic: May, forgive me I swear to God I love you                     
May (is the name of the woman) 


Dubai - Arabic. Net
A Saudi husband hung a banner on the canvas of a pedestrian bridge in the city of Khobar Corniche Road, which included his request for forgiveness from his wife and an emphasis on his commitment to her. This is after several desperate attempts made by the husband where he also involved other people to resolve the problem.


The newspaper "Okaz", which reported the news said that her husband tried more than once to get his life's forgiveness via text messages on her mobile phone, and sent mediators to resolve the ongoing dispute between them for more than two months, which he described as «simple» no more than a "Girls' sulking" by he put it.


On the choice of the site, the husband said that he considered what he did as a (formal apology) in front of everyone, "There are other reasons to choose where, its proximity to the wife's family home where she is staying, which means that the chances of view of the banner will be larger. " The husband said this will not be the last attempt to regain his wife, however, "I hope that the attempt will be fruitful, and my wife comes back to her home."


Previously, a similar event took place in Egypt when a husband carried a 5 meter banner in front of her house accompanied with a musical band! to ask his wife for forgiveness for his mistake(s). He said that she she deserved to have to public apology.


A Jordanian husband did the same thing but this one went to his wife's work, He took a huge banner to the airport where she works as a flight attendant. She was coming back from work , from a flight , as she got out of the bus she was surprised by her husband holding an large apology banner. The media was there to cover this unusual event.


في حادثة تكررت في مصر والأردن
سعودي يعتذر لزوجته بلافتة كبيرة علقها قريبا من بيت أهلها


دبي- العربية.نت    علق زوج سعودي لافتة قماشية على جسر للمشاة في طريق كورنيش مدينة الخبر، تضمنت طلبه الصفح من زوجته والتأكيد على تمسكه بها، وذلك بعد محاولات يائسة بذلها الزوج لإعادة المياه إلى مجاريها مع شريكة حياته ومحاولات أخرى لذوي الطرفين.


وذكرت صحيفة "عكاظ" التي أوردت الخبر أن الزوج حاول غير ما مرة إرضاء زوجته، عبر رسائل نصية على هاتفها النقال، وإرسال وسطاء لحل الخلاف الناشب بينهما منذ أكثر من شهرين، والذي وصفه بـ«البسيط» ولا يتعدى كونه "زعل بنات" ـ حسب تعبيره.


وحول اختياره للموقع، ذكر الزوج أنه يعتبر ما فعله بمثابة (اعتذار رسمي) على مرأى من الجميع، مضيفا "هناك سببان آخران لاختيار المكان، أولهما أنه ملفت للأنظار، والثاني لقربه من مسكن أسرة الزوجة حيث لجأت إليهم، ما يعني أن فرص مشاهدتها للوحة ستكون أكبر". واستبعد الزوج أن تكون تلك المحاولة هي الأخيرة لاستعادة زوجته، واستدرك "أتمنى أن تؤتي المحاولة ثمارها، وتعود زوجتي إلى منزلها".


وسبق لهذه التظاهرة أن حدثت في مصر عندما كتب لافتة بطول 5 أمتار حملها إلى منزل أهل زوجته مع فرقة موسيقية ليطلب منها الصفح بعد أن أخطأ في حقها وليقول لها إنها تستحق أن يعتذر لها أمام الملأ.


وفعل نفس الشيء زوج أردني ولكنه ذهب باللافتة إلى مقر عمل زوجته التي تعمل مضيفة للطيران وبقي في انتظار عودتها من إحدى الرحلات لتتفاجأ بلافتة اعتذار كبيرة عقب نزولها من حافلة العمل وسط حضور عدد من وسائل الإعلام لتغطي هذا الاعتذار غير المعتاد في الأردن.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Lebanese to Israel: Hands off our hummus!



Lebanese chefs react after preparing a massive plate of hummus, seen in the middle, weighing more then 2,056 kilograms, during a bid to break a record previously held by Israel and reclaim ownership over the popular Middle Eastern dish, in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday Oct. 24, 2009. The event is part of a simmering war between Lebanon and Israel over regional cuisine. Lebanese businessmen accuse Israel of stealing traditional Middle Eastern dishes, like hummus, and marketing them worldwide as Israeli products.


((AP Photo/Hussein Malla))

from: http://www.connpost.com/ci_13634457

I am addicted to حمص (Hummus)

TITLE: I am addicted to حمص

DATE: 11/14/2006 20:00:28





I am addicted to  Hummus حمص





I cant stop eating Hummus
عن جد... مش قادرة اوقف أكل حمص   ... بحبه بحبه
بموت في ربه


والله

شكرا يا رب على الحمص

Thank you God for the Hummus











 with olive oil زاكي مع زيت الزيتون


 and salt and lebon وملح ولمون


 and hot pita وكماج سخن

 



  and summak and cummin
وسماق وكمون

  and a fresh tomato وحبة بندورة



 






 and some olives مع شوية زتون






 God bless the Hummus يسعد رب الحمص





My feet are planted in the ground

But I want my head to be in he stars at the same time. to relax to the fact that things are taken care of, what will happen will happen and things are where they are and that is how it is . maybe there is a deeper meaning for things and maybe there isnt. But fighting what will happen doesnt make sense. it will not prevent it. and yes we do our best so that the outcome is favourable to us, but we can never control the outcome , just influence it , maybe - slightly. OR do we create reality with our thoughts? or prayers? I dont know . One thing I know is that if i am supposed to loose my job or home or money etc... it will happen, and just like a tree or a fish is taken care of I will be taken care of. history has proved it.
 
What makes my heart beat and my lungs breathe will keep me alive just as t happened before, lifts me from the lowest of the lowest to a place I never thought I will be in. I sometimes think that the collective thoughts of the people around us and who think of us in addition to our own thoughts is what creates our reality, or more accurately co-create our reality along with the mystery of God ... the universe ... what beats my heart and makes my lungs breathe and my eyes see...
so if you are surrounded by racists for example , and they all lay a negative discourse on you, say you are living in the heart of the most racist town and you are the only aboriginal person , all the people around you are projecting on you . they are dressing you with a particular discourse: the looser, the drunk , the lazy one.. etc... they treat you as such , you start believing them , if you believe in something but 1000 people around you tell you that you are wrong you start doubting yourself. They are creating your reality and you are playing along if you dont stand firm with your feet planted in the ground.
so there is a big story, everyone is part of writing it, if we dont pay attention who is writing our story , it will not be written like we want , we end up living someone else's dreams not yourself, lost , miserable, weak, self resentful etc...

BUT, what is the line between self deception and standing your ground, being egotistic and refusing to change or see yourself vs allowing others to write your story.. sometimes - actually more often than not, these things mix up in my mind . Once i let it go all the way and .. I paid a very high price. so I will never allow anyone to write my story no matter what.  I wont let it happen. Whatever we think we will attract - they say. So we shouldnt focus our energy on the negative and be very aware of the dangerous consequences.



الغصة كبيرة... بس الأمل أكبر
مش راح أسمح لحدا يهدني... يكسر نفسي أو عزيمتي




My inner Cat Blog

i know .. that sounds very geeky and weird. but my inner cat has a blog! Is it weird that I have an inner cat , or that a cat has a blog? or both?

you know how cats are, they like attention.
i had to post this for her ..

:)



لا تسألوني Dont ask me ما اسمه حبيبي what the name of my beloved is -فيروز Fairuz






لا تسألوني
Dont ask me
ما اسمه حبيبي
what my beloved's name is
اخشى عليكم
I worry about you
ضوعة الطيوب
from the fragrances that will fill the air
والله
I swear
لو بحت بأي حرف
If I mention one word
تكدس الليلك في الدروب
The lailacs will fill the roads

لا تسألوني
Don't ask me
ما اسمه
What is his name
حبيبي
My beloved


ترونه في ضحكة السواقي
You see him in the laughter of the streams
في رفة الفراشة اللعوب
and in the fluttering of the playful butterfly
في البحر في تنفس المراعي
In the ocean , in the breath of the meadows
وفي غناء كل عندليب
and in the snging of every nightingale

في ادمع الشتاء حين يبكي
In the tears of winter when it cries
وفي عطاء الديمة السكوب
and it the generosity of the black cloud
that is pregnant with rain
محاسن لا ضمها كتاب
 Beauty that wasnt written in a book
ولا ادعتها ريشة الأديب
or claimed by the pen of a writer

لا تسألوني ما اسمه
 Dont ask me what his name is
كفاكم
 enough ..stop
فلن أبوح باسمه
I will not tell you his name
حبيبي
My beloved..

لا تسألوني
Dont ask me
ما اسمه حبيبي
what the name of my beloved is
اخشى عليكم
I worry about you
ضوعة الطيوب
from the fragrances that will fill the air
والله
I swear

لو بحت بأي حرف
If I mention one word

تكدس الليلك في الدروب
The lailacs will fill the roads

لا تسألوني
Don't ask me
ما اسمه
What is his name
حبيبي
My beloved


Saturday, December 5, 2009

- A woman's dairy - by Nizar Qabbani - يوميات إمرأة

Nizar Qabbani was called the poet of women because he often puts himself in her shoes and writes from a woman's perspective. This is a part of one of his poems that he wrote from a woman perspective.


Why in our city
لماذا في مدينتنا ؟
Love is fake and smuggled?
نعيش الحب تهريباً وتزويراً ؟
We steel from the cracks of the door
a meeting
ونسرق من شقوق الباب موعدنا
exchange letters
ونستعطي الرسائل
and go on dates
والمشاويرا
Why in our city
لماذا في مدينتنا ؟
They kill birds and emotions?
يصيدون العواطف والعصافيرا
Why are we tin foil?
لماذا نحن قصديرا ؟
what good is a person
وما يبقى من الإنسان
when he becomes tin foil?
حين يصير قصديرا ؟
why are we duplicitous?
لماذا نحن مزدوجون
Feelings and thoughts
إحساسا وتفكيرا ؟
Why are we earthly?
لماذا نحن ارضيون ..
Low , afraid of the sun and the light?
تحتيون .. نخشى الشمس والنورا ؟
Why are people in our town
لماذا أهل بلدتنا ؟
torn by their contradiction
يمزقهم تناقضهم
In their Waking hours
ففي ساعات يقظتهم
They violate the braids and the skirts
يسبون الضفائر والتنانيرا
and when the night hides them in its folds
وحين الليل يطويهم
they ....(i'll check what he means here)
يضمون التصاويرا
I ask myself always
أسائل نفسي دائماً
Why wouldnt love in the world be
لماذا لا يكون الحب في الدنيا ؟
for all people?
لكل الناس
all people
كل الناس
like the rays of the dawn
مثل أشعة الفجر
why can it be like bread and wine
لماذا لا يكون الحب مثل الخبز والخمر ؟
like water in the river
ومثل الماء في النهر
like the clouds , and the rain
ومثل الغيم ، والأمطار ،
and the grass and the flowers
والأعشاب والزهر
isnt love for humans
أليس الحب للإنسان
like a life within a life?
عمراً داخل العمر ؟
why cant love in my country be
لماذا لايكون الحب في بلدي ؟
natural?
طبيعياً
like lips meeting lips
كلقيا الثغر بالثغر
and flowing
ومنساباً
like my hair flows on my back
كما شعري على ظهري
why cant people love with ease and softness?
لماذا لا يحب الناس في لين ويسر ؟
like the fish in the sea?
كما الأسماك في البحر
like the moons revolve in their orbits
كما الأقمار في أفلاكها تجري
why cant love in my country be
لماذا لا يكون الحب في بلدي
necessary
ضرورياً
like a book of poerty
كديوان من الشعر
My breasts in my chest
انا نهدي في صدري
are like two birds
كعصفورين
that died of heat
قد ماتا من الحر
like two oriental saints
كقديسين شرقيين متهمين بالكفر
accused of heresy
كم اضطهدا
How (so often) they were oppressed ...
وكم رقدا على الجمر
How they lied on the bright coal
وكم رفضا مصيرهما
how they refused their fate
وكم ثارا على القهر
how they revolted over injustice
وكم قطعا لجامهما
how they broke their leash
وكم هربا من القبر
and how they ran away from the grave
متى سيفك قيدهما
when will their chains be untied?
متى ؟
when
يا ليتني ادري
I wish i knew
نزلت إلى حديقتنا
I went to our garden
ازور ربيعها الراجع
to visit its beautiful spring
عجنت ترابها بيدي
i kneaded its dirt with my hands
حضنت حشيشها الطالع
I embraced its grass
رأيت شجيرة الدراق
I saw a little peach tree
تلبس ثوبها الفاقع
wearing her bright dress
رأيت الطير محتفلاً
I saw the bird celebrate
بعودة طيره الساج
the return of her lover
رأيت المقعد الخشبي
I saw the wooden chair
مثل الناسك الراجع
like the returning monk
سقطت عليه باكية
i collapsed on it .. crying
كأني مركب ضائع
like a lost boat
احتى الأرض ياربي ؟
Even the earth , oh God
تعبر عن مشاعرها
expresses her feelings
بشكل بارع ... بارع
in an amazing way..
amazing
احتى الأرض ياربي
even the earth,  oh God..
لها يوم .. تحب فيه ..
has a day ,
to fall in love
تبوح به ..
to express it
تضم حبيبها الراجع
to embrace her returning lover
وفوق العشب من حولي
and on the grass around me
لها سبب .. لها الدافع
she has a reason
she has a motivation
فليس الزنبق الفارع
neither the tall tulips
وليس الحقل ، ليس النحل
nor the fields
nor the bees
ليس الجدول النابع
not the bursting stream
have anything
سوى كلمات هذى الأرض ..
except the words of this earth
غير حديثها الرائع
I feel inside me a resurrection
أحس بداخلي بعثاً
that breaks my shell off of me
يمزق قشرتي عني
and drives me to run
ويدفعني لان أعدو
with the children in the street
مع الأطفال في الشارع
I want
أريد..
I want
أريد..
like any flower in the garden
كايه زهرة في الروض
she opens her teary eyelids
تفتح جفنها الدامع
like any bee in the garden
كايه نحله في الحقل
she gives her useful nectar
تمنح شهدها النافع
I want
أريد..
I want to live
أريد أن أحيا
with every cell of me
بكل خليه مني
the pleasures of this life
مفاتن هذه الدنيا
its velvety wide night
بمخمل ليلها الواسع
an its biting cold winter
وبرد شتائها اللاذع
I want
أريد..
I want to live
أريد أن أحيا
All the heat of reality
بكل حرارة الواقع
All the stupidity of reality
بكل حماقة الواقع
My brother's is back from the whore house
يعود أخي من الماخور ...
At dawn ... drunk
عند الفجر سكرانا ...
He returns,
like a Sultan
يعود .. كأنه السلطان ..
Who made him Sultan?
من سماه سلطانا ؟
and he stays in the eyes of the family
ويبقى في عيون الأهل
the most beautiful..
the most precious
أجملنا ... وأغلانا ..
and in his clothes of whoreness
ويبقى في ثياب العهر
he remains, the purest and the most virtuous
اطهرنا ... وأنقانا
My brother is back from the whore house
يعود أخي من الماخور
like a cock , in ecstasy
مثل الديك .. نشوانا
Praise whom created him from light
فسبحان الذي سواه من ضوء
and created us from cheap coal
ومن فحم رخيص نحن سوانا
and praise him who erases his sins
وسبحان الذي يمحو خطاياه
and does not erase ours
ولا يمحو خطايانا

Interesting blogs by Arabs