I returned back home walking again tonight after work, and on my mind was still yesterday’s thoughts. I was thinking about the strangers I meet everyday in my life. How many of them will drop in the middle of the road, who will stay as strangers as they are, and who will continue with me the path of life..
So, Hello stranger.. where are you?!
Tonight I left the bus and went back home walking; and throughout the way, my last visit to Beirut was on my mind. I remembered the first night I spent walking with strangers in the streets. It was my first time to travel somewhere new and spend it with people I barely know. I was frightened. But then the other night I walked alone, I wasn’t as frightened as expected. The streets of Beirut were cozy and familiar, and I felt free.. free as I never felt before..
I always love walking and loved it more when I was taken away in a new place with new faces. Some in-comprehended beauty was added to the atmosphere, as I was re-discovering myself..
Today, I was at peace with the world. And as I am about to travel again, I wonder if I will have the same chance. I wonder if I can keep walking till I find my way back home..
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Was humming this piece of music by Marcel Khalife throughout the streets of Cairo. The one embedded here is not a complete version. I’ve trimmed it to the parts I love the most..
~ Popular Caf
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أنا وانت نسينا نتعاتب ونتصارح
وعز عليك تسيب العند وتسامح
وعز علي أكون البادي واتصالح
وأصبح كل يوم بينا يفوت أصعب من امبارح
“We have sinned against love” is a relatively old song by famous Egyptian singer Om Kalthoum. And although it was first sung in 1962, it is still considered a hit widely cherished.
Actually, I advise you to try and listen to the song, even if you don’t understand the lyrics. I did a rough translation for the four lines quoted above; sadly, it is incomparable to original words in Arabic.
Me and you, we have sinned against love,
We forgot to be frank and reproach.
You felt too proud to give up your stubbornness and forget,
And I felt too proud to be the first to forgive.
Then everyday passes, became harder than the day before..
One of the confusing things I noticed between my Arab friends, is how divided they are – when it comes to their opinion about the west. They either think of it as the source of conspiracies theories, fake liberties and double standards or “the model” the Arab world should blindly follow.
I seldom met someone who is half way between both opinions..
So here comes my two questions to you (whether you are a western or an Arab):
1. Changing tables, are your western acquaintances divided in the same way towards Arabs? or is it different? does that have anything to do with cultural background?
2. Also I’m interested to know the definition for “the west” in your context?
Marcel Khalifah
Omayma Khalil
~ I will write
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After years of writing in two separate blogs, Lasto Adri [Ar] and On my own [En], I finally decided to settle down and write in this one and only one blog. This decision was taken in a way to concentrate on writing dreams I have for quite sometime. Not that I promise to write more often, but to stay organized, and put my work together in one place for easy searching and indexing.
As you might have noticed, my previous blogging experience was mainly with blogger platform. I -then- had a failed trial with Drupal, before going to WordPress at last. During the migration process, some of the comments were lost. So I do apologize if your comment is missing here or there, it is a not intended mistake.
I also do apologize for deleting some of the old posts from both blogs. I had spent the past two weeks going through and reading what I’ve been writing the past 5 years – since December 2004. Some posts cheerfully reminded me of the merry old days, others brought back bad memories. So, I’ve revised them all again and kept only what I still wish to share with the world.
Credit goes to Sakura Chihaya beautiful photograph for the picture in the header, and for the minimalistic Zsofa design. Also a must be given Thank You goes to my friends Mohammed Jad El Rab, Hisham Sadek and Hanadi Moussa for helping me with WordPress and CSS related questions. I’ve bombarded them with tons of questions lately, but they were really patient and taught me a lot.
In the mean while, as I am working on tweaking the design and organizing posts, please free to point out any faults you stumble. Also, feel free to get in touch or drop by an email or comment. It is as always and for always.. highly cherished..
وسط قراءتى على نور الأباجورة الصغيرة.. والإستماع لمسجلى الجديد…
تذكرتُ أننى فى مثل هذا الوقت من العام الماضى.. كنت أتمنى سيارة، ومنزل صغير..
وفى هذا العام أتمنى آلة تصوير وكمبيوتر صغير.. والكثير من الترحال والسفر..
فلم أعد أريد أمنيات العام الماضى مجدداً..
2009..
كنتِ كريمة معى.. رغم ندوب قسواتك الباقية..
2010..
لن أطلب منكِ الكثير.. لكن كونى رحيمة بقلبى..
Tagged: عربي
سأذكرك بكل خير يا صديقى..
وسأنتظرك، كما انتظرتُكَ من قبل..
حتى تعودَ لى.. أو أصادفُكَ فى عامٍ آخر
Tagged: عربي
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