More than 7,500 people die on Egyptian Roads Every day. We are all used to read such figures and news in the papers.
Today my friend Veena became a number in this dark and cold statistic.
At 34 years old, on Ein Sokhna Road, on a normal Friday Veena died when her car crashed and burned.
We all have so many circles of Friends: Close friends, distant friends, business colleagues and all sorts of acquaintances/relatives. I knew Veena for around 15 years. She was my sister's best friend, at one point, and has been always in my "Gray" friendship area. Up to her marriage, 5 years ago, Veena used to through a Pre-Christmas party. So, for 10 years I got invited to this event. Her close friends helped in preparing the food. Her "gray" friends were supposed to bring small gifts and everyone was supposed to exchange gifts with everyone else in the spirit of the Christmas season. In all due honesty, I never helped with food and never got gifts. However, there was no need to worry. Every year for careless outcasts like me, there was a bag of gifts that Veena prepared. Where we got our small presents and took also some to give to others.
My grandmother used to say that is one of God's blessings that we forget our departed beloved ones. Farid, Veena's son, is only 4. He does not know his loss. He will not just grow-up without the only person who will love him unconditionally; he will grow-up without the memory. How could this be a blessing?
By pure coincidence, I have met Veena less than 24 hours before she passes away. She was leaving a restaurant at the same moment I was getting in. We just bumped into each other. In a very short, common conversation, she told me that she was going through a rough patch with no further details. I told her to hang on without providing any real support. I do not feel bad about it. We shall meet again eventually. This is the only solid fact in our life.
From the pavement – Very Sad
Samih
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
More Hassan and Morcos
Yes the movie is not that good. Yet the subjects it deals with are becoming further and further an interest to everyone.
I ate my pop corn, watched the simple minded script and listened to the direct conversations of Adel Imam and Nour El Sherif. This doesn't really matter. What matters is that I remembered. I remembered how throughout my childhood and university days the issue of religion was handled so simply with no sensitivities, clinched fists and huge anger (from both sides...)
I remember that our neighbor had 2. Then she got pregnant. Although a devote Muslim she took upon herself to fast 3 days every year for Virgin Mary if she gets a girl. Now Riham is a Physician, married with 2 children and her mom is still fasting.
The first day of every Ramadan, I used to pass by my Grand Parents neighbor. Guedo Ismail used to give money to all the kids in the building on the first day of Ramadan every year (the reason he gave us the money of the first day of Ramadan and not during the Feast still is unknown till this day.) I did not live in the building. I got the money nonetheless.
And a million more example, I can remember; as I m certain that most of us do.
I always believed that we Egyptians were the happiest people on earth. While everyone else was only celebrating a certain set of holidays and vacations, we had double of everything. Egypt is the only country on this planet that celebrates two new years eves, 4 big holidays (Iftar Feast, Christmas, El Adha Feast and Easter) and Sham El Nesim that is a purely Egyptian invention.
I am Egyptian living in Cairo. I've been raised in Heliopolis and happen to be Christian.
This is what the movie is all about...
I ate my pop corn, watched the simple minded script and listened to the direct conversations of Adel Imam and Nour El Sherif. This doesn't really matter. What matters is that I remembered. I remembered how throughout my childhood and university days the issue of religion was handled so simply with no sensitivities, clinched fists and huge anger (from both sides...)
I remember that our neighbor had 2. Then she got pregnant. Although a devote Muslim she took upon herself to fast 3 days every year for Virgin Mary if she gets a girl. Now Riham is a Physician, married with 2 children and her mom is still fasting.
The first day of every Ramadan, I used to pass by my Grand Parents neighbor. Guedo Ismail used to give money to all the kids in the building on the first day of Ramadan every year (the reason he gave us the money of the first day of Ramadan and not during the Feast still is unknown till this day.) I did not live in the building. I got the money nonetheless.
And a million more example, I can remember; as I m certain that most of us do.
I always believed that we Egyptians were the happiest people on earth. While everyone else was only celebrating a certain set of holidays and vacations, we had double of everything. Egypt is the only country on this planet that celebrates two new years eves, 4 big holidays (Iftar Feast, Christmas, El Adha Feast and Easter) and Sham El Nesim that is a purely Egyptian invention.
I am Egyptian living in Cairo. I've been raised in Heliopolis and happen to be Christian.
This is what the movie is all about...
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A Little Tale of Non-Fiction (1)
Are you bored of Love Stories and Thrillers?
After a long day's work, you find it very hard to grasp a piece of "Heavy" Literature yet you believe you deserve more than Harry Potter?
May be you should try to give it a go with a non-fiction book.
There are a lot of advantages to non-fiction over fiction books; especially, in our contemporary life style. A non-fiction does not require commitment as a novel for example. It is normally divided into more or less individual chapters or at least subject matter. So the reader might read till a certain section then stops till he feels like resuming. (I tried this once while reading Lord of the Rings. Then when I tried to get back to reading a month later it was an absolute nightmare. I did not know who's who, lost the story line and had to retract a 100 pages or so just to get back on line again...)
Furthermore, a good non-fiction will probably, actually, add concrete pieces of knowledge to its reader.
Anyway, this mini-series is really based on nothing except some very limited readings I had over the last couple of years of a few of those authors and books. Here we go...
Bill Bryson:
One of the most loved writers for in the last part of the 20th Century. He was born in the States in 1951, in a little city in the state of Iowa.
His first travel book starts with just that "I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to."
Bryson dropped out of University to Backpack travel in Europe. These travels later on became the source of his first travel book "Neither Here Nor There"
In 1973, he got a job in England and met his wife. They got married and lived in the UK till 1995.
Up till 1987, Bryson was working mainly as a journalist (The Times and The Independent) and then started writing independently. He moved back and forth from The States to The UK and is now living in Norfolk, UK.
Perhaps the Most known work of Bryson is a "Short History of Nearly Everything." This Rough guide to Science is full of Humor in addition to some very important scientific facts. It is not just about science and scientific status. It also contains a whole lot of exciting information about the lives of many scientists, their backgrounds and often funny beginnings (or endings.) For example, we learn that Hubble (Famous Astronomer who gave his name to the Hubble Telescope) was not on very good terms with his wife. After his death, she took his body and buried it in an unknown place. No one knows where Hubble is buried till today. Or, something like: On the average everyday an American ends up dead by drowning in his own bathtub. The book goes on and on. It is one of the few books that I read may be for three times.
The book won the prestigious Aventis Award in 2004.
Bryson wrote 3 books on the English Language "Mother Tongue", "Made in America" and "Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words." These works were also greatly popular though criticized by academic critics for some of their mythical/misguided facts.
Currently, I'm reading two of his works. "Shakespeare: The World is a Stage."
In this small book, an attempt is made to shed some light on the very mysterious personal life of perhaps the greatest author in the English Language; although some very little facts are known about his life. "We do not know if he ever left England. We do not know who were his principal companions were or how he amused himself... On only a handful of days in his life can we say with absolute certainty where he was... For the rest, he is a kind of literary equivalent of an electron - forever there and not there."
The other book is "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid."
In this book, Bryson is making a very witty account of his years as a child growing up in the America in the 1950's.
"By 1951, when I came sliding down the chute, almost 90 per cent of the American families had refrigerators, and nearly three quarters had washing machines, telephones, vacuum cleaners and gas or electric stoves - things that most of the world could still only fantasize about... In early December, his wife (referring to Bryson's mom) went into Mercy hospital and with very little fuss gave birth to a baby boy: their third child, second son, first superhero."
In short, it is all in the way it is told. Any subject tackled by Bill Bryson becomes humorous, witty and exciting. He is the kind of writer, I would have dreamed of becoming. I became a construction engineer instead. Well, no one said that this world is fair after all...
After a long day's work, you find it very hard to grasp a piece of "Heavy" Literature yet you believe you deserve more than Harry Potter?
May be you should try to give it a go with a non-fiction book.
There are a lot of advantages to non-fiction over fiction books; especially, in our contemporary life style. A non-fiction does not require commitment as a novel for example. It is normally divided into more or less individual chapters or at least subject matter. So the reader might read till a certain section then stops till he feels like resuming. (I tried this once while reading Lord of the Rings. Then when I tried to get back to reading a month later it was an absolute nightmare. I did not know who's who, lost the story line and had to retract a 100 pages or so just to get back on line again...)
Furthermore, a good non-fiction will probably, actually, add concrete pieces of knowledge to its reader.
Anyway, this mini-series is really based on nothing except some very limited readings I had over the last couple of years of a few of those authors and books. Here we go...
Bill Bryson:
One of the most loved writers for in the last part of the 20th Century. He was born in the States in 1951, in a little city in the state of Iowa.
His first travel book starts with just that "I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to."
Bryson dropped out of University to Backpack travel in Europe. These travels later on became the source of his first travel book "Neither Here Nor There"
In 1973, he got a job in England and met his wife. They got married and lived in the UK till 1995.
Up till 1987, Bryson was working mainly as a journalist (The Times and The Independent) and then started writing independently. He moved back and forth from The States to The UK and is now living in Norfolk, UK.
Perhaps the Most known work of Bryson is a "Short History of Nearly Everything." This Rough guide to Science is full of Humor in addition to some very important scientific facts. It is not just about science and scientific status. It also contains a whole lot of exciting information about the lives of many scientists, their backgrounds and often funny beginnings (or endings.) For example, we learn that Hubble (Famous Astronomer who gave his name to the Hubble Telescope) was not on very good terms with his wife. After his death, she took his body and buried it in an unknown place. No one knows where Hubble is buried till today. Or, something like: On the average everyday an American ends up dead by drowning in his own bathtub. The book goes on and on. It is one of the few books that I read may be for three times.
The book won the prestigious Aventis Award in 2004.
Bryson wrote 3 books on the English Language "Mother Tongue", "Made in America" and "Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words." These works were also greatly popular though criticized by academic critics for some of their mythical/misguided facts.
Currently, I'm reading two of his works. "Shakespeare: The World is a Stage."
In this small book, an attempt is made to shed some light on the very mysterious personal life of perhaps the greatest author in the English Language; although some very little facts are known about his life. "We do not know if he ever left England. We do not know who were his principal companions were or how he amused himself... On only a handful of days in his life can we say with absolute certainty where he was... For the rest, he is a kind of literary equivalent of an electron - forever there and not there."
The other book is "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid."
In this book, Bryson is making a very witty account of his years as a child growing up in the America in the 1950's.
"By 1951, when I came sliding down the chute, almost 90 per cent of the American families had refrigerators, and nearly three quarters had washing machines, telephones, vacuum cleaners and gas or electric stoves - things that most of the world could still only fantasize about... In early December, his wife (referring to Bryson's mom) went into Mercy hospital and with very little fuss gave birth to a baby boy: their third child, second son, first superhero."
In short, it is all in the way it is told. Any subject tackled by Bill Bryson becomes humorous, witty and exciting. He is the kind of writer, I would have dreamed of becoming. I became a construction engineer instead. Well, no one said that this world is fair after all...
Saturday, June 14, 2008
On The Second Time (Part 1)
(1)
Even Police Stations look different in Heliopolis; so clean and so much light. I tried to remember what time it was. I could not tell for sure. The last time I looked, it was 8:30 pm. But it seemd like it has been such a long time since then. I just got through the station front door and was practically dragged by anonymous strong arms. To where? I could not tell. We were moving quickly and a lot of people surrounded me, all talking at the same time. I understood every word they said but did not make anything out of it. My mouth kept on a monotonous murmur: It was not my fault; it was not my fault…
Finishing school was never really a viable option for me. Just passing my third preparatory year (at 17), my father sent me to take care of the Family Kiosk in Heliopolis. A prestigious, well paid job that made me the envy of almost every guy my age, and the desire of a lot of girls, in our desolate alley situated deep inside Imbaba. My day was fairly simple, I would take a Microbus everyday from Courniche to Heliopolis, open up to customers at around 9:30am and close at 9:30pm. Almost all my clients were regulars. The school kids from the private primary near by, people from the neighberhood and regular pass buyers consituted my day for almost two years. "You should start looking for a wife." El Hagga said. "It is still to early" I replied and thought to myself "Why stick to one when you can have a lot." I smiled sheepishely.
- I have never seen a similar car, wow... My friend Ahmed said. I tilted my head a little bit and he was right. An amazing big black 4x4 just pulled in font of us.
The electric window opened up and the man inside asked for a pack of cigarettes. I got what he wanted and put it on the selling board in front of me. Without even looking at me, and without getting out of his shining car, I saw him getting out the money of his pocket, stretching his hand to me.
Some people think they own this world. Even more, they think they own us with it; as an irrelevant bonus. I make less than 50 piasters profit per pack of cigarettes. If this moron thinks I'll leave my chair to serve him he is gravely mistaken. I continued my imaginary phone converstation.
- A pack of Lights please. I heard him say.
- .... So, Ahmed you said that the goods will be a little late. I went on my fake phone converstaion.
Incrudelously, he got out of his 4x4. He slammed the door, went all around the huge vehicle and gave me a 10 pounds note.
- We don't have change. I said. Do you have 50 P.
He gave me 50P. Grabbed the pack and was gone in less than a second. I despised him so much. I hated him, his smell and his car. No one owns me.
(2)
There is a king in everyone of us. I smiled to myself. Even this little bugger in this wretched Kiosk thinks that he is better than to pass me a pack of cigarette.
He does not look at me and even fakes a phone conversation just to avoid moving his.... and does his job. Egypt will never be a respectable country as long as these lazy worms live in it.
Everyone sees the new Chevrolet Blazer, dad got from Saudi when he came back, thinks that we got in bed with a Saudi Prince or something.
Twenty seven years of hard labor, twenty seven years away from his family and for what?? A small appartment in Helipolis, the big 4x4 and a small sum at the bank. Small business men in Egypt make more in a year then what he wasted his life upon. I puffed loudly the smoke of my cigarette.
Friday, April 4, 2008
At the Movies: More NOT to See Movies
It took me some time to get out this second part of the NOT to See Movies, however, beware the following comments may contain spoilers. So if you are willing to take the risk and watch these movies do not read any further.
Vantage Point:
8 People and 8 point of views. This is what the trailer sais and man isn't it true!! The movie revolves around a main incident that takes only around 20 minutes. Then the movie repeats it for 8 times!!! It is true that the incident involves the assassination of the US president but come on how much Drama can one put in a 20 minute story?? No matter how you look at it...The movie is action packed but again with some serious flaws in the story line. Till the end a lot of the "twists" do not make any sense. The movie then ends with a pure coincidence that saves the US president. So, the civilized world can sleep in peace... The day is saved.
PS I love you:
She has played the role of a Lesbian and a Boxer very successfully. Then to everyone's amazement Hilary Swank takes a U Turn and decides to take on a romantic comedy. I am not convinced. The movie is essentially barely OK. Hilary's young husband dies after a short struggle with illness. Nonetheless, he leaves to his devastated wife a series of letters to help through the first year of grief. To some this might sound very romantic. To me the movie was a little too cheesy. All throughout the movie, one thought keeps going back and forth in my mind. Was it better to leave the widowed wife to face her grief and moves on?? Or leaving her a series of letters that served mainly to remind her of her loss??
Rendition:
Everyone seems to be making movies discussing Terrorism and the Middle East these days. Well, this is one of these movies. Reese Witherspoon is an American Pregnant wife. For no good reason her husband is kidnapped by the CIA during the course of a bomb explosion investigation. The explosion took place in a North African Country and kills many including an American officer. It is illegal to keep an American (even from Egyptian origins) for no good cause. To avoid this, the CIA transport the accused to the North African country (where there is presumably no law) to keep, question and torture the poor innocent guy. The movie runs two parallel stories in different times. This is a bit confusing but OK (even if I missed the point of the second story.) The second story is about the daughter of the Arab Chief of Police whom his daughter loves the terrorist who plants the bomb to kill her father!!! A typical Middle Eastern Melodrama!!!
These are the movies and this is my opinion and as I said in the beginning. You can watch whatever you like at your own risk.
From The Pavement
Samih
Vantage Point:
8 People and 8 point of views. This is what the trailer sais and man isn't it true!! The movie revolves around a main incident that takes only around 20 minutes. Then the movie repeats it for 8 times!!! It is true that the incident involves the assassination of the US president but come on how much Drama can one put in a 20 minute story?? No matter how you look at it...The movie is action packed but again with some serious flaws in the story line. Till the end a lot of the "twists" do not make any sense. The movie then ends with a pure coincidence that saves the US president. So, the civilized world can sleep in peace... The day is saved.
PS I love you:
She has played the role of a Lesbian and a Boxer very successfully. Then to everyone's amazement Hilary Swank takes a U Turn and decides to take on a romantic comedy. I am not convinced. The movie is essentially barely OK. Hilary's young husband dies after a short struggle with illness. Nonetheless, he leaves to his devastated wife a series of letters to help through the first year of grief. To some this might sound very romantic. To me the movie was a little too cheesy. All throughout the movie, one thought keeps going back and forth in my mind. Was it better to leave the widowed wife to face her grief and moves on?? Or leaving her a series of letters that served mainly to remind her of her loss??
Rendition:
Everyone seems to be making movies discussing Terrorism and the Middle East these days. Well, this is one of these movies. Reese Witherspoon is an American Pregnant wife. For no good reason her husband is kidnapped by the CIA during the course of a bomb explosion investigation. The explosion took place in a North African Country and kills many including an American officer. It is illegal to keep an American (even from Egyptian origins) for no good cause. To avoid this, the CIA transport the accused to the North African country (where there is presumably no law) to keep, question and torture the poor innocent guy. The movie runs two parallel stories in different times. This is a bit confusing but OK (even if I missed the point of the second story.) The second story is about the daughter of the Arab Chief of Police whom his daughter loves the terrorist who plants the bomb to kill her father!!! A typical Middle Eastern Melodrama!!!
These are the movies and this is my opinion and as I said in the beginning. You can watch whatever you like at your own risk.
From The Pavement
Samih
Sunday, March 23, 2008
At the Movies: The Must NOT See List
For the last couple of months, I decided to waste my spare time. Instead of doing anything useful like reading , writing, doing any activities or sports I went to the movies instead. Admittedly, it was a colossal waste …
Anyway, here is a list of the movies I saw and that I WOULD NOT ADVICE anyone to see ever, not in Cinemas, DVD's (even if you decide to buy the cheap 10 LE ones) or Showtime (even if you have the stolen decoded card)
One Missed Call:
This is the only movie that I know of recently that scored Zero in all reviews. It is perhaps one of the worst movies that I got to watch. The plot is very simple: A girl dies. After her death, her friend receives a Multimedia message. On this message, it is recorded the sound of this friend dying. The time of this message will be the time when this friend dies. When the moment comes, she dies. Another friend receives a similar message and the whole thing is repeated again. A handsome investigator gets of course involved with the girl who finally escapes it all. There is a simple twist and a reason written by a 10 year old behind the 5 or 6 deaths of course. The only good thing about this movie that it is very short, less than 1.5 hrs.
Jumper:
Another Super Hero movie, but this time without a super hero. The leading character of this movie has the unique ability to JUMP from one place to other. However, he does not use his POWERS for any common good. He just Jumps around, steals money and travels to different exotic destinations for the fun of it. Things cannot be left at that certainly. There is another group, that for religious reasons, hunts downs all Jumpers and kills them, our guy included of course. One thing leads to the other and the movie ends with a huge twist: The leader of the hunters is the Jumper Mom. The movie then terminates abruptly leaving you waiting for Part II. Not Me certainly…
Golden Compass:
If you are craving for a cheap copy of the Chronicles of Narnia this might be the one for you. Nicole Kidman plays the villain. But obviously she had some stomach problems and constipation during shooting. A lot of things from the original book are missing leaving the storyline with a lot of holes. After 2 hours, nothing much happens and the whole things terminates with a dialogue preparing you again for Part II. The one part movies are getting out of Fashion for the Major Studios that's for sure.
One good idea in the movies though is that every character is accompanied by an animal. This animal reflects this character's personality.
Then I imagined Egypt, 80 million people and 80 million accompanying animals. That would be a sight… and what would be these animals?? That another story.
Wait for us in Part II and more Not to See movies. In our next episode: Rendition, Vantage Point and more…
Anyway, here is a list of the movies I saw and that I WOULD NOT ADVICE anyone to see ever, not in Cinemas, DVD's (even if you decide to buy the cheap 10 LE ones) or Showtime (even if you have the stolen decoded card)
One Missed Call:
This is the only movie that I know of recently that scored Zero in all reviews. It is perhaps one of the worst movies that I got to watch. The plot is very simple: A girl dies. After her death, her friend receives a Multimedia message. On this message, it is recorded the sound of this friend dying. The time of this message will be the time when this friend dies. When the moment comes, she dies. Another friend receives a similar message and the whole thing is repeated again. A handsome investigator gets of course involved with the girl who finally escapes it all. There is a simple twist and a reason written by a 10 year old behind the 5 or 6 deaths of course. The only good thing about this movie that it is very short, less than 1.5 hrs.
Jumper:
Another Super Hero movie, but this time without a super hero. The leading character of this movie has the unique ability to JUMP from one place to other. However, he does not use his POWERS for any common good. He just Jumps around, steals money and travels to different exotic destinations for the fun of it. Things cannot be left at that certainly. There is another group, that for religious reasons, hunts downs all Jumpers and kills them, our guy included of course. One thing leads to the other and the movie ends with a huge twist: The leader of the hunters is the Jumper Mom. The movie then terminates abruptly leaving you waiting for Part II. Not Me certainly…
Golden Compass:
If you are craving for a cheap copy of the Chronicles of Narnia this might be the one for you. Nicole Kidman plays the villain. But obviously she had some stomach problems and constipation during shooting. A lot of things from the original book are missing leaving the storyline with a lot of holes. After 2 hours, nothing much happens and the whole things terminates with a dialogue preparing you again for Part II. The one part movies are getting out of Fashion for the Major Studios that's for sure.
One good idea in the movies though is that every character is accompanied by an animal. This animal reflects this character's personality.
Then I imagined Egypt, 80 million people and 80 million accompanying animals. That would be a sight… and what would be these animals?? That another story.
Wait for us in Part II and more Not to See movies. In our next episode: Rendition, Vantage Point and more…
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
I'm Bored..
I'm bored and I thought everyone should know it.
"What's new to that?" you'll say to yourself, "Aren't we all??"
I'm bored of driving everyday to work. I'm bored of traffic, people not paying attention to where they are going or where I am. Microbuses playing an endless death match and racing an unseen enemy.
I'm bored of TV and movies. For some reason, the world just ran out of ideas. Egyptian films however unlike their American counterparts are both poor in content as well as production.
I'm bored of attending weddings. All the ceremonies are the same, the bride and groom dance, their friends join in. Elder people are, sitting by, nodding with their heads and I don't know if it's of admiration or discontent. Then if you are patient enough you just might be able to grab a bite to eat in the midst of the jam of it all.
I'm bored of meeting my ex-girlfriends by coincidence and I'm bored of my wife getting mad at me for it. No one can own your past. They either own your present or your future. Needless to say your wife owns both.
I'm bored of Christmas. Each year Christmas comes at the same time. They play the same carols and I buy the same things. I'm bored of people telling me that Christmas is not solely for shopping it is a time to cherish with family, to reflect , to love,…
Every year the same Christmas and every year the same words. Has anyone ever thought that may be Christmas is for shopping, partying and having a good time and that's it? Just like Ramadan when everyone insists that it is for praying, supporting the poor and getting closer to God. However, it ends up in a frenzy of TV series and shisha outings…
Do we have to connect our festivities to something bigger than us? And use that as an excuse to take a vacation and have a good time?
Can't we just have the National day for "Eat as much as you can" or the "Sinai vacation Weekend or something?" And embrace our human nature.
Samih
Sitting on the Pavement…. Bored
"What's new to that?" you'll say to yourself, "Aren't we all??"
I'm bored of driving everyday to work. I'm bored of traffic, people not paying attention to where they are going or where I am. Microbuses playing an endless death match and racing an unseen enemy.
I'm bored of TV and movies. For some reason, the world just ran out of ideas. Egyptian films however unlike their American counterparts are both poor in content as well as production.
I'm bored of attending weddings. All the ceremonies are the same, the bride and groom dance, their friends join in. Elder people are, sitting by, nodding with their heads and I don't know if it's of admiration or discontent. Then if you are patient enough you just might be able to grab a bite to eat in the midst of the jam of it all.
I'm bored of meeting my ex-girlfriends by coincidence and I'm bored of my wife getting mad at me for it. No one can own your past. They either own your present or your future. Needless to say your wife owns both.
I'm bored of Christmas. Each year Christmas comes at the same time. They play the same carols and I buy the same things. I'm bored of people telling me that Christmas is not solely for shopping it is a time to cherish with family, to reflect , to love,…
Every year the same Christmas and every year the same words. Has anyone ever thought that may be Christmas is for shopping, partying and having a good time and that's it? Just like Ramadan when everyone insists that it is for praying, supporting the poor and getting closer to God. However, it ends up in a frenzy of TV series and shisha outings…
Do we have to connect our festivities to something bigger than us? And use that as an excuse to take a vacation and have a good time?
Can't we just have the National day for "Eat as much as you can" or the "Sinai vacation Weekend or something?" And embrace our human nature.
Samih
Sitting on the Pavement…. Bored
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