September Books

September was not a productive month :(

First, there were the Eid, then school started with its preparation and adjusting to different hours.
And now we are very busy with the final touches on the new flat which we will- hopefully- be moving to soon.

So i only managed to read only ONE book and a half  :)

but here it's anyway,

1- Brida- Paulo Coelho

This book has touched me so deeply and had reasoned with me.

This is what the back cover of the book says :-

This is the story of Brida, a beautiful young Irish girl, and her quest for knowledge. On her journey she meets a wise man who teaches her about overcoming her fears, and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the hidden music of the world. They see in her a gift, but must let he make her own voyage of discovery. 

As Brida seeks her destiny, she struggles to find Balance between her relationships and her desire to transform herself. 

 Some excerpt from the book to give you a bit of sense of the book :-

" Now, I've discovered that the search can be as interesting as actually finding what you're looking for"

"There's no point in understanding the entire universe if you're alone"

"our relationship with the world come through our five senses" 

"And what makes you think that we, with our path and our dedication, understand the universe any better than other people?"

"play your part and don't worry about what others do. believe that God also speaks to them, and that they are as engaged as you are in discovering the meaning of life"

"right now, while we're here eating, ninety-nine percent of the people in this plant are , in their own way, struggling with that very question, why are we here? Many think they've found the answer in religion of in materialism, others despair and spend their lives and their money trying to grasp  the meaning of it all. a few let the question go unanswered and live for the moment, regardless of the results or the consequences" 

"what is now proved was once only imagine" by William Blake, one of her fav. authors said so which gives her enough faith to go in search of wisdom.

" we are all masters of our own destiny, we can so easily make the same mistakes over and over. we can so easily flee from everything that we desire and which life so generously places before us"

"finding one important thing in your life doesn't mean you have to give up all the other important things"

"there are no beautiful or ugly bodies, because all had followed the same trajectory, all were the visible part of the soul they inhabited"

"even if she were seventy years old she would still be proud of her body, because it was through her body that soul could do its work"

beautiful review of the book here 

I guess the book helped me a lot more in understanding my femininity.

10 Rules for Brilliant Women

 10 Rules for Brilliant Women .

And since you ALL are brilliant ones, ladies :) ,

then this is definitely are for you .

Read them And Embrace them.

10 Rules for Brilliant Women 

Tara Sophia Mohr

I coach brilliant women, lots of them. Dedicated, talented, brilliant women.

Most of the time, they don't know their brilliance. They are certain they "aren't ready" to take on that next bigger role. They are more attuned to the ways they aren't qualified than to the ways that they are. They are waiting for someone to validate or discover them. Sound familiar?

It's a huge loss. Collectively, we miss out on the contributions of thousands of capable leaders. Brilliant women themselves miss out on the fulfillment that comes from using their abilities fully.

Let's set ourselves on a different path, with these 10 rules for brilliant women: 

1-Make A Pact

No one else is going to build the life you want for you. No one else will even be able to completely understand it. The most amazing souls will show up to cheer you on along the way, but this is your game. Make a pact to be in it with yourself for the long haul, as your own supportive friend at every step along the way.

2- Imagine It

What does a knock-the-ball-out-of-the-park life look like for you? What is the career that seems so incredible you think it's almost criminal to have it? What is the dream you don't allow yourself to even consider because it seems too unrealistic, frivolous, or insane? Start envisioning it. That's the beginning of having it.

  

 3-Supress Your Inner Critic

Start doing things that make you gasp and get the adrenalin flowing. Ask yourself, "What's the gasp-level action here?" Your fears and a tough inner critic will chatter in your head. That's normal, and just fine. When you hear that repetitive, irrational, mean inner critic, name it for what it is, and remember, it's just a fearful liar, trying to protect you from any real or seeming risks. Go for the gasps and learn how false your inner critic's narrative really is, and how conquerable your fears.

4- Get A Thick Skin

If you take risks, sometimes you'll get a standing ovation, and sometimes, people will throw tomatoes. Can you think of any leader or innovator whom you admire who doesn't have enthusiastic fans and harsh critics? Get used to wins and losses, praise and pans, getting a call back and being ignored. Work on letting go of needing to be liked and needing to be universally known as "a nice person." 

( my biggest problem which needs a long post <<< Wafa' Speaking :) ) 

 5-Be An Arrogant Idiot

Of course I know you won't, because you never could. But please, just be a little more of an arrogant idiot. You know those guys around the office who share their opinions without thinking, who rally everyone around their big, (often unformed) ideas? Be more like them. Even if just a bit. You can afford to move a few inches in that direction.

 6-The Voice That Says, "I'm Not Ready Yet."

I know, I know. Because you are so brilliant and have such high standards, you see every way that you could be more qualified. You notice every part of your idea that is not perfected yet. While you are waiting to be ready, gathering more experience, sitting on your ideas, our friends referenced in rule five are being anointed industry visionaries, getting raises, and seeing their ideas come to life in the world. They are no more ready than you, and perhaps less. Jump in the sandbox now, and start playing full out. Find out just how ready you are.

7-Don't Wait For Your Oscar

Don't wait to be praised, anointed, or validated. Don't wait for someone to give you permission to lead. Don't wait for someone to invite you to share your voice. No one is going to discover you. (Well, actually, they will, but paradoxically, only after you've started boldly and consistently stepping into leadership, sharing your voice, and doing things that scare the hell out of you.)

 8-Filter Advice

Most brilliant women are humble and open to guidance. We want to gather feedback and advice. Fine, but recognize that some people won't understand what you are up to (often because you are saying something new and ahead of your time). Some people will find you to be not their cup of tea. Some will feel threatened. Some people will want to do with your idea only what is interesting or helpful to them. So interpret feedback carefully. Test advice and evaluate the results, rather than following it wholesale.

 9-Recover And Restore

If you start doing the things that make you gasp, doing what you don't quite feel ready to do, and being more of an arrogant idiot, you are going to be stretching out of our comfort zone--a lot. Regularly do things that feel safe, cozy, and restorative. Vent to friends when you need to. Acknowledge the steps you've taken. Watch your tank to see how much risk-taking juice you have available to you. When it's running low, stop, recover and restore.

 10-Let Other Women Know They Are Brilliant

Let them know what kind of brilliance you see, and why it's so special. Call them into greater leadership and action. Let them know that they are ready. Watch out for that subtle, probably unconscious thought, "because I had to struggle and suffer on my way up...they should have to too." Watch out for thinking this will "take" too much time - when the truth is it always has huge, often unexpected returns.

Source : HuffingtonPost

The Survivor's Psalm

For all of you out there who has been a victim, 

gone through it all and still there,  

you are a survivor :) 

The Survivor’s Psalm

I have been victimized.

 I was in a fight that was not a fair fight.

 I did not ask for the fight.

 I lost.

 There is no shame in losing such fights.

 I have reached the stage of survivor.

 And am no longer a slave of victim status.

 I look back with sadness.

 Rather than hate.

 I look forward with hope rather than despair.

 I may never forget but I need not constantly remember.

 I was a victim.

 I am a survivor.

* i found this beautiful piece in a site which i forgot but thanks to whoever wrote it . 

Stats

lately blogspot has added a "Stats" button. I found it just recently and it is fun to watch.

What interests me most was the "audience" . 

Usually you will find only where do most people come from in " All Time". But if you check on "now ,day,week and month " you will find interesting places where people come from . 

They probably were  passers by who didn't stay for a minute.

Right now as i am writing , i checked and found the following " United States, United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Latvia" . On the Day tab there were people from " United States, United Kingdom,Saudi Arabia,  Jordan, Canada, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Turkey ". The Week Tab shows people from " United States, United Kingdom,Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, India,Australia, Iran,Canada".

Now, here is what i was thinking when i saw the names i underlined and in red. I am not so familiar with the daily life of people from these countries.  I actually can not find a lot of information about these countries beside the typical stereotype which the worldwide media likes to highlight . Some of them like " Serbia, Turkey , Latvia and Iran"  are not easy to find good sources about  in English or even Arabic . 

So.... Whether you like this blog or not and if you only stays for a second or an hour and you happen to be from any country beside " Saudi Arabia, United States and Jordan", Can you please leave a simple comment suggesting some good sites about the life in your country and even better if you could add some links for blogs of people with different interests , they only have to be in English since Arabic is probably not an option here. 

( if you wonder why not Saudi Arabia, USA and Jordan ? it's because most of my blog links are from these 3 lovely countries )

I love to know a lot about other countries and cultures and know more about the life of ordinary people. People like me and you who just happen to be in different countries. I honestly wish that I know different languages to be able to know more, cuz it happen that i believe "another tongue is another life". 

If you are not from any of these countries but you know good blogs and sites, then i would really appreciate your help.

Thanks in advance :) 

P.S: it would even be better if you leave a link to your site or blog, unless you are a Japanese spam then those  links are not appreciated  :P

Happy Birthday Saudi Arabia

Happy Birthday Saudi Arabia.

Thursday the 23rd of September is Saudi Arabia National Day .

And here is what will happen in this special day. 

The media will talk endlessly about the achievements of the governments .The glories of the past , the present and what amazing future it will have.

People -in the past couple of years-enjoyed it because it is an off-day. A day where it all goes green and chaotic. It's way better to stay at home on this day. 

It's a messy but beautiful day, or at least we have a day where we can celebrate being one nation like the rest of the world. 

I wanted to write about the following before and kept wondering when but since it's "The National Day" i thought why not now. 

We love our country and only because we love it we want it to be a better place. We used to live in middle ages literally. We couldn't express our needs and frustration. Speaking about the country or the king or even the least important official was a big thing. 

Things have changed hugely in the past couple of years . The region of King AbduAllah is different and since 9/11 things changed. Yes it's not perfect but things are moving forward at least. Things is changing. When i say things, i say it to mean all walks of life. 

So... when some one criticized the country or mentioned its fault it does not mean they hate it or trying to show a bad image about it to the world. Criticism supposed to happen out of love and care. The idea that you criticize something out of hate is not entirely true. 

Who care what the rest of the world think about us if we are doing it right in here ? 

who care if the whole world think we have no respect to human rights when maids and workers are treated badly if we do respect their rights and fight for and with them to have it . The idea of  hiding that some maid has been killed or raped so the world wont think we are brutal is way backward. 

Are we this so much closed on ourselves. 

Did we stop reading the rest of the world headlines? 

they too have problems and they point them out , maybe to sell, but solution always happen.

Remember how many kids used to die or gone missing suddenly and no one knows about them ? 

Now we know that not all parents are angel , thanks to those who dare to publish and show the " bad side" of  human nature not "Saudi nature ". Cuz the same happens all over the world but you don't read probably. Now there are huge steps in taking caring of abused children . 

did we ever have that? Thanks to criticism. 

Thanks to speaking out loud.

I am probably doing the same right now by asking them to not get it wrong, i know that those who believed Saudi Arabia is the "best country in the world " and "the land of Islam "and "a great nation" have the right to critisie anyone who want to critise the great image they have in mind. 

But ...let's be honest here and REALIZE for sure that in any country in the world there is the good and the bad. And we are no different. 

If i say i have a bad family that doesn't mean all families are bad. When i write about my problems ,venting out and look for a solution , i tend -like many- to not mention every now and then "this is only my miserable life and there are others who live happily eve rafter"   the same way everyone with a happy family and great life wont say during a good post about his/her great life "this is only my great life, there are others who live a shitty life ". 

So don't get offended when some woman ask for their rights, simple rights, because not all of us have great fathers or brothers. some even have their lives controlled by far less important male members of their extended family. 

If women ask to be able to drive for example, they are not traitors who are "westernized " and "trying to give us a bad name" or " not good Muslims". It's just that driving is very important for them and some unfortunately don't have the luxury of a driver to stand outside their own houses waiting for them. They have to take a taxi who might do/say whatever he like because there is not definitive law against that. 

If you are happy that doesn't mean that every single person in this wide country is as happy as you are. And the same if you are miserable. 

When we post about "brothers/sisters relationship in Saudi Arabia" i was the only one with the negative story, the rest have great stories to say about their brothers. 

It's a big place , a big beautiful country.

With different stories and when people tell it, they are not against their country, they simply fed up.

Is it selfishness? i think so, but hey that MY own thinking and not EVERYONE'S. 

Let the world talk and say whatever they have to say about us. We have educated people who can answer that. And if they decide not to believe us then it's up to them. Let it be a PR problem. 

The idea that you can not talk so no one will get us wrong is over. 

People wants to have their god giving rights and if someone else claims to already have it then good for you, don't be vain and arrogant and ask people to stop asking for their rights just because you are afraid for your good image in front of your "western friend". Oops i label too :) 

Until every single person in this country have his/her right then people will talk and they are not traitors, they are as good and loyal citizens as you and you and you and you are. 

P.S: That's only a bit :) 

Life Learnt Lessons

Saying that i have not learned a THING from life previously was/is a big lie . I did learn a lot. And i like to think of myself as a good learner , most of the times actually.

Simple things i have learned from life so far. 

So what has life taught you , go on and share "your lessons" either in the comment section or if you prefer in a post in your blog.

-Dictatorships (in any forms) is one of the few things in life that can take away your pleasures and leave you in pain and alone for the rest of your life. 

-Applying YOUR rules to everything around you can damage people's lives.

-It's easy to judge people's actions , choices of works or behaviors as long as we aren't  in their shoes.

-Poverty is and will always be the number one enemy to human being.

-Mother's love is not always unique and unconditional.

-Desperation is very dangerous and can lead to an awful choices.

-YOUR wrong and right doesn't apply to me and mine doesn't apply to you.

-Love can be found in the strangest places.

-Labeling and trashing people is the easiest thing to do and it always comes from self hatred and vanity.

-Ideas can be planted in people's mind so easily even with the smartest of us. 

-Sometimes sticking to that final straw is a sign of weakness, and the only way to get out of that situations is to face your problems.

-Lots of people depend on paranormal activities to explain unfortunate incidents in their lives.

-One shoe, one bag or one anything can mean nothing to you but the whole world to someone else.

-Children should only be children , nothing more or less.

-Imagine having the luxury of losing nothing !! some don't even have that luxury.

-When parents force their kids to work at an early age, it doesn't mean that they don't love them. It's simply is wrong.

-Poverty can take away your happiness and it might not. Happiness doesn't necessarily mean lots of money.

-Money might help you to achieve happiness but it's not happiness.

-Don't give someone more than what they have asked for , sometimes it's messy and they can not do anything with it.

-Hating someone because of their religion or sect is the most dangerous , it will escalate to hating and discriminating against anyone who is different than you in anything. Think twice. 

Welcome to Planet Earth

Welcome to Planet Earth,

it's a beautiful place with lovely people , to each his tradition and culture. 

They are funny , kind and hospitable .

You don't believe me !!!

Check it yourself  

Magical evening light on Li River reveals fishermen with their fishing assistant birds

XingPing, Guangxi Province, China

Photograph by Alastair Swan

Nuns taking a dip at sunset, Cherai Beach

Kochi, Kerala, India

Photograph by Anita Passchier

Young boy dripping wet after a swim in Nam Tha

Luang Namtha, Laos

Photograph by Anthon Jackson

A boy waiting for his train to depart in Cochin, Kerala, India

Cochin, Kerala, India

Photograph by Anthony

Fishermen heading home after a long days work

Taunggyi, Inn Lay lake, Myanmar (Burma)

Photograph by BegovicAung Pyae Soe

Applying makeup before a show in Mount Hagen

Mount Hagen, Highlands, Papua New Guinea

Photograph by Bertrand Linet

Flying hot air balloons before sunrise

Guilin, China

Photograph by Chong Keat Kim

Novice Monks in Myanmar are as playful and energetic as any other kids in the world

Sagaing, Myanmar (Burma)

Photograph by David Lazar

Late afternoon in the Merzouga sand dunes.

Merzouga, Morocco

Photograph by Eddy van Ryckeghem

Tibetan nomad from the Kham region in Western Sichuan

Tagong, Sichuan, China

Photograph by Francois de Halleux

Restaurant owner in Gilgit relaxing after a long day

Gilgit, North, Pakistan

Photograph by Frederik Buyckx

Coastal villagers use Osprey birds to catch their fish

Da Li, Yun Nan, China

Photograph by Hai Yang

Dinagyang warriors finishing their final act by imitating roosters crowing

Iloilo City, Iloilo, Philippines

Photograph by Hannibal Zenon Ong

A fisherman starts his morning work on Lake Toba, the world's largest volcanic lake.

Indonesia

Photograph by Hariadi

These Vlei trees in Namibia have seen better days

Sossusvlei, Namibia

Photograph by LiusHarry Laub

Local woman washing clothes in Feng Huang old town.

Feng Huang, Hunan, China

Photograph by Hoang Long Ly

A bird catches it's reflection in a side mirror

Ramat Gan, Israel

Photograph by Jean Spector

Rajan, the world's last ocean swimming elephant on an early morning walk. Truly the last of his kind

Andaman Islands, India

Photograph by Jody MacDonald

An Alpine Trek into the unknown fraught with danger from overhanging ice

La Grave, Haute Savoie, France

Photograph by John Holt

Two women jumping across a puddle in a Montreal rainstorm

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Photograph by Jonathan Clark

Beautiful countryside setting in Bergdorf, Austria

Bergdorf, Austria

Photograph by Josef Hinterleitner

One of the most beautiful places in the Chapada Diamantina is the remote Fumacinha canyon

Lencois, Bahia, Brazil

Photograph by Karsten

Fort Cochin fisherman in the state of Kerala, India at sunset

Fort Cochin, Kerala, India

Photograph by RauKate Baumgartner

Early morning grazing

Wukumuqi, Xingjiang, China

Photograph by Li Zhuo

A young monks worshiping

Mandalay, Kyaut Sae, Myanmar (Burma)

Photograph by Lin Tun

A flying fish photographed while sailing in the Timor Sea from Indonesia.

Indonesia

Photograph by Luther Bailey

Grandmother and grandchild on the doorstep of their home in Belen

Iquitos, Amazonas, Peru

Photograph by Marco Simola

Hamar girls posing for a photo in Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Photograph by Marjan van thielen

Suspended at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival

Jisan, South Korea

Photograph by Megan Preece

A tea maker in the Dewas market

Dewas, M.P., India

Photograph by Mukesh Dewatwal

A splendid sunset in Goa, India

Fort Chapora, Goa, India

Photograph by Nilesh Pawar

At the North Pole on a russian icebreaker cruise, this brave tourist takes a stylish 90 degree dive

North Pole

Photograph by Olivier Staiger

The compact sand of Cable Beach coupled with a dropping tide offers incredible sunset reflection

Broome, Western Australia, Australia

Photograph by Owen Pye

Chandipur situated in Orissa is one of the most unique beaches in India. Sea water comes once a day

Chandipur, Orissa, India

Photograph by Partha Pal

A Naga sadhu in a state of meditation during a religious ceremony

Kurukshetra, Haryana, India

Photograph by Poras Chaudhary

A caravan of horsemen in the early morning hours heading towards the rim of the the Bromo volcano

Bromo, Java, Indonesia

Photograph by Ralph de Pagter

Boys enjoying their weekend time at a beach in central Java

Parangtritis beach, Indonesia

Photograph by Raluca Venescu

Tibetan Girl from Shangrila

China

Photograph by BickRaymond

Sunset at Monterey

Monterey, California, United States of America

Photograph by Sandeep Mopuru

A young boy chillin in a puddle of colour Indian style

Dauji, Mathura, Uttarpradesh, India

Photograph by Sanjay Patil

A young boy guiding his camels to a watering hole in Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Photograph by Shelley

Shah Jahan-Mumtaz passing time in Agra

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Photograph by Sirsendu Gayen

Young children at Inle Lake, Burma

Myanmar (Burma)

Photograph by Steven Taylor

A young girl outside her home in Araku, India

Araku, Andhra pradesh, India

Photograph by Swapan Ghosh

Lone penguin scaling an iceberg in Antarctica

Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

Photograph by Raphael

Early morning baloons float over Bagan, Burma

Bagan, Myanmar (Burma)

Photograph by AngSai Win Naing Lin

Seals snuggling in the Galapagos

Galapagos, Ecuador

Photograph by Sandra van der Niet

Sunset view from a rickety kayak in the Amazon

Amazon Jungle, Brazil

Photograph by Sarah Howarth

Ghee light burning ceremony in the name of 'Baba Lokonath', a holy saint of the Hindu community

Chittagong, Bangladesh

Photograph by MorrisShoeb Faruquee

Saddhu priest in Kathmandu looking stylish in his hipster glasses

Kathmandu, Nepal

Photograph by Sophie Man

Soapbox riders enjoying a vertical 1km descent in the Andes

Tingo Maria, Huánuco, Peru

Photograph by Stefan Sonntag

Saying goodbye at Leeds train station in the UK

Leeds, United Kingdom

Photograph by Stuart Glossop

Nyingmapa Gangte Monastery with young monks letting off some steam after the morning prayer

Bhutan

Photograph by Thomas Kelly

An angry sadhu shouting at the pilgrims for not giving him enough alms at the famous gangasgar fair

West Bengal, India

Photograph by Tuhin Subhra Dey

Japanese Macaque at Jigokudani near Nagano in Japan

Nagano, Honshu, Japan

Photograph by Ty Johnson

Skateboarder in Camarines Sur, Philippines

Camarines Sur, Bicol Region, Philippines

Photograph by Victor Michael Mariano

Hiding from the ticket inspector, these women perch precariously between train coaches to travel

Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh

Photograph by Wahid Adnan

Cheerful locals on the plains of Nam Tso Lake, Tibet

Nam Tso, Tibet, China

Photograph by Yereth Jansen

Kayaking near the Shoup Glacier, Alaska

Valdez, Alaska, United States of America

Photograph by Yongyut Kumsri

Young boys playing in the mud after winning a football game in Min Yah village

Bago, Myanmar (Burma)

Photograph by Zaw Zaw Tun

An evening paddle in Yang Shuo

Yang Shuo, GuangXi, China

Photograph by Ying Ying Khoo

Local girl harvesting seaweed in Bwejuu Beach, Zanzibar

Bwejuu, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Photograph by Xavier Llopis

Climbing the dunes in the heart of the Tassili du Hoggar, Algeria

Algeria

Photograph by Virginie Biarnay

A woman watching her husband net fishing in the sea off Hue, Vietnam

Hue, Vietnam

Photograph by Tyrone Phillips

All the above pictures were part of Lonely Planet's mosaic competition celebrating 100 millionth guidebook. They have received  over 130,000 photos from around the world. The above were some of these pictures plus the winning photo. 

And the winning picture is :-

Glamorous girls parading on a performance stage at Pushkar ka Mela, the world's largest camel fair in India

Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Photograph by Sreesailam Pasupula

Source :- Lonely Planet