The Craft of Living

Rest in Peace Uncle Abdelwahab. No words can describe how i feel. im speechless. Allah yer7amak.

I was listening to two friends talking today and they were talking to each other by their nicknames. Now question is why do we use them? I mean is it too hard to say the actual name? or is it out of love and friendliness (which i dont see the relevance to giving a different name to the person for) or what exactly. Sometimes the nickname isnt shorter or nicer for that matter. Like my friends' name is Sarah and her nickname can be very often "Sarsour". Isnt that a lot longer than her actual name? Let alone if you look too closely to it.. it could mean "cockroach" in some dialects! Thank God not ours. And other names like Karim can be "Kiko"! I mean personally to me and some other moms this refers to "poop" when talking to your children on this side of earth. There are so many names. Like my name...the amount of nicknames i have. My name is a 4 lettered name "heba" and yet my nickname can range from "habhooba" or "hooby...

Here is something that i keep wondering about. Are people allowed to change? What do i mean you ask? Well, when i was young, my father always told me... if there is something you dont like about the man you are about to marry and think that when you get married you will be able to change his habits... you are dead wrong! Honestly... i didnt believe him... but being a man who is usually right... i kept it in mind. Luckily i didnt have to change too much about my husband... but ive been watching people around me. Now the problem is not just with women wanting to change men or vice versa. The problem is if some outside factors change in your life... you tend to have a changed personality. For example if a woman got married and never worked a day in her life and her husband actually made it a point before marriage that he doesnt want her to work and she agreed simply because she hasnt done it before anyway and she isnt giving up anything. Then at some point in their life she decides that s...

Last night my daughter woke me up at 12am after she went to bed at 8pm. I went to her room and was determined not to feed her coz everytime she sees my face she wants to be fed. (I breastfeed so...) Anyway i went in, gave her some water and she was clinging on to me so i would carry her. Instead i put her down on her pillow patting her back and saying "Hooo... Hooo" willing her to sleep. Ofcourse she cried and screamed but after a while she started going to sleep. Then a couple of minutes passed (2-3 minutes coz i keep counting) i stopped patting her and sat in the bed beside her for a couple of seconds. Only to find her get up and start crying again. So i patted her again and she went to sleep. I sat down for a while to make sure i wont have to make the trip back to her room as soon as i get in my bed. She didnt wake up. So i got up and headed for the door. ANd before i could open the door... she was up looking at me and crying. (Mind that its pitch black and i cant even see...

Well this is a tradition i found on one of the blogs im following. However, it was called Five Question Friday. I will however change it to SUnday since i plant to so it each sunday instead of Friday. Anyhow.. here are the first 5 sunday questions: 1. What words do you use on your blog/online that you don't use in real life? 2. Do you still write checks? 3. Who was your favorite President and why? 4. Are you a yeller? 5. Have you ever dumpster dived? Awaiting your comments

This past week or two has truly been full of shitty events. First some petty things like my husband getting his new glasses broken and hurting him in his eyebrows. Thank god nothing serious. Then some home damages, like a picture frame falling down, our water cooler dripping and all our clocks stopping at once. Then some more personal issues... My daughter gets an ear and throat infection making her feverish for almost 4 days. Followed by my husband suffering from a sever headache close to a migraine for two continuous days. Then my mom goes to check on her shoulder pain or something else and the doc tells her some other horrifying problems. And just yesterday my daughter gets what I'm hoping is just an eye infection and is crying blood "literally" Today topped it all when my aunt and uncle were on their way back from their Easter vacation in the "hot springs" only to have their car turn over on the desert road and are now- while I'm typing this- heading to ...

My mom and sister went to this "salon de chocolat event" and since hany el beheiry was someone who took part in that event i automatically thought that it will probably be well managed and have a high class society or in other words clean people at most. I didnt go with them... but i have asked mom to tell me how it was the next day. Sure enough i called her up to see how was it and she started narrating the story. They went in... paid about 20LE for tickets each (even though my sister had WON those tickets at a NIle FM competition and were supposedly free).. Oh well we'll let that pass. Nothing is really for free in this country!! While they were at it she found a competition or (draw) that anyone could participate in by just filling a form and taking a number (or thats what i understood from her). The draw was sponsored by "Passionelle" a very well known joint venture egyptian-lebanese- saudi arabian chocolate company. The gifts were 50 crystal chocolate hold...

Ive been listening to this song for "Amal Maher" Its called " Beinak we Beinha" which means "Between you and her". Its about a girl telling her husband or her boyfriend that if he HAS to cheat on her then please dont cheat with my best friend. Basically he can go to hell but her friend is more important to her. I personally like the song a lot even though i dont know - God forbid- if i was in her shoes if that would be my reaction. Let alone that i can never imagine my best friend being sneaky or sly enough to hook up with my husband. Infact i couldnt imagine any guy or more likely any REAL FRIEND do that to her friend! Then i bumped into one of my friends who has experienced this event with a close friend of hers. Meaning her friends husband married her other best friend! Question is... if such close friends can do this how well can you know what your friends are really like? PS. if you havent heard the song before... look it up "Amal maher - beinak ...

Im so sad. The amount of sadness around me today is overwhelming. Why do people have to endure such sadness and confusion? Why is it that some people see things so vaguely? Why are people so depressed? Why are humans so weak? Why are people popping anti-depressents like tictacs? Has life become so unbearable? Has all their strength to fight back fade? Why would their friends make it worse for them? Is it because they too are depressed? I dont see it? Is my life so perfect compared to theirs? Is my life so perfect at all? WHat is it that makes a difference between people being depressed and going down that pit and others who are depressed but dont let the feeling invade their sense of security and their zest for life? What is it that makes that difference? Is it religion? or does religion just keep you from committing suicide. Is it a new look that you make? or is that just the superficial fixing method? Is it people's support? Even though i think depressed ones listen to no one but...

Well my friends wedding is coming up in a couple of months. SHe has been asking us for some ideas with regards to many things. The last request she had was a funny or humorous wording for her wedding invitation. I got a couple of ideas from the net and then i made up this little poetic justice!! Tell me what you think :) The 18th of June is our Wedding Day Mae and Khaled are here to stay Venue's the Armante Golf City At 1630 that’s where we'll be We've spent so much on our wedding cake So the wedding dress brooch is very fake. We've shopped so much to get the dress right So you'd better keep your comments about the bride. Hurry up and tell us if you're in or out Before the front tables become a crowd We'll be waiting for your call RSVP Remember the Buffet has more than tea. :)

Spent this whole last week eating out. Or at home but bought something from somewhere. Cooked only once this whole time. And while it was a good break from the kitchen, i honestly thought it would be fun to never think about cooking everyday. However, by the end of the week i was so bored with restaurant food. The very weird feeling was.. i missed my kitchen. EVen though at this very moment.. i dont want to think about going home and cooking coz i am SOOO Sleepy... for no reason! But i cant think of eating out either. EVen though today i will be eating non home- made cooking!! (is that how you negate it?) I thank God im not gonna cook for an extra day but i want some home made food. I think i will hire a cook soon. Gosh why am i publishing this entry... i have no idea. Im soooo sleepy... ZZZzzzZZZzzz

I happen to invite my family over for a belated bday party for my girl. It was lovely. The cake was great. The games were great. The gifts were great. Overall it was a success. Then by the end of the night... and while people were on their way to the door. One of the invitees started criticising my cutlery!! Usually when i have over 25 people in the house i use disposable plates and glasses!. That was obviously a problem!! The criticism and questions of whether i didnt have plates and glasses, or was it too much to ask a maid to come and wash them after the party.. or if i didnt have MONEY to pay the maid to come! WWWOOOOW!! I was mesmerised for a minute coz i didnt see it coming and now that i think of it.. i was too nice. After all this is an old aged family member so i didnt want to be rude. After the party was all over though i discovered that those comments werent the first through the night. That comments kept coming to my husband every minute of the night. Things like "WOW....

How would you feel if you do good deeds and never mention it yet feel so unappreciated? How would you feel if you are so tired and never complain then you're denied the right to be tired? How would you feel if you see the person doing nothing winning the pat on the back and you are manipulated in doing more? What will i gain when im always the good one who can be depended on and therefore get all the work while someone else doesn't get all the work yet still gets what they want just the same! I don't get it. Should i try to do things for the sake of God more and more so i wouldn't feel disappointed in anyway? But im just exhausted. Cant i be exhausted and feel free to show that feeling? Why do i always have to be the one who is altruistic and then be denied the right to express an objection to an idea. I think that sucks!

Copied from Bassi's Blog If I were a month, I’d be March If I were a day of the week, I’d be Friday . If I were a time of day, I’d be 10am . If I were a planet, I’d be Saturn . If I were a sea animal, I’d be a Dolphin . If I were a direction, I’d be Right . If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a Bean Bag . If I were a liquid, I’d be a Milkshake . If I were a gemstone, I’d be a Diamond . If I were a tree, I’d be an Oleander Tree . If I were a tool, I’d be a Kitchen Knife . If I were a flower, I’d be a Daisy . If I were a kind of weather, I’d be Cloudy . If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a Saxophone . If I were a color, I’d be Pink . If I were an emotion, I’d be Happiness . If I were a fruit, I’d be a Mango . If I were a sound, I’d be Waves . If I were an element, I’d be Wind . If I were a car, I’d be a McLaren . If I were a food, I’d be Pasta . If I were a place, I’d be Maldives . If I were a material, I’d be Fleece . If I were a taste, I’d be Salty . If I were a scent, I’...

One of my best friends is getting married. And being the crazy person that she is, she has planned to have a group dance with her bridesmaids. I need some suggestions for songs that would work as a story between the bride and her bridesmaids. ANy suggestions PLEASE!

I went out with my hubby and girl to eat out yesterday. I mainly wanted to do anythign on valentine so i thought going out is the best thing to do and i would be satisfied this way. It was nice... i took my daughter to play in some baby games and she had fun. That made me happy too. Went home to change and feed my daughter, also thinking of washing the dishes and hanging the clothes to dry. I casually open my bedroom door and there on the bed was a pile of colorful balloons that looked just beautiful. Amidst all that was a teddy bear by a basket full of chocolates (all the kinds i love) Honestly speaking my jaw eventually hurt from the smiling and my taste buds being teased by the thought of eating all that chocolate. That was my valentines gift yesterday... i truly enjoyed it and i couldnt thank my hubby enough! :) It's weird how chocolates and flowers (diamonds too) have this weird effect on woman.. even if they say it doesnt matter much... Hope you all had a great and special va...

Happy valentine everyone. In hopes that you have something fun to do today either with your loved one or your family and friends. I remember back in school we used to buy each other flowers. That was fun. Ofcourse that was just to make up for not getting flowers from boys... but it really didnt matter to us at all! It was always fun to watch people in the street carrying flowers and bears and heart shaped balloons. And more fun if you were lucky enough to see someone receive their gift! :) Girls really put in all their creatiivity and MONEY to get something special for their loved ones. I guess some boys do the same as well. Anyway to all of you out there.. Enjoy the day and fill it with all kinds of love! Happy Valentine.

Last week I was with my husband, daughter and sister in Dubai. It was an amazing trip thanks to our dearest friend bassi who was with us everyday and who had planned a wonderful program for us. I truly enjoyed it. But what i enjoyed most was watching the people around me enjoying themselves. I did not know how much fun it is to watch someone having fun and enjoying something so much. I loved watching my husband look at something with so much fascination and joy. I loved watching him and my sister laughing at the top of their lungs just throwing snow at each other. I loved watching my daughter so happy just riding a rocking pony or holding on tight yet grinning while sitting in a swing. I loved watching my friend's face while laughing at jokes from our anecdotes from back home. It all makes me wish like i could do something to see happiness on someone's face. I've always known that making people happy is a good thing... but watching a face lit up with happiness is just price...

Is it just me? A couple of days ago i was on my company bus back home. I wanted to be dropped in a different stop than my own and take a taxi home since i reach faster that way. So i needed 5 pounds. And i didnt have change that day. Well i had 4 pounds and was short on one. So i was telling this girl beside me who is not a stranger but not a very close friend either. We sit by each other and talk all the way from work to maadi (an hour ride). Anyway i decided to share my problem... that im one pound short to go home early.. otherwise ill have to wait till my stop which is the very last stop. Ok if you were in her shoes... what would be your natural reaction? If it was me i would have two options. 1. I would sincerly look for a pound and give it to her OR 2. if i dont want to give her the money, i would say "let me see if i have any change" look in the bag carelessly and then say "Sorry.. im out of change too" Is that normal or is it just me!! She on the other hand....

Whats up with bosses these days!! Have they gone totally nuts? SOmetimes they give themselves too much rights that literally come out of no where. One of my friends had a henna party she attended. So she had some Henna drawn on her hands. Next morning she was surprised to find her boss so disgusted and told her that she wasnt allowed to have henna on her hands!! Where did THAT come from. So she simply told him... my husband doesnt mind... what is it to you!? He on the other hand told her that he doeant like his secretary to have this kind of art on her hands and ordered her to either wear gloves to work or not come to the office until the henna fades!!! Ofcourse she took the day off (NOT from her annuals) Another time one of the kitchen girls came to work for the management kitchen. SHe was a veiled girl. However, the rule was... if she wanted to work up in management floor she had to lose the veil. Yeah...and they say only arabs discriminate!!! These are foreign rules and not national...