Hey guys, Ramadan Mubarak!
i hope you all have a blessed month and take this month to the fullest. everyone should give up at least one thing, one bad habit that you have that you want to get rid of. Alhamdillah you survived another year, and God is giving you this opportunity. I must admit, i have a bad habit of using bad language, so im going to stop that. and i will also stop talking ill about people, even though i dont do that too often.. i also want to give up the internet, or at least cut down inshallah.
The creative plan this year is to make a dish each day for my family. ill take a picture of it every day and post it up here inshallah.
im looking up recepies right now, actually! if you have ideas, let me know! thanks!
Ramadan Kareem. have a happy and joyous month
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
“If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.”
said the 14th Dahli lama, Tenzin Gyatso.
tonight i thought i had nothing to blog about. i thought today was an uneventful day and nothing exciting happened. although for the majority of the day was, the last few hours of the day was taken up by watching a beautiful movie. i dont come across too many movies that change the way i feel. this is an exception. thanks to my wonderful cousin who researched and came across this movie and was kind enough to share it with me, i can say without hesitance, it changed me in a deep way. may God grant her a big reward. this movie is called "promises". it is a documentary on the children of palestine and israel, and their view of the conflict going on in palestine/israel. if you dont know, i am a Palestinian. i am a 2nd generation american. my grandparents moved here from palestine for the opportunity and freedom that america offers. and i must say, i had much depreciation for this country until i realized it was more of the goverment that i didnt appreciate rather than the country itself. if it werent for america's freedom, i wouldnt be writing this right now. and i thank God for this. anyway, i should give a little background on the story before i tell you about this movie. in the 3 major religions, Jerusalem is the holy land. in each of the holybooks, it is said that the land is for them. both israelis and palestinians lived in harmony splitting the land in half, and sharing. when 1948 hit, israelis took over, and palestinians sought refuge in camps. to this day, israel has occupied all of the land with soldiers everywhere. there are check points where israelis are free to pass but palestinians have to go through a search process that can make a trip that is a mere 15 minutes take hours. the soldiers check for anything harmful, even though 99.999 percent of the time, they're harmless. it is said that the checkpoints are used to humiliate the palestinians. they have no choice but to listen though. they are held against their will with guns pointed in their faces and at their loved ones; children included. there is 2 sides to this story, though. you hear it through this movie. with each side, you can hear the anger and hate in their voices, but there is an innocence about them, and a part of them that makes them want to know of the other side. that is natural for any naieve child. thier innocence causes them to question the situation, be curious. when the palestinian children met the israeli children, it brought tears to my eyes. for the whole day, they got along, told eachother sides of the stories, and played. i thought, this is it. all we have to do is bring together the people, and things will naturally work out! but heres the thing. its not that simple. with the palestinians and israelis who lived in that land thier whole lives, its only natural to hate on eachother. and its sad to say that for the rest of their lives, they will live with that hate in their heart. im sure in both religons they say how hate isnt ideal., i know in Islam it is mentioned many times. Islam means peace.
but i was thinking, maybe, just maybe if our generation would grow up with more of an open mind than the people older than us, then maybe we can work things out. peace is the only answer. if we keep butting heads like this, no one will win. we need to teach our children nothing but peace. hate is unhealthy. its not the way to resolve the conflict. itll make matters worse. the path we are going down right now is not the way to free palestine, or satisfy israel.
i grew up to hate all jews. yes. you heard me. my parents engraved it in my brain. luckily, growing up, especially this past year, meeting jews and people of other religons made me realize that we all are living for the same thing. we all have the same purpose in life. we just want to make it through this world. no one has genetic evilness in their hearts. at the end of the day, everyone wants to be home with their families, safe and sound. why cant we all do this with peace? why is war the answer? why cant we be civil? why are we just watching this awful conflict happen before our eyes? why cant we put an end to this and all coexist? is it really that bad tolerating someone with different religous views? we do it here in America. i feel like as the country that we are, so fortuante and strong, we should be helping with conflicts all around. the government promotes volunteering and helping one another, why cant they practice what they preach? God willing there is a solution to this problem. i am willing to share homelands with other people. this isnt our earth. we dont own anything in this world. God put us here to live our own lives and soon we will go. this is God's earth. no one decides whos terrortory is whos. so what now? am i going to forget about this movie after i wrote this long blog? am i just going to go on with my life? no, i will help make a differnce. i will try. i know i wont do much as one person, but if you help me, maybe we can come up with a solution to this conflict.
with every problem, there is a solution. there has to be. otherwise the problem shouldnt be.
http://www.moviesonlineathome.com/external.php?title=Promises&url=aHR0cDovL3ZpZGVvLmdvb2dsZS5jb20vdmlkZW9wbGF5P2RvY2lkPTE3MTY0ODk1ODAxMjE3NTUwMjMj&domain=Z29vZ2xlLmNvbQ%3D%3D&loggedin=0
peace
tonight i thought i had nothing to blog about. i thought today was an uneventful day and nothing exciting happened. although for the majority of the day was, the last few hours of the day was taken up by watching a beautiful movie. i dont come across too many movies that change the way i feel. this is an exception. thanks to my wonderful cousin who researched and came across this movie and was kind enough to share it with me, i can say without hesitance, it changed me in a deep way. may God grant her a big reward. this movie is called "promises". it is a documentary on the children of palestine and israel, and their view of the conflict going on in palestine/israel. if you dont know, i am a Palestinian. i am a 2nd generation american. my grandparents moved here from palestine for the opportunity and freedom that america offers. and i must say, i had much depreciation for this country until i realized it was more of the goverment that i didnt appreciate rather than the country itself. if it werent for america's freedom, i wouldnt be writing this right now. and i thank God for this. anyway, i should give a little background on the story before i tell you about this movie. in the 3 major religions, Jerusalem is the holy land. in each of the holybooks, it is said that the land is for them. both israelis and palestinians lived in harmony splitting the land in half, and sharing. when 1948 hit, israelis took over, and palestinians sought refuge in camps. to this day, israel has occupied all of the land with soldiers everywhere. there are check points where israelis are free to pass but palestinians have to go through a search process that can make a trip that is a mere 15 minutes take hours. the soldiers check for anything harmful, even though 99.999 percent of the time, they're harmless. it is said that the checkpoints are used to humiliate the palestinians. they have no choice but to listen though. they are held against their will with guns pointed in their faces and at their loved ones; children included. there is 2 sides to this story, though. you hear it through this movie. with each side, you can hear the anger and hate in their voices, but there is an innocence about them, and a part of them that makes them want to know of the other side. that is natural for any naieve child. thier innocence causes them to question the situation, be curious. when the palestinian children met the israeli children, it brought tears to my eyes. for the whole day, they got along, told eachother sides of the stories, and played. i thought, this is it. all we have to do is bring together the people, and things will naturally work out! but heres the thing. its not that simple. with the palestinians and israelis who lived in that land thier whole lives, its only natural to hate on eachother. and its sad to say that for the rest of their lives, they will live with that hate in their heart. im sure in both religons they say how hate isnt ideal., i know in Islam it is mentioned many times. Islam means peace.
but i was thinking, maybe, just maybe if our generation would grow up with more of an open mind than the people older than us, then maybe we can work things out. peace is the only answer. if we keep butting heads like this, no one will win. we need to teach our children nothing but peace. hate is unhealthy. its not the way to resolve the conflict. itll make matters worse. the path we are going down right now is not the way to free palestine, or satisfy israel.
i grew up to hate all jews. yes. you heard me. my parents engraved it in my brain. luckily, growing up, especially this past year, meeting jews and people of other religons made me realize that we all are living for the same thing. we all have the same purpose in life. we just want to make it through this world. no one has genetic evilness in their hearts. at the end of the day, everyone wants to be home with their families, safe and sound. why cant we all do this with peace? why is war the answer? why cant we be civil? why are we just watching this awful conflict happen before our eyes? why cant we put an end to this and all coexist? is it really that bad tolerating someone with different religous views? we do it here in America. i feel like as the country that we are, so fortuante and strong, we should be helping with conflicts all around. the government promotes volunteering and helping one another, why cant they practice what they preach? God willing there is a solution to this problem. i am willing to share homelands with other people. this isnt our earth. we dont own anything in this world. God put us here to live our own lives and soon we will go. this is God's earth. no one decides whos terrortory is whos. so what now? am i going to forget about this movie after i wrote this long blog? am i just going to go on with my life? no, i will help make a differnce. i will try. i know i wont do much as one person, but if you help me, maybe we can come up with a solution to this conflict.
with every problem, there is a solution. there has to be. otherwise the problem shouldnt be.
http://www.moviesonlineathome.com/external.php?title=Promises&url=aHR0cDovL3ZpZGVvLmdvb2dsZS5jb20vdmlkZW9wbGF5P2RvY2lkPTE3MTY0ODk1ODAxMjE3NTUwMjMj&domain=Z29vZ2xlLmNvbQ%3D%3D&loggedin=0
peace
Monday, July 25, 2011
you get what you deserve
after living through one of the best summers i've had, i can strongly stand by my title of this post. since i am such a spiritual person, i believe in God and all his powers and tricks. i believe he controls the karma in this world. if one does good, one will recieve good. if one does bad, one will recieve bad. lately, i've been striving to be the best person i can be. this summer was all about finding out who i really was before college starts. i wanted to take some time out from the world, and only focus on myself, because these years of my life are supposed to be for finding myself, then my focus moves to my significant other, and then kids, ect.
although the summer isnt over, i can say that i found who i was and what is important to me in life. my family. no matter what, they will always be there. that could be both a good or a bad thing, but why not make it a good thing?why not brush away all the grudges and anger and just be happy together, after all, you WILL be seeing eachother for the rest of your lives. friends on the other hand, are a different story. they are easy to remove from the picture. im not saying that you should, but if you do have a worthy friend, treat em like family. anyway, i've been nonstop focusing on family. i've been helping my mom with a lot around the house. i dont get much appreciation and commendment, but i dont mind. its my duty as the only other girl in the house. lately my parents have been a little more open about things though. My dad would randomly tell me, "i appreciate you", and "thank you for everything you do". little things like that can go a long way with a person. a simple thank you means so much to the person. i used to think telling my mom thank you wasnt a big deal, but after experiencing hard labor and decipline, all you want is a little appreciation. and because i helped so much, my parents have been rewarding me with differnt things. i think the most important thing is their trust. no one else matters more than your parents. Gaining their trust is probably the best thing to do because as one grows up, they are granted allowence to do things they want, also they are more open to you. just do as they say without complaint, and you'll be on the right track. also, if one does good for their house, parents, family, community, or anything like that, nothing but good karma will come your way. everything will eventually fall into place. you are being looked down upon, so just know you ALWAYS get what you deserve.
although the summer isnt over, i can say that i found who i was and what is important to me in life. my family. no matter what, they will always be there. that could be both a good or a bad thing, but why not make it a good thing?why not brush away all the grudges and anger and just be happy together, after all, you WILL be seeing eachother for the rest of your lives. friends on the other hand, are a different story. they are easy to remove from the picture. im not saying that you should, but if you do have a worthy friend, treat em like family. anyway, i've been nonstop focusing on family. i've been helping my mom with a lot around the house. i dont get much appreciation and commendment, but i dont mind. its my duty as the only other girl in the house. lately my parents have been a little more open about things though. My dad would randomly tell me, "i appreciate you", and "thank you for everything you do". little things like that can go a long way with a person. a simple thank you means so much to the person. i used to think telling my mom thank you wasnt a big deal, but after experiencing hard labor and decipline, all you want is a little appreciation. and because i helped so much, my parents have been rewarding me with differnt things. i think the most important thing is their trust. no one else matters more than your parents. Gaining their trust is probably the best thing to do because as one grows up, they are granted allowence to do things they want, also they are more open to you. just do as they say without complaint, and you'll be on the right track. also, if one does good for their house, parents, family, community, or anything like that, nothing but good karma will come your way. everything will eventually fall into place. you are being looked down upon, so just know you ALWAYS get what you deserve.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
aspire to inspire
To inspire. What does it mean to do such a thing? it can mean anything from someone planting the slightest idea in your mind, or someone who infuences you in a major way. One doesnt have to be amazing in order to inspire. it can be as simple as teaching someone a dance move so they can do it at the next big wedding or party. it can possibly be a person telling a story on how they volunteered somewhere and helped save a family. it can be someone you dont know walking down the street in an amazing outfit that you wish you had guts to wear. how ever you are inspired, when you get that feeling, its all the same. its like a mini epiphany. its like a small enlightenment. and that inspiration turns into an idea which turns into actions, which turns into something amazing. Steven Spielburg didnt become amazing through his own thoughts. he was inspired by the things around him, much like many other artists and so on. but when one doenst have inspiration, and is forced into a situation, its quite possibly the most frustrating thing ever.
i went to the fabric store today because something came over me to start my clothing line back up. so i went and i had no idea what i was going to get. it wasnt like project runway where i was gonna go straight to what i wanted. i didnt know what i wanted. so i just looked around. and looked some more. and even more. its not that i was uninspired, it was just that i was unprepared. i didnt have the slightest idea of what i wanted. it was so frustrating. i tried picking out fabrics that went together. but i would second guess myself. so i finally settled for brown fabric and a piece of lace. i wasnt happy but i wasnt about to leave with nothing. when i got home, i didnt know what to do with myself. probably the most frustrating 60 minutes of my life. so i went to eat and watch some you-tube videos. boy did that give me great ideas. even though they're the very basic how-to videos, i still learned so many tricks. i loved it. there is no shame in looking back. Denzel Washington still takes Acting classes, so why cant we learn more? im so glad i did. so i ran to my room, and six hours later, i came out with a cardigan! it was a pretty awesome experience.
bottom line is, you cant go through life thinking you can pull stuff and not think to the future first. in order to make decisions, always think about how it will affect you in the future. plan something out, sketch out a design before you pick the fabric. its not easy doing it the other way around, lemme tell you. i mean that figuratively and literally. and lastly, if you are put in a weird position, just roll with the punches. just go with it. dont sit there in grief and regrets. make the best of every situation. i cant stress that enough.
some things are ment to be, but it doesnt mean that it has to suck!
stay true to yourselves, follow even your wildest dreams, and smile at yourself in the mirror.
peace
i went to the fabric store today because something came over me to start my clothing line back up. so i went and i had no idea what i was going to get. it wasnt like project runway where i was gonna go straight to what i wanted. i didnt know what i wanted. so i just looked around. and looked some more. and even more. its not that i was uninspired, it was just that i was unprepared. i didnt have the slightest idea of what i wanted. it was so frustrating. i tried picking out fabrics that went together. but i would second guess myself. so i finally settled for brown fabric and a piece of lace. i wasnt happy but i wasnt about to leave with nothing. when i got home, i didnt know what to do with myself. probably the most frustrating 60 minutes of my life. so i went to eat and watch some you-tube videos. boy did that give me great ideas. even though they're the very basic how-to videos, i still learned so many tricks. i loved it. there is no shame in looking back. Denzel Washington still takes Acting classes, so why cant we learn more? im so glad i did. so i ran to my room, and six hours later, i came out with a cardigan! it was a pretty awesome experience.
bottom line is, you cant go through life thinking you can pull stuff and not think to the future first. in order to make decisions, always think about how it will affect you in the future. plan something out, sketch out a design before you pick the fabric. its not easy doing it the other way around, lemme tell you. i mean that figuratively and literally. and lastly, if you are put in a weird position, just roll with the punches. just go with it. dont sit there in grief and regrets. make the best of every situation. i cant stress that enough.
some things are ment to be, but it doesnt mean that it has to suck!
stay true to yourselves, follow even your wildest dreams, and smile at yourself in the mirror.
peace
Saturday, July 23, 2011
all dressed up and no where to go...
okay, well im not actually dressed up. and i really do have no where to go. at this point in my life, i am at a weird age. im at the age where i should be getting more freedom, but im still controlled by my parents. just an awkward situation overall. but the thing is with my life, since i am arabic and muslim, its not encouraged for girls to go out all the time; well at least culturally its not excepted for us. so, i stay home more than the normal american teen. no, i dont have a boyfriend or anything like that. i know i may talk about boys a lot but to tell you the truth, dont laugh, but we dont primarily look at a boy like "ooh, id date him" or something along those lines. we think "is he husband material?" hahah ok u can laugh, but its true. ask any girl. if she denys it, she's lying. i think a lot of girls think like that actually when we hit that age.
I've always fantisized about love, having the perfect man and all that good stuff. the one burden weighing me down is the fact that i have to get at least my bachelors degree in order to start "looking". i guess a little before then but still, its a long time. people are always telling me, "enjoy it! you're young! you'll hate being married" i think that the older generation hates being married because they didnt do it right. they didnt find the men they actually had feelings for; at least the women in our family. a man just married a woman if she knew how to cook food and was decent looking. sad. i know. but thats how it goes. im hoping to find that someone who doesnt think like that, although i can cook and, im not bad looking if i say so myself.
i believe the more patient a woman is in waiting for her man to arrive, the better he will be. i hope its true because i've been waiting and i will be waiting. that thought always gives me comfort. a couple minutes ago, before i wrote this blog, i was acutally thinking how much i have a boring life right now and seeing everyones statuses and tweets how they're all going party and out with their boyfriends, i coudlnt help but be jealous. then i thought, in a couple years, God willing, i will be able to do all those things i wanted to do with someone i love and my parents acceptance. i really cant wait. untill then, one can only wait for their prince charming. hah. yeah. lemme get through my first year of college before i do the thinking. i will be in my room sewing and making clothes, trying to start my career in fashion. yeah, thats what ill be doing.
God be with you all, including all my cousins in the Arab countries fighting for freedom, and norway. Allah be with those families inshAllah.
Peace
I've always fantisized about love, having the perfect man and all that good stuff. the one burden weighing me down is the fact that i have to get at least my bachelors degree in order to start "looking". i guess a little before then but still, its a long time. people are always telling me, "enjoy it! you're young! you'll hate being married" i think that the older generation hates being married because they didnt do it right. they didnt find the men they actually had feelings for; at least the women in our family. a man just married a woman if she knew how to cook food and was decent looking. sad. i know. but thats how it goes. im hoping to find that someone who doesnt think like that, although i can cook and, im not bad looking if i say so myself.
i believe the more patient a woman is in waiting for her man to arrive, the better he will be. i hope its true because i've been waiting and i will be waiting. that thought always gives me comfort. a couple minutes ago, before i wrote this blog, i was acutally thinking how much i have a boring life right now and seeing everyones statuses and tweets how they're all going party and out with their boyfriends, i coudlnt help but be jealous. then i thought, in a couple years, God willing, i will be able to do all those things i wanted to do with someone i love and my parents acceptance. i really cant wait. untill then, one can only wait for their prince charming. hah. yeah. lemme get through my first year of college before i do the thinking. i will be in my room sewing and making clothes, trying to start my career in fashion. yeah, thats what ill be doing.
God be with you all, including all my cousins in the Arab countries fighting for freedom, and norway. Allah be with those families inshAllah.
Peace
Friday, July 22, 2011
im baaaaaaaack! and here to stay :D
Its been a loooong couple of months but im back for good. Here i go, opening my big ass mouth again.
nothing has been going on in my life AT ALL. besides the fact that i am taking summer classes and just doing house duties as the 18 year old sister/daughter that i am. i dont mind it, its just that i dont see any of the people i want to see anymore. my family needs me though, and thats most important. So here i am, on blogger (no offense<3) on a friday night, drinking my hot cup of sleepy time tea. i guess i dont mind right now but while everyone is out having a life, this is how i live mine. what a poor girl, you may think. nah, im used to it, i always reply. i really dont mind. if we all went out and did the same things, drunk the same beer, partied at the same club, life would be pretty freaking boring if you ask me. we need some cool people in this world who dont need to do that kinda stuff to have a good life. i would MUCH rather be at the local coffee shop sippin on something hot and having a good conversation with a few of my friends than sippin on some spiked cup of 7 UP. just sayin, iknow how it is people. im not that sheltered.
so, one of the high lights in my life is school. fun i know. im currently taking a speech class at the local college. the class consists of people of all ages, which makes me feel so cool. i cant lie. the weird part about this is that im just now starting my first year of college and it feels like i started over. it feels like im in high school alllll over again. eeeek. i dont wanna even think about early high school right now. i feel inferior to every one and i feel like i should stay out of everyones way. i def did not feel that when i was a senior in high school. i felt like i was on top of the world. i felt like i was the Blair Woldorf of the school, even though i was far from it. Any way, i hope its just because its my first class and i am anxious. i found all this confidence in highschool, i just hope it doesnt go to waste!
Also in school, i realized that men really dont change. Soccer boy, a quite striking young man who happens to be Arabic, like me :), caught my eye the first day of class. uh oh, i thought to myself, until i saw what a doucher this guy was. soccer boy had earings, an armani exchange shirt, skinny jeans, and a pair of the annoying vans that every white boy owns. in case you didnt know, thats the definition of a doucher. i dont even know if a doucher is a word. do men ever grow up? if a man 2 years my senior is still dressing like this, and texting his whitey tidey girlfriend, and still never got the hint that he needs to start behaving, will he ever get the hint???!!! i really hope he does. are there any good men in the world??!!?!?! im finding that hard to believe. College is about to be another loooonnggg 4 years.
nothing has been going on in my life AT ALL. besides the fact that i am taking summer classes and just doing house duties as the 18 year old sister/daughter that i am. i dont mind it, its just that i dont see any of the people i want to see anymore. my family needs me though, and thats most important. So here i am, on blogger (no offense<3) on a friday night, drinking my hot cup of sleepy time tea. i guess i dont mind right now but while everyone is out having a life, this is how i live mine. what a poor girl, you may think. nah, im used to it, i always reply. i really dont mind. if we all went out and did the same things, drunk the same beer, partied at the same club, life would be pretty freaking boring if you ask me. we need some cool people in this world who dont need to do that kinda stuff to have a good life. i would MUCH rather be at the local coffee shop sippin on something hot and having a good conversation with a few of my friends than sippin on some spiked cup of 7 UP. just sayin, iknow how it is people. im not that sheltered.
so, one of the high lights in my life is school. fun i know. im currently taking a speech class at the local college. the class consists of people of all ages, which makes me feel so cool. i cant lie. the weird part about this is that im just now starting my first year of college and it feels like i started over. it feels like im in high school alllll over again. eeeek. i dont wanna even think about early high school right now. i feel inferior to every one and i feel like i should stay out of everyones way. i def did not feel that when i was a senior in high school. i felt like i was on top of the world. i felt like i was the Blair Woldorf of the school, even though i was far from it. Any way, i hope its just because its my first class and i am anxious. i found all this confidence in highschool, i just hope it doesnt go to waste!
Also in school, i realized that men really dont change. Soccer boy, a quite striking young man who happens to be Arabic, like me :), caught my eye the first day of class. uh oh, i thought to myself, until i saw what a doucher this guy was. soccer boy had earings, an armani exchange shirt, skinny jeans, and a pair of the annoying vans that every white boy owns. in case you didnt know, thats the definition of a doucher. i dont even know if a doucher is a word. do men ever grow up? if a man 2 years my senior is still dressing like this, and texting his whitey tidey girlfriend, and still never got the hint that he needs to start behaving, will he ever get the hint???!!! i really hope he does. are there any good men in the world??!!?!?! im finding that hard to believe. College is about to be another loooonnggg 4 years.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
When i wake up, you're not there....
We all have a "best friend" who we confide in, and share all of our secrets with. We can be ourselves in front of them and say things we normally wouldnt say in front of anyone else. Those people are the best. But how do you really know they aren't cheating you out? How do you know if they're not just taking advantage of your nice-ness? You don't. Ive been through so many of those "best friends" and i learned that you gotta be your own best friend sometimes. You got to trust yourself to keep your own secrets in and have some alone time to yourself to discover who you really are and what you really want out of life. You would never cheat yourself out, but another girl who you just got into a fight with would want to. Just be careful who you trust. Even if its your boyfriend or husband; there are just some things you keep to yourself. Dont trust absolutely everything you hear. Thats all i gotta say.
Thinking of you overseas... fight til you get freedom!
Thinking of you overseas... fight til you get freedom!
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