Tasyig: or how to clean your floor Libyan style !

Last summer, while talking about shebshebs and my zeleiz at home, we broached the subject of tasyig. Tasyig is the term used in Libya for washing the floor, whether it is the bathroom, kitchen, jnan ( courtyard) or other rooms in the house. Most Libyan houses are equipped with zeleiz floor tiles as seen in this photo here. , including the courtyard- or any variations thereof, and the kitchens and bathrooms have ceramic tiles. While those who can afford to have marble everywhere .

Libya is very dusty due to all that sand, our floor cannot be washed except with water and soap. But we do not like to mop it with these types of mops as we think they don't stay clean enough. No sir we have elaborated a whole procedure merely to clean our floors.

Leilouta in one of her earlier posts, brought to my attention how we have a similar attittude in Tunis and Libya about this topic. This post is dedicated to my friend Non-blogging or NBA.

Objective: Tasyig

Tools:

(1) Water faucet + water source of course :P
(2) toubbou ( hosepipe)
(3) gomma (squeegee with a handle)
(4) neshaffa ( large square fabric mop with no handle)
(5) gardel ( or bucket when no toubbou is available)
(6) Tide => Libyan generic term for powder soap detergent
(7) warakina ( Clorox or any similar brand of bleach liquid)
(8) muknessa ( broom with handle)
(9) khurara ( floor drain)

Procedure :

Fill the gardel with water, pour it on the floor, add some Tide on the floor , then proceed to scrub the floor with the broom; especially the corners of the room . You make fine soap bubbles.
That's the time where you want to squid on the floor either barefoot or with your shebsheb.
Then you pour warakina either to the floor directly or in a bucket filled with water mix thoroughly then pour it on the floor(s) .
You need several buckets of water without warakina afterwards.

You then mop the floor with your gomma and pour some more water, till no drop of soap or warakina is left. The gomma is very good at removing all the water which goes directly into the floor drain.
You can then use your neshafa to mop any stray drops or pools of water off including the corners of the room/bathroom /kitchen/balcony or other surfaces hard to reach with the gomma.

Very efficient procedure. The place smells so clean and nice and you can literally eat off the floor :)
If it is summer you don't need tanshif or mopping as described above just leave the windows open and let the warmth and sun dry your floor after the tasyig. If it is the courtyard you are tsaygi then no need to mop either. If you have a toubbou it is useful and you don't need a gardel.

Tadaa !

Tasyig reminds me of my childhood when my aunts would clean the floors at the old family house and we the grandchildren would be seated on the interior window sill so that we don't fall or get in their way. I miss that part and can only recreate the memory in the summer with the smell of the original Tide soap, water and warakina.

Tasyig also always reminds me of wonderful yummy Libyan breakfasts which is what we would have after the house was sparkling clean at my grandpa's house. Khadijateri has made such a lovely post about our breakfast including the mismatched cups that I feel like wanting to go eat again.

Now admit it how many of you miss Libya after this :P ? want to tell me how you clean your floor ?

Happy Valentine (updated)

Valentine's Day Eve, everywhere I turn I see red roses, cards, hearts, teddy bears, even bloggers are posting about this day. Funnily enough I was listening to Allibiya FM two days ago and they were urging people to celebrate 'the feast of love' WOW !

I could not believe it; there was a time where the florists were prevented from opening on the 14 of February (can't remember which year exactly). It was a different regulation than in KSA where someone actually had a fatwa!( yes that's true). But the reason put forth in Libya was that it was not a celebration deriving from our traditions.
Anyway in Libya lovers and friends did not bother, girls wore red and guys brought them teddy bears and other stuff…

Back to Allibya ….So the people on the radio were talking how important it was to celebrate Love and that it does not matter if this feast is not Libyan but a western tradition as love is universal, it is love for your lover, spouse , parents, kids , pets, nation, – it is all love and should have a special day . They managed to surprise me again....

Khadijateri asked me two years ago what will I write on Valentine, well Khadija I think that poem is still good enough and so I'm reposting here .

The true lover has everything to lose.
So, he fears nothing.Without acceptance, relationships become work.
As religion without faith is just an obligation.
Success without passion remains empty.
As love without trust -- just a restriction.A
life lived without love --A life lived without love is just noise and commotion.
And we're capable of so much more .................................

By Baharak Sedigh .

My top 4 favourite posts which are suitable for this occasion are :

(1) Leilouta

He remembered everything. Each look. Every smile. The kiss on the cheek and the
warm embrace she had given him after their first date. The sight of her hurrying
down the street as she left him for work that same night and the wave she gave
him as she turned back to look at him before she entered the building. He didn’t
want to overlook any of this, he thought, as he sat next to her. All of these
impressions were burned into his memory.

(2) Harroun El Poussah

It is a question that insures that I will try my very best, each and every
time. No compromises on that. If she’s worth it, then she deserves my best,
nothing less

(3)Libyan Violet

In the meantime Ladies and gentlemen allow me to share with you my most
favourite Valentine card – it's 22 years old now

(4) Nomad => touching photo....( no comment)


The ultimate gesture of Love is of course sacrifice , embodied in Dolly Parton's " I will always love you".


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU ALL FOLKS !


With Love (to you too :P)

Highlander

update 14-2-07 => if your muse is nearby maybe you fancy entering a poetry ? check what the crew has come up with on Global Voices :)

PS Despite some Hindu organisations threatening to oppose Valentine celebrations 'claiming the day reflects a Western phenomenon which is destroying Indian culture' , India too has caught up ![more]

Pre- marital HIV test : Yes or NO ?

Redenclave raised an issue in my last post Wine and Sex by saying that in Malaysia "some states have implemented the rule that all would be couples are to be tested for AIDS/HIV. As there were many cases where their spouses were tested HIV + after they have consummated their marriage. Some transmit this through drug addiction or rampant sex."

My reference to chastity and STD was sure to bring up AIDS or HIV, so Red's remark about how HIV testing had become compulsory for newlyweds reminded me of a post by Indian blogger Mahima .

"Andra Pradesh just called for compulsory HIV testing before marriage and
everyone seems to agree that this is a violation of individual rights. [...]
Most of the people who objected were from the US, Canada and other Western
countries. And their objection was pretty much limited to the fact that they
assumed the government was frowning on people’s sex lives. One poster from this
side of the planet pointed out, rightly, that HIV was an enormous issue in India
and since most weddings are arranged and women have no control over their
husbands sex lives, this is one way of ensuring they won’t contract AIDS right
off the bat. "

I had earlier read her above mentioned post "test this" (Hattip Neha Viswanathan from Global Voices) in December but never had the time to elaborate on it. I was going to blog about this topic with regards to Libya, I guess now is the time to do it.

I was not aware that Libya was one of the countries where pre-marriage HIV testing was obligatory. I learned about this a few years back when my friend was going to get married to a non-Libyan and a health certificate was requested for both before proceeding with the other formalities. Apparently no AIDS test = no marriage contract. This rule is for all whether you marry a Libyan or not, as long as one partner is Libyan, and/or as long as you marriage is officiated by a Libyan clerk.

Personally I don’t find this law offensive, because since I’ve made all the efforts to keep myself clean all these years, I expect the same from my partner and knowing the double standards that prevail in our part of the world re. chastity, honour , virginity and other related stuff, and since I cannot guarantee that my potential husband has not been near another woman before me, or I have no idea about his past before he decided to settle as many think it is great fun to be a playboy before marriage, so at least I’ll know. For extra re-assurance I will do it at the reference state lab ( as requested) but also at an independent one since some people have managed to bribe health officials to get a clean health of bill certificate. I would probably check his semen :) too , see my earlier post here.

As a teenager I used to joke that suitors had to come with a CV and application form to marry me and I will screen them thoroughly for suitability, but now they better add that HIV test.
I just had mine for my new job so why not Mr. Highlander.

What do you think ?

Wine and Sex

Catchy title eh ? I'm sure since it got you here :P

Two articles caught my eye this past week the first was on the BBC regarding a study in the American Journal of Pathology:

“Evidence shows even the best antiretrovirals find it difficult to penetrate the testes. This may explain why HIV can still be found in the semen of men on drugs that successfully clear their blood of it. “ [more]

Basically this means that even following treatment for AIDS, it will still be found in the semen and is capable of replication and infection of body cells again.

Isn’t that a scary thought ? so before having a relationship women may need to ask the guy for a semen HIV check now.. eh unless of course you are practicing safe sex and using condoms.
Which led me to wonder whether the scriptures have been right ? Is that why all 3 monotheistic religion have always advocated chastity and the prohibition of fornication and adultery? Could it be their method of warning us about this killer disease in a way that is graspable by our limited psyche /knowledge 2000 years ago, and so have to disguise it as based on morality? How to inculcate morality in us? One husband per wife ? family virtues etc… No offence against homosexuals here , I’m just speculating loud !

The second article was concerned with another study relevant to the claim that red ( to be specific ) wine was good for the health . I always was under the impression that although drinking alcoholic beverages was common everywhere whether forbidden or not, alcohol ingestion was still bad for you and it was your choice in indulging it just as smoking and other types of 'pleasures' as long as you were responsible towards others. But many people were taking the findings about the wine being healthy for you if you drink a little per day and were being apparently vindicated by the scientific studies.

However, should the liquid that is healthy for your arteries really be ripened grape ? i.e should it be alcoholic ?

Moreover, I was wondering does the Eucharistic sacrament or ordinance symbolised by grape wine and bread (host) really give license to drink as in it being 'non-haram' or was the red wine just a symbol for blood because it is red . I'm not familiar with the whole idea but who introduced the wine in this holly tradition? Was it someone's personal preference ? because it seems that some Protestants differ from the Catholics on that, and use plain grape juice instead.

Anyway for those who held the excuse that the wine was healthy in moderation, this new study seems to reveal that " grape juice can have a similar effect (against heart disease) as red wine but without the alcohol. That is a very important message," said Dr Valerie Schini-Kerth, lead author of the study published in the journal Cardiovascular Research. [more]

Polyphenols which are the active ingredients in protecting the blood vessels are present both in red wine AND in the simple grape juice .

OK now I am so going to drink grape juice at lunch time instead of orange juice.

Disclaimer please be aware that no offense was meant to any religion in this post.

At last an interesting radio station

Since I converted by joining the 21st Century and using cheeky mp3 players and have confessed to owning an Ipod , I have not listened to anything much except my favourite compilations. This was until a couple of months ago when my cousin convinced me that there was a new Libyan FM radio station which was broadcasting pop and all sorts of other music all day long with some lighthearted show programmes. She even was willing to bet that I would not need my mp3 anymore. She herself does not take any CDs with her.

So I decided to take her advice and test this station while I'm driving on my errands. To my surprise it was very easy to get the frequency on the FM band, the music catered to every taste, classical Arabic, pop, top 10 etc.. there was the news flash, advertisements, the cute talk shows and phone- ins plus the occasionaly token official in interviews. Basically Allibiya FM delivered on all it's promises . It was especially good for going to and back from work and was reminescent of the popular Lebanese radio [station] Strike it had the good quality programming and wide target audience. In fact I think it has made listening to radio popular in Libya again and I notice now how many cars have their antennaes pulled up ( including me :P ).

On such a day last week, I chanced upon one of the shows where letters from fans with a problem are read and suggested solutions from other listeners are sought.


This is Isam's dilemna. While at university he met a lovely girl Nadia and they became pratically inseparable. They helped each other studying and got to know each other very well , fell in love and decided to get married after they graduate. So one fine day after graduation , she made an appointment with her family for him and he convinced his parents to ask for her hand. But despite all her reassurances to the contrary , Nadia's parents refused him. Why ? because he did not have a job, house, car etc..yet He begged and said he wanted to get engaged first and that he was going to have a job and start planning for a house etc.. But to no avail , they wanted what only perhaps an older man could provide or someone whose parents could get that for him.

Nadia and Isam started meeting in secret since their union was not blessed anymore ( this does not mean they were sleeping toghether by the way). He was looking for a job and she was busy refusing suitors. It got to the point where people started to doubt her chastity. In Libya if you refuse too much for too long the majority of people don't say you're being picky or looking for a soulmate.. oh no dirty minds start thinking that you probably played around and must have lost your virginity to some dude ; otherwise why would you refuse to get married , you probably feared getting 'discovered' on your wedding night!

So when a really good catch came to her, Isam who was still being refused by her parents and still had no decent job, decided to seek greener pastures in a different country. Maybe he could forget the love and not having him in her face would help her choose and end her dilemna. But Nadia got word of his plan and decided to commit suicide if he left. So he had to put that plan aside while she once more gave the boot to the 'good catch' . Nadia was not getting any younger and her family was disappointed .

Shortly after that her brother came to him and told him that Nadia's reputation was really destroyed and that he guarantees that if Isam would come and ask for her hand he will be well received and allowed to marry her this time. Apparently the whole area new about their romance which had dragged on for 10 years now.

But fate is weird, Isam's elder brother died in a horrible car accident leaving a young widow and three toddlers, so when after a decent time Isam asked his parents to go and visit Nadia's parents something unthinkable happened. His mum begged him literraly on her knees and asked him to marry his brother's widow so that no stepdad would harm the grandchildren and so that they and her are taken care of. Isam was livid just as his dream was within reach he was seeing it being stolen away. Did anyone even ask the widow if she would like to marry him? he was not interested he wanted his love he was crazy about Nadia, but his mother has begged , could he break her heart ? and could he break the heart of his love ? she has sacrificed her youth waiting for him. This really was a big problem, on the one hand , mother and family duty and 3 innocent lives, on the other hand the love of his life another innocent life. We Arabs fully believe that if your parents and especially your mum blesses you, you will be fine , we call it 'ridha alwalidein'. It is very important and drilled into our psyche and you do not want to incurr the wrath of your parents and God in the process, but still a promise is a promise.They have after all not told him to do anything bad , it is a common practice to marry the widow or the widower to the living sibling to keep the children in the family... Isam had plans , but God made different plans and his question was what should he do?
whom to marry ? was his sister in law even aware of the plot ?

I could see that it was a problem indeed and I wanted to hear what would the listeners suggest male and female.. Do you know what the solution suggested equally by both was ?
I was surprised myself as I was more inclined that he should marry the widow if she accepts him, because no one will love the kids more and she would not need to remarry. Although I was thinking that Nadia was in a tight spot too and it was not her fault. But the solution I heard and which seemed to me logical the instant it was stated is that he should marry both. The widow, for humanistic reasons and to please his mother and family but on the condition that they let him marry his love Nadia too since polygamy is allowed in extreme circumstances. The host was saying that Nadia may not accept a co-wife, and that since he loved Nadia he would not be fair in his love towards the other woman, and polygamy is allowed if you can be fair, physically as in the sexual relationship and materially and emotionally. Some were arguing that he will find a way to be fair...

If you knew that he is not breaking any laws by marrying them both, do you think Isam should make that choice? what do you think should he do ? I personally would love to know what happened and am waiting to find out how it will end. Incidently I have become a fan of Allibiya FM which it seems is available on satellite as well for listeners on other continents. Have you heard it abroad or regionally ?

Tripoli Capital of Islamic Culture 2007

ISESCO has chosen Tripoli among the capitals of Islamic Culture for 2007 . "The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -ISESCO- was set up by virtue of Resolution No. 12/10-C of the Tenth Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, which was held in Fez, Kingdom of Morocco, in May 1979". [this website is good by the way] .

Congratulations to Tripoli, Fez, Dakar and Tashkent !


I am so lucky as last year I was able to visit Aleppo which was chosen as Capital of Islamic Culture for 2006 . I am also familiar with Dakar which I love dearly . I look forward to seeing Fez this year and one day Tashkent .

In Aleppo there was a lot of visible promotion of the city , I have not seen that yet in Tripoli. However, there is a website the English one is still partially built though but check it just in case; and there are many cultural events planned which can be found also in the pages of the طرابلس للاعلان and on the official website above mentioned .

Tripoli is a beautiful city and there are many historical places from Islam which are not properly showcased. Maybe lovelytripoli who has already made an initial post about the inauguration party of Tripoli as the Capital of Islamic Culture can help us here and show the Islamic art ? I missed that party as I was travelling, apparently it was fun. Did any of the Libyan bloggers go to the ship ?

Would any of you Libyan bloggers wish each to post some photos of the Islamic culture or a post about the Islamic heritage of Tripoli that you are aware of- or even Libya as a whole ? why be restricted to Tripoli only ?

Best Comment for January 2007


Libyan NBA
The month is nearly over, you better have some new posts ready?
Thu Jan 25, 04:50:00 AM 2007


so cute ............:P

Keyword Analysis -January 2007

6 15.79% hai alandalus tripoli
4 10.53% elhmidi
2 5.26% crepe tunis
2 5.26% libyan girls
1 2.63% female hemaphrodite in arab
1 2.63% u tube 7mada
12.63% المثل الشع
12.63% constananople
1 2.63% national vangaurd
1 2.63% grendizer silver works
1 2.63% lady oscar arabic cartoon
1 2.63% matthew 10:33 explanation
1 2.63% bad libyan girl
1 2.63% how do foreign manpower companies work in libya
1 2.63% whiten armpits
1 2.63% how to arange a decent farewell
1 2.63% escort girls tripoli
1 2.63% stare between man and woman-means
1 2.63% alchoal in tripoli
1 2.63% life in syria
1 2.63% wanderer poem
1 2.63% omar khayam in arabic
1 2.63% italian landmines
1 2.63% get well whishes
1 2.63% alien abductions stories
1 2.63% grand prix no taka dvd
1 2.63% love vs marriage. one day plato
1 2.63% libya traficking

OK so there is a pervert, a romantic and a potential criminal smuggler :P on this site ......

Second Life: real or fantasy ? ( updated scroll down for sunset view)

Being a blogger means you are involved quite a long part of the time online. Additionally internet technology advances mean we are 'IM ing' our friends, relatives and colleagues all over the place and at any time. If you put telephony platforms like Skype where we can actually talk voice and video conferences for free ( pc to pc ) into consideration, then it seems like myself and many others on this planet are living in a virtual world where the physical distance is hardly a problem anymore : with an internet connection and a console you are set .

However, there has been a small secret kept for the nerds and initiated which has started to spread in popularity in the last year(s). It’s a whole parallel world in cyberspace called appropriately ‘Second Life' . Corny eh ?

Articles are increasingly cropping out about Second Life and that means I can no longer keep silent about this phenomenon or another of my addictions : P to see new horizons, especially if the Swedish Embassy is opening an office now ! While the radical French politician Le Pen ideology has recently been greeted with protests and even violent demonstrations here ( hattip Programmer_Craig ).

Politics and activism ? this is serious stuff so if you were thinking that this place is teaming with cybersex and all sorts of 'fun' then think again. The 'greenies' are here as well , so if you care for the environment and global warming then why don't you log on to 'climate island' and check what solutions they can offer.


WOW, this means Second Life is NOT a fantasy world as we thought but a REAL one with all the attribute of this first life somewhere else. Online !


Background info

“Second Life, established in 2003 by the San Francisco-based Linden Lab, is proving an increasingly alluring alternative to the real world. Its founder, Philip Rosedale, says he's been into computer simulations since he was a kid. The firm provides a platform for users to create virtual businesses, take virtual marriage vows, have virtual sex, file for virtual divorces, build homes, hold jobs, buy Nikes and other pretend duds so their avatar (at least) looks cool. Second Life exists online, though there is a warehouse a few miles south of San Francisco humming with the expanding number of servers required to sustain its residents' dreams.[…] Avatars gather to simulate terrorist attacks using software that might be used in the real world - ideally, to prevent them from happening there. Politicians have started doing interviews in Second Life: earlier this year, the former Virginia governor Mark Warner, a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2008, flew into a virtual town hall on Second Life (or rather, his avatar did) to be questioned by a virtual journalist and a crowd of avatars about such real-world issues as Iraq. Doctors are doing simulations that may have real-world benefits: a Californian psychiatrist, for instance, reported the Economist this week, has created simulations of schizophrenic hallucinations in Second Life to convey to his students a sense of how his patients suffer.” [more The Guardian].


Second Life has it’s own paper as well : The Herald ?

I have to admit I am a member there as well and my avatar is cute he he he. I was not very imaginative and tried to make it look like me ( modesty again). So NBA if you want that toe photo you can ‘see’ me there, while Craig can check my belly dancing outfit (joke).
Upon my arrival on ‘orientation island’ recently the inhabitants have been very gallant, maybe I managed to have that lost look even in cyberspace? Apparently men love to help you …. Well that is my experience at least :P so don't be shy or afraid everybody try it!

Now readers , would you confess if you are living in Second Life too ? tell me about your experience(s).

Actually thinking about it… maybe the Libyan Bloggers could have their meet up there since we are located in so many different countries saves on travel expenses eh ? or alternatively we could all agree to meet on Skype one day …. what do you think?


Other links :

(1) Journalism in Second Life
(2) Second life for kids
(3) Blogging Second Life
(4) Murder in /because of Second life


Some inhabitants enjoying the sunset!

The Best of the Libyan Blogosphere -January 2007 ( Updated with Ashura )

I am happy to see how active the Libyan blogs have become, it's a whole rich wonderful community of various talents. Well, like every month you will now have to bear my personal pick of the the top posts- it was a difficult choice honestly.While I was away several new bloggers entered the scene and I've highlighted some of them below mixed in with the older bloggers.


Abughilan : "THE OLD, THE NEW AND A NAME IN HISTORY" , explore a little bit more of the rich Libyan history . "Durghut was born to a Moslem family in Anatolia, he was recruited at the age of twelve and trained to be a sailor and a gunner in Egypt and then Alger. He became excellent in both and for his bravery he was rewarded by his master then the famous Khair Eddin Barbarossa to become the commander of his own boat."

AngloLibyan : "This Really Happened!! " , debating the issue of school neglect " In this country, primary schools do not let any child out unless a parent or a guardian is there to take them home, what was the Headteacher of this school thinking??"

Ema : "They stole my laptop", Ema's brother forgot the laptop in a halway at the University , of course by the time he was back it had long since gone- مكانه سخون . "But we have hope that this person might return it tomorrow,see… we still have faith in people…"

Rose buds : "Kinedness" [sic], about over romanticising Libya .... "Being here and not arround my family and friends has made me forget a lot. Missing them, I would think of all the little small daily things that I miss. I forgot ALL about the biggest problem that we all have there. Gossip and joy at other's misfortune."

Keepsmile 5 : 'The husband store' , this is my favourite post on his blog , it is a joke but I really like it too much :) " A store that sells husbands has just opened in Tripoli, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE !"

A.Adam : 'New resolution' , "our head boss just decided today to make new one, I would like to call it "Law of Coffee"; Says No coffee will be serving during 08:30 until 10:30, and 11:00 till the end of work." Hilarious decision he he he

Hamza : "Libyan guy thinking" , typical us :P it's a cartoon, so click on it here.

Lebeeya : " The Libyan bloggers part I & II " is the only one to get the hounour of TWO best posts for this month for her analysis of the Libyan blogs ( ps and yes you have my permission to write about me as well so come on we need part III . ) .

Piccolina : is showcasing Ghadames and her amazing trip there .

Maysoon : " Dentist ? says who ? " , check her adventures to restore that smile :) "Ok, that is it, no more dentists for me, I was in bed for 5 days!!!!! that was as a result of my trips to the dentist, I am a person who loves to EAT and ENJOY FOOD, which I dearly MISS right NOW!".

Misratia : " جزىء المشكلة وتغلب عليها ", she blogs in Arabic and that is fantastic ( hattip Libyan NBA). Libyan Arabic blogs should be more visible . We already have Ghazi and A.Adam writing in Arabic sometimes. "كثيراً ما يجري تذكيرنا بأن الهدف الواضح والخفي لأعدائنا يتمثل في شعار :"فرّق تسد ".

Update 28-1-07 Last week was the Muslim New Year [19-21 January depending on where you are gerograpically ] we are now in the year 1428 and today is the Ashura , I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone and especially the Libyan bloggers a Happy New Belated Hejiri New Year and a Happy Ashura .

Highlander links for Ashura

Highlander links for Hejiri New Year

Update 28-1-07 @ 8:00 PM

What I like about feasts is the spirit of generosity. So far the neighbours have sent us , freshly slaughtered lamb, boiled fava beans and chickpeans and a couscous bil bosla dish - all yummy and that is really so sweet of them to remember us like this .

Top 3 Highlander fans- January 2007

January is almost over, and although I have not blogged much, I still have some hardcore fans to which I'm grateful for reading my ramblings.

This month's top 3 are ...

( 1) Programmer_Craig => still in the lead since December 2006 .
(2) New commer Libyan NBA who is seriously competing for no. 1 spot.
( 3) NBA


Thanks guys, you're wonderful....

Research Project

Sarah who blogs here , is working on a research project on 'Middle Eastern women and blogs' for her Master's degree. She sent me a few questions when I was ill . I agreed to answer as many as I could and I'm publishing them here maybe some of you want to take her survey too ?- readers/bloggers are tagged as well.

1) Why did you start writing a blog? Was there a specific moment, event, of friend that urged you to begin writing?

Here is why I started writing !
2) If you had to think about your blog as a certain type of space what kind would it be? Is it a private space (like a locked diary hidden under your bed), a domestic space (like your house), a public space (like school or church), or a city space (like a crowded street where you don't know too many people)? Or do you not think of it this way?

It is all of these.
3) Do you have a goal for your blog? What is it?

No goal, just keep on writing until the muse goes away.
4) We think of a dreams as a measurement of how imbedded you are in something. For instance, when you start to learn a foreign language well you begin to dream in that language. Do you ever dream that you are blogging or having a conversation with someone through chat or email?

No
5) What does your avatar or blog image say about you? Why did you choose it?

My avatar was painted for me by another blogger friend Nomad. It is her own vision of how she thinks I look and eerily enough she is quite accurate .
6) What opportunities does blogging give you that you would not have if you did not blog?

Instant publishing of my thoughts and reaching out to a wide audience all over the world . Plus I love talking ... this way more people to talk with and learn from .
7) What is satisfying to you about blogging?

I can put the issues I have on my heart out there, no need to keep big diaries.
8) Do you ever use blog, chat, or internet services to find someone to date or flirt with online?
Do you talk to the opposite sex more online or in person?

Not intentionally but yes you can end up flirting online at times ;)
9) If you knew that everyone in the world would read your blog today, what two sentences would you write?

Keep reading . Please don't forget to comment and write to me .
10) If you could change anything about your life or country what would it be?

My life - nothing . My country - I wish I could ride a bicycle to work.
11) Have you made any friends through your blog that you wouldn't have in everyday life.

Yes tons even from the wonderful Libyan blogosphere; and I would never have been able to meet many of them if it were not online because of the distance.
12) Do you talk to people who have a different religions or culture than you on your blog or online?

Of course , what kind of question is that?
13) If you consider yourself to be Muslim, what is the hardest and best part about being a Muslim woman?

It is always hard to be a woman, regardless of religion, because you always need to take care of everyone , and prove yourself doubly.
14) Would you mind telling me your gender and age? Any other features of yourself you would like to reveal.—occupation, marital status, country of residence?

Female , live in Libya.
15) Anything you would like to add or comment on? Any questions for me?

Yes when will you finish your thesis and do you intend to visit the Middle East ? Also are you going to learn Arabic ? It would help you a lot. One more thing, please email me a copy of your study when you are done I'd love to read about it . Good luck Sarah!

Contests

*If you have an outstanding young Libyan woman in mind you can help by nominating her for a Tibra Award , I wrote about it before , but there is no harm in reminding people especially that nominations for 2007 are due soon. So go click here . Deadline 1st February. I also hope they make banners.

"The Achievement Award and Tibra Scholarship honor accomplished young women graduating from high school. The Scholarship includes $1,000 to be used in furthering the recipient's education."

*If you like like writing essays and have big dreams try your hand at this contest . Deadline 31st January.

Announcements

Well I've moved to the new Blogger but not really by choice , so apologies in advance to anyone having difficulties in the comment section. It should clear itself up soon I assume. It seems that this new Blogger has decided on its own to make a lot of comments as anonymous weird and you cannot go back ( Blogger if you are reading this please HELP) , dear readers any tips are welcome.

Also thank you all for having been patient with me while I was away and for STILL reading or at least clicking to check if I has posted anything :P .

For those who asked , yes I was travelling and yes I did go to London as well, BUT I won't speak a lot about these trips today maybe another time . Sorry Craig no photos.

Dhafer, thanks for taking care of my space.

Now I have to catch up on a lot of stuff , have not much read the news lately.

Back Kinda

I'm back ! Just as I decided I had rested from my month long adventures, the now world famous Highlander cat got ill. It is currently on antibiotics and vitamin injection. The bleeding has stopped but it's lowered immunity means it has a cold as well now .... We went to the veterinaty yesterday , but the prognosis looks good - so hopefully all will be well soon ! Oh and Adib , merci encore :)

Dear readers ( those who are still left ) , blogging wil resume ..

Away

Dear ALL,

I will be away most of this month, so please forgive me if I blog/comment erratically as my internet access will be limited. However, Dhafer is here and he will release your comments when I'm not available.

Meanwhile there are many posts to keep you busy and you could email me too if you wish.

Highlander

Highlights 2006


My favourite posts for 2006 are :


Yoko Tsuno & Grendizer
From the Family Vacation Album
Eid El Fitr in Libya
The Pope
Five Years later
The Shebsheb series I & II
Mr. Highlander
A Leap of Faith
The Wanderer : an Anglo Saxon poem

And last but not least is my tandem attempt at story writing on Adam's blog , which has turned in to a suspense thriller ( modesty eh ? ), ladies and gentlemen check again " The day it all changed" for the finale (coming soon multitasking here ).

It was difficult to choose as I wrote so many posts this year !

But how about you tell me which ones not listed above but you liked from my 2006 posts ?



I've already wished everyone Season's greetings for Christmas, New Year , Hannukah and Eid .
On another note I want one of these chains:




So Happy 3 in 1 as Abufares says ! ..and see you in 2007.


PS off topic; dear all pls get a blogger name ASAP it will allows us to recognize each other easier . No more anonymous commenters .

The Best of the Libyan Blogosphere : December 2006

This month , OnTripoli decided to give us a review of the some fast food outlets in Libya. My favourite was Pizza Pizza. "Located on the busy bustling Gargaresh- Hay Alandalus main drag, inside the newly opened Al-Wahat shopping little mall. Kind of hidden in the back ground but not to the eyes at first, with a nice balcony that looks over the entrance of the main " [more].

Khadijateri , bless her gaves us a 101 Eid show, warning not for the faint hearted :P . But it contains a lot of Libyan traditions if you are interested. "It probably seems appalling to those living in non-Muslim countries to think that kids would all gather round to watch an animal being slaughtered, but kids in Muslim countries are used to the idea of the annual sacrifice and look forward to the excitement." [more].

Safia Speaks , is surprised and the Christmas bestseller in Denmark : "A little months ago the very first authentic Danish translation of the Holy Quran was published. Amazingly, people in Denmark are now buying editions of the Danish Quran in thousands. In fact, the publisher can hardly keep up with the demand." [more].

Trabilsia has posted a message found in the diary of the sister of her friend : " A very close friend of mine lost her only sister a couple years ago. She e-mailed me this poem /song . I found the words so beautiful in meaning and so asked her if I could share it with you all." [more].

Lebeeya share another posts from another sister " Everything here is so different. The lifestyle, the food, the people, even living with (sister) is difficult and it's not just because i have to wear hijab all the time. She's got her own family and It's just different from living at home. " [more]

A.Adam, spent the day taking photos " I am not professional to take pictures but I decided to go and take some, Actually I went to buy new Libyan cloths to be ready in Eid day.don't forget click on to enlarge picture " [more].

Imtidad, Ghazi posts about a talented Libyan gir " l "Her name is Asia Alfasi, she is 22 years old, and lives in Birmingham England. Her true passion is Manga the Japanese cartoon characters and comic books in general. She created her own Arabic manga characters, one of them is called Monir an Arabian Muslim child (and a prince although he doesn't know it) who has learned to fight to stay alive and look after his twin sister Monira.' [more].

White African , sees finds out about human kindness " human beings are amazing, just when you loose hope in people, a random act of kindness blows you away. " [more].

Piccolina reminisces about 2006 " in the year 2006 I've been through lots of things ..sad and happy and i guess it was the most important year till now coz i learned alot about life , dealing with people and about my self such as " [more].

Dania's mum wonders whether she is a good mother "Two years and ten months ago my little angel came to life, to change mine completely .. the wonder of the motherhood was overwhelming ,,i remember the first days of her life ,, the sleepless nights,, the feeding ,, changing nappies ,, the first smile .. and the guessing !!: " [more] .

Anglo Libyan ' s great post about more endangered wildlife in Libya " have been checking the status of some of Libya's wildlife, it seems most of the animals that are native to Libya are either already extinct or God forbid on their way to be extinct." [more].

Libyan Violet , influenced by too much reading of glossy magazines is wondering about the possibility of training men like dolphins " ...So anyway Michelle was speaking about some American writer who wanted to train her man to behave the the way she wants to and wrote about it to describe the procedure ." [more].

Next month we can add another feature , how about we vote for the best Libyan blogger for each month ?



Previously featured : November 2006

Best Comment for December 2006 :

From Libyan blogger BraveHeart
on the superheroes post here.

"OHHH Highlander:God bless you u bring all the old memories, for me
Grandaizer is the best ,i remember when i was in the second year in the primary
school,the teacher told us we will find every thing in aljana ,i asked her even
grandizer ,she told me yea even grandizer ,i remember i was very happy and
excited ,and told my mum and dad that i need to go to aljana as fast as possible
to meet grandizer,even before 3 years ago,we used to have break between 1pm to 2
pm,all the engineers and the management were gathered in the tv room to see
grandizer in art tv.thanks for this post
Sun Dec 24, 01:10:13 AM 2006 "

Previously featured comments :

November

October

Saddam, Eid, Sacrifices and Symbolism : Another Eid Message ?

Now what has Saddam got to do with Eid al-Adha apart from being executed on it ?
Here is my 2 dirham's worth. I was not going to post about any topic except fans and such until next year, but waking up to hear Saddam has been executed does deserve a mention.

Oh there is no denying that Saddam Hussein deserves a zillion deaths for all his crimes, and I am very happy the man got his punishment. However, why should that have to ruin my holiday ? or the collective holiday in Arab countries and burden them with associating the Eid forever with Saddam's death ?

As a conspiracy theory ( which abound in my part of the world) it counts as a master stroke, and hence the mixed feelings with which the news have been greeted in the Arab world and the blogosphere. We have been denied the right to rejoice his death. It came too late, the wrong timing AND for the wrong reasons.

Most people I spoke with think it has 'Made in USA' stamped all over it (no offense , see above reference to conspiracies); especially because of the time and date. We kept hearing how the Iraqi government headed by Maliki is sovereign and so made the choice. However, when you read the following tidbits , you wonder ever so slightly who the real sovereign is in Iraq?

**Example :my comments in blue , and emphasis in bold mine :

'"We wanted him to be executed on a special day," National Security adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie told state-run al-Iraqiya television. ' [ref] - yes Eid is very special , but why ?

"Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie witnessed the execution and said the procedure followed Islamic ritual and international standards "to the letter". [..] He said the former leader arrived "handcuffed and holding the Koran to his chest", as Iraqi officials took custody of him from the US-led coalition. [ref] -could be interpreted as yep his fate is sealed give him to his people now to kill him , we don't want the headache or the backlash from the Arab world.

"Najib Naimi, a former Qatar justice minister, said: "The Americans called the defence team to pick up his personal belongings. All these indications show he will probably be executed tomorrow." [..] The official dismissed a comment by a senior US official that Saddam could hang as early as tomorrow, saying it was "none of the Americans' business" to decide when the former dictator would die. [ref] - we are told and shown Maliki and the 'sovereign' Iraqi government signed Saddam's execution papers , but it looks like it was more predetermined in advance .

So if the Iraqi government was sovereign, I'm sure they would have chosen another day after the Eid and most probably not in the sanctified months, what's the hurry ? Saddam was going nowhere, and they were discussions re. executing him at a later date following the rejection of his appeal. So what happened ?

Moreover, in the Muslim calendar consisting of 12 lunar months, there are four sanctified month الاشهر الحرام : three of them are in sequence; Zul-qidah(11th), Zul-hijjah(12th), Muharram(1st), and Rajab(7th). During these sacred months specific acts are considered forbidden/restricted ( haram); prominently war fare/the shedding of blood. A terrorist can disregard that for sure, but not a head of state, the representative of a government. Especially since this person or body has the power in theory to declare war.
So the fact this special date was picked could indicate it was dictated by someone who knows the power of the symbolism of the 'special day'. A conspiracy theorist would say it is an unveiled message : ''dear Arab Muslims, just as you are slaughtering your sheep, we are slaughtering one of your presidents - and you are impotent. We can prop and remove any of you at will ! ' . This is not anti-West, these are the ideas floating around and which I thought worthy of being shown to you in order to hear there are no basis for these claims.

A sample of people's reaction here on the BBC site . Bold is mine , which emphasizes the above theory even though it may sound ridiculous to many ears.


Saddam was murdered for standing up for his country. His death in itself is a crime which has been committed by supposedly, decent and democratic cohorts. The whole thing smirks of hypocrisy. His murder should serve as a lesson to all the present allies of the United States that should they decide to challenge the hegemony of the United States, the same fate shall befall them. Saddam's death was premeditated!
ayo awoyele, peterborough, United Kingdom

He was "out of control", that's the only reason America invaded, captured, tried and executed him. He was no more a 'criminal' than those who equipped him to commit those crimes, rather, they are no less a criminal. He wouldn't do as he was told, so he had to go. Welcome to the modern world. I wonder who would be found guilty of 9/11 if they were tried in the same way? This was no trial, it was 12 months of finger pointing in the vain and arrogant hope it would justify an absolute mess.
N Kenworthy, Crewe


While the following is the reaction at the Iraqi blogosphere (hattip Salam Adil from Global Voices) , among a collective sigh at his death there are a bunch of other ideas.


Today was a 'special day' the first day of the Eid al- Adha or the Eid al Kabir , a happy occasion to meet friends and family, a culmination of the Hajj and a commemoration of the time Prophet Abraham intended to sacrifice his only son Ismael upon God's request and how God in his mercy gave him the sheep instead and so set a precedent that human sacrifice to God was no longer acceptable as in paganism. Check here for significance of this story.

Moneyshot:

"This momentous event also teaches us, through Ibrahim, that human life,
Ismail's, Ibrahim's, everyone's, acquires its meaning and value from God -- The
Source of Creation -- and not from nature. It signifies that the good things in
life, represented by Ismail, derive their value not from the mere fact that they
exist and can be valued, enjoyed and delighted in, but from God, The Source of
Creation Himself. Ibrahim was, in some sense, giving back Ismail to receive him
again on the proper basis.[...] The Ismail of Ibrahim was his son. But you, who
is your Ismail ? what is it ? Your degree? Your reputation? Your position? Your
money? Your home? Your car? Your beloved? Your family? Your knowledge? Your
title? Your dress? Your fame? Your soul? Your spirituality? Your Beauty? Your
strength? Your career?" ."

The Eid spirit has been irrevocably destroyed , leaving a bitter taste. As much as I was anticipating watching Saddam die, I did not want to see that today and not under these circumstances. Could you imagine attending an execution on Christmas :( ?

This BBC commenter has encapsulated the feelings of many in one single sentence:

" I feel saddened by the death of Saddam, not because he deserved to live
but because it is taking place under US occupation of Iraq ".

Further reading :
(1) Juan Cole ( hattip you know who you are - so if you want me to aknowledge you send me an email ) .