One - Zero

Has football dominated the Egyptian minds?
It may very well have.. The problem is that it is spreading worldwide, though it is becoming more transparent in the Egyptian media - which reflects the mindset of the simple Egyptians.

In the past few days I've seen 2 Egyptian movies revolving around football. "Alzamahlaweya" (a word which is used to combine the two top clubs in Egypt Zamalek and Ahly) and "One - Zero" - a movie which has gained a lot of criticism and praise due to the sensitive issues it tackles.

If you watch both movies you will know how frustrated Egyptian are. Let's start with the first movie.

Alzamahlaweya features two families with past history of hatred due to their fanatical support to the two top clubs in Egypt. Though they are neighbors, their support to opposing clubs have widened a gap between them. As the plot is revealed we discover that both wives in the two families are strong supporters of their husbands' rival teams. They become best friends and soon find out that their children are madly in love with each other. But how will they break the news to their husbands? You find out also that there are those who benefit from such friction and they do their best to widen this gap between the supporters of the clubs to ensure it works out in their benefit.

The second movie is deeper than the first. It tackles more serious issues and shows that football is the only common denominator that brings all classes of Egyptians together. You see the poor who sell their bodies to gain money to spend on their families, you see those who face daily dilemmas to live a normal life due to their religious beliefs (which happen to be different to that of the state), you see youth working hard in order to start their own business but struggle to make ends meet, you see a mother working so hard in so many things in order to find the money to support herself and her son, you see a poor man looking after his grandchildren but using Hash as a means of gaining money quickly and more easily, you see a police officer using his position to punish a girl who refuses to be with him... you see many examples of Egyptians suffering and the economical and political state of the country holding them down. The only thing that manages to draw a smile on their face is when Egypt's national team win the African cup.

Both movies make you wonder, what would it take to make Egyptians happy? Is it really the football matches? Or is this a way of them letting out steam. After all, most of their problems are not easy to solve nor will they disappear overnight.

If these movies reflect anything, they reflect the state of despair the Egyptians are feeling and heir search for anything to make their daily lives more tolerable.

But it doesn't stop there. The number of songs made for the world cup is unbelievable. Remember it hasn't actually started yet. Not to mention the number of Egyptian songs being made for every football occasion possible. Songs are also being made in case the Egyptian nation team wins, for example. The time and effort used to write, compose and perform these songs are scary when you think that there is a chance they will not be aired or make it to life if the team loses.

It seems that football is one thing that, Egyptians in particular and the world in general, are enthusiastic about.

Marwa Hassan
BBC

(ok that's over doing it but what the heck!)

Day 6...

There wasn't a day 1 to 5 but I was too exhausted to note them...

This is the 6th day in a row where I feel this.... I don't even know how to describe it.. so why am I writing this note?!!

It feels like I'm being pessimistic but I don't think I'll be around for long.. will it be weeks or months? Who knows...

I'll be strong to the end, I know.. even if I shed a tear I'll still be very strong... but now I have to wonder... how long will it be?

Yaaaawwwwwnnnnnnnnnnn

I can't seem to stop yawning this week!!
Last week has been a very long week and I only had one day off this weekend but this has never made me this tired before!!!

I am really looking forward to a long weekend this weekend.. so many places we may go to but as long as I am away from here it doesn't really matter :)

So many things took place this week and last week. They are mostly good.. I also learned a very important lesson.. NEVER and I mean NEVER get in a relationship with someone without working with them first.. doesn't have to be forever but at least get to work on a small project with them. This is the only thing that will show you what this person will be like for the rest of your lives together! Personally, it was an eye opener for me!! What was I getting myself into!!

You will also get to see what other people meant, especially if they make comments like "they will never be in control, you will always have to take charge".. I used to think they are so wrong.. until I found out for myself.

You have to believe in fate.. Not everything you think is bad for you actually is bad for you!

Loving it...

... not sure what "IT" is...

Today I had another one of those unusual dreams... It was odd but not bad..

I was walking in a street close to work and home, one I often walk in, and I found a woman wearing a bridal gown walking out of a restaurant with her groom.. She looked really hyper it was daytime still so it grabbed my attention.. That's not the end of it though..



Moments later another woman appeared wearing a wedding gown, this time she was walking alone.. Moments later more and more women appeared wearing wedding gowns and there were a couple walking together (2 women both wearing wedding gowns..). It was becoming really weird!

I decided to walk into the posh restaurant that the first couple walked out of as I was supposed to meet someone there. I arrived and was told that there is a "women only" area on the lower ground floor.. I headed for the stairs though I kept saying that some people were supposed to meet me and they are on the top floor..

As I reached the area I discovered I was the only one there - apart from the cleaner who was cleaning the toilet! The toilet looked nice and clean so I made an excuse of sorting my scarf out then headed to the top floor. It was more lively - the food was amazing too! I finally found the people I was looking for and sat with them on the table to tell them about this weird day I am having.. That's when I woke up and discovered it was still 05:30!!!

what the heck does this dream mean? It put me in a nice mood to start the day but I keep thinking what does it mean?

Well, time to finish a few things before I head to bed.. Maybe there will be a part 2 (,")

Friends..

My dear blog..

Today I spoke to 3 people from my past... all 3 were truly amazing.. It's hard to understand how friends can be so far from each other in distance yet understand each other and can be there for each other.. Just as it is hard to understand how friends can be so close in distance but yet so far...

I spoke to 2 of them over the phone.. Their voices came as a relief.. a soothing feeling that reminds you of how good things used to be.. without a doubt I cried.. I have missed them so much and missed the fun and great times we used to have together.. These really were the days, when nothing bothered us, nothing could stand in the way of our happiness.. I wish I could go back to those days..

It felt amazing to know I can still rely on these 3 dear friends.. I can always ask them for help and they will always go out of their way to help out.. they truly are amazing and exactly what friends should be like..

I wish them all the happiness in the world and wish they would always be my great friends as I wish I will always be their great friend. I love you guys..

I didn't forget you...

I mean the blog idea is fab but I'm getting too busy (and maybe too lazy) to update it regularly!

As I started typing this post it started raining... I guess that's a good sign... right?

I am still trying to book a decent leave period so I can go visit Heba and spend some quality time in Cairo (followed by Turkey no doubt) so I'm hoping the volcanic ash will calm down a little until I do!

The question now is, how do I move from here? Work wise I mean.. This is the question that has been on my mind for weeks and I still didn't find the "right" answer... London, Amman, Doha, Cairo, or somewhere else.. where will I end up? Which one will I enjoy more? Who knows!!

A crazy dream..

.. well, after every great dream there must be a crazy one... I think..

This time it was really crazy.. I woke up thinking "NOT AGAIN!! Enough with these crazy dreams!" but the reason I woke up from that crazy dream was because the heroine of the dream sent me a text message (on my real phone, hence it vibrated and woke me up).. so it was odd anyway..

Now, the point is.. does that dream count as a warning? That I need to try and save her? Try to make her aware of what she may be getting herself into? Or am I reading too much into it? Why do I keep analyzing those dreams!!!

I guess I'm too tired to try and figure this out now.. So I will think about it tomorrow.. I hope it is just that, a crazy dream that means nothing.. Fingers crossed..

P.S. it really was a great day today :)

A great dream...

... sometimes that's all it takes to start that spark of hope again.. Well, that's what happened to me. I had an amazing dream. I didn't want to wake up.. I had to.

It's all it takes to change a mood, to make one start look at life differently, to give hope, to give life a ray of light to brighten up daily life..

Ok, that's enough, right?

Anyway.. After that dream I had to go to work. It was nice and it has certainly helped. I needed that anyway..

Work was OK. Lots of changed but most of it was anticipated. I hope it will change the "lazy culture" as some have described it today.

Looking forward to tomorrow.. let's hope it is better than today :)

Slowly....

... but it's happening... the ice is melting and I'm slowly starting to feel my heart beat... I aim to travel soon and I hope I will see him soon... let's see what happens next :)

I can't be bothered...

It's like trying so hard to make all this mess make sense but it doesn't... Something isn't right and I have no idea what it is..

It's not about revenge, nor is it about trying to sop life and suddenly change direction.. It's just a mess I am still trying to understand.. how did it happen and why? How do I prevent this from happening again in future? Am I that naïve?

What about work? Am I making the right decisions? Is this the right path? Is Cairo the answer? Or is it Jordan or Qatar? Or is it simply London!!

I need to find a way out of this mess.. to try and make all this make sense.. but I'm running out of time...

What a night!

Program done. I didn't really do much - at least not as I expected... However, it went well overall..

Now what? To continue or not?

What a great day!!

A new job offer, which is great! and another in the place.. though the second was not offer but more of a confirmation.

What was also great about it was the slap i felt someone took once they heard the news... it was pretty obvious.. I am mean!! :D

The thing is - people forget that the harder they work the more rewards they gain.. Getting someone else to do part of your job so you can look like a pro doesn't pay off in the long run...

Well I am on cloud 9 today.. The rooms are also looking great and I am ready for the next stages.. now the question remains, what about that job offer?

Today's quote:

"شكرا لكل من سقطوا من نظري لأنهم تركوا لي المجال حتى أرى غيرهم"

It's sooooo true..

Well, now that I managed to finish cleaning the 2 rooms I swapped and destroyed... time to focus on the more important things..

hmm? Say what??

What did I miss?? I woke up (though I had a terrible night's sleep!) and went out for a few hours.. I needed to see something other than the 2 rooms I managed to destroy!!

I came back and was determined to sort at least one of them out. I only have tomorrow left and this is not good...

I managed to finish the largest room (hooray!) and now have little to do in the 2nd room... The summary of this story is: sometimes you need a break away from something in order to be able to go back to it and finish it off.. That was easy!

But then it's lots of news today.. including a new arrival (i.e. new baby).. it's so exciting :D

Enough blogging.. got to go back to the 2nd room.. I am determined to have an early night tonight!

I need a miracle!!

So I ended up swapping the rooms as I had planned.. the problem is, I can't seem to make either rooms look clean... There is so much stuff lying on the floors of both room that it looks like a devastating after effect of some flooding or earthquake!! I need a miracle to get all this sorted out before it's too late!!

Can't believe I can cause so much damage alone! LOL