I am just an ordinary girl who wants to make a difference in the world, and share her thoughts and yours OUT LOUD!! We are all special and unique in our own way! DO U THINK SO?
The Myth about ‘ The Caller ‘ or ‘ Al Nadaha’, one of the Egyptian urban myths that was told among the people of the town. It began when the peasants claimed that a very beautiful and strange woman appeared at night, in the fields in the darkness. She would call out the name of a specific person and that person (man) awakes charmed by the voice, in which he follows, then when getting to her they disappear only to be found dead the next day.
The story was spread and told among the people’s town to be warned of ‘The Caller’. Insanity (craziness) was also caused when hearing her voice.
She (The Caller) would form herself into many different forms and sizes. It was said that the only way to kill her was by remembering God (zekr Allah) and by sprinkling salt at her, but without looking into her face, as well as not reacting to her call (by blocking your ears). Many versions of the myth was told in addition to the movies that were made about the Nadaha (The Caller).
It wasn’t only the death and insanity that had been the result of the person responding to the Caller, but also paranoia and hallucinations would hit them, but also at times finding the person talking to him or her self and being hesitant to walk in the fields and land.
It was also said about the ‘The Caller’ that sometimes she would charm them to fall in love with her, then take the man down into the underworld to mate – with that he would turn up missing and suddenly appear dead. She would kill them out of revenge and so they wouldn’t live to tell her secret.
Copied from the page: Egyptians
Adding to this Myth > A trustworthy reliable source whose grandfather had lived in that time and whom personally had witnessed this so called ‘The Caller’, had told me his incident. I am going to share with you his story.
My source started by saying:
“ The caller would always come at night, sometimes at noon during people’s naps at 2 pm in the summer. She came to my grandfather once, which was during the night while he was watering the land. When he saw her from far by the tree, he quickly covered his ears with his scarf, and then he began to recite verses of the Quran as she came towards him. My grandmother would go and check up on him and take with her his dinner as well.”
My source stopped to continue saying, “ it was hard back then as they had no lights out there on the land, like we have now.”
My friend Ahmed.S and I were discussing about the different situations that had been happening in Egypt and then we got to talk about Conscience and the role it had played after the revolution and its effect in general. We got to discuss the consequences of it as well when used incorrectly and wrongfully. We began naming situations that resulted with the lack of conscience in it. After ending our conversation, it got me thinking that were different kinds of ‘Conscience’ according to the situation or matter at hand. I decided to share some of the situations with you all, as I labeled them with its type!
Allow me to start with the word in question – Conscience << What does that mean? At this moment we are all thinking about the meaning or definition of the word, lets stop and think about that for a bit!
Lets put our version of the meaning to the word ‘Conscience’ using our God given instinct. I – as most of you, am sure – define it as: that little voice inside us guiding or helping us to make the right choice and decision. I know the majority of us have been and seen a lot from people who don’t understand the meaning of the word. How we feel and see it is totally different from those whom either ignore it, or abuse it.
Understanding and having a conscience is essential for a life of FAITH – to not understand and not have a conscience can destroy a moral life and all that’s in it.
Conscience, among other qualities differs us from others; makes us stand out, not for anyone but for ourselves. It sets us free to do all for the goodness of life. Having that sense of peace and satisfactory within.
Sometimes conscience doesn’t always judge properly, for example: when dealing with a man on a fruit stand in the streets. You ask and agree to the amount needed and money, as they start preparing the bag to filling it in with the agreed amount. Right in that moment between holding the bag and staring at the item they are about to pick up- their conscience plays its role in choosing to pick the right proper fruit or the horrible bruised fruit filled with holes ☹.
GUESS what the majority of them end up doing??
YES! You go home and SURPRISE!! ☺ The bad fruits are right there in the bag, staring at you!!
Or how about the judge that decides to give the guilty person in question a verdict of innocence, when all evidence and proof clearly point out and show that they are guilty. Just because they sold their conscience and were blinded by greed and material things offered to them. Or the principal that is willing to allow anything to go on in their school; or taking wrong decisions just for that extra money, whether by bribery or other illegal means.
Or that friend or colleague at work, the one that just stands by and watches their friend do and make the wrong choices and decisions, without uttering a word of truth or giving advice in doing the right thing – Just because they wanted your position at work!
SO MANY examples that show people having no moral or ethical principals, thinking they were right in doing that and gave themselves the right to mistreat and betray the good treatment and trust given to them.
Allow me to give you more examples – Yes! the ones we all have been through – the same ones going through your mind right now! Most examples are so unexpected, unbelievable and shocking.
Here we go:
‘LACK OF CONSCIENCE’ or better yet ‘THE ABSENCE OF CONSCIENCE’ –
When taking someone especially an elderly person with a critical condition to hospital. Rushing, praying and hoping you would get there in time, finding a doctor and a nurse waiting for you at the entrance. Wishing it will all pass with this person in peace, with no pain.
Right now you are struggling between keeping it together and preventing yourself from bursting out into tears. Still in the middle of the panic; rushing; yelling as the adrenalin of mixed emotions rushes through you, whilst carrying your loved one or helping them to walk in. You’ve now entered the front entrance; people staring at you: others whispering as you walk in, to them it’s a scene among other scenes. But to you it is a battle against time. Hopelessly you stand there waiting for a doctor to show up or a nurse to assist you. BUT THERE ISN’T anyone there! You yell out for help and some attention.
Out of nowhere a doctor appears; you are thrilled, but still in that state of rushed adrenalin. Questions being asked and you answer, wondering what a waste of time! The doctor begins to write down some notes and all you want to do, is to scream out HURRY UP!
When all is agreed to and done, reaching the stage where it’s time for the doctor to admit your loved one into a room for an examination. The unexpected response is said, those words that are like a knife stabbing into you. That moment when you wish you could just block your ears.
“We don’t have any rooms or beds vacant at the moment” or “Does she/he have insurance?” or “We have no specialized doctors present” or “Our hospital isn’t facilitated for their condition, I am sorry”.
In a split second, SILENCE conquers you!
Snapping back to reality, you have reached that point where you are uttering words and mumbling at the same time, anything to get your loved one admitted into hospital.
YOU >> “What are you saying? How come you don’t? This is unbelievable, you are a doctor and this is a hospital, so what are you saying?” – “Don’t you have any moral sense, can’t you see they are in pain. Get up and do something!!” <<<<> “Where’s your conscience mister??”
Just because they didn’t want to make that extra effort; or too busy wanting to chit chat; or watch the latest updates in the second half of the game etc.
‘BLIND TO CONSCIENCE’ or better yet ‘SHOVING CONSCIENCE ASIDE’ –
Ah yes! This one we see all the time and is happening everywhere. We’ve all seen on most of our streets and in our areas beggars and poor homeless people. There is a big difference between the two. I would give any money I have to a poor homeless person than to a beggar. If I don’t have any change or enough to give, I would just pass by them with a smile. I have seen and watched some people walking in front of a homeless person as if they were air; as if they didn’t exist; as if that person they had just passed wasn’t there at all!!
I stood across the road, looking at this poor homeless person, sitting on the pavement (sidewalk) in:
scruffy clothes (old and torn) with a turban on his head. When I passed by him I gave him a small amount of what I had, and I looked at his face – You know when they say you can read a persons’ life journey by the number of wrinkles on their face. Well they weren’t kidding! It was obvious his journey was long and filled. His smile was between hope and disappointment (If I had had my camera then, I would have taken that expressive face and smile to show you all).
I watched this man as he sat there – eyes filled with sadness and shame. He sat in a very interesting position – he sat in a way as if life and time had broken him but yet fidgeted to try and sit up straight with pride. My eyes were focused on his reaction, as people passed him, whether they gave him money or not. But one incident drew my attention and it was very disturbing – this is where you can say that being blind to conscience >> was applied.
This one man – in his mid thirties, well dressed – stopped in front of the homeless man, dug into his pocket and pulled out some coins and a paper note. He counted them and then looked at the homeless man smiled and walked off. What was that??
He didn’t have enough to give him, no problem. But don’t just stand there in front him count your money and walk off!! He should have kept walking further away from the homeless man and then checked his money.
The homeless man’s reaction was: a smile and a nod < expressing it was okay!! Schoolgirls passed by and teased him; he looked at them with no reaction at all. A woman carrying her baby walked 10 paces further along from him and returned to give him some money.
We all sometimes stop and place ourselves in their shoes and wonder: how they were before and what happened making them end up in that state. I’m sure he was a respectable workingman before reaching this stage. It’s a shame! Just hoped people were more considerate towards others.
‘SELLING CONSCIENCE’ better yet ‘ BRIBERY AND FAVOURITSIM’ –
This one is a contagious one; it spreads like a disease: ‘Bribery and favoritism’ that happens all the time when applying for governmental and private jobs and work. Which results in:
1- Efficiency in destroying the potential factor, which is competition from choosing the best among the applicants.
2- Affecting the role of performing the highest quality in work and precision at work.
3- Leads to corruption of the society and people’s conscience, as well as an upraising in envy and hate between workers and employees.
The hardworking people are caught up in the middle of this unfair situation: where their rights are wasted and have had their jobs taken away from them, by those who gained it by bribery or favoritism. Which lead to the destruction and the fall apart of the country or society. For example: what happened in Egypt, after the revolution, the corruption had increased, due to not having the right candidates employed into their right field and career, and having to accept work in any position or in areas that aren’t in their specialty or experience.
When you find an accountant working in the administration department at a school or a waitress working at a bank or a doctor working as a teacher etc., that’s because they bought their way into the job position by bribery and favoritism, having the rightful ones to the job being pushed aside. Once accepting those whom don’t belong to that position, this results:
a- In having them not giving their job the full required performance.
b- In which that person ends up a burden and a problem to the company and team, and a non-operative factor.
c- Reducing and slowing down the productive work required and needed.
That was the outcome result due to conscience being bought by bribery and favoritism. Having a corrupted member and worker will inflict to another member or worker and so on, till the whole company or organization etc. is infected by this corruption.
The lack of professionalism leads to lack of potential, which causes the collapsing of the services needed of the country and the spreading of corruption, bribery and other unwanted illegal means. Or an outbreak expressed into a revolution or riot to display the message of having enough of corruption and more.
Hence, what is being seen in Egypt and in many other countries.
The list goes on and on…I just hope that these people wake up to realizing that it’s not worth it: the selling, shoving, blinding themselves from using their conscience. Sooner or later it will conquer them with guilt and that nagging voice will just eat up at them, for mistreating a person or situation wrongfully and unjustly. I am not here to tell anyone what to do. Just merely shedding some light, reminding those whom have forgotten and thanking those whom haven’t!
I was merely thinking out loud, as it got me thinking, how situations would have turned out differently ….
If only……..
Please listen and enjoy the song by Mohamed Mounir – Eftaho Karares el Rasm – Open The Drawing Books.
With its translation to the song:
>>> Open the drawing books oh doves! For there is a martyr dove present - praying and opening the studio to draw a bird flying through time dreaming of a city of crystals – Drawing swings that the wind blows, children’s playground with stairs of ivory, where the world is sane and not crazy. Not even a bullet can draw the universe. You can’t create a line; or a colour; or prevent the sun from bracing branches. We will draw a swarm of doves floating (flying), pecking their beak and awaking the human conscience, to show how a real person is to be, without saying his true opinion and without singing with freedom.<<
‘Oh Craps!’ was my expression when I took a spoonful of rice to taste. Now it didn’t turn out at all as I had hoped and expected! On the contrary, I think it would have been better at that time to have served it as porridge and not as rice ☺ LOL!
That was just a little introduction to how cooking to me could be a failure but not necessarily a disaster. I myself love and adore food and yes, cooking is an adventure for me. I love making that mess in the kitchen makes me feel like a chief. Especially the part where you forget an ingredient or a measurement, the fun is getting a recipe wrong and trying it again till you succeed. I’m sure we’ve all remembered the first time we messed up a recipe, whether by taste or display of the food, like having it end up looking like goo or slime. Eeekh!!!
Yes, like me – I am sure as most of you have had their fair share of food and cooking going terrible.
Ahhh! Let me tell you about this one incident that was very funny – My sister and I, were making ‘English Shortbread biscuits’, now as much fun we had in making the biscuit, the end result wasn’t pretty. It was nowhere near a Shortbread biscuit. It was hard as a rock, which gave my sister and I, the pleasure of giving it a few slams on the tip of the table.
Yes! Result confirmation affirmative they were like rocks :p
It gets interesting when you have other people cooking with you, whether with family or friends. At one time, my family and I had decided that each of us would cook our favourite dish and share it for lunch. As we were all in the kitchen preparing our dishes, my brother had decided to cook ‘ fried kidneys and onions’ as his dish. We could smell the lovely aroma of the spices he had used coming from his pan. Poor lad, he had prepared a dish out, so he could pour the food into it. When suddenly the pan had slipped off the stove, having it fall to the floor tipped upside down ☹. All four of us were literally just standing there staring at the beautiful juicy kidneys and golden onions on the floor. In my mind all I was thinking about was “Oh flipsy, there goes one dish:’(“
My sister’s mind “Nooooo, that was tasty”
My brother’s mind “ Do I run or crack a joke?”
Oh and on my mother’s mind was “ I am definitely not cleaning that mess up!” Hehehe.
We did end up laughing our heads off, as we said bye bye to one of the lovely tasty dishes.
That’s one of the fun enjoyable things cooking can bring. I love the creativity and fun on how food can unite all the people of the world, no matter what together.
You might be asking yourselves: How the hell could that be? – Well I bet you if I mentioned ‘FRIES’ to anyone around the world, in any country, town and continent, you will find him or her all giving you a smile and waiting for a plate ☺ RIGHT?? Yes, I know. Wow! Imagine being around one big massive table with nothing but fries, having on every chair someone from a different culture, religion, continent etc.
Alrighty, you can stop drooling over fries now! ☺
One of the other things I personally see fun about food is the tasting part ☺ especially if you have kids with you, doing the tasting too, the facial expressions we see is so hilarious, I am sure we’ve all given a child something bitter to eat, just to see their reaction to it, and had laughed our heads off! Or sitting in a foreign restaurant, looking at the menu and trying to guess what the dish is made up of, being in another language!! Or being invited to someone’s home for a meal, and first time tasting and seeing it. But you are at that moment when hesitation and curiosity conquers you sitting at the table. Two things will happen in this situation: you’ll enjoy it so much to the point you’d have to hold yourself, and be polite in not finishing the dish for them, or it turns out YUCKY and you pray to God that they either have a dog or a plant near the dining table
The kitchen is the finest part of a room that gathers a family together, that gathers strangers together, and that gathering of common interest. It is supposed to be about taste of the food and the art of cooking. What happened to being able to indulge into a proper meal! Why do we have to go through gobbling up food or scuffing it down, without having that pleasure and satisfactory in tasting it.
How many of you just nodded yes to that part?
Ironic isn’t it, we have the choice and the chance each time to make a homemade warm meal, yet we choose the easy fast food way. The chances we get to have as a gathering, yet we choose a quick quick meal. Food lovers like me would agree: that we would rather taste every piece of spice than to rushing it down our throats: to crunching and chewing every ingredient than to swallowing it down.
Many books, movies and magazines have portrayed the fun means and interest of Cooking and Food, but there are times when a good old movie would do it.
One of my all time favourite movie about food and cooking, I love to see over and over again is ‘Julie and Julia’ remember that one – Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. When a chief named Julia writes her own cookbook and is then inspired by Julie who aspires to cook all 524 recipes from Julia’s book within 356 days, as she also writes in her blog about each recipe and its challenge that she faces.
To me it was they way Julie was inspired by cooking and food that made her insist on trying out all the recipes in the book, times by herself, and others had helped her. I also liked the way we lived every moment of feelings and emotions in all its forms, day by day with her, as if being a constant guest in her house, gathering us all around in her kitchen.
Sometimes all it requires for you is to stop for a few minutes, take your meal and give it your full attention. Think twice before refusing or not making way for a gathering.
” There are no limits when being creative with cooking and food”~ R.Saber
Looking back on 2012- we had some very interesting interviews to some of the well known famous artists and singers and Djs. I personally had the pleasure and honour of interviewing them all.
Allow me to share my THANK YOU note to those who kept us amazed with their talents, music and voices.
EMILIA DE PORET
On the 7th of July 2012, I had the pleasure and opportunity of interviewing Swedish artist and singer Emilla De Poret. Known for her lovely heart felt words and amazing voice. I had asked her if I could have a signed autograph for my friend and I – as we are both big fans of hers.
As down to earth she is, I received a package from Sweden to Egypt, opening it I found 2 signed autographs and 2-signed Cd albums ‘Pick me Up’ from Emilia De Poret. That was a lovely surprise and a nice Christmas and New Year gift indeed.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU EMILIA PERSONALLY AND PUBLICLY FOR THAT.
ALL OF EGYPT AND I ARE BACKING YOU UP AND WISHING THE BEST IN 2013.
I would like to THANK my dear good friend MARIANA as well, who helped me have the opportunity to get in contact with Emilia De Poret.
HAPPY NEW YEAR MARIANA!!
You can also follow Emilia and Mariana on Twitter:
@MarianaLeah @emiliadeporet
DJ ROY MALAKIAN
On the 24th of July 2012, I had the chance and pleasure of taking a few minutes of Dj Roy Malakain’s time for an interview. The well known all around the world Lebanese Dj, who has rocked the houses of many clubs and countries through his gigs and his radio show ‘THE PULSE’ that is being aired or streamed online via Radio 1.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ROY VERY MUCH FOR SHOWING US THE MEANING TO YOUR MUSIC AND ALLOWING US TO SHARE YOUR SUCCESS.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU- MAY 2013 BE THE BEST!
DJ ROY MALAKIAN wanted to share this with you all his fans:
reeting to you all,
Happy new year every one
Getting the chance to do the things we missed out on in doing in 2012. Join me with a flashback to my journey in 2012 that we had experienced and witnessed together. It was a great year with all its success and events- the start with getting to meet and make new friends, having the pleasure to meeting new artists, collaborating our talents and music together- the highlight of that was the merging and creativity of the famous artists Chris Jones, Eller Van Buuren and myself to creating and releasing our masterpiece and storm VITAL SIGNS, Which was a big hit loved and listened to! An experience I truly enjoyed.
To playing THE PULSE live in Lebanon till dawn, with a crowd that was great as we shared the night with mixed beats and sounds. Mustn’t forget the other highlight of my journey was working and trying my show and name with the biggest well-known record labels. Among them was Blackhole recordings. Vital signs being compiled on Mellomenia album with Pedro Del Mar- as well the acoustic mix (Eller van buuren mix) on Playa Del Lounge compiled by Pedro Del Mar.
Promising you all new specials and surprises awaiting in 2013, from new releases to new more remixes and bootlegs. So WATCH OUT for those!Thank you for all the emails from Egypt, I am planning in making the Egyptian fans dream come true, by performing soon I hope there. Sharing with me in person and live true meaning of dancing to mixed beats and sounds.
MY THANK YOU NOTE:
I would like to THANK Radio 1 so much for supporting me big time from the start.
Thank you to Raymond Gaspar and cathryn Gaspar, owners of Radio 1 whom have stood by me and supported me.
A big Thank you to my guests on THE PULSE : Paul Oakenfold, Roger Shah ,Eddie Halliwell and Nicky Romero.
Thank you as well to Abdo Kahale GM of Radio 1 and Dany our Music Manager.
A big token of appreciation and thank you to those who supported VITAL SIGNS:
Rafael Osmo, Pedro del Mar, Ad Brown, Mario Rybansky (Dance One Radio), Artento Divini, DEREK “TheBandit”, Above & Beyond, Marc Simz, Riccardo Sada, DJ Sasj, Dimitri Kechagias, Fred Baker, Solarstone, Robert Gitelman, Kumara van der Gaast, Judge Jules, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Julius Beat, Paul Trainer, Steve Anderson, Markus Schulz, James Brooke, Kyau & Albert, Ferry Corsten, Misja Helsloot, Eddie Sender, Armin van Buuren, Ernesto vs Bastian, Aerofoil, Stuart Millar, DJ Ange, Steve Helstrip, Russell Ogden (Akira Kayosa), James Hannan
Tempo Giusto, Karanda, Simon Budziszyn, Andrea Mazza, Haris C, Flash Brothers, Mallorca Lee, Lange, DJ Ram, Bobina, Andy Duguid, Danilo Ercole, DJ MarQ, Tim Stark, Armin van Buuren, Johan Gielen, Alex O’Rion, Pedro Sombra, M.I.K.E., Talla2XL, Andy Moor and many more.
Thank you to all those who didn’t support me- Promise you more music of mine will be played everywhere and you will be dancing and liking my music, even when you don’t know it!
My biggest THANK YOU and GRATITUDE go out to you all. YES you! My wonderful loving fun FANS all around the world. You stood by me supporting me, shared and rode my rhythms and beats together. Wishing you all the best for 2013 may your dreams come true.
“ My music is pulsed by you – fail you not. Bless you all.”- Roy Malakian.
On the 15th of August 2012, I had a fun interviewing Palestinian rapper Fouad Abdul Hadi. All his lyrics are rapped having a message truly very interesting to hear.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOUAD FOR YOUR INSIGHT AND INTERVIEW.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 – MAY IT BE FILLED WITH MORE OF YOUR RAPPING MUSIC!!
You can read my interview with Rapper Fouad Abdul Hadi
We mustn’t forget my other very interesting interview with the Canadian rock artist and songwriter that possesses that passionate voice and meaning behind her songs, yes Rock Alex Ryder.
She is known for her songs ‘Won’t You Listen’ and ‘Someday’ and more.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALEX FOR THE INTERVIEW.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!
Thank you so much for your ongoing support and encouragement you have given me in 2012. May I Keep living to all your expectations and present you with the best and inspiring and helpful writings and articles. Thank you also for standing by me and supporting my photography.
Promising you this year will be better, different and interesting.
BLESS YOU ALL – MAY IT BE BETTER YEAR FOR YOU ALL!!
I hope everyone of you special people are doing well and fine. If not I pray for you that things go well and get sorted out. For all the countries going through rough times, I too pray for you to pass these times to see light to a better country and future.
Allow me to apologize for my absence and not writing for a quiet sometime now.
But I am back and hopefully later today you will see some new articles and blogs published here.
I guarantee you it was worth the waiting ))
