Just 2 months left!!!

Yes, it's true! the countdown to Rio is approaching. 2 months from now i'll be away in a new adventure. But this time, it's totally different. Along the way, even way before going there, i'm making new friends from all around the world. It is true that with all the new gadgets and technology we use nowadays, it's easier to find each other and build this bond between us.
Some people decided to welcome us in a different way, sending postcards & letters. Yes, the old fashioned way, writing on a piece of paper, putting in an enveloppe and sending it all the way like the old pen pals days. I remember when i used to write to people i haven't seen before and we became sort of friends.
It's super exciting and can't wait to receive my share from those postcards :)

Rules for Life

Notes before reading:
These rules are applicable anytime, anywhere.
They are not ordered by priority.
These are not the only rules, more to be added as life goes on

Rule #1: Don't think people will treat you the same, so do as it pleases you without waiting for something in return

Rule #2: Don't put high hopes on people so you don't feel hurt or disappointed if they are not up to your expactations. Your standards will always be higher than the actual.

Rule #3: The person that will care the most about you is yourself, so don't waist time in fighting yourself

Rule #4: Be happy if someone texts you or send you a nice greetings online, it means you are still on his/her contact list

Rule #5: Life is too short to waist for nothing, so just start living it

Rule #6: Family are the only people who will love you no matter what. So take the opportunity of any available time, even if little, and spend it with them

On the Road to JMJ RIO 2013

I lived an amazing experience in 2005, volunteering in World Youth Day (JMJ) in Cologne. I tried to document my experience but i couldn't catch every moment in a picture or a blog. I decided to start earlier for this year and just put all what I live during this whole journey to make it last forever.

There are still couple of months to go before going to Rio in July but this time, it all started much earlier. After 2005, i tried to go back again to the JMJ. In 2008, it was held in Sydney and i was at first excited to go and discover there but i couldn't take vacation at that time and also the flight tickets were so expensive so i decided to skip it. In 2011 it was in Madrid. I was so excited cos Spain was on the top of the countries i would love to visit someday and i actually applied but then, when they asked for a small paper to be signed by a priest saying i'm Catholic, i asked them what if i'm not and they didn't accept me to volunteer. I was so upset but I respected that and i didn't try to push it further. That year, I went though to Paris and Barcelona with my friends and actually i had a great time with them so I think, probably this is what was planned for me. Anyway, when Rio was announced for 2013 I was so excited. It's like wow, it's a great place to visit and unlikely i would have the chance to go as it is already expensive to fly to Brazil. I waited maybe a year till they put the online registration for volunteers, and when I got the email saying i'm accepted and asking me to send the documents i was so excited. From the beginning I asked if it is ok not being Catholic, based on what happened for Madrid and I was told no problem.. So after sending everything and actually seeing the list with my name, i discovered that 2 friends are going too. We tried to arrange for our trip together and we booked the flight tickets. Months later, in mid March, i received an email saying i can't participate. It was a real chock and I was so angry because we are all Christians and at the end, i'm doing a service for people and it doesn't matter in which church I was baptised. My friends even tell me that i'm more Catholic than Orthodox, actually everybody at first thinks i'm Catholic. This time, I tried to send emails, my friends tried to help me and to make my complaint reach but what really touched me was people reacting to my post on faceook in which I said what happened. Volunteers from everywhere in the world decided to make an action  and write a petition to let me back in the list and it really worked. I didn't believe much that it would make any impact but when I saw the email 3 weeks later, that the organization requested my presence, I couldn't believe my eyes. I remembered a friend who actually told me it will be sorted out and that even if not, i should go anyway since i have already my tickets. He was totally right. Also the discussions on facebook and how people, i didn't actually know, showed their support. This was one of the rare moments I felt really the power of people and how caring about others really make a difference, even if my problem was not sorted out. Also, I felt that this year, the experience will be so much different.

Some of the people on facebook decided to make a whatsapp group. We call this group a 24/7 because it is  all the time on due to the different time zones. We are around 50 people from Singapore to Ecuador, almost from all contients, except Australia. it's so amazing how people who don't know each other, have so much to say. We discuss lot of things on the group, regarding the organization for the JMJ, funny stuff, food, music, dance, faith, languages, culture. It's a true melting pot. I didn't imaging when embarking in this adventure that i would get so many friends so soon, before actually going to the JMJ.

I believe that this will be quite a journey, that's why i will try to write about it and hope i will continue till the end...

So stay tuned for the next edition!

Official site: http://www.rio2013.com

Tahrir Square is Back

I can say officially that Tahrir Square is back after almost 2 years. Last friday's marches and protest were just a preparation for yesterday 27/11. It was a Tuesday afternoon, in the middle of the week yet the people who joined the several marches or went directly to the square were in thousands.
Since Moubarak had stepped down, there were celebrations, protests, demonstrations.. some were big but not big enough. I didn't go to Tahrir in the 18 days of revolution but I did afterwards several times. Mainly the morning after Moubarak's end and it was really celebration, 2 more times during summer for one reason or another, during Mohamed Mahmoud clashes last year (it was really a big one), and 25th Jan this year (big marches but the square was full of Ikhwan celebrating the revolution opposit to all other political parties as the SCAF was still in control at that time).
Some of the protests were huge, but I felt there was something missing that i couldn't identify cos I was not there during the revolution to compare with and this is what i discovered yesterday.
It is uniting against one cause, against injustice, regardless of who you are or what you believe in. It's singing the national anthem song with one voice and one heart. It's listening to people like Hamzawy, Khaled Ali, Ziad El-Elemy, Ala El-Aswany, Gamila Ismail talking about Egypt and not political parties or personal gains, even if you agree or disagree with them on other issues.

I joined the march from Mostafa Mahmoud in Mohandessin. It took us couple of hours to reach Tahrir Square. It was a huge one, with drums and slogans. The side of the road were we marched was empty while the other sides with traffic. Majority of people in cars were cheering us and didn't mind to be stuck for a moment till we pass. People from shops or in their homes cheered us while passing in front of them. We were a mix of young and old, girls and boys. I even saw an old women dressed in black like the lower/middle class marching with us, limping with a stick. Another bearded guy holding a sign sayig Morsy doesn't represent me and a totally veiled woman (monakaba) chanting agains the president.
People were chanting from their heart, expressing their anger against what's happening in the country.

For those who are wondering why now we are in the streets, the revolution didn't end. At least the 3 main demands "Bread, Liberty, Human Dignity" are not yet satisfied. We have been in struggles since 2 years now. we've been pushed into different directions, away from the main problems we should deal with. The referendum divided people into 2 parties, and it was a big mistake by the SCAF cos if we had focused on writing a new constitution before electing a president, we wouldn't have been in trouble now. We focused on trials for killing protestors which were in vain and didn't start with reforming the police and national security (or whatever its name is now). We focused on giving adjectives to people like islamists, salafists, liberals, socialists, communists without thinking of how to all unite for the sake of a better Egypt. We focused on election battles, who will vote for who, who will win but not on what those elected will actually give to the people... and it's Egypt who is loosing.
Finally the 2 major issues, the commiteeof writing the constitution and the last announcement by the president giving him ammunity for all decisions already taken or to be taken and full ammunity to the commitee writing the constitution triggered the alarm, we don't want one person to rule above all. Our fight is for freedom and dignity. Our fight is to give back the rights of people, the living and the martyrs. Our fight is to treat all Egyptians the same without discrimination and i talk here about all kind of discrimination (gender, sexe, religion, political, believes.....).
Those who voted for Morsy were promised a lot of things, none was achieved. The current government is following the same rules as the old regime. The people may have changed but the system we fought against is the same. This is why we are in streets. It has to stop. We left the square once thinking our job is done but we were wrong. We must continue the fight till the end.

It doesn't matter if you were pro or against revolution before. It doesn't matter if you went in the square or not, participated in marches or not... but believe me, don't wait too long to be part of the change cos it might be too late. If you want Egypt to be as you believe it to be, you have to fight for it or else accept the consequences. I was too afraid to go to the streets during the revolution days but after it was all over I regretted it. I might not be as brave as those who actually risk their lives but at least I try to do whatever I can. I learned during the last 2 years that nothing comes without effort. You have to work hard to obtain it and even harder to keep it, no more sitting in a bubble or a corner.

And the revolution continues....

Back to the streets

It took just few hours for people to decide to go to the streets, after the president had announced a consistutional law giving him supreme authority. Things are turning very quikly, yesterday marches, to Tahrir, clashes between protestors and police at some places, some Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in other cities set on fire (although i'm against that act). Yesterday, judges announced suspension of work till the presidents cancels his decree, a march being prepared on Tuesday...
I joined the march on Friday. I didn't feel the same thing as the one in the 25th Jan memory. Maybe cos I joined at the end so it was not that intense, maybe cos the numbers at Tahrir Square were not as I hoped for (for sure less than 25th Jan and Mohamed Mahmoud last year).
I know that we must to go the hard way, there is no choice. I hoped that some would learn from the past and work for the benefit of Egypt but it seems it's only power that they seek.
I wish for a better country for all. I might sound too idealist, or dreamy, to reach that without blood or pain but this is how revolutions are.

I am disappointed but I have faith. I read what i've posted back in January (25 Jan Reloaded). Yes it is true, that people won't stand still. As long as there are people who believes in justice and freedom the struggle will not end. God bless Egypt!!!

Receiving compliments

It's always great to receive a compliment or a thank you for an accomplishment you have doen. It's an acknowledgmente for the hard work done and an appreciation for all the trouble you had to do your best.
It gives you a satisfactory feeling and give you a push to do even more the next time.
So, whenever you feel that someone has done a great thing, don't forget to let him/her know. It will sure change his/her day :)

Aida encore et encore

I wasn't expecting myself to write one more time about Aida (Love kills and resurrects, Personal tribute to Aida) but once again, i feel the urge to share my experience..
This time, the main leading role of Aida was performed by a new face, at least for me.. the past years, it was performed by the same cantata, at least all the shows i've attended. It was a new revelatation, to discover the same story told over and over again but with different interpretation. I suddenly realised that sometimes it is not just the story, the words or the scene, it is all about the performance. It can carry you from one place to another, from one feeling to another, just like that. You can feel the intensity of the drama and the feeling of the character are transmitted to you or you just enjoy the story and that's it..
Or sometimes, you are just caught in the routine of seeing the same performance with the same cast so you are so familiar to it that it seems all the same. All you need is a change to discover new dimensions or new perspetive.
And i believe this is true in everything in life, so break a habit, try a new thing, discover and explore and you might be surprised with what you find :-)

On other note, at a moment during the 3 hours show, i started to see Aida in our time. Aida who is so miserable and unfortunate by the defeat of her country, the capture of her father, her lover to marry the princess of Egypt but yet, she does what she feels is right even if against what others would see.. Amonasro, Aida's father who till the end believes that what he does for his country is the best and till the end he try to triumph against all odds and even after being defeated by the Egyptian army. Radames, who can't stand that he betrayed his country unintentionally and chooses to die and at the same time he feels that he didn't do any wrong and that the Gods would forgive him and is happy to know that Aida that he loves is still alive..
Life is not a fairy tale. We might not die physically as the the heros in the story but we sometimes live like we are dead. Do we really fight for what we believe in or we give up just like that? Do we feel satisfied with all what's happening even it is for the worse or we just complain and loose interest? Even Amneris, the princess who had it all except the mutual love from Radames, didn't loose hope and tried till the end to win him and save him from death. This is the perserverance that we sometimes lack. We sometimes give up from the first time thinking that's it, although if we give us more chances, we might or might not reach what we want. But at the end, it's the journey that makes it worthy, not the destination..This is what Aida and Radames did, they died at the end and for sure this is not they wished for but they died happily cos they were together and this is what was important.
So, enjoy the ride and the journey you are in, and don't just focus on the destination.