tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95802262024-03-13T08:19:06.541+02:00Froggy's WorldWelcome to my space.. it's just thoughts i'll write, maybe you'll find it interesting, maybe boring.. maybe if feeling bad, just drop by to change mood.. i don't know.. it's up to youFROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-55609412937061115772023-08-24T00:43:00.000+03:002023-08-24T00:43:18.683+03:0010 Years of JMJ/WYD Social Media<span style="font-family: helvetica;">I didn't have in mind the intention to return back writing in my blog and sharing my experience. </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I just returned last week from my "last" World Youth Day / JMJ. To my surprise, now after my return to Egypt, looking back to the past weeks it has been a remarkable journey. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It was different from my previous participations and maybe I didn't expect to live and experience some of these moments for some reasons but still, I was caught by the magic. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">While I was there, I was looking to some of the memories and one of the blog posts about my experience in Krakow 2016 popped in my screen. I started to read about it and I felt that writing is always a way to document the feelings that may be forgotten by time. It was a mixed feeling, rediscovering some of these moments, at a moment when I was not feeling the same and I needed a little nudge to think differently.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I still don't know why I didn't write anything in my blog during the previous one in Panama 2019, maybe I'll discover some notes/writings in some notebook and then maybe I can share some of it here in my blog.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Anyway I decided, one month after starting this journey to try to relive some of these moments, share some thoughts and maybe to surprise my future-self again all the way.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In Rio 2013, I started this journey of working on the social media. Little I know that I'll still be doing it for 10 years, passing by Krakow 2016, Panama 2019 and finally Lisboa 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It has been an incredible journey, learning a lot (evolving with new tools and new platforms), working with international team and making new friendships, meeting friends from one JMJ to another, having the responsibility to share with people who are miles away what's going on the ground so they can feel they are also part of this big gathering.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It has been difficult sometimes, but still fun most of it.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This post is a tribute to all the leaders I had for the social media team, to all the volunteers I have met during this amazing journey.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>I</i></b><i><b> have learned a lot from each one of you. We may not still be in touch but I still remember our discussions and chats, or maybe eating lunch or dinner or hanging out or attending one of the main events.. these are memories that will stay forever.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So thank you dear team(s) for being part of this journey and having me part of this big family.</span></div><div><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The happy moment of the day is when someone tells me that he/she still remember me after 4 years, 7 years or 10 years and is still keeping the little souvenir from Egypt. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Tomorrow will be another day and another story to write.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv52ZCPoI2ARbpS_mMuBb1VgtM_6M4uJxMG_FQwRjnCToFnGrsCErY7cWD2CZ4gXdmWCA05lVkd4iwiYSigMVk9-vcieh1rOWsNO9z2RxSTr-iiZbd99xEfvAP8a0vgrXJQ3hF0DJYIdf14mbNat1IkBHOb_qdTjsOdi5QUdPXs66zJD659kUrIg/s2048/980353_10153046589490203_803193757_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv52ZCPoI2ARbpS_mMuBb1VgtM_6M4uJxMG_FQwRjnCToFnGrsCErY7cWD2CZ4gXdmWCA05lVkd4iwiYSigMVk9-vcieh1rOWsNO9z2RxSTr-iiZbd99xEfvAP8a0vgrXJQ3hF0DJYIdf14mbNat1IkBHOb_qdTjsOdi5QUdPXs66zJD659kUrIg/s320/980353_10153046589490203_803193757_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio 2013</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMieYMwzMGxSocoIEow6gXsMCGZtzMsm2-4aD3wqO4MzW5L_6zeuh9Kl7so6fRl16nTw-KiRClBGuDnHJivgAWW5eOmKGWZo9bFvKDHf0x6grv_fkHDCFzTfUrff4_sJdiKGNss8VCzTwQOCWTn9JI8eLgar822q8cm2qmdUiW61FYRg8KHE5Exw/s4788/IMAG0181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4788" data-original-width="3342" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMieYMwzMGxSocoIEow6gXsMCGZtzMsm2-4aD3wqO4MzW5L_6zeuh9Kl7so6fRl16nTw-KiRClBGuDnHJivgAWW5eOmKGWZo9bFvKDHf0x6grv_fkHDCFzTfUrff4_sJdiKGNss8VCzTwQOCWTn9JI8eLgar822q8cm2qmdUiW61FYRg8KHE5Exw/w222-h320/IMAG0181.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krakow 2016</td></tr></tbody></table><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzu7ncR0prf1_ynQ7mpsl6aU4mom4gO6bY39rDhiImCKKuGPMVL2H8Ra6MO07xuj-fM07yqSTasv2o' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9RoN2_yu6raIbkogZ9qsq8UX3_86bDagz4-mbuHZRiXh4o2jOyDvYLTgmMpuJxoESq0p49BGujwId17-MV5DCB0Qd4Hmb9a3J1oUHTlluFL4d9dPylK7cQM6izEx7W0Yusm23XjCVkJeVGi8e2E9aKDDhThbpfMwfW_lWweo6jnRlNpjKoPu0g/s2592/IMG_20230805_115152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9RoN2_yu6raIbkogZ9qsq8UX3_86bDagz4-mbuHZRiXh4o2jOyDvYLTgmMpuJxoESq0p49BGujwId17-MV5DCB0Qd4Hmb9a3J1oUHTlluFL4d9dPylK7cQM6izEx7W0Yusm23XjCVkJeVGi8e2E9aKDDhThbpfMwfW_lWweo6jnRlNpjKoPu0g/w240-h320/IMG_20230805_115152.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisboa 2023</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div><br /></div>FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-91990278298722453292023-08-23T23:45:00.004+03:002023-08-23T23:48:02.332+03:00Cheers to the new decade (old post from January 2020)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I was about to write a new blog, after several years of stopping writing anything.. and found this post still in the draft.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I know between the time I wrote this and now a lot has happened... but I'll publish it as it is since I guess this was my intention to reflect on what I have lived and what I thought at the time.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I know there are a lot of other important moments I have lived and maybe it was still in the draft because I wanted to add more. <br />And as I'm adding photos to show a glimpse of these moments caught it time, I found others that probably I would have added if I worked on this post for some more time.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><i>It's the start of a new year, of a new decade.. It has been long time since i stopped by to write. Maybe it's time to come back to writing among other things I'm trying to restart in my life.</i></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><i>Since we are celebrating the start of the 2020's. I thought it's time to remember the great moments marking the last decade (now that sounds a big a word).</i></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><i>The main highlight would be, welcoming new members in our family, the new generation Alpha and of course welcoming my niece Rita.</i></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><i>Travel has been a big part of my life, reaching country #40 last year. I have been to many places in all continents. It's really difficult to pick the best city or country because each place has its own charm.<br /><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><i>The top moments (not in a certain order):</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><i>Swimming with Ray fishes and small sharks in French Polynesia in the pacific (furthest place I have been to in my life) - Dec 2016</i></span></li></ul><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjte20vJF60TVsOHFCt7shIzEJxuyoVk9fUhyqxIphYZaZB38X5u7g9E6NK1-ywIKn9OfNXz_7tiNpvwtdxw6M5qT7AyPHvqRzDIrvX1BxClqzeOfz7O61RofO5hLx5ohMJNTw2PnLvRTQ0IhjBKty869KRjt05pWkm8iPprgeAN5Fc0Qoxp1vSUQ/s4530/IMAG0639.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="4530" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjte20vJF60TVsOHFCt7shIzEJxuyoVk9fUhyqxIphYZaZB38X5u7g9E6NK1-ywIKn9OfNXz_7tiNpvwtdxw6M5qT7AyPHvqRzDIrvX1BxClqzeOfz7O61RofO5hLx5ohMJNTw2PnLvRTQ0IhjBKty869KRjt05pWkm8iPprgeAN5Fc0Qoxp1vSUQ/w640-h136/IMAG0639.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Attending a rocket launch in Cap Canaveral (Aug 2019), 20 years after seeing the first rocket Ariane 4 in Kourou, French Guyana and missing the launch due to weather conditions (1999)<br /><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zQwd3Prg9UH9H9TAs-nr5GRvfrZyxr7rocC62qd0rrbPkWHOEZjaOaK-YW_JslV66Dm1DyaJ3MYDHcDmnmPtnC7WI_innujBOpOxVd6c7CWc-05B_DyKEzPolPx4xDto1UguuSOYdCMUek804Ia-MGiDG0fyqEK0fnpgDDKkIdmlK7uPA3JUmg/s4032/IMG_20190822_075347.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zQwd3Prg9UH9H9TAs-nr5GRvfrZyxr7rocC62qd0rrbPkWHOEZjaOaK-YW_JslV66Dm1DyaJ3MYDHcDmnmPtnC7WI_innujBOpOxVd6c7CWc-05B_DyKEzPolPx4xDto1UguuSOYdCMUek804Ia-MGiDG0fyqEK0fnpgDDKkIdmlK7uPA3JUmg/s320/IMG_20190822_075347.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></li><li><i>Attending the holy mass with Pope Francis on Copa Cabana beach with estimated 3 Million people - July 2013<br /><br /><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNFqzGtQ0eJ80Ar5rfp_eP2XlnTcZf6mYGN4PgnoSyDZ6IwIzLqF9RvMmvK6x2Rqq0OcVrLsyjq4DgycrZ6g2uD0FtHJHXV4m1gwtB2QrPsn7gAQsnylK8D471XhPACDmcs2KTCQJvyFfZfaL_6FMuibaCpxdj_o2RpOq3uNqIUijj4z8WkMurA/s960/361114980_232836523019446_25962002380314041_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="738" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNFqzGtQ0eJ80Ar5rfp_eP2XlnTcZf6mYGN4PgnoSyDZ6IwIzLqF9RvMmvK6x2Rqq0OcVrLsyjq4DgycrZ6g2uD0FtHJHXV4m1gwtB2QrPsn7gAQsnylK8D471XhPACDmcs2KTCQJvyFfZfaL_6FMuibaCpxdj_o2RpOq3uNqIUijj4z8WkMurA/s320/361114980_232836523019446_25962002380314041_n.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMfx4LbH3E4oiSIRj-hhdFOOcykk-ImHOjZqQBY7U2Kk-NeldIGVUMEjy1ogT8H6Bkr_Aeo7-rIAeYkPE0W16w4OxOMZPLAdXuKgBKSpy3Np8oG9b_fTriYWY_F11rYU901AcQOwvVPazoKYu1_gPh7wfnYSfORzrqZgoVDnTPmw_FNu949wvOA/s720/24937_10150153391515203_2115133_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMfx4LbH3E4oiSIRj-hhdFOOcykk-ImHOjZqQBY7U2Kk-NeldIGVUMEjy1ogT8H6Bkr_Aeo7-rIAeYkPE0W16w4OxOMZPLAdXuKgBKSpy3Np8oG9b_fTriYWY_F11rYU901AcQOwvVPazoKYu1_gPh7wfnYSfORzrqZgoVDnTPmw_FNu949wvOA/w200-h133/24937_10150153391515203_2115133_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i>Hiking in the mountains of Sinai - 2010<br /></i>3 photos from 3 different places (El-Galt El-Azraq, Serabit El-Khaddam and Abbass mountain)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicY3j3JsNzQZVPBqRMddONThsUcOD1nla6usAkm4PE_SIRK_ojopZb-TPSZBH7Ebj7XA0JeBhxsRxrsyCNgK96hSVbeHnFy6zSzW9sskZMFVrjZtrAgHvHa7vbSR3ljJ94bjm2ulJIFR-7BCiYx_wywT5fwkKvM2AlCURXsmbQwF-rFg3SBzh9Iw/s720/1916271_10150213808455203_5637522_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicY3j3JsNzQZVPBqRMddONThsUcOD1nla6usAkm4PE_SIRK_ojopZb-TPSZBH7Ebj7XA0JeBhxsRxrsyCNgK96hSVbeHnFy6zSzW9sskZMFVrjZtrAgHvHa7vbSR3ljJ94bjm2ulJIFR-7BCiYx_wywT5fwkKvM2AlCURXsmbQwF-rFg3SBzh9Iw/w200-h133/1916271_10150213808455203_5637522_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rO8Rk5bS5KorFQXBCk0HyeukyTClAtbOzbXricZXVb6baTRO8-BotQA2z_jy6BuxKpqjApOAnS29DkR0Yook9qs8fykHgjpTMSAGen_WaTjef-tHl_5jSZYY0fmANoZRMfm7wqyCFUapDXgBdgMJ45DkN0Pc34eMxTCmODpsqt-Mv4UOSkBE2Q/s560/30289_10150201176155203_8294587_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="453" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rO8Rk5bS5KorFQXBCk0HyeukyTClAtbOzbXricZXVb6baTRO8-BotQA2z_jy6BuxKpqjApOAnS29DkR0Yook9qs8fykHgjpTMSAGen_WaTjef-tHl_5jSZYY0fmANoZRMfm7wqyCFUapDXgBdgMJ45DkN0Pc34eMxTCmODpsqt-Mv4UOSkBE2Q/w162-h200/30289_10150201176155203_8294587_n.jpg" width="162" /></a><br /><br /></div></li><li><i>Visiting Gaudi landmarks in Barcelona - August 2011<br /><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNEgrtB0BuEzdDiEIll3Ia10ZGxVHNLfh7aKiApCX2xut3xJ93JcKwgCVio0XHgI86WhsOc2DC28TQyLWV1R0BQxz0bgWzDrOyJJbBXQFkkVyFgne8wdSynPZ_gS7v8t9nHw8Qpa8IiP4fH9h7bq4Y0mbbh3_sZSn9i9oqmj-RhYFZHrGlpydGg/s800/322762_10150773990390203_4663424_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="800" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNEgrtB0BuEzdDiEIll3Ia10ZGxVHNLfh7aKiApCX2xut3xJ93JcKwgCVio0XHgI86WhsOc2DC28TQyLWV1R0BQxz0bgWzDrOyJJbBXQFkkVyFgne8wdSynPZ_gS7v8t9nHw8Qpa8IiP4fH9h7bq4Y0mbbh3_sZSn9i9oqmj-RhYFZHrGlpydGg/s320/322762_10150773990390203_4663424_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></li><li><i>Visiting Foz de Iguazu falls in Brazil and Argentina - August 2013</i></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5e08GfH7sGX-cv8V8GlvPxXdd2HWBso3bF1G56RI4y-_kC6W9Jt_COTEfZZS2lZjagCqK85UaoTgyfwSL1bLT74z3wFdo_d4_nhiGRvgcO62S10b9bNcYRfNJkfj_SETSHuESumy6aN1tIQkSfWOUlZ9OlLpxbZBOyHB-572YgDK2JJVNyoxNA/s3712/20130802_164535.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="3712" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5e08GfH7sGX-cv8V8GlvPxXdd2HWBso3bF1G56RI4y-_kC6W9Jt_COTEfZZS2lZjagCqK85UaoTgyfwSL1bLT74z3wFdo_d4_nhiGRvgcO62S10b9bNcYRfNJkfj_SETSHuESumy6aN1tIQkSfWOUlZ9OlLpxbZBOyHB-572YgDK2JJVNyoxNA/w640-h116/20130802_164535.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Traveling alone on vacation hopping from one city to another in Italy - August 2012<br /><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iGAIvYD_LHDvJphXnkWsZRdkKlajsnQu-PwwE42rOnxr0EI23pfjvhZZ33zN_oSJrPkqvSDBtTJwEfwIKaS-sPrdbyu7CVIVxYmNrU7W6xA2A951nNG5DEFStnyL3yyDnI0NiiNgHBl9rNDTfn1n4O76wAeR-Ix6ZETVkcD92aBrJMY5koZuaw/s800/482120_10152026943685203_813950419_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iGAIvYD_LHDvJphXnkWsZRdkKlajsnQu-PwwE42rOnxr0EI23pfjvhZZ33zN_oSJrPkqvSDBtTJwEfwIKaS-sPrdbyu7CVIVxYmNrU7W6xA2A951nNG5DEFStnyL3yyDnI0NiiNgHBl9rNDTfn1n4O76wAeR-Ix6ZETVkcD92aBrJMY5koZuaw/w200-h134/482120_10152026943685203_813950419_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lLt4G1z7t_eGYxxfsJa6ywS2OYD2_8XxsHgfysLSm1qLXhL_aX-gTowy3ALcXRg6ST5_imeqBYgEevg82ocI5uHDXUzHt_PhFedI-gfwE_xWda-ZKxz5dTp7oX0ENeOXKZqXw3rKpPr7HGd-KxuPb3KHBGYPgP7kRb3CZMsRH00zSWoaW0bfig/s800/1867_10152580087575203_933021955_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lLt4G1z7t_eGYxxfsJa6ywS2OYD2_8XxsHgfysLSm1qLXhL_aX-gTowy3ALcXRg6ST5_imeqBYgEevg82ocI5uHDXUzHt_PhFedI-gfwE_xWda-ZKxz5dTp7oX0ENeOXKZqXw3rKpPr7HGd-KxuPb3KHBGYPgP7kRb3CZMsRH00zSWoaW0bfig/w200-h133/1867_10152580087575203_933021955_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /><br /></li><li><i>Traveling 1000km by bus from Florence, Italy to Riga, Latvia - December 2016<br /><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1Fol6gDuBaAJyafNGxvtGZD3I-j3oGzMAIidEn5ZvLeBWWg3GcAYxwrt3CBR4-hOJGoJSpUen3QNtYZ35y930nBRwLmF4QW8eglyT2pM_GpoV4M__bwLL2x8m7MjiAxu1oyStHfh4pgEGNaNeL5QNnsB8UZWVfTacNYSdAHl64pB3_0T9I8-AA/s1000/15800711_1218912838158019_4242501880075614513_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1Fol6gDuBaAJyafNGxvtGZD3I-j3oGzMAIidEn5ZvLeBWWg3GcAYxwrt3CBR4-hOJGoJSpUen3QNtYZ35y930nBRwLmF4QW8eglyT2pM_GpoV4M__bwLL2x8m7MjiAxu1oyStHfh4pgEGNaNeL5QNnsB8UZWVfTacNYSdAHl64pB3_0T9I8-AA/w400-h300/15800711_1218912838158019_4242501880075614513_o.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div></li><li>Wat<i>c</i>hing Federer play live in Montreal's final in his perfect 2017 season although it was just his 5th match he lost that year (lost to Zverev). I reserved ticket for the final as I had arrived the night before so this was the only match I could attend and I just hoped he make it till the end.</li></ul></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div></div></blockquote><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBxprWWxm1rdPeWwajsk-dZzVYvmgsc0evM8auWO2UkqfwsRv3GjrCmNUMf0gGhEMxNGf_MTfyfx0GceKCEeODgp316wvmZjRuMGu7F58rw684uyGI59rrOi9ksVhUIcBqcP9hKOts-tLH7M6t_2ChY5lgQrVIKXh2eckyHQxaiuoGUzxMT4NuQ/s4752/IMG_2039.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBxprWWxm1rdPeWwajsk-dZzVYvmgsc0evM8auWO2UkqfwsRv3GjrCmNUMf0gGhEMxNGf_MTfyfx0GceKCEeODgp316wvmZjRuMGu7F58rw684uyGI59rrOi9ksVhUIcBqcP9hKOts-tLH7M6t_2ChY5lgQrVIKXh2eckyHQxaiuoGUzxMT4NuQ/w640-h426/IMG_2039.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Attending matches in the Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros - May 2011<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BgistiLAgvnOOPwOo_GQf_m1sEW_ixkhImq8zdPVdQq4v5REQi2KJUKeF1GYXwlBW_QtQWHdRQsAZO2PsOoKI517msszH0ca3fLgoyZWVEf6H3ocFrSEqnhvudFqiP2C_wpeNToLGwvLphgu_rUmPb7q3CDrPABClvsCfk2ywiGV-zDZAkvK0A/s1600/241307_10150616350300203_6603907_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BgistiLAgvnOOPwOo_GQf_m1sEW_ixkhImq8zdPVdQq4v5REQi2KJUKeF1GYXwlBW_QtQWHdRQsAZO2PsOoKI517msszH0ca3fLgoyZWVEf6H3ocFrSEqnhvudFqiP2C_wpeNToLGwvLphgu_rUmPb7q3CDrPABClvsCfk2ywiGV-zDZAkvK0A/w400-h266/241307_10150616350300203_6603907_o.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div></li><li>Obtaining the MBA. It has been 2 hard years, running around the clock, running around Cairo from one side to the other, pushing for the extra mile not taking stops (taking 2 summers and 1 winter in between the normal spring and fall semesters) - 2012-2014<br />Photos from the graduation, Feb 2015<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_4EgjSENCar90OCOFnfWtN0Ek_x8X5MFcAVwp6w2TcvwrJEZm0HAnfR5IkpsFAdHKV_QgFxwdBRgcJgNmx6cqLBirVOdn7u-mwx8klsPtvzzDsF0UNGeslkfjg1G13Kb9j8C2vXOUH-TQ0YPWshlY4oEL94dAzMIWOwtM72owlHdQEpnz098jQ/s2048/10960074_10155200763365203_5493641991922797995_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_4EgjSENCar90OCOFnfWtN0Ek_x8X5MFcAVwp6w2TcvwrJEZm0HAnfR5IkpsFAdHKV_QgFxwdBRgcJgNmx6cqLBirVOdn7u-mwx8klsPtvzzDsF0UNGeslkfjg1G13Kb9j8C2vXOUH-TQ0YPWshlY4oEL94dAzMIWOwtM72owlHdQEpnz098jQ/w200-h133/10960074_10155200763365203_5493641991922797995_o.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2br2pYlEVob29EZ4MJSh_A1M2imir6pCIMtP-T7X9GvN-zzPTW-0Xn0QT1AwUUq_3NvszfxOhXQ8JdhQ6k10HKd2t5Pm23J_lGUNs8R3cOqwIk7Q1G2F9q2jsK4G3Y8qrIv9rhwL5BOQwBFF7MiMnMXs1bDuVTM1HhMW67SnEkUPCBL_rYUmusQ/s2048/10996175_10155200765270203_2859732305133849093_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2br2pYlEVob29EZ4MJSh_A1M2imir6pCIMtP-T7X9GvN-zzPTW-0Xn0QT1AwUUq_3NvszfxOhXQ8JdhQ6k10HKd2t5Pm23J_lGUNs8R3cOqwIk7Q1G2F9q2jsK4G3Y8qrIv9rhwL5BOQwBFF7MiMnMXs1bDuVTM1HhMW67SnEkUPCBL_rYUmusQ/w200-h133/10996175_10155200765270203_2859732305133849093_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zgPh8jbhS6TQja-TRXSmONE4msJsJFGkjwGNxI3MSPR6QqT8N0MpkHKiDUcVGE232ubZHf_DCsDudLqof8z2iPX-YbxIV35YYqzwzhCFbV2mFL5u_iN3cXf5TKtYHSwSbuwUB49cUpoSbPfxkxIV0LatDwUyxJ7bdItqALDsZINZm46-2yOChQ/s2048/10998316_10155200771955203_5006663782295921981_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zgPh8jbhS6TQja-TRXSmONE4msJsJFGkjwGNxI3MSPR6QqT8N0MpkHKiDUcVGE232ubZHf_DCsDudLqof8z2iPX-YbxIV35YYqzwzhCFbV2mFL5u_iN3cXf5TKtYHSwSbuwUB49cUpoSbPfxkxIV0LatDwUyxJ7bdItqALDsZINZm46-2yOChQ/w320-h213/10998316_10155200771955203_5006663782295921981_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></li><li>Living a dream of a better country, after Feb 2011 (for a moment of time), aka Tahrir Square</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1p0dB_9G78MCdnJwZaYldR65H8pRzUSvRYH6d6qD52XuxgU3YypFUCVE5MNGvfqmi3QrUXl7U9mXrUv7h7A3RuzKyG7WXMYZjUaZCDDupnC9WNcfDsErsaHipSskZmwoEv_V2ZG-YmbKepPmcuIW6bzSZNnei8MnMBuk-Qd5A-9rL7e3xqnn5_Q/s720/408163_10151212889460203_1721555039_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="720" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1p0dB_9G78MCdnJwZaYldR65H8pRzUSvRYH6d6qD52XuxgU3YypFUCVE5MNGvfqmi3QrUXl7U9mXrUv7h7A3RuzKyG7WXMYZjUaZCDDupnC9WNcfDsErsaHipSskZmwoEv_V2ZG-YmbKepPmcuIW6bzSZNnei8MnMBuk-Qd5A-9rL7e3xqnn5_Q/w640-h472/408163_10151212889460203_1721555039_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><i><b>What is more important is the journey itself and all the friends I made throughout these trips.</b></i></span></div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-28249213725055045592016-10-11T21:41:00.000+02:002016-10-12T16:49:53.647+02:00We are all different, yet alike<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lately I have been thinking of all the encounters I have made during World Youth Day in Krakow last summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have had many discussions with friends about Egypt and their countries: the challenges, the problems, hopes, wishes.. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Actually, I have stopped talking about the political scene in Egypt for few years now for many reasons. Maybe cos of saturation after the intense years right after the revolution in 2011 or whatever it is called now, or cos people are now dividing everybody else according to either an enemy or a friend based on their opinion or simply cos I know that we shall face the consequences of all the past mistakes sooner or later so this is what we have to endure in this life. At the end, life goes on and it never stops.. so either go along with it and fight for whatever you want or just drop dead emotionally or intellectually or physically and be detached from the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yet, what I've lived during the World Youth Day made me see the world from a different perspective.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Taking for example the issue of mixing politics with religion and separating religion from politics. These are 2 opposite examples yet both are regarded as very harmful to the general good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From one hand, taking Egypt as an example, we are suffering from politicians and others putting religion in everything to make people follow them or go to a certain direction. Egypt is a very religious country in terms of people putting religion on top of everything else although judging by the manners and the behavior of the general population, they are far away from the core of religion teachings (to be discussed another time). So this is a very dangerous game as having religion controlling everything is a big problem because when you try to discuss you are labeled as enemy of God and a non believer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On the other hand, taking some developed countries where religion is not taken into consideration is also creating lot of debates on main issues like the right of life (abortion, euthanasia... ). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In Egypt we are talking about basic rights for people, right for a good education, health system and safe environment.. other countries have already these needs satisfied for the majority so the discussion are about other topics as per Maslow's hierarchy of needs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What some countries consider freedom of speech, other considers as hatred speech, what is considered as freedom of act in other places it is seen as immoral and so on..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So this brings us to the point, where do we stand from all this? There is no ideal place to live in, each has its own problems. What changes is the perspective. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This was an eye opener to me and also a ray of hope that I am not alone in this world. There are others like me, who really believes they can make a change, who stands by their own principles and do whatever they can even if it is small.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Of course i'm not comparing to what's happening to countries at wars. This is totally a different story and I feel so bad about the crazy world we live in because despite the advancement in technology and the evolution, we still live in a jungle where the strongest rules the world for the sake of power on the expense of humanity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So bottom line, every place has its own challenges and there is no such a place called paradise. You live in Paradise when you live in harmony with yourself, when you live according to your believes, when you do your best to make it a better world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As Ghandi once said "be the change you want to see in the world".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You may choose to change country, to change work, to forget about everything else but if we don't change ourselves, the world will continue to be as ugly as it can get.</span></div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-44498238168477884312016-09-19T23:15:00.000+02:002016-09-19T23:18:03.469+02:00The "V" Power<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Looking back to my incredible 2 weeks in Krakow, 2 months ago, I can say that yes, the volunteers have indeed super powers :D</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvBFpSqR7ziQ4mpYEbLy4U8Bcx2FRErB7GO4_qd87R89zBxN6fxzHVxtPXdek85QdmAaXUxgCD9FQ0ygnHwKv96Am5JzR49MHYRIyPckxxRNKprljd0V42JLx7C9rDB6Nr569hQ/s1600/14206152_10157371371320203_4433522497509689633_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvBFpSqR7ziQ4mpYEbLy4U8Bcx2FRErB7GO4_qd87R89zBxN6fxzHVxtPXdek85QdmAaXUxgCD9FQ0ygnHwKv96Am5JzR49MHYRIyPckxxRNKprljd0V42JLx7C9rDB6Nr569hQ/s320/14206152_10157371371320203_4433522497509689633_o.jpg" width="256" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Anywhere you go, you could meet one of those blue hands greeting you to help you find you way, those young people in blue shirts working relentlessly to distribute the pilgrim kits or working in the different venues and event areas and those behind the scenes in social media or cameras, you name it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even the volunteers had their own volunteers looking after them!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And they are all smiling to you no matter what.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Wearing the blue shirt and the volunteer bracelet was a privilege for us, to be there making the World Youth Day happen and witness the change and transformation it brings to everybody, including ourselves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We were around 19,000 volunteers including 4,000 international volunteers. If you ever passed by the place were we sleeping, in my case at Wisla Sport Center, you would always find volunteers gathered during their rest time chatting, playing music, having a quick snack.. It was challenging sometimes to stay in one place but at the same time it was great you could meet your friends who are not working with you in the same department or assignment and get to know new friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This feeling of having a very big family, speaking all languages, sharing stories and experiences and praying together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The concept of borders or divisions between countries are totally abandoned. We are one big family, we care for each other, we support and help each other. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This spirit started even before meeting in Krakow. In the Volunteers facebook group, everyone was trying to help anyone who had a question or facing a problem. If someone had an information or a tip, it was shared directly, if some volunteers were needed for a specific task or in a certain location, you just announce it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Going for the volunteer mass, filling the metro and then walking to the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Lagiewniki to attend t</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">he mass for volunteers was an incredible experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You could feel the energy and the joy spreading all around. I was also impressed by the choir, who was really superb. It was a moment of prayer, inspiration and blessings before starting our work as volunteers.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmarianne.ayaad%2Fvideos%2Fvb.721145202%2F10157179476625203%2F%3Ftype%3D3&show_text=0&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On a personal level, my experience with the Social Media team was an unforgettable one. It started 3 years ago in Rio for some of us including me, and even more for the few who witnessed its beginning in Madrid.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was great to reunite again with my friends and to make new friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This was my home during the 2 weeks I spent. You could feel the energy once you entered our room. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Knowing that what we do is perceived by millions, all around the globe, was a big responsibility. Each word, each photo or status shared, was important. We were the face and the voice of the World Youth Day to those who were not present in Krakow and to bring the spirit of the World Youth Day to those who didn't know about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For the Arabic page which I was working on, it was challenging to have everything translated in short time since Arabic was not one of the main languages were translations were already available.. yet, the many likes, shares and comments we received made us all proud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3 years ago, when I was informed I'll be in the communication team, I knew little what I was about to live. Of course, I had already personal experience with social media but it's something else to be responsible for reaching thousands of people who are following you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In 3 years, things have evolved and we had also to adapt, new applications, new means for communication and new expectations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But I assure you, that the hard work pays off. Receiving lot of photos and feedbacks, comments and questions, interacting with our followers was a real pleasure. You feel that what you do matters and is making a difference. It was also a motive to innovate and to be present on the ground, not only online. I've decided to venture and do some facebook live to show the world, first part of the mass and prayers during catechesis, then interviewing pilgrims.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzmiV89Xv6xTd-yOxlEP9ydS_x4-mKo73xdqbP05rK9ffGfXgWPmoZayCFvP20ofVPS7L4QWJOwi6w17rM6NWR6lBThOHxO4VaMZLsVeMj5L7F9MW1nYf_cdnFuO4FgnR3m7ISQ/s1600/IMG_9564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzmiV89Xv6xTd-yOxlEP9ydS_x4-mKo73xdqbP05rK9ffGfXgWPmoZayCFvP20ofVPS7L4QWJOwi6w17rM6NWR6lBThOHxO4VaMZLsVeMj5L7F9MW1nYf_cdnFuO4FgnR3m7ISQ/s320/IMG_9564.JPG" width="213" /></a><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FworldyouthdayArabian%2Fvideos%2F10154416276352700%2F&show_text=0&width=400" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="400"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even if we were not the biggest language or the largest page, I'm proud to say that the number of our followers have doubled and together with all the languages, we are growing over the years. I still remember when we celebrated the 1 Million followers in Rio, 3 years later we almost tripled that figure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>#ThanksWYD for making me live a great enriching experience!</b></i></span><br />
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-8596728010686859132016-09-01T02:51:00.000+02:002016-09-06T15:52:03.017+02:00A day to remember: "Memory, Courage, Future"!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A month ago was the last day of the World Youth Day, Krakow 2016. It was the most unexpected day of the 2 weeks I have spent in Krakow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It started on the previous day, the day of the Vigil at Campus Misericordea. Once again, I attended it online as I was working... more about it in another post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There was an idea to catch up the final mass with the Pope early Sunday morning. By early, I mean taking the bus for media at 4:30 am. I really wanted to attend the mass as it was one of the most memorable moments in Rio... but I had to let go of the volunteers meeting with the Pope as it was difficult to do both. It was a tough choice for me but I decided to go to the mass even if it was a challenge itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Arriving at Campus Misericordea brought back the memories of WYD in Cologne, 11 years ago.. a big field, people waking up early morning, the queues for bathrooms and for food.. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But the mind and heart have changed in between.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had to depart from my friends which whom i made the way as I didn't have a pass to the media section. I was supposed to meet another friend at the volunteer section. Going there, one Spanish pilgrim, asked me for help. She wanted to return to her section but the security didn't let her pass and she didn't have her ticket pass with her nor the mobile to contact her friends. She was really anxious on how to get back. I guided her from another way following the map and made sure until she found her group. I felt joy seeing her so relieved and thanking me for the help, as if I rescued her life. You never know the impact you have on people even for doing small things until you see it in their eyes. That's what volunteering is about.<br /><br />I decided to find some of my pilgrim friends until my other friend arrived but I failed to reach them as they closed the main intersections before the Pope's arrival for security.. when I decided to return back to the volunteer section after staying stuck for a while, the moment I turned, I saw my friend I was supposed to meet.. Imagine seeing the person you were supposed to meet (at another point) in the middle of hundreds, thousands.. or shall I say 3 million people! It's like, divine providence, you don't need to worry about the how, you just leave it to God and everything will be managed on its time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At the end of the mass, we started to walk to the bus drop off point.. at this point I realized how many people were actually there! It was so huge! I saw families, parents with children, even babies. People from all the places around the world.. all together in one place, chanting, praying, even dancing. I sometimes wonder, what if we remove all barriers and notions we have about countries, languages, culture, stereotypes. Wouldn't be a much nicer world to live in? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Many people started to walk, everybody talking, and also waiting to hear the announcement of the next World Youth Day. We stayed a little in the shades waiting for the bus and watching pilgrims passing by. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHTLUEz8pbvShVb8u6AXlOyij338KswtY6JMg6yDhqF8PvQolZjfpPIkhgeWbNpYNXwzrLk7ltz7F4piqzRnlJyLlO41wFv2a7zEN1rKxfeUyX9r9jEI2AQD9kRowqw1V0ZU7PQ/s1600/IMG_9575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHTLUEz8pbvShVb8u6AXlOyij338KswtY6JMg6yDhqF8PvQolZjfpPIkhgeWbNpYNXwzrLk7ltz7F4piqzRnlJyLlO41wFv2a7zEN1rKxfeUyX9r9jEI2AQD9kRowqw1V0ZU7PQ/s320/IMG_9575.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Of course no World Youth Day without rain. It stared to rain a lot.. luckily for us, we had the bus to go back to the media center, to continue working from there.. Everybody else had to walk under the heavy rain. I still had my fair share of the heavy rain later in the day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The day didn't end at this point. We went back to the media center to prepare for the last hours before leaving. We watched the Pope at Tauron arena, with all the volunteers. It was really amazing specially when Pope Francis decided to discard the prepared speech and to speak from his heart. Lucky for me he spoke in Spanish so I could understand it directly as I'm not that good in Italian which I started now to learn to be prepared next time.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2bCVG3x" target="_blank">The speech</a> (link in English) was so inspiring and can be summarized in 3 words: "Memory, Courage, Future"</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "verdana" , "segoe" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 20px;">"...Do you want to be the hope for the future or not? </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "verdana" , "segoe" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 20px;">Two conditions that cost nothing. The first is condition is to remember. Trying to understand where I come from: the memory of my people, my family, my whole history... </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "verdana" , "segoe" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">Second condition. If I am hope for the future and I have memory of the past, then what about the present? What must I do in the present? Have courage, be strong, don’t be afraid..."</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Reflecting on the speech, it's true that to carry on in the future, we need to know our past, our history and heritage.. but not stop at this point and live in the past. Many Egyptians would say, we are the 7,000 years civilization, we are the builder of the pyramids.. but this is not enough.. the past is already gone, we live in the present and it's the present that will determine the future. If we live on the memory of the past then we will be stuck in our place. We need to have courage, not to be afraid and fight for a better future, our future and the future of our children and grand children.. Looking back on the past 5 years, we have gone through a lot in Egypt, politically, socially, economically, emotionally.. you name it.. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At some point I had lot of hopes and waiting for the change. I was doing my best to be part of it, to be engaged in everything. I was always the person looking to the half full glass not the empty half. But gradually this has changed to being indifferent to the fights and divisions between people and just watching from far cos I know that we reap what we sow and these are the consequences of the peoples' choice. </span><br />
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<br />The present may not be that optimistic, but I have faith that someday it will get better, but it will only get better if we have the courage to be part of the present. We are the hope of the future, we must act now and not wait for something to happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As every story comes to an end, to start a new one, the World Youth Day came to its end in Krakow, to start a new journey to Panama.<br />For this last night in Krakow, we met with some of our Social Media team for dinner in the city center.. On the way back, I was so tired and maybe feeling a little bit sad for leaving with the hopes to meet again someday, somewhere. It was my last walk (not counting walking under the heavy rain to the bus station and train station few hours later). Every step was becoming heavier, with tiredness, with bitterness.. Streets were empty compared to the previous days as many people already left Krakow. One last discussion until it was even tiring to think or speak or walk.. I remember my friend saying that the best thing was to see how we are part of the change of people. This includes me on a personal level as he was part of my transformation during this journey even without knowing it. We may not realize it but surely we impact the people we encounter. Like the girl I helped on that day or the discussions I had with friends or people I may never see again, or even family and friends.. I remember once my brother told me that he is proud of me and I never realized that I really could affect him in that way before that moment, cos we are brother and sister.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IskNqo7z6N3hlmJEoBiS8xnHkM6WOAr7F75alymqu-IZ1xyKtelMixy2gKpsV72ByciSXrULY8x0oKY-XDkpZwekB6MGsvc8C_wSCRE6cR4p4CGFibfmo8pdlC5k4fSrEotgoQ/s1600/IMG_9624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IskNqo7z6N3hlmJEoBiS8xnHkM6WOAr7F75alymqu-IZ1xyKtelMixy2gKpsV72ByciSXrULY8x0oKY-XDkpZwekB6MGsvc8C_wSCRE6cR4p4CGFibfmo8pdlC5k4fSrEotgoQ/s320/IMG_9624.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I truly miss the World Youth Day for all these small moments, the talks and discussions, the encounters, the connections with people. Getting to know each other, learning something new every day, a new experience, a new information, a new feeling. The feeling that you can do whatever crosses your mind, the freedom of being myself, the true me that's sometimes hidden as people see what they are used to see in their mind. I miss all the moments I could connect with myself and listen without thinking of everyday's preoccupation. It's like switching off and reconnecting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Those precious moments will be in my heart, until we meet again.</span></div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-60538575948555667802016-08-21T22:35:00.001+02:002016-08-21T22:35:55.896+02:00SDM Krakow 2016! A life changing experience!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBK6ZWQsM480718ixbb5GEn6_WveQOKOi2sdIR8XXZxZzf8_HLMC9q_TM2TBNsT6Sj_j0o9zlU4Kx7M60qyypmEDVq0ETkx_JRxrJoG_1w7jG6nLffoCmdzFsGT7BCo6H6lVCtbA/s1600/IMAG0132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBK6ZWQsM480718ixbb5GEn6_WveQOKOi2sdIR8XXZxZzf8_HLMC9q_TM2TBNsT6Sj_j0o9zlU4Kx7M60qyypmEDVq0ETkx_JRxrJoG_1w7jG6nLffoCmdzFsGT7BCo6H6lVCtbA/s320/IMAG0132.jpg" width="222" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once again I am part of this incredible journey, the World Youth Day, this time in Krakow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I can't describe all my feelings but definitely this time it has really changed me from inside. I feel more connected to myself. I listen to my real voice. I totally let myself be guided and open to everything.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I may have not participated in the main events like I did the two previous times but I don't regret it cos I lived something deeper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It is hard to explain but I believe that everything happens for a reason; the people I meet, the friends I make, the things that I see. It is all connected together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I may not have done everything I planned for but I learned to let myself just be free. It doesn't matter because every step will add a new encounter, a new experience. So maybe not what I have in mind but I am certain that it will lead to something.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I may still have doubts, I may still wait for answers but I just leave all the worries away and live the moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'll try to summarize all what I have experienced in those two weeks in several posts.. It's not that easy to recount everything but I'll try to capture the essential.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A month ago, I left Cairo with lot of excitement. Excitement to meet my old friends, my team in social media since I've been working with some of them online for more than a year and meet new friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On the way to Krakow, we were 4 volunteers taking the same flight. We already arranged to meet before boarding the flight from Paris as we were coming from different destinations. By the time we arrived to Krakow, we were a bigger group of volunteers on the way to our accommodation. In the bus, we kept all talking and trying to figure out which will be our stop.. I remember there were several Polish old people and they were looking to us with happiness and maybe admiration. I believe they knew why we were here. The next challenge was to find our accommodation "Wisla". It was a Sunday so everything was closed, it started to rain while we were walking but we managed to arrive finally to our home for the next coming weeks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As soon as we entered, I felt happy. Someone playing music, others gathered and talking.. All international volunteers were grouped in two main accommodations, but for the early comers, we were all together in one big hall. It was a challenge to find an empty bed but luckily there were still some places.<br />It was a like a very big hostel where you can hear all languages spoken, yet I was not feeling a stranger but rather being with my family.<br /></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main hall where I spent the first night.. <br />after that I was sleeping on the floor of a Judo hall</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />The following morning, they turned the lights at 5am, don't ask me why.. some people had to leave to their other accommodations, the rest, we were waiting for our volunteers kit. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The church<br /><h1 jstcache="678" style="background: rgb(66, 133, 244); border: 0px; color: white; font-family: Roboto, "Noto Naskh Arabic UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
Kościół Najświętszej Maryi Panny z Lourdes</h1>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I heard that there is a morning mass at 7am in a nearby church but I was too tired to go out and by the time I was on my feet and ready people already left. I decided maybe I will try it another day. I didn't know at the time that 2 days later, i'll go every single morning to this little church at 7am to attend the morning mass. Sometimes I was late a little bit but still I went. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This experience has transformed me. To be united in prayer with volunteers as well as with local people even if I don't understand every word (1st week mass was in Latin, 2nd week it was in Polish). I was doing my best to participate whenever there is a text I can read from and even if I don't pronounce correctly every single word. This little church next to a garden was so peaceful and yet energizing. At first I didn't believe I can get up early enough to attend the mass but I was surprised that almost during all the 2 weeks in Krakow I was even getting up earlier than I did in Egypt. <br />After the mass, sometimes i was staring at the nature in the garden early morning, or walking in silence and enjoying some quiet time with myself away from all the noise or talking with friends on our way back.<br /><br />Staying all together in one place, made it possible to meet my old friends who were in different assignments, even just to say hi while passing or to meet on our way back home. I may have wanted to spend more time with them, but in a way or other, we are already connected.<br /><br />I've worked most of the 2 weeks as first I was by myself then my friend arrived. It was very tiring at some moments but nothing compares when I see lot of messages from pilgrims sending their photos, asking questions or followers who couldn't come to Krakow and this was their way to follow live the World Youth Day.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Arabic may be small compared to other languages but what I saw was far beyond the numbers. It's how we touch people's live and make them all unite together regardless of the distances or the difficulties they are facing in their countries, giving hope and spreading joy. This what kept me going and pushing myself to do even more, knowing the impact I have on others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the spirit of the World Youth Day volunteers, to serve others and through them to experience the love of God and live the World Youth Day.<br />Yes I may not have the possibility to attend many of the events, but sharing these moments with my team in the social media room watching what's happening on the big screen and sharing everything with the audience in social media is truly something not to miss either.<br />Also seeing how the impact of the social media has grown since Rio is like seeing your baby grow. You feel like you were there in every step, watching it evolving over the time.. and this made possible with the hard work of all the team who made it possible to have all this content (graphics, videos, gifs....) and managing all this together.<br />All the team cheered at the end of the facebook life session recordings, or when we see someone we know on the big screen, or when reaching milestones... we are all one family, praying together, caring, encouraging and cheering for each other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The world of the Social Media Team</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">These 2 weeks have been the most rewarding and most incredible experience I ever had and I'm thankful for every single moment.<br /><br />Nos vemos in Panama!</span><br />
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-49815962310889429682015-07-10T10:02:00.000+02:002015-07-10T10:02:03.851+02:00The inevitable change...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We are all familiar with the saying that Change is the constant thing in the world.. Everything around us is changing whether we feel it or not.<br />
The earth changes its position, the plants go from one transformation to another depending on the season, even our mood changes from one moment to another.<br />
However, when you feel too many changes in short time frame, you feel like going crazy!<br />
Is it good or bad? what will happen? how it will impact everything? too many questions relative to the degree of uncertainty.<br />
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Recently I'm facing lot of changes, both external and internal. I can't describe what i feel, for some I feel annoyed, for others i feel excitement and for the rest, i can't tell my feelings.<br />
The logic way to go face these changes is to embrace them and to think positively how to cope. But this is easy thing to say than do. Many of the changes, that we know about them ahead, are like a cloud you see from distance but you don't know its effect until you are underneath it and it showers you or give you a shade or make you feel gloomy.<br />
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The most difficult change to face is the one inside you. You can feel it growing, this sense of feeling something different that is not the normal you. Maybe feelings you forgot them, ideas that were once inside your head but disappeared in the busy world or even long forgotten dreams.<br />
You can't control them and you remember how it was like. you wonder, will it go away like the previous times or it will evolve. You might be even excited but then you may think to resist the change inside you because it will change everything around you.<br />
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Looking back in the past 5 to 10 years, i can see how I really changed till reaching this moment. It is a journey through time with lots of ups and downs. For sure this is life and you need to evolve from one stage to another but sometimes i don't recognize myself.<br />
I believe that the most important thing i learned is to live the moment. The past is over, the future is unknown and unpredictable. The present is what we can feel and see but if we miss it, we miss living for the present won't come back again.<br />
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I don't know what will happen tomorrow, next month or next year. I don't know what if the past didn't happen, where i would be know. The only thing I know is that it's enough thinking too much about all that and to enjoy the present as much as possible for you might plan everything and then one unforeseen detail happens that changes everything and throw your plans away.<br />
You can't control or predict the future but you can control your current moment by choosing what to do or not to do.<br />
Yes change is inevitable and to go through it you have to liberate yourself from everything then you can live the transformation with all your heart and mind.<br />
Listen to yourself, to your feelings and recognize all the signs of change for then you can deal with it. Otherwise, it will surprise you when you are least ready.<br />
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-60172012121582594652015-01-16T23:25:00.002+02:002015-01-16T23:26:02.339+02:00ALU got Talent,,,<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yes, indeed, Alcatel-Lucent got many talents everywhere... and talent doesn't need to be unique or brilliant in something, talent could be doing a creative piece of art with a team.</div>
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This what I've experienced in the past few weeks. We received an announcement that ALU Egypt is organizing an ALU got Talent competition and asking everyone to participate. One of our colleagues plays guitar and we were encouraging him to participate but then it ended up to be all involved and compose a song with video clip!!</div>
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It was so much fun working on the song and also it took lot of efforts.. starting from thinking of what we wanted to say in the song. we wanted to draw the attentions to some situations that we are facing during our day to day work, in a sarcastic way. For each part of the song, a scene was played and filmed and the recording of the voice was done separately on a weekend at a colleague's home.</div>
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The beauty of this piece of art is that it is the result of team work even if we are no longer all together in the same teams due to the change of organizations. Each one contributed in one way or another even to the smallest details. This shows that the real talent is not being a unique or do something extraordinary but rather to build on each other.</div>
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I personally don't have a beautiful voice for singing, although i studied piano and music for years since my childhood. However, it didn't really matter because it is all the efforts brought together that made it really a success. I still don't have a great voice but now i know that i actually can sing and record a song and not just singing in my car when there is a traffic jam and i want to have fun while driving.</div>
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So, talking about the professional life, we can say the same. You don't have to come up with all the solution alone, we can all do it together if each one contributed with a part of the solution. If we apply it to the broader level, we can achieve greater things if we just believe and support each other.</div>
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Finally, our main message at the end of the song is: "Let's forget our problems, our gathering is the great asset. What we have in ALU, we will not find it outside. Our unity is what matters the most."</div>
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This is so true, because it is the spirit within the team and the company at a whole that makes us survive.. and this is the thing i like the most at ALU!!!</div>
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I would like to thank everybody who participated in the video.. Maybe at the beginning i was not that enthusiastic, but at the end i'm glad that i helped in it.</div>
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I'm really proud of all of us!!! Well done team.</div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-83192279537630023832014-12-19T22:26:00.001+02:002014-12-19T22:26:20.820+02:00Why blogging is so hard?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Looking back at my posts in the previous years, it seems that in the past 5 years, the peak was 2012, one year after the revolution has started... but then my rate of blogging decreased once again.. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why is blogging is becoming so hard? Is it due to loss of interest, lack of ideas to share or just being busy?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> am so far away from beating my highest record, in my first year of blogging in 2005. I think that partially it is due to the diversity of social media. At that time, there were no much social media expansion.. there was the email, blog sites, flickr for photos and hi5 for those who remember it, long before facebook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So having a blog was the main platform for sharing ideas, writing, shouting, talking.. but now, with the facebook, twitter, google+, linkedin just to name a few... the virtual space is so crammed with multitude ways for expressing oneself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, i feel that a blog is the most personal way to talk because you are not just expressing a status or feeling in a hurry or to show off, but rather you are taking some time to discuss something far beyond the usual social stuff.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It takes more effort to think of the idea, elaborate it, write it and finally hitting the publish button to see the light.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once out there in the space, it will remain forever (unless you delete it).. you can go back and read it years later, remember those feelings and those memories.. sometimes you even forget that it ever existed!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, i guess i came to one of my 2015 resolutions (4th in the list), reviving my blog once again and i hope this time i will succeed to keep it up alive!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is time to go away from the fast world of facebook and return to the authentic spirit of blogging.</span><br />
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-24962612010824942092014-07-19T21:00:00.001+02:002014-07-19T21:25:47.031+02:00A year after, JMJ Rio, trainings and sightseeing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><u style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">17/07/2013:</u><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"> General training for all volunteers & visiting Pao Açucar</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to the metro station from my accommodation</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Yes, that's right. We take our volunteering job so seriously. The 1st training day it was general for all volunteers to know more about the general important information like in case of emergency, the schedule of events.. There were different sessions for the different languages so me and my friends attended the English one. We were gathered in a big auditorium. We had the chance to see some of the volunteers that were communicating with us about the JMJ before travelling.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australia, North America, Africa and Asia :)</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">After the session, we decided to go and have lunch. It was a new area so we were just walking till we find a small restaurant. We were just a small group, mainly most of the Arab countries (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt) as well as</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"> the only volunteer from Iran. T</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">hen other friends were also looking for a place so I tried to explain to them how to reach where we are on whatsapp and sending them our location. Actually, whatsapp was our most important way of communication since we were working with different teams and working in different areas so whenever we try to arrange for something, we just discussed over whatsapp.. of course by now most of us had a Brazilian number to ease the communication. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeoxk9Py0H_jMzdKxbxJU5d515z5M3UwvmggoXqVXeUH6UGf10UiG94T4JZrgR8J6-nzPcBqRBr7qRZbyDyesuS1agm3ty5Pyc-Q-6mM6HwgEdUErC0kUEmesaVITB5_cXA9fIw/s1600/IMG_9816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeoxk9Py0H_jMzdKxbxJU5d515z5M3UwvmggoXqVXeUH6UGf10UiG94T4JZrgR8J6-nzPcBqRBr7qRZbyDyesuS1agm3ty5Pyc-Q-6mM6HwgEdUErC0kUEmesaVITB5_cXA9fIw/s1600/IMG_9816.JPG" height="320" width="216" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">After that some went off right after lunch and the rest we just went walking. We found a little church so we went inside to visit it. The priest when he knew we are voluntarios, invited us inside and asked to take a photo with us. He told us that this is the 1st church for Saint Rita outside Italy and it was very old (built in 1722). The style of the church was different than in Europe. I felt like it was bright and with much decorations. He was so kind and offered for us cold water to fill our bottles.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht87x8elh7gy1pJ_b9duW-qqiaIT6oaI4gw1nUONYGInb7QSbBXFQXS6lpgr802E9b_WKGYQhLrupgM86h-pFwbGLZa39dGiClWn2npZt1OF06fBEgaMGaOvPyy873Ik-1E6XsrQ/s1600/1375199_10153325263090094_1716962441_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht87x8elh7gy1pJ_b9duW-qqiaIT6oaI4gw1nUONYGInb7QSbBXFQXS6lpgr802E9b_WKGYQhLrupgM86h-pFwbGLZa39dGiClWn2npZt1OF06fBEgaMGaOvPyy873Ik-1E6XsrQ/s1600/1375199_10153325263090094_1716962441_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group photo with the priest at Saint Rita Church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDr684HoeDjIO758NjI09vHfMKQB5rBt2Acmjvf60tdjanRKWG1z2_GyePP91QQqUQD0TRod5RK3bA9kESn4cElVM96vSgyLrieuKAfYdd_fYIi-f1x15Gzc0gF2tnmVfw75h1Vw/s1600/1094686_10151800078880926_931643413_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDr684HoeDjIO758NjI09vHfMKQB5rBt2Acmjvf60tdjanRKWG1z2_GyePP91QQqUQD0TRod5RK3bA9kESn4cElVM96vSgyLrieuKAfYdd_fYIi-f1x15Gzc0gF2tnmVfw75h1Vw/s1600/1094686_10151800078880926_931643413_o.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way up to Pao de Açucar</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">We had still all afternoon so we decided to go to </span><a href="http://www.bondinho.com.br/" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" target="_blank">Pao de Açucar</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"> or Sugar Loaf as called in English. It is a hill where we go up on a teleferic and you can see Rio de Janeiro and the famous Corcovado hill. We arrived just on time to watch the beautiful sunset over Rio. It was an unforgettable scene.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCSzXeHXQDot9v0WtgzSdykS0lDfKq4NFiYYr4dgs4kyVbCn-3knDhOgPk1tVe9rBuWxXEQuR_RbyZh2kDuNLJg30EUXIIE_55kk_beGuzFFXXEsfn2n1XPDMHx2T73gRHSeTVA/s1600/IMG_9876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCSzXeHXQDot9v0WtgzSdykS0lDfKq4NFiYYr4dgs4kyVbCn-3knDhOgPk1tVe9rBuWxXEQuR_RbyZh2kDuNLJg30EUXIIE_55kk_beGuzFFXXEsfn2n1XPDMHx2T73gRHSeTVA/s1600/IMG_9876.JPG" height="267" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama view of Rio de Janeiro at sunset from Pao de Açucar</td></tr>
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<b><u style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">18/07/2013:</u><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"> Communication team training & visiting Corcovado</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6MWkiymA_qzN2ZSTG9fkAdLfWzB0vzA8ZVKPNj0Da71fx7lB_6PJ1UhXNihXaGyRFddWq7qBgdy7IuKCr1qz36JLjvJYCOtRNs1P7QSpadXHM4CJByTMYJkaqoNgUTmDwpomhw/s1600/IMG_9912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6MWkiymA_qzN2ZSTG9fkAdLfWzB0vzA8ZVKPNj0Da71fx7lB_6PJ1UhXNihXaGyRFddWq7qBgdy7IuKCr1qz36JLjvJYCOtRNs1P7QSpadXHM4CJByTMYJkaqoNgUTmDwpomhw/s1600/IMG_9912.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Media Center at Copacabana</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the 1st day at the Media Center where we had the communication department training. Since all the</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> girls with me in the accommodation are volunteers in communication, we headed up all together to the media center situated at the end of Copacabana beach. We didn't know that the metro ended 1 station earlier than the map so we had to walk a bigger distance to arrive. I didn't have much time to enjoy the walk on the beach as we were already late and we had to move fast to catch up but i managed to take few photos. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KEI05Y1mlUmesDXNuuS_lGxWZ1NWafdczoPMngYH_kU9UWw_t3gKqc9e2iJB7A0dw5jLcD1k5vveVxCB1pDvcHbepku7fH9LnisnzW9WNb9ecL4nCvI8ZrWz-p_leq9k_tCfag/s1600/1085051_10153119832875121_86079047_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KEI05Y1mlUmesDXNuuS_lGxWZ1NWafdczoPMngYH_kU9UWw_t3gKqc9e2iJB7A0dw5jLcD1k5vveVxCB1pDvcHbepku7fH9LnisnzW9WNb9ecL4nCvI8ZrWz-p_leq9k_tCfag/s1600/1085051_10153119832875121_86079047_o.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schedule of shifts</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arriving at the center, they gave us special tags so that we can move freely inside and outside. I was impressed by the media center. It was very crowded in the auditorium and we had to sit on the floor to attend the presentations. We had a quick tour after finishing the presentation and met the team of social media. We were divided by languages and for each language there were official accounts on facebook and twitter and our role was to manage them. for the Arabic language, we were 4, 2 from Syria and 2 from Egypt. We were luckier than others who were alone for their language so they had to work all the time.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOcKOxpWbf4o-b88A7VHZrglHWNlwsl1TdLm6sF53YARBSGjHstFLdO-Np2QkDiLitrbWLmxXiZYFfAgm7QtgjZLdGJLGaVg0dXnBhdGogSxVwl92ix7sl0twhZG559txy0uP2A/s1600/48209_10151800213405926_669057929_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOcKOxpWbf4o-b88A7VHZrglHWNlwsl1TdLm6sF53YARBSGjHstFLdO-Np2QkDiLitrbWLmxXiZYFfAgm7QtgjZLdGJLGaVg0dXnBhdGogSxVwl92ix7sl0twhZG559txy0uP2A/s1600/48209_10151800213405926_669057929_o.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing with my friends at Corcovado</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After staying for a while in the media center and getting everything set for the work, i went to Corcovado. I had already reserved a ticket the day before to go by train as my friends advised me that it's very crowded and if i just show off i could wait for long time before finding an empty seat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was very crowded and very difficult to take photos cos this is what everybody is doing. I tried to look for someone who seems to know about photography to take me a nice shot with the Redeemer. The place was full of volunteers, pilgrims and others with flags from all nations. Luckily, i found some of my friends up there and we took some photos together. The view from the top was amazing. I never imagined Rio to be that beautiful.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Rio from Corcovado</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoZygfbnxoizLrG8B3fmBtOa-y7xAGgjQn6LVVKec53MmAsbUFkM7NcEnhkjxnBjr8sFxu4UdC9xpud52hLig3eadUv215fELR8f7uUveGTV5i-1PEbf1NQIdfP15tAAYLQcr6A/s1600/IMG_9957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoZygfbnxoizLrG8B3fmBtOa-y7xAGgjQn6LVVKec53MmAsbUFkM7NcEnhkjxnBjr8sFxu4UdC9xpud52hLig3eadUv215fELR8f7uUveGTV5i-1PEbf1NQIdfP15tAAYLQcr6A/s1600/IMG_9957.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cristo Redentor, Corcovado</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMiF5MPBrV3avsfFRLhrItAcIChX6bqvvCg5uqjB6k3zddFE8Nu8nVtA-jFGLpi-raQh4pB89bbD6aAx-3apco20DWTDatJqZmaYkqE4CqBdkOMD-l21R-7cWTl2wbw2LDj1HwQ/s1600/IMG_0086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMiF5MPBrV3avsfFRLhrItAcIChX6bqvvCg5uqjB6k3zddFE8Nu8nVtA-jFGLpi-raQh4pB89bbD6aAx-3apco20DWTDatJqZmaYkqE4CqBdkOMD-l21R-7cWTl2wbw2LDj1HwQ/s1600/IMG_0086.JPG" height="400" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cristo Redentor at night</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stayed there till the night. On my way back by train, i met a French freelance photographer who was there to cover the JMJ. It's so amazing how you can meet people everywhere and you can start any conversation. It's like a one big family and it doesn't matter from where you come from or what language you can speak.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><span style="color: blue;"><u>16/07/2013:</u> The long awaited gathering</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The first morning in my new </span><span style="font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">accommodation</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"> at the nun's convent of Saint Joseph. We went early most of the volunteers staying there to the Cathedral for the 2nd time to get our volunteer kit. It was the 1st time to walk from the convent to the metro station, a descending road taking about 15 to 20 minutes. It was easy and the view was a nice as you can see from far away Corcovado and El Redentor (Redeemer). It was a lovely walk.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2J2Uma2JJ8KCSZjuGbbB_97bIgF0QNWyzAuVdqseaUwW8hEsOTigwUiXqd-cvF0IQ3jmbVuXz89B2sFiMm5_m9qzoWq5Nn3U_-C0b0URSYzuAueIxb1uasLbrWoZa0TDbr55cQw/s1600/963754_10201832635724358_522754888_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2J2Uma2JJ8KCSZjuGbbB_97bIgF0QNWyzAuVdqseaUwW8hEsOTigwUiXqd-cvF0IQ3jmbVuXz89B2sFiMm5_m9qzoWq5Nn3U_-C0b0URSYzuAueIxb1uasLbrWoZa0TDbr55cQw/s1600/963754_10201832635724358_522754888_o.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting Chiara from Italy,<br />
just before getting my badge</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">We arrived at the Cathedral and there were lot of volunteers as well but everything was going on </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">smoothly.. at some point i was near the end but didn't reach it and they were calling for those in countries with few volunteers since it won't much time to find the badge and then go and collect all the stuff and of course Egypt was among those countries with small representation.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">After i fetched my kit and was waiting on the outside, i met the 6th Egyptian volunteer which turned up a girl I've met the year before. It's a small small world! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">I also met the 3 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">musketeers</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">, a.k.a the 3 Jordanians I already knew from facebook and whatsapp and 2 from Palestine.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">For once we could speak in Arabic without the need to translate from one language to another.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo6y-lbBTIGvx7kPRArYDHUFdDUpgtCfFFoWZ3qKGBLUaGkGarbJ-bEkkX0v1p3wyM6vVd4X80GrdYp41wQ6RiZsVYN99lswAz1BBCNT6wr_BOvQI1K3L56k73skY2W8bHPP2ew/s1600/1074231_10151630326562739_1034663367_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo6y-lbBTIGvx7kPRArYDHUFdDUpgtCfFFoWZ3qKGBLUaGkGarbJ-bEkkX0v1p3wyM6vVd4X80GrdYp41wQ6RiZsVYN99lswAz1BBCNT6wr_BOvQI1K3L56k73skY2W8bHPP2ew/s1600/1074231_10151630326562739_1034663367_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 Egyptians, 3 Jordanians, 2 Palestinians and others</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">After picking up the kits, i went to meet the rest of my friends. Long before we travel we have decided to gather all for lunch and our Brazilian friends have reserved in a restaurant not far away from the Cathedral. We ended up a bunch of 40 people walking in the streets going out for lunch. I was following my GPS, i gave my Egyptian flag which was now mounted on a big stick to a friend so the rest can see and follow us. We </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">literally</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"> charged in the restaurant. Imagine like 40 people in a restaurant. This was the best restaurant ever, <a href="http://www.kilogramacentro.com.br/" target="_blank">Kilograma</a>. The food is served as open buffet, you pick up whatever you want but you pay according to the weight. I later on discovered that this concept was in many restaurants in Rio but it was totally new to me. I ended up paying a bill of around 36 Reals, i was fearing i would surpass the 40 Reals limit of the day with the food card.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAHwBj2dR2baF_id9GsUv-RyITWf1TxlwhtKF7AoyX4tBAmpYZWJC88C0xpqvUzy-OOf04d_QYnj80SWwbvprqDnRxkJzhwOngxkIdgNeD72NFV8XQlXr_sBXYt1ZwYpn2VEBag/s1600/10007480_10153963130605203_285768142_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAHwBj2dR2baF_id9GsUv-RyITWf1TxlwhtKF7AoyX4tBAmpYZWJC88C0xpqvUzy-OOf04d_QYnj80SWwbvprqDnRxkJzhwOngxkIdgNeD72NFV8XQlXr_sBXYt1ZwYpn2VEBag/s1600/10007480_10153963130605203_285768142_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><br />After the restaurant, some went for a walk before going to the Cathedral for the mass for volunteers, me and others went straight to the Cathedral. On our way, i tried my first açai. It is a sort of fruit like berries with dark purple color but crushed and iced and you just eat it like ice cream or use a straw and drink the melting liquid.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfQ-2looRs0Jl_K37not4DXfz0WCR8Vs0YertD4wY1hDZUEJT-HgThzjjeo572C8y-gQdrxrQ2_HWp9Q3AC2IXUOIu2Y-mbba1oBFRVN2_FEP9Z7DJEyQzk1HO9Sa-15ut2ng-A/s1600/IMG_9796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfQ-2looRs0Jl_K37not4DXfz0WCR8Vs0YertD4wY1hDZUEJT-HgThzjjeo572C8y-gQdrxrQ2_HWp9Q3AC2IXUOIu2Y-mbba1oBFRVN2_FEP9Z7DJEyQzk1HO9Sa-15ut2ng-A/s1600/IMG_9796.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Volunteer mass</td></tr>
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At the cathedral we attended the 1st mass of the JMJ. It was for all volunteers. It was so crowded, full of volunteers from all around the world. Although most of the mass was in Portuguese, i enjoyed it, specially the hymns that were sung.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><br />After the mass, when i was outside, a reporter saw me with the Egyptian flag, taking a photo with other people. He asked me if i can make an interview. It was much fun, he was a Brazilian reporter and speaking little Spanish and I tried to answer his questions in Spanish although it has been ages since i spoke Spanish and I had to work hard to find the right vocabulary. Of course, his questions were about Egypt, how it is to live there, if there are any problems for Christians and so on... later on in other interviews it was the same subject, same questions because Egypt was on the news.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><br />On my way back to the accommodation, i lost my way because it was dark, i didn't remember the exact street and I was on my own. I found out that the area is all residential, no shops, no one to ask about the way. Even when i found a doorman in a building, he didn't know about the convent then a passing guy, came with me and we walked till we found it. Many Brazilians speak only Portuguese, especially the elder. Thank God I arrived safely but it was already late and raining and the nun in charge was kind of worried because i was late. I make a mental note to save the location on GPS, to know the name of the street and to return earlier.</span></span></span></div>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-38118919707917867782014-07-18T17:20:00.000+02:002014-07-18T17:27:24.883+02:00A year after, JMJ Rio, the beginning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>14/07/2013:</u> Meeting with the group</span></b><br />
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I arrived in Rio on the 14th of July 2013. It was a long trip, Cairo to Amsterdam then Amsterdam to Rio. I started to feel the mood and the ambiance just before going on board of the 2nd flight as there was a group of pilgrims having fun and waiting to board. I couldn't tell from which country they were but it was obvious they were going for the JMJ.<br />
I had a nice trip sitting next to a person from Madagascar working in the Netherlands and a lady who is half French half Brazilian. we had long discussions about many things, and of course about what was happening in Egypt as it was right after the famous June 30th.<br />
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Finally I arrived to Rio at night and went straight to the Che Lagarto hostel where i was supposed to meet some of my friends for the 1st time. We knew each other from whatsapp months before the JMJ. This is one of the great things about JMJ, is that you get to know people from all around the world and with the new technologies like whatsapp and facebook, and distances and time zones are no longer a barrier.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_oGaimy4Oz0ZIxs4Pa1zT_9bEMci2kObRo1mEXi09TwqPO-ACUQdR3kE4P_ub8DJIZsBA_4tkfgl5qY9L1Er_QekqNgtiutedm0v4ZeuUnnTVHo9lcyVHuGyCD66J5UXaVAn4A/s1600/IMG_9781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_oGaimy4Oz0ZIxs4Pa1zT_9bEMci2kObRo1mEXi09TwqPO-ACUQdR3kE4P_ub8DJIZsBA_4tkfgl5qY9L1Er_QekqNgtiutedm0v4ZeuUnnTVHo9lcyVHuGyCD66J5UXaVAn4A/s1600/IMG_9781.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caipirinha com Maracuja</td></tr>
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We decided to go out for the night. We ended up a bigger group as others from the hostel joined us. We went to a club we heard there was a party there to join but it was already raining heavily and when we arrived there we found it closed. So we headed to another place where we can have a drink and eat something and i tried my 1st caipirinha, but it was with maracuja!!<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>15/07/2013:</u> Volunteer kit retrieval, 1st trial</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0FQEKymuRXoVBOWid-cJcJC2N-gyN5v5EdQQJNO_J7XSs7tWxErvfHcP262xhRwTnLYaftdeJ2gTwDnbQ1eNxARbTNtolCq56M5rpIAU485NHxCPrMsYBz8CzIN4iOQ-DYTmcg/s1600/1017001_10201710542306244_2133102720_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0FQEKymuRXoVBOWid-cJcJC2N-gyN5v5EdQQJNO_J7XSs7tWxErvfHcP262xhRwTnLYaftdeJ2gTwDnbQ1eNxARbTNtolCq56M5rpIAU485NHxCPrMsYBz8CzIN4iOQ-DYTmcg/s1600/1017001_10201710542306244_2133102720_n.jpg" height="183" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group (9) moving from Che Lagarto to the Cathedral</td></tr>
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We moved early morning to go to the Cathedral where we were supposed to get our volunteer kits, with the cards for food and transportation then to go to our respective accommodation. No one of my friends was assigned with me in the same accommodation as no one was with me in the team of communication department except one Egyptian guy but he was assigned to another place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Jb5xcmqB3OwahmmRsrQALdIl4xrnjoLYlyWJtZbWdnKiepXh8QPCX1GP2mDRAD_sSJT9cOY5Fy5Jx5a4JGLoJyHBQ3pMTcZ0Lnx8gtOQbF5He9UWowDuWdxvHo9s2TYt1n3kTQ/s1600/IMG_9787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Jb5xcmqB3OwahmmRsrQALdIl4xrnjoLYlyWJtZbWdnKiepXh8QPCX1GP2mDRAD_sSJT9cOY5Fy5Jx5a4JGLoJyHBQ3pMTcZ0Lnx8gtOQbF5He9UWowDuWdxvHo9s2TYt1n3kTQ/s1600/IMG_9787.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Catedral Metropolitana <br />de Sao Sebastiao</td></tr>
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It seems we were not early enough as there were already long queues of volunteers inside the church, all with their luggage. We met the rest of our friends who arrived earlier in the morning to Rio so more or less, all the gang was complete. In order to pass the time, people started to talk together, taking photos with flags, singing... I couldn't find my big stick inside the bag to put my flag but it didn't really matter cos we met the most craziest and loudest Egyptian in the whole Brazil :). I knew before travelling that we were 6 Egyptian volunteers, 2 of them were already my friends and i was wondering if i would meet the rest. I met 2 that day and the 3rd one the day after and it turned out to be someone i know also.<br />
So our dear friend, who can considered as the most famous volunteer after Antonio Mateo (the manager of international volunteers) in no time made people singing Egito Egito... we can say that Egypt's name was even louder with the echo of many others from around the world.<br />
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The queues were moving slowly and slowly.. people started to help each other, like someone going<br />
It was kind of a problem because we didn't receive our cards for food and transportation and we had to manage. Volunteers arranged with each other, so some would go out to get anything to eat for the rest of the group while others wait to save the turn... till maybe at the afternoon where we heard that there are no more kits and we have to leave and return the next day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahcpEcCyFhO2txvPB4q_46VUoXmXNWUZc8l648rWNzecb4jOulYmwrfDaNC6OxllUR-zxkXq1zbQLNHrs4Q8KPa76aKtzKbuRX9z9ngo1yl5Dgkb3wnjbxfqRyWTxBZlcN9rzXA/s1600/1102715_10151757095259172_1731114325_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahcpEcCyFhO2txvPB4q_46VUoXmXNWUZc8l648rWNzecb4jOulYmwrfDaNC6OxllUR-zxkXq1zbQLNHrs4Q8KPa76aKtzKbuRX9z9ngo1yl5Dgkb3wnjbxfqRyWTxBZlcN9rzXA/s1600/1102715_10151757095259172_1731114325_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos with volunteers from Nicaragua & my friends from<br />
Egypt and Singapore</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwFNrrZOOG28pIuRcoNtzkbWELvJ9RJj1PYVeO8D8XMiL2nCSYqMNEYRnORsKrhpjIXo5AMrzXNg2g4XlPl0uDca13bUCwL5sCRbiQT_ZGz1raSk1Ab7KcdY4RKTezLG7QjoBJw/s1600/1069864_10151504515581498_610273580_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwFNrrZOOG28pIuRcoNtzkbWELvJ9RJj1PYVeO8D8XMiL2nCSYqMNEYRnORsKrhpjIXo5AMrzXNg2g4XlPl0uDca13bUCwL5sCRbiQT_ZGz1raSk1Ab7KcdY4RKTezLG7QjoBJw/s1600/1069864_10151504515581498_610273580_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting with Paula who turned to be my colleague in<br />
social media team and Jamil, 1 of the 3 Jordanians volunteers</td></tr>
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They tried to organize people by accommodation so the group goes to the place together but i couldn't find anyone staying in the same place as me.. so i went on my own. I didn't have the exact address as i was supposed to first to report to a church and they would show us later on the place we should go to. I arrived finally to the church, it was only few stops by metro from the cathedral. It was a little bit an adventure moving around with my luggage but i made it. At the church, we were a small group and we stayed for a while before taking us to a nearby place. While waiting, we had small talks, getting to know each other. I was happy cos they were from many countries and they were all assigned to the social media team.<br />
They took us in cars to a convent of nuns. We tried to settle, we were more than the number of available beds so we got mattresses to sleep on...</div>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-82691050742429292752014-07-12T00:12:00.000+02:002014-07-15T08:06:06.166+02:00A year after, JMJ Rio 2013 still in the heart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The countdown for the one year celebration of JMJ Rio 2013 has already started. I can't believe that a year has already passed. I feel it was just like yesterday. I still remember these days and the great time I had.<br />
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In order to remember and share the experiences i had, I decided to write about these days, day by day, to relive the events and keep the memory alive.</div>
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So stay tuned for the adventures ;)</div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-28049277298880060832014-02-21T11:53:00.000+02:002014-02-21T11:54:07.337+02:00Hiking, a journey in life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The tragic event of a group of hikers caught in a snowstorm this week in the mountains of Saint Catherine in Sinai was a shock for the hiker communities. Lot of discussions, some blaming people including the hikers, the authority, the guide.. others trying to analyze what went wrong in order to prevents such tragidy. I couldn't help myself but remember my hikes in the mountains of Sinai.<br />
What many people don't know what hiking is about and some even never knew that hiking existed in Egypt!. They could ask why people go up to walk in the mountains? I remember when i was telling my friends i'm going over the weekend to Sinai just to hike they were surprised why i would sacrifice my rest days to do something very tiring with people i might not even now. Their notion of a vacation is to go on the beach and do nothing but enjoying the sun and the sea.<br />
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My first real hiking experience was 4 years ago, March 2010. It was a hike to a place called El-Galt El-Azraq. It was supposed to be an easy hike but we discovered that it was more an advanced level, especially that we travelled after flood period so the guide had to change some of the trecks in our journey. I remember that I had to go beyond my limits, to walk the extra mile but reaching our destination was a big wow. I didn't imagine such beauty, in the middle of the mountains. I thought that it is all about mountains but i discovered another amazing world. This hike and others i did later showed me another face of the superb nature and the diversity we have in Egypt. Imagine to see waterfall or a lake, trees and gardens... rocks with different shapes and forms, untouched by humans. The smile of our bedouin guides, their warm feelings and their deep knowledge about the nature, about their worlds. The help of the hikers, some i met for the first time and others i already met. I remember when i discovered that the tent i had which belonged to my parents (was the first time for me to use) was not ok. So a friend invited me and my friend to share so we don't sleep outside. I remember at some diffiult places that we had to cross, there were many hands to pull you and catch you. I remember when on our way back it was getting dark and we were all tired but still everyone was taking care of the other and we were supporting each other. Hiking is a great experience by all means. It helps you to go beyond your limits and you feel actually you achieved something despite all the troubles. It make you trust the others and know that they will help you if you get in trouble.<br />
And most of important of all, you see the beauty of the country that is not revealed to so many. You learn that outside your own world there is even a bigger and a greater one. you feel disconnected from your own fast life but you feel reconnected to yourself.<br />
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Hiking is not just a hobby, it's a journey in life. and you have to try it one day to see it with your own eyes because photos and stories are little compared to the reality. You have to experience yourself with all your senses and believe me it will be beyond your own expectations.<br />
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<i>Links:</i><br />
<a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.com/2010/03/hiking-experience.html" target="_blank">My post about El-Galt El-Azrak Hike</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150200790455203.434976.721145202&type=1&l=f381001398" target="_blank">Photos of Secret Garden Hike</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150127441375203.396856.721145202&type=1&l=faaa21f4d7" target="_blank">Photos of El-Galt El-Azrak Hike</a></div>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-80946431219844554602013-08-23T02:08:00.001+02:002013-08-23T02:10:29.540+02:00Insights about the current situation in Egypt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I know many people who are not living in Egypt are wondering, what's going on. I will try to explain what happened last week but before reaching to this point, i'll try to brief the background of the political status since the revolution because we can't judge the current events without looking on the history.<br />
I put links of old posts that give more details about certain events.</div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">Before 25 Jan 2011</span></b></u></div>
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Egypt political scene was far from democratic although it was under the name of democracy. Police & media, were under control of the state to serve those who are in charge. Elections were frauded, people were not interested in politics except for a few brave who tried to fight for more democracy risking everything.</div>
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Providing for a family was a big challenge, a lot of unemployment, lack of good education, high cost of living, lack of medical service.</div>
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The gap between the rich and the poor increased year over year, in summary, no social justice</div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">25 January 2011 (18 days of revolution)</span></b></u></div>
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The calls for protests started on facebook and spread widely. It was first to protest against police, in commemoration of Khaled Said who was killed by police brutality then claimed he committed suicide.</div>
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The protests called "change, freedom, social justice". It started on the 25th then the biggest day, the 28th (Friday of Rage), were the security forces faced the big crowds with brutality, killing a lot. Police stations were attacked that night, some thugs made roberies to create chaos & terror after the police deserted the streets, then the army took over to control secuity.</div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">The regime made all it could to stay in power till Moubarak stepped down in 11 February.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">For more details on this period check the following post:</span> <a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.com/2011/02/we-all-woke-up.html" target="_blank">We all woke up :)</a></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">Referendum 19 March 2011</span></b></u></div>
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The referendum was on several closes, including to work first on constitution or elections (parliamentary & presidential). This was a big mistake by the SCAF (Supreme Council of Armed Forces) who were in charge at that time. It created the first disagreement between people. Some "so called" islamists were preaching and asking people to vote Yes to go to heaven. It was the first time to see politicians mixing religion to steet the public opinion towards a certain direction.</div>
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In my opinion, the constitution should have been put first because it is the contract to govern how everything will work. A problem, we had to discover later, in the hardest way.</div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">Mohamed Mahmoud Clashes - November 2011</span></b></u></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Clashes in Mohamed Mahmoud Street just beside Tahrir Square. The ministry of interior (MOI) is close but is not in this street, however they were defending it from the protestors. These clashes left deads & injured, many young people lost their sights.</span></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">25 January 2012</span></b></u></div>
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SCAF was still ruling. After one year from revolution, still no one was tried for killing the protesters. The retribution of martyrs was not yet achieved. Military trials of civilians were still on-going, among which many innocent people.<br />
People went in the streets to protest against SCAF while the Muslim Brotherhood were partying in Tahrir Square. They had already won majority of seats in the parliament although before elections they said they won't compete for all seats (not keeping their words as always).<br />
<span style="color: blue;">My account regarding that day </span><a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.com/2012/01/25-jan-reloaded.html" target="_blank">25 Jan reloaded</a></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">Presidential Elections June 2012</span></b></u></div>
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After more than a year, came the time to elect a president. At that time, still no constitution so the job description of the president was not yet defined. If for example we will have a complete presidential system or parliamentary one or mix of both.<br />
There were 2 rounds, the 2 winners from the 1st round were Mohamed Morsi (Muslim Brotherhood) although before elections again they said the won't compete at all & Ahmed Shafik (the last appointed Prime Minister before Moubarak stepped down, and before that Minister of Aviation and on top a miliary).</div>
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Without going into details, people voted mainly for the one just cos they didn't want the other to win.</div>
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Official results were close, as Morsi won but 51.73%. Some claims that there were some frauds and actually Shafik won but they had to announce Morsi as winner because the MB had threatened in case Shafik won to retaliate in streets.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">My thoughts, just before the 2nd round</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span><a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.com/2012/06/egypts-presidential-elections-2012.html" target="_blank">Egypt's Presidential elections 2012</a></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">6 October Celebration 2012</span></b></u></div>
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Every year, 6 of October victory is celebrated. That year, Morsi invited people, who mostly turned out to be his supporters to the indoor stadium. Not only that but among the guests was one of the people who was charged of the murder of President Sadat that won the war in 1973. How ironic.</div>
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Also Morsi made a speech about his 100 days of ruling. He talked with numbers that didn't reflect the reality like solving the traffic issue or security problems.</div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">Presidential decree of 22 November 2012</span></b></u></div>
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Out of nowhere, Morsi made a presidential decree giving him more powers, not to be accounted for any decisions he took or will take. He dismissed the current general prosecutor and appointed a new one. Some people were already asking to dismiss this general prosecutor but the way it was done and the direct appointment of another one raised questions.There was a crisis between the judges and the president.<br />
Also, at by that time the constitutional court had disolved the parliament as the election law was unconstitutional. The same for the Shoura council but as it was making the constitution Morsi in his decree made it not to be disovled.</div>
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This presidential decree was the turning point to reunite opposition. It was the point that made a clear separation between the 2 camps, those with the president and those against him.</div>
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Million of people went in the streets, in Cairo and elsewhere.<br />
A sit-in started in front of presidential palace for several days. Unfortunately, pro Morsi attacked the sit-in to disperse the people at a time where few were there and clashes erupted with people killed from both side.</div>
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Pro Morsi detained some of the protesters and tortured them according to the testimony of the detainees after they were sent to the police. They were afterwards released and as a reward by the general prosecutor, the one who made this decision was transfered to another city and those who committed the tortures and detention were not charged.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">More details in this post: </span><a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.com/2012/11/tahrir-square-is-back.html" target="_blank">Tahrir Square is back</a></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">30 June 2013 - 3 July 2013</span></b></u></div>
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Biggest demonstrations i've ever seen. Millions of people all over the streets saying just "leave" to Morsi. 22 million people signed the "tamarod" (rebellion) form because they thought that after 1 year, Morsi and them MB didn't keep any promise.</div>
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Up till that moment, the performance of the government and prime minister was very poor. The ministers chosen were mainly people they, the Muslim Brotherhood trust, not people with the right experience.<br />
Just before the 30th of June, a member of the Jihadists of Gama'a Islameya was appointed governor of Luxor, the same group of people who killed toursits in Luxor in 1997. The newly appointed minister of culture who was not someone from the field started to dismiss people in position like the head of the Cairo Opera House who was actually doing a great job since she took charge of it. The artists, writers and other people started a sit-in in front of the ministry of culture to protest against him.</div>
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There were another incident, the killing of Shiite persons few days after a rally with the presence of Morsi to support Syria. In this rally, full of his supporters, one of the speakers made a hatred speach against the Shiite and the president didn't even comment on that as if he approves what was said.</div>
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There was political tension with Ethiopia after their decision to build a dam on the Nile which would impact our resource of water in Egypt. The way that Morsi & ministers handled this situation was far below what should have been done and they failed to contain this crisis.</div>
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Army gave Morsi an ultimatum of 48 hours to solve the problematic issues with the opposition. Before that there were the Army asked Morsi the same thing but nothing changed.<br />
The 3rd of July, Al- Sissy, minister of defense and head of the army announced the deposition of Morsi putting him under house arrest and the decisionn of the interim president, the head of the supreme court.<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Details about these events:</span> <a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.com/2013/07/egypt-is-back.html" target="_blank">Egypt is back!!!</a> & <a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.com/2013/07/just-few-thoughts.html" target="_blank">Just few thoughts</a></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: red;">14 August 2013</span></b></u></div>
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The dispersal of the 2 sit-ins of pro-Morsi in Rabaa El Adawya & El-Nahda took place. The sit-ins started after Morsi was deposed. Some people supported Morsi because he is the democratically elected president and their votes should be respected, other because they didn't want to go back to military rule.<br />
There were reports that there were arms with some people in the sit-ins. Earlier in July, some pro-Morsi who were in the sit-ins of El-Nahda near Cairo University attacked citizens in Ben El- Sarayat and Manial leaving dead and injured. Some of the testimonies were horrific. This doesn't mean that all supporters are armed and want to perform violence but at the same time, it shows there was threats on people lives at some point.</div>
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There were on-going talks to solve the sit-in problems but with no results. One of the MB leaders announced on stage of Rabaa that the violence in Sinai (attacks on army & police) would stop if Morsi is returned back as president.<br />
There was exchange of fire between security forces & some of the protesters. There were people who died on that day, many of them innocent and they were standing there for their believes to have a democratic country and also from the police forces. There are testimonies accusing both sides of use of force, accounts of protesters armed firing at the security forces and the security forces using arms in response. The dispersal of the sit-in started by the announcement that people should leave, then by tear gas. The one in Nahda took around 2 hours with no catualties. The one in Rabaa was till the night and with lot of killed people.</div>
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But at the same time, after the move of security forces to disperse the sit-in, police stations, churches and other government buildings were attacked in many cities to try to turn it into chaos.<br />
So, the state of emergency is declared, up till now. Actually Egypt was under state of emergency for the last 30 years until it was removed recently. Also a curfew in many cities is on-going till now.</div>
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There were some demonstrations by pro-Morsi few days later and some of the people were armed as caught in cameras.<br />
To argue that the sit-ins should be dispersed or not, whether force was used wrongly or it was the right thing to do will take us into long discussions and arguments.<br />
Unfortunately, the media is not showing everything and some of them are focusing on one-side only. The government of the different countries are acting upon their own interests.</div>
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The people in Egypt are divided in 2 camps calling each other traitor and lot of people now hate more and more anything related to the Muslim Brotherhood.<br />
The situation now is very complicated and it is bad that we had to reach this point but in order to go beyond this, we need all to unite together and see the bigger picture. People lost trust in each other and it will take time to regain it but at least we need to have faith that at the end most of us, want to have a better country although we argue about the ways to do it.</div>
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I know that in this post i didn't state all events that occured. I tried to give a glimpse but there are many details since the revolution has started.</div>
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There are no angels and everybody from all sides made mistakes. I believe that anyone who made a mistake, should be punished accordingly because at the end we want a country that is based on justice where everybody has equal rights. After all the revolution started with "Bread, Liberty, Human Dignity & Social Justice". </div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-25675469286499509572013-07-26T06:06:00.000+02:002013-07-26T06:06:08.829+02:00Reporting from JMJ Rio 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, i have been already 12 days in Rio but already so much to tell. It's difficult to say everything but i will do my best to remember as much as i can.<br />
First, i found out that my name in Brazil is pronounced as 'Mariannie'. It sounds funny but i like it that way. Many brazilian don't know English so lot of time i try to communicate in Spanish. It's funny, as some of them don't even know Spanish but we manage to understand each other.<br />
The spirit in this JMJ is very warm and joyful, specially that it's full of latinos from Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Mexico... they add a certain flavor to the whole event. I wish i can visit all these countries and get to know their culture. They are somehow like Egyptians, maybe that's why i enjoy seeing them everywhere.<br />My work as volunteer is with the communication team in social media. Basically i work in the social media, updating facebook and twitter for arabic language with the news from the JMJ so that people from around the world can watch what's happening wherever they are. Today, I was working in the media center in the morning shift, then we were told that the Pope will pass by so they won't let people to come in or go out during a certain period. I hesitated to stay longer or leave and catch the welcoming ceremony itself in copacaban since my shift has finished. I decided to stay and actually it turned out to be better cos i've seen the Pope from a very close distance!! Actually we were asked later on to be human chains, those people who stand up to not let the crowd go beyond it. It was worth it cos i actually saw the Pope from a very short distance, passing through in his papamovel. I couldn't take photo for this moment but i will remember it. The Pope was smiling and he has a pure radiating face that captures you. No wonder, when you know how humble he is, in the little details we here from here and there. For example. he flew to Brazil in an ordinary flight like normal passengers, he met people in poor area, visited hospitals, and even prisons. His speeches are inspiring and I believe he is bringing a lot to the church.<br />Before yesterday we had the opening ceremony in Copacabana beach. It was very impressive, to have thousands of people all along the beach, first dancing and enjoying music then praying in the opening mass and following it on the big screens although it was raining. I had mixed feelings captured in between. Although i was away from the stage, i was completely taken by the prayers. I actually love the theme of this JMJ and the hymn. Christ invites us to be his missionaries "Go and make disciples of all nations".<br />Another amazing thing that actually surprised me is how people love Egypt. Whenever they see the flag, they just stop us to take a photo. One day i was carrying a small one as i forgot the big one at my accomodation, and a brazilian lady stopped me just to say how much she loves our country. I really feel proud for being Egyptian and representing my country to the whole world. Despite the problems and the bad habits we have, i feel so much love for Egypt and it will always remain in my heart. I really wish that we build the Egypt we want, the Egypt we are fighting for, and truly to be up the challenge. The world is watching us and many of the people respect us but we have a lot to achieve first.<br />One of the things i really love about the JMJ is that whenever you see someone carrying a JMJ bag, you can just go and talk to him or her. It's like we are a big family although we don't know each other. One day i was buying a juice to drink and one of the volunteers saw me and invited me to sit with the group. We just talk, sometimes we speak too many languages at the same time, sometimes we don't understand each other but still we enjoy it. Soemtimes, we meet again, in another place, sometimes not.. but this is the beauty of the JMJ. Also, from the traditions of the JMJ is to bring souvenirs to trade with each other.. so i have already some from several countries. I wish i have brought more but i didn't have much time before I travel with all the demonstrations going on in Egypt.<br />Anyway, this was just a glimpse of what has been going on the past week. I will try to write another post soon. As for Brazil, it's another story. I will write more about Brazil the country later on.<br /></div>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-77301851735930612012013-07-17T03:43:00.001+02:002013-07-17T03:43:32.532+02:00Finally in Rio<p>I finally arrived in Rio before yesterday. It was a long trip, taking around 20 hours! But as soon as I arrived I felt as if transported to another placed time. I met a group of friends that I already know couple of months ago on whatsapp. It was so great to finally meet face to face.<br>
Yesterday was very tyring because we had to get our volunteer kit. Arrived at the place at 12h30 but it was so crowded that we couldn't get our kits till 6pm as they were out of stock. It was so frustrating to wait all that time for nothing but still it was not that boring cos we were meeting people from all around the world, taking photos, chatting.. so after all that had to look for the place where I will sleep the next 2 weeks. Luckily was not lost and the girls who are with me are so nice.<br>
Today we went back to get our volunteer kit and it was much better than yesterday as we didn't wait a very long time. After that around 30 of us went to a restaurant for lunch. It is unique as you pay according to the weight of the food but it seems that there are other restaurants like that in Brazil. I also tried assai which is kind of fruit. <br>
After lunch we went back to the cathedral to attend the opening mass of volunteers. It was mainly in Portuguese but a friend was helping I translation. It was nice but the one in Germany in 2005 was more impressive as it was in a stadium <br>
Tomorrow we will have our first training. I hope it will be nice and that I will have time to visit a little in Rio</p>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro-22.90354 -43.209587tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-81706037721670209382013-07-05T11:25:00.003+02:002013-07-07T09:27:19.678+02:00Just few thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Let's not spend a lof of time arguing is it a coup or a revolution but think beyond these words. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">These are some of my thoughts and reflections regarding what's going on.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Politics is and will always be a dirty game which is only about power. But we are in a state that we need to look beyond this or else we all will pay a lot.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">President role, whomever is, is a big responsibility because he is leading the country. He should listen to everybody and keep his promises.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Morsi did several fatal mistakes in my opinion: the constitutional decree of November, the way of issuing the constitution, his speeches which didn't target all the nation, what happened at Itihadeya, keeping a government that is a big failure, allowing hatred & racial speeches in his presence, way of handling crisis like the Ethiopian dam and finally, the core project of his electoral campaign turned out to be just on papers.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">People signed "Tamarod" and went in the streets because he failed in that.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: blue;">Posts about protests against consititutional decree: </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.fr/2012/11/back-to-streets.html" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;" target="_blank">Back to streets</a><span style="font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> and </span></span><a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.fr/2012/11/tahrir-square-is-back.html" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;" target="_blank">Tahrir Square is back</a></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">SCAF (Supreme Council of Armed Forces) did a lot of mistakes while ruling after Moubarak has stepped down. Many injustice happened starting from military trials for civilians, referendum on constitution or president first, and not putting a clear roadmap.</span><i style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />Post about protests against SCAF on the 1st memory of 25th Jan Revolution: <a href="http://marianneayad.blogspot.fr/2012/01/25-jan-reloaded.html" target="_blank">25th Jan reloaded</a></span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br />Army now, which has not the same function sa the SCAF, put a roadmap although without a clear timeline. At least, the power now is with an interim civilian president and the roadmap they announced was after consulting the different parties. </span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Opposition failed the people because they were not united. They tried many times to do something but they failed. Tamarod campain was able to reach those we call the couch party (7ezb el canaba) because they were not affiliated to a certain party, they offered the people a way to express their discontent for the failure of the whole system and their feeling of being discarded.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">The MB were wrong acting for their own benefits and not for Egypt. Some of them posting hatred & violent messages along the past year, defending everything with force & the arm.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">They did good job to win in different elections but the way they were acting did them more harm than good. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">They made deals with old regime (with Omar Soliman) and with SCAF (celebrating 25th Jan in Tahrir Square while people in the street chanting against SCAF).</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">People who supported Morsi and feel that they were betrayed because this is against their will and their votes. I agree, you have all the rights because we should use the system and stick with it. I wanted Morsi to ask for a referendum or call for earlier elections but he didn't.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">People who went in the streets on 30th of June, asking Morsi to leave were even more than those who voted for him. Whatever their motives or reasons are, they feel that we can't continue with Morsi.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Why some of the accused people in crimes were released by the president? Why in Sinai there are now attacks army and police with weapon? This raises a lot of questions.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Why in the celebration of 6th October 1973 victory the killer of El-Sadat was among the audience?</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">The general prosecutor was deposed wrongly by Morsi but i believe he should be go away.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">The general prosecutor that was assigned by Morsi did a lot of things mostly against activists which raises a lot of questions.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">There should be a new general prosecutor chosen in the legal ways.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Closing some channels without legal ways is wrong even though some of these channels were broadcasting hatred messages. </span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Arresting any person, inlcuding MBs should be only based on legal ways. So, whoever is in power should come clean to the people and state why people are arrested.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">The main issue is that the will of the people is the source of power. Democracy is not just winning elections but listening to everybody which Morsi failed to do, on purpose or not and acting as president for all Egyptians.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Democracy is a big word that we are still trying to assimilate but we need to listen to each other, understand the motives and discuss together to reach the best solution for all.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Everybody did mistakes (Opposition, Morsi, MB, SCAF, Army, Police...). It's normal because this is life. But what's important is to learn from these mistakes and work together for the good of Egypt.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">The current roadmap proposed by army. If they really stick with it then I believe this is the way out for Egypt from the situation we are stuck in for more than 2 years now.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">- Interim president for this transition period</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">- New government. I believe the majority agrees that the government of Hisham Kandil was incompetent and there were many people calling for its change but it was not</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">- Suspension of constitution till adjusting the articles with big concerns (already Morsi promised to change these articles but didn't take any actions but words)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">- Prepare a law for parilamentary elections</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">- Parliamentary elections</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">- Early presidential elections</span><br />
<br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Finally I believe that justice shall prevail no matter what.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">i believe in only peaceful ways. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Let's not forget the revolution first demands in 2011: Bread, Freedom & Human Dignity.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">I have faith in Egypt & Egyptians.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">God Bless Egypt!</span></div>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-35102768199345601412013-07-04T09:01:00.004+02:002013-07-04T09:17:58.146+02:00Egypt is back!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I don't know from where to start. I wanted to write earlier about what's happening but things went to quickly that it is over now!<br />
Couple of months ago, a campaign called "tamarod" (rebellion) initiated but young people who believed their voice should be heard started. The call was simple, sign a piece of paper if you no longer wants the president to rule Egypt. This small campaign managed to gather 22 millions signature, which is more than those who elected the president.<br />
There were calls to go on marches on the 30th of June, which marked one year for the rule of Morsi. People started to demonstrate in several places in Cairo and Egypt from the weekend before the 30th. The army already secured the sensitive areas around Cairo and other cities to prevent any problems that might occur.<br />
On the 30th, millions went in the streets in all over Egypt. The number of people demonstrating was much more that those who went in the streets during the revolution in January 2011.<br />
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This video taken by army helicopters show the demonstrations in only 2 locations in Cairo, Tahrir Square and the area of the presidential palace (Itihadeya).</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uvpb8bOZp9Y" width="420"></iframe></div>
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The demonstrations were so peaceful, people carrying flags, banners and red cards to expel the president (like in football).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AxhIalZc19TM1lXoauWgxA8TqxvEq_aVPrVcZ-WARsRQSRLPn-oQ_b47AkniIBBs3OLwArxDljxLFSJVgUQp7Xpdm3ltcb3Zqpq01-aNmswd2lLas_Wst-2jhvQ_z07oHk-1_w/s612/600201_10152957111265203_288025077_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AxhIalZc19TM1lXoauWgxA8TqxvEq_aVPrVcZ-WARsRQSRLPn-oQ_b47AkniIBBs3OLwArxDljxLFSJVgUQp7Xpdm3ltcb3Zqpq01-aNmswd2lLas_Wst-2jhvQ_z07oHk-1_w/s200/600201_10152957111265203_288025077_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPN7tdDBvveqL70Dl1k-4ErPukWF12mhIZjVonLiwjvzpWWgE17kDRF4uE2S-P9ZZEDLN2c8mV1Dr1QZNunLf4Si49nuOpnUmGPIbT7SjOr0dSBw0NgCAqH4mAtR8YLzAnuZLRQ/s612/1016098_10152957151450203_577144976_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPN7tdDBvveqL70Dl1k-4ErPukWF12mhIZjVonLiwjvzpWWgE17kDRF4uE2S-P9ZZEDLN2c8mV1Dr1QZNunLf4Si49nuOpnUmGPIbT7SjOr0dSBw0NgCAqH4mAtR8YLzAnuZLRQ/s200/1016098_10152957151450203_577144976_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbhV2WxXhXf-t0O07iCzkhzWseXPCuB4c1jP79vcLudgTelaBAZaEjBv4lqMK0Nj2jRpYnwhYP22YCNGhi-Agj4DHN6j4xFMHWUa8AIBcp9j5xiohyaYCe8JelKjYqy__T6jW8w/s612/1000192_10152956069980203_503608977_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbhV2WxXhXf-t0O07iCzkhzWseXPCuB4c1jP79vcLudgTelaBAZaEjBv4lqMK0Nj2jRpYnwhYP22YCNGhi-Agj4DHN6j4xFMHWUa8AIBcp9j5xiohyaYCe8JelKjYqy__T6jW8w/s200/1000192_10152956069980203_503608977_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNL6gDycqF3UgKKYlTX_TxQsL2zjDT7H2EGHWhUJiiykHyQDh87B1dt48n3YmzjC7BelkDhPAHKqhTrF7uaqeiReH-DqfxDj7CjVh7DvfOd9Qdm5_Twc92_xtoJYw8wsAjO1d7w/s612/1002700_10152956453180203_249650923_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNL6gDycqF3UgKKYlTX_TxQsL2zjDT7H2EGHWhUJiiykHyQDh87B1dt48n3YmzjC7BelkDhPAHKqhTrF7uaqeiReH-DqfxDj7CjVh7DvfOd9Qdm5_Twc92_xtoJYw8wsAjO1d7w/s200/1002700_10152956453180203_249650923_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The following day, 1st of July, the army made a statement that the president has 48 hours to solve the issues with the opposition and propose solutions. This step was cheered by protestors. They continued to go in big numbers in the different places.</div>
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On my way to Itihadeya, 1 hour after the statement, cars are honking, people with flags, everyone is cheering and so happy. You can see it on their faces, so proud and confident that the end is near.<br />
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People are singing the Egyptian national anthem at Itihadeya<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10152963652650203" width="480"></iframe><br />
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There was no word from the presidency to that ultimatum till the following day, 2nd of July. And Morsi came up with a speech, talking about legitimacy and that he is the democratic elected president of Egypt. He forgot that it is the people who give this legitimacy. He forgot that democracy is not just an election but it is a behavior, to include everybody in the decision making and shaping of the country, to listen to the opposition, which he failed to do. He only listened to his clan, to his group of Muslim Brotherhood. He ignored the people and with time, more people were opposing him. He succeeded only to unit everybody else against him and his clan. The speech even was threatening anyone opposing him.<br />
Nevertheless, the protest continued. People didn't give up despite the heat. Many people who never went in any demonstrations actually went during the past few days.<br />
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Everybody was anticipating the end of the deadline given by the army on the 3rd of July. Around the afternoon, just after i went to Tahrir square with my family, we heard on the TV that Morsi is under arrest. You can't imagine the joy and jubilation of the crowd at this specific moment, as if we won the world cup. But it was something more and deeper. Everybody passing by telling us "Mabrouk" (congratulations). We were still waiting for the statement of the army but we already knew that it's the people's will that prevailed.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10152968882170203" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Finally few hours later came the statement of the army after meeting with different political leaders & youth from rebellion campain: suspension of constitutionn, new presidential elections, new government, head of supreme court to assume the role of president temporarly, preparation of new law for parlimantery elections.<br />
This is a day to remember and history is being rewritten.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>YESSSS!!! WE DID IT!!!!</b></span><br />
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This proves that the will of people is above all. Egyptians proved that we can change everything peacefully. I actually had faith in the people after the revolution of 25 January 2011. Before that, i thought that people don't care about anything but after the revolution i changed my mind and i knew that the fear of silence is no longer there and no matter who will come to rule us, if he doesn't respect the will of the people, they will not stand in silence. Even if the ruler made everything to stay in power, no one can defy the people any longer. People elected Morsi to satisfy their needs which he failed to do.<br />
This is a clear message to anyone, if you don't respect the will of the people, you should not lead them.<br />
For the foreign media who still think that this is a military coup, i tell them it's a people's revolution.<br />
Finally, i know we still have a long road ahead, we have lot of problems but I believe that no matter what, we will make it at the end. I have faith in Egyptians and i believe now, even those who lost hope along the way, are the first to regain it.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>GOD BLESS EGYPT</b></span></div>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-39279633795089447302013-06-25T09:03:00.002+02:002013-07-04T09:16:37.969+02:00The right of killing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I can't imagine that some people think they have the right to kill a human being, regardless of the reason (war, theft, revenge, race, religion....).<br />
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We didn't give life so we can't take it out, as simple as that. No matter what happened, even if it is the worst person on earth, we can't just kill to get rid of.</div>
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I can't imagine how come that even if not killing with their own hands, some people actually call for it, or if witnissing it, they just watch calmly.</div>
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Where is our humanity? Did our world of technology made us cold blooded?</div>
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Why we always look for the killer who carries out the killing with his own hand but we don't look for the spiritual killers?</div>
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Why if we can't accept the other who is different, we try to erase his existence spiritually or physically?</div>
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Too many questions without an answer, and they will remain as long as more people die everyday...</div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-72539220267925990342013-06-22T16:54:00.001+02:002013-06-22T16:54:52.019+02:00Demonstrations and protests<p>Last week I was in Istanbul, where there was sit-in and demonstrations against the government. I couldn't pass by and see what's going on but the rest of the city was not affected. People go to work, tourists everywhere. The only inconvenience was the heavy rain in the mornings. But still, this doesn't mean that everything is perfect.<br>
At the same time there are demonstrations in Brazil. People are angry because of the cost of the world cup and the lack of money spending on health, education and other important issues.they are asking for their rights not for having something nice like the Worldcup lord the Olympics.<br>
Next week we have in Egypt big demonstrations to protest against the president and the muslim brotherhood due to all what is going on in the past year<br>
3 countries, different reasons but one goal, to change the current situation because people believe things should improve. Some protests are peaceful, others might turn to violence but tais doesn't really matter. What matters is to not only dream of a better place but to actually stand up and make an action. It is time to fight for the world we want, it is time to reunite for one goal which is a better world for us and for the next generations. If we don't fight then nothing will change and could even get worse.<br>
I wish that all the leaders start to realize that they are there to serve the people and if the can't do their job right they should leave it to someone else. It is time for the world to realize that injustice should no longer be tolerated. <br>
I don't know how things will turn out, in Egypt, Brazil or Turkey. But I know that the wind of change is coming whether you like or not.</p>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-76980593453546416992013-06-17T20:23:00.001+02:002013-06-22T13:20:12.755+02:00Letters of Joy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A group of JMJ voluntarios (volunteers) decided to create a page on facebook to exchange addresses and each one to pick 5 others (3 international & 2 brazilians) to write them letters. Yes, letters, in the old fashion way.<div>
Yesterday, when back home i discovered 4 letters from Brazil waiting for me. I was so excited to open each one of them. I knew that some had picked my name to write me a letter but to receive all 4 together at the same time was even better. I didn't know the senders in person so it was so cool to read what they have wrote, in English, Portuguese and even one took the trouble to translate a part in arabic just for me!. I felt so special receiving those letters of Joy as i call them. I remembered when i was young, and used to have pen pals from other countries. It is not the same as nowadays where we are almost connected all the time virtually. Reading and writing letters is a different story because it's part of a long process. You actually put effort to write what you have in mind, to choose the paper to write in, to put stamps on the enveloppe and to wait for the answer of your letter. </div>
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I'm happy because i'm making new friends and getting away from the virtual world we are submerged in. At least it's not a fake place where people are just polite enough to write you something on your facebook wall or comment on a status, it's much deeper because it's from the heart.</div>
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Well, i think you should all try to write letters and send to your friends the old fashion way, it might be strange but sure it will be somehow exciting!<br /></div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-65161143248753459782013-05-14T21:06:00.000+02:002013-05-14T21:06:45.839+02:00Just 2 months left!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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.<br />
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.<br />
It's super exciting and can't wait to receive my share from those postcards :)<br />
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-13669066154362003662013-05-05T21:07:00.002+02:002013-05-06T10:43:19.454+02:00Rules for Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Notes before reading:</u></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These rules are applicable anytime, anywhere.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are not ordered by priority.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>These are not the only rules, more to be added as life goes on</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Rule #1: Don't think people will treat you the same, so do as it pleases you without waiting for something in return</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b><b>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.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b><b>Rule #3: The person that will care the most about you is yourself, so don't waist time in fighting yourself</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b><b>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</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b><b>Rule #5: Life is too short to waist for nothing, so just start living it</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>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</b></span></div>
FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9580226.post-6432954251911586512013-05-02T22:44:00.001+02:002013-05-14T21:13:04.673+02:00On the Road to JMJ RIO 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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.<br />
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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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...</div>
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So stay tuned for the next edition!</div>
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Official site: <a href="http://www.rio2013.com/">http://www.rio2013.com</a></div>
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FROGGYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435528423897867704noreply@blogger.com0