Month of March, 2005

So, I went to Rachid Taha's concert with my sister and a good friend of ours (Thank you Mina for the ride :) ) Well, I must admit I hardly understood what he was singing or even saying, but I enjoyed the mood so much, the beat and the people dancing, singing and screaming. I know that if I had bought his last album I would've enjoyed it more, I know I enjoyed a lot singing along the songs I have on the album "Diwan"

Apart from the concert which I wouldn't go describing now, I just wanted to comment on a couple of things..

There was a group of Algerian youth in front of us, they were so excited and they started singing even before Rachid came on stage, I was told that one of these guys is a Raï singer who performs with a group in Sakkia, may be.. Anyway.. right after the concert started, they were popping up the Algerian flag, and they kept holding it and waving all along during the concert, I can't hide that I felt jealous, me too I wished I had the Egyptian flag, may be some day I'll be in some foreign place attending a Mohamed Mounir concert.. I hope I won't forget to bring my flag then.

Apart form the flag and that our friend Mina was so nice to give us a ride back home (even though he lives in the other end of Cairo) I wanted to share with you what Rachid's music means to me. This man sings a combination of rock, raï and chaabi music and God knows what else.. He sings a lot of politic issues, he has a wide audience and I don't get most of what he says but I still love him! You see it started when I was in my third year in faculty and "Abdel Kader" and the "1,2,3, soleil" concert were a blast then.. Every term, I had a theme song or a singer I'd listen to all the time, thus marking the episode unintentionally! I passed through a Celine Dion phase first year, second year, it was Aqua and the Titanic movie soundtrack, third year: Nana "let it rain, in my brain, make the pain go away!" and then Abdel Kader and Rachid's album "Diwan"

I guess studying all that amount was painful and lots of musicians helped ease that pain, thank you!

I forgot to tell you.. all that music listening while studying was usually because I'm a night creature, I work (and concentrate) best in the early morning hours !

Delingo, you must remember: "Abdel Kader ya bou 3alam, dak el 7al 3aleya, dawy 7ali ya bou 3alam, sidi rouf 3aleya!" those were some days!

I've been so lazy lately, I want to write some stuff in here but I'm always not in the mood.. too bad isn't it..
Ok, now I'm uploading some photos and the first thing I'll do tomorrow morning is to write you about Rachid Taha's concert that I've been to.. it was my first standing live concert, so it was quite a joy :))
Anyway, I thought I'd publish the complete photo of the object no one recognized in an earlier post

It was a lava lamp.. this is how it looks.. and this is how it works!

أكتب اليوم بناءاً على نداء رامي الذي استعجب عدم ذكر المدونات المصريات ليوم المرأة و التعليق و لا أي حاجة. شوف يا ابني، أنا اكتشفت النهارده من مدونتك إن إمبارح كان يوم المرأة. أشكرك طبعاً لاهتمامك و لأنك غير منحاز (بغير عدل يعني) و أيضاً لذكرك المعاكسات و قلة الأدب إللي بنشوفها كل يوم.
يجوز أنا ما سمعتش عن يوم المرأة امبارح لأني لم أفتح التليفزيون (كان عندي تمرين كيك بوكسينج) و بعدين الدنيا مطرت و كانت مزحولة! و لذلك أنا أجهل ما إذا كانوا تعمدوا تجاهل يوم المرأة و لا قدموا أطيب التهاني إللي لا بتقدم و لا تأخر. يعني بالذمة هيعملوا للمرأة إيه؟؟ ما هما كل الستات دايرين في الساقية.. الشغل و البيت و الأولاد و المعاكسات و القرف ... و هي طبعاً لازم تحط لسانها في بقها و تسكت.. أصلها لما تتكلم هتقول إيه؟ قصدي مين هيعبرها؟ و هيعملولها إيه؟
المشي في الشارع فعلاً مغامرة محفوفة بالمخاطر كما ذكر رامي و على فكرة راكبات السيارات الخاصة لا تسلمن من المعاكسات و السائقين إللي بيكسروا عليهم و بيعرضوهم للحوادث علشان هم صبيان دمهم خفيف! (مرة واحد كان بيكسر علينا و إحنا 3 بنات علي كوبري أكتوبر- لو كانت أعصابها فلتت كنا نطينا من على الكوبري!)
و بعدين الكبت إللي عند الناس ده مش طبيعي، كأنهم أول مرة يشوفوا بنات، و معلش بقى إللي بيقول إننا عثرة، ما يغض هو بصره أحسن، يبص الناحية التانية و يستغفر ربنا بس ما يميلش على ودني و يوشش كلام ما أسمعش منه غير رنة ززززز أو سسسسس، ما هي دي اسمها قلة أدب.
و بعدين في ناس ولاد حلال بيعشقوا إنهم يعلقوا على طولي (أنا طولي 148 سم) و بالتالي أنا لا أسلم من كلمتي "يا قصير!" و "يا أزعة!" كأنني أولاً مش عارفة إنني قصيرة ، ثانياً، أنا واحدة محترمة و تعليمي أكيد أعلى من تعليم القرد إللي بيعاكسني و مش من حقه يقل أدبه كده و ثالثاً هو بيتريق على خلقة ربنا ليه؟ يعني لو واحد مناخيره كبيرة، ما يصحش أقول له يابو مناخير! ولا الفيل أبو زلومة! علشان دي خلقة ربنا و عيب نقول كده.
هذا طبعاً إلي جانب أننا (أي الفتيات و السيدات .. إلخ) نضطر إلي المشي زجزاج في الشارع، علشان كل شوية واحد ظريف يتحرك في إتجاهنا و يميل علينا! يا أفنديا، ما حدش علمكم و أنتم صغيرين تمشوا على خط مستقيم؟؟ ما هو مش معقول كل ما واحد يشوف واحدة يغير سكته و يمشي بالورب علشان يخبط فيها.. بجد نفسي أعرف إيه المتعة في إنك تخبط واحدة في الشارع؟؟ دي بس المواقف العادية إللي بتحصل كل يوم، في طبعاً حاجات تانية و كلنا نتعرض لها من حين لآخر و بسببها ندخل بيوتنا معيطين و لا داعي لذكرها الآن.
أنا بسأل بس.. ليه ما بيحترموش الستات؟ و سبيك من هي محترمة و لا لأ، إللي بيحترم حد، بيحترمه لأنه هو انسان محترم بغض النظر عن مين إللي قدامه!
أنا تكلمت عن موضوع الشارع لأنه بصراحة أحد صراعاتي اليومية.. أنا عارفة إن مشاكلنا كتير لكن يجوز هو ده إللي بيمسني دلوقت.
و أرجع و أقول تاني، هيعملوا إيه للمرأة؟؟ لما يعرفوا يحترموها الأول في الشارع، يبقوا يعملولها يوم عندنا.

I was so happy to get your sms today, I didn't know you checked my blog daily, I would've updated it daily if I knew so :)
I sent you a message a couple of days ago, but I guess you didn't get it, I saw that day a car with Mc Gill's University badge and I remembered you, so I just wanted to let you know that I did :)) I tend to tell people when I think about them lately, I think it's important to feel remembered even by stupid insignificant gestures!
Please post me a comment whenever you feel like doing so, you message made my day :)

Quiero desaparecer
Que nadie me vea
Que nadie me toque
Que nadie me hable
Que nadie sienta que existo

Es mejor desaparecer, para que haya una explicación por todos estos "nadie" que existen en mi vida

The weekend is over.. Here comes another week of working days.. I didn't relax this weekend, as usual! On Friday, we had a festival in my school, so I was responsible for 2 games stands from 12:00 to 16:00, I watched my cousin sing "One Love" on the karaoke stand and I sang Dido's "Don't Leave Home".. the music was actually lower than I'm used to, so I was out of tune before the chorus.. I'm never out of tune :(
I started with some friends of mine training for kick boxing, however, the trainer assured me we'll be doing it only for fitness and we will not engage in fights.. I do not wish to break my nose.. It was really fun, I never knew boxing requires such coordination!
Last might, it was my second cousin's wedding. I enjoyed watching my 9 years old cousin (the one who was singing on friday), she was so excited, it was the first wedding reception she attends(as far as she can remember), she was amazed, she wanted to see everything.. The first dance, the sharbat (she actually wanted to drink it and she liked it so much), the bride's friends belly dancing. Her older brother and sister (7 years younger than I am) didn't move off their chairs and she almost didn't sit down.. She reminded me of myself at her age.. I adored going to wedding receptions, I was always on the dance floor, my dad used to dance with me and my sister then, anyway, since my uncle didn't take her dancing, my sister and I made sure she was always accompanied by one of us.. I'm so glad she enjoyed her first wedding reception :))
So, I guess that after the kick boxing class and the kids dancing, I can honestly say that every part of my body hurts!!!! And the weekend is over :(

I caught this smiling lemon in the jar.. Hope it cheers you up!