Time is funny! Life; experiences, journeys, places, people and things get filtered into sensations, snippets, fragments, memory capsules frozen in time. The capsules have keys. Once unlocked, they transport us back to that time. Details and contours are blurred, but the sensations, the cellular memory, the non-conscious entity are very present. The keys are typically … More Time Capsules
Alexandria, Egypt, 1970s: we grew up in the same neighborhood within walking distance from each other. Went to the same schools, sat in the same classes from kindergarten to high school, had the same friends. Went through childhood, puberty, early adulthood and first love stories together. We carpooled to school, ate, played and slept in … More Touching My Roots
Where there are cats, there is love!Dónde hay gatos, hay amor!Cats are the epitome of unconditional love, which starts towards oneself (4 Practices 4 Unconditional Love). Cats, naturally, give from a full cup. By taking care of themselves and their needs, they provide pleasure, beauty, joy and love organically. That’s the essence of unconditional love: … More Everything I know, I learnt from my Cat!
Walking along the sea shore under the moon light, silence is only broken by strange crackling sounds. A sound like I’d never heard before. The closest I could liken it to is a flamenco dancer playing her castanets quietly. There were no people, cars, radios or electricity. Everytime I stop, the sounds stop. I know … More Who’s Crackling?
There were thousands of them, no: millions! At first, we thought it was seaweed because of the brown color. But the texture looked different, maybe a different kind of seaweed? As we got closer, we saw little wings, millions of little wings. A few were moving. We stopped for a closer look. What started out … More One Flight Stand!
They take no prisoners! They go for broke. Nothing is sacred. Realistically, I’m in their home: the jungle. Despite having running water and electricity, they were here first, and I’m sure they’ll be here after we’re all gone. They always find a way in. Trying to keep them out without excessive amounts of poison, is … More Hurts so Good!
Majestic! Gracefully gliding high in the sky without even moving their wings. Silently riding the air currents, cruising around, diving down and soaring up like a fish in the sea. They look magnificent with the large span of their wings, the effortless flow of their flight and the ease by which they soar high in … More Above it all, Below it all!
Dear Hyoomn,You’ve been mostly kind to us. Caring, feeding, spoiling… Thank you! But I’m not your toy, not your child and not an ornament (even though you’ve bred some of us to be just that). I don’t need your protection or control. I’m a resilient, powerful being just like you. I love to play, bask … More Pussy Letter
Being in Costa Rica is like being inside a nature show. Life abounds in all forms, shapes and sizes. Mother Earth is alive! Unlike Hawaii where the land is young and Nature is relatively safe, Costa Rica’s abundance of life forms forced a healthy competition among species and a natural balance. Enter us, humans, and … More Jungle Destruction
“Shorter of breath and one day closer to death!” A friend used to send me this Pink Floyd verse as a birthday greeting. I used to think it’s a depressing way to think about birthdays, and time in general. Yet now, I believe it’s a good reminder to live life fully, regardless of the circumstances. … More Transforming Resistance
One of the things I like about living in the developing world is the connection to the origin of things. In the USA, like other “developed” countries, many things are masked, hidden and disguised with a user friendly facade. However, in many old cultures, people are in touch with where their food comes from without … More Sausage anyone?
“Renewal” typically has positive connotations: new beginnings, hope…etc, things that inspire optimism. Except in Egypt. “He/she got a renewal” means that their indefinite, illegal prison sentence has been extended 45 days. Then what? Another 45 days that typically add up to years. Tens of thousands of Egyptian families, mine included, live with loved ones behind … More Renewal
Growing up with Middle Eastern food made eating in México an exercise in acceptance and tolerance. Food components are almost identical to Middle Eastern food, but the taste is worlds apart. It seems like when the Spaniards came over, they brought the ingredients but forgot the recipes 😔. There’s even a faux shawarma dish, called … More La Comida Mexicana!
Bigtalk! I hate smalltalk! I’d rather be silent than waste energy on smalltalk. Since I don’t follow the news, don’t watch sports, could care less about the lives of celebrities and don’t have the stomach for politics, I am not interested or able to participate in most party conversations. I also hate the “4 men … More Bigtalk!
There’s something magical about them. The fascinating rock formations. The silence. The constant comfortable temperature no matter what the weather is like. Most of all, the feeling of being in the belly of the mother: Mother Earth!I love caves. They invoke a plethora of feelings and images: Peaceful. Contained. Humble. Awe! Curious. Mystery. Exhilaration. Connected … More In the Belly of the Mother
She was about to do a backflip into the Cenote*. Her friend yelled at her “be careful”. After a few hesitant seconds, she changed her mind and didn’t jump.How many times do you find yourself in her shoes? You’re about to push your edge and challenge yourself when a well meaning friend calls in the … More “Be C@#€fuk”
It’s perfectly normal to be eating in a restaurant in Mexico, simple or fancy, and a street peddler or beggar walks in and begs/offers their wares among tables. No one bothers them and a simple “No. Gracias” will send them off. When you walk into a business, expect to meet the whole family; kids, relatives, … More Se Feliz!
The Ides of March came to find me in my, then, favorite s€x positive eco community where we were going to manifest our collective dream of living in harmony with nature and each other. 20 of us practicing free love, self responsibility, transparency, trust and taking care of the land and each other. You may … More Beware the Ides of March!
“You’re water. Water takes the shape of the container it’s in. You too, you adapt easily to circumstances around you”. I had just met Pi for the first time a mere 10 minutes before he made this observation. That was the best compliment! Water resonates with me on many levels.My karate teacher used to say … More Soy Agua!
A celebrity, an icon, bigger than life. I grew up watching him on TV. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would meet him in person, let alone have him as my mentor, inspiration and friend. The day he told me “براڤو عليكى يا هاله!” (Well done, Hala) after seeing my performances, … More Stars never die
“What’s the biggest difference between here and Egypt?”, a friend asked me when I moved to the USA, (North Carolina) a long time ago. She expected some sob story about the plight of women, who need to be rescued from male oppressors by enlightened western minds. I could see the disbelief and disappointment on her … More Believing the News
My host’s face suddenly changed to an expression of panic when we heard the horn. He grabbed Negra, his dog, and said “C’mon! Sismo!”. My Spanish isn’t that good yet, but I certainly understood ‘sismo’ (earthquake). He lived on the first floor so it didn’t take long to be in the street with lots of … More Pacha Mama shimmies…
“How can they tolerate that thing on their face?”, my non-Muslim friends would ask about Muslim women who wear the niqab (face cover). “I would suffocate!” they would say.“They believe they’re doing the right thing”, I would answer. “In their beliefs, God wants them to do that”.“Why?” My friends would ask.“They believe that they have … More New Religion!
“We’ll talk when I see her next time”, I thought to myself. My cousin wrote me a letter raising some questions about my beliefs. I knew it was going to be a long, difficult conversation and I decided to have it face to face. She was a young mother with 2 healthy boys, a beautiful … More Love Death! Part 2
Life is full of endings, losses and deaths. From sunsets, graduations, moving, promotions to ends of relationships, jobs and of course, lives. Death is part of nature. We are part of nature. Death is part of us! Yet, we, as a human culture, don’t talk about it much, don’t discuss it and when it, inevitably … More Love Death!
Your fear is not my reality. I know you feel it, think it and believe it. I don’t. We share the same physical world yet our experiences and realities are different. Love, trust and freedom are my Goddesses. They are not a threat to you unless you project your fears onto them. Your fear projections … More The Fear Virus!
An introduction to the 4 Practices for fulfilling relationships: Replace fear and scarcity with love and abundance!
4 Practices for fulfilling relationships: Replace fear and scarcity with love and abundance!
4 Practices for fulfilling relationships: Replace fear and scarcity with love and abundance!
4 Practices for fulfilling relationships: Replace fear and scarcity with love and abundance!
Unconditional Love 