12/31/2004

New Hope


New year. New hope.

No poverty. No unemployment. No corruption. No prisons. No injustice. No intervention from outside. No micro-buses. No pollution. No immigration. No loss of national pride.

No occupied land. No besieged people. No killings. No refugees. No uprooting of olive trees. No burning of palm trees. No lies. No brainwashing. No threats from superpowers. No superpowers.

No Arab disputes. No visas. No long lines on borders. No borders. No blind nationalism. No cultural invasion. No English replacing Arabic. No cheap culture. No Haifaa. No Ruby. No immorality. No religious intolerance. No religious fanaticism. No bashing of Islam.

No Tsunamis.

No 2004 again. Have a Happy New Year.

12/23/2004

Snowing Peace


Missing this Christmas:

1. Arabic Christmas carols by the wonderful Fairouz, especially Laylet Eid (Christmas Night- the Arabic version of "Jingle Bells") and Najmet al Eid (Star of Christmas- the Arabic version of "Angels We Have Heard on High"):

Ya sama tetloj ash'aar oo salaam
"Oh the sky is snowing poems and peace!"

2. Walking/driving around the beautifully decorated Al-Qassaa' neighbourhood while people walk to the churches for the midnight mass.

* Picture: Al-Zaitoun (Olive) Church, one of the oldest in Damascus.

12/01/2004

Not Home

Away from Damascus. Already feeling homesick. No blogging for a while.