From the land of Arabian Nights, comes a story teller of a different kind.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I assumed this happened to other women. You know the type. No life outside of the mother role. No career. No interests. The type that reads … ehm! ehm! … romance novels. I was going to be different. I worked, I have my own interests. I have an [...]
CandyA poem by my sonYusuf HassanAge 8 CandyCandy is yumy oh so sweetWhen you have some you wantmore. It makes you go crazyand have a blast. Sugar comerushing outoh so fast. The end
When we were still living in Kuwait, my grandmother would come visit us from Czechoslovakia. My grandmother was a large woman with breasts as large as water melons. Her breasts were so large that she was able to hide beer bottles and other liquor bottles underneath them to smuggle the illegal substance into the Islamic [...]
There were numerous times when I would get a phone call at work around noon to be informed by my husband that he had invited 10 people over for dinner that very same night. In which case I would have to rush out of work early in frenzy to do grocery shopping, get home, clean [...]
Since we were growing up in an undemocratic country my father decided that he would teach us about democracy by instating it in our family. “We are a democratic family”, my father declared with pride one day. Every Thursday evening, the family central council would meet to discuss issues set in the agenda. Each member [...]
Three and a half years ago, I asked myself a question. When I was young, in my early twenties, I was naïve, stupid and I lacked experience. But with that came a certain sweetness and innocence. Then as I got older, I had to face life. With experience I gained wisdom and knowledge. I am [...]
When I explained to my family about intenational woman’s day last night. My son, who is only 6 years old, became upset. “This is not fair, How come there is not special day for boys?” he complained as he stomped his feat. So my husband and I declared that March 9th is Intenational Boy’s Day. [...]
My eldest daughter, madeup a story for her sister for her 8th birthday. All the drawings and collages where made by hand by herself. It looks much better in color.
On a personal level, 2006 was a wonderful year were many happy events happened. I published my book, managed to improve my dancing skill, my family life is flourishing, I lost 8 kilograms and have been going to the gym an average of 5 times a week and my fitness level is the highest it [...]
I sometimes feel sorry for my children. What a horrible heritage we are leaving them with. An Iraqi mother and Palestinian father … could we have chosen a more unfortunate mix of nationalities for our children? They watch the daily emotional roller coaster we go through. They watch us getting depressed when hearing the news [...]
I woke up at 10 am in the morning and found myself feeling stressed. “Oh! My God! I woke up at 10 am, I am becoming a bum, I am a slacker, How could I have slept in so late” One voice would say inside my head, but then a calmer voice would say: “ihath, [...]
My husband would like to teach the kids horse back riding The problem is that we don’t own a horse. But he doesn’t let that stop him
I was sitting in my hotel room feeling various sorts of pain. I was emotionally drained from a day full of events. I was physically tired from too much walking but too wired to go to sleep. I tried to watch a bit of TV to amuse myself but the reality show whose name I [...]
I love it when people give me advice. Especially when it is from complete strangers. Usually those are the best kind of advice. Over the years I have benefited greatly from advice given to me by various people. Take the advice given to me by Abdullah (not his real name)., an acquaintance of the family. [...]
So, the young and restless didn’t like my attempt at humor in the last post. Which means that I need to make a second attempt at it. I was gonna tell you this serious and deep story but now that will have to wait till next week. Got to appease. Here goes, take two. I [...]
What was it about my wedding that made people give me stupid gifts? For example, I received a silver plated tea set with a silver plated tray. I was 22 and most of my furniture was second hand, what was I going to do with the silver plated tea set? In case the queen came [...]
I sometimes think that I am a transvestite trapped in a woman’s body. Right now I am a woman, plain, simple boring. Considering how interesting every other aspect of my life is, wouldn’t it be more fun to be a man that wants to be a woman? Plus transvestites get to wear those super feminine [...]
“You are a tough Iraqi girl”, my dad tells me at age 16 as I am about to undergo a minor surgical procedure. “I am a tough Iraqi girl”, I repeat after him. My dad gives me the thumbs up and smiles. “That’s my girl” he says, “Don’t worry it is a minor surgery, everything [...]
My husband has the weirdest looking nose in the world. It is round the way baby potatoes are and slightly raised up, the ridge of his nose is fairly short. His nose is not his only unique characteristic. He is a mild mannered, patient, good-natured and very compassionate; He constantly gives money to every single [...]
The story of three generations of women in my family (grandmother, mother and myself). How each one of us chose to marry a foreigner and traveled all around the world with him.
For most of my career I worked in companies where I was the only woman. There was always me and the receptionist and maybe the bookkeeper. Everybody else was male. All my coworkers, bosses …etc. In every single meeting I was the only female in the boardroom. There were times when I felt like a [...]
When Nelson Mandela Smiles, my whole being smiles with him. In all the film footage I have seen of the man, he has a warm passionate smile. I frequently ponder what keeps him going. I zip back to my grandmother, a tormented and broken spirit. My grandmother is Russian who was forced to work as [...]
“Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one.” That is what my brother likes to say. I think he read that in a book. Recently an acquaintance of mine, Richard (not his real name), asks me where my husband is from. I tell him my husband is Palestinian. “That is an interesting problem”, Richard responds without [...]
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