It’s been so long since I did go on a movie marathon. The last time my friends & I went on the rampage was back in the late 90’s. Trying to catch 3 movies in a row, it was so long ago I can’t even recall the titles. But to some, this ain’t crazy. It’s normal! What the heck..I don’t care what you guys think!

We ended up watching 2 movies yesterday, Bride Wars & Inkheart (end up paying $19 for the parking space! But I guess it was worth every cent). The former a romantic comedy while the latter a fantasyand I’ll give the thumbs up for both although I’m not a Brendan Fraser fan. I wasn’t planning to jump into the bandwagon and I have to admit it wasn’t the best movie I’ve watched (based on my limited viewing). I still find Lord of the Rings & Pirates of the Caribbean being at the top of my list. Another fave of mine is Les Miserables starring Claire Danes. But, if you feel you need to loosen up a bit, then go ahead and watch these 2 movies. Suprisingly, both were packed full!! I guarantee that you’ll leave with a smile plastered on your face. No, and Farid is not the reason!

It’s that time of the year again. Let’s hope this year will be better than the last one. May this year be a month filled with happiness & prosperity.

This is Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) sermon about Ramadhan:

A Sermon On The Last Friday Of Sha’ban On The Reception Of The Month of Ramadan.

“O People ! Indeed ahead of you is the blessed month of Allah. A month of blessing, mercy and forgiveness. A month which with Allah is the best of months. Its days, the best of days, its nights, the best of nights, and its hours, the best of hours. It is the month which invites you to be the guests of Allah and invites you to be one of those near to Him. Each breath you take glorifies him; your sleep is worship, your deeds are accepted and your supplications are answered. So, ask Allah, your Lord; to give you a sound body and an enlightened heart so you may be able to fast and recite his book, for only he is unhappy who is devoid of Allah’s forgiveness during this great month. Remember the hunger and thirst of the day of Qiyamah (Judgement) with your hunger and thirst; give alms to the needy and poor, honour your old, show kindness to the young ones, maintain relations with your blood relations; guard your tongues, close your eyes to that which is not permissible for your sight, close your ears to that which is forbidden to hear, show compassion to the orphans of people, so compassion may be shown to your orphans. Repent to Allah for your sins and raise your hands in dua during these times, for they are the best of times and Allah looks towards his creatures with kindness, replying to them during the hours and granting their needs if he is asked …

“O People! Indeed your souls are dependant on your deeds, free it with Istighfar (repentance) lighten its loads by long prostrations; and know that Allah swears by his might: That there is no punishment for the one who prays and prostrates and he shall have no fear of the fire on the day when man stands before the Lord of the worlds.

“O People! One who gives Iftaar to a fasting person during this month will be like one who has freed someone and his past sins will be forgiven. Some of the people who were there then asked the Prophet (s): “Not all of us are able to invite those who are fasting?”

The Prophet replied: “Allah gives this reward even if the Iftaar (meal) is a drink of water.” “One who has good morals (Akhlaq) during this month will be able to pass the ‘Siraat’ … on the day that feet will slip … “One who covers the faults of others will benefit in that Allah will curb His anger on the day of Judgement … “As for one who honour an orphan; Allah will honour him on the day of judgement, “And for the one who spreads his kindness, Allah will spread His mercy over him on the day of Judgement. “As for the one who cuts the ties of relation; Allah will cut His mercy from him … “Who so ever performs a recommended prayer in this month Allah will keep the fire of Hell away from him … “Whoever performs an obligatory prayer Allah will reward him with seventy prayers [worth] in this month. “And who so ever prays a lot during this month will have his load lightened on the day of measure. “He who recites one verse of the Holy Quran will be given the rewards of reciting the whole Quran during other months. “O People! Indeed during this month the doors of heaven are open, therefore ask Allah not to close them for you; The doors of hell are closed, so ask Allah to keep them closed for you. During this month Shaytan (Satan) is imprisoned so ask your Lord not to let him have power over you.”

Islam Herald

With that, I wish all Moslems a blessed Ramadhan.

I know it has been long since I last sent an entry. It must have been months. The reasons were due to lack of motivation as well as there seem to be no point in writing one. I haven’t been visiting blogs lately either, maybe I have lost the interest especially when it comes to political issues. It’s a sensitive one especially in this part of the world, you may end up at the wrong side of the track and lose your job for being too vocal.

All I’m concentrating now will be on my travels, so that will be my focus…I guess if I ever post an entry again. I know I have yet to talk about my trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, but I’ll try. God, my experience at the airport will be etched on my memory forever.

My next trip year will be a place once called Constantinople…yes, I’m looking forward to that one this winter and this time I’ll be visiting Bursa and other beautiful cities in Turkey. Expect hundreds of pictures from Turkey…

Across the Gibraltar Straits lay the land of Kings, a kingdom called Morocco. The harsh land with its mountain range cutting across her. She is also covered with soft golden sand in the south, the Sahara Desert. This land has been explored and discovered long ago by merchants and the Romans, the Umayyads who also ruled the Iberian Penisula and now frequented and flocked by tourists. This western kingdom is famous for its spices, ceramics and of course leather. In short, it is a shopper’s paradise!

My adventure to Maghribi began once we disembark from the ferry to Tangier, a Northern port city of Morocco. I have no idea what it is like out there or what to expect. Once the hot air hit our faces, then I realize that I am no longer in Spain. The stark difference of these two countries was obvious, one very rich, green and clean while the other is the opposite. This may be harsh to some, but it is the truth. The hardship faced by these people has opened up my eyes to reality. Then only did I cherish what was given to me (the whole package).

Before going through the arduous journey to Fes, we were taken on a bus ride around the city of Tangier.

It’s lunch time, thanks for the entertainment!

The journey to Fes was a torturous one, the road twists through some of the most beautiful but sometime barren countryside for more than 5 hours. It was pitch dark too and we were afraid for our lives as there were no street lights along the country road. We were thankful once we arrived in Fes, the new part of the city. In the late evening we were entertained at a local restaurant not far from the hotel.

Magic Show – Guess what did he pull out? Naughty, naughty boy!

The picture below is for you, PC

Trying to teach us to shake our booty! I nearly died out there!

A Moroccan Wedding

A night to be remembered … sigh

… to be continued …

If you’re a fan of Torres & LFC, listen to this.

Time flies … my adventure has ended. What’s left are memories of the very short trip to a foreign land, an escapade of sorts. One day, they may fade but hopefully the memory will etch in your heart forever.

Madrid was great, one of the cleanest places I’ve been to. The beautiful sculptures, monuments and buildings were simply captivating. They took my breath away as there were so much to see and so little time to savor them all! The must-see places include:

Puerta del Sol – shopping paradise, but beware of pickpockets. A guy from the same tour group lost 1000 Euros but nothing else was taken, not even his wallet. Other than that, you’ll enjoy yourself there if you ain’t claustrophobic! In fact, I did not even carry any purse just cash in a secret place ;-P

Royal Palace – be sure to be early as there’s a long queue to enter this huge palace. No photos are allowed to be taken. A few blocks away is the Royal Theatre, where such performance such as the opera is performed.

Madrid is a shopping haven, be sure to bring enough cash or plastic money as I can guarantee that you’ll go shopping crazy here. Items such as handbags, purses etc by Spanish designers for instance Tous can be bought at a cheaper price.

Madrid and Spain in general is a pretty safe place for tourists and travelers alike. I have no qualms of exploring the city on my own at night. In fact, I had no problem walking from my hotel “Hotel Atlanta ” to Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, which isn’t far at all – it may have been a 15 – 30 minute walk.

2 nights in Madrid may not be enough but we had to continue our journey to the city of Toledo, a World Heritage Site. It was foggy and we were unable to see the beautiful city of Toledo from the hill top. We were then taken to tour Toledo on foot. Pathways were covered with cobbled stones and the forts and buildings still stand strong. Church bells could be heard ringing in the middle of the windy day to signify the time for service. I observe the priest, vicars dressed in black robes enter the doors of the church while the rest of us the tourists and locals enjoy the view and fresh air. After the long walk and many stops it was time for lunch, so we found a great halal place to have a large platter of doner kebab. Umm the crispy & crunchy vegetable and juicy lamb meat sliced thinly in this fabulous flat bread. Every two bites is downed with a sip of Cola to quench our thirst.

Below are pictures of Toledo

Tagus River

An artisan hard at work

A different angle

The city of Toledo

Anybody home?

Take 5

What’s left of the fort

Once we’ve filled our stomach, we’re ready to proceed to Cordoba which is quite a distance away. The journey took us through hills and valleys covered with olive trees all along the highway. We had to make a few pit stops along the way for prayers as well as toilet stops.

Cordoba, a beautiful city known for its architecture, heritage & history. Once a place ruled by the Muslim empire for hundreds of years and finally fallen to the Christian rulers, namely Ferdinand and Isabella. (Let’s hope I got my facts right!) Not much is left of the Islamic monument, nor are there plentiful of Muslim of Spanish origin. Most of them have either migrated or converted to Christians.

Below are a few pictures taken of the interior and exterior of the Mezquita.

The oranges are bitter so no one actually eats them.

No pillar is the same as they were taken from Roman temples and other Roman sites.

Within the Mezquita compound

Alleys and houses not far from the Mezquita

What’s left of the Universidad Islamica Internacional Averroes De Al-Andalus

Our journey across Spain took us to the next city, the city of Granada famous for its Moorish heritage and landmark, the Al Hambra. We arrived in Granada in the late afternoon, took a quick shower and explored the city. Well, actually went last minute shopping for gifts. We’re quite fortunate that there’s a mall close by, the El Corte Ingles.

That night, we had planned to watch a performance made famous by the gypsies living in the South of Spain, the flamenco. The drive to the Gypsy cave was not a long one but we (the vehicle we were in) had to squeeze through the amazingly narrow and steep streets. Thank God for the ever efficient driver, we arrived at our destination in one piece.

The performance was held in a cave-like room, it is a family affair (I don’t know if it includes the grandmother!). I was captivated by their elegant moves and how their feet move following the beat of the music. I could never do that. I must be born with 2 left feet.

He is HOT!

The granny?

Another HOT dude?

Ole!

Muy Bonita

Typical Granada homes (casa)

View from the top

La Al Hambra by night – after the show

That’s enough for the night!

We visited the Al Hambra & Generalife the next morning.

Generalife, a summer palace and garden built during the reign of Muhammad III. It’s situated not far from the Al Hambra and part of the garden is maintained by gardeners. It is best visited during Spring and Summer when flowers bloom. However, tickets are limited as the Spanish government tries to control the influx of visitors into the area.

Our local guide

Generalife & Al Hambra

A view of Al Hambra

After the grand tour of this fabulous landmark, we returned to the city center for lunch.

&

We are about to leave Spain for Morocco but before doing so we had to spend a night in Torremolinos which is a city not far from Algeciras and Tarifa, where we were taking the ferry to Tangier.

It’s time to make a move. While on the road, you could see hundreds of wind turbines.

Port of Tarifa

Punta de Tarifa

Leaving Spain behind ;-(

Adios for now!

It has finally arrived — I’ll be boarding the plane to Madrid via Cairo in a few hours time. Another journey to the world of the unknown, excitement fills me – curiosity builds into a desire to know more. What, when where … all these questions came into mind. They are yet to be answered. For now. But by the end of this 2 week journey, all of the questions will be answered. Most importantly, the experience will hopefully turn me into a more worldly person,  more knowledgeable and appreciative of God’s creations around her.

So, I hope to be back in 13 or so days along with hundreds if not thousands of pictures, maybe a video or two.

It’s never out of fashion, however it’s not as simple as it looks to apply it on your eyelids! To get the perfect look, study the videos below.

So, now you can achieve that dramatic look.

I am taking a break, maybe a long one as life is a little hectic at the moment for me plus I am experiencing what writers would call “writer’s block”. Nothing seems to inspire me to write. Hopefully, I’ll have loads to share after my Spain & Morocco trip in December.

My hiatus is not due to the writers’ strike in the US of A!