The Tortoise and the Hare

Yesterday I asked my daughter:

If there is a second part to the tortoise and the hare story in which they will decide to go for another competition, who do you think will win?

While she was thinking, i said in my head the Hare. Surely he would have learned the lesson. He would never think to have a nap under the same tree. No way.

The tortoise, my daughter said and i looked at her surprised.

How? I asked believing the hare would never repeat the same mistake.

The Hare will copy the tortoise and crawl all the way next to her.

Why? I asked still surprised

Because she had won the first race and he thought if he followed her pace, he would too

Any why do you think it did not work with him?

Because his legs hurt. He got different legs to those of the tortoise. So he became very very tired and had some rest under the tree and fell asleep again.

Oh poor hare! Surely he was very disappointed, i said

No, he was not, my daughter said

Why? I asked.

Because he wasn’t himself in the race this time, my daughter said

Don’t understand, i said

He was pretending to be the tortoise but this can’t be. He should be himself, the hare, to win, my daughter said.

Good point! I smiled

Children will always give us wonderful lessons.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

2+2

 

 

I was just sitting, thinking about something to write when 2+2 just came to my mind.

2+2= 4, and this answer will never be different, but these days things seem more confusing.

A person might pop on on TV, social media, or anywhere and argue for hours, for example about Cain and Abel, and says that Cain was not evil and didn’t intend to murder his brother. He will explain the psychological, philosophical, or whatever, and the interviewer will keep nodding.  But, the story in the holy books will never change; Cain was evil, jealous, and arrogant. He planned the first murder in the history of humanity and killed his brother.  So, no matter what s/he talks, Truth can never change and 2+2 will always = 4

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

The Thief

 

 

 

‘The mother warned her child to be careful and not to open the door to strangers unless she (the mother) or her father was in the house.’

This was part of a funny story which I was telling my daughter yesterday. But she asked why?

Sometimes, thieves break into houses to steal things.

Then, she asked me not to put in any thieves in the stories. She was scared, and I immediately changed the whole plot, or we’d have been awake all night.

But today, I remembered a short video on Facebook which shows a different image of a thief. A kind image.

In this video, instead of stealing, the thief helped his victim to return safely to her home. Why? Because everyone has a good side. And next time in my story, I’ll make sure that my daughter understands this point.

Watch this video to know how the thief helped the young lady.

With my best wishes,

Nahla

 

 

The most pleasant

 

 

 

 

One day a traveller asked a countryman; what’s the most pleasant thing in life?

He replied;

To tease the beloved,

To talk with a friend,

And to have hopes for tomorrow.

 

That’s a point of view, but of course, we can have ours too.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

The Captain’s daughter

One day I took my daughter to the local library to get a new book. She picked two, and it was my turn to choose mine. It was The last Pearl by Leah Fleming that caught my sight.

It was the first time to know about Fleming or read any of her books. It’s about a young woman, Greta’s journey in time and place. It’s about family, family poverty, family struggle, family failure, and family success. It’s about kindness, cruelty, misery, and happiness. And that’s the book I have been looking for.

Then I borrowed another book; The Captain’s Daughter. I expected to finish it by the end of the Christmas holiday, but I read it; done.

It’s the story of two Titanic survivors, two women that were destined to save the life of each other. It’s about kindness, friendship, family, motherhood, and humanity. If you’re interested in the setting of different countries, moving home, wartime, and relationships between different cultures and backgrounds, then this one is highly recommended.

And one more thing about the captain’s daughter, it explains how ‘the secrets in a woman’s heart are deeper than the ocean.’

Have you read any of Leah Fleming’s books?

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

Noah Ark

 

 

People at the time of Noah, laughed at him building a ship in a city where there was no sea, not even a river. Why you are wasting your time? They mocked; gathering all the children to laugh at their wise who for them had lost his mind. Noah didn’t give up; he kept building and building. One day the ship was ready; apparently, it was the most amazing ship at that time. That day, something much more awful, much more destructive, much more terrifying happened. Was it something like a Tsunami, something like any of those torrential hurricanes, or was it an earthquake with a magnitude of 10 or more? Whatever it was, something unbelievable, unexpected, did happen. But now ship floated saving those believing souls.

It’s the story of faith, hope, and reward.

Do you know that Noah Ark has become such an inspiration that a group of people have already constructed a similar craft to remind people all over the globe of the story of Noah’s unthinkable and unsinkable ship?

I hope you would enjoy watching this video; it’s very interesting.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

 

 

I am David

 

 

This is a novel by Ann Holm. I haven’t read the book yet, but I’ve watched the movie. I think it’s good although some people might find it full of unlikely coincidences. But don’t we have those unlikely coincidences in real life? I mean if we look back at those significant moments in our life, we would realise that we have experienced some of those unlikely coincidences too.

David is 12 years old; he managed to escape from Bulgarian Forced Labour Camp and to travel alone to Denmark. The variation of characters is very interesting; the fellow prisoner, a sailor, a baker, an Italian family, and widowed artist, they all helped the boy, intentionally or unintentionally,  to reach his destination, and to discover his story.  And what I find more interesting is the message of the story which is to believe in the goodness of humanity.

 

This is one of the movie best quotes;

“Life wouldn’t be worth living without trust. Be cautious, but live fully and freely. Make friends and see the goodness in people or you’ll never find any happiness.”

Truth, isn’t it?

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

Was it yesterday?

 

 

Today is the first day for my oldest son to join the academic studies; today is the first day of his studies for a BA degree at university. I am excited, happy, and even nervous. In fact, I think I am more happy and excited than him. This new generation is weird!

And I’m grateful, really grateful, deep in my heart,  for all those blessings, I have had in my life.

An hour ago, or maybe less, I told my son about my first day at university. I pictured it as it was yesterday. That day I was happy, excited and very nervous. I preferred to take the underground train because it was fast and less crowded. I had to walk quite a distance before and after getting the Tube. But that long way gave me more time to enjoy and relax and it was also a good opportunity to meet others going to university although they were joining different departments and schools.

That day, I didn’t understand anything. I was one of the quietest, more precisely; I was the quietest girl in my group. But I was lucky because most of those quiet girls were also getting the Tube so I had a company on my way back. It was a hot day. The café was all full and busy, the benches out were the same. I remembered how I hated my new shoes, its heels and my painful blisters. I got back with a list of books to purchase, read and prepare for the following week. I passed by my high school; it was so close to my house and saw the girls in white shirts and navy skirts. I missed those days, I thought when my neighbour stopped me to ask about my first day at university; good I said and smiled but I wish I wouldn’t have gone in those high heels.

Was it yesterday? Oh my God, how those years have passed like a glimpse.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

2B

 

 

 

We all, actually not all, I mean those who studied literature or know about Shakespeare’s Hamlet would definitely remember the famous line ‘to be or not to be that is the question.’ Everyone has a story, a special story that s/he tries to live and be something throughout its lines, its days, its months and its years. We all try to be something. Ambition is multidimensional; power, wealth, success, knowledge, health, fame, family, etc are different directions to be something. I believe that every person has dreams and aspirations; whether they are great or humble, but we all have our own ‘to be’ plans.

One day, when I was coming back with my daughter from her friend’s birthday party, the taxi driver stopped at my house and looked at me; ‘to be,’ she said. I thought she was asking to make sure of the address, I said; ‘Yes, it is 2b.’ She then repeated seriously as if she was acting the scene; ‘To be or not to be that is the question.’ I looked at the number on my door and said; ‘Nice one’ and the two of us couldn’t stop laughing.

Isn’t it funny, as I didn’t notice that for about six months or more since we’ve moved, but the taxi driver did?

Has your address got any significance?

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla

 

Dream high

 

 

Once upon a time, there were three friends; they were poor, very poor, unnoticed and worthless. What they owned in their life was three donkeys and their job was to transport people, goods and luggage from one place to another. This was how they earned their living.
One night, after a long day of hard work under the sun of the Arabian summer. They threw their bodies over the smooth sand of the desert. The full moon and the shiny stars lit the dark doom; it was no longer dark and a beautiful sparkly night was all they can see.
One of the three men closed his eyes and said: ‘Imagine my friends that I become the ruler of this country; the sovereign majesty, make a wish?
His friends laughed and laughed.

The first friend looked at the dreamer and said: ‘you be the ruler, the sovereign. No way.’

The dreamer said: ‘Just imagine, man, you wouldn’t lose anything.’

The friend said: ‘ Ok, Mr dreamer, I want a house with a magnificent garden.’

The dreamer looked at the other friend and said: what about you?

The other said: ‘This cannot be. This would never be. A donkey cart plodder would never have dreams. We’ve no future, friend.’

The dreamer did not give up: ‘It’s me who imagine not you; this is my thought, my idea. Imagine!’

His friend got-up, collected his stuff, rode his donkey and said: ‘Let your guards carry me backwards on a donkey and let them announce to everybody that I’m a fool who didn’t believe that dreams can be true.

‘As you wish, my friend,’ said the dreamer.
In the morning the dreamer deserted his friends. He sold his donkey and looked for a different way to earn his living; a watchman, a constable, an officer, a member of the town authority, an advisor, a consultant,… finally, he married the deceased ruler’s wife and became the guardian of her eight years son. He ruled the whole country until the former ruler’s son was 16 years old.

Thirty years had passed since his friends laughed at him dreaming of ruling the country. At his prosperous days, he remembered his friends and ordered his guards to bring them.
His old friends were still donkey cart plodders but their friend, the crowned head, reminded them of their wishes.
The first was mad with happiness; he was granted a house with a magnificent garden.

The second regretted that wish ever since.

Ps, this is an old story in the Arabic history with real names and incidents but what I can remember is just the main plot; therefore, I have made some adaptations.

Dream high. Dreams can be true.

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla