Democracy for Egypt

It finally happen!!!! I am so happy that Egypt finally is free from Mubarak.  We are beyond excited here at home.  There is not much to say, just lots of happiness and lost of new plans and waiting to see how everything starts to develop.

Here at home Milo, baba and mami are very interested in the news that even Milo has her own way of telling us the news.

Saturday fun

Last weekend we did things very differently at the house the girls went out by themselves and the boys went their way.  I am sorry baby Amir but we had a blast it was all girls having fun eating, visiting stores and visiting the Aquarium I could had not ask for more.

The aquarium was nice I can not complain when we live in Georgia I wanted to go to the one in Atlanta but they open it a few months after we move.  Inshallah we go one day, they say is awesome. 

I love this pic, she waited patiently till finally all the kids would get out so she could go in.

After looking at all this pictures is amazing what Iphones do.  I have a very nice camera that baba gave me a few years ago but the truth is that sometimes is not even needed specially when you are in the go with little ones.

While we sat down to have dinner we were serenade by them only in New Orleans, it was awesome.

This week is being kind of odd, lots of rain, cold still in pins and needles about Egypt is just not changing making it much harder here at home the unknown can be very puzzling.  We talk with them everyday but like is to be expected sometimes their hopes are up and sometimes they are down.  The worst part about all of these is that we can not do anything about  it.  Like we say just hoping for the best and lots of prayers.

Let's Pray for Egypt

Egypt is in my mind the whole day, thank God I have being able to keep on touch with Guido and Zetu but I am just so upset.  

Why did it had to get like this?

Is to wonder for almost a week the anti protesters were doing their demonstrations everything was so calm and organize.  I admire their organization their peacefulness.  I felt proud of Egyptians seeing how well they were able to organize their demonstration's, they took the time to search everybody, take food, and help each other.  But here comes the thugs that I know they had to be paid. Their only agenda was to destroy and create chaos for God sakes those of us that have being in Egypt know that you never see a camel in the middle of the street unless you are in the pyramids or traveling in the desert.

Also from past experience the Egyptians love foreigners they would never turn against a foreigner even if that means a reporter with a camera I just know that for a fact I being to Egypt several times walked their streets and spend time not only in the tourist areas but in other areas and I know that is nothing like that.

Is just so sad why people turn like these, but like in everything stress situations can bring the best or the worst of us.  If this man loves his country like he said why he does step down let the country elect is leader.  This tyrant has to understand in today's society is very hard to keep people in a shell they have access to technology they can see how others live.  Hopefully all of these other Arab countries learn from Egypt and make changes soon so we don't' have to see what is going on in Egypt in other countries.

At home we are so worry for so many reasons is the uncertainty of what is going to happen when are we going to see Guido and Zetu.  Suzzu she is an older lady and she has to hear gun fires outside her window and I know many other countries live like this but is sad that we only stop and think about the anguish of others when it hits close to home.

I know there is not much that we can do, the only thing is pray and keep on praying.

Guido, Zetu and Zussu in Egypt

Nenes on January 25, 2011, Egypt change forever.  Nenes for about 5 days Egypt has being under siege.  This  morning when Guido and Zetu  woke up they saw 3 tanks by their house exactly in front of the school meaning diagonally to their window. As the day went out the 3 tanks became 8 and with that the fear of what is going to happen.

Is hard to believe that the country is going thru all of this at such a fast rate.  Nenes baba is so worry there are so  many uncertainties at the moment.  Nenes and here at home we want the dictator to leave power soon the sooner the better.  The only thing we can do now is pray that things get better soon.

Even though I am not Egyptian I am so proud of them the tenacity they are having is to be admire.  For those that read my blog please say a prayer for that country and to give that dictator some light and leave soon and fast so lives can be save, and not be so stubborn everything has a beginning and end and his end finally came.

There are so many pictures I have seeing on the net this last couple of days but only one is in my mind at this moment and is this faces. 

A little of everything

Yesterday we had a Dr.'s appointment the baby is about 5 pounds 4 ounces so is in schedule, we had a little scared apparently his heart was beating too fast, well it turn out that every time the Dr. would listen to the heartbeat our little man was having a blast...so they hook me up to the baby monitor for about 30 minutes but thank God everything was fine he was just very active going up and down.


Today was my turn to go to Samia's school and talk about Colombia she was so excited to see me and have all of her friends hear me talk about Colombia.  It was so much fun telling them about my country and having Samia look at me and even stand next to me when I sang for them in Spanish.  When I first arrived to the school Samia's class was learning her letters I have seen allot of improvement.

On Tuesdays we have ballet Samia you love it and Gamila you love it as well even though you don't take classes you insist in wearing tights and this last time you insisted on wearing ballet shoes they keep a basket with spare shoes and surely enough you make a run for the basket and bring me a shoe 3 times your size and another show 6 times your size.

Who said baba does not have a sense of humor????? Lately he loves either letting his beard grow then he cuts it short or he shaves his head always something new and today this was his new look...I beg him to take it off but Samia loves it she spend the rest of the night touching it...I know it would be gone in a couple of days but he looks so funny.

From Drop Box

Today Egypt and Alegeria had a soccer match for the African World cup, this match was much anticipated since when the qualifications for the world cup of 2010 were going on Egypt beat Algeria once but in a second game they got eliminated by Algeria.  So Egypt was very upset about this but when the chance came to played them again they made sure to kick their butt and surely they did 4-0 we had a party at home maybe not like in Egypt with camels and fireworks.  LAs nenas loved watching the TV and seeing how they were celebrating in Egypt.

Baby you get a check up almost daily if is not the Dr.'s is Samia rubbing my belly talking to you or tickling you, if not is baba rubbing talking to you...and if not is Gamila with her medical gear checking you.  She makes me lift my shirt up and then after she checks me out she says something like " Baby is okey"

In the hunt for the accent, the looks!

I know many of you would not relate to this and nenas I know definitely you guys would not when you grow up. When you are from another country and live in a big city in the USA you just never miss talking Spanish or interacting with people from your own country because they are just every where, usually they are little communities like Jackson Heights NY for Colombians, Kendall, FL for Colombians, Astoria, NY for Arabs and the list can go on and on. When we first started to move to the south to smaller cities I stop spotting Colombians or baba Egyptians. They are just not around and when we do find one is like finding a diamond.

On Saturday baba calls when he is halfway to Houma, LA, if you have never being in that road is the country full of sugar cane fields. He decided to stop in a gas station while he is making the line to pay there are some Spanish people in front of him he notices the clerk is talking to them in Spanish (keep on mind baba can not tell when someone that speaks Spanish has an accent) but in his mind he is like that guy is not Spanish he looks Arab. Then is baba's turn to pay and the clerk says "Salam Malekiuum" is just amazing how we can spot people from our own country just by the features. Turns out the man is from Yemen and owns the gas station. I know it was just nice to find someone who you can speak to in your own language.

The other day while I was at the park the same thing happen to me. While I was there talking to some of mami's from the group I spotted an older gentlemen playing with it a little girl from the moment I saw him I knew he was from Colombia. I could not help myself and I had to ask him. Surely enough he is actually from the same area I am from.

Not sure but I think here in the USA is the same I am not sure if I can tell where someone is from because of the way they look, but I will definitely be able to tell you is someone is from New York versus someone from South Carolina. I will assume someone from the Midwest could also distinguish someone from the south and so forth.

Another thing I have always like is how one word in Spanish in Argentina means something else in Puerto Rico. Not sure if the same applies from state to state here. The best part of these is that we only learn this things when we come to the USA, is the only place where you can meet people from the whole world, I don't think there are allot of chances of me meeting an Egyptian in Colombia. Now that I am talking about this, the first time I went to Egypt in 2001 we were driving through Sinai going to place call Dahab when all of sudden in the middle of the dessert road I see a post from the United Nations and I see a Colombia flag up. I made the driver stop to find out what was the deal I was so excited of seeing a Colombia soldier in the middle of the dessert.

Is funny also when I have travel to Egypt people don't see me like a Hispanic or Latina they see me as an American.

We love breakfast

desayunos - by mistika on Polyvore.com

We love breakfast...we usually have a Colombian breakfast or an Egyptian breakfast while putting together my little collage I realize that us Colombians have many many more options for breakfast than baba's. The sad thing is that allot of the Colombian goodies for breakfast are not available here in Baton Rouge..I could always make them from scratch but that would mean waking up at 5:00 AM to make the food.

The only thing we have in common among the two different types of breakfast are the beans or frijoles like we call them, or foul like they call them in Egypt. However our beans are kidney or red beans the Egyptian type are fava beans.

Nenas you guys love the foul sometimes baba makes them with tahina, or yogurt, and tomatoes, or olive oil, and lemon. With a nice hot pita bread yummy yummy.

Nenas you guys also love to eat the arepas or the bunuelos or los huevos pericos like we call them in Colombia.

On a new note, I will be gone for a couple of days would be back to posting maybe Sunday or Monday...salam!!!!

Whose turn is it tonight? Mami or Baba!

Just a little info for those that don't read my About Me...

Baba is from Egypt Mami from Colombia... A bad bad combination...nenas thank God you guys are American.

Every night baba and mami sit in the couch and watch our fare of shows just to name a few:

NCIS
Law and Order Criminal Intent
Law and Order SUV
House
Or any action movie since those are baba's favorite...pretty much any police chasing movie or series we are in.

And almost every night mami will hear something in the shows that goes within this lines "Colombians, Colombia, Drugs, Cartel, Kidnap, Cocaine" If I get a freebie that night for sure is baba's night and baba would certainly hear something within these lines ""Arabs, Muslim, Middle Eastern, terrorist, explosives"

(nenas my this and these in the two sentences above were done in purpose those two words drive me insane so I figure I will used the two at least one of the sentences has the correct grammar)

In other words we are doomed.....I would always joke with baba you and me in a plane are a high risk...

Nenas this is 2009 well I should say mami has being living with the Colombian vendetta since she arrived in the USA, I will never forget Miami Beach school year of 1985 (gosh I am old). We had just arrived from Colombia, Zero English and in Elementary school the teacher ask me "De donde es usted" (where you from) Mami "De Colombia" (From Colombia) hard to explain his facial expression but with his verbal comment it would be more than enough "oh mucho polvo" (Oh lots of powder) What was I going to know at the age of 11.

Baba in the other hand I remember being in NYC right after 2001 and his van being stop in the Queensbooro bridge -- and being held for hours -- most likely because he was an Arab and he was going into the city with a van pushing a coffee cart..

So baba and mami in one way or another have felt what is being from a country and having to deal with the prejudice but nenas in these situations the best solution is humor...trust me nenas a laugh can cure anything --

Hey at least people know where we are from when we say our countries. People not only relate drugs to Colombia I also get ask about my coffee, and for Egypt people are always intrigue with the pyramids so is not only the bad stuff we have lots and lots things to offer.

Nenas when you think of Colombia or Egypt think of these, actually I have pictures of me in these two places but I could not find them

Mio Happy Dolls

So the time has come....For the last couple of weeks I being working on an idea to help others it all started when I finish reading Three Cups of Tea the story is very good, however the best part was the end. I think it was maybe midnight when I finally finish the book I recall that it read something like "How can you help?""" In my mind I figure they want money...NO NO they came up with certain ways to help one is blogging about the book, telling others about the book, going to your public library and asking them to carry the book.

I though it was wonderful, so the book is about education, but then I though but education and no toys...and mami started to think and think and then Carmelita came to my head (is a doll I made for Samia and she loves her) so I figure I can make dolls and have Samia help me. Then I started to think okey I make dolls for other children in need but then where should I send them to. Here in the USA they are so many problems with toys that is impossible. Also I want for Samia to know that there are millions of children that don't even have a Carmelita...Thank God here in the States even if you are in poverty level you can go to a dollar store and get a doll in many other countries that is impossible.

Then Amira also known as Mio came to my mind when she was alive she used to always help children in need in Alexandria with dental services so I figure we would make these dolls in her name and give them to those that she took care off so much...that is when Mamamona came into action I remember she lives in Hurghada in Egypt and I remember that when I went there I saw many children in need. I contact her and ask her is she would be kind enough to distribute the dolls for me to children in need...right away she said yes. Thank you so much! Then my other blogger friend came to mind Stylomom in Singapore after I contact her she immediately said yes.

Samia has being helping me to do the dolls also my friend Bonnie is helping me make them and she would also help me come up with an idea for a boy...is only fair that if you giving little girls dolls boys should get something. I am hoping I can make about 20 dolls per month mainly with the scraps I have left from the cloths I sew for the girls...I know postage would be a little bit costly but we are more than happy in cutting two meals at McDonald's per month. Is for a good cause.

I just want for Samia and Gamila to appreciate things...I remember Abuelo telling me how he had to walk 2 hours to go to school when he was a young boy sometimes with shoes that had holes in them. Although I had my hard times growing up it was never as hard as him, but the fact that I did not go thru his hardships does not allows me to forget or not teach my daughters how much need is out there. I want Samia and Gamila to know that we have privileges that many other children don't have. I am hoping I can keep on doing these for many years to come along with my Christmas toy drive we started last year. Inshallah!!!!

Once again Thanks Mamamona - Stylemom - Bonnie without you three this would not be possible. I am hoping this coming week I will mail my first batch...hopefully soon we would be making 10 kids have a smile in their face...I know is not allot but it helps, if all of us would help and not be so self absorb with ourselves we would certainly leave a better place for our kids.

If any of you know of any missionaries that are leaving anytime soon I would love to send some dolls with them...as you can imagine this would help shipping cost down and would allow me to make more and more dolls and make many more children happy, or if any of you are overseas and want to help me distribute the dolls please let me know.

About the dolls they are simple made of cotton scraps, I don't make them very bulky mainly for the shipping reasons, they are about 5" and I paint their face features. Just something a little girl can hold, carry with her, sleep with her and play with like my Samia does with Carmelita.

3 Different Diagnosis for Gamila la Gamina

So Gamila had this bad rash on her face for the last couple of days, the dilemma started on Monday so I decided to go to the health food market and get her some kind of lotion, while I am in the middle of this Abuelo from Colombia calls me..and the moment I pick up the phone I was saying  "Uy que caro" (wow how expensive) I am relating to the 13 dollars that  I had just payed in a HEALTHY lotion.

So I start telling Abuelo what Gamila has how it looks and so forth and his comments were hilarious..I was laughing non stop in the parking lot.

Abuelo "Muneca eso no es nada lo que la nina tiene"

Mami "Bueno papi acabo de pagar 13 dollars esta vaina tiene que funcionar"

Abuelo "Hay mijita eso es esos americanos que a todo le tienen nombre para sacarle la platica a uno"

Mami "No me jodas"

Abuelo "Muneca eso debe de ser una pulgita que la pico dale unos dias y se va a mejorar"


Just to translate briefly abuelo's  conversation he thinks Gamila got bitten by a flea and that in America people give everything a name so they can take your money away!

Now we travel from Colombia to Egypt.


I received a call from Guido of course their main concern is how the girls are doing...I tell him that Gamila has a rash in her face..I can hear him telling Zetu and Suzzu and I can hear Suzzu rambling on..so he goes ahead and translates what Suzzu thinks she has.  Her diagnose is bad eye, her cure read one of the  last Surah's from the Koran...I just love this lady she is the most adorable human being on earth.

Finally the Medical Diagnose she had a reaction to something she ate.  Cherries you are banned from Elashry Casa.

Is just so funny how we put this two countries together and I get from being bitten by a flea all the way to the bad eye...Ya Salam!!!!!

Changes!

So I have always try to keep this a mommy blog, but is so hard not being able to put my political, cultural views to this blog, but after much debating I am going to do so...I think is only fair for Samia and Gamila to know what mami was thinking about when she was not changing pampers or doing motherly things...so today is the start...I also hope that I don't offend many of my readers, since many of them are my mommy friends that I see in a weekly basis. (well I should not be worry is freedom of speech if I were to write this in Colombia I might get in trouble and the same in Egypt, this is the beauty of the USA nenas )

So Obama is in office que alivio tan hijuemadre, supposedly he is being measure in his 100 first day, but for God Sake it took about 2920 days for Bush to screw it up, so why expect that my man can fix it in 100 days.

There are many things that he has done that I am already excited about, however I do have to admit for all I know it can all be talk what he is doing, but let's be positive is a start...he already engage the Muslim world makes me happy although I am not a Muslim half of my household is Muslim so anything that happens in that end of the woods does affect me. I am happy he did his interview with Albariya and not Al Jazeera, when I was in Egypt even before he became president he was already like, they love him over there..I do have to admit many of them think he is Muslim but I think many of them see him as African since yes Egypt is in Africa I have met many people that are not aware of that little tiny geographical fact.

Let's see what happens in the weeks to come with Obama and the middle east, as far as Colombia he has not engage with them yet, but I do know they are cutting the aid to Colombia and even though I am a Colombian I have to be fair there is no reason to help Colombia with so many billions like they do, there are many other countries that are in need of those money. Uribe would fend for Colombia he is being doing it for a while and has done an awesome job, his last triumph was the liberation of Betancur; however I have my doubts about that I think there was some dirt in that transaction he needed to score big so he could be reelected and have the constitution change in Colombia. One day we will learn the truth about this.

Inside America it scares me what is going on although here in Louisiana we have not felt the RECESSION to its full extent, I know many others places are in very bad situation even in my family los Abuelos are having hard times, good friends in Jersey are losing homes...so why help all of these banking organizations and car industries and not help this hard working families, I can not understand this, and this bull of the banks helping people I know of friends that have call the banking institutions trying to make an arrangement so they don't loose their homes and the answer is "Bring your mortgage up to date and then we talk" with this answer your response is don't pay and live a year for free till your house goes in foreclosure they leave them with no choice.

Contradictions!

Today I was thinking all of the questions and remarks I got when baba and I got marry oh and when we had kids...nenas people would ask me all the time and if they did not ask I will see the way their faces change when I said baba was from Egypt. I should also mention many of those comments were made to Abuela. Keep on mind these are the comments I got from Americans, Spanish people in different cities of the USA.

First I marry and Arab "OH Gosh she would be wearing a veil (oh en espanol no se demora en cubrirla) in no time"
"Oh no he is going to make her convert"
"Oh what are the kids going to be"
"Oh he is not going to let her work"
"Oh that marriage is not going to last"

And the list goes on..sad to say but very few positive remarks were made. While all of these was going on my inner comment was "Wow what a bunch of ignorants" I learn early on that there are things you don't fight, people would not understand because to some knowledge is a scary thing.

After meeting baba, mami decided to read the Koran not to become a Muslim but to understand a little bit. At the end my conclusion were.
If there was Moises then Jesus why there could not be a Mohamed, who was I to make such a conclusion. Also, believing this, does not make me less of a Catholic after all Christianity is based on God, Allah or Dios after all God is only one in every religion or language. God is not like the presidents that every country has a different. Another thing that always baffles with baba, Jesus is not the son of God well I think we all are the children of God in a figure of speech. This has also being a tricky sentence to me. Maybe one day I can understand it better.

When I went to Egypt couple of people asked why she has not convert. Baba would always respond why does she has to convert. After all Islam does not prohibits my marriage with her. WHY should I. I believe in the same that baba believes: Do not steal, do not lie, help others, and so forth.

To summon it up nenas you will learn that what matters is to believe in God, Allah, Dios. Have fear when you do bad, know that he can see what you think and he sees what you do, it does not matter what faith you choose. Learn that religion is within us...one does not has to spend a whole day at church or at the mosque to be a good follower. What good is it if I spend the whole day praying or studying the Bible or reading the Koran if when I finish I start talking about others, I envy what other have etc. Be good inside and outside, do good to others be happy for others when they are happy. Be willing to help others it does not matter what little help you can offer just the thought of helping and taking time from your life to help is more than enough, if everybody would do this, this world would be a much better one.

20,886 miles wrap 2008

So the end of 2008 is here and I wanted to summon it up. It was a year with allot of expected and unexpected things.


At the beginning of the year we were ecstatic baba had finally received his permanent immigration papers so plans to visit Egypt had started, Gamila was still too small so we had decided to postpone till the spring of 2009. Then our Mio felt ill at first we just though it was something she was going to recuperate from, however that would not be the final outcome. While all of these was going on many scenarios cross our mind baba would go alone and visit them and see Mio. However the inexplicable happened and our world was shatter Mio was gone and now we had Zetu, Guido, and Suzzu sad, lost wanting to hold in their arms their son. Plans then change we will be going to Egypt in the Summer. For this to happen many many trips were done to Texas to get baba's military papers organize. Mami and las nenas fixed their passports, and on August of 2008 our journey started.


Prior to leaving we found out baba would be staying in Baton Rouge so we went out and look for a house, this was something that we had being waiting for a while and finally now we were giving the GO, so we did not hesitate and stoke a deal and started building our house.


Egypt was a bitter sweet experience, is hard to explain how in so much sorrow there was a little of joy, but it happen Guido and Zetu were able to hold their grandchildren and their son. I was happy that at least we could bring a little bit of sunshine with the girls. The stay was great we shared with our family and we really got to see how much Amira had lived for las nenas (one day I will go in detail on these).


Like everything in life things come and go we return from Egypt on October the transition went great Thank God! Once again we were back to our daily life with new things to look forward. First we would go to Tio Cesars wedding in South Carolina this trip was a fast and furious, too long of a journey for such a short stay, the wedding was nice and most important we were all together before the holidays.


Once again back home getting ready for the holiday.


Dios, God, Allah I thank you for everything you have giving me this year, I am still trying to over come the why of Mio but I know I can not question you. Thank you for all of the new things I have learn and for allowing me to become a better person everyday that goes by, thank you for my nenas for the health they share, thank you for the husband that I was giving, thank you for my family and friends that surround me.

I can only ask you for health for us and to bring peace and health to so many people out there.

UFF finally finish

Back in 2004 when I visit Egypt, Amira gave me a beautiful embroidery she had made. It was so beautiful I told her I wanted to learn. She explained to me that a girl had teach her to do it, so like always Mio with that great disposition took me to buy the fabric, thread, pattern, and started to teach me how to do it. I learn that it was very time consuming...She went ahead and made to drawings for me. I started it in Egypt but I have to confess I did not do anything after came back. When we found out Amira had die I promise I will finish at least one of them, so I have being working on it at night and this past week that Abuela was here I was finally able to finish it. I want to finish the other design and have them frame and hopefully hang them in our new house.

Amira's Work

Mami's finish product

Love, Laughter, Giving, Sharing = Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving I find it to be the best holiday because is not based on religion, color of the skin is just a plain day to thank God for everything we have.  Today we spend time in company of the family and friends, nenas you are too small to know what Thanksgving is but always remember is a day to enjoy with the family and friends and always say a prayer that day to Thank God for what we have and to help others.

Last night I finally finish my little Christamas Village, I started collecting the Lemax houses when we were in South Carolina, I love creating this villages every year, Inshallah Samia and Gamila would start sharing this activity in a couple of years with mami.

Samia today we baked some pumpkin cheesecakes here you are wearing your apron and hat my little chef.

This morning when I was reading the newspaper I came across a recepi for a cake with almonds and baba loves almonds so mami and Samia went on a baking spree....well I should clarify we just crush the almonds since we were going to our Thanksgiving dinner and I did not want to be leave the cake half way.

Nenas poor Abuela I guess she is not use to dealing with my home terrors and this is how she was feeling today

So Abuela made this beautiful vest for the girls for Thanksgiving and they love it, here we are in our way to our friends house for dinner.

THANKSGIVING FUN

Remembering Mami's, Baba's, Samia's 1st Birthday

So I figure it would not be fair to include our birthdays tomorrow. Tomorrow is Gamila aka Milo's big day.

Nenas I figure you will enjoy some little remembering from mami and baba back in 1975 they had their 1st birthdays and Abuelo, Abuela, Guido and Zetu enjoy that day as much as I have enjoyed SAmia's in 2007.

Mami's first birthday was in a City call Salamina in Colombia
Baba's first birthday was in Alexandria Egypt
Samia you spend your first birthday in Miami, Florida

Here are some pictures so you guys can enjoy them:

Mami

 

Baba