The Nomad Mum's Diary

By lindo - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Family & Parenting

Friday, August 3, 2007

A love for Warsaw

If you ask people to name ten cities they would like to visit in Europe, I bet you that Warsaw would not be among them, in fact I don’t think that it would get into the Top Twenty. The name Warsaw conjures up bleak memories of the Warsaw Pact, the Cold War and all that is sad about the twentieth century. Poland as a country is not devoid of beauty, after all Krakow is on the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites, it escaped WWII relatively unscathed supposedly because Hitler deemed it too... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Polish post

Hi everyone, i'm posting this entry from Warsaw, Poland. I arrived here on Friday for a month long vacation so my son can spend some time with his grandfather (my dad) who lives here. To be husband-free for four weeks means that I'll have plenty of time to do all the things i enjoy most, writing and communicating with you fellow Blogiteers is at the top of my list. see you soon. Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Potty training made hard!

It’s official: I am a FAILURE!!!!! I have spent the last month trying to come to grips with potty training but I can’t help thinking that this is something beyond my capabilities. There were a couple of breakthroughs: Adam sitting on the toilet seat, and recognizing when he needs to pee (but he still prefers to poop in his nappies), the draw backs is that if he is busy playing he will do neither. The other day he dropped a couple of bombshells for me in the living room (and I mean that in the... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Summer struggles

Sorry for not posting much, I am finding it extremely difficult to concentrate: putting a sentence together is proving too much in this hectic summer. The heat is not helping, neither are the daily power cuts (which lead to the inevitable water cuts, a nightmare in a house with a toddler). Adam is very bored: the days are too long and the heat is prohibitive). Ever wondered were the expression “stifling heat” comes from? My bet is: The Middle East! Anyway, I hope I get the chance to blog more... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

A crusade against the haters

I am just leaving this message until I can post something more cheerful. News of the failed bombings in the UK have been depressing to say the least. The worst thing is that the suspects are all doctors working in NHS hospitals. Those of us who had always contended that the perpetrators of fundamentalist violence are misguided youths or people who have a grudge against society as a whole have to reexamine the brainwashing theory. If terrorists can get to people who are essentially healers and... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Hijab Analysis IV- A personal angle

I can’t remember how many times I was asked “ How come you don’t wear a veil?”,”Have you ever considered wearing it?’ and “ Would you consider wearing it in the future?”, but I do remember that I never hesitated about the answer:” I don’t believe in Hijab, I never did and I don’t think that I ever will”. Many give me that knowing look “oh, you will eventually!’. You can’t blame them, many of the women who don Hijab used to be very much against it, either because of their class or because of... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Analysis of Hijab III- Veiled Politics

Sorry guys I went AWL like that, I had a lot of things to attend to on the home front, but the main reason was that I lost the will to write:it's the effect of politics, it depresses the hell out of me! this is why I try not listen to the news and I avoid discussing current affairs at all costs. However, an analysis of the Hijab phenomenon is incomplete and inaccurate if a political perspective is not included. This post is not intended to be “for or against”, it is merely an attempt to put 2... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Analysis of Hijab II - Changing Times

Many in the Middle East feel that the 400 years of Ottoman occupation were the Dark Ages for Islam and the Arab world in general, and much of the ill-treatment of women does go back to practices of that era with its rigid interpretations of Islamic teachings and whims of the sultans enforced as the wishes of Allah. The result was that by the time the Turks had relinquished their iron grip on the countries of the region at the end of the first World War, women had lost many of the rights that... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Analysis of Hijab I - Veiled Roots

The other day I came across a sight that made my jaw drop - and I don’t shock easily- but this one truly went against all sensibilities, Eastern and Western. It was of a girl in her late twenties or early thirties, a Mohajjaba (Hijab wearer) but this one was unique. Her scarf was tied at the nape of her neck. She wore a tight top, a tight pair of jeans, chandelier earrings, full make up, AND a tartan tutu! I needed a double take to digest that look. Here in Syria, like many other Islamic... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Muslims againt Hijab

For many, Islam is synonymous with Hijab (veil), this is true in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran where even non-Muslim women are forced to cover themselves and yet in nearby Turkey a country of 80 000 mosques with 99% of the population Muslim, the 65% of women who wear Hijab are not allowed to do so in schools, universities or governmental establishments. Abdullah Gül’s campaign for presidency is facing widespread opposition because his wife wears Hijab. For a country that is proud of the... Sign in to see full entry.

About this Blog

“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings.” Most parents find that giving their children wings is the more difficult thing, but for me,a cultural nomad, my biggest concern is how to give my 2-year old son roots.

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