Thursday 29 December 2016

Heavy burdens - تقرير عن التعذيب

E

Twice in my life now I have felt such a heavy burden that I immediately asked my mother to pray for the person concerned. That unbearable weight went away the moment I asked. I wonder whether I will able to hand things over right on into the future? That's a roundabout way of saying the unsayable.

Christmas Present - Si Lemhaf - Song about Nature and Summer I think

And - Yasmine Hamdan - Samar

ع

أنا أقرأ تقرير عن التعذيب في سوريا. كتب احد أصدقاءي هذا التقرير مع زملاءه في المنظمة أمنيستي. أقرأ عن الحياة في السجون منذ عام ١٥ بسبب خالة أمي التي في سجن ألماني من ١٩٤٣ حتى ١٩٤٥. 

--

أنا أقرأ تقرير عن التعذيب في سوريا. كتبه أحد أصدقائي ** مع زملاءه في منظمة أمنيستي. أقرأ عن الحياة في السجون منذ عام ١٥ بسبب خالة أمي التي كانت في سجن ألماني من ١٩٤٣ حتى ١٩٤٥. 



Wednesday 28 December 2016

Labour - ربع ساعة

E

19 years ago this night I went into labour with my second child. It was a beautiful process, there was no difficult stage. If I could hand over that birth to others I would, to multiply and share it.


ع

كلّ يوم أكتب ربع ساعة على صفحة واحدة. اليوم هو يوم الأول أبدأ في الكتابة عن الماضي. بعد ذلك كلّ مرّة أفكر عن هذه التجربة ويوقف تنفسي بسبب ذلك.

--

كلّ يوم أكتب ربع ساعة على صفحة واحدة. اليوم هو اليوم الأول أبدأ فيه الكتابة عن الماضي. بعد ذلك كلّ مرّة أفكر في هذه التجربة ويتوقف تنفسي بسبب ذلك

Tuesday 27 December 2016

The trans teddy - الشتاء

E

My friend told me about her Christmas decorations. There was a crib from 50 years ago, two fabric stockings her mother sewed when she was only 3 years old, and the trans teddy. He'd been given a dress at some point because it wouldn't do to have 2 male toys side by side, I'm not joking. Then once my friend inherited them she sorted him out with some male clothing after all those years. How this is to do with Christmas I can't say !!

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack - 1969

ع

لا أعرف أن أساعد الناس الذي يعيش في خيام المكسورة الباردة في ريف إدلب. هناك الطقس ثلج وبسبب ذلك حية الناس صعبة كثيراً. الشتاء سوريّ هو بارد.

--

لا أعرف كيف أساعد الناس التي تعيش في الخيام المهترئة الباردة في ريف إدلب. هناك الطقس مثلج وبسبب ذلك حياة الناس صعبة كثيراً. الشتاء السوريّ ** بارد.

** = word/s have been removed here

in red = alteration/s have been made here 

Wednesday 21 December 2016

9 Days - From My Window - Director Issa Touma

E

This short film was published a few days ago on YouTube. It was filmed over 9 days in August 2012 by Issa Touma, a Syrian photographer whose apartment in Aleppo overlooked a Free Syrian Army checkpoint which had just been set up. The film was awarded Best European Short Film award.

Journeyman Pictures
www.journeyman.tv/film/6962


Tuesday 13 December 2016

BBC World Service is covering Aleppo so closely - حلب

What can I say?
الله معكم
Using that phrase yet again.

--

You can listen to previous BBC World Service news reports on Aleppo from this link.


Saturday 10 December 2016

كان يا مكان في منطقة كولي - Mr Fox

E

I saw Mr Fox last night. I noticed a not-a-dog not-walking around a corner, flitting silently into the night. They don't move like any other creature. They don't walk, it's more like floating. The tail floats too, airy, definitely a foxes tail. 


ع

كان يا مكان في منطقة كولي في مدينة أكسفورد كان رجل الذي حبّ كلبه. صنع الرجل باب كلبه في باب بيته.
     كان كلبه كبير, فكان باب الكلب كبير أيضاً. دخل لصّ إلى البيت ليلاً وخرج بسرعة مع ماله وكنزه. هذه قصّة صحيحة.

--

كان يا مكان في منطقة كاولي في مدينة أكسفورد كان هناك رجل أحبّ كلبه. صنع الرجل بابا لكلبه في باب بيته.
     كان كلبه كبير, فكان باب الكلب كبير أيضاً. دخل لصّ إلى البيت ليلاً وخرج بسرعة مع ماله وكنزه. هذه قصّة صحيحة.

Thursday 8 December 2016

Daily posting - an idea - أنا مريض

E

The concept of NaBloPoMo was freeing. I'd like to continue with that now, but make it bilingual. I need it to be both doable and meaningful to me. Cutting out either of the languages is too harsh a move.

ع

أنا مريض مرة ثلثة منذ شهر اكتوبر. أنا في سريري  بسبب ذلك وأشرب ماء وشاي الزنجبيل وأعشاب الليمون. أقرأ محادثة حول الصحة النفسية في نفس الوقت. وأكتب باللغة العربية. وأشعر بطء في التنفس وآلام.

--


أنا مريضة للمرة الثالثة منذ شهر اكتوبر. أنا في سريري  بسبب ذلك وأشرب ماء وشاي الزنجبيل وأعشاب الليمون. أقرأ محادثة حول الصحة النفسية في نفس الوقت وأكتب باللغة العربية وأشعر ببطء في التنفس وألم


Saturday 3 December 2016

Bear Behaving Badly - برنامج تلفزيوني عن دبّ صغير وصديقه

برنامج تلفزيوني عن دبّ صغير وصديقه

نعم نعم نعم نعم

لا لا لا لا

Thursday 1 December 2016

Standing in the street - #StandWithAleppo - NaBloPoMo continues




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Hi, well I just have to do something to #StandWithAleppo
Please join me to stand in silence outside the Friends Meeting House on St Giles at 10 am tomorrow. It will be cold. Bring a sign with that hashtag on it if you can.
10am - 11am Thursday 1st December 2016 OX1 3LW
Standing for 5 minutes is very helpful, then go on to do what you need to do.

--

#StandWithAleppo event this morning:
It's amazing being still on a street with everything moving around me, I could see the still buildings, still cars and trees. There were so many wheels rolling smoothly, all those cars and vans.
Each person walking past looked beautiful in the sunshine, each with their own choice of colours of clothing and bag. We are all so varied.
One man so obviously came from Aleppo, his face was familiar. I just knew. He looked across from the other side of the pavement to read the message instantly while walking along with his companions.
Some other people came over and confided their feelings to me. I encouraged them, said it was ok to feel like that.
I asked a few people to write their first names on the sheet and said I had a desk. They all jumped with surprise :) There was a convenient grey metal box by the wall for electricity or something, just right as my desk!
Most of the time I stood there looking straight through the buildings opposite, just being there, standing patiently, thinking.
The sun really does move fast, I saw the light start to catch the rough paintwork of a one room wide building on the other side of the street. It's my favourite house now, I'd never noticed it before. It's 4 stories, each window is different. It is well kept.
What I found out was what I suspected already, there are so many people out there who follow the news to the extent they can bear to and do care, but don't know what to do to help.
The other thing I discovered is how fantastically supportive the Quakers are, they just said fine, of course you can do that outside the building, so I wasn't on my own doing it, I had a whole building and a whole set of people behind me. I had decided I'd stand beside a tree near by if they had said it was contrary to their ethos. I also found out that the sun shines there in the mornings, convenient :)
End of report.
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