INSIGHTS

Here’s the deal:
1. Sit down
2. TAKE A PICTURE OF YOURSELF RIGHT NOW. Don’t primp, just snap one!
3. Upload it
4. Tag 5 people to do the same
5. Hashtag it #merightnow on Twitter

Tagged in this post:

1. Saaleha (@Saaleha)

2. KP (@Kayenchante)

3. Mak (@mkarim)

4. Garsen (@Garsen)

5. Qudsiya (@qudsiya)

Go!

Its been forever since I last blogged properly. But that’s ok. I have come to terms with myself. The realization that the staunch once a week blogger does not exist anymore. She has moved on to realizing that life is more then blogging though I maybe shot by people since who I have converted to the bloggersphere.

I would be ever grateful to the friends I have met through my blog, but I am no more reliant nor self absorbed to want to blog everyday or every week for that matter.

Enough of the third person jargon.

Let me really bring to focus the main 'event' that has got me blogging again for the moment.

The atrocious attack and war being conducted by the Israelis [Zionists] against the poor innocent people in Gaza, leaves me crying tears of blood. To know that those living in Gaza are not only Muslims but also Christians and even those Jews who are helping with aid, are being killed leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. To say that we [the world] did not see this coming would be to ensure that we lived in our own little worlds with blinkers on.

I can go through all the madness again but the sickening within my stomach prevents me from doing so. I relive these events online, and through every possible media I can get my hands on and not forgetting those who are there and relaying it to me. And if I can't handle it through third parties my heart goes to all those living in the hallow of the deaf world. To not know whether your death will be next. To live in a deafened world.

I could blindly say that the Jews are to blame for this…for all of this. But then I would be as naïve as the next person. For I believe myself more informed and knowledgeable to know the difference between a Jew and a Zionist. And this is in deed the doing of the Zionists. No not all Jews openly condemn these attacks that are being carried out but here again I will not fault them, as I know they like everyone of us has been taught a certain way through out their lives and therefore can not see right and wrong.

I completely blame the Zionists and those in power who are not saying anything against them. Israel is doing this on the task of their parliament but is this the true will of Israel of those knowing that it is election year for them and they can only win votes but 'apparently' safe guarding Israel from Hamas.

I am left completely hopeless in knowing that the death toll that is ever increasing is strewn with innocent lives. The elimination of an entire generation. The risk of knowing that there maybe no more after these we lose who will stand up against the ugly mite that has become Israel. None to show us that we are being eaten alive by a monster which infests and festers within our skin to slowly deal us a terrible death.

With no warning and no barrier my sadness grows knowing and feeling that Gaza will be only the start and never the end.

Speak up presidents of nations, speak up president elects, speak up the people across the world and stop the holocaust you blindly refused to see in World War 2 start over now in your era. In the era you choose to rule and live in. Leave not your silence as a legacy to your people and to those after us. Stop it while you can. Before it blows up to deal us a deathly bomb as an ever present reminder like Auschwitz, as Hiroshima is known.

I could go on, but then I would run the risk of sounding like someone who is at risk of tripping on her tongue.

All I know for certain is that this is only the beginning of something.

PHOTO CREDITS: WAFA and AFP

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I have been running around like a headless chicken and suffering from a huge dose of insomnia. Due to this I have been very much online with Twitter and the likes there of. No wonder on Wednesday night I got a little tweet to tell me about the events unfolding in Mumbai. I was shocked, horrified and dismayed.

Staying up till the morning [or rather not sleeping at all] I tracked events and at the same time felt helpless without satellite news and a working internet connection. Thank god Twitter can be easily accessed through your phone and as most of you know I can be highly addicted to my phone.

But this is not about twitter, though it was the first to bring the breaking news to people across the globe. Big thumbs up to citizen journalism and yes there is a place in the world for you guys but I have to say it is restricted to breaking news.

This is about the thoughts and horror stories that filled my head while watching events unfold. And know that its still happening 2 days on.

My first thoughts were of course who is claiming responsibility for these attacks. Will they again go after the usual "Muslim Terrorist" - those crazy fundamentals? Will India blame Pakistan for the attacks? Can this lead to a nuclear war? [Not forgetting that India and Pakistan both have nuclear warheads lying in their backyards]. Also was this was turning out to be India's 9/11. What action will the country take? Those questions can't be answered as yet since the gun battles are still going on. Attacking the Taj and Oberoi hotels was extremely clever planning and these gunmen were definitely not 'normal' islamic terrorists. Precise planning and tech capabilities are allowing them to run havoc in the financial capital of India.

Worrying as this all was I was sad that I was missing from the action. I was actually wishing I was there reporting being in the thick of it all. Reminded me of the adrenaline rush I felt during May this year in South Africa, when the xenophobic attacks were happening.

No I am not saying that I condone the attacks. I CONDEM it completely but as a journalist its in my blood to want to be there, to feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. To let it all subside and to let the tears come at the horror that you see and witness. I am human and tears will be natural for I am a girl with feelings. But I would still want to be there. I want to tell the news and I want to tell it as it happens. If it was not for those witnessing it first hand I would not have heard about it till the next morning like a lot of my friends.

Where am I leading with all this?

Well no where exactly. Its just me putting my thoughts down and letting you all know about it. Its me agreeing that citizen journalism rocks for breaking news. Its me showing that I'm a little crazy wanting to be in the thick of things and not caring about my own self. Its just all about me.

On another note on me, another reason I have been running around without a head [see first line on chickens] is I'm writing a few articles for World Aids Day on Monday. Have you ever tried coordinating an article with a round up from all parts of Africa?

Yicks its an intense hard process, but I pulled it off. Now its wait and see if the editor loves or hates it. [hoping loves it!!!]

Its hard doing these stories. You meet people living with the virus who give you hope and show you that love exists and then you meet others who make your heart break into a million pieces.

Hoping to have something written up for my blog on Monday. All depends on the madness that will arise with my stories from today till Sunday night.

Be safe everyone

And my condolences to the families in Mumbai and to everyone effected and affected with HIV/AIDS!!!

Peace

PS: and there was the #27Dinner this week…awesome people out there. Photo Credit to Za5

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For this post I will get on the bandwagon like everyone before me and honour the change in the world...

Though we may all be in awe of this man and his achievements, for me the biggest question will be how will he be handling his foreign policy? This will be the main decision he will have to make and it will be done soon within the weeks. The president elect has a hard task ahead and now we will see if he can meet his commitments.

The Guardian has been running some interesting and intellectual pieces of article which you can read here.

Now we all wait and see...

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The last week and this have been a crazy time and I know its not going to be any easier. My darling cousin got proposed/engaged to a friend of mine which is brilliant for me – I think. You maybe wondering why I wrote it as ‘proposal/engaged’, well that’s because I realized that to me it all means the same. I personally think that we – Indians – have a tendency of wanting to do too much. They come see the girl, then they come propose, then they have engagement, then its mendhi before the wedding, and even maybe a qwaali [think I spelt that wrong but it’s a music night or something], then its kataam night for the Muslims [were the Qur

an is completed to give the new couple blessing] AND THEN is the wedding…and walimah. So the problem was that none of us knew what to call this little event that took place. The boy’s side came and they put the ‘chain’ so I’m calling it an engagement…

Another thing that I maybe at fault in doing is that I’m looking too much into this thing. You lost as to what I’m talking about right? Well I mean it’s my fav cousin [who is only 6months my junior] and a friend of mine who I get along with brilliantly. So it should work out perfectly …right? Or maybe not. [I am not talking about their marriage here but about my relationship with them]. I mean who am I to think that I can 24/7 hang out with them when they all married. Eish the issues lol but I’m over glad its them together. They happy and good together and the advantage is that I can barge into their home when ever. **big grin on my face**cheeks and all**

Though people are thinking that I would be next since she got hitched but I keep reminding them that I’m not ready for it nor do I want it right now. “I have too much to do and too much to see.” But they have it stuck still in their heads that I will casually find someone all of a sudden and get buckled. Like I mean do they not realize that my life is now definitely off on a tangent to another place? At one stage I may have welcomed the fact that I would find someone or had found someone to settle down with, but recently I realized the more I stayed away from home and the more I got to know me, the more I didn’t want it. Don’t get me wrong… if someone comes along and its meant to be it will be and I will not stop the process, but right now I will definitely not see what is in front of me because I choose not to. I choose to see what life has to offer me with out the need of having to have a better half. They say the better half would complete me and that I will see the world with him in a different light but I want to see it in the light that belongs solely to me. “Mine all mine.” Selfish as that may sound I know that if I didn’t try to do everything I wanted to now I would regret jumping into something I don’t want at the moment.

“I will get married to the one I want and need, when I want and need him, not before and not after.”

[maybe one day I will choke on those words but till then I will live with it!]

On to more brilliant and informative issues. I have come to realize that the world is a whole lot of superficial hogwash. Economic crisis, financial meltdown, food crisis, climate crisis, war crisis, nuclear crisis…damn only CRISIS’!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now really [come to think of it why would you get married and have kids with all these crisis’?] is this what the world is coming to? At the moment with the job I have I seem to be only coming across the bad in the world. Its making me grow a thicker skin that I feel I am loosing myself. I’m at that point were if I don’t step back these issues and the human suffering that comes with it will wash of my back and mean nothing to me. Its like watching the bad on tv continuously so that it goes in one ear comes out another and that you don’t give a flying F^%k what happens. “if its not me or my family why should I bother?” Emotionally detachment from all that surrounds you.

With out human emotion there is no love, no hope and no promise of a better tomorrow…

PS: wonder if anyone got my title ;)

PPS: Watching the US elections closely…finally stretch…what surprises are in store?!?!? Anyone?

And have you noticed how the elections are overshadowing the financial meltdown? Attention has moved away from the bail outs and are now on Sarah Palins phathetic attempts at dressing and economics….Palin and Bush = Dumb and Dumber :P

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It’s been a crazy few days. Running around a zoo with little kids was the one of the most enjoyable parts of the weekend that passed. Its amazing how they make you want to see life in a different way. The kids that I was running after was 7 out of the big batch that arrived from the day care and aftercare centre south of Johannesburg. Osizweni – a Zulu term for ‘place of help’ – looks after orphans or children coming from broken homes. It is an Islamic Relief project and I firmly believe that it is doing an incredible job.

Most of the kids [or rather all of them] had never visited a zoo before and the most they know about the animals are those they hear in stories. “Roar like a lion”… “meow”… “no a cat meows”… “ok”

A small conversation passed between myself and some of the little ones and volunteers.

“Whats big and grey and uses its nose to eat with?”

“My favourite animal is a baboon. Can we see that?”

“most definitely”

We didn’t end up seeing the baboon though but a rather big gorilla which put on a splendid show for the kids by obliging and coming out of his little house in the enclosure and posing on the rocks before heading onto the ‘jungle gym’. Getting to leave that place may have taken a good half and hour of our time. Also it was about then that we started realising we had one little terror who wished to join the animals at every opportunity he got.

Little Eden kept us running on our toes but I thoroughly had a ball of a time with him. Unlike the rest who were quiet he and Yolanda – a pretty little thing with her corn rows and sunglasses – made my day. They were noisy, naughty and fun as little kids should be.

“So can you roar like a lion?”

“R-O-A-R”

“G-R-O-W-L”

The day moved steadily on. With loads of animals and really not much time to see them all, we minimised the animals we saw to keep it to the big ones and the ones they knew and recognised. Stamping towards the animals we came to the playful seals and Eden thought he could catch a swim with them. Nothing fazed him at all and this helped to get the others more and more involved.

Question – why does the lion enclosure and all the good animals have to be so so far away?

“I’m tired now. Its so hot. SIGH.”

“Let’s stop for a water break guys. Right everyone have some water.”

Lions, and tigers and bears and elephants and snakes and gorillas – lets not forget the snakes – thrilled them to bits. But where were the tigers hiding. “We can’t see them”.

Not knowing where they could be we walked towards a building that formed part of the enclosure. Strict instructions at the door. “Do not go pass the yellow line. You little ones hold on to an adults hands,” said the lady at the door. Fortunately she managed to catch us before Eden or Yolanda went through without us. “Where are they?” “There they are.” Seeing them Yolanda and Thembisile clutched tightly onto my hands. While thankfully John – an older child – had Eden by the hand while ‘Aunty Taahira’ and Aunty Dinah held the rest.

The day was broken with lunch and a rest and a birthday for one of the dear care givers at the centre.

I would write more about the events that occurred after including my run with the 3 older ones in our group from the main entrance to the croc area on the other side of the world but the story would just be a ramble.

Also check out the pic here.

**The care centre is an Islamic Relief project but huge thanks goes to Zeenat Ghoor for organising the countless volunteers and making sure we all had lovely groups of kids and to Aunty Lucy who did as much planning as anyone can to make sure the day was a success.**

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