"Document your Day" Project

It has been more than.. what, a month? Since I posted anything here. I've been very busy this last month. And during this time, I've had what a dear friend of mine calls, a "photo block"!

I can't work under pressure, I can't write, I can't think, I can't do anything. But.. I've discovered recently that photography and I do very well under pressure!! Which is weird, considering what I've stated earlier.

So.. to fix this photo block of mine, I've decided to do a very intense photography project, which is basically, taking a photograph every hour, for a day. My day started at 6am, and ended at 10pm.

So without further delay.. here are the 15 photos taken on a typical (lazy) day :)

6am



7am



8am



9am
Mmmmm gotta love the smell of coffee in the morning!!




10am
A lovely gift from my mother :)


11am
Eggs for breakfast (a very late one!)


12pm
My little munchkins!



1pm
The gorgeous tortoiseshell Soda chasing an e-mouse :)



2pm
Cooking cat food!! and yes, they do eat veggies!



3pm
Preparing lunch...



4pm
Lunch


5pm
The very weird "deep fried Mars" dessert my little sister made!


6pm
Raspberry flavored iced tea.. very refreshing!!



7pm
Surat Youssuf..



8pm


9pm
Wow!! Time flies!!!!


10pm!!!
This is a long exposure shot. I actually drew this with my hand, using a small torch.

*I apologize if the signature on the photos was a bit annoying, but there are weirdos out there who might steal the photos and claim them as their own.
Which reminds me, please don't copy any of the photos without my permission!

I ♥ Alex!!

I love Alexandria!! It's such a beautiful city! The weather there is almost always nice, the buildings are lovely, the sea is calming and very peaceful, and there is something vintage in the Alexandrian air that I just love! Here are some of the photos I took on my last trip there..

The lighthouse at Montazah Park (my favorite place!)

The Library of Alexandria

Qaitbay Citadel



Taken from inside the Citadel


A view from Montazah Park


Sunset at Motazah Park


Sunset at Stanly bridge


One more sunset shot :)


Hope you've enjoyed the photos!

I have a weird imagination...

It was a surreal moment. I was about to fall asleep, when I heard absolute silence, and everything went blank. It was dark, but suddenly it became darker. I usually open the curtains and windows when I sleep, as to let in a little breeze, and some light coming from the streetlights. I got out of bed, it was quite chilly as I looked out of the window, and all I could see was blue darkness, and not a single sound! It seemed that the electricity blacked out. It felt so strange, standing there before the window, the white sheer curtain swaying in the darkness, like the ghost of a jellyfish, swimming in a black sea. And me.. cold and small, standing there in my fragile little nightgown, so alone. I felt like I was the only person in this universe, the only survivor of a deadly epidemic. I heard distant howling, probably just a few stray dogs fighting, but at that moment it sounded like the cry of an enormous carnivore, a hideous beast. My mind strayed, horrifying thoughts streamed into my head. I shook them them all out, climbed back into bed, snuggled beneath the covers and fell asleep.

Spring in pink and green

The other day I bought flowers from the local grocery store. Carnations, Gerbera daisies (my favorites!), and chrysanthemums. I had so much fun shooting them yesterday. It was sunny, the sun was shining through the window, so I had plenty of light. Here are some of the photos from that photo shoot.

No matter how old a girl gets, pink and hearts will forever remain her weakness!!

[52/52] Last Entry!!

Week 52!!! I should have posted this entry on the 14th of march. That was the date on which I started this project, a year ago.
A year has gone by, and it seems like it was only yesterday! I thought it would be a good idea to start a project like this to document my progress in photography.
A lot has happened over that year. I have learned lots of new techniques, and my skills improved. Over that year, I have had my eyes opened to many new things, I have learned that photography is not just about knowing what settings to use, but rather how to see everything that is around you. The world is full of beauty, even in the smallest, most unnoticeable parts of it. Photography teaches you to see this beauty, and not just look at it. It teaches you that nothing in this world is insignificant. Over that year, I have learned to appreciate this beauty, and tried to understand the purpose of it's existence. All in all, it has been a great year for me! A year of learning, growing, and having fun in the process!!

[52/51] Where I've Been Last Week

I've been in Ain Sokhna shooting the 8th African archery championship! My siblings were competing in the tournament. Yes I know.. you're wondering "where does Canada fit in an African championship?" Well, commonwealth countries were invited as well. In addition to Canada, there was New Zealand, Samoa Island, Trinidad and Tobago and Norfolk Island.
I had so much fun! It was the first event I shoot, and it was a bit challenging, since it was a sports event as well.
I met new people and learned new techniques, so overall it was a great experience.
Just in case you're wondering, Babyface is doing great now. He is much better (alhamdulilah). He's gaining weight, eating well, and playing like a monkey!

I am four weeks late for my "project 52" entry, this is week 51's entry.

Here are some of the photos taken at the event.

Restoration

The ground is still wet from the previous night's thunderstorm. You lay awake on the grass, beams of sun rays shine on your face. You look up, sleepy clouds trail the sky like herds of elephants through the African Savanna. A single bird lands on a leafless tree branch right above your head. It starts humming a gentle tune, welcoming the new day. A song of hope and optimism. The whole world around you seems to have been cleansed, and so does your soul. You feel as fresh as a new born. You inhale the sweet fragrance of the morning dew, you close your eyes, and silently whisper a little prayer of gratitude.

Helpless

You're surrounded by dark clouds. They circle you , almost suffocating you. You can feel darkness inside of you. You try to run, only to realize, you are running underneath the same sky, the same clouds, the same darkness.
Stones start falling from the sky. Cold white stones. Like sharp bullets they rip through the misty air, hitting you hard on your head, your shoulders, your back, even your face.
You hear a loud angry noise. You look up, the sky glows with a sharp searing blue light, so powerful, you almost feel the sky is being ripped apart. The very place you call home suddenly seems unfamiliar. Your bones are soaked, your head is heavy, and you feel pathetic, vulnerable, and miserable. There is no place you can turn to, no shield to hide under. Water streaming down your face, hot tears making their way through the streams of cold, heartless rain. You collapse and fall to your knees. In a moment like this, there is only one thing you could do. You raise you hands and cry "help me! Only You can help me!"

[50/52]

This is week 50's entry.
My cat is really sick, he's been ill for almost a week now, since he is not eating anything, nor drinking water.
I had to take him the vet yesterday, the "journey" to the clinic took us four hours! It is not really easy to find a reliable vet here, the only one I trust is at the far end of Cairo, plus, it was rush hour, so you can imagine.
Poor Babyface!! He lost half his weight!! He is very weak and dehydrated. I have to give him water by force, and he doesn't like that one little bit.
But thankfully he started eating again this morning, although he only ate a tiny bite.

[49/52] Sunny Side Up!

Ever felt like your battery is dying? Or rather dead? You have no energy to do anything, even something as simple as making your bed after you wake up. You miss the sunshine, you miss the days when you would be full of enthusiasm, energy and creativeness. You lose your motivation, your sense of time, and your interest in anything useful, and you stop enjoying the things you usually enjoy doing, besides eating!
Well, my battery died a while ago, and my bad mood is preventing me from recharging it.
I need a cold bucket of water splashed on my face, and a "SNAP OUT OF IT!"
Here is a cheerful sunny photo to cheer you... I mean me, up.
This is the week before last's entry, or the week before that? I don't know.. I lost count.

Bambinos!

Lula gave birth!! Finally!! Four healthy babies! Three girls and one boy.
We called them Mushu (the boy) Bambina, Cami, and Narinj.
Poor Lula! She was in so much pain!! She is still a baby herself!

It's a Matter of Existence!!!

I took Babyface to the vet today for a check up. This clinic is supposed to be the best in Cairo.
While I was waiting for my tun in the waiting room, the phone rang. When the nurse at the counter answered the phone, he began the conversation in Arabic, but is seems that the caller was a foreigner.

Nurse: Good morning sir! (it was afternoon, but nevertheless) yes we are open today. No I'm sorry the Dr. does not exist now. But he is on his way, you can come in thirty minutes.

I wanted to laugh!!!! Out loud!!! I tired really hard not to!! Yea.. he does not exist now, he will in thirty minutes!!!!

LOL!!

But what is really surprising, is that his accent was really good!! Compared to many well educated Egyptians!!

[48/52] Mid-winter's summer sunshine!

I have been away for about two weeks. Things have been hectic around here, I barely had time to check my emails and facebook (I hate it how facebook has become a part of everyday life!!)
I totally forgot about last week's entry, and the week before too! I am finding it really hard to keep up with this project, although it's only one photo per week, but I guess it has nothing to do with the photo, but rather the time to sit down and write something.
On another note, the weather is really strange these days!! It turned from "wearing double socks at night" to "wearing short sleeved PJ's at night" in just a day!!! It's literally summer over here!! I was using heating pads a week ago! (yes it gets really cold in Egypt, especially indoors)
This photo was taken with my new camera (yipppy!!)
I guess you can tell I'm still practicing!!

Sparkle and Shine!

I was looking through my old files, and I found this! I took these photos about a year ago, when I first started to show a little interest in photography. I had just learned a new trick to make "bokeh" (unfocused light) and I was thrilled!! It was also the first triptych I make.

What Happened Last Night

It was really cold last night. I was lying on the couch in the living room smothered in warm blankets watching TV. She came to me curled herself in my lap and started purring loudly. How I love it when she does that!! I placed my hand on her big belly, I'm sure they're sleeping soundly now, I thought to myself. But I was wrong!!! I felt a bump! Oh the babies are moving!! Another bump.. now I can feel them moving from one side to the other!! I couldn't contain my excitement!! I called to my mother.. come quick!! Come feel the babies!!
It was a magical moment... Lula was still purring. She looked at me with her lazy eyes, as if she was telling me... yea.. those are my lil babies!!

Inspired by a Blogger Template!!!

This is really weird, but I've been inspired by a blogger template!
I was helping my good friend Unique-Muslimah look for a new template for her blog, when I found a really cute cupcake template!!! And since both me and Unique love baking, I thought why not start a new blog about our baking adventures? She loved the idea! And "Baking with Mariam and Unique" was born!! I really hope that this blog will encourage us both to try new things just to blog about them and share the recipes with you!!

A Little Blue Bird

A little blue bird

Trapped in its golden cage
Looking through the window

Envying every fluttering butterfly
Every swirling leaf
Envying the wind that carries dew on its wings

The bird too has wings
Beautiful feather wings

Looking through the window
The bird would cry
How can he be a bird
But still he cannot fly?

-A Poem by Mariam A.

Photo by: Unique-Muslimah

[47/52] ".. A person is a person, no matter how small!" - Horton Hears a Who

This photo really describes how I've been feeling lately. Small, vulnerable, and invisible.
In real life, this droplet, lying perfectly still on that little flower petal is extremely small. It's not worth anything. Compared to everything around it, it's insignificant. You might pass by it and not even notice it. A very light breeze might knock it over, and send it flying everywhere. It has no value.
Yet, when I aimed my camera lens at it, and focused, something magical appeared. Something that made my heart skip a beat, and my eyes sparkle in admiration. It's beauty.

Day Thirty

Dated Dec/13/09

It was challenging, but fun!!

30 Days of Gratitude!

Day twenty nine... dated Dec/12/09

A month ago, my friend suggested that I start the 30 days of gratitude project with her, and I am so glad that I did! I've enjoyed every minute of working on this project, every click on my camera, every word I typed on my keyboard, and every comment I've received so far!
Now that the 30 days are over, I can look back at every gift I have been blessed with, and thank The Creator for showering me with those blessings.

umm.. is that like, in India??

A friend of mine bought new contact lenses at Sears the other day, and she was asking the girl at the counter when the lenses would be ready...

The girl: about four weeks

My friend: four weeks? But I'm traveling in two weeks! Can't you do something about this?

The girl: oh cool!! Where are you going?

My friend: I'm going to visit some friends in Cairo

The girl: oh that's the capital of India.. right??

My friend: what??

The girl: it's not the capital? *calls out to her friend* hey.. what's the capital of India?

The other girl: I dunno..

My friend: New Delhi

The girl: no it's not new Delhi.. I'm sure of that

My friend: Cairo is the capital of Egypt..

The girl: oh! *silence*... Ok, I'll see if I can have your contacts ready by then...

Way to go Canadian Schools!!

[46/52] Expecting!

Yes.. we're expecting new babies!!
Naturally, this photo should have been of Lula, the mommy-to-be, but even now, when her tummy is the size of a football, she is always jumping around and doing all sorts of crazy things, and she won't stay till, even for a moment for me to photograph her. She hates posing, and if she is not sleeping, she's running around like the little monkey that she is! What a great role model for her future babies!
This is babyface, or should I say daddyface? He's really confused, he can sense that there is something different about his Lula, and I think he is a bit jealous! She's been getting a lot of attention lately (.. and it's not like he's not getting any..) and he doesn't like that! But he still loves her :)
You can see how serious he looks here, of course! He's going to be a daddy!

I Do Believe!

Day twenty eight... dated Dec/11/09

One cannot be truly grateful for any blessing without having faith.
Faith is the essence of life. It makes people endure suffering, love unconditionally, forgive and be merciful. It refines our personalities and gives us reasons to live. Our goals become clearer with faith. Our daily rituals become meaningful, and our days happier.

"Those who have faith and do righteous deeds― they are the best of creatures."
The holy Quran, 98:7

I am truly grateful to Allah (God), for guiding me to make the right choice in life, and that is to believe in Him, His prophets, Adam, Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Joseph, David, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and all the prophets, (may blessings be upon them), His holy scriptures, the Torah, the Bible and the Quran, and His Angels.
I'm grateful for faith, it made me a person with a purpose.