Like in Egyptian movies, there is a thin line between imagination and reality in Egypt, where two politically active bloggers get close to each other at an anti-government rally, then fall in love and finally get married [1].
Blogger Albara Ashraf reports this happy story, without failing to conjure some of the feelings of insecurity many Egyptian bloggers feel.
لعنت الأمن المركزي في سري، وتذكرت لقاءاتي الأولى مع العريس وعروسه، “عمرو عزت” صاحب مدونة “ما بدا لي”، و”رضوى أسامة” صاحبة مدونة “هكذا أنا”.. اللقاء كان في المكان الطبيعي لتواجد المدونين.. ولتواجد عربات الأمن الخضراء.. مظاهرات وسط البلد ضد تمديد فترة رئاسة مبارك..
بعدها فترة طويلة من المعرفة الانسانية عبر المدونات، ولقاءات متقطعة في فعاليات للمعارضة على طول العام الماضي
ثم.. “عمرو” و”رضوى” سيتزوجان قريبا..
“Following this, they met online through the blogs, then during the protests throughout last year and finally we heard that they were getting married,” he wrote.
Congratulations to Radwa [3] and Amr [4], whose wedding, at a park, was attended by a host of bloggers, including Malek X who took some video footage [5] and photographs [6].
Just like any bride, Radwa had her moments [7] before the wedding.
Let's now move away from feelings to th emore materialistic things in life. Cars are a status symbol in Gulf Arab countries, especially in the more affluent Saudi Arabia.
Saudi blogger Essam paints a hilarious picture of some of the drivers he encounters [8] in his capital, Riyadh.
وبالتأكيد لا أقصد به صاحب تلك السيارة الذي يعرف في الحارة (بالتفحيط) والإزعاج حتى في آخر الليل والكل يعرف سيارته لأن (الكفرات) دائماً جديدة وبالمناسبة لديه ولاء غريب للمدينة التي يرجع نسبه إليها عرف الناس ذلك من خلال كتابته لأسم مدينته بالخط الأبيض على الزجاج الخلفي!
صاحبنا الذي (سيارته غير) لم يكن أخونا الكلاسيكي الذي فهم الأصالة بعدم سماعه إلا أشرطه المطربين القدامى فهو يقدر الفن الأصيل!!!
ولا عكسه الشاب العصري، الذي (ترج رج) سيارته بالأغاني الغربية وليته يكتفي بسماعها، وأظنه كريم يحب أن يسمع كل من في الشارع وفي البيوت القريبة أيضا، (ويا ليته يعرف معناها كان تهون المصيبة شوي)!!!
أما الأخ الذي سيارته لا يوجد بها مسجل ولا رادو ولا حتى مكيف، ولا يركب سيارته إلا للضرورة القصوى وغالباً يركبها وهو مهموم مشغول البال. ليس هو الذي نعنيه في مقالي هذا.
ولا الرجل الوقور صاحب السيارة الرسمية الذي يقوم (بمشاويره) بسرعة ويذهب إما إلى مكتبه أو إلى بيته أو إلى (الشلة).
I also don't mean that man, who is known in the neighbourhood, for making a lot of noise with his car, which is easily recognisable because he has new tyres on it all the time. He also has a lot of loyalty to his hometown and you can see it written in white all over his back window.
Our friend, whose car is different, isn't that man who loves classical things and who only listens to old songs because he appreciates original things!
He is also not that modern man, whose car is blasting with loud Western music, which he is only to happy to make all the other road users and even the people in the houses he passes be listen to. I only wish he understands the meanings of the words he listens to. That will make this catastrophe more acceptable.
And that man who doesnt have a stereo in his car, and not even a radio or an air-conditioner, and who only drives that cars when he absolutely has to, is also not the person I am refering to in this article.
I also am not interested in the man who has an official car for going to work, returning home and meeting his friends.”
Essam‘s model driver is that who benefits for his time in the car and listens to things he can learn from while driving – like listening to the Holy Quran [9], for instance.
From Jordan, Batir Wardam is in shock after university professors refused to answer a questionnaire for a study [10].
ومع أن هذا قد لا يعتبر مؤشرا يمكن البناء عليه، ولكن من الغريب أن يكون أساتذة الجامعات هم الفئة الأقل تجاوبا مع المشاركة في استطلاع يعتمد الأسس العلمية ويهدف إلى المصلحة العامة، في الوقت الذي كانت فيه نسبة الطلاب الجامعيين الذين أجابوا على الاستطلاع 99 من أصل 100.
“Even if this isn't an indication we can draw conclusions from, it is strange that professors were the least interested in taking part in a study which is based on a scientific basis and which aims to serve society as a whole. At the same time, 99 out of 100 students answered the questionnaire,” he wrote.
Wardam is also quick to point out that university professors have another passion closer to their hearts, and that includes filling their wallets by signing lucrative deals with consultative agencies.
Meanwhile, in Kuwait blogger Frankom wonders why Arab countries block blogs and internet sites.
منذ الصباح و أنا أواجه هذه المشكلة مع نسبة كبيرة جدا من المواقع
Our last stop this round up is in Palestine, where blogger Al Horani informs us about a new book to hit the shelves, which claims that Former Iraqi president Saddam is still alive. [11]
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