As I lay myself to sleep

As I lay myself to sleep
Thoughts rise up from the deep.
They keep me awake.

It's too hot; it's too cold;
I can't forget what I've been told
that day.

Dreams I've dreamt, loves I've left
Rise up from the place I've left
inhabit me.

Words and thought and metaphors
The turns I shall use in my prose
visit me.

Thoughts on a sleeplessness night, and remembering how when I put my head on the pillow I knew how I'd write this article.

Lessons from James Cameron

In this youtube on Tedtalks, director James Cameron talks about his work as a director, and the less-known work as an under-sea explorer and adviser on NASA.

Here are some of the lessons he found important to share:

1) Curiosity is the most powerful thing you own.

2) Imagination is the force that can manifest a reality.

3) Respect of teammates is something greater than all the laurels in the world.

And unlike what NASA says, failure is an option, but fear is not. Take the risk. Take the leap. This reminds me to get over my fear of not being able to complete my metro tour project, and just going out there and doing it.

Absolutely WRITE

Tonight I can write so many lines... (that's a play on some Pablo Neruda poetry)

I have been greatly inspired by this artist that I met up with yesterday. I met her at a party where she told me about her peripatetic project in Cairo. I asked her if I could walk along with her, and write about it as an article.

So just from meeting her at a party, I had an idea for an article. And walking with her has taken me down so many avenues of thought already, although it was only yesterday that we walked together.

I also realized that much as she breaks out of her ken by walking with different people, I break out of mine through my job as a journalist. I write about people and experiences I have never known before, and my job forces the structure of my approach. I go, I question, I find out, and I write. And like her, I have had accompaniment on all my journeys; in my case, a more or less constant one: my editor, Joe. And Joe has often pushed me to go at a faster speed, or to go beyond my imposed self-restrictions, basically beyond my set route or map to discover newer terrain, just as Amira discovers new places and experiences the city anew with people she goes with.

I was also thinking about how I get ideas for writing my articles. I remembered that while attending another concert yesterday as well, I sat next to this bunch, and I ended up eavesdropping on their conversations. Their comments will no doubt make their way into my writing as they did in my observation of the event. And the were also talking about Cairo Ultimate - a frisbee sport group which I then looked up on facebook, and then pitched to another editor as a story for an article.

It is funny how comments, conversations, and the stuff of everyday life makes its way into your work, and your writing. As is right. Absolutely!

The Shape of My Days

life's been treating me really well. Most of all, I've been enjoying the fact that I've been getting up in the morning. It has changed the light and shape of my day - I have much more time to do things, I have things to do, and I'm relaxed doing them. I am taking care of myself in the meanwhile too.

Among the things I'm doing are going back to cycling and the environment - attending lectures and conferences. It is stimulating meeting new people and coming across new ideas. I have met some really interesting people lately and like Joe said sometimes it's just enough to get to know someone stimulating to spark your interest in life again. Also I've been reconnecting with people I knew before. And somehow, the more I do, the more energy I have to do more.

I think it started with just pampering myself one day at the salon. That rolled into going out for a whole variety of activities, and then rewarding myself for them afterwards.

Recently I got a job recording sounds for a textbook at a studio. It involves doing voices - adult and children voices - saying simple things so that young learners can understand. Then it also involves singing, and I have earned a rep for having some musical talent. And so we sing jingles in the mikes too. It's quite fun.

And the other day after work, I went salsa dancing. Besides the beginner's course, I wanted to try the intermediate 1 course. There weren't enough people for that level so the teacher hiked me up to intermediate 2 level and I ended up doing quite well, and dancing well the rest of the night - better than I have in quite a while. So I feel I have 'levelled up' in salsa :) It feels like good progress.

So that's that. All in a day's work.

A Day Well Spent

Today was productive.

In the sense that I got my hair done, went to salon, and worked on an article and some arabic.

And even though hair looks okay, in the sense that it seems like I've brushed it quite a bit, but not like I just came out to party. And and article is not the best effort, and I was late to arabic class, we in Egypt say "alhamdullillah".

Thanks to God! A day well spent is a good day indeed. :)

P.s. and Oh, I finally posted a blog post. :)

Somethin to think about...

Before you can win, you have to believe you are worthy. - Mike Ditka, American coach.

can always count on BrainyQuote to give you something to think about..

I suppose the hard work is as much for ourselves to believe that we are worthy for the win.

Revolutionary Road

I finished reading the book about two days ago, and I watched the movie too. I found the book far superior, if only because it's much richer in its themes and doesn't just have one single narrative understanding of what's going on.

There were two things I liked most about the book - the confession at the very end that this contract between both parties had been a whole pack of lies (The movie doesn't give that impression in as definite a fashion) - that it was a whole thing that snowballed from being nice to a boy at a party into a marriage, three children, 'i love you' and 'you're the most valuable thing, a man.'

The other thing I liked was the link to insanity. That the female lead's closest ally in the whole book was a man in an insane asylum. He had called her "female" and the male lead "male" for deciding to start a whole new life away from the "hopeless emptiness". the fact that these two had confronted it - and found camaraderie in a madman for doing so - and wanted to get away from it, made them both exceptional and like everyone else that thinks that they're stuck in a rut, can't get out, until they think they can if they just run after this crazy exit. Theirs was France.

My France is Creative Writing at the New York University (or some other uni).

What's your France?

Pajamas: Pink t-shirt, and grey bottoms, and a grey cardigan to keep us warm