Why the hell did I write this post a couple of days ago, and I was all excited and happy? Why does everything seem so yesterday or not satisfactory enough for the MOTHER! My God! Another angry post peepz! I am warning you!

Time: 12:30 pm
Location: Kitchen
Witnesses: No persons but a loud echo for the world to hear
Short memory: Only my mother

I was asked a couple of days ago I think on Twitter from @lela2000 if I was going to Lebanon this summer. I told her I wasn’t. Today, out of curiosity, I told my mom, “I want to go to Lebanon. It has been over 18 years since I stepped foot there, and I think the family is a bit unhappy with that.”

Mom nagging, “You what? Aren’t you ever going to look for work? Why can’t you find work? How come all those Arab girls have full time jobs and get paid so much?”

In my head, I wanted to commit murder that involved me and a butcher’s knife. I couldn’t hold my anger anymore.

I shouted, “I have money. I have so much money! I don’t need to keep making thousands of dollars a month to look at it. I want to enjoy my life! I am tired! There is a whole entire world out there. And stop comparing me to the shit Arabs that you know. Yes, they are pure shit, and I am sick and tired of you comparing me to them! I hate them! I hate them! I hate them!”

Mom screamed back, “I am not comparing you to anyone! But seriously, why do they have jobs and living a better life?!”

Wow wow wow.. now she pushed it!

I screamed back even more, “My life is fine! I hate being compared to people here. That’s the main problem between you and me. You keep comparing me to other people! They are pretty, they are skinny, they are married, they have jobs, they have children, they buy homes, blah blah blah! If I had a chance, I would leave this stupid city! Arab women that you know are uneducated liars who only care about making them selves seem perfect infront of everyone else. Stop believing every word they say! What do you want from me? I am educated! I worked for so many years! I have money! What do you want? Why should I kill my self to get any shitty stupid job to make you look good infront of those ARABS!”

She didn’t have a reason for work except that all my money will soon be gone. Although I told her that if I wasn’t making any money online, but paying stupid monthly bills, I can live off my money for over 3 years!

Mom screamed back even more and more, “That means you hate me also because I am friends with these Arabs. Who do you think you are? You are an Arab!”

I said firmly, “I am not a backwards Arab!”

Mom left, then dad came to see why mom and I were arguing. “What’s wrong?” he said.

I told him exactly what happened, and how I make money online and I want to go see the family I have! What am I waiting for? To get a 9-5 job or die not seeing blood relatives? Why do I have to be stuck in this country? I am Canadian! I can go anywhere in this world! (Well, mostly everywhere.)

My dad said, “Go to Lebanon. Don’t worry about it. And don’t worry about all those Arabs here. When you were working for 6.5 years, how many of those Arabs were working? None of them. Or is it just a new trend this job thing during an economic crisis? How come ALL of them have jobs now or getting paid so much?”

Announcement: Middle East! The Rebellious Arab Girl is coming to you soon after almost 17 years apart! Meet me at Beirut Airport sometime after Ramadan 2009! That’s in the end of September or early October. I will also swing by Syria to visit the awesomeness of the old city, Damascus. Middle east… oh back home.. the blogging and photos from there will kick ass!

Angry, Blah Blah, They said what?, Travel, Whatever!

Over a year ago, I started a poll about my visitors. I no longer have the exact statistics, but I always find it fascinating about readers of this blog, and it helps me in my daily writings. When I did the poll last year, the way higher percentage as I recall correctly was non-Arab readers.

[source]

I have had many issues in the past regarding the Arab blogsphere. I am not welcomed in it, I am not allowed to join many Arab blog networks, and I am ridiculed with a passion from that selected niche. Since I am rebellious, a girl, and say a few things that they hate, the Arab visitor count to my blog is very low. However, there is an exception of those visitors that search for the forbidden Arab love and land here from Google. They just need their mother to work harder to find them a perfect pure teen Arab bride, and not waste their time finding a [fill in blank] Arab girl.

So, that was about a year ago. Now, I feel like I am regaining an Arab audience, I hope. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Another famous poll!

 Loading ...

You can tell I have been spending my day reminiscing old blog posts. I seldom re-read my old posts, but I did today!

Blah Blah, Confused, Culture, Random Thoughts, They said what?, Whatever!

Year: 1985
Age: 4.5 years
Height: 3’4″ or 101.6 cm
Location: The Arabian dessert
Time: 5:21 pm
Life’s Mission: To be elected the first Arabic female leader

This picture was shot while Mona was riding an Arabian horse as a symbol of a true Arabian knight. Her facial expression while speaking to the crowd shows the true essence of a benevolent leader.

Vote Mona 2009! Elections are still on!

Blah Blah, Culture, Funny, Thank you, They said what?, Whatever!

I was officially hired today!

“Mona, you need to seriously be more rebellious,” my mother said as we were arguing about my life while walking to the mall.

I heard that and thought, “Dear God! My mom used the magical word to encourage me!”

After many arguments about my life while going to the mall, walking inside the mall, having some coffee at the mall, she realized that I am not sitting and doing nothing all day. I make money from the Interweb.

Mom said, “how much money are you making, and doing what?”

With a wide grin I said, “I do little contracts here and there. I make enough money to pay my student loans and credit card every month. I pretty much have the same amount of money in the bank as I did after my last pay cheque few months again. It barely decreased.”

“You need to seriously start a business,” she said.

“MOM! That’s the plan, but everything takes time. I am telling you right now, I do not want to work for anyone. I don’t want to be stuck in an office and being ordered around. I like my freedom and to do whatever I want,” I argued back.

She said, “It is the only way to make money anymore. Finding work seems impossible these days. You should start a business, get office space somewhere, and start hiring people.”

I kept arguing, “Takes time. Takes time.”

While walking back home, I said, “You know, the internet is amazing. It is a world of opportunities. My plan is to write a book. Did you know that I took advanced writing courses in University? I just need a couple or so courses, and I would get a writing certificate.”

Mom replied, “So try to find a writing job, and why don’t you write this book about your life?”

I said, “Did you know there are people that make thousands of dollars online a month from having personal websites that just talk about their life?”

She frantically replied, “Then why don’t you have a website about your life! People would love to read it.”

Smiling and waiting for the final approval, “And I should put advertisements, and write a book while I am at it?”

Mom excitedly replied back, “Yes! Why not?”

Bingo! Got her!

“I do have a site online, and that’s how I make money, ” I replied back with a glow on my face.

“Good that you do and you are making money from writing and having your own websites!” she said.

I replied back, “I want to make money off the net, and start something big. I know how to write well, make websites, and I am not limited to anything!”

I guess now she feels a lot better towards me. I GOT A JOB! I WORK FROM HOME! I AM NOT A BUM! However, she doesn’t understand why I can’t find a guy and want to marry. Now that’s another story that does not need to be discussed at the moment.

Advice, Blah Blah, Random Thoughts, They said what?, Whatever!

I may not know many people in this city that I live in, especially Arabs. However, my mom knows many because of the nature of what she does. She fixes clothes for people, but 99% of those people are Arabs. It is the only thing she can do, and is more like a hobby and social interaction. She learned this hobby when she was only 15, because it was the only thing that she can spend her day doing. The people raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon at its early days, most likely did not have many females getting a proper education. My mom was one of them.

She has been fixing clothes, or being a seamstress almost all her life. She gets to meet lots of Arabs as a result, and hear their stories. And most of you know my mother by now, she is Reuters in this house. I know many stories about Arabs in this city of mine, but never really interacted with them or cared to.

It’s all in the Culture

Last night, I was sitting on my L-Zay Boy couch. That’s where I have been spending all day with the laptop on my lap. I’m spending my day writing a fictional story, and I will soon post parts of it weekly on my blog. Stay tuned! It is just for fun, and something new. Anyways, my mom comes into my blog office, and sits on a chair. She tells me, “I know so many people now. You know this and that. I met her aunt today and 15 year old daughter. They wanted me to add an extension to a dress.”

I looked at my mother with a raised eyebrow and said, “Aha? And?”

My mother continued on, “The lady wanted me to add an extension to the top area of a dress, so her daughter’s breasts don’t show. I was a bit surprised, because I didn’t know that Christians cared about such dress issues.”

They were Iraqi Christians.

“Mom, so what if they are Christians? They are Arabs. In reality, it has nothing to do with being a Muslim only to dress conservatively. It is our culture that is conservative, and not religion,” I said with a concerned voice.

Mom replied, “I sensed that. The lady said that her husband will scream at her, and not their daughter for wearing an uncovered dress like that. It had to be fixed.”

I sensed mom’s concern and confusion. Typical Arab Muslim mentality. I said, “Mom, like I said, it has nothing to do with religion. Look at some Muslim Arabs that live here or back home. Look at the way they dress. It is shameful and an invitation for rape. So what Arabs wear has nothing to do with religion anymore. If they do care, it is following cultural conservative traditions. That’s if many know what those modest traditions still are.”

Enlightening Her with Some History

[Screen shot from Fadi Andrawos music video]

I was reading some history of Palestinian life before 1948 the other day, and I wanted to share some stories with my mother. I continued on the conversation and told her, “Before the war, many of the Palestinians lived in villages and were farmers, etc. They lived a very modest life. Their only worry in life was having daily necessities to survive. Since most of them were living such a life, many of those villages lacked mosques or churches, but everyone knew and respected each other’s religion.”

Mom interrupted me and said, “Of course. That’s true, and the neighbours celebrated each other’s religious holidays. Many Christians fasted in Ramadan like their Muslim neighbours. Muslims celebrated Christmas and Easter like their Christian neighbours. They never let religion separate them.”

I said, “Exactly. Palestinians lived the Arab life. They respected each other, and never made religion a barrier between them. They celebrated each other’s religious holidays. They mourned with them. They celebrated great times with them. I don’t know when this religious separation ideology between Arabs started, but it is not right. Especially Arabs here that come from some noratic closed minded Islamic lifestyle back home, and think anyone who is not a Muslim is the devil.”

Mom said, “You are right. Our religion says to respect those who carry the holy books. Christians and Jews.”

“Exactly!” I excitedly said. “So no more of this religious crap that shocks the hell out of Arab Muslims here. They need to look deeper into their religion. Also, they should learn the true essence of being an Arab,” I added firmly.

I think I lectured my mother enough yesterday. However, I know nothing will change. At least I said something, and not only to her my loyal readers.

Blah Blah, Confused, Culture, Palestine, Religion, They said what?, Whatever!