Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
Is breakfast the most important meal of the day or is it what cereal companies want us to believe? How healthy are products with sugar and fat-free labels? Why are sport companies promoting unhealthy...
Unraveling the truth behind a haunting case
Whether you’re a fan of movies like The Exorcist and The Conjuring or sceptical about the paranormal world, I invite you to watch Netflix’s documentary ‘The Devil’s on Trial’ written and...
Reem Dawood’s quiet portrait of love and art
When Reem Dawood — the prominent Omani translator based in Cairo — was approached by Egyptian art magazine ‘Funoon’ to write an article describing her life as a wife of an artist, she happily...
A jewel of a novel that’s skillfully structured, brilliantly visualised
While arranging the books in my father’s library, I came across a novel that I was gifted a long time back and totally forgot about. It was called The Shadow of God: A Novel of War and Faith by...
A tale of resilience and gentle charm
While my acquaintances were having a relaxing National Day holiday, I was squatting next to Sham looking at the white furball he’d just encountered behind one of the garden’s plant pots.The...
A journey of change and nostalgia
After a stressful year full of downs more than ups, I decided to take a short break and what would be better than visiting my aunt/sister Reem in the charming but chaotic Cairo?Despite the support...
A tale of sense, sensibility and cinematic brilliance
I’m not a fan of Jane Austin. So, when I met my sister-in-law for the first time and she mentioned that Austin was her favourite writer, I wondered loudly about the general fascination of helpless...
A Serbian tale of sacrifice and sorrow
“There is an unexplainable sadness in the heart of every Serbian. Maybe you’ll understand it when you finish this book.” These were the words of my Serbian friend when he saw me reading Danko...
Sitar magic and motherly bonds
I’m not a fan of sitar music, unlike my mom who’s a huge fan. During the pandemic, mom got to meet my best friend YouTube, and enjoyed everything it offered: English and Swahili classes, gardening...
Gaza's fight and global silence
On October 7, Arabs marked the first anniversary of the Gaza war, orchestrated by Netanyahu, the man who calls resistance movements 'terrorism' and who displayed two maps labelled 'The Blessing' and...
‘People of Saturday’ shines at Omani Theatre Festival
People of Saturday is a play that was part of the 8th Omani Theatre Festival celebrated in Muscat from the September 22 till October 3. It won the second place and was awarded for Best Director.The...
Summer rescues in Kitzania
This summer is considered the lowest in number of dumped kittens in Kitzania yet it’s high when it comes to losses of older cats (plus five-years-old) to accidents, illnesses, and...
The Imam series – A deep dive into Islamic history
If you’re a fan of period series and looking for something different and related to Islamic culture made by Arabs and not xenophobic, stereotyping Western media - then I’d recommend you to watch...
Revenge reading: Rediscovering Tony, Susan in family feud
After my cousin Taggy lost her first reading competition against me - abandoning the reading of Henry James’s Portrait of a Lady after a few chapters as she deemed it slow and boring, I decided to...
Paris Olympics 2024: A tale of controversy and cultural tensions
I am not a fan of sports except the World Cup. To me, the Olympics were always about watching opening and closing ceremonies, and reading about outstanding performances and medals won.However, as I...
A claustrophobic quest for an orca
It was the first day of the Hijri New Year when Mom decided that we should visit Ikea to buy my niece an orca soft toy that she liked very much. I’m not a fan of Ikea.My last experience of it was...
The Cook of Castamar a cocktail of history and cookery
If you’re looking for a historical series that’s set in a country other than England, then I invite you to watch Netflix’s The Cook of Castamar (2021).Set in Madrid in 1720 during the reign of...
Gongora, the Andalusian poet
To enhance my Spanish skills, I borrowed a poetry book called ‘Luis De Góngora: Poetic Anthology’ from a Spanish acquaintance. Studying Spanish in Andalusia meant that I had heard about the poet...
History behind an Arabic song
On June 5th, the Arab world commemorated the 57th anniversary of the Nasksa (setback) or what’s known to the world as the six days war or the war of 1967. Being a sentimental nation, we always link...
His brief company gave joy, brightened my days
When I rescued a baby crow (Yep! You’ve read that right!), my Indian and Serbian friends said that he’s an immortal creature while my Sudanese doctor informed me that baby crows are so ugly that...