Tag: journalism

Throwback to France – Part 1: Home

July 16th, 2020

This year is quite a strange one for everyone across the globe. Our worlds are changing drastically on so many levels: culturally, socially, politically, financially, and most importantly, healthily.

One of the traditions I’ve kept over the years is to travel to a particular place every year. My plans this year have been cancelled, but I decided to be creative: I don’t need to travel physically, but I can travel back in time. As a matter of fact, I thought, why not write about some past trips and take my readers with me?

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What I Learned During Jonah’s Fast

February 17th, 2020

Disclaimer: This blog post is not detailed, assuming the readers already know about the content of the Bible. To know more about the Bible and the Book of Jonah in particular, please visit the following link: https://www.stmarystmark.ca/books-articles/articles/174-jonah-s-fasting-fast-of-nineveh

Last week, from February 10 to February 12, I fasted three days for Jonah’s fast. Orthodox Christians do this in order to commemorate the three days Prophet Jonah spent inside the fish and Nineveh’s repentance. This year, I actually cared about fasting and reading the book of Jonah, not because I didn’t know the story, but because I never related to it, nor understood in what context I could apply the lessons learned in my life.

After reading the four chapters of the book of Jonah and researching the meaning behind them, the prophet’s story hit me close to home, especially the last chapter. The chapters might seem short, but you have to read them in between the lines to grasp the main message. Here are the things I learned.

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Five Days in Miami and One in The Bahamas

July 23rd, 2019

Last week, I went to the States with my lovely parents. I’ll share all the things we did and where we stayed without writing a novel. Let’s start!

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A Week At St. Mary and St. Moses’s Abbey in Texas

June 27th, 2019

To the ones that made me feel like home for five days straight, that made me promise to never change who I am, that loved my sense of humour, that have golden and open hearts, that warmly welcomed us, that cook super well, that encouraged me to serve, that are bold in their faith, that were our second or third mothers to us, that have a height I look up to, that can sing, draw, and be talented like no one else, that are soft in their manners like doves, that are funnier than America’s best comedians, that share a passion for books, that are little innocent geniuses, that have the best semi-broken Arabic, that know how to read Arabic and Coptic (props to youuuuu), that are wannabe Montrealers, and that are amazing travelling companions… this article is for you.

Last week, I embarked on a short spiritual trip. I had no idea, not even the slightest clue on what to expect. No one told me what we were going to do, nor what to expect from a week at a monastery. I didn’t even know who from church was going to the trip. And you know what? Not knowing anything led to the best surprise ever.

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Mental Health Awareness Week & Taylor Swift’s New Single

May 9th, 2019

I’ve been planning to write so many blog posts since 2019 started, but I haven’t written a single thing! Blame it on the lack or waste of time, blame it on the millions of things I want to do, but can’t seem to (and that, you can blame it on the lack of courage, confidence, or just unexpected events, interrupted plans, etc.), and the list goes on and on… I can’t believe we’re already in May! It’s almost half a year, it’s almost summer, and it’s almost my birthday, and I don’t know how to feel at all. Actually, now that I’m sick, I can’t help but feel a kaleidoscope of emotions I can’t describe, yet one I thing I know is that I am extremely exhausted. My body has been begging me to slow down, but that’s the one thing I hate to do. I basically have to kill my body to rest.

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NEW YORK CITY + #GIRLBOSS RALLY 2018

November 27th, 2018

I had planned this trip with my friend Jasmine a while ago. We knew by the end of the summer that we would go to New York and meet incredible and inspiring women. However, it only hit us probably a week before our departure date from Montreal. We were freaking out and asking each other what are the things we wanted to do, to see, to eat, to try, to whatever New Yorkers do. Was this trip worth it in coldish November. YES. Was the Girlboss Rally worth it? YES. I therefore decided to write a blog post that would give an idea of what I did, who I met and share my opinions on this one-of-a-kind event.

*Note that there will be more pictures on Instagram and my photography portfolio soon.*

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Published in the Our Languages Blog (Gvt of Canada) // Publiée dans le blog Nos Langues (Gvt du Canada)

August 8th, 2018

I can’t believe it, but it looks like my dream came true! My article on poetry has been published on the Our Languages Blog by the Translation Bureau of the Government of Canada (What? The GOVERNMENT? YESSSSSS!!!).

If you want to read my four little tips on writing simple but deep poems, click here. The article is also available in French.

Also, special thanks to my mother who found me this opportunity and pushed me to write and to my father’s endless encouragements. Love you both so much.

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