Egyptian FE-Mail

Thursday, March 5, 2009

مقالات مروة رخا لمجلة احنا و أخبار أخرى

Hi again:)

Latest News:

I now write the relationships page for Al Balagh newspaper (صفحة مع مروة رخا بجريدة البلاغ)
Click here to watch the pilot episode of my new program Tadweena تدوينة

Interesting Links:
The Interviews section on marwarakha.com is working .. have a look
My book The Poison Tree - planted & grown in Egypt is now on Amazon .... spread the word:)
Buy The Poison Tree on Amazon.com
Click here: I uploaded my interview on Nile Life برنامج كل ليلة
Click here: I uploaded my interview on Dream TV برنامج شبابيك

Click here: my posts for Global Voices

Mark your calendars

Every Monday ... I am on After Dark with Erin on Nile FM 104.2 from 10pm to 12midnight (Email me your problems or suggestions). Show is in English and you can listen to us live on http://www.nilefmonline.com/

Every Sunday & Wednesday ... I am on Radio Horytna with Yassmin Yassin from 6pm to 7pm (Email me your problems or suggestions). Show is in Arabic and you can listen to us live on http://www.horytna.net/

I wrote some controversial articles for Campus:

Monday, March 2, 2009

Full Pilot Episode تدوينة

الحلقة الكاملة هنا
http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=32&p2_articleid=288
Here are the blogs I mentioned:
Sami Ben Gharbia
Al Khoga Ethar El Katatney
Noha Atef
Asser Yasser Mohamed Hamdy Eman Hashim
Solana Larsonand an interview with Tarek Amr (Change the Channel)

محتاجة رأى المدونين و المدونات بشدة

ده بايلوت لبرنامجى الجديد عن المدونين و المدونات ... عايزة رأيكم يا جماعة و شاركوا اللينك مع باقى المدونين و قولوا لى ممكن يبقى أحسن ازاى
http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=32&p2_articleid=287

This is the pilot episode of my new program تدوينة please have a look and let me know your feedback and suggestions ... share the link with Arabic speaking bloggers to get more feedback before I proceed

http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=32&p2_articleid=287

Sunday, February 22, 2009

مروة رخا و ياسمين ياسين و حلقات جديدة من بحبك فيك إيه؟ على راديو حريتنا

مروة رخا و ياسمين ياسين و حلقات جديدة من بحبك فيك إيه؟ على راديو حريتنا

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة الثامنة و عشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" عن صعوبة الاعتذار و الاعتراف بالخطأ

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=273

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2028.rar

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة السابعة و عشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" عن كيمياء الحب و الحب بيحصل ازاى؟
القلب عضلى بتضخ دم و بس ... الحب كيمياء من المخ

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=272

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2027.rar

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة السادسة و عشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" عن عيد الحب او يوم الفالانتاين
لو انت سينجل و مش مرتبط ... اكتئاب عيد الحب ... المبالغة فى الاحتفال بعيد الحب ... الكيتش على رأى صديقى المدون محمد الكومى

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=271

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2026.rar

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة الخامسة و عشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" عن الجنون
بحب فيك جنونك و بحب فيكى جنونك

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=260

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2025.rar

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة الاربعة و عشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" و كوكتيل
الحلقة دى هيكون محوارها الأساسى هو مشاكلكم

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=259

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2024.rar

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة الثالثة و عشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" عن ازاى تفهم حبيبك

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=258

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2023.rar

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة الاتنين و عشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" عن الاحلام المشتركة

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=257

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2022.rar

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة الواحد و العشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" عن الاحساس بالامان

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=256

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2021.rar

مروة رخا مع ياسمين ياسين و الحلقة العشرين من برنامج "بحب فيك ايه" عن الاعتناء بالنفس من بره و من جوه

Listen: http://www.marwarakha.com/index.php?categoryid=30&p2_articleid=254

Download: http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2020.rar

حلقات سابقة للتحميل

الحلقة الـ19
2009-1-14
حلقة الإجابة على إستفساراتكوا
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2019.rar

الحلقة الـ18
(المشاركة فى الحب)
2009-1-4
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2018.rar

الحلقة الـ17
(أمنيات 2009)
2008-12-31
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2017.rar

الحلقة الـ16
(التسامح فى الحب)
2008-12-28
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2016.rar

الحلقة الـ15
(الصبر فى الحب)
2008-12-24
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2015.rar

الحلقة الـ14
(الكرم فى الحب)
2008-12-17
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2014.rar

الحلقة الـ13
(الإهتمام فى الحب)
2008-12-14
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2013.rar

الحلقة الـ12
(الصدق و الكذب فى الحب)
2008-11-26
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2012.rar

الحلقة ال11
(الإخلاص و الخيانة فى الحب)
2008-11-19
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2011.rar

الحلقة العاشرة
بحب فيك رومانسيتك
2008-11-16
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2010.rar

الحلقة التاسعة
(بحب فيك(ى) إنك
(open minded !!
2008-11-12
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2009.rar

الحلقة الثامنة
(بحب فيك رجولتك ، بحب فيكى أنوثتك)
2008-11-9
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2008.rar

الحلقة السابعة
(الاعتماد على الطرف الآخر)
2008-11-5
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2007.rar

الحلقة السادسة
(الفخر فى الحب)
2008-11-2
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2006.rar

الحلقة الخامسة
(الإحتواء فى الحب)
2008-10-26
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2005.rar

الحلقة الرابعة
(الإحترام و التقدير فى الحب)
2008-10-22
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2004.rar

الحلقة الثالثة
(الصراحة فى الحب)
2008-10-19
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2003.rar

الحلقة الثانية
(الثقة فى الحب)
2008-10-15
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2002.rar

الحلقة الأولي
(فتاة و فارس الأحلام)
2008-10-12
http://www.horytna.net/downloads/tracks/Horytna%20-%20Ba7ab%20Feek%20Eh%2001.rar

Monday, February 16, 2009

A Hell of a Marriage

Back in March 2007, I wrote here – on that very same page – on the issue of early divorces:

The men and women who shared with me their sob stories are victims of our society. The double standards that they are brought up to adopt create what we call in business, an execution gap. There is a big void between where we really are and where we want to be; what we want and what we have; how we feel and how we act. We drown in an abyss of deluding illusions, unrealistic expectations, fake emotions, consuming demands, and the inevitable frustration. We get married for the wrong reasons; we mistake lust for love and confuse stability with stagnation. Mothers are over protective as though they want to suck us back into their wombs. Fathers discriminate between their sons and daughters. Women do not practice what they preach; they sing to the deaf ears of their male counterparts. Men do not meet the promises they make; they play to the sensitive tunes of the female vulnerability. Traditions, manners, taboos, and religion mix in one melting pot that defines stereotyped outlines for our ideal character and our perfect mate. We are dictated the answers to all the quizzes but we are left to face the final tests alone – we fail with flying colors.

Are there “wrong” reasons for marriage? No!

Read why and how

Ask Marwa: My mom is prettier than I am

Dear Marwa

I have a huge problem that is making me miserable. I wish I was never born. Would you believe me if I told you that my mom is the cause of my misery? I will tell you why; my mom is gorgeous. She is this beautiful tall model-looking blond whereas I look like my dad. I am not ugly but next to my mom I look like a dull ordinary girl. When my friends meet her, they do not believe that I am the daughter of this pretty woman. They ask me why I look nothing like her.

The guys at school, instead of showering me with compliments, the first thing they tell me is how wonderful my mom looks. I was performing in a play at school and she stole my light just by showing up. I am beginning to feel jealous of her and I asked her not to pick me up from school again. I do not want to go into details about what happens on the beach, at weddings, or even while walking with her on the street. I love her but her presence hurts me.

The ugly duckling

Read my reply

Ask Marwa: Was it love?

Hello Marwa,

I am a 24 year old female who works for a reputable company. Two years ago, I fell in love with a colleague. I was attracted to his wonderful character and religious sense in addition to his gentlemanliness. The problem is that during that period, he never stated directly and frankly to me that he loves me, but his eyes were saying it and the birthday party that he prepared for me said it too. Anyway, I waited and waited, but no step was taken from his side and I got engaged to someone I don't know through an arranged marriage.

My fiancée loved me a lot, but I could not love him at all. Actually, I hated everything about him; he was a smoker and I hate smokers and he watches pornography and whenever we were together in the club or in a cafe, he did not miss any chance to look at and comment on any female. After six months, my fiancée got a job abroad and I only saw him online. After another six months, I received an SMS from the colleague that I was in love with saying "I know it took me too long to say it but I love you so much."

In a minute, everything that I felt or though that I felt for my fiancée vanished. I could only think of my colleague and how long I waited for him to declare his love for me. I took the decision to leave my fiancée and break up the engagement one month before my wedding. My loving colleague was supposed to come back to Egypt at the end of the year in which all of these events happened (2007). We were talking on the phone everyday in a very respectable manner (nothing beyond I love you and I miss you was said and that is why I loved him so much.)

However, two weeks before his flight to Egypt, we stopped communicating, I don't know how it happened, but it happened. Then he called me to tell me that financially speaking we will not be able to be together in spite of the fact that I was ready to live in any level just to be with him and I offered to buy us an apartment here in Egypt. He sent me an SMS to wish me a better future and he left me. I heard nothing about him since then.I do not know if money was the real problem or there was something else. Was he getting back at me for getting engaged and leaving him? But I did not do so; he was the one who did not do anything or take any step.

My questions are: Was I mistaken to leave my fiancée? Did that colleague deserve that sacrifice (if you knew that my fiancée's financial conditions were great)? Was I really in love?

Badly Hurt

Read my reply

Dear MAN - Where are you?

Dear MAN
I have searched hundreds of faces looking for you.
I have been to too many places but where are you?
In my heart I have carried a love too strong;
for the one man in whose arms I belong.
I once gave up … forgive my despair;
Ups and downs … my heart I did impair.
My wounds have healed;
My heart is no longer sealed.
Come into my life for I am ready.
Don’t let go … trust me I am ready.
I will close my eyes and count to three;
I will open my heart and set you free.
If you are really mine you will come back to me;
or I will know that we were never meant to be.

Read the letter

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Asser's Harassers - Egyptian blogger violated

Asser Yasser is an Egyptian female blogger who recently moved to Mokattam area with her family. Her maid complained of how she got harassed on the street on her way to or from Asser's home. Her 15 year old niece who lives with them complained of the violating words that she gets bombarded with on her way to and fom school. And one day Asser made a horrible mistake and decided to walk to a kiosk 200 meters away from home to buy her kids some candy. How dare she walk in the street? How dare she leave her car behind?

On her way home, some teenagers in parked cars that reeked of hash used cuss words, followed her, tried to grab her, encircled her with their vehicles, and the poor woman and her niece felt trapped. People looked from their balconies and no one lifted a finger to help her. She called the police from her mobile phone as she stood there in utter terror and shortly after officer Mohab came to her rescue. He was almost run down by the fleeing cars. One guy stayed behind and said that he was not involved and that he was only watching from his car. Asser Identified him as one of the harassers and they all went to the station to file a formal report.

It got more interesting when the father of the 19 year old harasser snaped at Asser telling her to pick on someone her age. The father did not see or realize the gravity of what his son did. Now the father, the officers, and many others are begging Asser to drop the charges for the sake of the "poor kid's" future.

Bloggers tell her not to ....
Memebers of Kolena Laila tell her not to ...
I personally tell her not to .... it is her right ... it is our right to walk in the street feeling some sort of security ... the harasser and his friends did not think of their futures when they were getting high, when they violated her, or when she begged them to spare someone the age of their mother. No Asser ... do not give in to pressure

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Review: Seven Thirty Wednesday Evening

Seven Thirty Wednesday Evening
السابعة و النصف مساء الأربعاء

Writer, blogger, and friend Nermeen Edrees sent me a copy of السابعة و النصف مساء الأربعاء more than two months ago and I promised to read it and to tell her what I thought of it honestly. I am not a slow reader; in a couple of days I finished most of the book then I faced a slight problem when I reached Nermeen Edrees's story - how do I put aside our relationship as bloggers, as authors in Global Voices Online, and as friends? How do I forget that Nermeen supported my book and that I was the first guest in her book club? I decided to read her part several times to make sure that whatever I thought of it was objective and totally unbiased - and I did.

السابعة و النصف مساء الأربعاء is a collection of short stories by 8 writers, edited by Yasser Abdel Latif and published by Al Kotob Khan. In the introduction of the book, Yasser Abdel Latif explains how Al Kotob Khan announced a writing workshop and how many people joined. The chosen theme for the first draft was the quiet suburb of Maadi; the writers needed to integrate that theme into their first draft. Due to time constraints, schedules, distance, and personal reasons many of the writers dropped out of the workshop. Yasser's introduction clearly shows that there was a lot of effort, tweaking, and fine tuning of the writers and their literary style.

The Alien
رف مرتفع قليلا عن الذاكرة or "A shelf slightly positioned above memory" is the first story by Ibrahim El Sayed. The first thing that I noticed was that the Maadi theme was forced upon the story; it was redundant and was not tightly woven within the plot. The second thing that I felt was distance, although in his introduction, Yasser explained that the writers at the end of the workshop were guided towards sharing and revealing parts of themselves as though they were confessing or exposing a secret, I felt nothing of the sort reading Ibrahim's story. Nothing touched me .. nothing moved me .. and nothing stayed in my memory. As a writer, he has got style and great narration skills. He has imagination but the story did not do him any favors. He shied away from his reader and his reader shied away from him.

The Woman
حرير و شوك or "Silk and thorns" is the second story by Amira Abu Taleb. Her words throb with life; she is very sensory; everything she wrote is colored, scented, and textured. Lilac scented. Shades of purple. Mystical feel. Feminine voice. Her story has rhythm and I felt it. Her transitions are smooth and her descriptions are vivid. I lived her story, I was tired, exhausted thrilled, happy, warm, dreamy, cold, disappointed, and hopeful. She is accessible like a memory of your own yet she manages to surprise you by how the events of her story unfold. Amira bared her soul and it was the soul of a full blown woman who has the wisdom of life and the passion of a little girl. I wished her story was longer. I did not want to leave her life.

The Philosopher
قرارات الانتماء or "Belonging Decisions" is the third story by Hossam Khalaf. Yasser mentioned in the introduction that most writers fall in love with their story and they lose their ability to edit or delete repetitive or unnecessary parts. I think this is the main problem with this story ... too many details ... too many details you did not need to know ... too many details that do not serve the events of the story or the development of the characters. The story itself is about the dilemma of existence, love, and settling down but the narration went from interesting to boring to dull and fell flat. I fully identified with the busy schedule and the deadlines that were the recurrent theme in the story.

The Best Man
صديقى الذى قال or "My friend who said" is the fourth story by Khaled Rabie. I loved it. I loved it. The guy is brilliant. I have never met him but I felt that I knew him. I felt that I sat with him in that cafe where he used to meet his friend. I ate with him. I even watched him smoke up. I stood on the sideway that separated uptown Cairo and poor defeated Cairo and watched him talk to his friend, Like Amira Abu Taleb, Khaled mastered sensory descriptions but his flavors and scents had nothing to do with lilacs and offices ... his words smelt of the streets .. of real people .. people that most of us would rather not meet. I felt that I drove him to the airport when he left Egypt, that I cried when his plane took off, and that I was there when he came back. This story is the story of his friend ... we know the story from his letter ... I wish I could quote the letter ... The letter embodies the magic of love ... my heart skipped a few beats reading the letter from Khaled's memory. This is a story that evokes every sense of nostalgia you might have. When I reached the end of it ... I was sad .. I missed a friend.

The Sensitive One
العمر كأنه مؤجل or "Life as it were on hold" is the fifth story by Dina El Hawary. Dina sponged on the experiences of everyone she has encountered in her life and this reflected on the richness of her characters. She is the girl who never had a home and learnt at an early age that her true home is her soul. Dina's story is the story of a lot of people ... it is the story of those who watch life pass them by. They see, they think, they dream but they neither react to nor interact with life. How many times did you wish to reply to someone but instead of speaking your mind, you silently replied at the back of your mind. All those unspoken words and unheard conversations ... are always at the background of Dina's story. As a reader, you read the story and hear the things that should have been ... like a subtitled movie. Courage, home, and rebellion lurk at the background all the time as opposed to passiveness, fear and submission that are always in the foreground. The backbone of the story is how she left Egypt with her family to the gulf, how she came back, and how she never managed to adapt.

The Magician
بعد فوات الوقت or "When it was too late" is the sixth story by Samar Ahmed. What I liked most about this book is the diversity of the writers, their experiences, and their styles. It is not easy to surprise me but Samar totally caught me off guard with her story. I enjoyed every bit of it and loved the sudden twist at the end. The theme of this story is perception and how tricky perception could be. This is the story of the two sides of the same coin and Samar perfectly painted the picture of a woman who is married to a man she never loved with all its details ... I loved her details ... and depth. Through out the story the man is silent .. passive .. always in third person ... until the last few lines ... he finally spoke. When I turned the last page I was still eager for more.

The Dreamer
الشرفة or "The Balcony" is the seventh story by Abeer Medhat Amin. Abeer crosses the line between fact and fiction with poise, grace, and elegance. I read her story three times trying to figure out what was real and what was not .... I failed. She talked of a lover who turned out to be an imaginary friend. She talked of dreams, friends, memories, and events that were left behind. Abeer is a master at keeping you guessing. Her subplots are incomplete but it never bothers you as a reader; there is always room for your imagination to fill in the gaps without feeling that the writer tricked you.

The Young Soul
و قرر الارنب ان يستريح or "And the rabbit decided to rest" is the eighth and last story by Nermeen Edrees. This is the story of a little girl written by a mature woman who will always be young at heart. As I read this story, I clearly touched the girl's sense of adventure, her need for perfection, her quest to find the truth, her peace of mind amidst the turmoil of her heart, and her cheerful disposition. Alice in wonderland made subtle appearances in the story dressed up as Nermeen herself. Her eagerness to explore more of life exhausted the rabbit ... who had to rest. Nermeen started off with cold winter nights then moved on to loneliness that accentuates the cold until finally warmth creeps onto you in that warm bed underneath the cover where you are safe and secure from the outside world. I loved her style, how she hopped like a bunny from one theme to the other without disrupting the balance or the rhythm of the story. There were moments when I felt that she was quoting unspoken lines from my head.

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Thursday, March 5, 2009

مقالات مروة رخا لمجلة احنا و أخبار أخرى

Monday, March 2, 2009

Full Pilot Episode تدوينة

محتاجة رأى المدونين و المدونات بشدة

Sunday, February 22, 2009

مروة رخا و ياسمين ياسين و حلقات جديدة من بحبك فيك إيه؟ على راديو حريتنا

Monday, February 16, 2009

A Hell of a Marriage

Ask Marwa: My mom is prettier than I am

Ask Marwa: Was it love?

Dear MAN - Where are you?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Asser's Harassers - Egyptian blogger violated

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Review: Seven Thirty Wednesday Evening

Marwa Rakha

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