Fuel the Self

One of the best phrases I heard the other day from someone addressing Narcissism.

‘Visibility doesn't equal worth’

In an age where we are constantly fed the Latin saying of 'Let he who shouts the loudest be heard first' and me, myself and I and think about yourself first, I think there's a pertinent story about an award winning farmer and the key to success.

A newspaper reporter interviewed a farmer who grew Award-Winning Maize. He entered his maize in the Agricultural Show each year.

It was revealed that the farmer shared his seed with his neighbours.

Amazed, the reporter asked, _*“How can you afford to share your best seed with your neighbours when they are entering their maize into the competition with yours each year?”*_

The farmer smiled knowingly and explained, ​ *_“The wind picks up pollen from the ripening maize and swirls it from field to field.​ If my neighbours grow inferior maize, Cross-Pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my maize. If I am to grow good maize, I must help my neighbours grow a good crop."_*

So it is with our lives. Those who want to live meaningfully and well, must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life, is measured by the lives it touches.

Those who choose to be happy, must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

Call it power of collectivity

Call it a principle of success.

Call it a law of life.

The fact remains, none of us truly wins, until we all win.

Just as the Prophet (ص) said, *_"You cannot be a true believer untill you like for your brother what you like for yourself."_*

Know this secret as you grow!

In life, when you help the people around you to be good, you surely become the better too.

Live in the shadows and be the grey man, the motto in life. :)

Perfection

‘Have you never considered getting married, Mullah?’

‘I have,’ replied Nasrudin. ‘In my youth, I resolved to find the perfect woman. I crossed the desert and reached Damascus, and I met a lovely, very spiritual woman, but she knew nothing of the world. I continued my journey and went to Isfahan; there I met a woman who knew both the spiritual and the material world, but she was not pretty. Then I decided to go to Cairo, where I dined in the house of a beautiful woman, who was both religious and a connoisseur of material reality.’

‘Why didn’t you marry her, then?’

‘Alas, my friend, she was looking for the perfect man.’

An excerpt from the book The Perfect Woman by Paulo Coelho

The Saint

Dead and buried

Unknown grave with no plaque

No one to bury

No tears were shed

Silently into the next world

Taken in a corner of the world 

A barren land with no life

Known in the heavens above

Cheered and mentioned by unseen

Greeted on his arrival

Castles and unspoilt wonders

Delicate delights 

Opulence at its peak

The Saint

A Journey Destined to Return Home

From the peaceful serene deserts of the empty quarter
To the dense and bushy Kapoks of the Amazon

From the mirage of Dubai's glitz and glamour
to the cobbled paths of Istanbul

Returning home to leafy trees and misty mornings
A soul at rest with the usual twist

A travellers life of new people and different tastes
To the mundane routine of a daily grind

Appreciation to a family I did not give
The mere presence new faces can't replace

Travels only experience can bring
Returning home, a new journey it brings

Israel and unchallenged strikes

With the frequent airstrikes into Syria territory, the boldness and empty threats from its adversaries seem to be giving an ever increasing scope for Israel to take it out its enemies. The announcement by Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran have been deceiving the world with their nuclear intentions comes as no surprise as the Israeli PM  is determined to get to the root of problem, Hezbollah's chief supporter, Iran, by any means necessary.

The strikes in Syria started at the outset of the civil raging in the country since 2012 on an alleged weapons storage factory of Hezbollah. despite the usual denial by Israel it was evident no other country could have carried out such a targeted attack. The latest strike in April 2018 which killed pro-Assad fighters again was met with the usual silence in Israel.

The strikes will surely breed a response from Iran but in terms of action, not much can be done or maybe not.

Rock Pools, Pomegranates and Jinns.

Wadi Bani Khalid, cool, clean and crystal clear water. 

3 days in a country which is closer to me than Dubai.... Oman. What a trip it was!

Over 10 hours of driving, we stopped at 2 rock pools, Wadi Damm and Wadi Bani Khalid. Jumps, swims and good old Arab hospitality. There was a climb and a futile cave exploration that I attempted in the soaring heat. The soles of my feet were burned from the boiling hot rock surface but it was still worth it. The cool temperature of the water compensated for the burnt feet... heavenly!

Wadi Dhamm. Quieter than Wadi Bani Khalid

We bumped into some local Omanis in the first Wadi. Two things really impressed me about them. They were immensely hospitable, insisting on taking us to their house. But as is custom when travelling in a group with locals, they generally decline the invitation unless its their own family. The second thing was that I noticed some older Omani locals at the pools. They were so agile and fit! Jumping from rock to rock effortlessly as I was embarrassingly slipping at every minor slope. This Wadi is pretty empty at off peak times. Hardly anyone was there and you can take your family there if they're willing to trek uphill a bit.

Camel meat and rice, a bit chewy and hard on the stomach

We moved on to our second destination Jabal Akhdar. The terrain is pretty similar on all mountains in Oman... barren and desolate, unlike the mountains in Europe, lush, green and always some snow. We prayed in mosque  high up in the mountains and feasted on some rice and camel meat. The Omanis practice Islam similar to that of the Emiratis but they are from another sect, Ibadis. There's slight differences in the way they pray and in their beliefs regarding the four caliphs but it doesn't really cause much tension or divide like it does in other Arab countries.

Jabal Akhdar, the green mountain. 

Bahla, the town of the Jinn. You can see the wall in the backgorund

Driving onwards and upwards we got to the Hajar mountain range and onto Jabal Akhdar, the Green mountain. Although it doesn't seem very green, the area is known for fruits -walnuts, apricots and pomegranates. We found some people selling it on the side of the road. We bought a bunch of Pomegranates and although I'm not a fan of them, they were absolutely delicious! I took a few for my mum and then moved on to a deserted mountain village... or what was left of it.

There was another interesting place we went to, known locally as the city of Jinn, Bahla. It had an eeiry feeling to it and the local with us mentioned that every time he visited the place, the attractions were cordoned off.... because the Jinns would disturb everyone! You can read more about Bahla here. They also have an ancient wall built around the city which the locals claim was built by the jinns.

Overall a lovely trip and one where I would recommend to go with locals. Makes everything so much more easier.

Join the Junta

"We know that no one seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it"

After years of suffering and hardship, would you want to risk losing the power you worked so hard to gain?

A woman I used to look up to, after fighting a military dictatorship, has been hitting the headlines in recent months for her silence and lack of action against the Rohingya Muslims. Aung San Suu Kyi is this woman. She is heading the civilian government and apparently doesn't have much sway in what happens in the country. So what exactly is her role? Why doesn't she relinquish her post after many years of hard fought "freedom" if she is so incapable? Is this what freedom looks like? The inability to help, speak out and free a people who have been labelled as "the most persecuted minority in the world".

I see the Burmese Government as an advanced form of Daesh. They are just light years ahead of the death cult. They manipulate the news and generate a bizarre cover stories whilst continuing to rape torture and kill, accusing the Rohingya militants of torching houses and killing locals.  Daesh didn't really give a *&#$ about media. In fact, they thrived in the limelight and even made videos documenting their barbarity.

So that brings me back to Orwell's quote - the power which makes Aung San Suu Kyi unable to do anything for this persecuted Muslim minority. She risks losing what she fought so hard for. But everything she has fought for has now been betrayed in extraordinary fashion. Hand back the Nobel Peace Prize honorably and join the junta.