On the waterfall itself! I'm not in the picture because I was still climbing up the slopes. The stones were moss-covered and extremely slippery. It's a wonder we didn't slip and fall.

Waterfall in the middle of the desert, at Fayyoum, Egypt. Water was freezing cold to the bones.

Pyramids in the background.

You know what those are? Barrels of water for the thirsty passerby. See if you dare to drink though... Pieces of leaves drifting on the surface.. and dark murky depths. :S

This is at Bassatin, somewhere in the outskirts of Cairo. Look at how they just line up the wheat bread on the mat for us! We don't use plates. The bread is really nice by the way...

My maid finishes her contract today and leaves for Indonesia in the afternoon. There'll be no more maids after her. That's what my mum says. I've had a maid in the house for as long as I can remember. So now... no more. Don't know what to think. Hm.

Weirdly, I have no inspiration to write... I thought I did. I mean, I wanted to write about some things... But when I finally have the keyboard beneath my hovering fingers, all those thoughts seem to leave me.

I do recall one thing that I saw on the train this past week. Something that quite grossed me out: Extreme PDA-ing on the train between two secondary school students. And it wasn't even the more common huggy-huggy or pecking-on-the-cheeks-and-lips kind... which is already quite bad in my opinion. It was the full-blown snog. I was seriously grossed out. I was only short of gasping out loud in horror. My hair stood on end. If only I was not shuddering so badly and not so grossed out by the sight, I might have told them to be more considerate of other people's psychological well-being. And mind you, it was in a train at 6pm. Where the train is crowded. I averted my eyes all the way to Tampines.

I say, what is wrong with kids nowadays? Don't they know shame? Or are they so blinded by "love"? Oh, I'm so in love, the rest of the world is a blur! For the love of god, pick a better spot for doing such stuff! Closets are good. RJ's cleaner closets are still pretty clean. I heard rumours that a lip-locked couple was found in RJ's huge LT1. LT1?!?!?! How mad can they get. At least a seldom-used stairwell would make more sense.

It's all really pretty scary.

Read DV 15 Part Two. Amazing. Such beautiful writing should be allowed to be published for all the world to see. Despite HP being Rowling's and all that. She writes almost as well as Dunnett - in the sense that the paragraphs can knock the breath out of you, and single lines can make make you choke. Oh. My. God. Just so so so beautiful. Oh, I also made history - DT being first fanfiction that really, really made me cry to bits. When Cassie publishes her first book (of which I know not the title), she will get her due. She'll be famous. Then maybe DT will get the full attention it deserves.

But then. Good works don't always get the attention they deserve. Just look at Lymond. -_-

Oh, haven't posted about Aidiladha. Hm. Kambings (sheep) were late. Ghufran overflowing AS USUAL. And granny's house packed to the brim. 50 or so people in a two room flat (counted at least 45, but then got confused and stopped counting). My cousin was standing outside the gate. Hahaha. And we were just squashed together! I think my whole dad's side was together, except for Ami Mamad's family. Ah. So nice.

****

SPOILER

He winced then, and his hand tightened painfully on hers. "I am not sure I agree with the poets about all that "Death, where is thy sting?" business," he said hoarsely. "It seems to me that it stings more than enough." - DV 15

Fortress of Sultan Qaitbay in Alexandria. It's located along the coast, facing the Mediterranean Sea.

Sultan Qaitbay Fortress again. (At least I think so. If not, it's the Citadel in Cairo.)

Architectural shot. That's the dome of a mosque... only now, I'm not sure which mosque. Went to so many...

"We delude ourselves with the thought that we know much more about matter than about a 'metaphysical' mind or spirit, and so we overestimate material causation and believe that it alone affords us a true explanation of life. But matter is just as inscrutable as mind."
- Carl Jung, Excerpt from Coincidence, by David Ambrose

It is a fact that the deeper you look into matter, the less 'material' it becomes. Cells are made of atoms and atoms are mostly space, then down below that we're into quantum indeterminacy, 'quarks' and 'gluons'... Matter has no more physical substance than a thought.
- Excerpt from Coincidence, by David Ambrose

The book I'm reading has all these interesting injections... that you can ponder on for hours. I like such books. But the main plot is becoming quite disappointing... hm.

Have actually tons of work and SPA is coming. But feel very, very tired. If I sleep, I know I won't wake till morning. But if I do work now, I won't be able to absorb anything anyway because all I can think of is sleep. So what to do?

5 minutes nap, maybe.

Congrats to Singapore Lions! Ah. Sweeeeet victory. Wish I was in Kallang right now. So fun!!! Abang Dollah's there, with 13 of his friends. Monish also there, I think. Ms Lo too! Ahhh. Wish I could be there to do the Kallang wave. And cheer. Family was screaming the house down moments ago. Oh, also have to add shamelessly, that Baihakki makes very nice eye candy.

Trying to memorise some lines for tomorrow's drama practice now... -_-

Throat very very sore. I dont think it was from the screaming. It hurt before that. Can hardly swallow. Bleargh.

Anyway, met my buddy from Darul Ma'wa yesterday! 10 year old Farhan. He's supposedly the smartest of his age in the home. He's sort of talkative. He loves soccer - typical of any boy, especially if he's malay. Goes to Macpherson Primary, and is in 4/1. His birthday is on Jan 1st, so I missed it and have no idea whether I should get him anything when I meet him again next week. All in all, I think this might work out to be the most fulfilling sort of CIP I'll ever do.

Throat really really hurts. How.

Jamiyah Mentoring tomorrow! (: Quite looking forward to it despite my saturday being taken up once again. It's nice to know you're helping someone, you know. I hope I get a nice little girl. A younger sister. Not that I don't already have one... Or I won't mind a little brother. Oh, wait I already have that too. Haha.

Not so little anymore though. :P

Feeling quite happy, which is really something for me. Hope this optimistic feeling lingers a bit longer.

I need a large dosage of Lymond. A discussion... Another read of the whole series. SOMETHING. I need to get away from school stuff. Am about to self-combust with frustration. I can't even afford time to finish my library books. I hardly get to do what I want anymore... Sometimes feel like screaming during lectures. They make me so mad. Everything makes me mad. So many bloody little things bothering me. And every subject tutor demanding so much from each of us, thinking we don't have enough on our hands as it is. Really. Does RJ think we don't need rest? What about recreation? What about just being NORMAL???

For god's sake. I wish I were born somewhere ulu, and I hadn't known about being in school, and getting As and bloody qualifications for bloody prestigious professions. Then I'd have lived a peaceful life, learning what I do want to learn, at my own pace, gaining knowledge for the sake of knowledge and not for the sake of getting nice grades.

I think I know what I want for myself in heaven, god willing. A peaceful, quiet place. A pretty place. Some books. And just, really... a nice rest. I sound like DT!DM.

My deepest desires: To find peace. To see the world. To die knowing that I did something to make the world a slightly better place.

I don't know if it's so bad to lack ambition. I think I do. Why would you want so much anyway?

Oh. Just. Ugh. UGH.

Monday's Child is fair of face,
Tuesday's Child is full of grace,
Wednesday's Child is full of woe,
Thursday's Child has far to go,
Friday's Child is loving and giving,
Saturday's Child works hard for a living,
But the Child that is born on the Sabbath Day,
Is witty and wise and good and gay!

Am full of woe. Hm.

People are weird.

~

Sigh. Stupid little things like this can leave me thinking for hours on end in depressed mode. Wish some people aren't so quick to judge. The world would be a better place if people don't go around hating each other for some trivial reason or other.

Have a deep longing to be back in Egypt. I miss it oh-so-much.

Am in malay drama again this year. And have suddenly horrifyingly realized that am the only J2 girl in it. -_-

The worst thing about reading on the train is not being able to express what you feel. That's how it is for me at least. Was reading something extremely sad in The Girl With The Pearl Earring, but was trying not to look horrified or pained, or god forbid, start tearing. I can't imagine reading PiF in train. Don't know what I would do if I had reached that extremely heart rending part and been on the train.

So many things going on in school.

Internet connection extremely bad.

I really can't stand school. Two days into the first term and I already feel extremely drained and tired.

Wish I was far away. Somewhere nice... Ah, sigh. Back in Cairo perhaps, where they (Dandrawis) were all so warm and welcoming, even though I was sick. And things were just simpler... and their lives so meaningful. Sometimes it's so easy to get lost when you're so busy.

I know I'm rambling. Can't help it.

11 months or so more... and then school and exams will be over. And plans can roll into action.

It all seems so, so far away.