"the World through Saudi Arabian Feminine Eyes..." Manyana's Profile

There are places i'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends i still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life i've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When i think of love as something new
Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
In my life i love you more*

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"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"

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These pages are rather a travel blog where i jot down whatever comes to my mind about my travelling memories, stupid, funny, boring, creative or even scientific kinds of travelling;^) Yes I might write some tips or post some photos to give advice but either way, I remain to share this part of my life, my journey with all of you. In sharing, life is norished. If these pages bring a smile on your face, then I've succeeded in making you happy and if you get bored reading, that's even better as i'd have succeeded in making me happy,lol....smiles for you, boredom 'to' me!the bottomline, these pages are rather arabic chit-chatting and you'll know what i mean if you instinctively qualify to be an arab or understand arabs. just check the criteria. i don't know what i'm saying, seems an arabian heat wave. just skip to the next section.

my pages, London, Jeddah, and Saudia are under constant update.

P.S. if you've read this far, you might be a qualified VTer for such a travel reading, hehe. for goodness sake! are you still reading? just SKIP

I like to think of myself as a Saudi traveller, writer and photographer unofficially. I was born and raised in Jeddah my 'controversial' hometown. But I have lost my connections with the Arab world's news for years since I started to use English in my everyday-life. If you ask me what is the best website for Arab dating? errr...ok pass! who is the best-selling writer? errr...bla bla! Honestly if you see me, you'll never guess I'm an arab! Goodness! I got all the comments on my look, my accent, nothing left but my ar*e,lol. Some say I am philippino, japanese, or american, iranian or sudanese! and on my accent, they think i'm french! I admit, myself is a cultural salad of Islamic traditions, Arabian love for music, English tolerance, Malaysian respect, Egyptian simplicity and probably American friendliness, but i guess i was Hindu in my last life;^)
I don't remember when I started to travel, probably at the age of 4 where i have a very strong memory of Sheffield in England. I guess it was my first place to travel outside my homecountry. i just love travelling. And by the way, i just travel on the budget or even less,lol. I lived in London for nearly 20 months.

-Hobbies: prose writing (ignore my essay-like introduction here,lol), photography and definitely travelling. I'm also a fan of classic Arabic music. I write poetry both in English and Arabic.
-Interests: philosophy of religion and women's literature, so i can be boring sometimes.
-Languages: Arabic and English, I can read French and Spanish and speak little Hindi. I believe if you want to understand one's culture, you should know their language. I love languages. Believe me I'd philosophise about languages forever unless someone stops me. I'd give you the root of each word, the derivatives, their usages, their contextual history, their....zzzzzz, ok i'll shut up
-Wildest Dream: to see 'the eyes' sparkle while standing 'there'.

Like:
- i luv getting wet so watersport, have done Water Parachuting, Surfing an artificial ocean, Sliding, Banana Rafting, Snorkling, JetSkiing (my crazy passion).
- dancing (though terrible at it)
- my baby pet i.e. my laptop
- to watch scenery and architecture in big pictures and frames
- privacy
- and hey i love doing the touristy tours, city walks, sightseeing, using a language dictionary, eating in a local restaurant, and just being a 'tourist'
well, i can be easily satisfied, see?

Dislike:
- washing dishes (i hate it)
- milk, yogurt
- raisin (it makes my stomach churns:s)
- all kinds of hot drinks (last time I drank coffee was propably since year 2000!)
- when someone speaks on my behalf, it pisses me off:@
- people who push their nose into everything not theirs!

Weirdos:
- this may get on the nerves of some of you but i honestly don't like to write in capital letters, though i hafta sometimes;^)
- my fingers and toes get purple when i feel cold, i warn u,lol
- only drink water and rarely any juices
- have been to mountain graves
- used to attend drumming classes (hmm...Saudi girl drumming, sounds trendy?!)
- love imitating accents and picking up languages...MASHALLAH!
- coming from a 75%-desert area but never been on a camel and only 3 times to the desert! though trying to go more often now hehe
- stopped drinking coffee in ages and forgot the taste of the Arabian coffee, so i don't like sweets including dates!
- I was an active member in an Indian Dance club and participated as a dancer on several college occasions. Well, I love Indian culture with all its joy and colors! Don't ask me to dance for you as I have a dancing amnesia at the moment;^)

my long-term goal is to travel world wide and never stop learning and unravelling the mystery of the human life. Let's say I have been to more than 20 destinations in Saudi Arabia (only), places that are not in the VT database and many Saudis don't know about. you'll say, 'what is in Saudi to see?'

What really captures my attention is the culture and the language of the places i visit. I just get dazzled and bewitched learning the local customs and listening to all these different languages from where i grew up. i always ask this naive question when hearing two people speaking a non-English, non-Arabic language, 'so do you really understand everything your friend just said?' and the wild answer i always get is universal, 'OF COURSE' if not with some spitting

many many many people i have met think that Hip Hop, RnB or the famous Aba is universal music. i can't tell the difference between jazz and waltz, and wonder why the Polo-Marco game should be universal too! and to my surprise, i always wonder how come people don't know about the arabian legendary voice of Om Kalthoum - where more than 300,000,000 have been listening to her over a half century! travel is a great master.

I quite enjoy meeting people alongside my travelling path.

Most of my travel pages focus on the local customs, culture, religion, or the odd views of life i find. i live between conservative Arabia and open England. that's another story of my life.

Countries i have lived in: (ps. it's developing i hope:^D)
1983-2004: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2005- 2007: London, UK

P.S. this is a list of countries that i have been for the first time as an adult
Travel History:
2001: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
2002: Malaysia x8
2003: South Africa
2004: India, UAE, Egypt x4, England, Wales
2005: Poland, Germany, France, Bahrain
2006: Spain
2007: Scotland, California, Mexico
2008: Greece, Canada
2009: Greece, Switzerland, UAE
2010 - Present: England

Travel wish-list:
I'm in quest for my ideal beach, anyone any idea where?
Rajasthan, Amritsar, Benares - India
San Francisco - USA (done)
Zanzibar Island - Tanzania
Phuket - Thailand
Greece (done - woohoo)
the pyramids - somewhere in South America (done) - and actually i found out it's in north america not in the south only
Maldives
Niagra Falls - Canada (done)
Alhambra Palace - Spain (done)
Effil Tower - France (done)
Pisa Tower - Italy
Taj Mahal - Agra, India (done)
Notre Dame - France (done, hurrayyy)
China Wall and Temple of Heaven - China
the beaches in Australia
Victoria Falls - Zimbabwe

Airlines I have been on:
Air France
Air India
American Airlines (USA)
American Eagle (USA)
BMI - British Midland
Blue Jet (USA)
British Airways
Delta Air (USA)
Easy Jet (UK)
Egypt Air
Etihad Airways (UAE)
Garuda (Indonesia)
Gulf Air (Bahrain)
Jet Airways (India)
Lufthansa (Germany)
Malaysia Air
Mexicana Air
Saudia Airlines
South African Airways

I want to do before I die
- to publish an article/book (done)
- to live and work in India for a while!!!!!!!!!!so much want it!
- to speak Hindi fluently and conversational Francais, just love how they sound. Hindi puts me in a dancing mood and French is so *sexy*
- to win an international prize
- to do a voice-acting commercial (i LUV doing this)
- to tour the world, ie, 70 countries!! pheww

My writings are my world. Through writing, i believe, we grow. Writing is divine. It hightens our sense of self-awareness, helps us acknowledge our mistakes, accept our weakness, and gently guides us to overcome our fears and to embrace the child who resides deep in our hearts. It helps us discover the depth we are afraid to discover! It is the world i flee to and seek refuge in.
Writings have helped me appreciate life, dare to peel off its mystery layer by layer. The more I delve, the more I accept that I can never fully comprehend the fascinating journey writings give me.
i've learnt gratitude, developed a passion for peace, eagerness to build and just to contemplate more and more.

thie picture was taken in Wales on 1 April 2006; the waves, the beach, the sky and the whole scene stands for the beautiful mystery of life! what is life?

i think i am just an average human being; i want to blab and to write. i want to live!

Ok, art is an invetible vivid spirit that lives in my life. from photography, sculpting, dancing to enjoying music. maybe i was a sculptor in one of my previous lives, but i collect little statues almost from any place i visit, whenever possible. i take loads of pictures of statues of human bodies which is my thrive. this piece of art, i call a divine creativity!

my bedroom is full of paintings, sculptures, my own drawings, and a little museum of 3D jigsaw puzzle of buildings and global architecture. you can see, i am attached to these little things. whenever i feel down or taken away, i just sit next to this little world i have built, Wonderland of Art.

you know why i love these pieces? they stand for two essential things in my life; to build is to establish harmony on solid bases, and to collect scattered pieces is to calm down the confusion inside me...to build the scattered or to put together the shattered is the great puzzle of this life...anyone knows how? one way is to play with the 3D jigsaw puzzle!

in arabian culture, they say that there are 7 advantages a traveller can gain out of their adventures. i have learnt A LOT both on a professional and personal level. i've learnt:
- to overcome some of my greatest fears
- to encounter loneliness and to mingle and talk
- that poor hand is not a barrier to giving a bright smile and a warm hug
- simplicity can be sophisticated and desirable
- speaking a different language is not an excuse of ignorance and impatience but a journey to know what kind of person you are; loving and patient to understand the other end; or impatient and stupid to not help those who are lost
- to have a painful life of love is far more beautiful than to live a painless lonely life
- extravagant lights of a city doesn't mean that its people are happy about their lifestyle

my favourite countries:
Greece, India, Spain, Mexico,

my favourite cities:
London, Paris, Mexico City, Athens, Jeddah

The Arabic classic music is one of the finest music. One can listen with no need to translate the actual words, the warmth of melodies is enough to enlighten the listener. I tried to pick up some typical and traditional songs, just try them out and enjoy the rich variety in the Arabian taste.
This list is not my favourite but rather recommended to present you with a variety of Arabian music. Songs performed by;
Egypt:
- Om Kalthoum;compilation of her work
- Marwa;amma na'eema leb a non
Lebanon:
- Fairooz; sallem alaih
- Majdah al-Roomi; kolon yeghanni ala lailah
- Sabah; al-nadda
Morocco:
- Sabir ar-Robaa'ie; Sidi Mansoor
the Arabian Gulf :
- Firgat Miami; ya omri ana (Kuwait)
- Rashid al-Majed; ya salaami as-saudiah (Saudi) performed for the Saudi football team;^)
P.S. if the link does not work, please contact me to send you the downloadable link. Also singers italicized are the classic performers and well-renowned as music idols until today!!!
íÇ Úíäí Úáíßí íÇ ÃÛÇäí ÒãÇä!
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i feel proud having built this icon of peace:^)

Be thankful, feel grateful in different languages:
1- Afrikaans: baie dankie
2- Arabic: Shokran
3- Brazilian/Portugese: Obrigada
4- Bulgarian: Blagodaria
5- Cambodia: Horkun
6- Chinese (Mandrin): Xie xie
7- Croatian: Hvala
8- Danish: Tak
9- Dutch: Dankuwel
10-English: Thank you
11-Estonian: aitah
12-Farsi: mersi, moteshakeram, khyli mamnon
13-French: merci
14-Gaelic: Tapadh leat. for you Unique82 ;^)
15-German: Danke, Dankeschoen
16-Greek: Efcharisto
17-Hebrew: Toda
18-Indian (Gujarati): aabhaar
19-Indian (Urdu): Shokria
20-Italiano: Grazie
21-Japanese: Arigato
22-Korean: Gomapsumneeda
23-Laos: Kop chaai
24-Latvian: Paldies
25-Lithuanian: Achyou
26-Melayu/Bahasa: Terima khasih
27-Mongolian: bayarlaa
28-Norwegian: takk
29-Philippino (Tagalog): Selamat
30-Polish: Dziekuje
31-Romanian: Multumesc
32-Russian: Spasibo
33-Spanish: gracias
34-Serbian: Hvala
35-Swedish: Tack
36-Thai: Kabkun
37-Turkish: tashakur laar
38-Vietnam: Caam Uhn
39-Welsh: Diolch

Thanks to all VTers who have helped me develop this list:^)