A new marathon begins soon!

Good evening everyone!

As I am typing these words now and probably as you read them then, few hours separate us from the arrival of a special ceremony and marathon of different type; Ramadan: the self-control marathon.

A glimpse of the month

Note :Words between bracts are Arabic translation of the most common words related to Ramadan which I will be using through the upcoming posts.

Ramadan is the holiest month for Muslims worldwide, known as the month of fasting. Particularly, Ramadan is the ninth month in Islamic calender. The annual fast of Ramadan is one of the five 'pillars' of Islam. During Ramadan, Muslims are expected to put more effort in charity, reading Quran and more prayers.

As for fasting (sawm) process itself, it lasts from dawn (fajr) till sunset (maghrib), when Muslims are obliged to refrain from eating, drinking and smoking.

One more thing you need to know: 

The pre-dawn meal before fast is called (Suhoor), while the meal at sunset that breaks the fast is (Iftar).

Ramadan in Egypt

Though the religious practice in Ramadan are the same everywhere -in Islamic countries or countries with Muslim populations-, the cultural and traditional practice could vary from a country to another.

In Egypt, Ramadan has a different taste and a unique spirit! Thus, through the upcoming posts, I will be taking you in a fascinating journey through traditions, costumes and daily life during the holy month! Pack your bags and prepare your eyes, minds and souls for our spiritual journey!

Got a Muslim neighbour or colleague? Don't forget to greet them tomorrow; Ramadan Kareem!

References

I strongly recommend you to check the following articles if you're interested to know more details about Ramadan.

Ramadan in Wikipedia

Information about Ramadan in About.com

Undiscovered gems! (1)

Warm greetings, everyone! 

(P.S no need to send yours back; it is already 31°C in Cairo today).

*Thinks loudly* 'What am I going to speak about today? Should I go for weather in Cairo where it sounds way much hotter than 31°C? Or should I mention that it is only 5 days left before I get my summer holiday?

Hmm. Since I have already mentioned both, I will neither speak about this nor that.

(I really recommend you to prepare your green tea and play some relaxing music as you read).

Done? Here we go, then!

• Is it an edge of a volcano? or maybe a surface of an unknown planet?

Actually, it is not. What you see in this photo is a macro shot of eye iris showing its textures; taken by Armenian physics teacher Suren Manvelyan. 

• Are we going to discuss a scientific topic and the anatomy of the eye? 

No at all. However, I think this photo will better illustrate the idea I want to talk about in this post, which is 'Finding out who YOU are'...How come? Please read below:

At some part of my life, I had a strong feeling -and probably you too- that my life is pointless. One thought used to occupy my mind at that time:

"I am useless, why am I even alive? I am no special person,"

       Exactly as the eye iris, there, within yourself, lies a hidden gem awaiting you to uncover it. You only need to look deeper and search every nook and cranny to fetch that very own thing that makes you special and different than billions of people around the world. 

       Who are you? to answer this question, you have to answer even more questions.

• What is the purpose of your life? 
• What difference do/did you make in people's lives?
• What are you capable of? Are you up for challenges?

As you read now, some of you might not have the answers to these questions above, don't worry. It only means that it is time for you to begin your own journey to know more about yourself.

You were born unique, and that is how you should live, so start packing your bags right now and join me in a gems-mining journey! 

To be continued...

References

More photos and details about the macro shot of eye iris could be found there:

• Eye iris shots- DailyMail
• Human eye close up- BoredPanda

Here it goes my first blogging experience!

Good day everyone!,

If you can read this post right now, it only means that I have finally decided to take my way into blogging 'planet'!

Since it is my first post, I will only take you in a short ride through a brief introduction -at least I hope it will be so- to 'Lamiaceae Adventures' my very own world. Wear your helmets and get ready!...Here we go! 

•  What is 'Lamiaceae Adventures' about?

It is a very personal blog (owned by a very weird person :P) where I am planning to share the 'nonsense' I might think of. 
This 'nonsense' may include personal experience faced in my daily life, pictures and details about places I visit, short thoughts that might pop up in mind or the blog will even be used for language exchange purposes.

• About language exchange in 'Lamiaceae Adventures', how does it work?

There is no specific plan at the moment, but expect one soon. (Any suggestions?)

• What language(s) are currently used in 'Lamiaceae Adventures'?

Currently, most posts are to be published in English, however, I may also publish some of my writings in Arabic (Not sure if I will translate it into English, but we will see about it later!).

• Concerning 'Lamiaceae Adventures' author, who are you?

Good question! ( I am glad you've asked :P). You can call me Lamiaceae or Mesa. I am an Egyptian university student -particularly studying Clinical pharmacy at Cairo University-.

As for my interests and hobbies :

Reading, drawing listening to music and watching tv series. I am also enthusiastic about learning languages!