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Meet an Emirati Sports Champion! (1) Posted by jesa on Jul 22, 2017
Marhaba! Have you ever been interested in water sports, or tried any nautical exercises? The Emirati, Maha al-Blushi, has excelled in the sports of rowing (التجديف). She has crossed various barriers, social and physical, to become one of the prominent champions of rowing in the United Arab Emirates. Today, I am sharing with you a…
Do You Know What Kashta Is? Posted by jesa on Jul 18, 2017
Marhaba! If you have ever tasted a range of Arabic sweets and come across a creamy white ingredient that you thought tasted like heaven, then you have encountered Kashta (or Ashta as pronounced in some dialects, قشطة )! Found in most sweets such as Knefe (كنافة), Katayif (قطايف), and Znood el-Sir (زنود الست), Kashta is…
10 Common Levantine Proverbs Posted by jesa on Jul 15, 2017
Marhaba! As you know, every language and culture has different ways of saying things. Most cultures have accumulated across the years a number of proverbs and sayings to express certain ideas or describe a given situation. The Arabic language has of course a huge collection of proverbs. Today I am going to share with you…
Storytelling With Souad Massi Posted by jesa on Jul 8, 2017
Marhaba! Today I want to introduce you to one of my favorite contemporary singers in the Arab world, Souad Massi (سعاد ماسي)! Born in Algeria, Massi is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She first started performing at around the age of 17, and started her career with the political rock band Atakor. After moving to…
Dancing in a Hijab (2) Posted by jesa on Jun 27, 2017
Marhaba! I hope you enjoyed listening to the ballerina’s story and were inspired by her determination to follow her dreams even when others saw her hijab as an impediment. Today, I am sharing the answers to the previous questions in the listening comprehension post. I am also sharing the news story to refresh your memory…
Dancing in a Hijab Posted by jesa on Jun 24, 2017
Marhaba! Today I want to share with you an inspiring and interesting story. It is the story of a ballet dancer, who has chosen to dance with her hijab. I thought this was such an inspiring story that shows how ones beliefs should not contradict with ones aspirations and dreams. I will share this story…
5 Ways to Say Happy Eid! Posted by jesa on Jun 20, 2017
Marhaba! As you have learned from the post on Top 10 Facts About Ramadan, this holy month ends with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr (عيد الفطر). Eid (عيد), which means generally holiday in Arabic and which is used to abbreviate the name of the holiday, is a joyous occasion and is celebrated with prayer, family…