Marhaba! It’s that time of the year again! We say goodbye to one year, with all its ups and downs, and look forward to a new and refreshing one. We say goodbye (نودِّع عام 2013) to 2013 and welcome نستقبل عام 2014) 2014! As human beings we are unable to predict the future and all that we can do is enjoy the present by learning from our mistakes in the past to make sure they won’t happen in the future.

I for one take this time of the year to reflect more deeply on what I have done in the last 12 months to assess (أقدِّر), evaluate (أقوِّم), and judge (أحكم) whether I have been able to accomplish my set list of goals. I recall very happy moments with my wife, relatives, and friends as well as very stressful ones at different points throughout the year. I am confident you all have had your fair share of ups and downs throughout the year. You might have made new friends or lost contact with old ones, welcomed a new baby in the family or mourned the passing of an elder person, you might have finished an important step in your educational path or just began a new job. Regardless of what we have all done, we need to acknowledge one important thing: we are all here for different but meaningful purposes (أهداف). While at many points in our life this might seem fuzzy, we always need to be positive (ايجابيين) and enjoy all our ups and downs, because we will never ever have the chance to relive any of these moments.

I look at the clock right now and the minutes and hours pass by (الدقائق والساعات تمرّ), I know that I can never go back in time to relive any of these moments, unless, there is some scientific breakthrough that I am not aware of and which can allow humans to travel back in time. Today, I want to evaluate and judge whether I have been able to accomplish everything that I promised to do in my resolution for 2013.

My assessment and evaluation is primarily based on what I promised you on this blog on December 30, 2012. With regards to you, our beloved Arabic learning community, my main goal for 2013 was and remains until further notice to reach out to you about my passion for Arabic and to encourage you all to learn this beautiful language. I feel that in various posts on the blog and via Facebook you have been able to witness my commitment to reaching out by sharing multiple stories, recipes, songs and the likes to all of you.Figuratively and literally speaking, let’s try to go back in time. What did I promise? And what have I been able to achieve? These are my goals from my post last year.

1) Write more interesting posts that can include lessons or recipes, important newspaper articles and introducing important Arab individuals and their respective work.

I feel that I have reached out to many of you through different ways. I have provided you with different lessons (دروس مختلفة), common words (كلمات شائعة) in Arabic, important newspaper articles (مقالات من الصحف) in the form of reading and listening comprehension exercises, multiple recipes (وصفات) for Middle Eastern dishes and desserts as well as introduced you to several notable individuals in the Arab world. I’ve been shared some of my embarrassing moments when I was learning Arabic!

2) Invite all our readers and friends to interact more and more with these posts via Facebook, Twitter and the website here. The best way to learn Arabic is to practice, practice and practice.

I feel that through the MWF Initiative, which I launched with the support of my colleagues on the Arabic Language Team at Transparent Language, on Facebook and Twitter, I have been able to communicate with most of you in a fun and interactive way! Every Monday, we share a beautiful Arabic song (أغنية عربية) that we like, every Wednesday we encourage you to engage in a conversation in Arabic (محادثة) by asking you a question or sharing some important article, and every Friday we escape to a beautiful destination in the Arab world. I promise to continue with the MWF Initiative and I wholeheartedly hope you all join our conversations and participate in the different events every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

3) Encourage all you Arabic lovers to invite your friends to learn Arabic and experience a new cultural and linguistic turn in their lives.

I constantly reiterated the need to practice Arabic with friends and relatives or with us through the different resources (الموارد) we provide via Transparent Language. I frequently reiterated that reading and listening comprehension exercises are useful for such purposes and that listening to Arabic music and reading Arabic newspapers are as important for improving your Arabic. I hope you are all constantly making use of one or all of the tips that I gave you to improve your Arabic.

4) Encourage and invite everyone to spend at least 15 minutes a day practicing their Arabic language skills with a friend, colleague, relative or even in front of a mirror.

I feel I did not properly encourage you to spend at least 15 minutes a day practicing your Arabic language skills. I acknowledge that I should have emphasized this important strategy through my different posts on the blog and on Facebook.

All in all, I feel that I have accomplished 3 out of 4 goals! Hurraayy! But I feel there is much more to do. For 2014, I promise that I will continue all of the above and I hope to provide you with more grammar and vocabulary lessons, reading and listening comprehension exercises, and hopefully more tools for direct engagement and conversation via our Facebook page and Twitter account.

I wish you all a Happy New Year (عام سعيد)! I hope in 2014 you will only have good memories (ذكريات جيدة) rather than sad ones, excellent health, prosperity and abundant success. I wholeheartedly hope people in different Arab states and around the globe will have a better year marked by reconciliation, peace, stability, and prosperity.

As always, stay tuned and posted for more interesting posts as I seek to strengthen my connection to my Arabic language and to all you Arabic lovers and curious and passionate learners!!!

See you all in 2014!

Happy New Year!!!

كل عام وانتم بخير