We were married in Djerba, Tunisia, December 10, 1998. The picture above was taken on December 11, the day after the wedding (etsendeera in my lingo اتسنديرة). That was the last day I saw my parents and siblings. Notice Sol's hat--don't laugh--it's a Misrati hat!
How we're celebrating? Moody greeted me in the morning, "Happy face-in-the-pie day!" And Tala followed suit, slightly modifying the greeting to "Happy face-in-the-cake day!" We have been having so much fun the whole day. And it's still continuing. We are cleaning closets--major cleaning--the first in more than four years! We started with Moody's, Tala's and the guest room yesterday. Today, it's our room. The fun is when we see the results: organized spacey closets, clothes we can see and reach. We had lunch break; now it's time to get back to the fun!
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hey ... happy anniversary ,,,i loooove your blog ,, may be is because you Hanu are from Derna "my mum`s town" .. or may be because Sol is from Misurata "my town!!) .. i always ask my parents how did they meet (derna far east and misrata is west!!!) and they always answer that it is the blind love ... well it happened again...
ReplyDeletemay you have a life full of happiness and love...
i just have a question: how could you resist staying away from your family without seeing them .. isn`t hard ,, i call my mum everyday and i feel that i miss the days spent with her...
sorry to be such a silly ,,it is just the curiosity.. or may be the advice i`m seeking for...
thank you
Um Dania
Hello, Um Dania.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you relate to us and our blog in a positive way. I guess the Misrati-Dernawya mix is a good one proven to work! Ours was a blind love too, literally!
I could write pages about how I could stay away from my family for so long. I miss them, and I do long to be with them sometimes though I know that is not the best I could wish for.
Life is all about choices and sacrifices. I have learnt from an early age that I cannot hold on to something that will hinder me or be an obstacle in the way of my aspirations and dreams, even if letting go could be very painful.
I have been away from home since I was 18 and some before that. My father always insisted to limit the number and times of calls between me and my family. He believed that the more I call or they call, the more I will cry and the more homesick I will be. And he was right. The less that I call, the less distracted I am by thoughts of missing home and my family and the more I get moving on with my life. Anyway, this is a double-edge sword. The less you call your family, the wider the gap that would develop between you and them. And with that comes the burden of keeping the connection and not letting it slip. It's hard to find balance, because it comes with pain on one side, and never settling or establishing your belonging in your new environment on the other side.
I made the choice to move on with my life and reach for my dreams. It's the choice that works for me but doesn't necessarily work for everyone. Every person has different priorities. You just need to sort them out and know which direction to take.
I know people who go to Libya at least once a year. I wouldn't do that even if I could. There are other things I want to do in life, and places I want to go to.
Had my family been outside Libya, I would have met them more frequently. I didn't wish to not see my family for 8 years, but many things prevented that, some within our control and some out of our control. One reason I'm not thrilled about going is the social life in Libya. I despise it so much, can't stand, and can't and don't want to relate to it. It just frustrates and hurts me to be in that environment. Now that I have decided to go even if Sol doesn't want to, the Libyan authority refuses to register Tala's name, and we refuse to give an inch of our rights and her rights. And until then, I miss my family!
You are not silly, my dear. It's even harder when you move away from your family at an older age. The younger you are, the better you adjust and get over the hardship. I'm not saying you're old :) Just relatively speaking!
BTW, Derna rocks... Mesrata, naaah!
happy anniversary, great picture. enjpy and don't forget my portion of the cake... Ghazi
ReplyDeletehappy anniversary and enjoy your time :)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say Libya rocks not only Derna ;)
Hana & Suliman,
ReplyDeleteI wish you a very happy anniversary and as my mom used to say: إنشاء الله اتكملو بعضكم
i. e. you grow old gracefully together.
Psst, I just put something for you in the post; I hope you will get it, all in one piece, soon. No more clues, hehehe.
Hello, Um Dania, and thank you. I have to second that the Misrati-Dernawi mix is a good one. It might be because both cities are overshadowed by their larger neighbors, Tripoli and Benghazi. Of course a lot of Dernawi folks have roots in Misrata, so there might also be a genetic reason for compatibility. Hana's Naas roots are from Tajoura, but her mom is a Bensaud and that's all ours! So, I tell Hana that our kids are 3/4 Misrati and 1/4 Tajouri, what Dernawi are you talking about? lol lol Of course, she doesn't like that, but Derna has a special place in the hearts of many Libyans.
ReplyDeleteGhazi, I wish I had the top tassle for that hat. Without it, the hat looks slightly underdressed (i.e., more like a Zlitni hat. lol lol) No cake, this time, but we had some Ferrero Rocher chocolate because there was a lot of that at the wedding. And since we were in Tunisia, we also had a lot of Digla dates at the wedding, but we can't get that fresh here...
Thanks, A.Adam and Soad, for your kind wishes. We'll keep an eye on "the post" Soad.
P.S.
ReplyDeleteSoad: Congratulations on your debut! If you haven't already, please "post" us a copy of the issue, even a photocopy.
Can "post" be a verb? I never know anymore, but if "to party" and "to text" can be verbs, then all is fair.
Thanks guys! Hey, A.Adam, Libya rocks, but Derna rocks in slow motion if you get my drift! Hint: The dogs bark, the waves splashing sound and not least the prayer calling أذان!
ReplyDeleteSoad, I think I know... I think I know... Can't wait! Mabrook ya Benghazino!
Happy Anniversary and many many happy years to come InshaAllah.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to laugh at the hat but then I read it was a Musrati hat, I was born in Benghazi but my origins is from Musrata, just kidding, you both look great and very Libyan.
This is for Sereeb: at least let us know the name of the magazine, many of us would love to read what wrote and keep the magazine.
Happy Anniversary! You guys look great mashallah! Rabi yis3idkum forever inshallah.
ReplyDeleteI love the hat! It looks funky!
hey ,, by the way ,,,why did you wear the 3arbi in the trabilsian way (it is soooo beautiful though)but i prefer the shergawi way any way... is it because they forgot to bring the 7`al7`al(الخلخال),,just kidding...
ReplyDeletethank you for your answers(both Hannu and sol)i really like this dernawi- mesrati mixture it alwyas work ,,
and yes sol i know that half of derna is originated from Misurata and half from Tajura ,,and we always tease mama about it and she answers that she is Kraghlia(قره غلية)riginated from Turkey .. but the truth that her origins are from Misurata (as dad always like to say!!)
i like your blog , your photos ,,and your children they are so beautiful...
thank you
Dania`s mama
Hey, AL, you have my permission to join me and laugh!
ReplyDeleteLebeeya, glad to have you back; but PLEASE don't bring your stinky foot here with you!
Dania's Mom, thank you for your sweet words. We're glad to have you visit our blog, and sweet Dania too! BTW, I wore Trabilsi because the outfit was made for Trabilsi way, you know long pants and all. You know us shergawyat like to show our legs :) I like both, but unfortunately I don't know how to dress myself in Libyan!
All, check who's getting married here.
Happy Anniversary,i hope I'll celebrate the 100 Anniversary with u.
ReplyDeleteby the way what is Tala mean.
Thanks, Braveheart. Please see this post for the meaning of Tala.
ReplyDelete