I am happy…

I just found sometime to write…

I actually don’t know where to start. So much has happened around me. Political stuff, mental stuff, heart related stuff, work, Iida, Ali.

Well. Politics… I do NOT give my opinion there… As I said in Cyprus before that in Finland and even before that in Kuwait. Wars and political issues always have 2 sides or more… And non I meet even wants to see both sides… As most of the world will say one side has the right, but still there in still the other side… In wars as in Cyprus Turkey’s war people said how bad the Turks were and how they did all the war crimes… They even try to plant hate in the kids’ hearts in schools toward the Turks. I disagreed with that as Iida came to me saying she had to write a school report of the war crimes Turkish Cypriot did to the Greek Cypriots. I simply told her if the teacher allows you to write of the war crimes the Greek Cypriots did to the Turkish Cypriots and vice versa than you can write the report but you are not allowed to take sides in a war happened decades ago! After all each war has it’s victims from both sides. Even if I am a Kuwaiti and love Kuwait and will never agree with Saddam did to Kuwait, I still know that, that war did not end with only Kuwaitis getting hurt. I know Kuwaitis also ended up doing war crimes against Iraqi soldiers and even Iraqi civilians living in Kuwait at that time. In my opinion as a Fin, things should be talked about and found solutions without troubling anyone’s life… But then again if there never were someone who disagrees or protests the world would stop developing! After all how did women in Finland got their strong stand today if it wasn’t for the fight they went through… But still… I will never take sides in fights, conflicts or arguments that clearly are not for me!

I got let go from my previous job because of the mess that happened in Bahrain. I was broke, mentally tired, and not sure even if I would stay in Bahrain. I was so close to move back to Finland but to be honest was so happy things went back to normal and I got a new job!

I have to say Bahrain is back to normal. Yes you see still check points and security police around more than you did 6 months ago, but it’s back to normal. Friends are back to their spots meeting up, Sunni and Sheea friends are still on same table joking and enjoying life and their friendship. So I am staying here and still think Bahrain is really cool and I love being here!!!

I love my new job! I will not talk about it much as I still have 1 more month of probation till I’m settled in. I just got to say I really love Restaurant, kitchen and FRONTLINE positions… So YES back to hospitality and restaurant business!

I’m still in Love with the same man! He is away right now in India which maybe is the reason I am at home and have the time to write as he left me his laptop!

Iida got accepted to AMA school. She went for the entrance exam with Ali. She came out with the teacher, as it seems she got her impressed! She passed the exam with full mark and she was told that she would be put into A class… where they put all their hard-working students to not have bad influence from other students in other classes.

That’s about it for now! I am happy… Alive… In love… Enjoying my new job… And so proud of my little girl!

Happy Women’s Day… Be proud of being one!!!

يوم سعيد .ليكن اليوم فاصل في ازمنتنا التي تتباهي بحركية موج التمرد .. الذي لن ينتصر نهائيا الا متى تانثت القيم والتصورات والعلامات …لانه في تانثها تحرير لها من ازمنة الدكورة التي قامت على قهر الانسان وعلى استعباده وفرض خنوعه وخضوعه… ليس يوما للاحتفال فقط بعيد المراة ..بل يوم لغرس قيم مناقضة لقيم التهميش ورفض لسلط ذكورة لم يشهد تاريخها سوى على ما اثقل البشرية بالدماء والنهب واللصوصية والولاءات الزائفة

Good day. May this day be the dividing point for our crisis that are being showed off with the insurgency and rebellion waves… Which will not have a complete win (or success) until the feminization of the values, the perceptions and the signs… Because with feminizing them it would set them free from the male and masculinity times that got to conquer humanity by slavering it and by applying on it the imposition of subservient (obedience) and surrender… It’s not just a day to celebrate the Women’s Day… But a day to implant values that contrasts the values of marginalization (subordinate) and to refuse male and masculine power that its history did not witness anything but the great pressure on humanity with blood, looting, larceny and false loyalties.

This was written by a friend who is an artist and writer. An Arab, Male, very Masculine and older than 40 years, Married. So not a woman nor a gay man has written this paragraph.

Is it… Is it true if feminizing the rules and the Arab world it would save them? Well… It might be a good idea to apply or at least to try as we did in Finland and many other countries including US and UK… It seems to be working there!

For what it’s worth… I am proud to be woman! I am Proud of being my mum’s daughter who is a great woman herself. And so proud to her mother’s grandchild as an amazing mother of three wonderful women that make our family stand and made other families stand through the years… Yes a family of women and I am so proud to be one of them!!! True thanks for my very few male cousins in the women’s family for adopting the feminine values we carried on… Thank you for being proud of our strength and thank you for respecting us throughout the years….

Happy Women’s Day… Be proud of being one!!!

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS

Christmas time! I always get months of depression before it comes! I never understood why yet! Well wanted to thank the people that send me emails, and posted me wishing me well, and to feel better soon! Thank you!

 

Now Christmas time reminds me of good things! About good times, loved ones, family and this beautiful world that we are destroying!

 

Now I remembered this year a story an old man told me in Finland once! I went with my ex-stepfather (the best father in the world for me)… to a Red Cross old peoples meeting… I mean really old, all over 75-80! So one man through the old crowd tells this story he remembers from the war time (with Germany)! He said he still remembers the Christmas Eve when there were lines of both armies ready to fight! And for a strange reason no one started! They found them selves, singing Christmas carols from both sides! They couldn’t betray the holy night of peace!

 

It made me think of a friend Fast Lane… now why is it that some people still don’t respect this peace? Why do they fight if some one says merry Christmas and is not a Christian! Why? Why do we fight?  

 

My daughter asked me if Muslims believe in god, and Christians believe in god, and many other religions believe in god, why is it that we fight? Why? And I still wonder why do I get depressed!

IT’S TIME FOR DEMOCRACY IN BURMA!!!

In support of our incredibly brave friends in Burma; May all people around the world wear a red shirt on Friday September 28….. Please forward this message!!!

10 MOST EXPENSIVE CELEBRITY DIVORCES

10. Mick Jagger & Jerry HallE

stimated settlement: $15 to $25 million

The Rolling Stones rocker and Texas supermodel met in 1977 and had two children together before marrying in a traditional Hindi wedding ceremony in Bali, Indonesia, in 1990. Hall filed for divorce in 1999 after learning that Jagger had fathered another woman’s child. Jagger, worth an estimated $325 million at the time, successfully challenged the legality of the Balinese wedding and received an annulment. Hall walked away with between $15 and $25 million, a fraction of Jagger’s estate.

9. Lionel & Diane Richie

Estimated settlement: $20 million

Richie, then 36 and married, met the 18-year-old backup dancer at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Richie, divorced from his first wife in 1993, married Diane by 1996. The Richies became tabloid favorites when Diane filed for divorce in 2004 and detailed their lavish lifestyle in her alimony petition. Among her claims: a monthly clothing allowance of $15,000; $50,000 a month for manicures, massages and other personal services; and a plastic surgery budget of $20,000 a year.

8. Michael & Diandra Douglas

Estimated settlement: $45 million

Douglas met 19-year-old Georgetown co-ed Diandra Luker in 1977 at a Jimmy Carter inauguration party. They married six weeks later. During the course of the marriage, Douglas became one of Hollywood’s top earning actors, starring in classics like Fatal Attraction, Wall Street and Basic Instinct. Amid rumors of the actor’s infidelities and alcohol abuse, the couple split in 1998. Diandra was awarded an estimated $45 million, plus homes in Beverly Hills and Majorca.

7. James Cameron & Linda Hamilton

Estimated settlement: $50 million

The Titanic director married the Terminator actress in July 1997. They had one daughter together before the marriage tanked 18 months later. Cameron received some $100 million from Paramount for Titanic (which grossed $1.8 billion). Hamilton received half of that, an estimated $50 million, in the divorce settlement.

6. Paul McCartney & Heather Mills

Settlement pending: Possibly more than $60 million

In 2002, the former Beatle wed Mills, a model-activist 30 years his junior. McCartney reportedly shunned Mills’ offer of a prenuptial agreement. By 2006, the pair, who have one child together, split acrimoniously. She accused him of assault; he locked her out of their London home. Rumors of a settlement suggest Mills may get in excess of $60 million–McCartney’s worth is an estimated $700 million.

5. Kevin Costner & Cindy Silva

Estimated settlement: $80 million

The pair, who met at California State University, wed in 1978. During their 16-year marriage, Costner became one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, scoring seven Oscars for Dances with Wolves and starring in iconic films like Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. Costner pocketed $50 million in 1991 alone. Because Silva was married to Costner during his peak earning years, she was awarded $80 million, a substantial piece of his net worth.

4. Harrison Ford & Melissa Mathison

Estimated settlement: $85 million

The couple met in 1977 at a dinner with casting director Fred Roos (American Graffiti) and wed in 1983. Six years later, Ford became one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors when he banked $7 million for Presumed Innocent. By 1995, he was making $20 million a film. The couple divorced in 2004. In addition to her divorce settlement, Mathison negotiated a piece of Ford’s future earnings from films he made while married, including DVD sales of the Indiana Jones trilogy and The Fugitive.

3. Steven Spielberg & Amy Irving

Estimated settlement: $100 million

The couple met when Irving auditioned for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). They married in 1985, after Spielberg had already struck it big with his first Indiana Jones flick and ET. They divorced after nearly four years of marriage. Irving successfully contested their prenuptial agreement (reportedly scribbled on a napkin) because she did not have legal representation and was awarded $100 million, roughly half of Spielberg’s fortune at the time. Today, he is worth $3 billion.

2. Neil Diamond & Marcia Murphey

Estimated settlement: $150 million

The crooner married Murphey, a television production assistant, in 1969, before he released his first gold record, Touching You, Touching Me. By the late ’70s, Diamond was one of the most successful musicians in showbiz, grossing upward of $14 million annually. After 25 years of marriage, Murphey filed for divorce in 1994, citing irreconcilable differences. She walked away with half of Diamond’s fortune–she’s “worth every penny,” he later said.

1. Michael & Juanita Jordan

Settlement pending: Possibly more than $150 million

The legendary basketball star married Juanita Vanoy, a Chicago bank officer, in 1989. He had already signed an eight-year, $25 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. He also was earning another $30 million a year from Nike and other endorsement deals. She filed for divorce last year. Over the course of the marriage, Jordan earned more than $350 million. Should Juanita press for half of his assets, she could get more than $150 million in the settlement, making the Jordan divorce the most expensive in entertainment history.

EASTER SOUP – MAYIRITSA

I’ll give you the simple recipe of the Easter Soup – Mayiritsa, but if you want more details you should go to:

http://www.gogreece.com/cuisine/cookbook/detail.html?RecipeID=40 

Ingredients

a young lamb Liver

Salt

juice of one Lemon

5 finely chopped Chives

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 bunch chopped Dill

Pepper

6 tablespoons Rice

Egg and Lemon Sauce

Preparation

Wash liver. Bring to a boil 7 cups water and put in the liver. As it begins to boil, remove scum which forms on top, add salt and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain the liver and cut into very small pieces.

Sauté chives in the butter, in a saucepan, until soft. Add chopped liver, dill, and pepper. Cook, stirring for a few minutes. Add the stock and simmer for 25 minutes. 20 minutes before serving time add rice. Remove from heat and prepare egg and lemon sauce. Add to soup, stir well and serve very hot.

I have to say I hate this soup, but my husband and daughter love it!! So like every food some will like it and some won’t!

EASTER SATURDAY… HOLY SATURDAY…

Today; the Easer Saturday everyone goes to church late in the evening, carrying with them unlit candles. At midnight the priest announces the resurrection of Christ (“Christos anesti”) and lets the people light their candles of the Holy Flame taken from Christ’s nativity cave in Jerusalem. As everybody do this fireworks and crackers go off and the dark night is filled with light from the candles. After this, everybody goes home for a meal, which is usually about a traditional soup (Mayiritsa) – the fast is over. If their candles are still burning, a cross is made in the doorway with the soot, to protect the house for the coming year.

I’m so excited!! I think I’ll be posting some pictures of the ceremony!

HAVE A GREAT GOOD FRIDAY!!

 

As I and most people follow the Orthodox Church here in
Cyprus (Greek side); our calibration of Easter is very big and unforgettable for any one who’s visiting!

Many Orthodox fast before Easter, and are not allowed to eat various foods such as meat, butter, milk as well as olive oil for the last few days. Then they will go to a priest for confession, and are so allowed to partake in the Holy Communion.

The actual Easter festival begins on Good Friday (today) and people go to the churches to see how the priests and monks take down the icon of Christ off the cross, wrap it in linen and put it in a great casket covered in flowers symbolizing the tomb of Christ. Then the bier is taken through the town or village, with people lamenting the death of Christ.

All I want to say is: I hope every one has a wonderful Good Friday!

THE MYTH OF CASSANDRA

The story of the heroine Cassandra is a favorite in Greek mythology. Cassandra makes an appearance in many plays and poems, where often she is depicted in her most memorable role – that of prophetess. So let me explore this compelling Greek heroine, and learn about Cassandra in myth and legend.

Cassandra is mentioned briefly in the Iliad of Homer (which, incidentally, is one of our oldest and most respected sources for information about the characters of Greek myth). Indeed, in the Iliad, we learn that Cassandra was the child of King Priam of Troy and his wife Hecuba, and therefore was a princess of Troy. She was considered to be Priam’s most beautiful daughter. However, no mention of Cassandra’s notorious prophetic power is made in this Homeric epic. We first we find Cassandra had spent a night at Apollo’s temple with her twin brother Helenus, at which time the temple snakes licked her ears clean so that she was able to hear the future. The tale of Cassandra and her legendary gifts in other works of ancient Greek literature.

Once Cassandra had grown up, she again spent the night in Apollo’s temple. According to one version of the story, Cassandra received the power to foretell the future from the god Apollo. Apparently Apollo loved Cassandra; he instructed the mortal woman and taught her about the art of prophecy because he had an ulterior motive – the god wished to win her affections. Cassandra accepted Apollo as a teacher, but not as a lover. Some say she made a promise to Apollo to become his consort, but broke it, thus incurring his wrath. Naturally; the god was insulted by this refusal. So he punished Cassandra. Apollo caused the gift that he gave Cassandra to be twisted, making everyone who heard her true and accurate foretelling of future events believe that they were instead hearing lies. In other words, the wondrous blessing bestowed upon a mortal became instead a terrible curse.

Telephus, the son of Heracles, also loved Cassandra but she scorned him and instead helped him seduce her sister Laodice.

And indeed, the burden of Cassandra’s “gift” is evident in mythology. She predicted the outcome of many disastrous events. In one memorable example, Cassandra announced the dire consequences of the Trojans accepting the infamous Wooden Horse from their Greek opponents. Her family believes she is mad, and, according to some versions, keep her locked up because of this. In versions where she is incarcerated, this is typically portrayed as driving her truly insane, although in versions where she is not incarcerated; she is typically portrayed as remaining simply misunderstood.

Coroebus and Othronus came to the aid of
Troy out of love for Cassandra. Cassandra was also the first to see the body of her brother Hector being brought back to the city.

Death of Cassandra comes after she flees to the altar of Athena for protection during the fall of Troy, but to no avail. Ajax 2 (the Lesser) pulls her from the sanctuary and rapes her. It is told that she was clinging to a wooden image of the goddess, which was knocked over from its stand, as
Ajax 2 dragged her away. Some have asserted (but others find this account too bold).

Cassandra is then taken as a concubine by King Agamemnon of Mycenae. Unbeknownst to Agamemnon, while he was away at war, his wife, Clytemnestra, had begun an affair with Aegisthus. Upon Agamemnon and Cassandra’s arrival in
Mycenae, Clytemnestra asks her husband to walk across a purple carpet, the color purple symbolizing the gods. He initially refuses, but gives in and enters; but by walking on this purple carpet he is committing sacrilege, ignoring Cassandra’s warnings. Clytemnestra and Aegisthus then murder both Agamemnon and Cassandra. Some sources mention that Cassandra and Agamemnon have twin boys Teledamus and Pelops, both of whom are illed by Aegisthus…

Welcome by NORA-CASSANDRA

Welcome everyone to my blog!

Nora-Cassandra! That’s my birth given name.

Where did my name come from? I’m half Finnish and half Kuwaiti, so the name my parents chose for me had to be the right name that worked in both countries.

Nora is a name comes from Noora, which means Honor and Respect in the Finnish language, and also from the name Noor that means to illuminate in Arabic. But I found that The girl’s name Nora \n(o)-ra\ is pronounced NOR-ah. It is of English origin. And it’s short for the Greek name Eleanora that means light! And it’s also used as a feminine form of Norman.

Well that was the boring part of my name. The second part is the interesting part!

Cassandra is a Greek name. Cassandra was a Trojan princess blessed with the gift of prophecy. She foretold the fall of Troy but was unheeded. The name was occasionally used from the Middle Ages until the 18th century. But the name Cassandra means SHE WHO ENTAGLES MEN! I asked my mum why they gave me the name Cassandra even though we don’t have any Greek back round. She said it was just a beautiful name!

I think there is no one else in this world that carries my special name. Nora-Cassandra!

I hope you’ll like some of what I’ll be posting about. Enjoy!