The Palestinian Art Court – Al-Hoash formally launches its gallery space in Jerusalem with a retrospective of paintings, drawings and books by the late Palestinian artist Hassan Hourani, who drowned at a very young age in the sea of Jaffa in 2003.
Presented for the first time in Jerusalem, the exhibition illustrates the outstanding career of this internationally known Palestinian artist who was a prolific painter, writer and illustrator. The exhibition coincides with the launching of the book “Hassan Everywhere,” a collection of short stories written and illustrated by Hourani and published by the A.M. Qattan Foundation which is also co-sponsoring the exhibition.
Located in the heart of east Jerusalem, next to the Tombs of the Kings, Al-Hoash Gallery will energize the Palestinian art scene with an extensive schedule of exhibitions, events and educational programs. The mission of the Palestinian Art Court – Al-Hoash is to collect, preserve, interpret and promote visual arts in Palestine. This will be achieved through exhibitions, educational programs, collections, publications and community outreach programs that enrich the cultural life of its visitors and uphold the value of visual art in our society.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on April 7th at 18:00 hours and it will run until May 4th. Opening hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 12:00 to 19:00 and Friday through Sunday from 15:00 to 19:00 hours. The Gallery is closed on Mondays.

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I wonder how the turn out of such events is! This is something I would have definitely attended have I been there!

This month seems to have been dragging forever. It just doesn’t seem to want to come to an end! But finally and thankfully, it is almost over!  

Everywhere, unthinking mobs of “independent thinkers” wield tired clichés like cudgels, pummeling those who dare question “enlightened” dogma. If “violence never solved anything,” cops wouldn’t have guns and slaves may never have been freed. If it’s better that 10 guilty men go free to spare one innocent, why not free 100 or 1,000,000? Clichés begin arguments, they don’t settle them.”  Another cliché at the top of my list: “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Uh, thanks. But who really cares.

I love arguments; I think democracy is all about disagreement, not agreement. But my point is that people usually say they’d defend my right to speak as way to avoid having an argument. It’s a cop-out. In other words, it’s non-responsive and irrelevant but it sounds bold and principled. You could just as easily say, “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will fight side by side with you when the Romulans attack.”~Jonah Goldberg

Right?!!

In thinking about my journey thus far here on planet Earth, I have come to believe that there are some people who would rather lie and appear nice than tell the truth and come off as a bitch. I would rather tell the truth and come off as a bitch. How about you?

Ever since she can remember, Maddy has been a huge fan of jewelry. She loves how a piece of stunning jewelry can glam up, and put the most amazing shine to a mundane outfit.  Working with designers in Malaysia, as well as neighboring countries, such as Burma, Bangkok, and Bali, to make sure all the designs were caught up with the modern trends, yet classic and original at the same time, Maddy brings to us some of the most dazzling pieces ranging from necklaces and bracelets, to rings, earing, pendants and sets. Check out her collection here. Thanks Ranya for emailing me the site. 

From expressways, to traffic lights, to elevators, to sliced bread humans have been given credit for many inventions…What I cannot comprehend is that some even go as far as giving credit to humans for inventing religion … exactly, how is religion a human invention?

According to a recent UCLA study, dieting can cause chronic stress! The problem? Not getting enough of vitamins B6, B12 and folate -nutrients that affect mood. Too little of these can make you prone to depression and mood swings, explains Marlene Schwartz, Ph.D of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders.

AHA! So that explains Maryam’s attitude every time she decides to go on a diet!

If you love pretzels, does it mean you’re a flirt?

Yes, says Alan Hirsch, M.D., of Chicago’s Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. His study found that people’s snak food preferences reveal their personality type! For example, if you prefer:

Pretzels: you’re a flirt and very lively and energetic.

Tortilla Chips: You’re a pefectionsit.

Potato Chips: You’re a real go-getter who wont take no for an answer.

Cheese Curls: You have lots of integrity and always take the high road.

Beef Jerky: You’re the life of the party, outgoing and upbeat.

P.S. I hate beef jerky, but I am very lively and outgoing

The thought of this month being a different month, a month in which I will resume my workouts, give it all I can and the continued determination of ‘just doing it’  are just not working. I can’t recall the last time I stepped on the treadmill or went for an outdoor jog! What will it take for me to resume my workouts and keep in consistent (it’s not like I’ve been so good with my workouts all my life and just suddenly fell out … but I used to jog, run and do other targetted workouts 3 days a week.)

What should be my motivation?! my inspiration?!

And be kind to all women…every woman has a seed of motherhood in her heart…if you nurture that…you might just smell a hint of heaven…

I liked this…Thanks, Doc!

To be a Palestinian in this world is a truly unique experience. You begin to feel that you are “different” from everyone else the minute that you start to understand and comprehend what your birthright means for you. By the simple fact of being born on and living on that small piece of real estate between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, your life takes you on a path that others cannot fully comprehend.

Simple arrival in this world is looked at with suspicion and no small amount of concern. You are not just another baby: you are a statistic to be counted and watched by those who worry not about your welfare or your future, but about the fact that another Palestinian has been added to the ‘demographic equation’. Those that watch the demographics with concern would be happier if you were never born at all. Your arrival adds to their worry that they would lose the majority. A majority based on race and religion and even though you can trace your ancestors to that piece of land for thousands of years, in the eyes of the demographers, you are not welcome there.

(Read on …)

I seem to have this conversation with my friends, my sisters, my mother, and myself every now and then. I understand that the excitement of meeting someone new and getting to know them will consume a lot of your time and that is very understandable - after all this is one of the most important decisions of one’s life … but why is it that everytime a friend meets a potential partner, her life prior to that point seems to have never been and her time is -entirely- dedicated to that person?! I seriously don’t understand!

p.s. No I am not talking about you particulary!