I’m sure you have all heard this word used before, but today I hope to shed new light on it. I have always been fascinated with this word, and the experience of an epiphany. So what exactly is an EPIPHANY? An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the (larger) essence or meaning of something. With this sudden realisation comes new information or experience, often insignificant by itself, that illuminates a deeper perspective or frame of reference. Wow that’s cool.
If I think back over my life, I can almost pin point times when I have had sudden realization, when everything just makes sense? These moments are sometimes fleeting although they don’t need to be as irregular as they are. For me, they often come when I engaged with the beauty and majesty that I’m surrounded by; standing on top of a mountain, comprehending achievement, standing tall, looking out over all the world, creation, or sitting on the beach, watching the waves sparkle in the sun as the crash recklessly over the rocks, sending spray everywhere. Just knowing in that moment, that we are apart of something more than we know, that we are somebody’s. There are many ways to experience and epiphany, and that’s just one way of experience, sometimes they come in song, or in a word from someone, or a book, or in our dreams.
I decided to write about this because I read about someone referring to an epiphany as God is light… When you think about the fundamentals of light, it enables us to see things, it reveals things. Think about it this way, when we enter into a dark room, we cant make out what is in the room because we can’t see anything, but when we turn on a light, everything that is in the room is revealed. We can now see what exactly is in the room. In times of discomfort, confusion, day’s filled with challenges, when nothing seems to make sense, when we are unclear of our direction and the road ahead we cry out for these moments of realisation, moments of light instead of darkness… an epiphany… God’s light.
When everything is revealed…
In my time here, I have been praying this prayer and I believe that God reveals to us exactly what we need to know for the specific time and situation we find ourselves in. He may to choose to light your whole road ahead, even give you the map with directions, or he may just provide enough light to see were your next step is going to be, giving us the opportunity for us to express our faith and trust in Him.
We began Epiphany with "God is Light". Providing us with direction, then we move on to see that through our understanding we may provide others with direction, revelation, understanding…"We are lights". This is where we get to choose?
God has shone in the darkness all around us, streaming like a wedge of light through the doorway of a dark room. Because of this we have the choice of epiphaneia—"to manifest" is how the word translates from the Greek. We can choose to be lights ourselves: to stand from our place on the floor and to live as His image made manifest.
Speaking truthfully because God is Truth.
Creating because we bear the image of the Creator.
Pursuing justice and peace because Christ did.
Forgiving and giving because we’ve been given to and forgiven.
Savouring all that brings God pleasure.
"I am the light of the world." [John 8v12]
"You are the light of the world." [Matt 5v14]
So this is a two fold message…
One: God’s light reveals to us a path in life’s darkness and
Two: We are God’s light to other’s in life’s darkness.
I hope this brings as much meaning and hope to you as it does me...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The world most famous brand!
Can you guess what drink this is?
You dont need to understand arabic to figure it out... The worlds most well known brand?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A Sign in the Sky or On the Beach
Sometimes things come to us in very strange ways... little reminders that we are not alone in the universe. This might be silly but i found it to be be quite funny at the time.
I went to the beach yesterday, to have a bit of down time, to think and reflect on why im here and muddling over all the confusion of being out of my place of comfort. During this time, your emotions seem to rock up and down, a little like a seasaw. Sometimes everything is great and your joyeous and othertimes, it feels like your world has fallening in on you, or away from you.. the world that you know seems so so faraway. So i was experiencing one of these far far away moments and this guy in a bright green costume suddenly came and stood right infront of me... a suttle reminder that we should 'never give up' and bright days are ahead. Enjoy.
Never Give UP (I hope u can read it)
I went to the beach yesterday, to have a bit of down time, to think and reflect on why im here and muddling over all the confusion of being out of my place of comfort. During this time, your emotions seem to rock up and down, a little like a seasaw. Sometimes everything is great and your joyeous and othertimes, it feels like your world has fallening in on you, or away from you.. the world that you know seems so so faraway. So i was experiencing one of these far far away moments and this guy in a bright green costume suddenly came and stood right infront of me... a suttle reminder that we should 'never give up' and bright days are ahead. Enjoy.
Never Give UP (I hope u can read it)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Dubai Tennis Championships
The Grandstand
Watching Ana Ivanovic
It is actually amazing watching live tennis...its also convenient because the stadium is 5mins from my hotel
My Hired Car
Only Joking.. im driving a Yaris... this was parked outside the office the otherday. I have seen many fancy sports cars on the roads around here. I read in the newspaper that there are 60 000 millionaires in Dubai... what? Thats crazy!God the Architect and Builder
(Post written on Sunday)
So its back at work… on a Sunday, that’s ridiculous, well actually it’s pretty normal here in the Middle East. The work day week runs from Sunday to Thursday, and the weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, it is certainly a change and its not the greatest being in the office while everybody back home are doing typical Sunday things. I cant believe that I have been here from 2 weeks already, on the one hand, time has flown past and I feel like I have been here forever and on the other hand it feels like I have just got here. My head is still spinning as the reality slowly starts settling. I woke up and read this verse this morning (read below), and it resonated with me on a number of different levels. I’m sure that you can tell why?
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10
Let me share with you what the Lord has placed on my heart as it is not only significant to what I am going through, but significant for all of us throughout our lives and maybe you just feel like you are in a similar place and it can speak to you as well.
A bit of background on this text: No one is quite sure who the author/s of Hebrews was, it was most likely Paul, nevertheless the author is writing to the Hebrew people who are struggling to grasp what is underlying Christianity with regards to what they know and understand about their covenantal relationship with God and keeping to the Law in the context of their Jewish Faith. Essentially the author writes this letter reminding the Hebrew people of where their faith has its roots, its foundations, were it began and explains to them that the New Covenant that as come to be through Jesus is far better than the old covenant, which was made with Abraham.
This particular section, focuses on Faith, it is one of the most well known passages of Faith in the Bible. This is such an important verse on so many levels, because so much of our lives are defined by our response to our faith in God; not what we see but what is unseen, what is certain and hoped for in the future. Faith is sometimes what we know to be prompting in our hearts that presents us with a choice (making that choice), whether or not we follow the prompting is an issue of faith. Sometimes we know what is right in of heart but we don’t follow the prompting. Now I know I haven’t many times, and maybe that’s genuinely because I lacked faith, not matter how big or small the step of obedience was. For you and me today, it could be something relatively insignificant or it could be something that actually could change the course of our lives. I wont get into the ins and outs of faith now, but our faith has a fundamentally significant role in our experience and our relationship with God. (Dereck Prince teaches on this subject very well and a urge you to read some of his literature)
The part that struck me, was not the part that Abraham went into a foreign land because that’s what God asked him to do (although I really identify with this, at the current place I find myself at in my life, being in Dubai; a foreign land) He obeyed, yes but its what He thought about this time was what fascinated me…"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
He was excited because going into this new land, he could rely on God as being both the master designer and builder of the city. His attitude is clearly positive and expectant. Lets look at some definitions of and architect and builder
“An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the planning and design of buildings and participates in oversight of building construction. The word "architect" comes from Latin architectus, which in turn derives from Greek arkhitekton (arkhi, chief + tekton, builder")” ...I thought I would put one in because it sounds all theological with the Greek.. haha
“A professional who designs buildings or other structures, or who prepares plans and superintends construction; A person who plans, devises”
“A person who normally functions as a creator, coordinator, author of the drawings and specifications and the general administrator of construction”
“Design; the way components fit together.”
“Builder-A person who builds or constructs things”
Are you picking up what I’m putting down, I know this is getting long but bare with me…(almost a full on sermon)
Dubai is this crazy place, with all this mad building going on… it really feels like you are living in one big construction site most of the time… this place has literally sprung up over night. This is a city filled with builders and architects. The people here are building a city that is as extravagant as can be, while more than half the world is starving (I will leave this subject for another time, but it is something that concerns me deeply)…
This made me think what are the kingdoms of everyday life are we building and more importantly who is doing the designing and building. Are we designing and building ourselves what we think is best for us, what is most comfortable for us.. or should we rather let God, the author of our lives, the master architect, the builder be the one in charge, the one in control for the benefit of others and His glory. He knows what the design is. He knows what goes where, how everything fits together. Are we building our lives for our own fleeting glory, of for God’s eternal glory. Now practicing this is far harder than just understanding it... Trust me im learning this right now...Check out this awesome verse below.
“9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. (God refers to us a buildings- that he designs and builds, but also follow builders, God then gives us a choice how we build in this life… with him or with out him) 10By the grace God has given me,(what are we going to do with this gift?) I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. 1 Corinthians 3:9-14
Im willing to put my trust in God as the master designer and builder of my life... are you?, after all he is the one that drew the plans... More often than not i beleive that it is the harder option, the one that requires sacrifice, the one that requires us to take up our cross and follow... (wow thats hard)
I believe there is much to be gained here and i certainly have not covered everything i wanted to, so please let me know of your thought and insight on.. it quite difficult to explain all the revelation on this verse... i guess i will share it with you as i journey through it in my time away here in a distant land.
So its back at work… on a Sunday, that’s ridiculous, well actually it’s pretty normal here in the Middle East. The work day week runs from Sunday to Thursday, and the weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, it is certainly a change and its not the greatest being in the office while everybody back home are doing typical Sunday things. I cant believe that I have been here from 2 weeks already, on the one hand, time has flown past and I feel like I have been here forever and on the other hand it feels like I have just got here. My head is still spinning as the reality slowly starts settling. I woke up and read this verse this morning (read below), and it resonated with me on a number of different levels. I’m sure that you can tell why?
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10
Let me share with you what the Lord has placed on my heart as it is not only significant to what I am going through, but significant for all of us throughout our lives and maybe you just feel like you are in a similar place and it can speak to you as well.
A bit of background on this text: No one is quite sure who the author/s of Hebrews was, it was most likely Paul, nevertheless the author is writing to the Hebrew people who are struggling to grasp what is underlying Christianity with regards to what they know and understand about their covenantal relationship with God and keeping to the Law in the context of their Jewish Faith. Essentially the author writes this letter reminding the Hebrew people of where their faith has its roots, its foundations, were it began and explains to them that the New Covenant that as come to be through Jesus is far better than the old covenant, which was made with Abraham.
This particular section, focuses on Faith, it is one of the most well known passages of Faith in the Bible. This is such an important verse on so many levels, because so much of our lives are defined by our response to our faith in God; not what we see but what is unseen, what is certain and hoped for in the future. Faith is sometimes what we know to be prompting in our hearts that presents us with a choice (making that choice), whether or not we follow the prompting is an issue of faith. Sometimes we know what is right in of heart but we don’t follow the prompting. Now I know I haven’t many times, and maybe that’s genuinely because I lacked faith, not matter how big or small the step of obedience was. For you and me today, it could be something relatively insignificant or it could be something that actually could change the course of our lives. I wont get into the ins and outs of faith now, but our faith has a fundamentally significant role in our experience and our relationship with God. (Dereck Prince teaches on this subject very well and a urge you to read some of his literature)
The part that struck me, was not the part that Abraham went into a foreign land because that’s what God asked him to do (although I really identify with this, at the current place I find myself at in my life, being in Dubai; a foreign land) He obeyed, yes but its what He thought about this time was what fascinated me…"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
He was excited because going into this new land, he could rely on God as being both the master designer and builder of the city. His attitude is clearly positive and expectant. Lets look at some definitions of and architect and builder
“An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the planning and design of buildings and participates in oversight of building construction. The word "architect" comes from Latin architectus, which in turn derives from Greek arkhitekton (arkhi, chief + tekton, builder")” ...I thought I would put one in because it sounds all theological with the Greek.. haha
“A professional who designs buildings or other structures, or who prepares plans and superintends construction; A person who plans, devises”
“A person who normally functions as a creator, coordinator, author of the drawings and specifications and the general administrator of construction”
“Design; the way components fit together.”
“Builder-A person who builds or constructs things”
Are you picking up what I’m putting down, I know this is getting long but bare with me…(almost a full on sermon)
Dubai is this crazy place, with all this mad building going on… it really feels like you are living in one big construction site most of the time… this place has literally sprung up over night. This is a city filled with builders and architects. The people here are building a city that is as extravagant as can be, while more than half the world is starving (I will leave this subject for another time, but it is something that concerns me deeply)…
This made me think what are the kingdoms of everyday life are we building and more importantly who is doing the designing and building. Are we designing and building ourselves what we think is best for us, what is most comfortable for us.. or should we rather let God, the author of our lives, the master architect, the builder be the one in charge, the one in control for the benefit of others and His glory. He knows what the design is. He knows what goes where, how everything fits together. Are we building our lives for our own fleeting glory, of for God’s eternal glory. Now practicing this is far harder than just understanding it... Trust me im learning this right now...Check out this awesome verse below.
“9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. (God refers to us a buildings- that he designs and builds, but also follow builders, God then gives us a choice how we build in this life… with him or with out him) 10By the grace God has given me,(what are we going to do with this gift?) I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. 1 Corinthians 3:9-14
Im willing to put my trust in God as the master designer and builder of my life... are you?, after all he is the one that drew the plans... More often than not i beleive that it is the harder option, the one that requires sacrifice, the one that requires us to take up our cross and follow... (wow thats hard)
I believe there is much to be gained here and i certainly have not covered everything i wanted to, so please let me know of your thought and insight on.. it quite difficult to explain all the revelation on this verse... i guess i will share it with you as i journey through it in my time away here in a distant land.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Light in the Darkness
It’s been a week in this strange new place; it has been filled with all kinds of different emotions, expectations and experiences of both feeling excited, a little anxious and even sometimes disheartened. It was clear from the beginning that this would be a big step of faith for me, and it has proved to be just that, I’m certainly not a person who has experienced a lot of change in my life, so while change is very hard for me, it is also at the same time quite necessary. I believe that it is important to move out of our comfort zone to gain critical perspectives of life and the world around us. I also believe that we should be constantly stepping out of our comfort zones, they may not need to be major ones (like moving to the other side of the world by yourself) but small ones day by day, by deciding to get involved in something new or doing something that maybe brings us to a place to feel a little uncomfortable or out of the ordinary.
Work on the one hand, is providing many opportunities to learn for others who are more experienced in my field and to gain valuable insight into the world of environmental consulting, although I don’t think I’m destined to do this for the rest of my life, it is probably were I should be right now. On the other hand, it has been a slow start as a lot of the projects our Middle East office were working on have been put on hold because of the economic crisis, which has hit here quite badly (a lot of the construction companies just don’t have any money),so I have not exactly been busy with anything to exciting so far. Obviously starting a new job you have to give it time to settle in and be involved. In the mean while its giving me some very thought provoking time about being here ( maybe a little to much).
Below is a picture I took last night on the roof of my hotel, I went up there after work, to read my bible and pray and its amazing how God draws near to you as you draw near to him (He is always so faithful). As I looked out towards the sun setting over Dubai, with the mosque below me that wakes me up every morning, I was reminded, that even in the places of darkness, there is light because were we are the spirit of God is, with us and inside of us at all times. "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” John 14:15-20.
There is a really heavy spiritual atmosphere here, different to that experienced in the western world, both thou unable to accept of comprehend the spirit of God for very different reasons.But I believe that there are some exciting things that are going to happen in this city this year. There is an air of expectation and anticipation in my spirit and my heart. There is always light in the darkness, whether its sun by day or the moon and stars by night... Darkness cannot hide.
Looking out from the roof of my hotel over the pool and into the setting sun over the City of Dubai
Work on the one hand, is providing many opportunities to learn for others who are more experienced in my field and to gain valuable insight into the world of environmental consulting, although I don’t think I’m destined to do this for the rest of my life, it is probably were I should be right now. On the other hand, it has been a slow start as a lot of the projects our Middle East office were working on have been put on hold because of the economic crisis, which has hit here quite badly (a lot of the construction companies just don’t have any money),so I have not exactly been busy with anything to exciting so far. Obviously starting a new job you have to give it time to settle in and be involved. In the mean while its giving me some very thought provoking time about being here ( maybe a little to much).
Below is a picture I took last night on the roof of my hotel, I went up there after work, to read my bible and pray and its amazing how God draws near to you as you draw near to him (He is always so faithful). As I looked out towards the sun setting over Dubai, with the mosque below me that wakes me up every morning, I was reminded, that even in the places of darkness, there is light because were we are the spirit of God is, with us and inside of us at all times. "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” John 14:15-20.
There is a really heavy spiritual atmosphere here, different to that experienced in the western world, both thou unable to accept of comprehend the spirit of God for very different reasons.But I believe that there are some exciting things that are going to happen in this city this year. There is an air of expectation and anticipation in my spirit and my heart. There is always light in the darkness, whether its sun by day or the moon and stars by night... Darkness cannot hide.
Looking out from the roof of my hotel over the pool and into the setting sun over the City of Dubai
Personal or Impersonal... You Decide
Before me is a blank page… what to write… hmmm. Im going to try hard to update this blog more regularly, now that I am away from home (that was my purpose of starting this blog) so for anyone who reads it, I hope you can be provided with few minutes of each day to let your thoughts wonder and join me on a journey, not only of my time away, but an adventure of what life is about, not that I profess to be all knowing, but I’m keenly aware that we are on this earth for a limited time, and its all over far too quickly not to ponder the important searching questions of life. The reality is that I believe that we are all here for many more reasons than we think and maybe life is about a journey of discovery and creativity all at the same time. Below is a brief note on life, whether at the heart of the matter it is personal or impersonal… you decide:
“In the end, there are only two possible sets of views about the universe in which we live. It must, at heart, be either personal or impersonal. It must either be a product of a person or an unplanned, unintended by-product of the impersonal + time + chance. If the universe is ultimately impersonal, it is arbitrary (for nothing and without reason) and temporary. If the universe is personal, it emerges form relationship, creativity, delight and love. It is purposeful (created in love, through love and for love; perfect love) and rooted in permanence (eternity). There is no more important decision you can make about the universe than this. Is there a person behind it or not? How you regard the universe, how you treat it, what you hope to get from it and give to it, how you view your own life and work and relationships and goals – all will be shaped decisively by how u answer that question. What makes sense of your world, your life, your longings, your values and your attempts to understand who you are and what you are here for? -adaptedfrom a book I read a while ago called Café Theology, i thought they posed the question rather well"
“In the end, there are only two possible sets of views about the universe in which we live. It must, at heart, be either personal or impersonal. It must either be a product of a person or an unplanned, unintended by-product of the impersonal + time + chance. If the universe is ultimately impersonal, it is arbitrary (for nothing and without reason) and temporary. If the universe is personal, it emerges form relationship, creativity, delight and love. It is purposeful (created in love, through love and for love; perfect love) and rooted in permanence (eternity). There is no more important decision you can make about the universe than this. Is there a person behind it or not? How you regard the universe, how you treat it, what you hope to get from it and give to it, how you view your own life and work and relationships and goals – all will be shaped decisively by how u answer that question. What makes sense of your world, your life, your longings, your values and your attempts to understand who you are and what you are here for? -adaptedfrom a book I read a while ago called Café Theology, i thought they posed the question rather well"
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
DAY 3 Stepping out
Day 3: I cant believe that it is day three here already, time seems to have flowing past since Monday, when I sat in the office contemplating how slowly time can actually go when you are in an unfamiliar place and out of your comfort zone. I have since not ventured to far into the city as I have pretty much either been in the Hotel or at work. So im looking forward to the weekend, where I will be able to explore this interesting place further. I did manage to head out to a little place not far from my hotel called the Irish Village, with two work colleagues, which was right by the Dubai tennis Club, which is hosting the Dubai Championships. Now this is quite exciting as most of the best players from around the world will be there… and I might just have the opportunity to go and watch Fed dominate… yes there are all gonna be there.. Fed, Nadal, Murray.. etc and the Ladies too. So here is to hoping that I will be able to get tickets, because the weekend matches seem to be sold out already. So I might go on one of the days after work… Dubai…it seems to be such an interesting place… the more I learn about it the more interesting it becomes. The plus about working with environmentalist, is that they always have a craving for the outdoors, so I have already been invited into the desert and for a birding weekend. So there are definitely many things to look forward too… The one thing that his very noticeable and especially in the areas I have been is that there are Mosques everywhere and the sound the call to pray happen 5 times a day.. the first one is at 5 O clock in the morning… hectic and there is one right outside my hotel room. Here is some more info on Islam; the five pillars and when they prayer… · Faith ( shahada): The first pillar is the profession of faith, which is the belief that ‘there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the Prophet of God’. · Prayer ( salah or salat): The second pillar lays out the obligatory prayers to be performed by devout Muslims five times a day. As the sun rises for each new day, the faithful are called to prayer by a muezzin (or nowadays often by a tape recording) with the following declaration of faith, known as the ‘ Shahadah’: ‘God is most great. I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Mohammed is the Prophet of God. Come to the prayer. Come to the salvation. Prayer is better than sleep. God is most great. There is no God but God.’ Each phrase is repeated. (The reference to sleep is used only in the first call to prayer.) Prayer times are at dawn ( fajr), noon ( dhuhr), mid-afternoon ( asir), sunset ( maghreb) and nightfall ( isha). The times of the dawn and sunset prayers are traditionally the earliest and latest times at which you can see the difference between a black thread and a white thread, using only natural light. All newspapers publish the prayer times to be observed on that day. The duration of prayers varies with the prayer leader (Imam) but is usually between ten minutes and half an hour. You can pray anywhere, but Friday noon prayers must be performed in a mosque. Muslims wash before praying to show a willingness to be purified. Non-Muslims aren’t expected to do anything in particular during prayer times, although you shouldn’t watch or pass close in front of anyone who is praying or step on his prayer mat. · Charity ( zakat): The third pillar of the Muslim faith involves the (obligatory) donation of a 40th (i.e. 2.5 per cent) of the value of your assets annually – a sort of ‘alms tax’. Fortunately, this doesn’t apply to non-Muslims. · Fasting ( sawm): The fourth pillar concerns the Ramadan Fast, when Muslims must fast during the hours of daylight for the whole of this Holy month. The fast is an act of self-purification and a test of strength, patience and inner knowledge. Muslims must refrain from drinking, eating, smoking and all other physical pleasures, including sexual activity. Eid Al-Fitr (‘the big festival’), is the festival of the breaking of the fast, when the whole community celebrates, families visiting each other and children wearing new clothes. Non-Muslims usually join in and enjoy the fun. This is also an occasion for people to pay their respects to the ruler and any notable families that they do business with or are in regular contact with. Coffee and sweets are served, and the host and his family and friends are wished ‘ Eid mubarraq’ (‘congratulations on the occasion of the festival). The Eid Al-Fitr is also a time when people pay money or donate food to a charity called Sadaqah Al-Fitr, which provides food for the needy. · Pilgrimage ( Hajj or Haj): The fifth and final pillar of Islam declares that it’s incumbent on every Muslim who can afford it to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in his life. The reward for doing so is impressive: forgiveness for all sins. The Haj is an annual event, which takes place in the 12th month ( Dhul-Hijah) of the Muslim calendar. It’s a well-organised event, although such is the demand to make the pilgrimage that quotas have had to be enforced on each country. I will be posting more interesting insights on Islam and Arab culture as I learn more…
The Mosque outside my hotel room at night
The Mosque outside my hotel room at night
Monday, February 2, 2009
Touch Down in the Land of the High Rise
Well im here, I touched down this morning in the Land of skyscapers... and its just that; there certainly are many tall buildings here, which seem to stretch out high into the hazey abyss. After a restfull flight, i caught a taxi from the airport to the hotel and then headed to work. The roads are certainly going to take a bit of getting used to, as everyone seems to drive at 100 km/h and they dont appear to be very easy to figure out.
I arrived at the WSP Middlle East office and things were quite different from the South African office, which i suppose in away was to be expected, but the SA office is much nicer, more roomer and have far less people in it... Everything seems to be more organised in the SA office which is very surprising, so i think it might take a little while to get used to.
So here i am feeling a littel dazed and confused about how i am really feeling. The reality is that this first week is going to be very challenging to say the least, a day at a time kinda stuff and im sure things will slowly start making more sense. im not sure where the wild idea developed to step out of my comfort zone and leave home, big step of faith, being uncomfotable is never easy.. infact it feels as though the walls close in from every side, i write these thoughts because im sure some of you identify with them at sometime in your life. There are many positives that you can draw from such times.. it really makes you question things, about whats really important in life and really dig deep to find out who you really are if we are brave enough to face ourselves.
On a positive note, im sure there are many positive things to look forward to here and once i have begun to meet people and settle in, im sure that i will gain much perspective on these tough times. After all our purpose is not to build a kingdom of comfort but rather the kingdom of heaven.
I arrived at the WSP Middlle East office and things were quite different from the South African office, which i suppose in away was to be expected, but the SA office is much nicer, more roomer and have far less people in it... Everything seems to be more organised in the SA office which is very surprising, so i think it might take a little while to get used to.
So here i am feeling a littel dazed and confused about how i am really feeling. The reality is that this first week is going to be very challenging to say the least, a day at a time kinda stuff and im sure things will slowly start making more sense. im not sure where the wild idea developed to step out of my comfort zone and leave home, big step of faith, being uncomfotable is never easy.. infact it feels as though the walls close in from every side, i write these thoughts because im sure some of you identify with them at sometime in your life. There are many positives that you can draw from such times.. it really makes you question things, about whats really important in life and really dig deep to find out who you really are if we are brave enough to face ourselves.
On a positive note, im sure there are many positive things to look forward to here and once i have begun to meet people and settle in, im sure that i will gain much perspective on these tough times. After all our purpose is not to build a kingdom of comfort but rather the kingdom of heaven.
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