Twenty Ten
01 Jan 2010 1 Comment
in Daily Encounters Tags: Egypt, newyears, reflection, studyabroad
My mom tells me that, in Egypt, people celebrate the new year by standing at their balconies and breaking the old dishes. Adults and children hurl the cracked plates, tea cups, saucers, and bowls, and the streets are a symphony of shattering glass. Anything that’s stained or chipped is sent flying over the railing to meet its end with a smash. One platter becomes twenty splinters, adding to a sea of shards glimmering in the Arabian moonlight. Above, families cheer and sing and laugh. Everyone knows better than to walk the streets on New Years. The last time my mom was a part of that Egyptian tradition was in 1987, so things may have changed since then.
Rather than listing resolutions for 2010, I went through my 2009 calendar and picked out the most significant experiences, learned lessons, and accomplishments from each month. Each year seems to be packed with more and more, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s easy to be thankful for the good times, but it’s so much harder to appreciate the bad times. The combination of highs and lows sketches out the portrait of who you are, what you know, and how you see the world. So I’m happy for the hardships I had too.
I’m beginning 2010 by studying abroad in Wales. I’ll be archiving my trip in blog posts to share with family, friends, and everyone else. =)
Happy Twenty Ten, everyone!
~ Salma
