Chocolate Cloud: Diaries of Mo'tamera (Part 2)

Day 6 – Medina – Mecca

Dear Diary,

I woke up today, full of energy, and I was ready to do anything, well that was what I thought.

We went to pray fajr, we tried to look for yesterday’s woman but it seems that she only comes at night, so we left, continued sleeping when we went back home.

When we woke up again for breakfast, my uncle called grandpa, and told us that they arrived, and to our surprise, they were in the same hotel! So, after breakfast, I went to visit them, uncle was asleep, and I didn’t want to wake him, so I took my other grandpa and grandma to the reception to sit with grandpa and grandma. LOL. We discovered too, that we are in the same hotel too in Mecca, but they were going a lil bit later than us.

We went back upstairs, to make Ihram; I took a shower first, and sat there doing nothing. I’m going to miss this place, you know.

After all of us got ready, we went to pray thuhr-the last prayer in the mosque- L .

Then we packed our bags and checked-out and sat there in the bus waiting for the others.

After a ten-minute ride, we went to some place called “Abyar Ali” to pray AlEhram prayer. In that place, many people take their showers there. I can’t believe it; it’s so crowded and messy, how would they feel comfortable taking a shower around all these people? For me, it was impossible – I even wanted to go to the bathroom but I couldn’t either- teehee J

We continued our ride, to a rest house. I couldn’t hold myself and I slept in the way. We bought some food from the super market. I was going to use that bathroom in the rest house, but it stunk, I tell you, anyone who enters that place, get out right away. So I just had to hold myself. :$

When we arrived Mecca at last, we had to wait in the bus before going to the hotel. I don’t know, but because we came at the time of Isha’ prayer, and it’s forbidden for buses to move while prayer. So we had to wait. The funny thing about it, is that the driver isn’t a native Arabic speaker, and we didn’t know that he’d have to pay if he moved while prayer. He was trying to explain in Arabic, and some travellers weren’t patient, so he kept talking in broken Arabic to make them calm down. It was hilarious!

The hotel… it was huge I tell you! There was a huge giant mall at the bottom, then the hotel. The hotel is luxurious. So VIP. I didn’t have time to ‘discover’ the room because once we came; we prayed Maghreb and Isha, then went to the Haram.

Once I entered I was like………………….. :O opening my jaws till it reached the floor. The Ka’aba is so beautiful. In tawaf I was reading some dua’as in a book, I didn’t really look – admire- it.

Sa3y, which is a story alone, killed me, I can’t imagine how Hagar managed to go 7 times up the hill and back again running. I was dying, my feet were killing me, I was almost dead. After death, I went to take a teeny weenie rest, I stood there admiring the Ka’aba, I totally forgot that I was dead.

Back in the hotel, I was afraid we might get lost, but we memorized the way J teehee. This hotel is huge, I tell you –again-. Grandpa at last came and cut my hair, and now I’M NOT MO’TAMERA! I can put perfume now :P

I’m not really sure how much I’ll sleep, but I’ll just go with the wave. Now that I’m done with Omra, I can do anything, my role here is done. I shall only keep making dua’a and buy stuff for my friends.

I’m thinking of making another Omra later, but I don’t know, I’ll think sa3y will make me change my mind.

Gotta get some rest,

Mo’tamera J

Rahma Fateen

Day 7 – Mecca

Dear Diary,

I thought our day would mix up like the first day in Medina. I thought we’d sleep at day, ‘cause we were awake all night yesterday making Omra.

But no, today was a normal day, at fajr I was too sleepy, grandpa asked me if I’d come with him to pray at the haram, but I was too sleepy, I tell you, I said no, and that I was going to pray in the room, and I slept again! –teehee- the grandma woke me up to pray, I was still sleepy, I started praying without reading wodoa’! LOL. Grandma told me to go read wodoa’, I prayed then threw myself on the bed again.

I woke up so lazy, like I always do in summer days, and went to breakfast. There was some problem, we told them we’d take breakfast while getting the room and when we went, they told us that we didn’t! I stood there embarrassed, but we entered today anyway. The open buffet in this hotel –sorry to say- isn’t as good as the other hotel. The hotel is so luxurious and so, but the food wasn’t special or delicious, it was just normal. And you know what? I saw the worst sight ever. When people leave some leftovers, hotels are supposed to keep it, or at least give it to the poor, or do anything with it. But here, people left complete plates (not left overs) and the man just took it and threw it all in the basket! I was like, what the heck are you doing?! Non-eaten toasts, gull muffins and bread, all in the basket! *and of course other stuff*

Never mind that, we than went to pray thuhr *of course after a while* IT WAS HOT. STEAMING HOT. I couldn’t hold it, but I managed to do the tawaf then prayed thuhr, and sat there till Asr, grandma took me to the place she always goes to. A place –in the haram of course- where you can sit, admire the Ka’aba, and so whatever else you want at the same time. Amazing point. *but there was some little sun rays, which made it not perfect,-that time-* J

E went to the huge enormous mall under our hotel, to eat dinner. Our food court (the one in the mall under our hotel) doesn’t have famous restaurants, it had the ones you know, that you never heard of before. We ate in one of these, I ordered nuggets sandwich, but I tell you, it stunk. They put French fries, cucumbers, tomato, and nuggets INSIDE the sandwich all together! Plus that the bread wasn’t tasty. I didn’t like it, but I just had to eat it, I didn’t want to make grandpa feel that he got me bad food or something like that.

I ate ice-cream to change the taste of my mouth, but huh, it wasn’t special either, It didn’t even taste chocolate!

Anyway, we went back up to the room and got ready for Maghreb. I decided I’ll make tawaf only once a day, not each time I enter, ‘cause my feet were still hurting me from sa3y, so tawaf wasn’t as easy as it was when I first came.

Grandpa and grandma went alone ‘cause unfortunately –again- I wasn’t to pray. So I sat in the hotel. There was nothing good on TV. I washed my clothes and got ready to sleep early today. I just thank God so much that I already made Omra, ‘cause who knows, I might not have time to go to the mosque again L . that sucks, some daysi n Medina AND some in Mecca. Such luck.

Oh, but Alhamdulillah at both times, ‘cause in Medina, I had time to visit rawda twice J and I nMecca, I already made Omra, the reason why I’m here.

Ummmmm L I wanted to see the amazing view at night L I just wish I’ll have a day or two to see the Ka’aba before we go back Egypt. Insha’Allah.

Rahma Fateen

Day 8 - Mekka

Dear Diary,

I spent my day today in the hotel, but Subhan'Allah, each day passes, there has to be something special in it, even if it's only indoors.

I woke up today, after a 12 hour nap, as lazy as always, and went for breakfast. Alhamdulillah, yesterday's problem was done and we entered without embarrassment.

hehe.

I ate a lot, and most of the food was good. :D

I took a short nap when we went back to the room. And when they went for Thuhr, i sat there watching T.V, i found nothing interesting but CNN, i started watching it all day. I saw some news that in 2050 they will invent transparent airplanes, so that we can see the stars and the sky. How cool is that? I can't wait, but it's almost the end of the world. And no-one knows if we'll live that time or not!

When they came back from Asr, we went to eat dinner. This time i ordered steak fish and lemonade, it was delicious. :D

We went back upstairs, watched some news. Grandpa was going to make another Omra*, so he started to get ready. I was going to make one with him, but as you see, bad luck! :| *

They went for Maghrib, I revised Qura'n, and started talking to myself. When the conversation (me and myself) was finished, i switched on the T.V, and i found that there's an eclipse in Saudi Arabia, so i ran to the window, it was a lunar eclipse, and it's still on till now. In the Haram, they are praying the eclipse's prayers. too long.

And the eclipse is taking 2 hours. It says that it's a full-rare lunar eclipse. But because the Earth is bigger than the moon, so it seems disappearing. But when i saw the sun eclipse the the sun is bigger than earth, so it looked amazing, like a black circle in the sky, bordered with red lipstick, really, i can remember when we went some far place in Egypt. It's called Saloom, borders with Libya, and we wore some special glasses, and prayed some special prayers, it was so cool, a memorable day!

Solar eclipse is cooler than lunar eclipse but that was the even of the day, even indoors. (:

I heard this saying from the govern of New Jearsy on some program on CNN:

' I'd say,

I know i'm ready,

I hope we can win,

Rather than,

I hope i'm ready,

I know i can win'.

It's nice right?

So that's it for today, i'm gonna sleep now, and see what events tomorrow will get me.

Yours till transparent airplanes,

Rahma Fateen.

Day 9 - Mekka

Dear Diary,

I am so lazy these days, I used to sleep less the first days, I used to wake up fast!

Now, i think i'm always the last!

We woke up today, went to eat breakfast, and guess what? The same problem of the first days was repeated again! But me and grandma went inside and started eating. LOL. I don't really understand the details, but it was solved at the end.

We finished eating, went upstairs, and digested. ☺

When they left for prayer, i started watching T.V. Then grandpa got me Pringles! :D You know i'm making this Pringle collection - of course empty :P - So, I save the cartons, i have a big number of them, you know.

Days are passing faster in Mekka than in Medina. I dunno, but we are already leaving after tomorrow!

Part of me is happy and another part is sad, I'm happy cuz i miss my folks in Egypt, family and friends, I miss facebook, twitter, blogger and internet as a whole!

I expect too many notifications.

The sad part is that i don't think i'll come here again for a while. I didn't stay enough, and the most thing is that i need more duaa', i need to be closer to Allah, that was a major duaa' I said, but i guess when I'm in Mekka, away from Internet, boring T.V; i have nothing to do but Worship God. And that's a good thing, i hope my life will change after I come back, to better of course.

Grandma -the other one- is coming today, at the same hotel, but i guess they'll pass by the same things we passed by, and they are coming at Isha, so they will have to wait until they finish prayer to pass. but Insha'Allah we will get to see them before we go.

So after Asr, Grandpa came, and we went together to the mall, we bought some stuff, and bought our food, Herdees again. (:

All the tables were crowded so we went to eat in the room. It was a good meal.

i called Mom, they went to the North Coast while i'm here. I miss them so much. ): Anyway i'm leaving in 2 days, so at last i'll get to see them.

We then got ready for Maghrib, i was with them this time AlhamdulilAllah, first Maghrib prayer in the Haram! :)

We stayed there for Isha too, Grandpa took pictures for me. teehee. And supposedly, i was revising Qura'n, opened on my legs, so i was watching people, i didn't do anything!

Then we left, and went to sleep. I couldn't sleep at all! My other Grandma called, they arrived Alhamdulilah, and were getting ready for omra.

At last, I slept...

Rahma Fateen.

Day 10 - Mekka

Dear Diary,

It's Friday! Grandma wanted to pray fajr in the Haram today, because like everyday, we were about to be as lazy as always and stay. But she insisted, so i wore my Abaya under my pajamas. LOL. And we arrived right after the iqama, we prayed outside because it was so crowded.

we woke up for breakfast, Grandpa poured water on me to get up! The problem was solved AlhamdulilAllah! That's what i needed!

So, we went for breakfast, there was no problem this time, we went to eat right away! :)

we then went for Thuhr, like everyday, but we stayed till after Asr, then Grandpa and I went to bring dinner, we brought chinese food today. :) yummy. :P

There was a cute baby girl at the Haram, I saw her yesterday, she was naughty, but so cute, Masha'Allah.

After the meal, Grandma felt so sick right away! I stayed to take care of her. I slept too. LOL. Grandpa came, we went to the reception, we met the other Grandparents and my uncle.

I wasn't able to sleep that night, don't ask me why, i just couldn't.

Good Night,

Rahma Fateen.

___________________________________________________________

And special thanks for my Bestest Bestie. Soraya ♥ 'cause without her, this wouldn't have been done.

I heart you girl :*