Movement isn’t simply our birthright, It’s our universal essence

I sit in silence in this yellow walled room, Even in stillness there is movement; Outside my window, white clouds move, Foam the shape of gazelles decorate the sky; Down below, two children jump, They move faster than the clouds;  I smell their joy, I smile from my liver, And I suddenly remember, Our solar…

Beyond the War: Storytelling as Resistance

In conversation with CODEPINK’s Danaka Katovich and Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation’s Arwa Mokdad for the first episode of “Beyond the War,” a Yemen cultural series. https://youtu.be/3Y6k2KBaZUc https://youtu.be/3Y6k2KBaZUc

On the power of the period

My first postnatal menstrual cycle came with dread, not surprising given that for most of my life, I thought of my period as a nuisance and an impediment to productivity.  I also rarely talked about it in the open, only with female friends. My old self would be mortified that I'm posting this here. But…

Be grateful that you can read, it’s a really big deal

Three generations of Yemeni women nestled between books that my late grandma, Mama Sayida, had wished she could read. Her photo reminds me to be thankful for the magic-like ability to read. Every time I flip a page I feel her presence. Every time I turn a new page I am grateful. Sometimes I imagine…

Embracing the new normal

This is the new normal. A mask, and an unrecognised smile. I pull it down to smile at my baby because he can't tell when my eyes smile. I put it back on and continue walking, stopping often for air. For me, the new normal isn't yet normalised, even if it's been this way for…

In one bite

With one bite of last night's shufoot, I time-traveled to Yemen. I was suddenly crouched on the floor eating with my cousins, aunts, and uncles. In one bite I heard a throaty old man sing and saw a boy bang on a gas canister.In one bite, I smelled bukhoor, inhaled a jasmine necklace, and chewed…

“Still life has some possibility left”

There is so much ugliness in this world. People are murdered, suffocated to death because of the color of their skin. Bombs are falling on the most impoverished as the few rich and powerful make more money. Children are starved to death as their parents helplessly watch them turn into bones. In this kind of…

How to Prepare for a TEDx Talk

First published as a guest blog in writer Susan Shiney's website. Everyone has their own way of writing and preparing for a talk. The following was how I prepared for a Tedx Berkeley talk in February. I hope you take what you like and adjust it to your needs and habits. Overcome Self-Doubt On the morning of…

Human connection isn’t overrated

Every night at 8 p.m. we join our neighbors in Brussels and clap from our windows/ balconies to give thanks to everyone working to keep essential services running in Belgium, including health care & supermarket workers, trash collectors and firefighters. This has become a tradition. My daughter's nightly "bravos" out the window gives us a sense…

Suffering is Not Enough

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began,  I had managed to remain quite calm. But last night, after reading a friend’s panicked FB post, I suddenly became anxious. It hit me that I might deliver the baby during this quarantine. (Baby is due early July). I wondered if I would be all alone in the hospital room,…