Its a usual Friday afternoon, im sitting at home watching TV with my sisters, and then this movie trailer comes on TV, its called 'Bolteya el 3ayma', and from the trailer i understood that it is about a woman who lives in a very poor area, an area very similar to Ain el Seera, but in Alexandria. And there was this line that the main character(Abla Kamel) says, and it goes something like that "isnt that what we have elected you for? The electricity that we only have every 15 min and the water and the sewage problems?" And that kind of struck me right there, cuz usually i would listen to something like that and it would just pass, i wouldnt have given it much thought at all, not because i didnt care but cuz i didnt really understand or know, problems that many people with certain circumstances have to live with every single day. And that when i started talking to my sisters and explaining those problems to them. So, Dr. Mona, THANK YOU for this class, really!
:)
Friday, December 5, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The Baby Egg exercise was quite an experience! After we were all done with dropping the eggs, we had a really good discussion. First of all, what caught my attention was that all groups cared equally for the babies, we were all worried and caring and we even talked to them and some of us even drew faces on them! So I considered that to be a proximal protective factor, that all of us shared and by looking at the bigger picture, that is exactly what most members of the community share towards their newborns and children.
This helped illustrate that, yeah poverty can be considered one of the strongest stressors, but yet there’s still the love of the family that counts for the coping or the protective factor, as what happened to group #4, they didn’t have the resources that they thought was enough to care for the baby and keep it safe, yet they thought of other alternative ways to protect their baby, as what happened to group #3 as well, when Dina thought of wrapping the bag with a piece of the foam bag cuz the supermarket ran out of tape, and how Group 4 couldn’t afford anything, so they resorted to creative ways for safety.
I thought that this exercise demonstrated how people from different economic statuses deal with and use resources. Like for instance group #1 had the privilege of going first, which meant they had a wider variety of choices and the privilege of being the richest or having more resources than everyone else. While the 4th Group went last, and had the least and had to be innovative while using the little amount they had with the little options they could afford.
And by the end of the exercise with dropping the eggs, fortunately they all survived, but Group#4’s egg showed the most resilience, by surviving the fall, yet with very limited protection and resources.
All parents of all communities want
This helped illustrate that, yeah poverty can be considered one of the strongest stressors, but yet there’s still the love of the family that counts for the coping or the protective factor, as what happened to group #4, they didn’t have the resources that they thought was enough to care for the baby and keep it safe, yet they thought of other alternative ways to protect their baby, as what happened to group #3 as well, when Dina thought of wrapping the bag with a piece of the foam bag cuz the supermarket ran out of tape, and how Group 4 couldn’t afford anything, so they resorted to creative ways for safety.
I thought that this exercise demonstrated how people from different economic statuses deal with and use resources. Like for instance group #1 had the privilege of going first, which meant they had a wider variety of choices and the privilege of being the richest or having more resources than everyone else. While the 4th Group went last, and had the least and had to be innovative while using the little amount they had with the little options they could afford.
And by the end of the exercise with dropping the eggs, fortunately they all survived, but Group#4’s egg showed the most resilience, by surviving the fall, yet with very limited protection and resources.
All parents of all communities want
safety, security and comfort for their children
On Reincarnation: Review
I always thought reincarnation was an interesting concept. Although I thought it was a little bit strange I have nothing but respect and admiration for people who believe in it, cuz they don’t just believe in it, they literally live for it as was seen in the movie. And after watching ‘Reincarnation: The Thread of karma’, my feeling of respect was definitely strengthened.
Reincarnation is the belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form. In the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, the belief of Karma, not just as it is commonly known now as ‘what goes around comes around’ has a much deeper meaning to it. It means that the total effect of a person's actions and behavior during the successive phases of his existence, determines his next incarnation, destiny and fate. Karma is believed to be a fruitful activity.
The movie shows a Tibetan monk, named Choenzey, trying to find the reincarnation of his recently deceased master, Khensur Rinpoche, and it demonstrates how eventually Choenzey finds a 4 year-old boy and then takes him to the Dalai Lama who recognizes him as the one; the reincarnate lama.
The movie then shows Choesnzey and the reincarnate lama, Phara Khenchen Rinpoche, after 16 years had passed and now the lama is 20 years old. Choesnzey then talks about the reincarnate lama in a metaphorical way as a very good seed that if it was taken good care of and nurtured, it will blossom into a very expensive and a rare flower. Here he means to say that since the incarnate lama is a reincarnation of Rinpoche who was a great Monk, and who Choesnzey was his disciple, Phara would turn out to be just as great, cuz he is the same soul as Rinpoche. What was quite nice yet confusing about their relationship was that Choesnzey was once the disciple of Rinpoche, they have lived together as master and disciple, and now after he had passed away, Choesnzey is now the attendant of his reincarnate, demonstrating the meaning of reincarnation as a cycle that keeps on going and not even death can stop it.
The movie was really nice overall, it was really quiet and they didn’t talk much, which added to the sense of tranquility that the movie put across.
Reincarnation is the belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form. In the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, the belief of Karma, not just as it is commonly known now as ‘what goes around comes around’ has a much deeper meaning to it. It means that the total effect of a person's actions and behavior during the successive phases of his existence, determines his next incarnation, destiny and fate. Karma is believed to be a fruitful activity.
The movie shows a Tibetan monk, named Choenzey, trying to find the reincarnation of his recently deceased master, Khensur Rinpoche, and it demonstrates how eventually Choenzey finds a 4 year-old boy and then takes him to the Dalai Lama who recognizes him as the one; the reincarnate lama.
The movie then shows Choesnzey and the reincarnate lama, Phara Khenchen Rinpoche, after 16 years had passed and now the lama is 20 years old. Choesnzey then talks about the reincarnate lama in a metaphorical way as a very good seed that if it was taken good care of and nurtured, it will blossom into a very expensive and a rare flower. Here he means to say that since the incarnate lama is a reincarnation of Rinpoche who was a great Monk, and who Choesnzey was his disciple, Phara would turn out to be just as great, cuz he is the same soul as Rinpoche. What was quite nice yet confusing about their relationship was that Choesnzey was once the disciple of Rinpoche, they have lived together as master and disciple, and now after he had passed away, Choesnzey is now the attendant of his reincarnate, demonstrating the meaning of reincarnation as a cycle that keeps on going and not even death can stop it.
The movie was really nice overall, it was really quiet and they didn’t talk much, which added to the sense of tranquility that the movie put across.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Ein El Seera Experience....So Far.
Our first stop in our trip to Ein El Seera was at Omm Basma’s, a very nice and a smart lady. Omm Basma, unlike many of the other residents of this area runs her own small business that has helped her build another room on the roof, whereas Abou Reda, a man who lives right next to her, whom his family shares the same bathroom (in which all the problems lie) has suffered for twenty years in this place and has had it with the living conditions that he and his family have endured for all these years; that he has given up on everything and is just waiting for a fire or any kind of disaster for that matter to wipe out the whole place hping that the government would do something then and build them houses that are fit for human habitation.
These two individuals live in very close proximity, just a couple of steps away from each other, but one still has hope and is trying to better their living conditions, while the other has let depression and despair bring him down, and honest to God he cannot be blamed.
Community psychology is different than any other psychology classes I’ve taken. At first I couldn’t see what does all this have to do with the “psychology” I know, but I’ve came to realize that there is a very important correlation.
Looking at Abou Reda’s family, he told us that he never talks to his wife anymore, all she does is just sit on the stairs step cuz she can’t stand to sit inside the room they live in anymore, and after prices went up, he too has stopped working and just sits at their place and do nothing but cook for them. The problems go way deeper though, they have accumulated in these people souls and bodies that they’ve killed all their feelings of joy and hope and destroyed their health. That they are in a very low psychological and physiologocal state, suffering emotionally, which has lead to an increase in drug addiction that the whole neighborhood is now notorious for its drug dealers and addicts.
This is probably the only mean they could find to get their minds off of all their problems; having to live where you have zero privacy; where you are surrounded by diseases, where you can't even wash your face normally when you get up in the morning, where there is no proper ventilation that one has to step outside every few minutes to breathe. It was a depressing experience in my opinion yet an eye opener and a wake up call that one should be grateful and show their gratitude to God by helping those people who deserve to LIVE.
SO hopefully we would be able to help them inshaAllah.
These two individuals live in very close proximity, just a couple of steps away from each other, but one still has hope and is trying to better their living conditions, while the other has let depression and despair bring him down, and honest to God he cannot be blamed.
Community psychology is different than any other psychology classes I’ve taken. At first I couldn’t see what does all this have to do with the “psychology” I know, but I’ve came to realize that there is a very important correlation.
Looking at Abou Reda’s family, he told us that he never talks to his wife anymore, all she does is just sit on the stairs step cuz she can’t stand to sit inside the room they live in anymore, and after prices went up, he too has stopped working and just sits at their place and do nothing but cook for them. The problems go way deeper though, they have accumulated in these people souls and bodies that they’ve killed all their feelings of joy and hope and destroyed their health. That they are in a very low psychological and physiologocal state, suffering emotionally, which has lead to an increase in drug addiction that the whole neighborhood is now notorious for its drug dealers and addicts.
This is probably the only mean they could find to get their minds off of all their problems; having to live where you have zero privacy; where you are surrounded by diseases, where you can't even wash your face normally when you get up in the morning, where there is no proper ventilation that one has to step outside every few minutes to breathe. It was a depressing experience in my opinion yet an eye opener and a wake up call that one should be grateful and show their gratitude to God by helping those people who deserve to LIVE.
SO hopefully we would be able to help them inshaAllah.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
First thoughts...
Well, I’m new with this, I mean the whole blogging thing; I really find it hard to express myself, but hopefully that would be one thing I’d learn besides the other things I‘m going to gain knowledge of in the field of psychology throughout this class. I think we have discussed not so much so far, we’ve pretty much just been through the basics but what I’m really looking forward to is the community work. As I’ve chosen to register for this class at first I wasn’t aware that we were going to be involved in any field work, I thought it was similar to Social psych where one pretty much just learns about social contexts and how to deal with people; more or less, but later on when I found out that we are going to actually be helping out with the community I was psyched! Especially when I learned that we are going to do some work with the Doweeqa crisis (that was before knowing that we wouldn’t be able to do so, unfortunately).
But anyways, going through the book I found out something very interesting, the first chapter at the very beginning talks about how community psychologists think outside the box, and how this field in particular has a different perspective on things, and that really caught my attention when they gave the different examples, cuz I believe I’m the type of person who really appreciates creativity and originality and I think for that reason I’m going to like community psych.
One just tiny thing that bothers me a little is that I think we have very long discussions about minor things, I mean it’s great and all that we have class discussions, but sometimes we would keep arguing about an issue for too long and it’s not that big of a deal. On the other hand, the whole class spirit and atmosphere I think is awesome, just knowing that I’m going to a class were everyone is friendly and nice I think is enough for me to like a class. So thank you everyone for that and I’ll see you all next class!
But anyways, going through the book I found out something very interesting, the first chapter at the very beginning talks about how community psychologists think outside the box, and how this field in particular has a different perspective on things, and that really caught my attention when they gave the different examples, cuz I believe I’m the type of person who really appreciates creativity and originality and I think for that reason I’m going to like community psych.
One just tiny thing that bothers me a little is that I think we have very long discussions about minor things, I mean it’s great and all that we have class discussions, but sometimes we would keep arguing about an issue for too long and it’s not that big of a deal. On the other hand, the whole class spirit and atmosphere I think is awesome, just knowing that I’m going to a class were everyone is friendly and nice I think is enough for me to like a class. So thank you everyone for that and I’ll see you all next class!
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