Tweeting Block

A man checks Twitter on an iPhone., a photo by stevegarfield on Flickr.

By Nasra Al Adawi

The title might be confusing to some. Tweeting block does not mean to block someone or others from seeing you tweets. It’s actually about the status of not being inspired to tweet. The urge to tweet but words and thoughts are blocked.

Tweeting block is an area seems not to be addressed much or perhaps not thought of. It is an area for me carries so much fascination as from time to time I go through tweeting block just like writing block. There I am eager to tweet, wanting to incite my followers but words and thoughts seem not to be there and the fact is I have nothing to say that I presume it is exciting enough for my followers. Do you have that feeling as well? At times, you feel that you are no longer passionate to tweet, feeling that all had been said and no addition can put in the tweeting space.

At times I use to be frustrated that being a writer, words should not fail me. I would try to convince myself that it’s unlikely to be in a blocking state, for someone who is constant writing but it happens to writers and it happens to dedicated tweeters.
Now here is the fact as it appears to me, tweeting block happens too many of us. For me when I go through writing block, it’s soothing to write about my statues of being blocked and the urge to return back to writing. This really does not work with tweeting, it seems strange to tweet that you are now in blocking status.

What help me to ease my tweeting block, is really just to appreciate others tweets and retweet, in particular those tweets that meets my values and direction or views. In fact it is stated that when you are retweeting you boost your tweeting relation with others. I also take that as an opportunity to know my followers and those who I have not visited or checked their tweeting style. I take time to visit pages of followers that I have not followed to get acquainted to them.

Since my blogging and tweeting is mostly collective thoughts, from time to time I show my personal side. Celebrating personal achievement or insight of being a mother and why not. Our tweeter followers will begin to relate to us as persons, others want to feel the human touch.

One of my other unblocking exercises is taking advantage of languages that I have mastered. I feel it is an added value to express in couple of languages you gain followers eager to hear you tweeting thoughts interpreted. There are also, unique thoughts of others that I translate so it can be brought up to my followers to appreciate them giving of course the original source a credit of their tweet.

Other tricks some other use when on blocking phase is share quotes and they are many rich quotes we tend to miss and can inspire us and others as well.

Well. I would love to hear how you untie you tweeting block so share it with me and others @iamnasra

I’m on both side of the mirror 2

 As I was growing, I was lucky enough to be taught that not much difference between me and my brothers. Everyone had a role in the house, gardening, washing the dishes and so on.

That taught me that really there is no difference what I can achieve as a woman, nothing can stop me from reaching what I want though I had great realization of what is my surrounding environment including tradition.

This course continued as I moved to a household surrounded with ladies, it added my feeling that womanhood is just a physical status not more not less and that had helped me to build confidence including the feeling that I’m capable young woman.

What I was not equipped for that I need to acknowledge that I’m an Omani woman, witnessing a great era of my country where the great leadership of my country calls on women empowerment in all level.  Yet this motion is progressing perhaps not as fast as I might expected cause the reality remains that Oman, is still have not got away from the description of being a traditionally male-dominated society, and women are beginning to make their mark.  Although the U.N. Program on Governance in the Arab Region describes Oman as "one of the more progressive states in the Gulf region in the area of women's rights." But But it acknowledges, "Female participation in the workforce remains low and areas of discrimination persist."[1]

The issue of women’s right  does not only refer only in terms of work force, it is my belief that the work of women’s right is still work on progress. This goes back to my story as married woman, from outside I feel so much empowered but when it comes to home front it feels so restrictive. It’s a daily fight to spread awareness in my own household that there is no difference between a woman and man. If a man gives himself a full right to enjoy life or grasp on opportunities to the maximum so does a woman have to enjoy such right.   For instance, If a man can travel for work and work on career advancement, a woman should be supported equally to gain that too if she wishes so.

Note:

The above is just personal opinion and it is not generalized on all More of personal thought to posted soon..

References:

1-      http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-27/world/oman.businesswoman_1_women-entrepreneurs-frankincense-male-dominated-society?_s=PM:WORLD

2-      Feminist Theology

3-      http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-02-20/opinion/17190740_1_exclusion-from-informal-networks-tiger-leadership-positions

4-      http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Publications/mtelhaddad.pdf

---

[1]

Being On Both Side of the Mirror

Collective Thoughts

Shura Council and Intellectuals

Here is something cought my attention on Shura Council (which is like the lower house of parliment). The topic of Shura Council and Intellectuals and how differnt views presented in the Omani media.

Conference about Living With Cancer. Coping with Emotion and Change

Living With Cancer. Coping with Emotion and Change
Written By Nasra Al Adawi


It was such privilege to be invited to attended conference on “Living With Cancer. Coping with Emotion and Change” organized by the National Association for Cancer Awareness on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th March 2010. Since I have strong interest on campaigning on cancer awareness, it was a chance that I could not miss.


One of the areas that conference had discussed had been so appealing and at the same time very emotional was the topic Palliative Care presented by Dr. Mahmoud Foda.

The goal of Palliative Care as explained in wikipedia is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life for people facing serious, complex illness. Dr. Mahmoud Foda also opened the discussion on the need to establish such model in Oman and how a civil society organization as the National Association for Cancer Awareness can be a wheeling channel to initiate a Palliative Care for cancer patients. He also explained models in USA which are termed as Hospice Care which provided palliative care for those at the end of life in parallel supporting the their families emotionally and psychologically.


As for the second round table discussion was about Volunteerism presented by HE Dr. Wahid Al Kharusi, the discussion had emphasized that though many are registered as volunteers but its only few numbers are available or committed to volunteer.

He also questioned if there is any framework that can be used in retaining a pool of volunteers committed and ways to alliance the efforts between the civil society organizations. Among the related topics are whether there is any kind of policy available to protect volunteers, volunteer management system including the organization itsself having a plan on its needs, motivation and retaining volunteers, organizations that provided training for volunteers in Oman, youth volunteers need to be tabbed. The discussion led to a number of recommendations that will implemented through forming a group overseeing the implementation.






On a final personal thought, the conference had been very educative and as I look forward for continuation of this conference, I would also be interested to take part in hearing patients lesson learned or they stories on Living With Cancer and Coping with Emotion and Change together hearing the point of view of their families.

My part of how I cope on the thought of loosing my father to cancer, first is the believe that all of us will go to the same direction. In our religion Islam, its part of the teaching to accept that death is part of destiny that we have take. Its always hard to know that my father is longer here, but its consoling to know that a bit of sharing my thought can help others.

The book Within Myself even though it portrayed stories of women going beyond cancer it helped me in helping others it had relieved me from anger and sadness towards myself and I’m thankful for all the miracles that sparked my way in realizing a dream.

Poetry in Aid of Dar Al Atta Association

Ubhar restaurant joins hands with Omani and international poets and writers on 5th January 2010 (630 pm) to bring ‘Omani Ripples’, a night of poetic words in aid of Dar Al Atta Association.

‘Omani Ripples’ is an evening spearheaded by well-known poet Nasra Al Adawi, with an aim of promoting Omani and international poets and writerss in aid of Dar Al Atta. The money raised will support the charity’s activities in supporting needy families in Muscat.

The night will be a blend of poetry, prose and stories in English and Arabic performed by Omani and international poets and writers among them Abbas Al Bulushi, Aziza Al Wahaibi, Bushra Khalfan, Hanan Al Manthri, Jane Jaffer, Nasra Al Adawi and Priyanka Sacheti.

Shatha Abbas of Dar Al Atta commented, “We believe that the work of humanity needs poetic words to touch as many hearts possible and using different themes to call the public to take further action and to take part in humanity work.”

Ghada Al Yousef, Managing Director of Ubhar stated that Ubhar’s inception was designed around promoting Omani art and hospitality. “We have dedicated this evening exclusively for poetry lovers on reservations basis only,” said Ghada.