Aujourd'hui je tiens à partager avec vous l’une des cultures du Maroc. Comme dans chaque coin du monde, chaque pays a un habit qui symbolise sa tradition et sa culture. Si une femme porte un « Hanbok », on saura qu’elle est d’origine coréenne. Une autre portant un « Sari », on devinera qu’elle est indienne. Donc en d’autres termes, nos habits déterminent ou identifient nos origines. Au Maroc, l’habit traditionnel le plus connu est le Caftan. Le caftan fait parti du patrimoine vestimentaire au Maroc. Il constitue la pièce maitresse  de la garde robe de la femme marocaine. Il peut être aussi bien porté par la gent masculine que féminine. Il est caractérisé pour sa broderie complexe et raffinée et surtout sa ceinture. Si vous êtes invités à une cérémonie de mariage marocaine, le port de Caftan est indispensable. Jadis, le port de cet habit définissait le rang social dont la personne appartient. C’était surtout les gens de la haute société qui avaient ce privilège comme les filles des sultans. La splendeur des coupes, la noblesse des matières et la richesse du travail manuel sont tout autant des éléments ayant donné à cette tenue traditionnelle une élégance parfaite.

"Whoever fears Allah, Allah will find a way out for him (from every difficulty) and He will provide for him from sources that he could never have imagined.” [Quran 65:2-3)

 

We all have bad days and sometimes it feels like the day will never end nor get any better. It can feel like a cloud is raining down on us, we feel miserable and alone. The following are some of the things you can do if you are having a bad day. I hope that they help you in some way.

1.      Try to stay positive and remember that, ‘with every hardship comes ease.’ Put all your trust in God and understand that whatever happens does happen for a reason. Maybe in this time of difficulty there is actually something beautiful which can be learnt and acquired. Even though you might have planned for something to happen in a particular way, we plan things but God is the best of planners so He knows what is best for us. So try to SMILE!

2.      Reflect on your day and the specific events and try to understand why the day turned so bad.  What could you have done differently? After you come to some terms of understanding, accept the situation and try to move on.

3.      Even though it might have been a bad day, try your best to find at least 2 things that were good about your day. They can be simple subtle moments that in the midst of your bad mood made you smile. Try to focus on these.

4.      Talk to someone because we are social beings and sharing our experiences with people gives us comfort and relief. As well, it is through talking to others that we realize that perhaps we are not alone and there are others who have similar experiences.

5.      Always look forward to the next day and pray that it will be better. We all have bad days but we should remember that every day is like a new beginning so tomorrow can always be better!

Nous allons accueillir parmi nous un invité illustre. Cet invité nous est envoyé une fois par an seulement. Il ne restera parmi nous qu’un nombre déterminé de jours : c’est le mois sacré de Ramadan. Quelques jours qui permettent d’effacer tout ce que nous avons commis par le passé. Quelques jours pendant lesquels les prières sont exaucées. Quelques jours pour se rapprocher de notre Créateur, Pardonneur et Miséricordieux. Allah le Très Haut dit (sens du verset): « (Ces jours sont) le mois de Ramadân au cours duquel le Coran a été descendu comme guide pour les gens, et preuves claires de la bonne direction et du discernement. Donc, quiconque d' entre vous est présent en ce mois, qu’il jeûne! Et quiconque est malade ou en voyage, alors qu’il jeûne un nombre égal d’autres jours. - Allah veut pour vous la facilité, Il ne veut pas la difficulté pour vous, afin que vous en complétiez le nombre et que vous proclamiez la grandeur d’Allah pour vous avoir guidés, et afin que vous soyez reconnaissants! » (Coran : 2/185). Ce mois béni est une grande occasion pour le bien, la pratique cultuelle, la dévotion et l’obéissance à notre créateur. C’est un mois important, une belle occasion, un mois au cours duquel les bonnes œuvres sont décuplées, les mauvaises aggravées, les portes du paradis ouvertes et les portes de l’enfer fermées. Allah y agrée le repentir des auteurs de péchés et de mauvaises actions. C’est un mois dont le début est miséricorde, le milieu pardon  et la fin affranchissement de l’enfer. La préparation du Ramadan commence par un examen de conscience pour constater sa propre négligence dans la réalisation des exigences des deux attestations et dans l’accomplissement des obligations et l’abandon des sources de plaisir inutile ou suspect. Le fidèle doit évaluer sa conduite afin que le Ramadan marque une accélération de sa progression dans la foi. (Nous demandons à Allah, l’Auguste, l’Immense de nous assister tous à bien jeûner, à bien célébrer les prières nocturnes, à faire les actes d’obéissance et à nous abstenir des interdits.)

              

RAMADAN MUBAREK KARIM.

Shoes are what connect you to the earth but choosing the right footwear can be extremely crucial for excellence in performance for both the elite and recreational athlete. Shoes not only restrict the natural motion of the barefoot but also generate a specific foot motion pattern on individuals during the push-off phase. In the store Canadians are offered a bewildering variety of athletic shoes to choose from. But in the end it all comes down to this, which should you buy?

It is important that an individual should keep in mind some of the factors and variables that may limit or improve the choices that can be made:

• Age
• Height
• Weight
• Foot type and size
• Type/intensity of sport
• Level of activity to be performed

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SOLE MATE

·         Some of the features to look for in a good pair of shoes used for running, walking or cross-training traction is balanced ground interface pressure distribution as well as psychological and kinematic variables like proper fit and support including heel counter, torsional stability, midfoot bent test and removable liners. Listed below are a few other specifications to look out for when selecting your sole mate.

·         Toe box: allowing enough space for comfortable fit of toes

·         Outsole: solid or carbon rubber soles

·         Midsole: acts as a main shock/energy absorber which may wear out after being used for                   800 to 950 km.

·         External stabilizer: provides balance and extra support to the heels

·         Tongue: well-cushioned to avoid front top foot irritation

·         Collar: half cm padding for the heel cord’s smooth rubbing and ankle protection

·         Achilles Pad: ~2cm and not very high to prevent irritation of the tendon or skin blistering the              back

·         Upper portion: should ideally be a breathable material allowing for air    flow and ventilation,           or it could be water-proof for easy drainage.

Suhaib Abbasi is a 21 years old nasheed artist living in Toronto.  He started his nasheed career by first covering various artists’ nasheeds but focusing specifically on Junaid Jamshed, Zain Bhikha and Dawud Wharnsby.

In March 2010, Suhaib Abbasi released his first nasheed album titled, ‘To Remember’ which features nine meaningful tracks. Suhaib is well known in the Muslim community and he has performed at Muslim events all over the GTA. Some such notable events are: Muslim’s Day at Canada’s Wonderland 2010, Muslimfest, Muslim’s Day at Ontario Place, Reviving the Islamic Spirit, Ryerson’s Fast-a-thon and the Islamic Foundation of Toronto etc.

Through his nasheeds Suhaib Abbasi hopes to convey the message of Almighty Allah (s.w.t.), alert his audience about the importance and the status of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and to educate about Islam and issues connected to it. Through his melodious, harmonious and beautiful voice, Suhaib presents a simple message which is ultimately one of praising one’s Lord and giving remembrance, hence ‘to Remember’.

If anyone wants to purchase Suhaib Abbais’s nasheed album they can do so at the events where he performs as well his album will be up for purchase on his website shortly. You can also visit his website to keep updated on his awesome work as he is currently working on his second album!     http://www.suhaibabbasi.com/

The weather is an awesome force. It has no sense of responsibility, no consideration for what anyone wants, and no amount of accountability. It cannot be tamed or controlled. More often than not, it can't even be predicted.

Despite our manmade labels, we can see all kinds of weather at all times of the year. It can snow in the summer, and it can be plus 10 in the winter. The weather is not a conformist.

So sublime are the qualities of nature. No one can deny that the winds and rains of the universe are much beyond any human  being's control. We can spend decades building skyscrapers and light- at- night cities, but these have no impression upon hurricanes and tsunamis. They will carry on as they please.

Toronto is a magnificent showcase of nature's glory. With four seasons and still much variation within those, one can truly witness the beauty of the changing weather. Each day is a new story, and weather is a perfectly apathetic backdrop, unshaken by the human sphere. As we stand in admiration of the glowing sun, or in fear of the striking lightning, we must wonder... If we're not controlling them, who is?

Praise be to God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper, the Sustainer of all things.

Raw sugar, a natural product, like many natural products, needs to be cleaned up before it is ready for consumption. Crafting sugar involves a series of steps designed to remove everything which isn't sugar, like plant residue, impurities and waxes, from the sucrose crystals.

First clean

First the crystals are softened and then a layer of residue surrounding the crystals is removed. The raw sugar is mixed with warm, concentrated sugar syrup and then centrifuged to separate the crystals. This removes a lot of impurities there and then, leaving behind only some color, very fine particles, gums and resins from the cane plant.

Filtering out the small stuff

Next tiny particles of natural chalk to the liquid sugar are added. These chalk particles then cling to the even smaller residue particles still left in the sugar, making them large enough to be filtered out by large cloth filters.

After the chalk has been taken out, all remaining waxes are removed by using even finer filtering methods, leaving behind nothing but pure, liquid sugar.

This liquor, as it is called, is now ready to be turned back into crystals.

Boiling sugar

The sugar syrup is boiled in sugar pans until the sugar boiler (vacuum pans) decides that conditions are right for sugar crystals to grow. To initiate crystal formation, some very fine sugar is dusted to the sugar pans. Once the crystals have grown the resulting mixture of sugar crystals and liquid is spun in a centrifuge to separate the two. The crystals are then given a final dry with hot air before being packed.

Different Sugars

 Many different variations of sugars range from granulated white to ultra fine icing sugar and dark brown sugars. Once the machine has packed them all up, they will be delivered to their final destinations. 

Home and professional bakers as well as food and drinks manufacturers in Canada and all over the world use these kinds of sugars.

Summary from YouTube:

Reflecting on your life

So,

As another school year has passed.

Now,

You can take time and reflect on your life.

Take some time to really sit down and ponder on your life.

The choices and decisions you have made.

And sometimes you will feel scared that time is moving too fast.

Waiting for no one, but itself.

Think about,

What you have accomplished.

What you wish to pursue,

And how you will get there.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

How can you make your life more harmonious?

Remember to utilize every opportunity given to you.

Because,

That will make your life better.

Are you successful?

I hope you become your own definition of success.

Remember the hardships you have overcome.

Remember to Trust God because there maybe hurdles ahead.

But remember God tests you because He loves you.

While reflecting,

Remember to do zhikr and make du’aa.

I hope you learn to love all those who care for you all over again.

See the blessings growing in your life as the flowers bloom outside.

Remember your experiences,

What did you learn from them?

Resolve your conflicts better.

Next time while making an important decision consult those who love you.

Use your life to change the negativity that people have of people like you.

How will you become a change agent?

Smile more, simply because it looks beautiful on you.

Hold more hands because it will give you strength.

Strive for a good life.

You can do this by remembering the special moments in your life and praying to God for more.

Take more conscious chances.

Dare yourself to do something crazy, yet cool.

So I ask you,

What matters the most to you?

Why?

Change your negative thoughts to positive ones.

And in every hard time remember to hold on to HOPE.

Because, you are wonderful,

And amazing.

You have the ability to do anything and everything.

But you can only do that if you remember to take some time to reflect on your life.

Think about what you want.

List all of your short term and long term goals.

Then follow them.

And remember that life is just a journey.

A journey that keeps moving,

So remember to keep moving with it and reflecting on your choices.

Always make sure you are striving for the path that will lead you to the best way.

Groups, some people love them and some people hate them. But, in this day and age more and more work is centered around groups -especially campus group work. Groups have their benefits such as more diversity of opinion, providing expert leader support, and decisions being more widely accepted.

But when it comes to numbers, a group too large can be detrimental. Groups larger than ten are usually counterproductive. When it comes to groups for action-centered tasks, the smaller groups perform better.  And with problem solving tasks groups that are larger - but no larger than ten- perform better.

There are also two phenomena to be wary of when working with groups, group shift and group think. Group shift is when the decisions of the group are more conservative or more risk taking than if the decisions were made individually by the group members. Group think is when a certain idea is thought to have reached consensus without actually discussing other ideas critically in order to minimize conflict.

Realize that groups are not perfect and that they may not always be the preferred method to do work. Utilize them with discretion, but don’t avoid them completely. 

Information is based on Organizational Behaviour concepts. 
Book: Robins & Judge. Essentials of Organization Behaviour, 2010.

L'été approche, Youuupiiii ! Les vacances approchent, Houraaaaaaa ! Les examens approchent aussi a grands pas, Hooooooooo ! Malheureusement on ne peut pas jouir ni de l'été, ni des vacances sans avoir durement bosser pour nos examens avant. Eh oui, la vie des étudiants n'est pas si simple que ca l'en a l'air.

La fin de l'année scolaire est sur le point de se terminer entrainant avec elle les examens finaux. Un poids lourd sur les pauvres petites épaules des étudiants. Plus les jours avancent, plus la pression monte.

Sur ceux,j'ai ceuilli quelques petits conseils afin de vaincre ce vilain stress qui nous térorise:
 
1- Mieux préparer : Il n'y a pas mieux que d'avoir une bonne préparation et maitriser la  matière afin de vaincre l'angloisse des troux noirs qui peuvent surgir a n'importe quel moments lors de l'évaluation.
2- Se mettre dans conditions de réussites : toutes nuits blanches ou travaux a la derniere minute est déconseilés cela ne vous fera que stresser encore plus.
3- Avoir de l'information sur l'événement : chaque etudiant doit etre alerte du lieux, de l'heure et les conditions de l'examen.
4- Le sommeil : Accordez à votre corps le sommeil indispensable de votre réussite. Le corps a véritablement besoin de se régénérer.
5- L'alimentation : Ne négligez pas votre alimentation. Faites des repas complets et équilibrés en privilégiant les vitamines et les sucres lents.
6- Douaas : Demandez a vos ami(e)s et proches de vous aidez avec leurs douaas :)
 
Bonne chance a tous et a toutes, et que notre Dieu ALLAH le tout puissant vous aide.