Crazy Cabo

Have you ever traveled to a place where every person from the moment you land in the airport looks you in the eyes and lies to you? Well, welcome to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! A place that thrives off of tourism and timeshares, and offers beautiful beachfront resort vacations for incredibly low prices. (And we all know I'm the number one fan of the ocean)

As soon as you pass customs at the airport, dozens of people approach you in trying to sign you up for a timeshare presentation. Here, they will offer all kinds of activities at no charge in an effort to sign you up. From this moment on, be aware that every person you talk to until your last day will be telling you a different story, to the point where you don't know who works for who or who to believe anymore, including your hotel staff. The vouchers for the activities will be given to you, but the timeshare presentations are ruthless. Just keep in mind that it will take at least 3-4 hours of your day. 

However, once you pass all that your vacation will be amazing. You can indulge in unlimited exhilarating water activities or just relax by the ocean and enjoy the magnificent views. From jet skis to parasailing to banana boats...this is the place for it! 

All in all, Cabo is a great place for a quick getaway. It has beautiful beaches and nice all-inclusive resorts for great prices.

But, be careful because unfortunately too much fun can lead to this...

Until next time...Safe Travels! 

Sunny Seattle?

Mount Rainier- one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes- from 40,000 ft....spectacular! 

A Bite Out of the Big Apple

Everyone is in a hurry, cars honking, incredible skyscrapers all around, $13 toll roads, a beautiful river, delicious pizza, impeccable fashion…welcome to the city that never sleeps….New York City!

There truly is no city in the world quite like New York. It appears to be a whole world in itself. So alive and so busy at all times. Where in the world can you get freshly baked chocolate chip cookies delivered to your place at 3am? New York! You can walk around in bustling Times Square and not see a difference at 2pm or 2am.

But I have a question…what is the hurry? Everyone is rushing. You can’t stand in line in a coffee shop and take a few seconds to think about what you want without a line of people getting mad. It’s so funny because you can instantly differentiate between the locals and tourists. Especially those from Los Angeles, who are strolling behind everyone else. The honking was noticeably loud. Drivers are so impatient and will honk at you if you are one second late in turning or driving when the traffic light turns green. The taxi cab drivers are ruthless when it comes to driving and changing lanes. One thing is for sure, I could never drive in New York! And who charges $36 for daily parking? Thank goodness for public transportation.

Kudos to the fashion! Everyone is dressed so beautifully, so sharp and so poised. I was very impressed. I’m so disappointed when I see people dressed in their pajamas out in public in Los Angeles.

Central Park is my favorite part of New York. Every time I go there, I feel like I can spend all day there. It’s just so peaceful and beautiful. The cherry blossoms were absolutely breathtaking. Combine that with the lake as a backdrop and you have postcard worthy moments.

I love New York. I can visit anytime. However, I could never live there. I need the beach life, where it’s ok to walk slowly, take a deep breath and smell the roses.

Thank you New York for the absolutely perfect weather!! You were a perfect host.

Until next time…safe travels!

The Lushness of Norway

I have been to many countries in Europe and really never imagined I'd be going to Norway. But, after traveling there, I'm really happy I did. Norway can be described in many words...lush, green, cold, quaint, beautiful, and above all else....Expensive! Of all the countries I've visited in the world, Norway was definitely the most expensive one. I guess not being part of the European Union has helped the country because it seems like they are doing just fine when all the other European countries are going downhill. Everything, from food to clothes to just about everything else, cost about three to four times more than there in the states. One ordinary carry-out veggie pizza was $46, need I say more?

I was very surprised to see so many foreigners living in Oslo. I really didn't expect that. I can honestly say that I saw more immigrants, from all parts of the world, than I did Norwegians in Oslo. I saw a lot more women wearing the hijab than I have ever seen in Los Angeles. Which was a huge surprise for me. Apparently, the ban in France has motivated Muslim women in other European countries to adopt the hijab.

Once again, traveling to Europe, I absolutely loved the public transportation system, something that is hugely lacking in Southern California. It is extremely convenient. No one ever has to own or drive a car to get around. Public transportation is practically at your doorstep and will get you anywhere you need to go. In Norway it was called the T-bane and we used it to get to the city center many times throughout our trip. Which brings me to my next point...People actually walking instead of becoming immobile. Before I went to Norway, I was at a very large convention called ISNA and one of the speakers there was talking about the obesity problem in America. He pointed out that people are becoming like balloons here and it looks like we are competing to become blimps. It made me laugh but I realized how true it was when I got to Norway. He said that people must walk at least 10,000 steps every day to stay healthy. While in Norway I realized how immobile we really are in America, especially Los Angeles. We drive our cars everywhere. Once in a while when I do decide to walk to the corner shopping center, I get people staring at me like I'm crazy. I know that other parts of the country are better at walking, but we need urgent help in Southern California. Maybe if public transportation improves, people will feel less inclined to drive their cars everywhere, which would force them to walk a little more.

While in Norway, we traveled to Lillehammer, the host city for the 1994 Winter Olympics. It was absolutely gorgeous. The air was crisp clean and the views were astounding. Being a giant fan of water, I loved the rivers and lakes the city had to offer, in addition to more greenery than I have seen in all my life. I hear that the West part of Norway is where all the scenery actually lies, but we didn't get a chanBelow is a picture from Lillehammer...

On our flight back, we flew over Greenland and let me just sum it up in one word...Remarkable! It was covered in beautiful plush white snow. Every inch of it. Wow!

Until next time....safe travels! 

Pacific vs. Atlantic

I just came back from a trip to the east coast, visiting three different states. I was born on the east coast, but have lived on the west coast for most of my life. This past week may not be a fair week to compare the two because of the extreme heat wave sweeping through the east coast, but I'm still going to offer my two cents.

The trip started out in Raleigh, North Carolina. I absolutely loved this place! It was so green. And for the first time in my life I said the words I never thought I'd say..."I would move here." I never thought I would want to live anywhere else in the world other than Los Angeles. In my opinion Southern California is the best place to live on earth! But, Raleigh grabbed my attention. Except for the fact that it was unbearably hot, it was such a beautiful city! I fell in love with the tall deep green trees along both sides of the roads and highways. I'm used to buildings all around me everywhere I go in Los Angeles. But, these trees were such a refreshing change. I know a lot of the country may have this, but I was in Missouri recently and it had a lot of trees as well, but it didn't have the same appeal. So, thank you Raleigh for welcoming me to your city with such a nice breath of fresh air! (Pun intended :) )

The second part of the trip was in Sterling, Virginia and Washington D.C. I love the variety that D.C. and Virginia for that matter has to offer. I went to the Natural History Museum for the first time and it took my breath away! Wow, what a fascinating museum! If anyone goes to D.C., you must stop by. And be sure to allow at least 3 hours for it. The live butterfly pavilion was so cool! I love butterflies and flowers, so for me it was just what I ordered. :) The coral reef IMAX movie was also beautiful. The temperature was scorching hot during the daytime, so our activities had to be limited. Don't worry, we took advantage at night. What I loved about D.C. that I wish we would implement in Los Angeles, is the many opportunities to rent bikes. In and around downtown there are dozens of bicycles available in the middle of the street to rent out for as long as you want. I loved this idea! What a way to cut back on traffic and get in the exercise that we all need. Love love loved it! Especially, at night! So beautiful! Virginia also stands out in the the variety of different ethnic foods it offers. Love the diversity.

The last part of the trip was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And as you all may know by now, I'm the ocean's biggest fan, but I'm sorry to say, that Atlantic vs. Pacific....Pacific wins hands down! Myrtle beach was a lot of fun, but nothing compared to the cities along the Pacific Ocean, especially my beautiful Malibu. I will share the one moment in Myrtle Beach that was most special to me. I felt like I was so far away from home and everything familiar for so long by this point of the trip. I really didn't like Myrtle Beach when we landed and were driving around. Again, it was unbelievably hot and Humid! Again, the west coast wins when it comes to weather. Yes, it may be hot here, but the humidity is a whole other story. You feel like you can't breathe! I will take the San Fernando Valley's 100 degree heat any day over any temperature with humidity. Going back to my story, so after driving around for a little while and eating lunch, we decided to find a place for prayer. It was Friday, the holy day for Muslims, and Friday prayer (jummah) is very important. So, we found a small office where the Muslims pray jummah. We went in, it was a small room, split in two for men and women. It was incredibly hot inside. But the moment i sat down and heard the word 'Rasulullah,' an inner sense of peace captured my heart. A feeling of belonging and happiness overtook me and I couldn't help but smile. All of a sudden, it didn't matter that I was on the other side of the country. I felt like I belonged. I looked around me and there were five other women, maybe locals, maybe travelers like myself. And I felt like they were my sisters. I was so happy to be there. Right at that moment the concept of self identity and community had a whole new meaning to me. I was so blessed to be a Muslim, where no matter what part of the world I'm in, I can relate to others and belong to a community. How special.

Below is a picture of Myrtle Beach Pier from the Skywheel. Pale in comparison to the Malibu Pier. Safe Travels!

Far out into the Ocean

Every time I see the beautiful Pacific Ocean in Malibu, my heart smiles. No matter what I'm feeling, no matter how hectic my day has been, no matter what my worries may be, I look at the ocean and I'm in awe.

Is there anything more beautiful? I think about the incredible world underneath, about the even more incredible world on the other side of the ocean, and suddenly I have the same feeling I get when I'm looking out my window in an airplane at all the little houses and lights. The feeling of how small my worries are in such a vast world.

If you've been following the news, something unimaginable happened in Ontario, Canada that has captivated so many. And quite a few people have asked me about it, so I decided to address it here. I'm talking about the honor killings that three members of an Afghan family were found guilty of for killing four female family members. I won't talk about the specific case, since it's available through any news site.

When I first heard about this story, I had the same reaction as everyone else, how is it humanly possible for someone to be able to commit such disgusting acts. I was horrified and in disbelief. I come from an Afghan family and have never come across any other Afghans that behave remotely close to these people. I am one of the happiest people on Earth.

The only message I would like to convey is that human beings are human beings. Put religion, race, gender, and all other forms of identification aside. In the end, we are all human beings. There are good human beings and bad human beings. One specific case, one horrifying story, does not represent the whole. We have to remember that news stories usually encompass the most dramatic cases. While the remaining 95% are not covered.

I remember the day in college when I chose to major in Journalism. Below is an excerpt from my thesis about that day, it's written in story form and it's a small part of a much larger memoir.

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October 7, 2001, the day when the United States officially invaded Afghanistan. I was a student at California State University, Northridge, at the time, majoring in computer science. One day I was sitting in Math class when a student next to me asked me where I was from.

“Afghanistan.”

Her eyes shot wide open as her eyebrows rose.

“But I was born here,” I said.

“Do you have family living in Afghanistan?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Did they know ahead of time that 9/11 was going to happen?” she asked.

“What?” I responded. “What do you mean?” I didn’t know if I heard her correctly.

“Did they know that they were going to attack the United States?” she asked.

“No,” I told her. “They probably still don’t even know about it. In fact, they are wondering right now why airstrikes are killing them.”

I really thought a lot about why she asked a question like that. Where was she getting her information?

I have been asked a lot of questions about Afghanistan and Muslims my whole life, but this question did something to me. Something must be done, I thought to myself.

And only one answer came to mind: The news media.

That’s when I decided to change my major to journalism.

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One person, one act, one story cannot represent the whole picture. But, by learning from one another, by interacting with our community, we can slowly broaden the horizon.

Look far out into the Ocean...and your heart will smile.

Welcome to my World

Hi! I'm Homaira. I have traveled to more than 20 countries, worked for some amazing companies, hosted my own international satellite show, obtained my Master's degree, written all kinds of print, broadcast, and online content, and I'm a Muslim woman, who's closest friends are Jewish, really they are...Welcome to my world and my journey through my hyphenated life! It's going to be a fun ride so fasten your seat belts and hold on tight! This adventure promises laughs, tears, insight, fear, strength, friendship, charm, courage...but most importantly, lots of love.