Bernadette Simpson's Blog

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A typical morning at the beach in Assala, Dahab – especially when it’s as hot and humid as it was this day. You can usually see the mountains of Saudi Arabia when you look across the Gulf of Aqaba. But not this day! These boys and their camels had the right idea.

If you’ve been thinking about purchasing a copy of An ABC Escapade through Egypt – whether in print or as an eBook – now’s the time to do it! Contributing to this fundraiser, one close to my heart, will help a mother get some much needed respite and you can receive a book as a thank you. There’s also some beautiful jewelry, knitwear, and art prints available too. Please visit our campaign page and share it with any friends or family that may be interested in our “perks”. Shokran!

You can also choose some of my Sinai photography as “perks”!

Or even a copy of my book, Wandering through Wadis!

World Occupational Therapy Day is held annually on October 27. Started by the the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, this day is an opportunity to promote and celebrate therapists around the world. It is also a chance to increase awareness about the services that OTs provide to both children and adults.

As both a teacher and an aunt, I have witnessed first hand the amazing benefits of occupational therapy for children with special needs. I have attended workshops, read numerous evaluation reports, implemented accommodations in my classrooms, and assisted OTs during therapy sessions. For most people, though, the world of occupational therapy is a mystery.

In general, OTs assist people of all ages to improve their ability to perform everyday tasks needed for living, learning, and working. They may work with people who have permanent disabilities such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, with people who have been injured or suffer from chronic pain, and with the elderly. They also work with individuals who have mental, physical, developmental, and emotional disorders.

Occupational therapists help their clients with a range of skills: fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, listening and following directions, social skills, self-care skills such as dressing and cleaning, time management, and sensory integration – to name just a few. Some OTs are also trained to implement cognitive behavioral therapy. You’ll find OTs working at hospitals, schools, and private clinics.

The benefits of occupational therapy to my nephew, Michael, have been tremendous! I know that the skills he is learning will be life-changing for him.

Occupational therapy can be expensive, especially if the services are not covered by medical insurance or provided by the school district. It is for this reason that I, and my little publishing house NimNam Books, will be dedicating all of the proceeds from sales of our Kindle books from now until the end of the month to fund the costs of my nephew’s occupational therapy.

Deeply Rooted in Faith & Family 

An ABC Escapade through Egypt 

Love Endures All Things 

Italian Wanderlust: A Traveler’s Journal 

Morning of Light: An Egyptian Journal 

Afternoon of Honey: An Egyptian Journal 

El Marsam Cookbook 

Watch these videos if you’re interested in learning more about occupational therapy:

Occupational Therapy for Kids

A Helping Hand With Occupational Therapy

Thank you for reading!

In celebration of the new school year, I am offering the Kindle version of An ABC Escapade through Egypt for FREE today and tomorrow – Saturday, September 6th and Sunday, September 7th! 

Ah, the beautiful shores of Nuweiba!! This view of the Gulf of Aqaba is from the amazing Habiba Beach Lodge. The water was so irresistible that, having forgotten my swim suit, I jumped in fully clothed! :-)

Ah, the beautiful and infamous Blue Hole! I took this shot on the way hiking to Ras Abu Galum. This was about 9 in the morning, before the tourists from Sharm el Sheikh arrived. Several hours later and the parking lot was bursting and scores of divers and snorkelers roamed the shore! A welcome sight.

Beer has always been a strong important beverage in the Egyptian culture. It was very essential that it was even known to be part of the daily diet of the Egyptian Pharaohs 5,000 years ago.

However, when one would think of authentic Egyptian beer, the first beer that would come to mind is none other than Stella.

~ The Stella Story

Brewed in Egypt since 1897, Stella is the most infamous of Egyptian beer, and just as its quality and taste have varied over the years, so have the labels. Here are three different examples all purchased at the same seaside bar on the same night! My favorite is the label on the right. What’s yours?

Read more:

Al Ahram Beverages Company

The Stella Blog

Reblogged from Egyptian Streets شوارع مصر:

Since the 2011 revolution, old photographs of Egypt and classic films showing an elegant and prosperous Egyptian society have sporadically appeared on social networks. Essentially, many are searching to learn and be inspired by the past in order to build a brighter future.  Below, is a collection of photographs of Egypt (mainly from Cairo and Alexandria) taken between the 1800s and present day.

Read more… 284 more words

This marvelous mantis was spotted on the caper bush in my garden, where he lived for a couple of weeks. I would check on him whenever I went outside and one day I was lucky enough to catch him eating dinner! You can see more photos of him at my Project Noah spotting, which I am pleased to announce was selected as National Geographic’s “Spotting of the Week”!

And this is only one type of mantis that I’ve spotted recently. Interested in seeing the other mantises? Search my collection of spottings here on Project Noah. My favorite one is a Thistle Mantis eating a butterfly!

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As an aside, I’d like to announce that my book, An ABC Escapade through Egypt, is on sale for only $9.99 on Amazon.com for the summer months of June and July!

Yes, I should have posted these photos several weeks ago on Sham el Nessim, an Egyptian holiday that is celebrated the Monday after Coptic Christian Easter. But I was too busy “sniffing the breeze” to upload the photos on the actual holiday. And I’m not sure where the time has gone since then. Ma lesh. Better late than never!

The photo above shows a packaged version of the fish traditionally eaten on Sham el Nessim – fisseekh. The translation as “Salted Mullet” is only part of the story. The fish is allowed to rot for a few days before it is salted and results in very smelly, strongly-flavored fish fillets. Fisseekh is eaten together with bites of green onions and baladi bread, and is definitely an acquired taste!