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Happy 2nd day of #Eid from my parents and me! 
My parents took me out for a belated celebration of my birthday and I learned more stories of my mum’s pregnancy with me in Port Said during the 1967 war. They were junior doctors at the time and several times a day at the hospital they’d have to take shelter in the basement.
My parents are from #Cairo but they spent the end of their junior year as physicians in Port Said. My mum tells me she felt me kick inside her every time a bomb fell. That’s where my phobia of thunder comes from.
I was born July 28, 1967 (my parents registered me as Aug 1). My parents tell me that after their shift at the hospital and on days off, they loved eating seafood, especially crab, which they would get during walks to help my mum’s pregnancy along.
I love hearing these stories from my parents’ youth. And I love taking selfies with them!
My parents lived through 4 wars in #Egypt - 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973. I was born soon after the 1967 war and my brother was born just before the 1973 one. My sister was born in 1986. One of these days, my sister and I vow, we will write about all of this.
I know that my work can be difficult for my parents. In Nov 2011 when #Egyptian riot police beat me, broke my arms and sexually assaulted and I was detained by the Interior Ministry and Military Intelligence for 12 hours, my family feared I was dead.
And I know that it’s not easy for #Egyptian Muslim parents to see their daughter write & speak about sex and sexuality as openly as I do. We’ve had difficult arguments along the way. So when my dad sent me this for my latest birthday, it meant the world. I love my parents v much.
Ok that’s my storytime for today. I just made us all tea back home.
