Unforgettable Day

“Whale Watching Cruises”

My eyes caught this huge banner on one of the boats standing mightily at Circular Quay Wharf in Sydney. I thought to myself “Wow my star sign is Piceses” it’s meant for me to see a whale for the first time.

In the evening, I checked their ambitions pictures in the website and decided: tomorrow’s morning, am going to have a hearty breakfast of Labneh and Tomato Pistolet and enjoy 3 hours in the ocean to see the beautiful whales.

There was no space for thinking twice here.

In less than half an hour through the cruise. We were in the open water. That is when the reality of the sea hit me, I can’t begin to describe my shock at the huge waves that were moving us up and down. It was behind my imagination. Only a scene of Pirates of Caribbean could resemble the sky high waves.

At the beginning, we were feeling alone in the boat. The tourists were of all around the world, Asians, American, Australians, Europeans. We didn’t feel the need to be friendly with anyone.

As these three hours were moving slower than a snail. People started getting motion sickness.

It was a horrible scene, looking at everyone holding paper bags and feeling extremely nauseas.

I needed some fresh air; I couldn’t bear the sick faces. I managed to walk outside although the boat was moving so fast. As I was standing outside, I realized how people started being friendly with each other, few smiles here and there, some were commenting on my colorful headscarf, and some were asking me where did I come from. It surprised me how the 15 hours flight from Abu Dhabi to Sydney did not change the fact that almost everyone I met there had a relative or friend working at my country.

As I took a cold sigh into my heart, a lady offered her hand to guide me back to my seat. Fearing I might lose my balance. I looked at her and smiled.

That’s when I knew and when everyone knew. Under fear, we all go back to our human nature, to the way Allah created us; nothing differentiates us from the others. We become friends and we become One.

Once our feet touched the ground, the motion sickeness was gone. Hubby and I ran to our favorite burger place Grill'd and laughed off this Unforgettable day.