diff --git a/src/client/encrypted.rs b/src/client/encrypted.rs
index 86aba13..03ae295 100644
--- a/src/client/encrypted.rs
+++ b/src/client/encrypted.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ impl<'j> JabberClient<'j> {
         }
     }
 
+    pub async fn watch(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        loop {
+            let element = Element::read(&mut self.reader).await?;
+            println!("{:#?}", element);
+        }
+    }
+
     pub async fn sasl(&mut self, mechanisms: &Vec<String>) -> Result<()> {
         println!("{:?}", mechanisms);
         let sasl = SASLClient::new(self.jabber.auth.clone());
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 95a228b..8162ccc 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ mod tests {
         .unwrap()
         .login()
         .await
+        .unwrap()
+        .watch()
+        .await
         .unwrap();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/stanza/mod.rs b/src/stanza/mod.rs
index ad9e228..8251422 100644
--- a/src/stanza/mod.rs
+++ b/src/stanza/mod.rs
@@ -5,18 +5,117 @@ pub mod iq;
 pub mod sasl;
 pub mod stream;
 
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+
 // const DECLARATION: BytesDecl<'_> = BytesDecl::new("1.0", None, None);
 use async_recursion::async_recursion;
-use quick_xml::events::Event;
+use quick_xml::events::{BytesStart, Event};
 use quick_xml::{Reader, Writer};
 use tokio::io::{AsyncBufRead, AsyncWrite};
 
 use crate::JabberError;
 
+// #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+// pub struct EventTree<'e> {
+//     pub event: Event<'e>,
+//     pub children: Option<Vec<Element<'e>>>,
+// }
+
+pub type Prefix<'s> = Option<&'s str>;
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
-pub struct Element<'e> {
-    pub event: Event<'e>,
-    pub children: Option<Vec<Element<'e>>>,
+/// represents an xml element as a tree of nodes
+pub struct Element<'s> {
+    /// element prefix
+    /// e.g. `foo` in `<foo:bar />`.
+    prefix: Option<&'s str>,
+    /// qualifying namespace
+    /// an element must be qualified by a namespace
+    /// e.g. for `<stream:features>` in
+    /// ```
+    /// <stream:stream xmlns='jabber:client' xmlns:stream='http://etherx.jabber.org/streams'>
+    ///     <stream:features>
+    ///         <bind xmlns='urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-bind'/>
+    ///         <compression xmlns='http://jabber.org/features/compress'>
+    ///             <method>zlib</method>
+    ///             <method>lzw</method>
+    ///         </compression>
+    ///     </stream:features>
+    /// </stream:stream>
+    /// ```
+    /// would be `"http://etherx.jabber.org/streams"` but for
+    /// ```
+    /// <stream:stream xmlns='jabber:client' xmlns:stream='http://etherx.jabber.org/streams'>
+    ///     <features>
+    ///         <bind xmlns='urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-bind'/>
+    ///         <compression xmlns='http://jabber.org/features/compress'>
+    ///             <method>zlib</method>
+    ///             <method>lzw</method>
+    ///         </compression>
+    ///     </features>
+    /// </stream:stream>
+    /// ```
+    /// would be `"jabber:client"`
+    namespace: &'s str,
+    /// element name
+    /// e.g. `bar` in `<foo:bar />`.
+    name: &'s str,
+    /// all namespaces applied to element
+    /// e.g. for `<bind>` in
+    /// ```
+    /// <stream:features xmlns='jabber:client' xmlns:stream='http://etherx.jabber.org/streams'>
+    ///     <bind xmlns='urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-bind'/>
+    ///     <compression xmlns='http://jabber.org/features/compress'>
+    ///         <method>zlib</method>
+    ///         <method>lzw</method>
+    ///     </compression>
+    /// </stream:features>
+    /// ```
+    /// would be `[(None, "urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-bind")]` despite
+    /// `(Some("stream"), "http://etherx.jabber.org/streams")` also being available
+    namespaces: Box<BTreeMap<Option<&'s str>, &'s str>>,
+    /// element attributes
+    attributes: Box<BTreeMap<&'s str, &'s str>>,
+    // children elements namespaces contain their parents' namespaces
+    ///
+    children: Option<Box<Vec<Node<'s>>>>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub enum Node<'s> {
+    Element(Element<'s>),
+    Text(&'s str),
+}
+
+impl<'s> From<&Element<'s>> for Event<'s> {
+    fn from(element: &Element<'s>) -> Self {
+        let event;
+        if let Some(prefix) = element.prefix {
+            event = BytesStart::new(format!("{}:{}", prefix, element.name));
+        } else {
+            event = BytesStart::new(element.name);
+        }
+
+        event
+        
+        let event = event.with_attributes(element.attributes.into_iter());
+
+        match element.children.is_none() {
+            true => return Event::Empty(event),
+            false => return Event::Start(event),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'s> Element<'s> {
+    /// returns the namespace which applies to the current element, e.g. for
+    /// `<stream:stream xmlns='jabber:client' xmlns:stream='http://etherx.jabber.org/streams'>`
+    /// it will be `http://etherx.jabber.org/streams` but for
+    /// `<stream xmlns='jabber:client' xmlns:stream='http://etherx.jabber.org/streams'>`
+    /// it will be `jabber:client`.
+    pub fn get_namespace(&self) -> &str {
+        self.namespace
+    }
 }
 
 impl<'e: 'async_recursion, 'async_recursion> Element<'e> {
@@ -35,6 +134,9 @@ impl<'e: 'async_recursion, 'async_recursion> Element<'e> {
         'life0: 'async_recursion,
     {
         Box::pin(async move {
+            match &self.children.is_empty() {
+                true => {}
+            }
             match &self.event {
                 Event::Start(e) => {
                     writer.write_event_async(Event::Start(e.clone())).await?;