"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand."
-Neil Armstrong
Saudi Arabia like a lot of countries in the world…send some students abroad…And Saudi students like a lot of students in the world…tend to enjoy the student life…mingling with other nationalities…no responsabilities…. Hanging out at the local campus café…having road trips on spring break…enjoying a lot of first time experiences…grouping with friends that we know we will be with forever…or will we?
What does bring us together at the end of the day…being in the same environment???!!!…starting a new life???!!! The sudden feel of independence??!!..Sharing the same apartment???!!…going to the same classes???!…having the same mental connection???!!!…laughing at each other's jokes ???!!!!...having each other's back???…experiencing the same things????…being together in intense moments???!!
Whatever it is….The connection is strong and powerful it could even last through our post grad…but what happens when we are back home???!!!!...back to our families…our culture…the friends that we left behind…the things we used to do…or the things we used to believe…
Sure!.... we tend to try to keep in touch…plan trips…if we live in the same town we have a sort of a weekly meeting up…send each other emails…give each other a surprise call from time to time…but the gap grows wider and wider with time..we will try to adapt…will try to fit in…slowly breaking old strings and building new ones…
Till the day the friend that you promised that you would be forever…that you just click with…decides to get married the "traditional way"…
It wouldn't be as dramatic as it sounds…if the partner was not as plain…not as witty….not as open to the world…as he is…but your friend doesn't seem to mind…on the contrary he sinks in…deeper and deeper…he feels like a foreigner…an intruder…he doesn't want to be different…. Doesn't want to be the prodigee…
He changes slowly…severely…the sense of humour is vanished…the repartee is gone…he became darkly old fashioned…even more than your average person that hasn't left the country…he starts using more cultural slang words…he reflects more and more on the traditional thoughts in his being…he denies his other self…
Till one day he has blocked you from his messenger…deleted you from his friend's list…changed his numbers…without a word…without a reason…without a goodbye...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Dog versus Cat?
Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.
-St. Francis de Sales
First of all Ramadan Kareem bloggers…I know you ppl thought I was already dead and buried and was just starting to write your condolences…but you can give a girl a break can't you?…blame it on the time of the month…summer holidays…family drama…love…or simply boredom…BUT you should really blame it on my dog…
It all started in july 2007….in this glorious day called my BD (by the way I haven't received ONE not ONE happy birthday) Is it too much to ask and send me a BD card or go to Mouaad*…lol anyway you can add THAT on the list of NOT keeping in touch…
* a famous jewelry place in the middle east quite like Tiffanys..
Anyway in this glorious day called my BD..a friend of mine parked his glorious red flashy Ferrari jewel in front of Buddah Bar…Paris…
Yes a dinner was planned for my honor…and Yes I have interesting friends :)…what better to be the queen of the day…with friends…acquaintances…and my brothers (well that is not really the fun part)…
But what made it really special is what my Ferrari friend bought with him…it was a bag and in the bag….yes you guessed it…the most adorable tiny shivering not- quite- sure- it -is –a- living being DOG …
"3ogbal 100 sana ya gamar!" **
** may you live a 100 years moonlight…something we usually say at BDs the 100 years part not the moon light part :)…
All I could do as a physical response is squeak and hug my friend at the same time…(I could be such a girl sometimes)…
It was sooooooooo cute…I dropped everything and started "bouging bouging" it…but since dogs were not allowed in restaurants and especially in an All noise, Suhi eating ,Belly dancing ones…we had to hide it underneath the table….
Later that night…a scream came out from an apartment…Our apartment…it was mom…and no it was not of joy….
Before I go any further…quick explanation…in most Muslim countries Dogs are considered quite filthy…you can have them in your garden…hunt with them…but not really cuddle them and kiss them…and definitely not have them in the living room…in a 5 bedroom apartment…It is said because something in their saliva is not quite hygienic and it breaks your ablutions for praying…but what about CATS then? There is nothing more hypocrite and detestable than cats to me…they don't know you till they are hungry…if you die she will survive and find herself another slave…(7 lives they really have a long way to go )…they sleep all day or cruise around the house as if it is theirs…they cause a million allergies….and if it is a female….it sleeps with half the neighborhood…where do you think that patched kitten came from????!!!!!….
But try explaining THAT to my mother…I promised to take care of it …she wont even notice it is in the house and it will definitely not come near her side of the house…I will clean…feed…burp…take a walk…put to sleep..play with it…..
"NO!"
That was quite definite and direct…I called my Ferrari friend…(why do I keep calling him that???!!not very humanly)…his name is Aboudi…so I called Aboudi up in tears and told him to take the dog back…it was useless…
At the apartment's doorstep Aboudi tried to reason with me and cheer me up…and said things like…" I will keep it till you reason with your mom or better yet I will give it to you in Saudi and you can see what happens there…"
I was leaning on his car…my eyes fell on a really deep scratch…I am not a car obsessed freak nor a dramatic over tiny bumps on cars but that must have been upsetting…
"you have a really deep scratch Aboudi…hope it wasn't me!"
"Oh yeah…no that was in London…somebody scratched it with keys on purpose when I was at a restaurant"
"You must be joking!!!!!"
"Wallah…"***
*** meaning I promise you
He then said maybe it was the license plate that triggered it since it was written Saudi Arabia….or an envious anti "hot" cars …or an anti "hot" cars that isn't his….
But that so weird though…London is full of Russians…Asians…Swiss…Americans…that do not have a "british" car…I mean who has a "british" car????!!!!... Everything is upside down…no one wants to complicate their lives…they want to have a break….Its summer for God's Sake!!!!
But it is really Aboudi's fault I mean why flaunt it to complete envious ignorant savages…If you need to flaunt it then flaunt it to civilized people that really appreciate a red flashy jewel Ferrari when they see it…I mean the creator really did put his inspiration into the machine…its curves…its passionate colors…even its noise is one of a woman making love…..(how do I know?)…I have brothers AND Italian friends….so trust me… I know…. (not going to see a Ferrari the same way again are you? ;p
But back to my problem…I am in Saudi now and my dog too….Aboudi wants to give it to me…My mom is anti dog Semitic but my dad is a bit skeptical will try to break the shell with some feminine pleading…any other ideas?
-St. Francis de Sales
First of all Ramadan Kareem bloggers…I know you ppl thought I was already dead and buried and was just starting to write your condolences…but you can give a girl a break can't you?…blame it on the time of the month…summer holidays…family drama…love…or simply boredom…BUT you should really blame it on my dog…
It all started in july 2007….in this glorious day called my BD (by the way I haven't received ONE not ONE happy birthday) Is it too much to ask and send me a BD card or go to Mouaad*…lol anyway you can add THAT on the list of NOT keeping in touch…
* a famous jewelry place in the middle east quite like Tiffanys..
Anyway in this glorious day called my BD..a friend of mine parked his glorious red flashy Ferrari jewel in front of Buddah Bar…Paris…
Yes a dinner was planned for my honor…and Yes I have interesting friends :)…what better to be the queen of the day…with friends…acquaintances…and my brothers (well that is not really the fun part)…
But what made it really special is what my Ferrari friend bought with him…it was a bag and in the bag….yes you guessed it…the most adorable tiny shivering not- quite- sure- it -is –a- living being DOG …
"3ogbal 100 sana ya gamar!" **
** may you live a 100 years moonlight…something we usually say at BDs the 100 years part not the moon light part :)…
All I could do as a physical response is squeak and hug my friend at the same time…(I could be such a girl sometimes)…
It was sooooooooo cute…I dropped everything and started "bouging bouging" it…but since dogs were not allowed in restaurants and especially in an All noise, Suhi eating ,Belly dancing ones…we had to hide it underneath the table….
Later that night…a scream came out from an apartment…Our apartment…it was mom…and no it was not of joy….
Before I go any further…quick explanation…in most Muslim countries Dogs are considered quite filthy…you can have them in your garden…hunt with them…but not really cuddle them and kiss them…and definitely not have them in the living room…in a 5 bedroom apartment…It is said because something in their saliva is not quite hygienic and it breaks your ablutions for praying…but what about CATS then? There is nothing more hypocrite and detestable than cats to me…they don't know you till they are hungry…if you die she will survive and find herself another slave…(7 lives they really have a long way to go )…they sleep all day or cruise around the house as if it is theirs…they cause a million allergies….and if it is a female….it sleeps with half the neighborhood…where do you think that patched kitten came from????!!!!!….
But try explaining THAT to my mother…I promised to take care of it …she wont even notice it is in the house and it will definitely not come near her side of the house…I will clean…feed…burp…take a walk…put to sleep..play with it…..
"NO!"
That was quite definite and direct…I called my Ferrari friend…(why do I keep calling him that???!!not very humanly)…his name is Aboudi…so I called Aboudi up in tears and told him to take the dog back…it was useless…
At the apartment's doorstep Aboudi tried to reason with me and cheer me up…and said things like…" I will keep it till you reason with your mom or better yet I will give it to you in Saudi and you can see what happens there…"
I was leaning on his car…my eyes fell on a really deep scratch…I am not a car obsessed freak nor a dramatic over tiny bumps on cars but that must have been upsetting…
"you have a really deep scratch Aboudi…hope it wasn't me!"
"Oh yeah…no that was in London…somebody scratched it with keys on purpose when I was at a restaurant"
"You must be joking!!!!!"
"Wallah…"***
*** meaning I promise you
He then said maybe it was the license plate that triggered it since it was written Saudi Arabia….or an envious anti "hot" cars …or an anti "hot" cars that isn't his….
But that so weird though…London is full of Russians…Asians…Swiss…Americans…that do not have a "british" car…I mean who has a "british" car????!!!!... Everything is upside down…no one wants to complicate their lives…they want to have a break….Its summer for God's Sake!!!!
But it is really Aboudi's fault I mean why flaunt it to complete envious ignorant savages…If you need to flaunt it then flaunt it to civilized people that really appreciate a red flashy jewel Ferrari when they see it…I mean the creator really did put his inspiration into the machine…its curves…its passionate colors…even its noise is one of a woman making love…..(how do I know?)…I have brothers AND Italian friends….so trust me… I know…. (not going to see a Ferrari the same way again are you? ;p
But back to my problem…I am in Saudi now and my dog too….Aboudi wants to give it to me…My mom is anti dog Semitic but my dad is a bit skeptical will try to break the shell with some feminine pleading…any other ideas?
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Classical marriage???!!!…Nah!!! Let's improvise!!!!
In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.
-Coco Chanel
In all cultures…traditions…religions…throughout history… Marriage is normally passed through a Priest, Sheikh, Rabi, Holy man, Chief of village, the Maire with the consent of both parties and the blessings of both families…legal papers…ect…
Classic stuff…you say…
Welcome to the 21st century…more precisely Welcome to Saudi…where we actually did our own rules and made it logically acceptable for not to feel guilty…
Boyfriend/girlfriend, living together, homosexuals, girls living alone, having babies without getting married, adopting babies Bradanjelina style WITHOUT getting married... as you know is quite taboo in our culture/religion and is definitely classified as a NO NO NO!!!!!….
SO What other choices do we have????!!! if we choose:
1- Not to commit the mortal sin (not having a Bf/Gf relationship)
2- Not to marry traditionally (refusing the idea of your mother picking her niece as your future bride)
3- Did not find the love of our life ( were too busy in your career or found out that most of the people you met were jerks superficial snobs that have the nerve to bee picky)
4- Had horrible past experiences so want to have the intimate part without the 24/7 in your face part..
5- OR the love of our life was totally thrown out of the door by our family..(regardless of your whining crying cutting yourself Amy Whinehouse style threatening to bombarding yourself and becoming a terrorist)
Well my friend we are glad to tell you that this is your LUCKY DAY…(this is not a joke) and we will motivate you with some ideas…but before that… let's have a little preview on HOW these ideas started…
Well it all came from a country far far away known for its seductive Cleopatra…humorous Adel Imam*…and breathtaking Oum Kalthoum's** vocal cords…yes…Egypt…
*famous comedian ** famous singer
GEOGRAPHICALLY the red sea separates us…but LITERALLY they live here in winter or mostly all the time and we go there for the summer…It is there where it all started…it is there where a local imam woke up one morning and gave the solution to legalize another kind of marriage for people to: Get it on without the pressure of passing through the family's inquisition and especially for young people not to be "single" anymore….
OF course being the typical Saudis that we are… we spiced it up and improvised it even more and even nicknamed some of them…so without further ado here goes…
*The "Zawaj alMot3a" (meaning the pleasurable marriage): this kind of marriage (as its name describes it) is for pure pleasure and I think we both know which kind…the couple is a couple for a certain time…nobody has to know (except the Sheikh and the witnesses of course)…the girl lives with her family and the guy with his or by his lonesome…if by a certain time they find out they were meant to be together (the sparks turned out to be a burning fire:) and want to take it out in the open…then the guy should do it the traditional way by passing through family…if not they divorce…no tears…no hard feelings…no drama…
*The "Zawaj Alshanta" (meaning the luggage marriage): These mostly include business man who are often traveling overseas and need some companionship to share the world with…so everytime he travels… his "wife" goes with him…Most of these men are already married…and the second "wife" is the fun bit…again it is up to the couple to decide till when they would be together…and if they want to take it out in the open…
*The "Zawaj Alfriend" (meaning the friendly marriage): These mostly include students that study abroad…they do not want to be contaminated with the sexual diseases out there but also do not want to be alone with a smelly roommate for 4 years…so they get married to another student and decide to study together…have fun together…do all the things young people do… and be together till the end of…………………………………………….their studies...again if they are happy they take it out in the open if not well they divorce and go their separate ways… no tears…no hard feelings…no drama…
LAST but not least
*The "Zawai Alweekend": as you must certainly have figured it out …this marriage is only on weekends…during the week you have your career to focus on…your family…your friends…your goals…the stress…and during the weekend you un-stress with your "wife" or "husband" …and like they say Absence makes the heart grow fonder….(Btw you have NO idea how popular this marriage is ;)
So I hope you enjoyed my post today and like always you didn't hear it from me :)
N.B: Please remember that every single idea here is capital C "copywritten" by (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia making your life easier by making your sex life easier)…Thank you and God Bless :)
-Coco Chanel
In all cultures…traditions…religions…throughout history… Marriage is normally passed through a Priest, Sheikh, Rabi, Holy man, Chief of village, the Maire with the consent of both parties and the blessings of both families…legal papers…ect…
Classic stuff…you say…
Welcome to the 21st century…more precisely Welcome to Saudi…where we actually did our own rules and made it logically acceptable for not to feel guilty…
Boyfriend/girlfriend, living together, homosexuals, girls living alone, having babies without getting married, adopting babies Bradanjelina style WITHOUT getting married... as you know is quite taboo in our culture/religion and is definitely classified as a NO NO NO!!!!!….
SO What other choices do we have????!!! if we choose:
1- Not to commit the mortal sin (not having a Bf/Gf relationship)
2- Not to marry traditionally (refusing the idea of your mother picking her niece as your future bride)
3- Did not find the love of our life ( were too busy in your career or found out that most of the people you met were jerks superficial snobs that have the nerve to bee picky)
4- Had horrible past experiences so want to have the intimate part without the 24/7 in your face part..
5- OR the love of our life was totally thrown out of the door by our family..(regardless of your whining crying cutting yourself Amy Whinehouse style threatening to bombarding yourself and becoming a terrorist)
Well my friend we are glad to tell you that this is your LUCKY DAY…(this is not a joke) and we will motivate you with some ideas…but before that… let's have a little preview on HOW these ideas started…
Well it all came from a country far far away known for its seductive Cleopatra…humorous Adel Imam*…and breathtaking Oum Kalthoum's** vocal cords…yes…Egypt…
*famous comedian ** famous singer
GEOGRAPHICALLY the red sea separates us…but LITERALLY they live here in winter or mostly all the time and we go there for the summer…It is there where it all started…it is there where a local imam woke up one morning and gave the solution to legalize another kind of marriage for people to: Get it on without the pressure of passing through the family's inquisition and especially for young people not to be "single" anymore….
OF course being the typical Saudis that we are… we spiced it up and improvised it even more and even nicknamed some of them…so without further ado here goes…
*The "Zawaj alMot3a" (meaning the pleasurable marriage): this kind of marriage (as its name describes it) is for pure pleasure and I think we both know which kind…the couple is a couple for a certain time…nobody has to know (except the Sheikh and the witnesses of course)…the girl lives with her family and the guy with his or by his lonesome…if by a certain time they find out they were meant to be together (the sparks turned out to be a burning fire:) and want to take it out in the open…then the guy should do it the traditional way by passing through family…if not they divorce…no tears…no hard feelings…no drama…
*The "Zawaj Alshanta" (meaning the luggage marriage): These mostly include business man who are often traveling overseas and need some companionship to share the world with…so everytime he travels… his "wife" goes with him…Most of these men are already married…and the second "wife" is the fun bit…again it is up to the couple to decide till when they would be together…and if they want to take it out in the open…
*The "Zawaj Alfriend" (meaning the friendly marriage): These mostly include students that study abroad…they do not want to be contaminated with the sexual diseases out there but also do not want to be alone with a smelly roommate for 4 years…so they get married to another student and decide to study together…have fun together…do all the things young people do… and be together till the end of…………………………………………….their studies...again if they are happy they take it out in the open if not well they divorce and go their separate ways… no tears…no hard feelings…no drama…
LAST but not least
*The "Zawai Alweekend": as you must certainly have figured it out …this marriage is only on weekends…during the week you have your career to focus on…your family…your friends…your goals…the stress…and during the weekend you un-stress with your "wife" or "husband" …and like they say Absence makes the heart grow fonder….(Btw you have NO idea how popular this marriage is ;)
So I hope you enjoyed my post today and like always you didn't hear it from me :)
N.B: Please remember that every single idea here is capital C "copywritten" by (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia making your life easier by making your sex life easier)…Thank you and God Bless :)
Friday, April 27, 2007
The American "flash"
If you can't accept losing, you can't win.
-Vince Lombardi
It was one of those boring w/e were you had nothing to do but wait for a miracle or invent one to shake things up...A good friend of mine let's call him Samy...was in one of those compounds that you can call a "foreign village" or pigeon holes designed for extranjeros (meaning: foreigners in spanish)...*
*In Saudi...most foreigners do not live like any other citizens... but are sectioned by nationality and job titles in compounds...a good 20-30 minutes from central...
Samy's hangout compound wasn't the friendliest...it was the American coumpound...
Just one look at the gates (if you can see the gates) makes you want to give up right here and there...tanks, stung guns, mini stun guns, multi function defenders, flash lights, dogs,bulletproof vests, handcuffs, burglar alarm systems even pepper spray (in case the terrorist wants to steel your bag during the process)...are displayed in the entrance...it takes and hour to get to the door...forget your american friend! just go the Belgiums next door...
But Samy was a great guy and besides it is unfair to let down his high school friends for a little get naked.. open trunk...dissect the car inside out searching!!!!!!... so in he went our brave man to spend a night with the gang...
of course the boring syndrome did not dismiss are honorable friends from the new world...All they came up with that night was cards, play stations and other smoking substances that would make Afro man green with envy....
Thats when samy and his friends decided to bet on one of the guy's girlfriend...
her name was Jessica...Jess to friends...
Jess like any other girl enjoyed the ration of guys 3:1 and decided to hang out with them for some cards, play stations and other smoking substances... the bet was to get Jess to flash everybody with her consent and her boyfriend right there in the other room...It was new...It was hormonal...and definetely something to remember in that oh-so-boring evening...
the conversation went like this :
Samy: God I am soooooo bored.....
Jess: OMG!!!! I know it's like I want to kill myself!!!!!
Samy: Hey Jess...how about flashing us!!!!
Jess: (giggle) Sam you're craaaaazyyyyyyy!!!!!...(giggle with a bit of hysterical laughter)....my boyfriend is right there....
Samy: Oh.........
Samy: Hmmmmmm.....
Samy: I get it.....
Samy: but I really didn't think you were that type though....
Jess: What type? what do you mean?!!!!!! (total astonishment...eyes wide open)
Samy: I mean you guys are not even married and you are playing the submissive wife...good for you I guess Omar taught you well....
Jess: He didn't teach me anything... NOBODY controls me....(cheeks start to flush)
Samy: hmmmm...(playing it cool)
Jess: Hey!!!! Seriously I am an american ...an A...MA...RI...CAN ...and I can do what the F**** I want to do!!!!! HUH!!!!!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FLASH >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Jess got her point...
Samy got his money....
The guys had a lovely evening...
and the boyfriend till this day doesn't know....
THE END
-Vince Lombardi
It was one of those boring w/e were you had nothing to do but wait for a miracle or invent one to shake things up...A good friend of mine let's call him Samy...was in one of those compounds that you can call a "foreign village" or pigeon holes designed for extranjeros (meaning: foreigners in spanish)...*
*In Saudi...most foreigners do not live like any other citizens... but are sectioned by nationality and job titles in compounds...a good 20-30 minutes from central...
Samy's hangout compound wasn't the friendliest...it was the American coumpound...
Just one look at the gates (if you can see the gates) makes you want to give up right here and there...tanks, stung guns, mini stun guns, multi function defenders, flash lights, dogs,bulletproof vests, handcuffs, burglar alarm systems even pepper spray (in case the terrorist wants to steel your bag during the process)...are displayed in the entrance...it takes and hour to get to the door...forget your american friend! just go the Belgiums next door...
But Samy was a great guy and besides it is unfair to let down his high school friends for a little get naked.. open trunk...dissect the car inside out searching!!!!!!... so in he went our brave man to spend a night with the gang...
of course the boring syndrome did not dismiss are honorable friends from the new world...All they came up with that night was cards, play stations and other smoking substances that would make Afro man green with envy....
Thats when samy and his friends decided to bet on one of the guy's girlfriend...
her name was Jessica...Jess to friends...
Jess like any other girl enjoyed the ration of guys 3:1 and decided to hang out with them for some cards, play stations and other smoking substances... the bet was to get Jess to flash everybody with her consent and her boyfriend right there in the other room...It was new...It was hormonal...and definetely something to remember in that oh-so-boring evening...
the conversation went like this :
Samy: God I am soooooo bored.....
Jess: OMG!!!! I know it's like I want to kill myself!!!!!
Samy: Hey Jess...how about flashing us!!!!
Jess: (giggle) Sam you're craaaaazyyyyyyy!!!!!...(giggle with a bit of hysterical laughter)....my boyfriend is right there....
Samy: Oh.........
Samy: Hmmmmmm.....
Samy: I get it.....
Samy: but I really didn't think you were that type though....
Jess: What type? what do you mean?!!!!!! (total astonishment...eyes wide open)
Samy: I mean you guys are not even married and you are playing the submissive wife...good for you I guess Omar taught you well....
Jess: He didn't teach me anything... NOBODY controls me....(cheeks start to flush)
Samy: hmmmm...(playing it cool)
Jess: Hey!!!! Seriously I am an american ...an A...MA...RI...CAN ...and I can do what the F**** I want to do!!!!! HUH!!!!!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FLASH >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Jess got her point...
Samy got his money....
The guys had a lovely evening...
and the boyfriend till this day doesn't know....
THE END
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Memories
Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is.
-Maxim Gorky
It is one of those sleepless nights…That you would stare at the ceiling for the first hour…sinking in the chaos of your thoughts…It doesn't have to be negative thoughts or positive ones for that matter…Just thoughts that flashes before you and drain you in a moment of time …till you get up slowly to do something….anything… so that you could feel drowsy again…
My anything was my drawer…And I was having one of those nights…As I twisted my hair into a bun and covered my shoulders to stop the chills from leaving a warm bed too fast…I walked slowly to the middle of the room…where my drawer stood…dark…unopened for 6 months….My eyes tried to get used to the darkness as my fingers searched for the switch button of the only lamp that was at my reach…The reflection of my shadow covered the spark of light that appeared on the opposite wall…And I opened slowly… reluctantly the drawer of my past…my memories.... my life....
I pulled out my book…sat down on the floor and opened it….There it was pictures…moments…letters….Cards…Forbidden words….Undeclared vows…The Friend that you promised to be "Friends Forever" and Haven't seen for two years because of a quarrel…The school uniform that you detested and wore everyday but that now you find sweet and charming …The "I am so in Love with you " That one day made your heart skip a beat but now all is left of it are words on a card…The "Do you really think I am a bad person with a black heart?" of a Brother that slid a note through your door in an adolescent phase when you hated the world but now makes you feel guilty…The grandmother that you will never see as you hugged her normally for 10 years and now wished to have been there for her…The postcard of a summer friend that you promised to keep in touch with but was last dated 1996…The red bracelet with green stones that a Chinese girl gave to you as good luck because you passed her your notes…The address of a Halloween party we had to go to scribbled on a "Ritz" hotel notepad….The graduation day where you thought you finally made it to the real world…The " I am a believer because I believed in you" and emails of people you helped through rough times and decisive decisions…The poses you made with your girlfriends dressed up as guys to sneak out and drive a car…The first shisha you tried as you coughed for half an hour and found out your allergic to smoke…The letter your mother wrote when you thought you were all that and to this day breaks your heart….The I.D card you had when you first started working….The little forgotten things that comes back to you in a flash…
You….through the years…
As I caressed the protective seal of the pages with my fingertips….A tear rolled down my face….I wasn't sad nor nostalgic but touched….Touched by the loss of the naiveness in a gaze…the loss of an unconsciousness in a smile…The loss of an innocence of not knowing the definite line between dreams and Reality…The loss of an uncaring feeling of what destiny has planned for us…All the small details that no one will ever notice but only you can see…The protective wall on your sensitive soul….as it thickens through life…The confidence that grows as you succeed…and the things you learn on your own….
In these minute moments where my vulnerability resurface.... I wanted to call my whole life and tell them to remember…As impossible to do as trying to wake the dead…But then I feel at peace…As if rejoined with myself…
I know what you are thinking or trying to say…Don't look at the past…you are so young and acting like a 50 year old…you have your whole life ahead of you…Just be happy with the good memories….Maybe you are right…Maybe it is good to be like these people that live day by day…and worry about the future without looking at the past…. But I know sometimes like tonight….. I need to turn my head and look back to know exactly where I am now, Today…………………..don't you?
-Maxim Gorky
It is one of those sleepless nights…That you would stare at the ceiling for the first hour…sinking in the chaos of your thoughts…It doesn't have to be negative thoughts or positive ones for that matter…Just thoughts that flashes before you and drain you in a moment of time …till you get up slowly to do something….anything… so that you could feel drowsy again…
My anything was my drawer…And I was having one of those nights…As I twisted my hair into a bun and covered my shoulders to stop the chills from leaving a warm bed too fast…I walked slowly to the middle of the room…where my drawer stood…dark…unopened for 6 months….My eyes tried to get used to the darkness as my fingers searched for the switch button of the only lamp that was at my reach…The reflection of my shadow covered the spark of light that appeared on the opposite wall…And I opened slowly… reluctantly the drawer of my past…my memories.... my life....
I pulled out my book…sat down on the floor and opened it….There it was pictures…moments…letters….Cards…Forbidden words….Undeclared vows…The Friend that you promised to be "Friends Forever" and Haven't seen for two years because of a quarrel…The school uniform that you detested and wore everyday but that now you find sweet and charming …The "I am so in Love with you " That one day made your heart skip a beat but now all is left of it are words on a card…The "Do you really think I am a bad person with a black heart?" of a Brother that slid a note through your door in an adolescent phase when you hated the world but now makes you feel guilty…The grandmother that you will never see as you hugged her normally for 10 years and now wished to have been there for her…The postcard of a summer friend that you promised to keep in touch with but was last dated 1996…The red bracelet with green stones that a Chinese girl gave to you as good luck because you passed her your notes…The address of a Halloween party we had to go to scribbled on a "Ritz" hotel notepad….The graduation day where you thought you finally made it to the real world…The " I am a believer because I believed in you" and emails of people you helped through rough times and decisive decisions…The poses you made with your girlfriends dressed up as guys to sneak out and drive a car…The first shisha you tried as you coughed for half an hour and found out your allergic to smoke…The letter your mother wrote when you thought you were all that and to this day breaks your heart….The I.D card you had when you first started working….The little forgotten things that comes back to you in a flash…
You….through the years…
As I caressed the protective seal of the pages with my fingertips….A tear rolled down my face….I wasn't sad nor nostalgic but touched….Touched by the loss of the naiveness in a gaze…the loss of an unconsciousness in a smile…The loss of an innocence of not knowing the definite line between dreams and Reality…The loss of an uncaring feeling of what destiny has planned for us…All the small details that no one will ever notice but only you can see…The protective wall on your sensitive soul….as it thickens through life…The confidence that grows as you succeed…and the things you learn on your own….
In these minute moments where my vulnerability resurface.... I wanted to call my whole life and tell them to remember…As impossible to do as trying to wake the dead…But then I feel at peace…As if rejoined with myself…
I know what you are thinking or trying to say…Don't look at the past…you are so young and acting like a 50 year old…you have your whole life ahead of you…Just be happy with the good memories….Maybe you are right…Maybe it is good to be like these people that live day by day…and worry about the future without looking at the past…. But I know sometimes like tonight….. I need to turn my head and look back to know exactly where I am now, Today…………………..don't you?
Monday, February 19, 2007
Let's get some shoes!!!!
to all my shoes lovers out there...this URL Rule!!!!!.... and will definitely mark the way you see shoes FOR EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool....enjoy x x x
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYnn51C3X_w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYnn51C3X_w
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Me…my brothers…and Zakariya in Deutschland (Part II)
Back to where I left of…I know you guys have been waiting for this for so long….Alora ( meaning: so in italian) here goes …
so you can imagine my surprise when…. the most beautiful girl I have laid my eyes on…( I have a quite picky taste so when I say a beauty… I mean it!!!!!) started chatting us up…let me rephrase that started chatting Zakariya up…Her hair was so blond that it reflected a sort of lighted aura around her oval face…her eyes were dark and deep which made the most beautiful contrast…she had the cutest little nose and the fullest pink lips which she loved to bite from time to time sulkily when she paused between two phrases…FORGET Claudia…This is the new face of L'Oreal…I bet not a single product would be left in the market after that..
Of course My brothers were drawling…even I was drawling…and Zakariya enjoyed every minute….
We soon found out that her name was Marie "Von (……)…" yes she was a von von von girl…meaning an aristocratic/amazing lifestyle girl…a bit like the" De (…)…" in France…"Del (…).." in Spanish/Hispanic countries…and "Al (….) " in some Arabic countries…although everybody nowadays start calling themselves…Al something…
Anyway at the beginning….the conversation was very banal…kind of like dreadful weather don't you think?… where you are from?….and how long are you staying?…blablabla… It was funny to see my brothers COMPLETELY ignored for the first time of their lives…( as much as I HATE admitting it…my bros are pretty handsome, drop dead gorgeous specimens of the male kind)...and till now they had no problems in attracting the opposite sex….till now….:)…..god! I am really really reeeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyy loving this!!!!!!…
After leaving her friends behind and sitting in our table…She soon proposed to be our guide tour through our stay (Duh! For obvious reasons)…she even invited us at her place for lunch* the next day…
* In Germany Lunch is at 12:00 p.m and dinner at 6:00 p.m…which pretty means breakfast and lunch for us…or a kitkat break…want to have a meal after 9:00 p.m…????? Starve!!!!!!!! ain't happening!!!!!! Or go to the Turkish neighborhood for some Kebabs…
Her place was more of an ancient palace with 100 of hectares of forest and greenery around…It was gorgeous…and so rustic…you expected any minute that knights with shining armors would pop out behind the trees and raise their swords for a one to one tournament….instead there was those tiny dwarf donkeys…(which she told me her dad imported from Tunisia especially for her…) and patched colored poneys grazing in the open space.…
And here I am…all these years…thinking that "I " was spoiled…I don't know if I should hate her…or envy her…my youngest brother though…was in love with her…actually he was in love with anyone that would let him ride on a four legged creature for hours…
Lunch was crap…partly because most Europeans think that a one course meal involving a big plate with tiny decorations and tiny winy portion inside with a leaf on top is more than enough…partly because Germans really really can't cook…. I think we will hit AGAIN the Turkish neighborhood for some real food and more appropriate times…
The next days were spent in intensive massive sightseeing ….and when I say intense…I mean it…I think we beated the Japanese tourist record…there was : Die Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek (two main art galleries if you are an art fan…p.s: the masterpieces are breathtaking)…the BMW museum ( if you are this classic german car's biggest fan you would love it…if not… you can do like me and tag along while sitting at every bench insight)…the Nympherburg castle (if you like ancient history, family tree and furniture this is the place for you!!!) the English garden…( a 900 acre park…such a lovely place to get lost in mother nature's wonders…) you can also stop at some beer gardens for a drink …It is kind of like an open air pub…of course I contented myself with a whole jar of Spetzi (A mix of Miranda and Pepsi)…a first for me….and frightening enough.. sooooooooo Machiavellically tasty…
the English garden is also THE main place for sunbathing….when the city has a glimpse of sun rays regardless the weather…a whole naked crowd of men, women and children are found laying on the ground…naked…yes naked....no bikinis…no boxers…no bathing suits…no stripped bathing suits…no underwears…no thongs…NO-THING …Nada.. (in spanish)…
It is much cooler to be naked in Germany…God even their saunas and steam rooms are mixed with nakedness….no wonder they get sexually confused most of the time….
Anyway one morning…Zakariya came in with a large bandage over his head…I was horrified…" Esh Sarlek????? (meaning: what happened to you???)"
" Walashey to7t! (meaning: nothing I fell)"
Something I learned being in a male dominating household…when they say nothing…it means there is a major thing…but they just don't want to say it to YOU…or they are afraid that you might ask further questions…
So I pretended to go to another room and slipped behind the door…oh come on!!!! like you guys never did the same…It is the only way I would know what was going on…and I was DYING to know what was really going on… so a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do…
"men jedek…to7t? (meaning: did you really fall…for real?" that was one of my brothers…Zakariya shook his head " La ouja3..(meaning: damn no!!!)" and started to tell the story of the real cause of the "fall"…
I had to run across the corridor for me not to faint with laughter…
The thing was that our good man went out all night with Marie von von von…of course they found themselves in her place…in her bed….
Marie von von von like any brought up educated catholic religious girl…had a large cross on the wall…on top of her bed…I guess Jesus was not really pleased with their acrobatic physical actions and decided to fall on their heads in a very crucial moment…more precisely on Zakariya's head in a very crucial moment…the night was spent of course in the ER…
I could hear my brothers crying with laughter…It was really hard to look at Zakariya seriously after that and then pretend not to know anything….I had to push the taunting thought of a naked jesus on a naked Zakariya…loooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllll….Oh god I thing I am going to die….looooooooooooooooooooollllllllllllll
The rest of the day was spent with Marie von von von in the fabulous magical Neushwanstein castle of Ludwig II (the king of fairy tales and weird imagination)…this is the castle that inspired Disney's sleeping beauty's palace…Zakariya was walking behind sulkily trying to stay away from us…as much as possible… As for Marie she was trying to explain to me the history behind the whole mysterious king…the thing is… she talked to me as if I was a sort of retarded …I can feel she really wanted me to be the poor miserable Arab creature when she asked " did you ever see snow????"…My instincts told me to better stick in playing dumb and miserable…
Hell what's a little "Duh!" compared to a black Mercedes with a chauffeur that takes you up the hill to the castle's door without walking with the mass…
" Actually no!!!! It is so beautiful and white….and fluffy!!! Wow I really would have loved to take some home in a bottle if it didn't melt!"…Marie was extremely pleased…My Bro looked at me like I was some sort of maniac…I gave him " the shut up and let me do my thing" look… Besides she was being extremely sweet… especially after a night like hers… so why not make her day as well…
On our last day…Zakariya hanged out with our gorgeous german friend all day…you have to give it to him…another guy would have run off the hills but not him…I guess he needs more than a bump on the head to spoil his good time…
"why don't you stay here a couple of days…you seem to enjoy yourself and she definitely seems to like you…" I asked him when he came back to pack his things…
"Nah…"
"Why? You don't like her????.. So why did you go out with her???"
"It is not that…she is nice…but it was even nicer to see the annoyed look on your brothers during these days…THAT was priceless…and besides I am not a big fan of blondes…I don't like their smell…"
No comment…
Seriously…
No comment at all…
so you can imagine my surprise when…. the most beautiful girl I have laid my eyes on…( I have a quite picky taste so when I say a beauty… I mean it!!!!!) started chatting us up…let me rephrase that started chatting Zakariya up…Her hair was so blond that it reflected a sort of lighted aura around her oval face…her eyes were dark and deep which made the most beautiful contrast…she had the cutest little nose and the fullest pink lips which she loved to bite from time to time sulkily when she paused between two phrases…FORGET Claudia…This is the new face of L'Oreal…I bet not a single product would be left in the market after that..
Of course My brothers were drawling…even I was drawling…and Zakariya enjoyed every minute….
We soon found out that her name was Marie "Von (……)…" yes she was a von von von girl…meaning an aristocratic/amazing lifestyle girl…a bit like the" De (…)…" in France…"Del (…).." in Spanish/Hispanic countries…and "Al (….) " in some Arabic countries…although everybody nowadays start calling themselves…Al something…
Anyway at the beginning….the conversation was very banal…kind of like dreadful weather don't you think?… where you are from?….and how long are you staying?…blablabla… It was funny to see my brothers COMPLETELY ignored for the first time of their lives…( as much as I HATE admitting it…my bros are pretty handsome, drop dead gorgeous specimens of the male kind)...and till now they had no problems in attracting the opposite sex….till now….:)…..god! I am really really reeeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyy loving this!!!!!!…
After leaving her friends behind and sitting in our table…She soon proposed to be our guide tour through our stay (Duh! For obvious reasons)…she even invited us at her place for lunch* the next day…
* In Germany Lunch is at 12:00 p.m and dinner at 6:00 p.m…which pretty means breakfast and lunch for us…or a kitkat break…want to have a meal after 9:00 p.m…????? Starve!!!!!!!! ain't happening!!!!!! Or go to the Turkish neighborhood for some Kebabs…
Her place was more of an ancient palace with 100 of hectares of forest and greenery around…It was gorgeous…and so rustic…you expected any minute that knights with shining armors would pop out behind the trees and raise their swords for a one to one tournament….instead there was those tiny dwarf donkeys…(which she told me her dad imported from Tunisia especially for her…) and patched colored poneys grazing in the open space.…
And here I am…all these years…thinking that "I " was spoiled…I don't know if I should hate her…or envy her…my youngest brother though…was in love with her…actually he was in love with anyone that would let him ride on a four legged creature for hours…
Lunch was crap…partly because most Europeans think that a one course meal involving a big plate with tiny decorations and tiny winy portion inside with a leaf on top is more than enough…partly because Germans really really can't cook…. I think we will hit AGAIN the Turkish neighborhood for some real food and more appropriate times…
The next days were spent in intensive massive sightseeing ….and when I say intense…I mean it…I think we beated the Japanese tourist record…there was : Die Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek (two main art galleries if you are an art fan…p.s: the masterpieces are breathtaking)…the BMW museum ( if you are this classic german car's biggest fan you would love it…if not… you can do like me and tag along while sitting at every bench insight)…the Nympherburg castle (if you like ancient history, family tree and furniture this is the place for you!!!) the English garden…( a 900 acre park…such a lovely place to get lost in mother nature's wonders…) you can also stop at some beer gardens for a drink …It is kind of like an open air pub…of course I contented myself with a whole jar of Spetzi (A mix of Miranda and Pepsi)…a first for me….and frightening enough.. sooooooooo Machiavellically tasty…
the English garden is also THE main place for sunbathing….when the city has a glimpse of sun rays regardless the weather…a whole naked crowd of men, women and children are found laying on the ground…naked…yes naked....no bikinis…no boxers…no bathing suits…no stripped bathing suits…no underwears…no thongs…NO-THING …Nada.. (in spanish)…
It is much cooler to be naked in Germany…God even their saunas and steam rooms are mixed with nakedness….no wonder they get sexually confused most of the time….
Anyway one morning…Zakariya came in with a large bandage over his head…I was horrified…" Esh Sarlek????? (meaning: what happened to you???)"
" Walashey to7t! (meaning: nothing I fell)"
Something I learned being in a male dominating household…when they say nothing…it means there is a major thing…but they just don't want to say it to YOU…or they are afraid that you might ask further questions…
So I pretended to go to another room and slipped behind the door…oh come on!!!! like you guys never did the same…It is the only way I would know what was going on…and I was DYING to know what was really going on… so a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do…
"men jedek…to7t? (meaning: did you really fall…for real?" that was one of my brothers…Zakariya shook his head " La ouja3..(meaning: damn no!!!)" and started to tell the story of the real cause of the "fall"…
I had to run across the corridor for me not to faint with laughter…
The thing was that our good man went out all night with Marie von von von…of course they found themselves in her place…in her bed….
Marie von von von like any brought up educated catholic religious girl…had a large cross on the wall…on top of her bed…I guess Jesus was not really pleased with their acrobatic physical actions and decided to fall on their heads in a very crucial moment…more precisely on Zakariya's head in a very crucial moment…the night was spent of course in the ER…
I could hear my brothers crying with laughter…It was really hard to look at Zakariya seriously after that and then pretend not to know anything….I had to push the taunting thought of a naked jesus on a naked Zakariya…loooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllll….Oh god I thing I am going to die….looooooooooooooooooooollllllllllllll
The rest of the day was spent with Marie von von von in the fabulous magical Neushwanstein castle of Ludwig II (the king of fairy tales and weird imagination)…this is the castle that inspired Disney's sleeping beauty's palace…Zakariya was walking behind sulkily trying to stay away from us…as much as possible… As for Marie she was trying to explain to me the history behind the whole mysterious king…the thing is… she talked to me as if I was a sort of retarded …I can feel she really wanted me to be the poor miserable Arab creature when she asked " did you ever see snow????"…My instincts told me to better stick in playing dumb and miserable…
Hell what's a little "Duh!" compared to a black Mercedes with a chauffeur that takes you up the hill to the castle's door without walking with the mass…
" Actually no!!!! It is so beautiful and white….and fluffy!!! Wow I really would have loved to take some home in a bottle if it didn't melt!"…Marie was extremely pleased…My Bro looked at me like I was some sort of maniac…I gave him " the shut up and let me do my thing" look… Besides she was being extremely sweet… especially after a night like hers… so why not make her day as well…
On our last day…Zakariya hanged out with our gorgeous german friend all day…you have to give it to him…another guy would have run off the hills but not him…I guess he needs more than a bump on the head to spoil his good time…
"why don't you stay here a couple of days…you seem to enjoy yourself and she definitely seems to like you…" I asked him when he came back to pack his things…
"Nah…"
"Why? You don't like her????.. So why did you go out with her???"
"It is not that…she is nice…but it was even nicer to see the annoyed look on your brothers during these days…THAT was priceless…and besides I am not a big fan of blondes…I don't like their smell…"
No comment…
Seriously…
No comment at all…
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Me…my brothers…and Zakariya in Deutschland (Part I)
"Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said couldn't be done.-"
Sam Ewing
It all started when we went to visit our grandmother in Munich…Germany…She had a knee problem (who hasn't in Saudi????…80% of our elderly have knee problems whether it is from sitting cross- legged/Siddhartha position but without the straight back and the meditation…or because they were praying on their knees and hands most of their lives…hmmmm…I will go with the first option)
Anyway she had a knee problem and made a surgery…we were a bit worried cause she was quite old but it turned out to be as good as new…Alhamdullelah ( meaning thanks god)…Of course at first the nurses had strict visiting hours…you know… very disciplined…very german...But this was BEFORE they met us…the AlHajeri crowd…the Saudi crowd….
I mean WHO has visiting hours in Saudi??????…Some people may even consider it an insult if the patient's door is closed…The poor sick victim has to support his family members…their friends…his hospital neighbors…their family members…and their friends…random people that like to visit sick people in hospitals as a good deed *…and total strangers…Actually you have to cross a whole corridor of flowers and a line of people before entering the room….visiting hours?????? Are these people nuts????? And That is exactly what we did…i.e changed the whole German program…:p
* It is seen as a "good action" in our culture and religion if you do the Big threes: visit sick people, attend weddings and attend funerals…even if you do not know any of the family members…they will receive you like any other visitor…In other Arab countries going to a little boy's circumcision party or greet a newborn is also considered a "good action"…
Since most of the floor were Arabs…(they all had knee problems)..and they mostly came from the Middle East (especially U.A.E and Qatar)…Every single day we had to go from room to room to say hi…wish them a quick recovery…chat a little..and accept the dates, sweets and Arabic coffee** they served us…So it took us an hour every morning to reach my grandmother's room….Of course we skipped the "foreign" patients (which I pity cause they were mostly alone)…Since they might have thought we escaped from the Loony bin or that we just wanted to bomb them for fun…But at the end of our journey there.. They did pop out and said Hello…and also they had enough of the crap they call food in the hospital…and got tempted by our oriental aromas that we bring (on a daily basis) to our grandmother…***
**Damn! the U.A.E Arabic coffee is strong…I couldn't sleep for two days…In Saudi we use more "Hehl" ( sort of herb and spice we add to our coffees...Saudis use a lot of those!!!)
***Another thing about hospitals in Saudi…we never eat the hospital's food…we don't care how much Calorie...how rich...how spicy our home cooked meal is…but home-cooked diet it is for the rest of the stay…
One day…after doing our "grandchild" duty…my Brothers and I…decided to go sightseeing…we have never been to Germany…and although the weather was awful (-8 C)…and I was shivering to the core…It was worth seeing the "Heart of Bavaria and the city of Oktoberfest****" otherwise known as Munich…
****It is a Beer festival that they carry on every year in October…Needless to say that in this particular month it is packed with foreigners (especially Americans that traveled all the way for a pure German "Bier"???!!!) and we can also see Red dressed waitresses with blond braids and big arms (For them to carry the massive jars of Beer)…
Anyway… One of my brothers has a Khawi (also spelled 7'awi) called Zakariya…Before I go any further I need to clear this last point…A Khawi literally means a brother…But of course they are not "natural" brothers they are sons and daughters of families that have been working and living with a tribe or a family for generations…Kind of like the adoption of a whole family…They mostly come from African backgrounds and are brought up with the same education and life style of the main family itself…It is very common for Tribes and Big families in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries as well to have "Khawis"…Of course now it is not as often as before…Because it is more difficult to sustain your family and others at the same time….But it still exists…
Back to my story…so one of my brother's khawi is a guy called Zakariya…He is a witty young man…tall…very dark skinned…not very talkative…but I guess charming in his own way…whatever it is he is NO Puff Daddy…So you can imagine my surprise when….( to be continued)
Sam Ewing
It all started when we went to visit our grandmother in Munich…Germany…She had a knee problem (who hasn't in Saudi????…80% of our elderly have knee problems whether it is from sitting cross- legged/Siddhartha position but without the straight back and the meditation…or because they were praying on their knees and hands most of their lives…hmmmm…I will go with the first option)
Anyway she had a knee problem and made a surgery…we were a bit worried cause she was quite old but it turned out to be as good as new…Alhamdullelah ( meaning thanks god)…Of course at first the nurses had strict visiting hours…you know… very disciplined…very german...But this was BEFORE they met us…the AlHajeri crowd…the Saudi crowd….
I mean WHO has visiting hours in Saudi??????…Some people may even consider it an insult if the patient's door is closed…The poor sick victim has to support his family members…their friends…his hospital neighbors…their family members…and their friends…random people that like to visit sick people in hospitals as a good deed *…and total strangers…Actually you have to cross a whole corridor of flowers and a line of people before entering the room….visiting hours?????? Are these people nuts????? And That is exactly what we did…i.e changed the whole German program…:p
* It is seen as a "good action" in our culture and religion if you do the Big threes: visit sick people, attend weddings and attend funerals…even if you do not know any of the family members…they will receive you like any other visitor…In other Arab countries going to a little boy's circumcision party or greet a newborn is also considered a "good action"…
Since most of the floor were Arabs…(they all had knee problems)..and they mostly came from the Middle East (especially U.A.E and Qatar)…Every single day we had to go from room to room to say hi…wish them a quick recovery…chat a little..and accept the dates, sweets and Arabic coffee** they served us…So it took us an hour every morning to reach my grandmother's room….Of course we skipped the "foreign" patients (which I pity cause they were mostly alone)…Since they might have thought we escaped from the Loony bin or that we just wanted to bomb them for fun…But at the end of our journey there.. They did pop out and said Hello…and also they had enough of the crap they call food in the hospital…and got tempted by our oriental aromas that we bring (on a daily basis) to our grandmother…***
**Damn! the U.A.E Arabic coffee is strong…I couldn't sleep for two days…In Saudi we use more "Hehl" ( sort of herb and spice we add to our coffees...Saudis use a lot of those!!!)
***Another thing about hospitals in Saudi…we never eat the hospital's food…we don't care how much Calorie...how rich...how spicy our home cooked meal is…but home-cooked diet it is for the rest of the stay…
One day…after doing our "grandchild" duty…my Brothers and I…decided to go sightseeing…we have never been to Germany…and although the weather was awful (-8 C)…and I was shivering to the core…It was worth seeing the "Heart of Bavaria and the city of Oktoberfest****" otherwise known as Munich…
****It is a Beer festival that they carry on every year in October…Needless to say that in this particular month it is packed with foreigners (especially Americans that traveled all the way for a pure German "Bier"???!!!) and we can also see Red dressed waitresses with blond braids and big arms (For them to carry the massive jars of Beer)…
Anyway… One of my brothers has a Khawi (also spelled 7'awi) called Zakariya…Before I go any further I need to clear this last point…A Khawi literally means a brother…But of course they are not "natural" brothers they are sons and daughters of families that have been working and living with a tribe or a family for generations…Kind of like the adoption of a whole family…They mostly come from African backgrounds and are brought up with the same education and life style of the main family itself…It is very common for Tribes and Big families in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries as well to have "Khawis"…Of course now it is not as often as before…Because it is more difficult to sustain your family and others at the same time….But it still exists…
Back to my story…so one of my brother's khawi is a guy called Zakariya…He is a witty young man…tall…very dark skinned…not very talkative…but I guess charming in his own way…whatever it is he is NO Puff Daddy…So you can imagine my surprise when….( to be continued)
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
The Hajj and Saddam..
Belated Eid Mubarak (again) bloggers…and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007…Being an astrological freak my best friend offered me the latest Maggy Farrah* zodiac signs book for 2007….In short it will be an excellent year for: Capricorns…Cancers (lucky me!)…Libra..and Aries…If you are not one those signs then TOO BAD!!!!!! Lol…All jokes aside I hope it will be a wonderful year for everyone…
*A Lebanese psychic that is very popular in the Arab world…
I just came back from my first experience of Hajj…But like I said to some people I am NOT to be called a hajjiyah**!!!!!....so don't even think about it!!!!…
** a" Hajji" for a man and a" Hajjiyah" for a woman..is the term used when a calling a person who has performed Hajj or an elderly…(since most of the people choose to perform it at a later stage in their lives)…
I also will NOT go through the details of how to perform it…because it is 1) too long…it did take me 4 whole days to finish everything…2) any good Islamic book could tell you that… but what I will do is tell you ( in short) my feelings about my first time….and how I went through this unique experience of being reborn…clean…detoxed…splashed with Detol / Clorox…Thus coming out as a new Mashael…
This year the timing of the Hajj was on a Friday…better known as the Hajj AlKobra (meaning the Big Hajj)…it is counted as 7 Hajjs in Islamic beliefs…soooooooo when people knew that… 1million and a half more Saudis decided to perform it…added to the 3 million that came from abroad… nearly (all and all) 5 million people went to Hajj this year…The arrangements were much more organized than the previous years…Traffic was stopped and forced to take a longer route.. so the whole region was pedestrian specific…. Cooking…Barbecues….fires are strictly prohibited due to previous "accidents"…and the whole region in Mina (a region close to Mecca) was sectioned into tents and compartments and these were put into compounds according to countries…I did widened my geographical knowledge when I was there… in fear of sounding like a total Bimbo…Half of the flags I have never seen in my life…and I tried to look them up when I got back…(I know I know I am a total freak!!!! But hey you learn something everyday!!!!)... Of course I (and my whole family) were in one of those tents that was under the Saudi national flag…It felt like going to a boy scout trip…cause although every 2/3 person had there own room…you could hear everything…I mean EVERYTHING …around you…and my neighbors were not the quiet type either: an old couple that had to talk about their day EVERY night in details…two young girls that received phone calls every 5 minutes from friends that asked them to pray for them (I don't know how they had a network cause my phone was networkless)…a couple of guys that laughed at the top of their lungs about their shaved heads and haircuts***…a mother scolding her child for splashing water everywhere after she took a shower in the tuna can we call bathroom…
***It is favorable for men to shave their heads or cut it short after performing the Hajj…The women just cut a lock of hair
And although most people had a shelter…a lot more were in the streets…on roads…and under those small camping tents that you take for a w/e under the stars…and since they outnumbered the expected visitors…duvets (since it is a bit chilly this time of year), food, water were distributed among them…
Truthfully I pity the security and national guards…the things they have to go through and the patience and stamina they have to have to bare the ignorance of some people and to keep everything under control…I am just amazed how after ALL this time… they are still on their feet and didn't go mad by pounding on people's heads…
Anyway (for me) The Descend of Arafat**** was the most impressive…As we walked down the sacred mountain….At sunset…peacefully…for hours…all in white*****…men and women chanting " Labayk Allahouma Labayk" (meaning We are here my Lord…we are here…) I couldn't help but have a chill running down my spine…and I was tearing continuously…I couldn't help it…It was too strong…too powerful…It was like a glimpse…a preview… of the Hereafter…the judgment day…and we are only a few million people…The sky was crystal clear and only a stroke of color showed that the darkness that will overcome the land soon…
**** Arafat is the place were we pray and ask our deepest desires from noon to sunset…non stop…It is believed that God in that particular day and that particular time comes down to the earthly sky…It is the most important step in Hajj and the moment where your soul is cleansed and you feel like a new person….
***** White…is believed to be the colour of purity…angels…the Light of God…and most importantly…it is what Muslims are covered with in their tombs…
Mozdallifah was our next stop…to pick up the stones for the Jamarat ******…Mozdallifah was a place where pre-Islamic tribes used to meet up and compete with their status…their names…and the purity of their race…That is why it is a favorable place to recall God…and praise him with his names…To remind us he is the all mighty and in his eyes whatever status we are…we are only judged by our actions…
******The Jamarat…is the place of the Devils…and is believed that they are tied up in this particular time…that is why we throw stones at them…three days in a row…to make us stronger and not give in into temptations…This ritual was performed since Adam…
Anyway the most surprising and shocking part of the Hajj…was the Eid…We were at Mecca…People traded the traditional white Hajj clothes for their own cultural "party" clothes…There something about God and Fashion that meshes so well…the streets were covered of the sparkle wears of Africa…the colourful veils of Asia…the traditional clothes of china…the western clothes of Russia…the classy engraved hats of Indonesia….The Jalabiat of Morocco… and also the green and golden scarves that an American group wore around their neck for some reason…I couldn't help but overhear their conversation as we went around the Kaaba…Since they talked really loudly and had a very strong Californian accent…."Oh my God…It is sooooooooo crowded…told ya…we should've waited till 3"… Suddenly out of nowhere….a big group was screaming at the top of their lungs…raising an Iraqi flag.. "Long live Iraq and May god bless Saddam!!!! May god destroy the Americans!!!"…A lot of us turned around….we didn't know what was going on…(quick reminder: we were disconnected from the world for 3 days…so a lot of us didn't know about the death penalty at that time….)…Especially it was too incredible and unbelievable that this act was performed in the day of love…harmony…rest and family…a day where all the people that performed Hajj were at peace with themselves…in connection with their souls…What kind of deadly and bloody gift is that????...It's as if we punished Bush for what he did in Afghanistan and Iraq…by hanging him on Christmas day!!!!!! Talk about a Santa gift :p...It reminded me of the killing of a Russian journalist a couple of months ago by the Mafia as a birthday gift to the president Poutin...
Of course the word spread around….and one by one people from different backgrounds…..different race…different language….followed the group…people who hated Saddam…started to love him for his courage….people who loved him…made him a saint when he formulated the monotheist sentence.."There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger"… without covering his face with the black Bag…people who were not political…became political…people who didn't know anything of Saddam…Came to know of him… people who didn't take sides…took sides…He became a Hero…a man who was refused to be shot and was hanged instead…a man who's name would be known in history…a president who was sentenced to death after a public humiliation in court…At the end of the day what did they really benefit from the death of Saddam?????? Seriously??????....But only hatred and a vicious cycle of injustice…
*A Lebanese psychic that is very popular in the Arab world…
I just came back from my first experience of Hajj…But like I said to some people I am NOT to be called a hajjiyah**!!!!!....so don't even think about it!!!!…
** a" Hajji" for a man and a" Hajjiyah" for a woman..is the term used when a calling a person who has performed Hajj or an elderly…(since most of the people choose to perform it at a later stage in their lives)…
I also will NOT go through the details of how to perform it…because it is 1) too long…it did take me 4 whole days to finish everything…2) any good Islamic book could tell you that… but what I will do is tell you ( in short) my feelings about my first time….and how I went through this unique experience of being reborn…clean…detoxed…splashed with Detol / Clorox…Thus coming out as a new Mashael…
This year the timing of the Hajj was on a Friday…better known as the Hajj AlKobra (meaning the Big Hajj)…it is counted as 7 Hajjs in Islamic beliefs…soooooooo when people knew that… 1million and a half more Saudis decided to perform it…added to the 3 million that came from abroad… nearly (all and all) 5 million people went to Hajj this year…The arrangements were much more organized than the previous years…Traffic was stopped and forced to take a longer route.. so the whole region was pedestrian specific…. Cooking…Barbecues….fires are strictly prohibited due to previous "accidents"…and the whole region in Mina (a region close to Mecca) was sectioned into tents and compartments and these were put into compounds according to countries…I did widened my geographical knowledge when I was there… in fear of sounding like a total Bimbo…Half of the flags I have never seen in my life…and I tried to look them up when I got back…(I know I know I am a total freak!!!! But hey you learn something everyday!!!!)... Of course I (and my whole family) were in one of those tents that was under the Saudi national flag…It felt like going to a boy scout trip…cause although every 2/3 person had there own room…you could hear everything…I mean EVERYTHING …around you…and my neighbors were not the quiet type either: an old couple that had to talk about their day EVERY night in details…two young girls that received phone calls every 5 minutes from friends that asked them to pray for them (I don't know how they had a network cause my phone was networkless)…a couple of guys that laughed at the top of their lungs about their shaved heads and haircuts***…a mother scolding her child for splashing water everywhere after she took a shower in the tuna can we call bathroom…
***It is favorable for men to shave their heads or cut it short after performing the Hajj…The women just cut a lock of hair
And although most people had a shelter…a lot more were in the streets…on roads…and under those small camping tents that you take for a w/e under the stars…and since they outnumbered the expected visitors…duvets (since it is a bit chilly this time of year), food, water were distributed among them…
Truthfully I pity the security and national guards…the things they have to go through and the patience and stamina they have to have to bare the ignorance of some people and to keep everything under control…I am just amazed how after ALL this time… they are still on their feet and didn't go mad by pounding on people's heads…
Anyway (for me) The Descend of Arafat**** was the most impressive…As we walked down the sacred mountain….At sunset…peacefully…for hours…all in white*****…men and women chanting " Labayk Allahouma Labayk" (meaning We are here my Lord…we are here…) I couldn't help but have a chill running down my spine…and I was tearing continuously…I couldn't help it…It was too strong…too powerful…It was like a glimpse…a preview… of the Hereafter…the judgment day…and we are only a few million people…The sky was crystal clear and only a stroke of color showed that the darkness that will overcome the land soon…
**** Arafat is the place were we pray and ask our deepest desires from noon to sunset…non stop…It is believed that God in that particular day and that particular time comes down to the earthly sky…It is the most important step in Hajj and the moment where your soul is cleansed and you feel like a new person….
***** White…is believed to be the colour of purity…angels…the Light of God…and most importantly…it is what Muslims are covered with in their tombs…
Mozdallifah was our next stop…to pick up the stones for the Jamarat ******…Mozdallifah was a place where pre-Islamic tribes used to meet up and compete with their status…their names…and the purity of their race…That is why it is a favorable place to recall God…and praise him with his names…To remind us he is the all mighty and in his eyes whatever status we are…we are only judged by our actions…
******The Jamarat…is the place of the Devils…and is believed that they are tied up in this particular time…that is why we throw stones at them…three days in a row…to make us stronger and not give in into temptations…This ritual was performed since Adam…
Anyway the most surprising and shocking part of the Hajj…was the Eid…We were at Mecca…People traded the traditional white Hajj clothes for their own cultural "party" clothes…There something about God and Fashion that meshes so well…the streets were covered of the sparkle wears of Africa…the colourful veils of Asia…the traditional clothes of china…the western clothes of Russia…the classy engraved hats of Indonesia….The Jalabiat of Morocco… and also the green and golden scarves that an American group wore around their neck for some reason…I couldn't help but overhear their conversation as we went around the Kaaba…Since they talked really loudly and had a very strong Californian accent…."Oh my God…It is sooooooooo crowded…told ya…we should've waited till 3"… Suddenly out of nowhere….a big group was screaming at the top of their lungs…raising an Iraqi flag.. "Long live Iraq and May god bless Saddam!!!! May god destroy the Americans!!!"…A lot of us turned around….we didn't know what was going on…(quick reminder: we were disconnected from the world for 3 days…so a lot of us didn't know about the death penalty at that time….)…Especially it was too incredible and unbelievable that this act was performed in the day of love…harmony…rest and family…a day where all the people that performed Hajj were at peace with themselves…in connection with their souls…What kind of deadly and bloody gift is that????...It's as if we punished Bush for what he did in Afghanistan and Iraq…by hanging him on Christmas day!!!!!! Talk about a Santa gift :p...It reminded me of the killing of a Russian journalist a couple of months ago by the Mafia as a birthday gift to the president Poutin...
Of course the word spread around….and one by one people from different backgrounds…..different race…different language….followed the group…people who hated Saddam…started to love him for his courage….people who loved him…made him a saint when he formulated the monotheist sentence.."There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger"… without covering his face with the black Bag…people who were not political…became political…people who didn't know anything of Saddam…Came to know of him… people who didn't take sides…took sides…He became a Hero…a man who was refused to be shot and was hanged instead…a man who's name would be known in history…a president who was sentenced to death after a public humiliation in court…At the end of the day what did they really benefit from the death of Saddam?????? Seriously??????....But only hatred and a vicious cycle of injustice…
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