Saturday, October 20, 2012

Too much

I am tired.

Leave me alone.

Let me be, please.

I am just... so tired and drained.

Monday, August 20, 2012

On Lego

Today was the first day of Eid, and as usual, my go-to Eid gift to my nephews was Lego. You see, boys love Lego. It provides them with endless opportunities of stuff to put together and take apart, and stretches their imaginations. What I did not count on, however, is how lazy they are. Before I knew it, I was marched into the dining room, seated at the table with all the Legos scattered around me and ordered to build them by my 7 year old and 4 year old nephews. So there I was, building Lego toys when I started wondering what the story behind it was. A quick google search and voila! This is the inspiring and heart-warming story of the Lego blocks, and, this month marks their 80th birthday. Happy Bday Lego!



Have I mentioned how much I missed my sis and her kids this Eid? It was so depressing not having them here, however, C'est la vie. I'll be seeing them soon hopefully as I am planning a trip to Canada during Christmas- provided that I am still unemployed by then.



Friday, July 13, 2012

It's a GIRL!

from here 



... well, 80% it's a girl, as per the ultrasound. However, that 80% is close enough to 100% from where I stand, and it is great news.

One of my closest friend, Y.J, is preggers, and she is having a baby girl. We are all so excited for her, and I am truly happy for her. She will make a great mama, and I will make a great whacky auntie - just give me a little human to ruin =D

Congrats Y.J and Fadz!!

love you!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

On being MIA

Yes, I realize it has been ages since I last blogged.
Yes, I realize my blog has recently turned into a stream of images and videos.
And no, I will not apologize, however, I will update :p

Where do I begin?

Well, to begin with, I finished my 8 modules for my masters and have officially progressed to "writing" my thesis. Of course, I haven't really started writing yet, but today my lovely sister gave me advice on how to get my lazy ass motivated to start, and I will take it. Actually, I did take it, I printed out calenders as per her advice and have filled them out... just an initial thing for now.

Last month my friend Nan got married in Lebanon. It was a beautiful ceremony and she looked stunning. Words can't describe how happy I am for her and her new hubby.

My friend Umen is preggers, meaning I'll be an auntie again before the end of this year!

My friend Beli's bday passed a few days ago, and this is for her:
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPYYYY  BIIIIIRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTHDAY!!!!

I got the Game of Thrones game on Xbox and it is AWESOME =) I think now we all know why I haven't really started my thesis * shameful face*

Apart from that, nothing major has been happening on a personal level.

I miss blogging... but I've been busy pinning on pinterest. It's a labyrinth that sucks you in and you just can not stop.

This must be one of those totally spaced out posts... but at least I posted.

Out

Sunday, June 10, 2012

On new song obsessions:

"La Shoo L Tighyeer" By Charbel Rouhana:



"Sitti" By the Chehade Brothers:



"Dibbik Dibbik" by the Chehade Brothers:

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The HORROR

I am job hunting... and today, I felt like venturing away from the normal job-posting dedicated websites and contact the companies directly. I called up the Audi HQ, had a very nice chat with the receptionist, obtained the e-mail address, copied my cover letter and attached my CV, after which, I naturally hit sent.

I wasn't until 10 minutes later when I received a confirmation email from them that I realized I had sent it from a VERY embarrassing e-mail address that I use for ads and stuff.

One word: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Is hoping that they may find my email address intriguing and oh so cute a long shot?

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Birthday D!

Happy Birthday to the best sister anyone could ever ask for. I love you SO much!!!!!

Have a great one. I wish I was there to celebrate with you... but you are all the way there and I am all the way here, so we have to settle for chubby kid here to pass you a message, Enjoy:

Images

from here
By Walid Taher, from here

Friday, April 27, 2012

Things aren't always what they seem

The fact that most of the bystanders where left shocked into silence speaks volumes about how successful the message behind this is. I loved it.

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Vader can moooooove!

I cracked up when I saw these today. They truly made my day and so, I share them with you in the hopes that they will do the same for you:



Thursday, April 19, 2012

Caine's Arcade

This is the awesome and great story of a 9 year old boy, some cardboard boxes, imagination and social networking all coming together to make a kid's dream come true.

Amazing...



Thursday, April 12, 2012

On cooking abilities...

Or the lack thereof.

Whenever I say I can't cook, people look at me funny. No one understands that when I don't cook, it isn't for lack of trying or laziness, but for the greater good. I was aiming at being healthy 2 days ago and opted to make a grilled chicken breast instead of ordering in. How hard can that be, I told myself? As long as it is all white through and through, I have nothing to worry about. Right?

WRONG!

I've been suffering from food poisoning ever since. It is horrible. I made the chicken that could have killed me... with my own two hands.

Blech...

So, next time I say I don't cook, spare me the indignant judgemental look and instead, tell me what a fantastic idea that is. If you can cook, offer me a nice meal, I wouldn't say no ;)

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

To put it simply

... I Miss You So Much.

On jellyfish

So... I want a jellyfish pet. They are so much better than fish to watch and are mesmerizing in their movements. I want a jellyfish in a nice, big tank with lights that change colour, and are accordingly reflected by the Jellyfish. For as long as it is my Jellyfish, I shall name it Butters. I do not know what they feed them... or how to clean the tank... or what water I'm supposed to use.. or how long they would live for... or anything about them other than they would die out of water. All I know is, I want a Jellyfish called Butters.

Not weird, right?

Riiiight.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Because this is magic too

Ever since I was a kid, I enjoyed magic and acrobatic shows. I don't know what it is with them, but they make me all happy and fluttery on the inside. As I grew older, I added another enjoyable show to the list: music. Specifically, Oud, Guitar and drums. These instruments give me goosebumps and they carry my soul up to new heights.

A few years ago, I went to a concert for Naseer Shamma, a Iraqi Oud player. His show was magnificent. It was fresh and intense. I went to another one of his shows tonight, and I was in for a treat. The way he hold the oud is mesmerizing, like he doesn't have to even think about where his hand should go and what chord his fingers should caress. Actually, after all his years of playing, that should be the case. However, it is the passion in him that pulls his experience and talent together and make them whole. When he speaks, he sounds shy and uncertain, yet when he plays he commands attention and respect. He was playing with an orchestra of different instruments: drums, piano, clarinet, sax, and guitar to name a few. The way the music came together, they way every note struck made sense next to the one struck from the other instrument... now that is magic. It was utter harmony and bliss.

Click here for his website




Tuesday, March 20, 2012

On sand and fog

I haven't been posting recently as I have been super busy. My sis and her kids are visiting (yaaaaay), and all my deadlines are coming up (boooooo!). I'm currently juggling family and uni and it is so tiring. The only thing that keeps me going is that knowledge that I'll be forever done with classes, and come August, my one year intensive Msc. will be over! Wooohoooooooo!!!!

The weather has been horrible lately. No sun, only sand and fog. This should now be known as the land of sand and fog. Other than all that, I'm alright. I just wish I had the power to slow down time, or alter it, just like that Japanese guy from Heroes could do.

This must be one of the most unconnected posts ever. I just can't think in full sentences and introductions anymore. My brain is fried, fried is my brain.#

So, Good morning world. Hello Coffee. Welcome, Screen glare. Lovely sounds, keyboard.
Do your magic.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

On amazing talent

Yes, I am addicted to Adele, I know that. It has to be said though that she did a great job with this song that was originally Bob Dylan's.



Another one of my favourites is this song by Staind "Out on the outside", feat. Fred Durst:

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

On leap years

Today, we all get an extra day. An extra chance to change something, to do something or to say something. Today, all bets are off the table. Today, you go with your gut feeling and follow your instincts. Today is the day you break free and you step out of your comfort zone. Get out, do something brave, do something worthwhile and something selfless. Embrace the world for all it is today, for tomorrow, we go back to the mundane, to the normal. Today is a magical day, and we all need magic in our lives. Fear not, the Earth will still spin the same way it always has tomorrow, but for just for today, imagine if it spun differently. Oh, the possibilities!

Happy Leap Year everyone!

Those were the days...

I woke up with this song on my mind. It is beautiful, sad and true.

"Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end."

All good things come to an end. Especially happy, carefree days...


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

On getting things

from HERE

Monday, February 27, 2012

I miss you



From here

Happy=Good; Angry= Bad

This never fails to make me smile when it is the last thing I feel like doing.


Friday, February 24, 2012

On nostalgia

It is weird. I am sitting here on my couch, all alone. It is very quiet as I don't have any music or the T.V on. The kitchen window is open and suddenly, in comes a lot of noise. People laughing, singing and whistling. For a second, I was transported back to my Montreal apartment. It was snowing outside and warm inside. My apartment was quiet as well, but I could hear the same sounds coming in from the outside. For a second, I felt a calm I haven't felt in years. For a second, I was back home, in my element, where I belong. For a second, I was there... but then again there, is always here with me.

It is weird.

On being anything

From Here

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

On the Arabic language

Arabic, as an academic language, has been a thorn in my back ever since I was a child. I say academically because the written and spoken Arabic are 2 different things altogether. Each area, city and even country has its own dialect, while we all write it and read it the same way.

Having said all that, however, I have to admit that no language is as rich as Arabic when it comes to descriptions. One word can have a thousand different meanings, all relying on where you use them in the sentence. It truly is amazing.

Today, I came across this:



Presence vs. Absence

Translation: The cold presence is much more painful than the absence. Isn't it simple, yet perfect? It could be applied to so many different scenarios and situations, and in each of those, it will still stand true.

It is these little things that remind me of just how wonderful Arabic truly is as a language. I can sit, read and enjoy, and that makes it perfect 

=)

Sunday, February 19, 2012

On Whales

Ever wondered just how big a life-sized blue whale is, and then stopped thinking because your mind just could not picture it?

Well, I have. Plenty of times... since I was a kid. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not imagine it. Then one day, I discovered the internet. Furthermore, on a completely different day,years and years later, I stumbled upon this page. It not only shows you just how large a blue whale is, you can listen to it, AND watch it pass you by. Cool, eh?

When you're done and you click to close the website, you will get a mesage. So, don't forget to click...



Monday, February 13, 2012

Remember

from a friend's email

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Game of Thrones 2

When you play the game of thrones, you win or you DIE!








The cold winds are rising... winter is coming!!!!!

Excited and ecstatic do not even begin to cover how I feel.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

I need your help

This post is about appealing to your human side. It is about asking you to help out a complete stranger, someone you have never met before and probably will never meet. It is about asking you to use the blessing that is the internet and help out someone who may be thousands of miles away. It is about stepping up, about contributing, about saving a life.

I have copied the following from the website: Matching Mona The Fundraiser.


"Hello friends, friends of friends and strangers. My name is Ruwayna and I am launching this campaign to help raise funds for a life-saving bone marrow transplant for my friend Mona Abulhassan. 

As many of you already know almost 3 years ago in her mid-20s Mona was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia type T. Since then, she has been defeating, struggling and overcome by this disease and is now urgently in need of a bone-marrow transplant. She has received most of her treatment in Cairo, Egypt but is now receiving treatment in London, England because the necessary drugs are not available in Cairo. Soon, we hope, she will be receiving a transplant. She has no matches in her family, and so the type of procedure she has to undergo can only be performed abroad (Egypt does not do the transplant for unrelated donors). There is no insurance to cover these costs so her family has been funding this through personal savings and grants.

Medical costs are constantly building up and after almost 3 years of treatment, you can imagine what kinds of hurdles those costs have become. I think that as a global community: Egypt, the Gulf, North America, Asia, perhaps even some of you down-under; we can help Mona and her family keep up with the finances necessary for her treatment, and make this journey a little less over-whelming."


 Please take a minute or two to click on it and read through it. Please visit their facebook page to get  a better idea of what the situation really is. Whatever you choose to contribute will help. If you can not give money, then please, help out by spreading the word. Tweet, facebook, google+, blog... anything, just share. If you prefer to send out e-mails and spread the word via word of mouth, then that is great too. Whatever you want to do, do it, but please, do not ignore it. Do not act as if you did not read it. Do not close the webpage and never think of this again. Cancer can hit each and everyone of us. We, as humans, should help each other fight this fight. We need to stand together.

Please. Mona needs our help.

Click Here

Samsung Galaxy Phone

This is an Ad for the Samsung Galaxy Phone, starring my friend Mani.

Well, well, well... what can I say? Let me start off by saying that it always feel good when you see your friends in a youtube video, in a movie, in a show etc. Suddenly, you find yourself with a huge grin on your face and your heart is just filled with love and emotion. Secondly, the phone truly is great. My sister has it and she sings its praises on a daily basis. It is fast, reliable, powerful, and easy to use. The only reason I'm still a blackberry chick is because a) I can't be bothered to transfer contact info and calender info from one phone to the other; and b) the phone is a little too big. It's wider than the Iphone even and thus, it won't fit in most of my clutches. c) Samsung has really turned itself around and has embraced technology, it is not imitating the Iphone, but innovating in its own way.d) I am team anything NOT IPHONE =D

Having said all that I should mention one of its many cool features, its 8 megapixel camera. It is AWESOME! Mani keeps taking pictures of our lovely professors and sending them over to me when I'm in the next class. It keeps us entertained and sane.

Ok, I'll stop typing now, and here is the video:

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

On I think these are all action verbs...

End.
Want.
Need.
Demand.
Ask.
Take.
Give.
Push.
Pull.
Fall.
Rise.
Shine.
Flat.
Dim.
Start.

I need to Ctrl+Alt+Esc my life. Better yet, I wish there was a copy of a different life I could install. 

Monday, January 30, 2012

On today needing a smile...

There is always a reason to smile... that is what the internet was invented for!!!

The penguin can really move to the song!



and to top it off with a cherry:


Saturday, January 28, 2012

On confusion... and Barbie heads

Let me start off by saying that I am not as psycho as I sound... most of the times. This is why, when I saw these pictures of Barbie Jewellery, I got a little worried. Is it weird that I find them fascinating?? I mean, they did not seem odd and did not even remind me of Dexter's Ice truck killer or anything. I sincerely liked them. I think wearing Barbie's mouth around my wrist is a great tribute to a well-spent and half-forgotten childhood.

Plus, maybe this is a good time to share the following: when I was a kid, I used to dismember my Barbie heads after it broke and keep them around. Till this day, I do not know why... Too much info, right?

You be the judge:




All pictures from here.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

on dates

There are certain dates that everyone remembers, and they remember exactly what they were doing on that certain day. Take September 11, 2001. Most of us know exactly what we were doing when the first plane hit that first tower. Me? I was flying back from Lebanon, solo. My sister was picking me up from the airport and then we went to her friends place. That was where we first found out about the crash. Another date: March 19, 2003, the USA's invasion of Iraq. I was up all night following CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, and Al Arabiya. I did not sleep one wink that night while I watched on as the USA started bombing Iraq. First thing in the morning, my friend calls me and says "Iraq has fallen." for it had fallen indeed. I stayed in all day that day, I did not attend any of my classes because, history was being made and I was watching. December 30, 2006: Saddam Hussein's execution: I was feeling down about not spending Eid with my family, so I stayed in. Again, it was me and the internet, searching, watching, reading and listening.February 2011: Husni Mubarak states that he will not abdicate; I was at a wedding following on Twitter. We promptly left so we can go watch the news. February 11, 2011: Husni Mubarak is ousted and he resigned. I was in my room when my parents called me to watch with them. October 20, 2011; Gaddafi dies. I was sitting at home, with the parents, following the news.

All those dates are important, and all those dates have made history. However, there is one date that will forever haunt me. One date that I will remember for the rest of my life. One specific day, that no matter how long ago it was, I would always remember exactly how I felt, exactly who was there, exactly what went on, exactly what I was wearing; and exactly how my heart broke. That date is January 27, 2007. It is the day I had to leave Montreal and come back here to live, and call this place home. My heart shattered into a million pieces, I cried rivers and oceans, and felt so miserable throughout the whole flight back that even the people around me were feeling very sorry for me toward the end. That day is coming soon, in 2 day's time. I call it my black out day.

Monty peeps, Je me souviens...

I miss you!!!! Thank you for a wonderful 5 years, I literally would not have been able to make it through with out you. Now, 5 years on, I still can not make it without you; so thank you skype, BBM, Whatsapp, Gmail, and Gtalk for simplifying things and making it possible to still be in touch with my Monty peeps.

Dan the Downer

I guess, sometimes, more often than not, and without realizing it, we all resemble Dan the Downer in one way or another.

Cyanide and Happiness, a daily webcomic
Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Salt Art

Now that is what I call talent. Kudos to you, Bashir Sultani, you are awesome!

Check these out, although, I have to admit, the ending breaks one's heart:

The Joker:


Albert Einstein:

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

On the most romantic thing I've read in a while

You have to read the full post here

This is taken from it:
" ‘Cause what I mean is I want to touch you, not Poke you; I want to like you, not Like you; I want to love you, not Heart you. I want to live in a place void of scare quotes, of capitalized letters that inject semantics, a place void of tonal ambiguity. I want to live in a place where the space between your back exists, where it’s wire-less and not wireless, a place where I can like you in lowercase. Let me like you."
 This is really what life has become. How many relationships do you have that are mostly on line? I communicate with my sis, her kids, B and C on line as there are oceans, mountains and vast lands between us, not to mention the horrible 9 hour time difference. I live in cyber space. I sleep, eat and drink there. It is where I am most myself, and if I ever am in a relationship, I know I will be more comfortable communicating using 0s and 1s with him rather than talking face to face. As long as I have a vehicle to connect with (Phone or laptop) and a cup of coffee/tea next to me, I am happy and content. The world comes to me, rather than me going to it. It is so convenient, so simple, so EASY to lose yourself in cyberspace. All the roads may lead to Rome -in this case Rome is whatever spot I am sitting in-, but it only takes one to lead out of it and into the glorious world wide web.

We should all remember to sign out, log off ,shut down and go out to have some human experience. We, as humans, are losing that and we need to get it back.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Hehe

 From random e-mails:








Friday, January 13, 2012

On a Schizophrenic conversation

... taking place in my head right now:

1) Yes.
2) No.
1) Why?
2) Because...
1) Because what?
2) I dunno...
1) Me neither.
2) So...
1) So, we cool?
2) Yes, we cool.
1) Cool.

And just like that, the argument was resolved. Thank God it was only the two voices today...

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Thoughts: On Life

I have been getting some random, yet awesome, and very inspiring quotes and thoughts via e-mail, twitter, BBM, Whatsapp etc and have decided to start sharing them here. I apologize beforehand as I can not attribute every single one properly.

Some of them are funny, some make you stop and think, while some others state what we refuse to admit ourselves. Most of them we already know, but every once in a while, we need to be reminded of them.

Mother Theresa 


Sunday, January 8, 2012

Snickers... don't stop

I love, love LOVE these commercials for snickers.



Please find this

Today I had two philosophical conversations with two different people about human nature. With the first, I discussed how sad the world has become, how it has become easier to rely on friends rather than family; how blood is no longer a prerequisite for being loved unconditionally and cared for. Nowadays, it is the family you make for yourself, that what we refer to as friends, that loves and cares for you, no judgements. Relatives are the ones judging now, when they should be the first people to accept and embrace.

The second discussion was about how us, as humans, are constantly looking for, and are in need for closure. We can't just let things slide, no matter how hard we pretend otherwise. We say "I don't care" when in reality, we care way more than we care to admit. It only takes a few seconds to admit that we did someone wrong, or for them to admit that they hurt us, and yet, we rarely ever follow through. We all need and strive to be accepted, be heard and be noticed. We need to feel as though we matter, and part of that is closure. We need to know that the person who hurt us knows what they did, and that they are sorry for that.

We, as humans, are such a greedy bunch. We want it all, but are never thankful for what we have. We live in the past or the future, not in the present. We expect things to happen, but we rarely ever actively seek them. We are lazy and very conceited. We forget that for things to change, we need to change first. We need to make the first move, we need to decide, act and speak up. Only then will we see things change. Maybe not at first, but eventually, the change will be felt.

I will leave you with this video on youtube. It touched me with the simplicity of its message. Please listen to it and think about what it says.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Blog writing Blackberry

From here

Dec 2011 in pictures





Dancing fountain at the Dubai Mall


Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

Fastest roller coaster in the WORLD

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Cappuccino with gold flakes at the Emirates Palace

Gold to Go ATM machine

Cold Play, NYE 2011/12



Jaws at the Dubai Mall

Too tired to swim, so instead it stuck to the glass

Everything really is not that much to ask for...