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.

On new song obsessions:

"La Shoo L Tighyeer" By Charbel Rouhana:



"Sitti" By the Chehade Brothers:



"Dibbik Dibbik" by the Chehade Brothers:

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:

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

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!

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.

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!

from here

and to top it off with a cherry:

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:

On nothing...

I found this on a blog, fell in love with it, and had to share:

January has issues with her mother, February is always talking about things he wants to do while March does them, April eats sweets and May pays for them, June is the oldest but not the wisest and July always has an opinion on everything. August never stops trying do the right thing, even if he doesn't always know what that is. September once saw something so sad, she never stopped crying. October holds the lift for anyone, vice-presidents and street-sweepers alike (for his memory, not for theirs) and November makes fun of him for this. December is tired but always hopeful. He has never once stopped believing.
Monday's obviously a bastard, quite literally as dad can't remember what or who he was doing. Tuesday's temperamental but ok as long as you stay on her good side. Wednesday doesn't say much and Thursday sometimes hums just to break the silence. They're in love. Friday's always wasted and she and Saturday hold each other tightly until their delirium fades.

But Sunday, Sunday knows she's the end. But she closes her eyes, and she pretends with all the strength in her tiny heart that really, she's the dawn.

From here.

On feeling special

I was skyping with Clau yesterday, asking her for any advice on writing a thesis when she offered to send me the one she wrote to use as a reference point. I welcomed the gesture as truth be told, I have never seen a thesis before.

Anyway, fast forward to just 15 minutes ago, true to her word, Clau sent me her thesis. I started to glance at it when I found her acknowledgement. I started to read it and, you know what? I am SO quoting it!!!!!!

"Berry (of course she used my real name), my friend who may be far away but has never been far from my heart who has always pushed and encouraged me to finish this research." 

 Is that not the sweetest thing ever? I was so caught off guard that I sat there and wept like a blubbering idiot for a few minutes.

Clau, I Heart you!!!!

Oh, and thanks, I feel SO special. You made my day.  =D

 

On friends

My friend Yoyo is in town for a conference and I went out for lunch with her a few days ago. At lunch, I told her about my newest shocking personal experience in the dating field. Her answer? Blame America, it is the root of all evil. If they hadn't invaded his country, he wouldn't have come here, he wouldn't have met you and you wouldn't have gone through it. Priceless, pure wisdom. Even my lack of a love life can be blamed on America, isn't that a nice thought?

Yesterday was probably one of the best nights out that I've had in a long while. I went out to dinner with Yoyo and Nan, my oldest friends, where they surprised me with a birthday cake- one month after my bday- because one was away, and I was sick and didn't get to enjoy it. How sweet is that?

After, I went over to Nan's place and we just chilled, drank wine, and talked till the morning. I love having these two around, everything just somehow seems simpler, effortless, easy and clear. From Dr. Hell's classes to America intervening in my life, everything somehow made sense this morning. Oh, and no, being hungover is not the reason for that because almost 19 hours later, they still make sense.

My new found obsession

I heard this band a few days ago and I am obsessed! I love her voice, and the music is so laid back... they are charming.

I share this goodness with you. I present to you... She and Him

I have the coolest sister EVER!

Yesterday, I finally got home after a long and stressful day. Needless to say, I was feeling very angry and depressed by the day's events. I walk into my room, and I found stuff my sister had sent to me laid out on my bed. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, opening up one bag/box after another and loving each and every item I uncovered.

Thank you sis, even from so far away you know how to cheer me up!

I love you!

xoxo

Wondering which book to read?

This website has an interactive guide NPR's list of top 100 sci-fi and fantasy books.

It is awesome. Of course, If you would go through the WHOLE chart, then who am I to spoil your fun?

Enjoy, my dears and darlings, for "winter is coming and fire consumes while ice preserves."
(Get it? I am a Song Of Ice and Fire Geek ;) )

Via The Geekologie

Whoosh

I love Cyanide and Happiness. They always put a smile on my face

From Here.

Time: Frozen

I just came back from a wonderful almost 2-month holiday in Canada. I had a wonderful time visiting my sister and spending time with my niece and my nephew. They have grown up so much since I last saw them in December. The saddest thing about not living in the same country or city as them is that you miss out on a lot of their growing up, and they do grow up fast. It is like their tiny little bodies are supercharged or something.

I also got to spend some time in my favorite city of all-time: Montreal. I spent good times with great company and I will not even complain about the heat wave that passed. Montreal's beauty more than makes up for anything and everything. What can I say, this is true love for me.

Being back here in my own house and my own room is weird. It is just too quiet, too bland. You suddenly and quickly slip back into lazy-mode and life loses that touch of happiness it possessed just a few days ago. Over here, it is a whole new different ball-game that I will not go into right now as I am jet-lagged and just tired. Plus, I've whined about it too many times before already. Now who wants me to just repeat myself- yet again?

All in all, it was great catching up with family and old friends. The best thing was how easy it was to just slip back effortlessly into the life one once led. Meeting people went back to being effortless, almost natural. Meeting up with friends was the best. It was like time stood still for those few months or years, waiting for you to just pick up and continue right where you stopped. There were no awkward silences to be filled, no major catching up to do. Again, it was so effortless. I miss how easy laughter came, good times were had and good company was found.

Anyway, I will spare you the late night walk down memory lane, and instead I shall leave you with some random pictures taken while there.

downtown Montreal

This is what happens when you take pictures after chugging Sangrias all day.

Trapeze show/tryouts during Montreal's Cirque Festival

Old Port

An interesting addition to any bathroom ;)

Another interesting addition. Art found randomly in the streets is probably the best thing about Montreal

The alley where I tried my hand at riding a bike for the first time in 15+ years. It was Epic!

Even at 3:am on a Saturday night, people were still using bicycles to commute

Random guy posing in the picture

Quick, find Bambi!

Too hot to move, even for a lioness

Umm... Excuse me but, you have two baboons on your car... thought you should know.

dirigin dirigin

This was visiting the ladies room and then decided to shake its booty on the wall. VERY interesting sight to behold...

"No comment?!"

This zebra was dying for its 15 min of fame

their tiny tails were going right and left, right and left. So cute!

So these pics are from Montreal, and some from a Safari trip we took in Hamilton. The kids were psyched, and I must admit, so was I :)

Thank you family and friends for a wonderful time and great memories. Love you all mucho mucho.

The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros: Amazing map!

This truly amazing and breathtaking map was made by a long-term Westeros.org member names Other-in-law. It has a picture of almost everyone, including The Wall, Ghost the Direwolf, Lord Tyrell and Tyrion Lannister at Casterly Rock, has Jamie Lanister as one of the kings guard at the bottom of the map, Meera hunting for frogs in the Neck, the hound on his horse, and many many more. I think the two characters right below the Seven are Prince Rheagar Targaryen and Lady Lyanna Stark, one representing Fire, the other ice respectively.

Check it out:

From here and here

For an amazingly large and easier to view map, click here. Thanks to Geekologie for posting it.

Game of Food

This blog is truly amazing. They took the food mentioned in my favorite book series - A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin- and transformed them into recipes that can be easily followed. I am currently travelling, but will be trying out some of them as soon as I am back home. It would just be awesome to read the books while having a snack that was mentioned in the book.

Yes, I am a Geek... and I love food... so?

=)

On March

This month has been a really busy one so far. My sis et family are here on a visit and we are all happy to have her and the little ones around again. The house is always buzzing with noise and activity only children can make. My father is so cute, he can not get enough of the kids and my 2 year old niece plays the "hurt and misunderstood" part so well she breaks his heart. She really manipulates him to get her way, and she is so good at it! Ahhh, KIDS!

On Thursday I went on a desert safari with some friends and it was fun. They had dune bashing, belly dancing, camel rides and even sand boarding! The sky was lovely and it was a full moon at night. LOVELY.

Today is Mothers day here so we celebrated it with flowers, cards and cake.Mom was super happy, which is always nice to see. Happy Mother's Day to all Mama's out there!

Camels

"shy" desert sun

moving shadows on Sand Dunes

Tishtiki tum tum

Dune Bashing

"Boke Me"

Nothing like some Yehya this late at night to bring a smile to one's face: