Protest-Camping in London to raise awareness about Climate Change

Ah... civilized societies!

The first day of 'Climate Camp 2009' proved a drizzly one for the hundreds who pitched up to Blackheath to raise awareness about climate change.

They had gathered at six London locations before noon, waiting for a text message telling them where the campsite would be.

The ruse served not only to confuse the police but the protesters as well, as there was a two-hour delay in relaying the information.

But just after 2pm yesterday, the messages started coming in.....

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209152/Test-police-thousands-climate-change-activists-prepare-secret-protest.html

On that note, Friday 28th of August will be 100 days away from the Copenhagen meeting (COP15), where a treaty about Climate Change will be agreed on, so on the local scene, something is going to happen in Downtown Beirut at 9pm! Be there.

Topic Selection for Blog Action Day 2009 - Help us pick Climate Change

Hi Everyone,

Blog Action Day takes place every year on October 15th, where all blogs blog about the same topic all over the world. They're doing a survey in order to select the topic that all blogs will be talking about, so let us all vote for Climate Change and spread it as much as we can.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vgxlY3JzQGvGg_2fmM_2fr240g_3d_3d

Kind Regards,
Liliane

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Blog Action Day Team <mailout@blogactionday.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 4:08 AM
Subject: Big News: Change.org to lead Blog Action Day 2009

Hey BAD bloggers!

It's almost that time of year again, and this time I have some
exciting news to announce.

When we started Blog Action Day two years ago, we had no idea
how large it would become.  Now that it's grown beyond our
wildest expectations, we've decided that it's time Blog Action
Day had a more permanent home where it can continue to expand.

To that end, we've asked the social issue blog network
Change.org to take over the project and make Blog Action
Day bigger than ever.  I'm thrilled to say that they've
agreed, and their team has already started working on
preparing for this year's event on October 15th.

As a first step, the Change.org team wants to get your
thoughts on the selection of this year's topic.  To give
your feedback on the topics being considered or suggest
your own, click the link below to a short 5-question survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vgxlY3JzQGvGg_2fmM_2fr240g_3d_3d

If you have any questions, additional suggestions, or want to
get involved beyond blogging, email Robin Beck, Change.org's
Director of Organizing, at robin@change.org.

Thanks for all the support – we look forward to having you
all involved in this year's event, and you'll being hearing
more from the folks at Change.org over the coming weeks as
we all get ready for Blog Action Day 2009.

Finally, don't forget to add us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/blogactionday

Cheers,
Collis

BAD Coordinator 2007/2008

Geeks get it

With the risk of sounding geeky, one of my favorite moments at work is when something finally works after being stuck, and it being the only obstacle from finishing your task or project.

I am not sure if this is only IT related or it happens in all fields, but I can emphasize that in IT we do a lot of programming sometimes or designing architecture for solutions or whatever the task is, and it would be the first of its kind where you work, so there isn't really anything you can rely on besides what's on the net and some books. At one point, after spending hours and sometimes days between researching and performing some trials and errors, after you think this is not working, why am I even assigned with such a task, I can't do it, and then BAM it works. Beautiful feeling!

Of course, your ego is boosted again, and you feel like you're the best IT person in Lebanon and Google should hire you as soon as they open in Lebanon.

3ashra

3ashr sneen. Bta3rifeh shou sar bi hal 3ashr sneen. Sar ktir, aw2et b2oul ya raytik ba3dik mawjdoudeh, la t3isheh w tshoufeh shou 3am min shouf w n3ish, w aw2et b2oul mni7 yalli fallayteh w khloste min hal 7ayet wil 2araf yalli bit khallikeh t7issih bi wa2et mnil aw2et.

Ma ba3rif iza ba3dik mawjoudeh shi ma7al, bi hal dineh, bi hal 3alam, bil hal kon. Ana ma b2emin inno fi ghaymeh el kil bi 3isho fiya, 3laya bil a7ra. Gharib inno ba3dneh bitzakkar sawtik. W tari2et 7akyik. W nazertik.

Bis2al 7aleh la 7adit lyom, lei 7abbaytineh, w lei 7abbaytik. Sara7a, ana w bi iyem zighareh, ma kenet fattish 3ala fata el a7lem, kenet fattish 3an sadi2a! btitzakkareh Gibran shou al? w 7solet 3ala sadi2te, yalli la ekhir 7ayeteh ma ra7 ensiya.

Bi oulo el 3atra 3alli ra7. Mazbout. Ana bkhaf rou7. Bass inte ya inseneh, ya niswen (mitel ma kente t2ouleh), ma khefte trou7e. 7adan bi 3omr el sitta3sh, bya3rif inno ma3o saratan, w bi dal yebtessim?

Sinten min ba3da, ana kenet bi balad teneh, w bi layle ma fiya daw amar, seret ibke mitel el hable, kenet 3am fakkir fike, 7asset fike. w min ba3ed ma rje3et 3refet inno nshallayte w dtarrayte titirke el madrasseh. tballsheh bi awal khoutwe la tark el 7ayet.

Bfakkir ktir law ba3dik ma3na 3al hal ared, ana b2oul kente bit kouneh architect, w 7emle mastra w 3am bit 3ayte 3al mwazafin, la2anno ghalbato, bass hineh ma ra7 yiz3alo minnik, inte ma byinza3al minnik.

Inte ya inseneh, labbasoukeh fostan azra2 nhar yalli kente 3am bit filleh fi... bitzakkar el fostan, mitel taba3 snow-white.... w ya 7elwe, keno ra7o sha3ratik, w keno 7attinlik sha3er istina3e, bouclé, roux, w ana abla kenet eylitlik inno ktir ken lebi2lik. Alileh inte yalli kente el marida, w jiteh tallayte 3laye la2anno kenet 3am bedrous, w kheyfe es2out.

talfanet 3ayyadtik bi wa7ad Ab, mitel el majdoubeh, eltellik 3a2bel el miye. bass ma... tisata3sh ken el ra2em la ilik.

gharib nhar el dafen, gharib, deyman gharib, houwe bi koun absha3 nhar, w a7la nhar. absha3 la 2anno taraktina, w a7la la2anno kenit a2rab marra lal 7ayet min shoufik fiya.

w halla2 inte wein, w ni7na wein. el 7ayet sakhife. sakhife ktir. w 3alam mitlik hineh yalli bya3touwa imeh. alla yer7amik ya benet. akh... ila al lika2

We nag, while they have no choice

After reading this post by Human Province, on how maids or nannies are treated while tagging along the family they work for when going to a private beach and such, it triggered another thoughts in my brain that I do think about from time to time, but never thought of writing them down.

I always wondered about Maids in general, the 24/7 maids who live with the family, and I've heard horrid stories about locking the door on them, because they might escape, etc... I don't deny that it's a bummer if your maid escapes, but there is actually two reasons for that, either you're treating her badly, and in case you're not and she escapes, just stop at the word escape and think for a minute.

We say escape, when we are leaving someplace we are obliged to be in without the consent of those who have the power in that location, i.e. JAIL

Working from 8am to 6pm, makes me feel like a prisoner, or sometimes get bothered if my boss asked me in an indirect polite way about not having finished my job on time. But let's talk about the schedule, for example right now, I want to get out and go sit in the nature and contemplate an ant idiotically like I used to, without having anyone to ask me why, or to criticize what am doing, and so on and so forth. My obstacle? I don't have many days off anymore, yep, that's the only obstacle. And not because anyone makes me sit without having the freedom to leave. While I have a relatively decent salary, a car, a mobile phone, I travel once or twice a year, my health, friends, going out 5 or 6 times a week, and the whole package. And I nag! Yes, sometimes it's good to keep yourself on your toes in order to improve on all levels, but really technically in the end, it's called nagging.

On the other side, those poor people, who are not inferior to us, who some of us make them sit in the back seat while the front seat is empty, yet there is no child in the car in the back to be taken care of (like that is not a good reason still), while we lock the house's door on them when we go out, while we go out and have fun and go to our jobs to nourish our thoughts, our life, our life style, they sit at home, cleaning and cooking. All day, everyday, for the whole week, the whole month, and year.

I do know of few exceptions though, where these maids are treated as a part of the family, and the maids themselves refuse to leave.

p.s. I would hate myself if I even start telling the maid to get me water and coffee and pick up after me, unless am paralyzed of course. Should keep reminding myself, if I ever get a maid, not to become an asshole.

Socializing, remember those days on the balcony?

Whatever happened to having friends over, chit-chatting over beer and "loz", or talking, listening and dancing on the music, playing "Dirbakkeh", after having tabbouleh, fries and a "Labneh" plate, sitting on the balcony contemplating the neighbors, who found a parking spot, who came home early and who came late, and then inviting them over.

The forms of socializing is changing, dinner parties at home, or a small modest buffet, or a Lebanese "tawleh", are decreasing with time. When you want to see your friends now, you decide to meet at some restaurant, not that I mind, I love restaurants, but I honestly miss having people over, or being over at people's houses from time to time, you know, it's that sense of familiarity of feeling at ease. I keep thinking of inviting people over and preparing something, but I always stop myself on: "Okay, but what will I tell him the reason for this gathering is?"

Climate Change v/s Global Warming, What is Climate change?

In this post, I will be talking about what Climate Change (also referred to as Global Change) is, what Global Warming is, and the difference between them.

Global Warming

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. Global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the last century.

The greenhouse effect is the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation by gases in the atmosphere warm a planet's lower atmosphere and surface.

So in summary, with the greenhouse effect, the more the CO2, the more the absorption of the sun's radiation by the Earth, thus the increase of the global temperature. (See Photo)

Climate Change

Climate change is any long-term change in the statistics of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. Climate change may occur in a specific region, or across the whole Earth.

Lately, a change in the climate is occurring fast, and we can see those changes today. To name a few, increase in the sea water level (see previous post about the Maldives Islands to disappear, causing what we call Climate Refugees), increase in the spreading of diseases (e.g. the Dengue fever in Bangladesh), increase in the number of cyclones (e.g. in Oman), bleaching of coral reefs, glaciers melting, etc...

As now climate change will be affecting the whole Earth, it is also being referred to as Global Change.

Difference between Global Warming and Climate Change

Put in simple words, we can say that Climate change (the recent of course) is the consequence of Global warming. Global warming already happened, climate change is happening as we speak, and the target of these NGOs by December 2009 in Copenhagen is to introduce a treaty that will let the countries work on mitigating (decreasing) the effects of climate change on Earth as much as possible, by setting the goal of decreasing the gas emissions by 80% by 2050, to reach the 350 ppm (parts per million) CO2 in the atmosphere (it's around 378ppm now), to prevent from letting the temperature of the earth increase by 2 degrees Celsius (more details on this in future posts) which if they don't, it will have catastrophic and disastrous effects on Earth.

In future posts, I will be telling you about the effects of Climate Change on Lebanon directly, the difference between Mitigation (increase in gas emissions activities) and adaptation (in case the tipping point in climate change is reached, what will we do then), the science and the politics behind Climate Change and the most common words and expressions you will be hearing that are related to Climate change.

I ask you kindly my fellow bloggers/readers to:

We have this saying in Lebanese "Money attracts money". But today I want to talk about procrastination, truth is "Procrastination attracts procrastination". Surprisingly and amazingly, it is one of the 7 sins.

Ever noticed that the day you get lazy doesn't end, and you start feeling that you're even lazier than the minute before, and can't even bring yourself, to get up and shower and get going?

You say to yourself, I deserve this, I need to rest, just drool and watch TV all day, I have been working my ass off all week barely had any time to pee. Truth is, which days did you enjoy more?

Ever wondered how a 24 hours days is just perfect, sometimes we say it's too long, sometimes we say it's not enough. I personally think it's perfect. You run from work to whatever commitment you have afterward, be it learning a language, going to the gym, attending classes that might boost your career, volunteer work, visiting someone, doing freelance job or working a second a job. You barely get home and sleep. And it's perfect.

When I feel I have more time to do something, I end up having a lot of free time doing nothing and guess what, bored to death, depressed, sad, unproductive.

And finally, if you think you don't have enough time to know more about Climate Change, you're partially right. 40 years and the world we got to know the way it is may not be anymore. There are many campaigns in this world, and you think other people might handle this, but not this one and I hope that you (my smart readers, "intelligence attracts intelligence") might trust me when I ask your help to help me
spread the word about Climate Change. I know you're still reading the words and wondering, it's not that serious, is it? It doesn't sound serious. Yes because I haven't said anything about it, but I will in the next few months and until the Copenhagen December 2009 negotiations happen. And I kindly ask you to follow me, and to share and tell others, and if you are interested in volunteering, and knowing more and more about the "politics vs science" in this matter, I will be more than happy to re-route you to IndyACT and transmit what I have learned so far.

And I promise you if by 2050 we are all still alive with a normal climate similar to the year 1990, I will give you a gift then (I will be 68 and probably very rich).

p.s. I am not accusing anyone of procrastination, I just started the post like that and it turned to Climate Change, I think all my future posts will have the same fate, bare with me these next few months!

p.p.s I am sorry for not providing any picture in this post, boring ey!?

Time to change in climate change before it's too late

IndyACT and 350

I had the pleasure and the great opportunity to attend the Climate Change Media Workshop that was organized by IndyAct, an NGO based in Lebanon and who is playing a big part in this whole story. It took place on 5 and 6 August 2009, where we also met Bill McKibben, from 350 campaign which I will tell you all about in a future post.

Edited: I added the below movie so everyone can understand what 350ppm (parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere) means. Because the world needs to know.








Climate Change

As the next person, I had heard about climate change, but I thought its consequences were something to happen in the next century or the one after, but sadly it's much less, we're talking 40 years only. I can't tell you what I learned in this workshop in 1 post, however I will pass these information along the next weeks to you so you can share as well... Actually, please share, it's your life and my life at stake here.

Climate change is a direct threat to our lives and the lives of our children. It would be completely unfair to ruin this world for them while we have the chance for once to make history and actually do something good.

Copenhagen December 2009

In December 2009, we will all be hoping for the leading countries to sign on an agreement and not just any agreement that will abide them to decrease gas emissions. More on Copenhagen December 2009 in another post.

Small Islands to disappear from the face of the Earth

I will share with you this video of the President of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed, in which he talks about how the Maldives, as small Islands will disappear before 2050 due to the sea level rise that is caused by climate change. Think about it, a whole country will disappear? Where will the population go? Plus, a whole country will disappear under our own eyes!!!!

Watch this video here please.



As the President of the Maldives put it: "Please, don't be stupid"

Dalai Lama day

One of the things that I didn't like about myself was the
over-thinking, and I think I have successfully managed to decrease it,
I think, wait, let me think about it, ... (5 minutes pass) yep, I
think I'm good.

Anyway, there is another negative aspect of my personality that I need
to work on and it is "jumping into conclusions" a little too fast.
Many people do that, and I understand why. There is a thrill , an
adrenalin rush (sometimes) after a person jumps into a conclusion and
it turns out to be right. Maybe the trick here, is to play a game, but
make sure you don't let that conclusion close your mind from accepting
or considering any other possible conclusion or explanation for that
matter.

In theory, we are born neutral. Our surroundings and society lead us
to be more tolerant or more prejudiced, more accepting or more racist.
But that doesn't mean we cannot change this if we don't decide to. In
conclusion (was that fast?), most of the time you don't to convince a
person of a certain issue or way of thinking, or an idea, it's more
important to just convince him that it's not wrong to change his
principles, or beliefs, or way of thinking, and all it matters is to
be open. And then if you trust your idea enough, then the person in
front of you will get there on their own.

Dalai Lama signing off.

I'm gay

If you're Lebanese and you're gay, what do you do? (I will focus on
males in this post)

On a Sunday afternoon 5 years ago, my friends, a guy and a girl, and
myself got together in a coffee shop to catch up on each others' news.
We went to the same faculty, we were, a biologist, a physicist, and a
computer science geek (yours truly). We had graduated a year earlier.
After talking about here and there, new car, new job, new degree, old
friends, who are we seeing, who aren't we seeing, who traveled and who
stayed, my friend suddenly blurts out that's he's a bisexual. I hadn't
seen him go out with any girl all our college years, it wasn't a
complete surprise for us, my friend and I being the (sort of)
nonjudgmental persons, and the sort of people who don't want to appear
as judgmental and non-supportive and close-minded, we made it easy on
him, we loved him, he was our friend, that was his choice, so be it.
He told us he went out with guys and the whole story.
He said bisexual, but in reality he meant homosexual, he thought that
probably saying bisexual is easier to the ear, and I think he might be
right in general.

Back then being gay meant getting beat up, getting dissed, being
offended, and it sort of still like that now, but more tolerated in
certain cases.
Back then in our society, gays did not present themselves as gays,
they either went out with a girl or even got married and had children,
in order to hide who they really are (that still happens of course).
Back then I couldn't tell a gay guy from a straight guy, I think most
of us Lebanese didn't have this knowledge. Now? It's very different.

How unhappy were they? How unhappy are they still? Hiding the fact
that you like to be single till you're 35-36 is a hard fact to tell
your surrounding and makes you feel like you're carrying a lie that
weighs a ton, how about tell them you fancy the same sex as yours?

The most recent story, is an acquaintance of mine, who left to another
country to study, but am sure that wasn't his main reason. He's gay
abroad, and straight over here. Can you imagine the lie he lives in?
The truth he has to hide when he's back here.
The most recent time he came to Lebanon, he decided to come out to his
folks, I personally thought that was not the right choice, because I
worried for his well-being. He's the eldest and his dad will not look
at him as someone being normal who's only living a different life than
the conventional one. For him he's his eldest son, who will bare his
name, who will have children of his own that will bare their
grandfather's name, who will continue with the family chain of members
and a whole new generation. That is what his father will think. What
will his neighbors think? He was not man enough to raise his son to be
a man? Yes, unfortunately, people here think that being a gay man,
makes you less of a man. Oh how much of a wrong definition do we have
for the word "being a man", the Lebanese equivalent is "rijjel", with
an emphasis on the double J.

The father was also abroad, he works abroad to provide better for his
resident family. He came back for a week only, intersecting with his
son's visit as well. He was mad at his son and barely talking to him.
My friend asked his dad: "Are we going to talk about what is it that
is making you give me the silent treatment?"
The father replies: "I've heard stories about you going the wrong way
in --country's name--."
The son: "That's not a wrong way, that's my choice!"
His dad: "I think you should see a doctor, a psychiatrist or something
like that. He will help you."

I will stop here, I'm sure you know by now how the conversation went.
I understand it's no easy thing to admit such a fact, I wouldn't want
to be in my friend's shoes, I am even scared to tell my dad I don't
want to move to the US and that's nothing compared to his story.
And definitely it's no easy thing for the parents either. And I
honestly always prepare myself in case I ever have a child, and he/she
turns out to be gay, how will I take it? I accept my friends being
gay, but can I accept my children being gay? I'd hate to have double
standards. But I know how hard it is for someone to be someone he's
not, to have to hide his own true self to the people they love and
known all their life. It's a damn hard situation.

How can you choose your battles?

When you follow the rules for so long and then discover that no one
else did and they enjoyed their time more. When you know that some
rules are sort of unnecessary and useless, and you were following them
because they were the rules, you realize you missed out on a lot. And
you have to filter which rules to follow and which not to.

Growing up to be someone who doesn't want to do the conventional,
unless of course you're convinced of its validity, you now have this
great opportunity of unconventional events and actions to look forward
to. So you stop and wonder, yes I am "man" enough to go for all that,
but really, some battles, are they worth fighting for in Lebanon?

Maybe the reasons that stop you from plunging in these battles is your
worry for your parents.

F my life

Today, I texted my college boyfriend to tell him how terrible I felt about cheating. He replied saying he was so relieved because he had been cheating on me with a girl in his dorm. I was talking about my math exam. FML

And more awkward and funny stuff on F My Life website. Check it here.

My hair...

I miss this hair

Assisted suicide

You can find the article here. Apparently it's legal in Switzerland, and they're fighting to make it legal in the UK under certain conditions. However, it was rejected. Does a terminally ill person have the choice to decide whether they should die or not? Maybe we can call it freedom of choice, but the last sentence in the article really got into me.

They argued it runs the risk of vulnerable people being pushed into going to clinics like Dignitas against their will.

Dreams that may or may not come true

I had a dream last night, I saw on my salary bulletin that I received a Bonus.

I also had a dream that I bought a wine bottle, that had Kefraya
written on it, with the K sticking out of the bottle and the bottle is
actually "Yansoun" (tizanne tea).

I am pretty sure the second dream might come to reality but definitely
not the first :P

Music

I love music, the day I stop loving music is when I am dead, because
even when if I ever become deaf, I will still feel the beat: Hmb Hmb
Hmb

Wrist Hurts

My right hand's wrist has been hurting me since last night. I have a
feeling I will not be able to type with my right hand for a couple of
days. What caused it? 9 hours of programming per day, add to it the 2
to 4 hours internet-ting at home... that might have caused it! Welcome
to the new millennium.

Spelling competition

- Spell Expectation
- Can you put it in a sentence?
- "A lot of people had the expectation that you and him won't last.
They thought they are not right for each other, that he is just her
rebound guy."
- E-X-P-E-C-T-A-T-I-O-N. Expectation.
- Right.
Spell Difficult.
- Can you put it in a sentence please?
- Sure. "Even though she's very difficult, but he always found ways to
smooth her life away. To understand her and to help her understand
herself. He got it right."
- D-I-F-F-I-C-U-L-T. Difficult
- Right again.
Now spell Happiness.
- Happiness... hmmm... can you please put it in a sentence?
- Of course
"Happiness is not something you can attain because of someone else,
but something you reach on your own, however it is definitely
something you attain with someone else."
- H-A-P-P-I-N-E-S-S. Happiness
- Right. Ok now one more. Spell Boomerang.
- Boomewang?
- No! Boomerang.
- Okay, I know what Bommewang is.
B-O..
B-O-O-M-E-W-A-N-G. Boomewang.
- Wrong. Sorry.
- But why?
- You said W instead of R
- No, I said UW... I sweaw...
- Oh! Oooh! Hmmm I'am sorry it still counts as wrong.
- It's fine, not only did I lose my Boomewang in the bushes yesterday
I also lost the spelling quiz.
- Oh don't be sad, you still got each other...

Gal El Maleh canceling his shows in Beiteddine

Seriously? (A la Delirious way)

Check it here.

La Dame Blanche

Friday Night had El Día Español, so after being held up at work till 7:30pm, I finally made it to Downtown Beirut. Sat a little bit with the Spanish colleagues, then after some left, I thought I would shoot some photos in Downtown, now that I have a fancier machine (Camera).






Started out the weekend with a visit to Kefraya.


Unfortunately the tour was not available as they are doing some constructions. So after taking a walk among the vineyards, enjoying the scenery and then checking out the Château, we headed to the wine tasting bar.


I am no expert on Wine Tasting, nevertheless it is still an enriching experience. We started out with La Dame Blanche, which I personally really liked, it was smooth on the tongue and easy on the throat. Then the famous Blanc de Blancs came along, afterward La Rosée du Château, which didn't really leave an impression on me, followed by Myst de Château Kefraya, which also isn't something I would like to drink, probably because I am not a fan of Rosée, then Château Kefraya 2005, which had a taste of wood, and that was the main reason why I liked it, and finally Le Comte de M, probably the most prestigious, but I liked the previous red more.


As we were already in West Bekaa, we thought we should benefit from our time and drop by the Qaraoun Lake. Quite a view, although I sort of got bored from seeing lakes in Virginia.




Later on we continued to our next destination, West Bekaa Country Club. A nice place indeed, especially after feeling over-warm due to the hot weather, seeing the pool, you would just want to jump in, however, I couldn't because I had to attend to Loreena McKennit's concert afterward.


When we arrived to Byblos, the place was packed, it took us about 40 minutes to find a parking place. We got there a little bit late, at about 9:15pm, and it said on the ticket that it starts at 8:30pm, however the concert hadn't started yet, and I will tell you why! It is because President Michel Sleiman was attending the concert.


The next day, we headed back to Litani to meet with the rest of the colleagues. And there it was!

The long river



The wooden bungalows on the river side





And the most fun kayaking ever. With my new underwater camera case, I can now take photos while I am ... well underwater!


I have the normal lens, nevertheless I got my opportunity of taking some photos of dragon flies, which made me so happy.


Finally, after I arrived back home, I showered, all my colleagues went to sleep early, while I dressed up again, and went to Downtown Beirut and Gemmayze to check la Fête de la musique. You can continue reading my post about it here... Oh oh and I saw my favorite Lebanese Minister! Wrote about it here.

Good knowledge, Bad knowledge

Imagine you had your "cabeza" (head) scanned, and it turns out you still have a few empty memory slots. Now you have to carefully decide what to "know" next.

For example:
1- Avoid superficial girl who thinks talking about dresses and accessories is interesting
2- Avoid listening to people who explain "conclusions". Mucha información es inútil!
3- Turn the deaf ear (ignore) to the people who talk about politics in Lebanon
4- Listen to your mom for the first 2 minutes only, because afterward
she's just repeating things

What else do you think we should do?

Argh

I don't feel like working, I feel like listening to music, driving (or being with someone who will drive) somewhere in Lebanon, to Jbeil to Batroun, to the south, enjoying the scenery, eating something in some kiosk on the road, if anything and I can't leave this cage, at least I would want to be reading, like reading this blog sietske-in-beiroet for example, she rocks, she makes me see Lebanon from a whole different point of view, I've been in this blogosphere since summer 2006, I've seen her blog, but first time I really dig in deep.

Heh, the word blogosphere is underlined with red, they should add it to the dictionary.

Yesterday, we were talking about migraine and other head pains, and as I have occasional migraines (touch wood, haven't had one in more than a month), my colleague asked me if my head hurts if I laugh too hard, I told her, I don't recall the last time I laughed hard. Nfa2aset, why don't I?

Snow still?

Hmmmm, I think I should change that photo above.

Maybe I should put this, with the recent declaration of the swine flu as pandemic!

Montreal for the 2009 Dabke record in Guinness Book on June 20th 2009

Take part in making history! Come help Tollab - the Lebanese students' federation in Montreal - in one of the biggest record breaking events of 2009!
 
It is within the framework of the annual Lebanese festival in Montreal (held on June 19th, 20th and 21st 2009) that Tollab, in collaboration with MAESTRO travel, aims at setting up a new record for the longest dabke chain ever assembled; an accomplishment that will enter the famous Guinness book of records after being approved by its official representative.
 
The Federation's goal is to gather 3500 people at the Marcelin-Wilson Park on the 20th of June, and invite them to dance the Dabke for at least 5 minutes. This event will provide Montreal an international exposure that will highlight its multicultural face, hence uniting all Lebanese and Montrealers of all colors, religions, names or cultures.
 
The event will take place at 7:30 pm on June 20th 2009 at the Marcelin-Wilson Park, which is located on 11301 boul. de l`Acadie in Montreal, Quebec.

If you would like to participate, there's no registration beforehand, so you only need show up for the event.
For more information, you can visit the event's official facebook page here, or contact Tollab at communication@tollab.ca. 

In case I disappear

Pattern Recognition
Since I was a kid I searched for patterns everywhere, my thing was to recognize patterns, compare dates, colors, events happening before and now. I had the same pen holder (plumier?) since I was in 5eme (7th grade?) till I finished my undergraduate studies, and I even think I used it in my graduate studies as well. It was horrible, old, dirty. Had tip ex on it, some are souvenirs, other statistics formulas, because they were so f*ckin huge I could never remember them.

Something else I used to do (that would qualify me as superstitious) I had this T-Shirt (I had it since I was 15, I think my mom burned it now), it was big on me, black, someone got it from Crepaway and gave it to me, it had several pictures of artists and such. So I used to wear it on the first exam of every cycle, also during high school and university. I had a sweater for winter.

I will not mention the walking between lines, I think that qualifies me as having OCD.

The first time I went to the US I booked my ticket on 6/6/2006. And after the July war happened and the airport closed, I came back to Lebanon on September 5 (same day as the year before when I came back from Cyprus). This year, my flight got canceled so now I will be returning to Lebanon on June 7, same day as last year when I came back from France. Truth is, last time I arrived on September 6, and left the US on September 5. So it doesn't qualify as a pattern. And I had traveled before that only once. Unlike this time, I traveled 3 times, so let..... OMG I sound crazy don't I? K I'll stop this.

I used to be a lot like that, I think it decreased though during the past 2 years. I realized that it was all bullsh*t. But today it's happening again, I think I am scared. I just don't understand why traveling scares the sh*t out of me.

*takes a deep breath* It'll be fine.

Patriotism or something like it
I like returning to Lebanon. The only time I felt home and it was outside Lebanon, it was my first trip to Paris. It was after that trip that the break-up between my ex and I happened. Other than that, I miss it a lot. I miss my home, my car, my life and especially you.

Emotional Maturity
It's amazing how much a person grows within a short period of time. Even if for a long while the person felt like he's stuck, it's okay because in reality he is grasping everything but not digesting them, and one day, he digests them all and understands what really happened.

I don't like regretting anything, I think everything that happened should be a good lesson for a person. I don't regret ever being with my ex, I just regret for the both us the fact that it took us a long time to finally admit it's not working out.

Making the right choice
I recently learned that when your little kid does something wrong thinking that he did great, it's not exactly right to encourage your kid, because maybe he's just not good at it, however it's definitely wrong not to help your kid find out what he's really good at and then encourage him.

Every person has a strong point and a weak point and average points that can be worked on. If you have a weak point the best thing you can and should do is make it average. In my opinion take that strong point and make it amazing. This is when a person excels.

What happens to fortunate and unfortunate persons is strengthening average points while he already had a strong point, to finally have many strong points. When the person is ought to decide which point to take and develop and learn more about and specialize in etc.. He's lost. Because here he is now having to make a choice among so many points, he no longer knows what he likes the most and what makes him happy.

I know the feeling of being torn between what you want and what you think you should do. Fact is, as you're not being able to make the decision, you start building up obstacles to what you like whether them being sub-conscious (like letting yourself fail an exam) or conscious like giving many excuses, like oh the grapes are sour anyway, why even try to reach for those high grapes. Truth is, nothing holds you back but yourself (and natural disasters). So you start leaning towards what you don't like but think is adequate. This applies in choosing your major, choosing your career, choosing the man/woman of your life.

Settling
How many persons do you know have settled? How many persons do you know have done more than we expected them to, but not necessarily what makes them happy? How many persons do you know have succumbed to life and chose to suffer in silence because they would hate the look of anyone to them, the look of accusation, of disappointment or disgust. So they go around doing what pleases the people.

It's the people vs you
You end up living your life the way others want it, thinking if you try to do something that makes you happy, everyone will hate you.

Truth is, they know exactly why you did what you did, even if they don't dare thinking it or saying it out loud. As far as we know, we live this life once. Are we going to live it the way they think we should live it? Or at least we should live it being happy instead of trying to be happy.

Life Divorce Chance
Life is not getting easier. When a woman's choice was scarcely nothing, suddenly she would find herself getting out of a tent and marrying a man, how hard do you think it was for her? How much did her consciousness ever develop? I can't know, I won't judge but I will assume, if you don't see much, you don't hear much and you don't do much, you won't know much. So for her, it was probably not a great day, but definitely not an irrational event at all, unlike how it would seem to us now.

So life gets harder, implicated by divorce, because people now look outside and see they can make it on their own, they now have the chance to restart, not exactly from zero, but at least they won't say "what if"

I know how hard divorce can be on children, I understand why the current generation of parents get divorced because I know and especially in Lebanon, a large portion of people did not marry with their own consent 25 to 40 years ago.

But my question is, right now, our generation knows better, we have a million movies out there, a million book, thousands of authors and philosophers, Oprah, Dr. what's his name? Dr. Phil! The morning show of Future TV, people of your society, going to work and mingling... We are exposed to much more, and our circle of acquaintances I believe is much more than when we used to live in tents, or even caves! So all I plead for, don't ever think if you marry someone because you should and not because you love he won't feel it. If he's a good person, he deserves love back. If he's a nasty person, then why the hell are you with him/her?

Apple doesn't fall far from the tree
Try to make a good choice, not all children of divorcees end up well, it's a low percentage in my experience. And even if your parents don't get a divorce, it might have one lousy influence on you that you will never be able to get rid of, or understand or shake it off!

Love, what the hell is love?
Can you honestly tell me how many parents out there you look at and the flame of love is born in your heart? If anything, they kill it. I do not know of any old couple that ignites the hope of love in my heart. I admit I did not know what love really is. I think I know a bit more though.

It's premature for me to talk about love, I think when you really get what love is, and when you experience it, it can come in parallel with a sort of wisdom.
Many people love, but are not wise, thus you can always sense a big hole in their relationship with the other. That's why I insist on wisdom. The only thing I can say, it is not possible to love if you're not emotionally ready.

Lebanese Elections
I am hoping for 3 things:
1-to arrive safely
2-to arrive safely to Lebanon
3-and to arrive safely to find Lebanon in a good state, whoever wins.

Why am I still here?

Right now I am supposed to be boarding on a plane that will take me from London Heathrow to Lebanon, but where am I instead? I am still in the US. My first flight got canceled. And they couldn't book me on the next because it was over-booked, and they only found us tickets on June 6, so instead of arriving to Lebanon tonight, I will arrive on Sunday night. At least I am no longer willingly not voting. BIG BLEH

Disappearing in the Atlantic... damn!

I can never imagine what those people felt just before their plane crashed. The plane is not found yet, but it's out there in the Atlantic ocean with no transmission whatsoever, 99.9999% these people are now victims. What did they feel? Is it like dying in a tragic car accident or falling of a bicycle, or being hit by car? Maybe it is, when you're about to die, it doesn't matter how it's happening I guess.

But maybe when you're on a plane it's more of a shock, people can go into an unrealistic moment, not believing what's happening to them, and if they did, now that's rough, because count the time since the plane starts crashing and until it does, I believe it took a couple of minutes, and maybe it was the longest minutes in their lives. I am so sad for these people and for their relatives, dying in a plane scares me the most, because you're leaving a place, either happy you're leaving this place or happy you're going to another, you were just on vacation or going to do some business, and then bam... your plane gets hit by lightning.

I still get scared when I get on a plane, I got better with time, and tomorrow I will be on another 3 planes, 3 take-offs, 3 landings. See you in 2 days.

I think I snapped

I woke up today to so many weird dreams, like people making me go vote, and then finding out that you have to wear a weird uniform with shreshib on it, like a security officer uniform, everyone has to, and then having to walk for a long time until you reach the voting booth, and I had 2 lists, 1 list having 1 name, of a female candidate, Nadine something, and another list having 3 names, so I thought I might as well vote for the lonely candidate, she's 14 March, so apparently if I have a gun in my head obliging me to vote, even in my subconscious I would rather be ruled by 14 March than the opposition. But then I woke up thinking I don't want to vote, I don't want to vote, everyone shouldn't vote... I am having elections nightmare apparently.

Anyway, I woke up to see an email from a work colleague telling me that as Monday June 8th is supposed to be a day off, a holiday, an official one declared by Ziad Baroud some time ago, the company I work for figured that yes we should be off on that day but on our own expenses. And I barely have any days off left, and if they had made this decision since 3amna Baroud came up with his decision, I could've extended my stay in the US at least 4 more days, because I barely came here for 2 weeks. So I snapped and sent my project manager an email. We'll see what happens, I honestly don't give a flying shit anymore.

It would've been better if they did what they usually do and is ignoring days off that are decided along the year and us going to work normally.

About my list

So I was checking out my list that I wrote a year and a half ago, and I can proudly say I accomplished several of them, such as:
- Going to New York
- Going to Paris
- Learning Spanish

I did not do the following:
- Learn how to ride a Motorbike
- Drift a car (Tokyo drift style)
- Learn basic electricity and mechanics of cars
- Have body like Jessica Biel
- Study for a new degree

It's fine, because I am going to keep some and add some:
- Have a healthy and strong body
- Drift a car (Tokyo drift style)
- Go to Tibet
- Relearn Armenian
- Learn either German or Chinese
- Go to Cuba or Peru

1 day in Newyork

The first shop I went into in Newyork, its owner was Lebanese. I mean, ouf!

1 day in Newyork is definitely not enough, nonetheless satisfactory. In 1 day we got a parking ticket, the middle finger, and walked 5 miles!

My experience in NY taught me the following:
- Newyork smells like pipi
- Newyorkers drive like the Lebanese
- Newyorkers are as edgy as the Lebanese
- The Pizza in Newyork is delicious
- I will never get enough of eating M&Ms, and there are M&Ms with strawberry flavor
- Visiting Newyork with the family drives you crazy

Loreena McKennit in Byblos

I think this is going to be one of the best summers for me. I mean Coldplay, Madeleine Peyroux and Loreena McKennitt in 1 summer? What's next? Tori Amos? Norah Jones? Nightwish? Ozzy Osbourne? Dr. Nina Simone coming out of the grave and playing?

Click on the picture to check Byblos Festival website for more shows and dates and details!

Twins with different dads... Seriously?

Following Delirious' series of "Seriously" posts, a woman gave birth to twin boys who had different dads, technically it is feasible, but what are the chances?

If you're concerned, they're a happy family now.

Check the article here.

Mia Washington's ovary released two eggs in the same month, which were fertilized by the sperm of two different men that she had sex with within days of each other.

Coldplay... akh

I just got back from a Coldplay concert, mainly songs from their newest album Life in technicolor, and some old great songs, and while I was there I wished I had a lot of money so I can bring them to Lebanon so every fan in Lebanon can get to feel this much happiness and bliss as I did tonight. Music is indeed some grand and Chris Martin / Coldplay know how to give an amazing show! Viva la vida indeed!

We did a mexican wave but with cellphones! Now that's funny!

p.s. Chris Martin is hilarious, he made us laugh on several occasion, and he can improvise while singing :D iyyey

Madeleine Peyroux at Beiteddine

Woohoo, I got chills today when I heard about it on the radio, couldn't
believe my ears!

Check it out here www.beiteddine.org.

And they think they're the smart ones

I officially declare not being able to live without the internet. My
hell would be a computer with no internet. I mean if there was no
computer, it would be easier, but if there is, it's like, you have a
horse with no legs, or a Ferrari with no engine, or a hamburger with
no meat...

Notes to self:
1- Never ever take a stun-gun to a high-security building.. because
that will give security guys to start acting cute with you. But it's
fine, I love it much men are gullible, what I do is just act silly, a
bit naive and innocent, and they let me by without creating much
trouble. If it was a man in my place.. 7aram 3anjad.

2- Don't start thinking you got something way ahead, way way ahead...
Because you might fall right there on your face. Keep your legs on the
ground

FD stands for...

I can't believe I still get scared of traveling by plane. Scary.

Think positive:
1- I will see Coldplay live in 12 days
2- I will go see some big Aquarium
3- I might go to New Jersey and New York City
4- I will see Dad after 3 years
5- I might get to drive a truck
6- I will buy a lot and a lot of clothes
7- I might catch the swine flu.. oh wait this goes under thinking negative!
8- I might come back and see another change happen in my life... no am
not getting married.

One of my dreams is to direct and orient youth into finding out what
they really want to do in life, and the ironic thing is I still don't
know what I should have done with mine. I've told two persons what's
possible for them to do and they listened, and they're both abroad and
they say they're happy. That's not enough criteria.

I think it's PD again... (Paranoid day). I once started to log my type
of days, I go through PD, DD (depressing), SD (suicidal), AD (angry),
CD (crazy), GD (genius, looking everything up, reading 10 words per
second), ND (nagging.. maybe it should be NDs lol), HD (happy), TD
(talkative), BD (blogging)...

I think today is a combination of many Ds.. I know I will look at that
post again and say, how come people listen to me when I talk? Unless
they're listening to me on GD...

... I think am just scared.

Why why whyyy?

I can't focus on work. Everytime I feel there is a change near by in
my life, I start to lose my concentration abilities which are not that
good by the way (I am growing old)...

What to do what to do, with no concentration, I cannot write functions
and procedures and queries...

p.s. If we outsource, what will I work then? Eh?

I am myself dot bleh

I am myself dot me, was a huge campaign for the past month, hedonist, pacifist, nighthawk or something like that, and many other adjectifs, at first we thought it was simply a campaign for people not to copy each other and be copycats.

 

Then I thought it's a clothing shop, which is still okay to have such a campaign.

 

But it to be a mall, "Le Mall" (replacing old habtoor mall). Le Mall is a mall that has all the exact shops (Zara, Vero Moda, Stradivarious, Mango, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, etc...) that every other mall has, or kaslik souk or...? How does that define a person buying from these shops that exist all over Lebanon as becoming a "distinctive" and "distinguished" and "unique" person?

 

So I would like to consider this campaign as a BLEH campaign.

I woke up today thinking about this, so I might as well post about it. I remember watching a show about a person, who was a girl, and changed her gender to become a guy. The show is about helping this "new" guy look at the world as a man, and one of the things they took him to was a self-defense class. Anyway, the whole point I am trying to get to is the fact that if a person attacks you, the first thing you have to say and say out loud is NO. Because when you say that, you get to break the shock you might fall into.

And another thing I remember reading in an email, it was about men attacking women to try and rape them, in summary they said attackers are cowards, if the woman puts up a fight, kicks and hits, screams, he will give up soon and leave.

So here are two things for women out there if you ever felt in danger and when the attacker is close, say NO, and hit. And the best thing would be to learn a couple of self-defense moves. Scream

Time has changed indeed

Mobile Music is so much easier these days!

Google Morse

dit dit dit dat dit dit/dit dit/dat dit dat/dit

As a girl guide for 13 years, I enjoyed google giving hommage to Samuel Morse...

Right there on the curve

While driving back from work, right there on the curve of the road, I saw a guy very jumpy and moving rapidly in a car driving towards me, I thought they must be guys probably enthusiastic about something. And suddenly I made out what his movements were, I looked at the person sitting on his side, and found a woman trying to be as far away as she can from him, clinging to the door as much as she can, and her arm placed in front of her face... defensive position.

And then as my car got closer to theirs, there he was at it again, he held his arm up high too fast and hit the air beside him, because she was as far as she can be, and he wasn't able to focus on hitting her and driving on a hard left. I know he saw me looking, the dude with the glasses, ugly as a monkey butt.

I slowed down, I was shocked, I saw from the bits of her face that was hidden by her arm how scared she was, how much of an animal he is. I didn't know if there was anything I can do, but seconds later, they were gone. Out of my life. I was going back home to get ready for going out, and she... she was living one of her worst moments in life.

I always wonder, will I be able to make out if a man is abusive? How can you know if your friend, boyfriend, colleague.. is abusive?

Some stuff I have to say!

1- I haven't had a migraine since more than a month (knock on wood)

2- 2 nights ago, while driving back home around 11pm, I had light fm
on and they put that old song and I was like "NO WAY"... it was East
17's song "Thunder"! And I started singing, more like screaming! What?
I was like 13 when that song came out :)

3- Relationships! It is just so amazing listening to people tell me
about their significant other, how much they love that person, but how
much that person is making things so hard on them. It is so damn
difficult to get along with your ownself and make up your mind about
something, how about making life-decisions with another person? I look
at relationships with awe, and at how people interpret things, their
different point of views, their different ways of solving things, or
making things worse or...

4- I want to sky dive

5- I no longer want to envy other people, I want to thank God again
for all the fortunes I have. I know I nag a bit, but that's just me
thinking outloud trying to find a solution.

6- I dodged an accident last week, was gonna hit a car in front of me,
that had stopped because 3 cars bumped into each other.

Okay enough for today. I've been blogging mucho mucho lately! Khalas bi kaffe.

Respect

We have been raised and told since we were little kids to respect older persons, to respect teachers, to respect the elderly, to respect disabled persons.

Well what if that person is just a nasty person, a nasty old man. Should you respect them still? Wouldn't you be a hypocrite for pretending while inside all you hold for that person is disrespect?

I will never forget my Arabic literature teacher back in high school, who used to tell us not to ever disrespect another person, because when we do, we're actually disrespecting ourselves. And for me this rule was enough to abide by all my life even though it was extremely hard to apply non-theoretically.

However yesterday, he said: "people should earn respect, and if a person offends me or does something that I do not respect or approve, yes I remain civil with them but they lose my respect immediately, be it older or younger than me".

As I prepared myself to answer back, I opened my mouth but no words came out, I couldn't disagree or argue with him, I suddenly realized that he's right.

Perhaps it took me 28 years to realize the difference between respecting and being civil.

Staying slim is good for health and for the environment

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8004257.stm

Well if it's also a good thing for the environment, then I will take
my diet more seriously now.

Earth Day, April 22

Needless to explain what Earth Day is, but in a nutshell it started in 1970, this day is dedicated to remember what Earth is giving us, appreciate it, and think about what we should give back.

Read more here about how you can participate in a way or another, at work, at school, at home..

I miss writing in Arabic

I used to write in Arabic. Actually this is how it all started. When I first got into university, you know, rebel, politics, life, freedom, new things, Lebanese University and its problem, teenagers going on adults, majors in Lebanon...

I started writing and writing in Arabic. It's the best thing to write when you are driven by something. I used to read a lot of political books. The first was "7oub wa mawt fi Bayrout" it was for a foreign journalist who said was Bachir Gemayel's mistress.

I tried to write for a student newspaper, I gave my article to a friend so he can give it to them so they would publish it, the article was about the disorientation students receive before picking their major that will define their career, the choices they have, and the lack of opportunities, etc... It was a long article. Anyway the article never really got there, but once, I was checking a monthly edition and I found a small piece of text written by that friend that was about the same issue as my article's.

So anyway, let me show you a poem I wrote almost a decade ago. It's in Arabic.


And in order for me to go back to writing in Arabic, I need to read books written in Arabic again. I have become dumb in Arabic, it's a shame.

We're supposed to be off DUDE!

What sucks is everyone I know has the day off today, well, because
it's a holiday. It's Easter Monday Mr. Sanyoura! Yes I know, everyone
is back to considering it as an official holiday, but not where I
work.

So it's sunny outside, with a perfect temperature, most of my friends
are out lunching somewhere in Bekaa or the North... and my colleagues
and I are here working.

This Thucks!

Saw this billboard today

Cute eh? What do you think?

Fast & Furious in Geant's parking

After watching the movie Fast & Furious 4, we went back to the parking to leave. I personally accomplished one of my dreams and it's sitting in the supermarket chariot, and going for a ride :P but then we heard some "toshfit", some wheels sqweeking on the parking floor, and not by one car, but by many. Apparently the fellow Lebanese young men were very influenced by the movie... Points I would like to talk about are:

1- The movie was not that good
2- The Lebanese people, especially the young are very susceptible.
3- They had sucky cars for that deed anyway

Google 3a lebneneh

I'm sure most Lebanese residents have noticed that when they type google.com they get google.com.lb, nothing new there, but what amazed me and I only saw this today, is that the Google Loubnan, has options to browse the Lebanese google in 4 languages :)

Google.com.lb offered in: العربية Français հայերեն And English of course

People, how cool is that? (3rd language in case you couldn't read it, is in Armenian) It says "hayeren" I think... should be :P

Coldplay in Lebanon August 2009

I am guessing it's going to be between 9 and 16 August, coming from the US to Lebanon then to Europe. I wasn't so happy because I already bought tickets to see them in Virginia in May! I had changed my training date at work, my plane ticket, kharbatet kil shi to see them, and now they're coming to Lebanon :P It's fine, twice is better than once ey!

Wel3aneh bi Lebnen! Once again, let us all join in prayers that no war would happen this summer.

That's that's that's all folks!

Writing and blogging

Some people are very transparent. Well from those people we can select
the bloggers as transparent folks. But not necessarily. A person who
jokes and is never serious might turn out to be an extremenly deep
person, and a reflexive person to be just plain vain.

People blog for so various reasons. Some are technical blogs, and thus
sharing experience and found solutions. And some blog to report, and
others to vent, and others to nag, and others to document, and others
to get attention and others to express their points of view of things.
Why? In hope to find other bloggers who might agree.

Why don't they express their points of view in real? among real
people? Well, merely because we are not always surrounded by the
brightest people, or maybe simply because we do not want to show our
complete true self to... colleagues who might judge, therefore
impacting your image at work, or uni or wherever.

Why do I blog? Of course I don't mind getting attention, but it's
really not my sole nor main purpose. I blog because it is a truly
unique experience, I do write, secretly, and in other places. But
besides the political/social/Lebanon blog (for obvious reasons), I got
this. I blog random thoughts, silly thoughts, rarely ideas, mostly
naggings, sometimes incidents that happened to me. Why? well it's for
two main reasons:
1- People's comments and their way of viewing things
2- Documenting this part of my life

And finally, why do I write? Besides the evident reason that I express
myself in writing better than speech.. When I was 17, my late best
friend told me, to write. For some reason she believed in me. Yes, I'm
no great writer, I know this very well, I get like a nice metaphor
every 5 thousands words or so... but nothing will ever stand in the
way of me writing.

...

Would you die knowing a secret and not telling it to anyone before you.. die?

Hello Motto

I always heard people say they have a motto in life. I never knew what mine is, tried hard to think of one, but to no avail.

It's been quite some time, maybe a year or so, that I have decided to actually enjoy every moment that I can possibly enjoy. I didn't quite get the hang of it easily, it took time, but it was always an objective of mine. To finally realize that it has become my motto "3an jadara" (well earned)...

"You live once, so fuckin' enjoy it while you can"

Beirut #1 no surprise, I retract what I said before

I once expressed surprise that Beirut was considered #1 place to visit among another 44 of which many for me are amazing places in NYtimes (check here). So today, I would like to retract what I said and definitely cheer and support this vote, because last time I spoke about downtown Beirut, which even if some restaurants closed since Hariri's assassination, opposition sit-in, all the demonstrations taking place there etc, I totally forgot (silly me) that Beirut consists of other amazing regions as well, such as Hamra, Ashrafieh, Rawsheh, Gemmayze, etc...

Hamra is really an amazing place, I can't believe I didn't see this before this recent month. My blogging colleague compared Hamra to Newyork, and had almost the same impression I had about Hamra. When it comes to me, Hamra reminds me of Paris a lot. I loved Paris because it had everything, and crazily enough I had missed seeing that Hamra had everything as well, for 28 years. Pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops and most importantly hotels all inside buildings in which people live, and other buildings where people work, such as centers, banks. Moreover the roads, the streets, the architecture of having old buildings, open and crowded all the time. It's there.

What about Gemmayze? Pubs street par excellence. I will talk thoroughly about the other regions when I'm not too sleepy, and hopefully have pictures to show you.

So yes, I really think Beirut has it all. I am really hoping that the elections go by with no problems, because if they do, I think we will have the best summer in decades.

Edited: I would like to add a link to Hamra's map that I found on Hannibaal's blog. Enjoy.

I gotta fast car

This morning I woke up to a weird dream (like most of my dreams), I suddenly see in front of me La Bastille, but in the dream I couldn't remember the name, I convinced myself it was called Baymen, quelque chose comme ca! I look at my boyfriend while he was driving and told him with surprise that Paris is only a 6 hours drive from Lebanon, and continued that we should do this more often, we can go have dinner for two hours and come back to Lebanon, it's really worth it!

And as I was analyzing in my dream, if you go by land, you won't need a passport or a visa. I was very happy to know that. Then we went to La Seine, there was a ship, that was throwing fun rockets, but one of them did bump into the ceiling of a car. I thought that it's normal, it's their show, people accept it. And I woke up.

From Lilzi to Lilo

I was always Lilo... thus the blog's title changing :)

Kylie - Part VIII

*"You see, I don't mind doing that at all." He looked at her with smiling eyes knowing that she still doesn't understand what he means.

She moved away, walked to the rocks and picked a flat one, sat on it facing the sea and listening to the waves crashing on these rocks hoping that she might find with each wave a letter in a bottle telling her what she should do.*

A lot of times couples find themselves thrown in front of the possibility of a long distance relationship, many couples decide to split before they part. Weird choice of words sequence. Split before they part. Why would people split before they part? What about the other kind of couples, who decide to try and make it work realizing
that's it's extremely hard and needs a lot of work and effort to be put in it, and there is the last type of couples, who think it will be a piece of cake.

Long distance relationships sometimes work, and sometimes it doesn't, and it has nothing to do with what kind of couples they were, or whether they really loved each other or not, or how long they have been together before it all happened, or what each individual is looking for in this distance.

Consequences? It can be break-up, cheating, break-up with cheating, break-up without cheating, immediate marriage, loss of feelings towards each other, development of stronger feelings.

People are scared to realize something due to the long distance relationship, they're scare to realize that they can actually live without their other half, or scared to find out that they cannot live without their other half.

Technically speaking, yes they can. But we're not speaking technically here. We're just talking about a person realizing that life isn't just about careers, success, money and traveling, sometimes life is about being with the person you love. A person wouldn't want to admit that. Does this mean there is really no need to work hard on accomplishing things? On personal development?

This is where math comes in. Math or Informatics, your pick. Both are amazing because both have and are based on logic. Remember the Union? The mutually exclusive Union? In computer words we say OR and XOR!

See, if you're afraid of something, let's say changing your location even though it is for the better of your career, you're scared to make this change, because you're not sure if this is because you might lose the one person you have ever loved and that really made you happy, or because you're just afraid to make a change. If you are afraid to make a change, does this mean you have been delusional and not really in love? And tadaaaa, no, not necessarily, possible, but not essential. This is where the XOR gets thrown out of the window, and OR does its magic. You can be both.

*Dany followed her to the rocks but said nothing. She looked up and she looked down. Kept looking up and down for God knows how long. Then she blurted thinking that she had found a solution with slight confidence though, hoping that maybe if she simplifies things, it can get simple

-"I think we can make it work if you leave, I really do. I will travel and visit you a couple of times a year, you'll do the same. Maybe I will find work there, or possibly find a scholarship and do that thesis I've been rambling about for the past years... We can make it work!" Said Kylie with complete denial, hope, passion and
hopelessness.

Dany lifted his arm, placed his fingers on her lips and shushed her. Even though she had stopped talking, he didn't want her to even have the chance of adding anything to what she had just said. He approached to her, removed his hand and placed both hands on her back, placed his cheek on hers and squeezed like he hasn't seen her for ages.

"I love you! I want to be with you! I know people say that sometimes love is not enough. Probably it's not. We'll work it out. Take a break and come with me, let's take a walk." He asked her and got up.

But she didn't follow. She was crying...*

Gotta get back to work.

Future is history

I am taking a break for a month from worrying and over-thinking about my future.

No, apparently I'm no fool

The big Yanassib paper does cost 10000LL :D while I thought I was taken for a fool here.

Last words

Every story has more than one side to it. Everything has a different point of view. Common mistake people do is assume the negative of things and misinterpret certain inputs that are used later on as hypothesis upon which assumptions are built, assumptions that are not correct, and consequently reach wrong conclusions.

A person can't take this conclusion and have an attitude towards it. Why? Because as Einstein puts it: "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it".

Maybe I am self-centered or maybe it wasn't about me, but in case it was, every person who is or was close to me at a point in time should know how much friendship is sacred for me.

One final thing, no one makes someone become who they are... they just help. I thought I did my part too, helped?

Confessions of a shopaholic

The main reason why I want to see this movie, is because when the dudette's boss catches her red-handed at work and asks her if she opened google to search for something, she answers: "I googled"

Hah... I love her already. I also love google (hire me? I'm an excellent software engineer/technical expert/developer/...)