Simply Arab...

Guess who's back.. Back again?

2011-07-21T14:15:00.004+04:00

Almost two years, 37 drafts and so many things that have happened later... I think I'm back *blows dust off and rises back to life*.

PS. Thank you everyone who's sent me e-mails asking where I've been and urging me to blog again. It means the World..

And The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth

2009-10-27T21:12:00.010+04:00

I believe that geeks are the coolest type of people that exist on the face of Earth, I mean, come on people, let's face it; us geeks have redefined "cool". And yes, the geek shall inherit (rule) the Earth... One day, all the imbeciles who roam Mother Earth shall refer to us geeks as kings and queens... I, Velvet the Great, can assure you.

In fact, if it weren't for a particular Turkish geek classmate of mine, I wouldn't have been motivated enough to actually write this post, he was the one who gave me the proxys, usernames & passwords for the wifi at Animal Planet, and seeing I have some free time where I like to sit back, listen to music and observe the behaviors of the cavemen over here, I decided to blog and dedicate one of my posts to geekism.

Where do you stand on this one?

Elements of Fiction

2009-10-23T22:21:00.011+04:00

The students fancy editing some signs inside the colleges. It used to say (Please do not put your feet on the wall. Edit: Please put your feet on the wall)

I actually spotted this on the way to the College of Pharmacy while exploring campus, feel free to step.

So nearly a month has passed since I officially started attending university here in Jordan. So far, I can't seem to find anything too interesting, other than the various and endless types of intergluteal clefts (butt cracks) you can't avoid setting your eyes upon. Now you can take that literally, or look behind the words and taste my use of symbolism in portraying most students as butt cracks, it is applicable both ways, but I won't elaborate on either (it can get a little graphic), I'll simply leave that to you... However, I will explain it briefly in a post in the near future Inshallah.

I've made many observations, and come up with many terms to refer to my University; Animal Planet and Cavemen Central are the one's I'm using most nowadays. We've got standard types of people at University, they differ from college to another, the differences will easily catch your attention while moving on campus. But I won't be introducing ya'll to those types just yet, it'll also be in a future post, or else I'll run out of topics to rant about.. heck I've got a minimum of 2 posts/week to live up to.

So I've got quizzes coming up next week, I've already studied for my Introduction to Literature exam, can't you see how I implemented the elements of fiction in my post? Symbols and Flat Characters? *grins*.

So share with us, what terms have you used to refer to your University, University students or school?

I'm out for now!
Peace!

*edit: I hadn't noticed the obscene picture that was in the butt crack link, I was focused on the definition from Wikipedia.. I apologize, link removed.

Making up

2009-10-09T22:06:00.013+04:00

It's been another month. A full month, and I realize was "supposed" to update a day after my previous post but *inhales deep breath*.... I admit I've been a bad blogger who's forgotten all about my blog's one year anniversary and I would absolutely understand why my blog would dump me if it were a human being. I'm not one who finds excuses for everything (especially regarding this case seeing that I *cough* have no acceptable excuse).. But, I WILL make it up for my blog. *begins to run out of breath* I shall update twice a week. Yes you heard me -read that- two, tnein, dois, deux, bi? (that's as far as counting knowledge in different languages goes). *wheezy voice*

So *claps hands together*, since we've found common ground there.. where were we last time?

Ah yes, I was fuming over the fact that I was no longer taken for the self-proclaimed over-achieving nerd I am, and how my exercising, training, taming and continuous straining for the gooey thing that resides inside my head (aka brain) for a full year didn't stop my father paying 5 times more what an average or less than average art stream student would pay for an English Language and Literature seat. Or 5 times more what the girl sitting next to me who got 68 in Tawjihi but has a papa who "knows people" pays. It's really disappointing, injustice I mean. Money isn't the case here, I come from a quite capable family Al-Hamdulilah, it's the concept I'm talking about... I'm paying more than what a Medicine student on the normal program or a Pharmacy student on Parallel program pays because I'm a gulf graduate, and believe it or not, that's a form of taboo.

People still have the misconception that education in the gulf is as easy as it used to be. No wait, let me clear that up, UAE is an exception, especially for the past two years... KSA still gives marks bil kilo (in kilos) as we say. So my 96.4% Scientific stream sounds like a 76.4% when 5arrijet el emarat (Emirates graduate) is added after further questioning, or at least that's how you'll be treated (but when have I ever abided by rules? I still succeed to impress with fast, witty and smart comebacks and leave the individual I'm conversing with rather surprised that I can actually link two sentences together flawlessly.. yes friends, they think we're THAT dumb -_-). To make it a tad more clearer, had I stayed in Jordan, I would've gotten the same average or higher, but gotten a normal seat, without having to go through the stress of being lost and the disappointment of feeling mistreated and would be paying LESS than what the was6a dropout is paying. Again, injustice sucks. Ah well...

I pass by this gate everyday.. and I go through the struggle of getting my wallet out of my backpack in order to show them my ID, I mean COME ON, don't I LOOK like one?

So, it's the second week of University... I have formed a general opinion on the one I'm attending; The University of Jordan. But I'm going to give it two more weeks grace to leave a better impression before I start sharing my endless observations.

It showered on us last week while we were on our way to buy a book... the stuff you go through for education =p.

Oh, btw, my two posts per week thing starts next week.

Till then..
PEACE!

My Adventurous August

2009-09-09T13:51:00.020+04:00

Okay okay, I'm good at postponing things, people who don't follow my blog regularly (88.8% of you) wouldn't notice though since I realized just now that my posts don't carry date tags... Suckers! *blinks*. Do excuse that, I'm fasting; simultaneously keeping up with +2 topics can be quite a challenge at the moment.

August was really fun this year, whether it was the "Know Your Country Tours" my uncle would take us on, or the heart-stopping, make-your-temple-throb restaurant-bill dining, or getting sprayed with a stray McDonald ketchup packet while jogging thanks to random fumbling feet and late night sleepovers with my cousins that included all sorts of movies ranging from the best of the box office to poorly-directed, shitty-dialogued British indies.

Translated: Welcome here (Jordanian dialect)

Qasr Al Harraneh (there was a camera crew shooting those Visit Jordan videos, my uncle was capable of messing up their best shooting moments by peeping through the castle door while they were zooming in XD)

Al Harraneh Castle

Qasr Amra

It was what you may call a high-end bath back in the days

We also happened to attend Jadal's album release.. they're a Jordanian Arabic Rock Band, really worth listening to if you're willing to hear something new.. not your typical 7abibi/7ayati/ya 3eini ya leil/amoot/anta7ir music that everyone's singing nowadays. Let me add, I don't listen to Arabic music with an exception to this band.. so try them out.

Left to right: Rami (vocalist), Mahmoud (guitarist) & Laith (drummer) from Jadal.. More photos here.

It was all fun until my summer got cut and I suddenly had to leave to the UAE thanks to an issue I'll will lengthily blog about in the posts to come. Just to give you a heads up; I, Velvet The Great (ignore that again please, remember, I'm fasting) who studied my butt off during my senior year of high school (Tawjihi / Thanawieh 3amme) and got 96.4% Scientific stream (and gained a good few *cough* kilos) was no longer considered an over-achieving student. On the contrary, I was just like any other drop-out or failure of a student who didn't study worth a rat's ass... And I couldn't get The English Language and Literature (not MEDICINE) seat I was positive I'd get with my feet crossed up on a table... Like I said, I'll get to that issue in a future post.

Back to the UAE

So I left to study at the Super Uni (as my cousin calls it)..

Orientation at "The Super Uni"

Buuuuutttt....

I'm back in Jordan now.

To be continued...

Belated Petra Post

2009-08-31T00:06:00.008+04:00

"Last Thursday I experienced one of the most amazing adventures in my life entitled PETRA. I've been there before (3 years ago in 9th grade on my oh-so fun school feild trip -keywords: 9th Grade & School-) but this time, it was just out of this World. We (as in big bro, two cousins and me) gathered our gear the night before and started our road trip first thing in the morning. We barely noticed the 4 hours in the bus pass by (provide yourself with a brother annoyed by the smelly feet of the tourist sitting next to him and I assure you, time WILL pass by). "

Hit the brakes! *screech*... That was a month back, I've been too busy or rather not in the best position to post. So much has happened during this month. Before I get into my Adventurous August and its happenings, I'll share some snippets from our smelly-yet-incredibly-fun-infused trip =)

There she is.. The Treasury.

Yes, it looks weird, big bro is quite photogenic

Lunch & resting. This is where tours usually ends, but we decided to get our game together and keep going.

El Deir, the main reason we climed an hour and a half of stairs.. to see the shooting area of Transformers 2, I can assure you, we found no Matrix.. We did find a creepy Norweign couple who thought they could talk to donkeys though.

We found monkey boy too.

More pics:

It was an exhausting trip, yet I'd gladly go for it again. If you haven't visited Petra before, take my word for it; it is a MUST.

Will blog about my Adventurous August tomorrow Inshallah, this post is just too colorful to be part pooped by it.

Peace!

On self confidence...

2009-07-11T22:51:00.007+04:00

I was sitting on the beach chair in my (failed) attempt to tan after enjoying a good hour of swimming at the ladies gym when out of nowhere this girl (very big girl mind you) heads towards the chair next to mine. All I can remember was the nausea and the bile making it's way up my throat, gulping it back I tried to focus on the screen of my mobile phone and NOT PANIC. Don't take me as a judgemental person YET. The thing is, she was wearing this bikini (or at least I hoped she was) that was literally stuck in between the layers of neatly folded fat. With every step her body jiggled in a very disturbing stomach-aching way. I could only imagine the different types of microscopic creatures that were living in between the folds... yes that's how FAT she is.

Now, I'm not claiming to be a super model or anything, I'm an overweight person myself, but I do my best to avoid capturing even MORE unintended attention (IE: I NEVER wear a bikini while swimming, shorts and a tank top are just fine) but this girl was just challenging the whole world with her self confidence. Sure a girl should feel good about herself no matter what size she is but please not on the expense of other people's innocent eyes... I've been scarred for life.

Now that I've got that off my chest...

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is coming out VERY VERY soon. The release is on the 16th of July in the UAE, and on the 22nd here in Jordan, I am considering going back for a few days just to watch it IMAX... if only things were so simple. I haven't been this excited since Twilight's release... it's a shame I won't be doing anything special like we did for Twilight last December... I miss all my crazy UAE friends. But I'll be sure to carry a wand, paint a scar on my forehead and run around the mall on a broomstick. Yes I'm THAT self-confident, you see... I'm hurting no one yet expressing my passion for Harry Potter... THAT is okay, tight bikinis on fat people IS NOT (can't let it go)!

Peace!

I said that....

2009-07-01T18:26:00.004+04:00

I'd Be Back...

And here I am *throws papers on the desk and lifts feet*

We're back in business.

Farewells...

2009-04-21T18:53:00.005+04:00

Shouldn't there be a policy that punishes bloggers who stop posting all of a sudden? *clears throat, looks down and points at the nearest person*. If there was Internet Social Services, I would be charged with First Degree Neglectence and my blog would be taken away from me... I could beat myself up all day on how idle I've become over here.

Time has flown by... Only one more week and school ends, I've survived this year Al Hamdulilah, with the help of God, family, friends & the Internet. It's been a long journey, 14 years of studying suddenly end and a whole new stage starts; University. Looking back at all those years, I realize that I never missed out on anything, I've always been an honorary student (and no, that doesn't mean I'm a nerd), never stayed in one school for more than 3 years which means I've come across different people from many paths of life, made friends I won't ever forget no matter how many miles lie in between, gained enough knowledge to know what I'm talking about and speak it out loud, and most importantly I'd change absolutely NOTHING about all these years that've passed. I've had my ups and downs, I've made my mistakes, but I've learned my lessons. I know more about people and how they think, interacting with different attitudes does that to you.

All of a sudden, it's over...

Yes, I still have two weeks of Finals to endure in mid-May, but I'll live through it Inshallah...

So this is just a temporary farewell post, until I'm done with finals that is. Once I'm done, I will nourish my blog regularly...

For now...
Peace out! Hala.

Discrimination?

2009-03-07T07:06:00.007+04:00

Wake up on the tunes of Clair De Lune by Debussy.
Hits Snooze.
Alarm goes off again.
Sighs.
Gets out of bed.
Wash up.
Pray Al Fajer. Check.
Put on ugly navy skirt and striped blue and white blouse. HUH?

So my school decided that Saturday is no longer a weekend for student's with averages above 90%. Why? Because we are sheep. Not any kind of sheep though, sheep that contribute in a very high yearly income to the cheapskate private school we attend, not only do we do that, we also provide quite a sharp reputation by getting the highest marks in the Emirate. Only difference is, they don't get to slaughter us (at least not the traditional way, they have more creative methods you see).

Baaaaaa'aaaaa...

Yes so back to the discrimination part... Students +90% averages have to show up on Saturdays for extra sessions. So do students under 75% (the ones who need things to be explained to them more than twice at school). And the students in between? Screw them is an expression. So they're putting us into boxes.. labeling us. High Income, stupid dumbs & screw them.

I'll see what achievements we'll make today and decide whether coming next week is worth it or not (I seriously doubt it). Until then...

Put iPod in school bag. Check.
Throw in school books. Check.
Have breakfast. Check.
Wake dad up. Check.
Park the car in front of the house (and argues internally whether taking it around for a drive is worth getting yelled at. No). Check.

Peace out!

Baaaaaaaaaaaaa..

Quotes

2009-02-26T15:51:00.007+04:00

- I believe we're all in deep sticky brown shit. [me]

- Shit is shit. It's an unchangeable fact I'm afraid. [HB-ti]

- Very true, and it comes in many shapes and sizes... (texture too, mind you). [me]

- Brown and soggy, they all are though. [HB-ti]

- I've seen cases of a bad shade of yellow. [me].

My friend and I were text messaging while studying and we came to a conclusion that the previous graphic description portrays life and its hardships... We're usually positive people.. but you see, the general atmosphere of being a senior gradually gets to you (along with developing a bad temper as a result of dieting).

What's YOUR perception of life at this very moment?

Peace!

*Note: I advise everyone to NEVER Google the word poop while eating something.

Comedy Cafe..

2009-02-15T21:43:00.012+04:00

It's been forever since I blogged, it's like I can't find the right words to express my mind. I've somehow gone mute, mentally.

So I spent my evening last night laughing my butt off in Comedy Cafe located in Jumeirah Beach Residence.. I'd been planning to go ever since I heard that Aron Kader from The Axis of Evil was coming. Yes I can repeatedly watch the DVD over & over again and find it amusing each time.

The trip from Sharjah to JBR was quite amusing & time consuming as always.. I had my kit ready (the printed google maps, photos of landmarks and the GPS on my mobile), we got there alright.. walked the last kilometer because dad was running late on his lecture. I've never been to that part of Dubai, El Wakalat Street in El Sweifieh back home is a rip off compared to The Walk over here. Anyways, we bought the tickets we'd booked earlier *looks at watch*, it's still 6 and the show starts at 9, so we checked out some shops, bought a couple of paintings from Gallery 1, eventually got bored and decided to go back to the Cafe and get some good seats. Sat in the front row *wiggles eyebrows*.. Shotgun.

The show was pure awesome. Really, I laughed to a point where my stomach ached. Aron was hilarious. He portrays your typical Arab, jumping from politics to daily life smoothly and brilliantly interacting with the audience.

He was nice enough to take pictures with us too... Totally enjoyed my time. I can't wait till summer, he told my brother & me that he'd be coming to Amman Inshallah.

I only captured one video, was shaking with laughter too hard.

I'm off for now.
Peace!

Idle

2009-01-30T17:21:00.009+04:00

Salamz,

I know I've been idle for a while now... It's the holiday I tell you, probably been one of the least productive ones I've had, that is unless you consider developing a new obsession an achievement.

The New Obsession

I'm not going to rant away about it, it'll just be a waste of space and a bunch of OMG's & incoherent vocabulary put together.

- Gaza is recovering (somehow).

- Obama is being, erm pretty active. His first interview as President was with Al Arabiya (and we ALL know how reliable Al Arabiya is *clears throat*). It was quite a move really..

- Erdogan is 3a rasi. I salute him.. Bravo! I like what he did in Davos and I think he can set a good example for the rest us who want to speak their minds.

- Guys who pluck their eyebrows out can go swallow knives! Yes, that came up randomly mostly because there are things you can't shove down my throat.

- We're back to school after tomorrow... Don't get me started on that, this is going to be one long semester.

I have nothing to write about really, the good stuff happens when I get back to my life.

Peace!

Day 2 + 3 of the Campaign

2009-01-16T20:41:00.014+04:00

Salamz guys,

I wasn't in the mood to post about the second day last night mostly because it wasn't exactly my day. We got our result yesterday, yes THE RESULTS of all results. It was quite a shock when I heard about my average, the marks had dropped noticeably all around the Emirates; well YEAH, they will when you make weird assumptions that the students can somehow improvise despite the the observations I previously talked about. Anyways I'm pretty satisfied now after all the support I got and the way people put it for me, Al Hamdulilah.

Yesterday (the second day of the campaign) was HECTIC! We packed 25,000 hygiene kits! Just shout for something you need and you'll see it hurling your way in NO TIME! Everyone WANTS to help, and the spirit they have cannot be described & yet again people of all nationalities & religions showed up! I met truly inspirational people & a couple of bloggers too.

Yesterday was NOTHING compared with today, 3200 people attended so the place was packed! We got so much work done! To be quite honest, I'm totally spent and I just feel like throwing myself on the nearest surface, I'll leave you with some photos & videos.

After we were done, we tidied up

At work

After the storm

Oh oh, and SHOUT OUTS to the ladies & gents in the group I was leading! Table 20, you guys were amazing! Very cooperative and responsive! I want to see you guys tomorrow Inshallah!

I'm off for now!

Peace!

Dubai Cares Campaign - Day 1

2009-01-15T07:45:00.016+04:00

Salamz everyone!

Yesterday was the first day of the Dubai Cares Campaign, volunteers were called in to assemble School & Hygiene Kits & it was NOTHING like I expected.

It was quite an adventure for us (my dad & mom dropped me off), we left Sharjah at 3:30 p.m. and I got to DIFC at nearly 5:10, why? Mostly because I've NEVER seen so many DETOURS in one place IN MY LIFE! Example: The detour roads have two lanes and if you're not familiar with all the last-second lane choice you'll end up totaled with a metal bar. So I say "dad go left", mom says "go right", and the GPS says: You are not on a road =_='... Go figure.

No worries, once I got there my jaw pretty much dropped out of place after seeing the building, you feel so tiny standing next to those Skyscrapers! Everything is just so.. huge!

And the people inside, straight out of a movie, you know... The rich Armani-wearing business man who eventually ends up committing suicide? They were scattered all over the place! Me and my sister would get weird glares but I'd just beam back in return, it actually felt good giving the place a little color, everyone was so neutral & sour-faced.

Took 15 minutes to find the Emperor Hall, we got lost in "The Gates", found another lost volunteer and continued searching.. we got there thanks to a security guy (aren't they always lifesavers?).

Hundreds of people showed up, there were HEAPS of bags to fill and stack & the best part was that everyone was cooperative, men, women, teenagers, children, Arabs, non-Arabs, all sorts of colors gathered for ONE noble reason... For Gaza.

Each bead of sweat that rose on every forehead was worth a LOT, for a moment or two when we could have a minute off before another load came I would look around and suddenly feel a lump swell in my throat, I couldn't tell whether I was overwhelmed with the fact that there were so many people who wanted to help, or because I felt that still, this was the very least we could do...

They called it a wrap at around 7:00, more work got done than expected. There's still more work to do today & Friday, so try to make it if you didn't have the chance yesterday.

The weather was amazing at night, reminds with being back home in Amman, only difference is the scenery; crop out the skyscrapers, Corvettes and Lamborghinis and there you have it!

I'll be there today Inshallah too, my big brother wants to tag along, the more, the better. Try to bring your friends & family :)

Peace!

Help needed, lend a hand.

2009-01-12T19:26:00.005+04:00

Salamz guys...

Today I had my last Final exam, chemistry -thank God- it went well. So, HELLO HOLIDAY!

I wanted post about the past couple of weeks and exams and all but right now there's a more important issue:

We've all been helping out with the current situation in Gaza by donating money, food & medicine... now you can help out by lending a hand:

Dubai Cares needs volunteers to help package 50,000 school kits & 50,000 hygiene kits for the Children of Gaza.

Date: Wednesday, January 14 through January 20, 2009
Venue: DIFC – Emperor Hall
Weekdays: 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday January 16, 2009: 2:00 -6:00 p.m.
Saturday January 17, 2009: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

More info here.

I'm going to be there Inshallah everyday (if dad agrees to take me to Dubai everyday). And I'm sure I'll be there on the first day Inshallah. Any bloggers attending? Leave a comment if you are, we're bound to see each other.. POWER OF THE PEOPLE :D

Spread the word people, blog it, invite people to the Facebook event, tell your family & friends!

Peace,
Hala!

And the show goes on

2009-01-09T10:34:00.014+04:00

I woke this morning on the sound of my 8 year old brother crying... over chocolate. I was having the same dream that's been playing on while I've been asleep for a couple of days now.. It starts with me & some people I don't recognize sitting in a small room when suddenly we hear a low groaning sound and we fall through the floor... I wake up after that.

Reality came shouting at me when I compared the reason my brother was crying & the tears that were falling on a child's cheeks in Gaza, I felt really angry with myself, angry with the human race.. JUST PURE ANGER!

The situation over there really makes me want to change so many things about myself, including the things I waste my time over.. Maybe less time on distractions & more time regarding my religious faith. I want to face reality more & more every minute, I want to DO something, I want to make a change, in myself first, then the people around me, and then the World, I want to scream out loud... make myself heard more than ever, I want to defend innocent people and help the ones with open wounds.. I want peace.. I want the truth to show... I want change.. and I know that none of that will happen without FAITH!

______________________________________________________________

- Deaths have gone up to 776 Martyrs and 3150 injured Gazans. And still, the Western Media is twisting the facts...

- Hosni Mubarak... *censored*. OPEN RAFAH!!!! OPEN RAFAH YOU TRAITOR!!!! OPEN IT! No one's asking him to fight with the Gazans against Israel!!! Just open Rafah let the Muslims and people who are willing to help enter, let the donations enter, let the Medical crew ENTER! JUST OPEN RAFAH!! *****censored***** 5asa MBARAK!

- John Ging, UNRWA Director of Operations in Gaza emphasized on the fact that there were NO MILITANT ACTIVITIES in the schools (which had been turned into shelters) that were shelled kiling dozens of innocent refugees.

______________________________________________________________

- The Red Cross says that Israeli troops are preventing it from reaching the injured & their paramedics are being tageted and killed.
Avital Leibovich replies that "they would be more than happy to have the complaint and check it".
*snorts* EFFING LIARS!!!!! What she said will be taken by the Western Media and somehow it'l be twisted to show the Israeils as the peacemakers, the good guys, the ones who care about Gaza's interests.

______________________________________________________________

- Israel claims that Hamas is using Gazans as "Human Sheilds". DAMN YOU ISREAL! DAMN YOU! If your claim is so effing right WHY DON'T YOU STOP KILLING THE YOUNG CHILDREN!!!!????
This father says that his son was killed by SNIPERS!!!! They're targetting LITTLE KIDS!

I say: THE PEOPLE ELECTED HAMAS, the PEOPLE aren't complaining about Hamas, they are complaining about the murderers, the "new NAZIS", THE ZIONISTS! Not ONE Gazan is against what Hamas is doing, they don't want their loved ones to die in vain! I would want revenge, I WANT revenge!

______________________________________________________________

- Children are being left without food, water & in ruble sitting next to their dead parents' bodies for more than 4 days & ISRAELI troops know that, but won't let humanitarian aid reach them.
In this video a medic says that they entered homes where they found decomposed bodies along with injured people. They found around 20 bodies in one of the houses they entered, 7 of them were women and 6 were bodies of children.

- The UNRWA has decided to suspend the distribution of food to over 750000 Palestinians who depend on it because of the death of one if its drivers by Israeli troops.

______________________________________________________________

- This is what I call the true Palestinians.. the ones who make me proud that there are still good Muslims, Muslims who sacriface their own children for the Country, for el watan... The woman who is mourning her son at 0:36 is crying "For the country my child, for the country, May Allah be with you".. her son was bombed in front her.. May he rest in Peace God willing.

______________________________________________________________

And this is what I call a real leader:

"Chavez ordered Israel's ambassador expelled from the country"... read here
YEAH! That way, you make a LOT o people just a little satisfied... Arab leaders.. thinking anytime soon? *clenchs jaw*.
______________________________________________________________

- United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahayan said his country will donate money to rebuild the three UNRWA schools that were destroyed in Israeli Air Force strikes in Gaza.. read more here.

Al Hamdulilah, they're helping.

How you can help too?

You can donate money to the following account numbers:

003520534675401- Dubai Islamic Bank
20000417 - Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

Or visit the Red Cross charities across the Emirates at:
Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society, Al Ain Cooperative Society, Bani Yas Cooperative Society, Al Falah Plaza, Al Safa Center in Al Ain, Dubai City Center, Sharjah City Center.

Also Aramex is organizing an emergency donation campaign to support Gaza, you can drop your donations off at the following locations:

Mall of Emirates, Deira City Center, Sharjah City Center, and Ajman City Center.

Long live Gazans, long live Muslims and long live the truth... Allahu Akbar! GOD IS GREAT!

Peace,
Hala.

How Blind?

2009-01-04T14:05:00.010+04:00

I'm exhausted, literally. Today is the 9th day of war on Gaza and I've been spending a lot of my time glued to Al Jazeera my eyes bulging out of their sockets each time a new attack occurs. The death toll has raised up to +483 HUMANS. This is a full scale massacre and Arab leaders are doing absolutely NOTHING! Don't tell me that sending a couple of tons of Medicine is considered help.. that's just bullshit! We are talking about 24 Arab countries.. TWENTY FOUR! 325 MILLION people.. let's just say 2 million are willing to defend Palestine, they're ready to die for their brothers! It's impossible that two bitches like Livni and Rice are controlling **** CENSORED****

24 -----! Well I say and quote from The Kite Runner "Urinate ......." men who are incapable of making a decision, men who fear standing in the face of the enemy and for ONCE in their lives fulfilling the oaths they've taken. There's a lot I'd rather write, but keep in mind, there's nothing called freedom of speech as long as you speak the truth.

Livni says "There's no humanitarian crisis in Gaza"... nope sure isn't, the +2500 injured hungry people are just joking around, you know screaming their lungs out just for the camera... yeah the little CHILDREN who aren't expecting to wake up once the fall asleep at night after crying every last tear out at their CIVILIAN dad whose brain got splattered all over the wall trying to get them bread to eat. Nope no humanitarian crisis at all.

What about the people who died at the mosque? I cried my eyes out last night after watching this child die on International TV choking on his own blood... he was praying people! Praying to God to make things better... I say Al Hamdulilah, he's a martyr Inshallah. What better death is there than one in the house of Allah?

What about his mom though?

Even education couldn't make it through. My friend from Gaza, Lina, shared some photos of her now-in-rubble University.

Imagine it being your University, or your mosque, or your brother, or your family & your country.. what would it feel like? Put yourself in their shoes for once... so just leave your PS3, or your favorite TV drama, and pray for them people.. just pray, it's the least you can do.

7asbi Allah Wa Ne3m Al Wakeel!

My heart bleeds with Gaza.

We ended 2008 with this

2009-01-01T10:42:00.005+04:00

Despite the fact that I decided not to post anything new on my blog until I'm done with my finals... I realized that we began the New Year this morning.

So much has happened during the past week.. and words are not enough to express the anger that resides inside me, so you can just take a look yourself:

BubbleShare: Share photos - Easy Photo Sharing

I don't know how blind the World can be, but it seems that it's rare to find people blessed with eyesight.

May God be with Gaza and its people.

Peace,
Hala.

Time Out

2008-12-19T07:42:00.006+04:00

I couldn't help the tears falling, I guess I've become too attached to my mom... She's going back home today to visit grans and every other person I love over there. I'm overwhelmed by so many emotions right now; sadness, fear, nervousness.. I can feel I lump in my throat, just hate it. I know she'll only be away for two weeks, but it seems more like a decade to me...

7abibti Mama, she takes care of everything before leaving, I was just in the kitchen to drink some water and I spotted a couple of papers she left behind with full instructions on what to eat everyday, she's made us a week of food supply with the warmth of her hands. Crap, I'm crying again... It's weird for me because I'm never this sensitive... it's not like I've never been away from mom... dunno, maybe it's just the heat of my Tawjihi exams that are coming up. She felt all guilty about leaving when she found out she wouldn't be there for my first Mid-Year, but I want her to be happy, she needs some time off; this year has been hectic.

Well, this is going to be a good chance to test my "emotions stamina" and it'll effect the choice I'll be making in a few months on where to study University... here (with dad and big bro), or back home (with mom and little siblings)... so far, based on my reactions, it's weighing towards #2.

Speaking of future decisions and all that stuff that's kept me daydreaming and stressed 76% of the time... I won't be posting until I'm done with my finals... make Dua'a and wish me luck please, and if you see me posting comments anywhere, or coming online on msn or facebook.. you have FULL permission to SCOLD ME!

Merry Christmas to all non-Muslim readers (yes that's you Missy) and Happy New Year in forward.. May the coming year bring joy, smiles and warmth of family of friends Inshallah.

Take Care everyone!
Over & Out.. to cry a bit more.
Hala.

The Aftermath....

2008-12-16T16:35:00.005+04:00

W.O.W...

The school was buzzing with the news today, nearly everyone was talking about how they joined a facebook group that supported Mr. Zaidi, or about signing an online petition to free him, I could even hear the first graders' roars of laughter in the background while listening to some music on my iPod on my way to school... I spent nearly half an hour debating with my math teacher about my point of view (I bet a lot of people were happy they didn't take a math lesson today) which ended up with both of us insisting on our opinions and him involving irrelevant mathematical terms. (I must admit that he was saying good stuff, but he seeks perfection that doesn't exist in our world).

Anyway, I guess I'm getting too obsessed with the whole thing.. Come on, don't tell me you've never vowed to "stick your foot up Bush's nostrils if you ever had a chance" while having a heated political conversation with your friends!

I was reading some articles about the incident when I came across this one...

Saddam Hussein's former lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi said he was forming a team to defend Zaidi and that around 200 lawyers, including Americans, had offered their services for free.

I guess a lot of people like him *wiggles eyebrows*. The general reaction is pretty positive in Mr. Zaidi's interest... not only Arabs, Westerners too. I'd bet loads of Americans would like to have a swing at him too!

An Iraqi lawyer said Zaidi risked a minimum of two years in prison if he is prosecuted for insulting a visiting head of state, but could face a 15-year term if he is charged with attempted murder.

*smirks*... didn't know you could murder someone with a shoe... O_o... I gotta try that one!

Over and OUT (to throw some shoes)

Hala.

Farewell with a size 10...

2008-12-15T16:13:00.005+04:00

You have NO idea how much respect this man! I find it the PERFECT way to express his farewell to none other than our beloved pig Bush... YES my friends, from now on... shoe industries will be flourishing since it makes a HELL load of people happier.

Let me say that shoes can sometimes be more effective than mass destructive weapons... WAY MORE EFFECTIVE!

"Let me talk about the guy throwing the shoe, it is one way to gain attention"
Sure is baby! If a size 10 shoe speeding your way doesn't gain YOUR attention, I don't know what WILL!

This dude just summed it all up for me...

I hope it made you smile!
Sa7tein of 3afieh...

How lame can you get?

2008-12-11T21:37:00.003+04:00

Lamer.. please?

No comment...

Eid Al Adha

2008-12-09T20:06:00.011+04:00

Eid Mubarak everyone!

Yeah well, this is my second Eid in the UAE, I've really stopped expecting anything fun. We have no relatives here which makes things a lot more boring (*coughs* and decreases the 3edieh income)... The weather was amazing yesterday morning; sunny with a fresh breeze!

Doesn't it make you want to sing?

Didn't I promise myself I wouldn't hang any Eid greetings on the door due to what happened last time? Yeah well, it was too gloomy.. and mom made me lol. But I shooed all the kids away, guess what they did? The climbed on a tree in front of our house and pulled it down.. poor tree! Imagine if I'd let monsters like THAT into my room!

Nothing too fancy..

I decided to take my little siblings out instead of sitting home all day.. well not really "out", here out = mall. Dad dropped us off at Sahara to watch Bolt and have lunch. I guess they enjoyed their time, a couple of my friends tagged along and brought their siblings too.

That's my lil bro Saif

They really enjoyed it, HA.. I'd like a dog like Bolt.. so cute!

The employees at Grand Sahara recognized me since I'd watched Twilight for the second time the day of Al Waqfeh with my brother. They were like... "Aren't you the Twilight girl? Don't tell us you're here to watch it for the third time?". "No, no, of course not" *has an internal argument with herself about whether I should or not :p*... I'll just wait for the DVD I guess.

Dad gave me my Eidieh, I guess I'm buying a guitar after my Mid-Years are over Inshallah and whatever is left (if anything is left) I'll use to get myself some books.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Eid Inshallah?

Peace!
7ala.

Twilight DAY!

2008-12-05T09:10:00.022+04:00

OMG!

Yesterday was probably one of the MOST exciting days I've had in my life! We're all going to remember it!

I was up at 6 am due to all the hyperness, tried wasting some time watching TV and sitting around but I eventually drifted away thinking about the book...

2 o'clock came, and with it came the RAIN! Yes! Good omens AGAIN! (That sort of rhymes doesn't it lol?)

Once I got there, I gave all the girls their t-shirts and we put them on.. people would stare at us and we got all sorts of comments... here are some:
"What team do you people play on?"...
"Toilet..? The toilet's over there!"....
"Vampires... WHERE?"....
"3aaaaaaaaaaaaaw... I'm a wolf"... =_='

And of course, the other undercover Twilighters:
"OMG! Look at their shirts, should we go ask them where they got them from?"...
"Haha, Team Edward always outnumber the dogs"...
"Ooooohhh... your shirts are sooo *sigh*"...

And of course, we got the double head turns... people noticed that we were multiplying somehow.... We payed for our booking and tensions were rising... you could actually smell the excitement in the air!

It was minutes before the movie.. everyone packed up in front of the gate and we started yelling WE WANT TWILIGHT! EVERYONE joined in! We cheered Go team Edward and Jacob... the people were amazingly cooperative! But of course there were the haters... psssht!

Once we got in, all the girls were hyperventilating! And then... the movie began and tears started to fall... the reactions more more suitable for The World Cup instead of a movie! ESPECIALLY when Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) walked in... riot broke out! It was AMAZING! The auditorium would erupt into roars and screams each 5 minutes! Ahaha I was surprised to see some guys at the movie and I was shocked they didn't run out screaming something like THEY'RE HIGH! Well, I must admit.. Edward Cullen is, and I quote our brand of heroin :p

My review about the movie: AMAZING!
You're probably thinking, well obviously... they're fans! We all know it's hard to please all the fans, especially the ones who expect that they're going to see everything that was mentioned in the book. You need to understand that it's HARD to make a book into a movie... to squeeze it all into 120 minutes! And if you haven't read the book, you'll just think that Edward's constipated all through the movie! The vampire's abilities are internal and it's difficult to show that in a movie! Read the books, then watch the movie again and you'll understand everything!

We were in after-shock when the movie finished... everyone was swooning! We took the picture for the Grand Cinemas Movie Guide and decided to kill the energy by going to the indoor Amusement Park.... We sure did kill the energy... some of the girls got dizzy, some got hungry... and we thought it was a wrap for the night!

All in all... it was an amazing girl's day out! And we can't wait till New Moon next year Inshallah (the sequel)!

When I got home I read the November Issue of the Movie guide a picked up... and GUESS what I found?

My letter to Grand Cinemas

But that's not what matters... this is:

I'm going to "receive must-have merch and other cool giveaways" HOW COOL IS THAT? I'm not bummed out anymore! (I'd asked one of the employees whether they could give me a poster once the movie was over instead of it getting covered by dirt in some warehouse and she'd said: "Sorry, we don't do that"..) WELL, HA! In your face!

And the souvenir:

Along with the shirts and all the pics (which I obviously won't post)

What a day...

OVER AND OUT!
*Note.. excuse my writing if it sounds weird... I'm still hyped about yesterday.

Good Day!

2008-12-03T13:05:00.010+04:00

Salamz peeps!!!

I AM SUPER HAPPY *jumps up and down*.

I was in Ajman an hour ago to get the shirts I ordered for our Twilight girl's day out tomorrow.. as always I was hyper due to the fact that it has to do with Twilight! I did my best to control myself from running around in circles and screaming OMG in the middle of the Mall... Mission accomplished, the shirts turned out to be PERFECT!

I'm on Team Edward of course!

On our way back....

IT RAINED!!!!!

YES, IT ACTUALLY RAINED! I couldn't believe my eyes! Okay, not the normal rain you see back home, sort of deformed but heck! It was raining cats and dogs, you should've seen the size of the rain drops, they were like baseballs!

Good omens :D

Listen to how hard it's raining:

I honestly can't wait till tomorrow! Good day....

Peace OUT!
7ala.

Feeling Good...

2008-12-01T20:19:00.011+04:00

Salamz...

I feel like it's been ages since I actually used the Internet... so I might as well post something new..

Right now I'm Feeling Good... because:

1. We have a fourteen - day holiday that starts from today until the 14th of December. Tomorrow is the UAE's 37th National Day... So may Allah bless this country and the people with a new fruitful year! They sort of merged the National Day Holiday with The Eid holiday so that's cool, but I guess I'll be spending the majority of it studying for my mid-years, wish me luck peeps.

2. I did really good (Al Hamdulilah) in my monthly exams, I'm quite satisfied with whatever marks I get bearing the fact that it's the Finals that REALLY make the difference, so if you've been kissing some butt all year, you've been wasting a HELL load of time, the Ministry declared that exams will be held and marked in Public schools instead of being marked by your teachers at your school, which is much fair for everyone!

3. I love the weather, it's awesome. Yes winter in the UAE is the best ever! It's like a Spring day back home.. And I just love it! I adore the breeze that ruffles my hair on my way to school every morning while listening to a Coldplay or Snow Patrol song, the sun blinding my eyes... makes me feel like I'm on another planet!

I had a good day at school after taking this picture

4. TWILIGHT's release is this THURSDAY in the UAE!! I've been counting down till the 4th of December for around a year now! My friends and I have been in contact with Grand Cinemas for over a month getting as much info as we can about the reservations and all that stuff. And you guys might see us in January's issue of "Grand Movie Guide"! :D I made a couple of designs for the shirts we ordered and I can't wait to see how they turned out when I pick them up tomorrow.
You might've noticed that I'm a Twilight-fanatic (aka TWILIGHTER), I never really posted a blog about Twilight knowing that I wouldn't be able to express my hyperness in simple words and I didn't want to scare you people away... so I'll just move on!

If you haven't read Twilight, I TOTALLY recommend that you do! Especially if you're a Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Narnia fan... you're missing out an a great book you know! I got around a dozen people addicted to it, and trust me when I say, you will too! (Props out to Mays who told me about it in the first place).
DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE BEFORE READING THE BOOKS, it'll be super cheesy and you won't read the book after seeing how lame the movie "might be". We all know we can't compare movies that are based on novels to the real artwork. Again, read the book first.

I guess I'll just stop with reason 4 since it's the one that's making me hyper 24/7... *hyperventilates*.

Over and OUT!
Hala.

Lab Rats...

2008-11-18T15:47:00.012+04:00

Yeah well... I honestly feel like one!

It's my senior year and I'm not enjoying ANYTHING about it! We get bad news every single day... The Ministry of Education here in the UAE has absolutely NO idea what they're doing. It's like they're sitting on their high chairs competing who can suggest the most stupid and absurd new decision!

It's almost the end of first term and our Mid-Years are getting near, but they still haven't decided whether our exam percentages will be out of 100 or 200... We as students have a right to know how our marks will be calculated! The only answers we get are Dunno, beats me, Lord knows, who knows? HELLO??!!!!! Ministry of Education... it's YOUR job to tell us!!!

Let's see... We have 3 oral exams for each of the eight subjects we take, 3 written exams, 4 lab exams, Final Mid-Years, homework, notebook inspection, behavior marks, and PROJECTS!!! Where the crap are we supposed to get all the time from??? Let's not forget the daily yelling, emotional put-downs, and marks-threatening. The Bootlicking attitude we have to fake kills me the most, cuz if you don't, your report card by the end of the year won't be looking that nice, will it?

The Projects ~ We honestly don't have time for projects! 80% - 90% of the students BUY their projects.. Yes, they buy them... each project costs around 300 DHS to 1000 DHS... depends... and you know where those projects end up? I bet you can guess... in the garbage! I'll post a picture of how all that money goes to waste sometime... 1000 DHS (about 300 dollars) can feed a family in Africa for a year MAN! So it's like the students BUY their marks. Look, I'm against the concept of buying your marks, but let's be frank, is there ANY other option the students have? I've only been in the UAE for around a year now (people please don't take it personally) but the education is horrible! The students were NEVER taught how to use their intellectual abilities, never taught how to use their creativity... nothing! And they expect them to make their own projects? For God's sake, the students here use a calculator to add 15 to 9!! Come on!

Again, I'm not blaming the students for being "unsmart", I'm blaming the people in charge. Put a kid in a jungle and another kid in a highly educated environment.. will jungle boy be capable of solving a complicated math question when he doesn't know the basics of math? Of course not! But bring the other child, he was raised and taught in the right environment therefore he was taught how to unlock his abilities and how to use his mind. Both children might be smart, the only difference is that the second child had a better chance of learning how to use the brain God gave him.

Don't expect the students to suddenly become smart and creative on their own during their senior year... they'll just pay for their marks. Simple, no?
I criticised... here's a suggestion, if you want to make a smart Emarati Youth, begin with a new generation since it won't work with the people mentioned above. Start with them from square one, step by step, it will work! Teach them, plant the right seeds, next thing you know they'll all be people who are helping our Ummah!

I wish I could sit with a Ministry official and tell him everything I think, I wish someone would hear us through, I'm trying to speak the student's minds.. Listen to us, stop testing things on us, if you aren't sure what you're doing and if you're not ready to do it... JUST DON'T DO IT!!! Fix the problem from its root, patching it up won't help...

There's so much to say, but I think this post is getting way too long, thanks for taking time to read it...

God Bless...
Hala.

Ah 3ammo?

2008-11-07T21:40:00.011+04:00

I was talking to one of my friends on MSN when the following occurred:
Things got quiet so...:
Halawa... says:
ah 3ammo?
My friend says:
shu 3ammo
My friend says:
huhh what are you doing ?!
My friend says:
7ala ??!
Halawa... says:
malek? (what's wrong?)
Halawa... says:
lolz
My friend says:
shu (what?)
My friend says:
hehehe
Halawa... says:
I said shu 3ammo
Halawa... says:
that's like ayyywaaaah
My friend says:
wlk for a while i thought it's your father and he's telling me ah 3ammo
My friend says:
7aseit enu yeeeeeeeeeey shu lazim a7kii w en3ajaget w enu ya 7bb w bkol seqa b2oloh shu 3ammo (I didn't know what to do and I got messed up, still with all that I answered yes 3ammo?)
Halawa... says:
loooooooooooooooool
Halawa... says:
I can't stop laughing
My friend says:
sert atala3 7awalai enu omg (I looked around me when I read what you typed, I was thinking OMG)
My friend says:
shu el wa7aad lazim y7kii b haik mawaqef (what should a person say in a situation like this?)
My friend says:
enu WOW i'm talking to her FATHER

So after laughing my guts out at her due to all the confusion, I thought I might as well write about it...

My friend didn't know who she was talking to during that moment becasue of the expression I used. I was bored, so I said soooo 3ammo? It's just an expression... she thought that my dad was talking to her. Keep in mind that it was MY open window, we're friends and classmates at school, so she pretty much knows who she's talking to.

So, how can you easily believe and trust people you meet online? I know that you can find amazing people on the internet, but still, you might think that you're talking to a girl and simply opening up to her when suddenly, she turns out to be a guy. Wow, what a shock, he knows more about you than anyone else in the world (afterall, she was your best online friend) and "she" is going to use everything "she" knows against you... lucky you..!

One mistake can mess up your life, I'm not saying that people online are bad, OF COURSE they aren't, I've met loads of brilliant people online! You just need to be careful when it comes to trusting people easily.

A message to my fellow sisters online... please, please, please... don't fall for guys online. I'm going to keep saying this, not all of them are bad (notice I'm generalizing negativity because that's what our society thinks), but sometimes you get too attached and things don't end up too bright...

Be careful peeps!

Peace out!
P.S. Thanks Aya...

At least they're trying..

2008-10-21T16:14:00.007+04:00

Alright then...
So I got one of those forward e-mails (which I usually ignore unless the person who sent it instant messaged me and asked me to open it) and I was really happy with what I found. This was taken in "The Mall of the Emirates".

Which translates:
Picture 1: Please wear decent clothing (which cover the shoulders and knees for example)
Picture 2: Please do not kiss or show romantic feelings in front of everyone and please do not drink alcoholic beverages).

If you've lived in the Emirates you'd understand why such "drastic measures" have been taken. When you go to the mall, you REALLY can't raise your head from the floor (and no it's not because of the astonishing cleanness of the floor -it really is clean-), it's because you'd hurt your eyes with the scenes you'd see.

A huge majority of foreigners live in Dubai (Europeans, Australians, Americans, South Africans, etc..) and they tend to think that they can force their lifestyle on other people who don't exactly except things that easily. I mean really, what's fun about showing people that you aren't wearing undergarments? I know they don't MEAN to do that, it's just how they wear their clothes... but you've gotta respect the country you're in, the culture, the customs and the PEOPLE. I'm glad that the officials are at last "trying" to do something.

I try to avoid going to malls as much as I can... but I can't stand not checking out the latest electronics and books! *Walks with head to the floor and bumps into everyone in the way*. So, if you live here, or if you ever visit the UAE.. remember, look sky high or down low for the safety of your eyes!

Over and out!
*Note: Thanks to my girl Tara for pushing this one forward.

You don't talk to "SCIENTISTS"!

2008-10-08T14:52:00.008+04:00

What is the best place to get a free full spit-shower, a headache and a guarantee to get pissed off?
MATH LESSON!!

Don't our teachers always tell us to "be creative", "brainstorm our minds" and "keep trying"? It really amazes me how they don't get sore throats since they're always assuring us that it's "no problem whatsoever" whether we answer right or not and "the attempt itself is good enough"?

A girl in my class came up with another way of solving a question he gave us, (or at least she thought she did before getting the spit shower) and I must admit she was sort of pissing him off by insisting that she was right. We were all quite taken aback with his reaction though... I was afraid his eyeballs were gonna pop out of his head, his brain was about this far *puts thumb and forefinger together* from exploding, and I swear if the room had been a little colder you would've seen the steam coming our of his ears and nostrils.

I'm afraid he's either bipolar or he terribly lacks self-confidence... either way, he just gave me the perfect reason to dislike math during my senior year...

Happy Eid...?

2008-09-30T14:45:00.001+04:00

Salamz!!

Kul 3am wa antum be kheir first and foremost!

It was officially announced that today would be the first day of Eid Al-Fitr *yay* (other than the "5elef tu3raf countries). This is my first Eid away from home after 8 years and 16 Eids I celebrated with family and friends (when I say family, I mean EXTENDED family, you gotta love the Arab buffness).

I couldn't bear the fact that only my parents and siblings would be celebrating Eid so I tried to attract little kids to our house by making Eid cards and sticking them on the door (that didn't work out too well, half the block is currently upstairs).

Tried to act happy and put on that Eid smiley face, but that didn't dawn on my face until dad gave me my "Eidieh" (after many negotiations that he was the reason we came to the Emirates + extra taxes) I got this:

Gotta love dad huh? *grins*

I started seeing things better after El 3eedieh like the Eid cake mom made and of course THE JORDANIAN traditional plain, sugarless coffee (which I don't drink):

By half past eleven I was bored to death and decided to go back to non-other than my favorite spot in the house *drum rolls*, my happy place...

Today wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Not bad, but lonely... Listened to this song 20 times today, it pretty much expresses how I feel right now. It's called "Home" by Michael Buble.

Peace!

Dissapointing..?

2008-09-20T21:13:00.002+04:00

Salam,

Friday night I had a rush of energy and decided to go watch Munshid Al Sharjah at the University City Hall which is about 5 minutes away from where I live. As usual, didn't get there on time due to reasons like asking my big bro to come with me. Having arrived late, we didn't find any posters for the Jordanian contestant we were supporting (Ahmed El Bayedh). Despite all the flashy bling-bling we see on TV, a stench of vomit lingered in the stands (clearly because of the huge number of children under the age of 10)....

Mashallah, the Munshideen had great voices, but NOTHING like the Jordanian Munshid *looks around to make sure no one watched Munshid El Sharjah:p*. No really, he had a really really nice voice, and only Talal, and a couple of other people in the front cheered him on. In the end, he was cut and I was REALLY upset because he deserved to stay a lot more than some of the other contestants :(.

Not only was I dissapointed, I was angry too because I had put up with all the smells and children kicking the back of my seat and staying up till 12:30 am which is totally not a habit for me and in the end for the guy I was supporting to be cut.... You do NOT wanna see my face LOL. Here's one of the pics I took, sorry, forgot my camera in the car, so I had to use a mobile phone, this was the only "clear" picture.

A few enlightening minutes...

2008-09-17T14:18:00.001+04:00

Salam,

Ramadan is a special month for Muslims all around the world. During this month we fast from Dawn until Sunset. It is a test of patience and somehow a way of feeling how less fortunate people feel.

So it's day 17 of Ramadan today and I really can't believe it, time just flew by like that *snaps fingers*. After helping mom out with the Iftar, and while the table was groaning from the weight of food over it, I was about to switch over to Sharjah TV so we could see the cannon go off when I saw a commercial for a show called "Khawater". I was interested to learn more about it. So at 7:15 UAE time, I put on MBC1...

Mashallah, a young man, but such powerful WORDS! I love listening to things we as teenagers, young men / women and the whole new generation can relate to. Unlike what most "Sheikhs or Religious guys" say, he MAKES you listen. I just love it. Turns out the show's been on for a couple of years now, shame I didn't learn about it earlier.

So here are some links for the first episodes, each one doesn't last more than 10 minutes which means you can certainly cut out 10 minutes out of your 1440 minutes you've got everyday, no?

Episode 1:
Part one
Part two

Episode 2:
Watch

You kind find all of them here

Or you can watch the show on MBC1 daily at 18:15 KSA, 15:15 GMT.

Oh and sorry to all my friends who don't understand Arabic... I'll try translating them during my Eid holiday Inshallah. Until then ya'll have to wait. If any of you guys wanna help out, leave a comment, we can divide the episodes between us. Thanks!

Hope ya'll like it!
Peace, Hala

AMAZING graphic designing

2008-09-13T20:29:00.002+04:00

It's crazy how you might be searching for something and totally forget about what it was you were searching for in the first place. I was looking for some raw base graphics for a logo I was "trying" to make for a new group I created on Facebook. I eventually got bored and went on deviant art (and no I'm not an artist but I'm inspired with graphic arts made by others) and found AMAZING typography! I felt my mouth drop after seeing the amount of detail on each picture... it's what I call REAL ART!!

Check it out: http://qa9ed2000.deviantart.com/

Here are a couple of my favorites:

It inspired me to start the blog I've always wanted. So here's my first post...Thought I'd share since I know most of my peeps LOVE stuff like this. ENJOY!

Peace, Hala.