I've seen this.

1) A guy joking with his fiance gives her a broken jaw !!!!
Because of his brilliant sense of humor, she'll live for 3 weeks with stabilized closed jaws.

2) A cleaner standing in the street holding his filthy broom and not moving from an area that is less than 1 square meter. He had piled up a lot of sand in a huge pile. When no-one is looking he would scatter some of the sand with his feet, just to start collecting them again.

3) I received a phone call. " I'm having a big problem with my new satellite receiver, there's not a single channel that works "
Me: " is it turned on ? "
someone: " I'll check........... "........................"Oh, now it works , hahaha "

Amazing Ad

Wow !!!!

How to clean your room

If you have a messy room or if your parents give you some hard time about your room.
This article will help you a lot.

Don't you just love the people at Wiki :)

Nice nasheed

When having a conscience is a sin

I'm just back from the clinic, or to be more precise ( the so-called clinic), I'm frustrated, astonished and upset about the way people think in this country.
This is a place located in one of the poorest areas of Cairo where I go just to waste my time & to some extent practice dentistry. I consider it charitable work, as money I receive are wasted on equipment and on the fuel used for the journey.

Today I met to strange incidents:
1) I'm performing a procedure to one of the patients, where the situation gets more complex and requires some advanced instrumentation that are unavailable at that place. I tell the patient with this fact only to have him angry and mad. He's demanding that for the very little he pays a fully equipped clinic, although he paid nothing !!!!!!!!!!!

2) A patient entering the clinic while I was on my way out. He has a certain problem and he is in severe pain. I informed him of the condition and the required treatment BUT I asked him to seek treatment else where.
Don't get me wrong, I told him that as I was out of any sterile instruments & he needed urgent care. So telling him to go away was for his own good.
The patient's response was the strangest ever: " I'll file a complain at the police station, how come you don't have sterile instruments. It's my first time to hear such a thing" he was in rage. I couldn't help but tell him " be my guest sir, I'll be honored by such complaint "


Luckily, this was my last day there. I'm not up ( or should I say down ) to their expectations.

Wise words

" جراحات السنان لها التئام ........ و لا يلتام ما جرح اللسان "

This is an old arabic verse that translates as follows :

" wounds caused by blades heal, while wounds caused by tongues never heal "

" الغنى في الإستغناء "

" Richness ( or we can say power ) is found in your ability of not needing "

Egyptian Gad3ana

This incident took place around a year ago, but it's engraved within my mind making it unforgettable. It represents to me that there's still some good people living in this country.

It was mid-summer, a group of friends and I were dining at a restaurant in Mohandeseen. One of my friends was in the process of applying for a Canadian university. He had almost all his paper work done except for one document he needs to send it by fax to the University.
This missing paper wasn't ready with him, till that outing day, which was ( unfortunately ) the deadline for submitting the applications. He got his paper from a place nearby the restaurant, then we started a search for a place to send the fax.

At first we thought it was an easy task, we are in Mohandeseen for God's sake. We started to walk in the streets searching for a call center or some other place that has an installed fax. It was as if we are searching for something that doesn't exist. We walked for around an hour, we reached nothing. The more people we ask, the more lost we get.

It was getting close the closing time, ( Canada's time ) and my friend started to get nervous. I told him let's try one last time asking someone, if he told us the same bullshit as the others did, we'll jump into our cars and head to a place where we are certain that there'll be a fax even if that's gonna be in Alex.
So basically we asked the first person we happened to see, she was a lady working at a furniture store.
On asking her about a place where they could have a fax, here was her answer " You seem to be in a hurry, come in and use our fax ". ....
We were thrilled by the answer , we couldn't find enough words to thank the people working in that place.

I want to thank them for giving me hope

An old scribble

I was checking my book of scribbles and started to write something. I didn't like what I was writing so I tore the page and was going to throw it when I glanced writing on it's back. On checking it I saw this piece.

So here goes:

How long does it take you to have an impact on this world ? Or what does it take to change A life ?
I don't think it takes much time or effort to do any of the above two. It can take you just a second to have your impact in this world, all you need is one good excutable idea.

Think it over, all people who have changed this world believed in something. Most importantly , they believed in their ability to do it.

As for changing people's lives, all that's required is absolute honesty and sicerety. You can't imagine how a small sincere chat can affect one's life ( my life was directed by a single word at a certain point ). A pound you donate with total acceptance and satisfaction can mean the world to the reciever.

Looking back at our lives ( at least my own ), I can see that I've wasted most of it without having a goal to work for and lots of chances wasted to change people's lives.

From now on, I'll believe in one thing:
" If you can't change the world, you'd better die trying "

p.s: Don't waste your lives aimlessly. Make it worth mentioning when you're gone .

Belya, 11/1/07

What number are you ?

You Are 1: The Reformer

You're a responsible person - with a clear sense of right and wrong. High standards are important to you, and you do everything to meet them. You are your own worst critic, feeling ashamed if you're not perfect. You have uncompromising integrity, and people expect you to be fair. At Your Best: You are hopeful, honest, and inspiring. You bring out the best in humanity. At Your Worst: You are intolerant, judgmental, and picky. Your Fixation: Resentment Your Primary Fear: Being corrupt. Your Primary Desire: To be good. Other Number 1's: Al Gore, Martha Stewart, Gandhi, Celene Dion, and Spock from Star Trek.

What Number Are You?

If you like the idea, consider yourself tagged.

Call and cancel. What's so difficult about that ?!!!!

Yesterday I had to come face to face with one of lousiest Egyptian habits : Tanfeed. To those who are not Egyptian, it's a term we use in a manner which indicates that you don't give a damn about a given promise or some regulations ........etc. i.e: words that have been said are considered bull-shit & didn't exist in the first place.

I had a business appointment with some person that I have called and schedueled a day ahead. I re-called and confirmed an hour ahead of the planned time. During the last phone call, that person told me he'd call back and choose the place where we can meet. He never did................ I didn't call either, he needs me as much as I need him.

The second was when my friend suggested that we go and play an hour or so of squash. I wasn't in the mood, but I agreed as it's one form of a change. So we suggest that it would be in the afternoon and the exact timing shall be determined via phone calls. I was unable to reach him throughout the whole morning. When it was the estimated time for our game, I finally got to reach him. Here's the phone call.

Me: " Have you forgotten about our plans ?"
Friend: " No I haven't , I'm just stuck at work "
Me: " You said you were free tonight !!! "
Friend: " I was, till the early morning. This was an un-planned task "
Me: " So are we canceled for tonight ?"
Friend: " Nooo, as soon as I'm done I'll give you call. "
Me: " How long will that take ? "
Friend: " 30 min. or a maximum of an hour "
Me: " O.K "

This was around 8:00 pm. As I expected, the phone didn't ring.
Later by 1:00 a.m I receive a message on the Facebook thing, apologizing that he finished late and that he was exhausted......................

I'm starting to hate this attitude. People do it everywhere, these were just examples.

I'm hating that I'm starting to pick it up too :( I don't do it much, but it takes place every now and then.

Juka: I'm sorry about the other day, but it didn't go this way.

The cycle of betrayal, unconfidence & immorality.

I had this conversation with a guy, a lower class 26 years old. He was having a conversation with someone he called his beloved and so on.

Me: So, you are gonna get engaged soon ?
Him: No. I was betrayed once. A few years ago, my fiance just vanished taking everything & leaving without a trace.
Me: Aren't you planning to get engaged to that girl you were talking to ?
Him: No, she's already engaged to someone.
Me: What !!!!!!!!! then why are you having that phone romance ?
Him: We are interested in each other.
Me: Then why doesn't she call her current relation off, and you two get engaged ?
Him: Cause I won't go into a relation with someone like her.
Me: Why is that ?
Him: What if I get engaged to her , and she betrays me with some other guy like she does now...
Me: Then why don't you just leave her ?
Him: If I did, someone else would take my place ( hatemshy ma3a 7ad tany )
Me: How decent are you !!!! ( me being sarcastic )
Him: Don't judge me wrong, I'm veeeeeeery decent & moral. I haven't touched her although I had many chances to do so.


At this point I had to put an end to that conversation as I was reaching no where.

You are an Egyptian if ( 1 )

1 - You know if someone is cooking molokheyya as soon as you enter your house.
2- It takes you around 10 minutes to go through greetings to start a conversation by phone. It takes you another 10 to close the same conversation.
3- Believe in conspiracy theory, one way or another.
4- You say ( ya3ny ) to complete any blank space in your sentences.
5- You rush to your terrace as soon as you hear people shouting in the street.
6- You hold your cell phone over your right ear with your left hand, while driving.

Azhar Rocks

Last Wednesday , the Saqya culture wheel was holding the first live English stand-up comedy in Egypt. They were hosting Azhar Usman, an Indian comedian who is part of the Muslim comedy tour ( ALLAH made me funny ).
The show was hilarious, we couldn't stop laughing throughout the whole show.
Here's a video of him presenting one of his most popular jokes.

You know you are in Egypt when ( 6 )

1- People own Hi-Tech cell phones without any intention of using their full capabilities. They just buy it for the sake of looks.
2 - Almost every man ( especially those with little education ) who just hears you are related to the medical field, asks you about Viagra substitutes.
3 - You can break the ice with any stranger just by asking him about the weather, soccer or the name of the street.
4 - Al-ahly football club is the strongest political parties. ( there is no ahly party, in case you were wondering )
5 - 10 minutes can mean anything from 10 minutes to more than one and a half hours.
6 - You can escape the embarrassment of forgetting people's names by just calling them " basha ".

TED

Have you ever heard about TED ? I haven't till yesterday.
Yesterday I was introduced to TED by my smart friend O. This seems to be some kind of a project that gathers brilliant people with magnificent ideas to give presentations about their ideas ( that's as far as I care ).
Take a glimpse at the kind of people over there.This guy is just amazing.

It seems that TED would be my newest addiction.

Couples, Please innovate.

How many times have you been invited to wedding ceremonies in Egypt, whether friends or family members. Didn't you notice anything............................... Bravoooooooooo, you got it right.
They are almost typical.

First of all, there's the zaffa: Usually it takes place in the lobby, where the band with their loud drums start chanting their folkloric songs. Along their chanting, the marrying couple along with their parents and friends dance to the rhythmic music.

Second, the entrance: In case for Muslim couples, there's the Hisham Abbas song ( asma2 ALLAH ) followed by the couple entering the ball room under the light effects etc.......

Later on, the night goes on with continuous dancing either in the presence of a performer or just on the songs played by a DJ.


Then comes dinner followed by more dancing....... till it's over .

Isn't that more or less what takes place in an ordinary Egyptian wedding ???????

I've attended a few weddings lately, that I wasn't interested in jamming on the dance floor with the people. So, I had no other option but sit on the table with the old folks. I didn't enjoy these ceremonies. On sitting with these people, I had the chance to see the other part of the wedding ceremony that I hadn't had the chance to see before.
People sitting on tables, don't usually have fun. They are just there out of the social obligation, no more.

Who is supposed to be happy during the ceremony ? Is it just the people on the dance floor ? or everyone who's invited ??!!!

I really don't know, but all I'm asking for is ........

Dear Ladies and Gents, Please work harder to have a really unique night that's remebered by all people, rather than just using the ready made recipe.



p.s: Chapeau to all couples who had innovative ceremonies and to those who are planning on having one.

There's another dimension called Earth.

Last week, I had a terrible GIT ( gastro-intestinal tract ) infection. I was really really sick. I was totally bed ridden and in a great deal of pain.
During the moments where I feel o.k , I'd open my computer and check my e-mails...etc. At one point I changed my status on that Facebook thing, stating that I'm really sick.
Usually friends tell you that they didn't know you were sick and stuff like that, when you meet them later and tell them about it. This time, I was sure they new.
Instead of receiving phone calls, I received writings on my wall........

As funny as it is , I'm starting to think that people are forgetting that there's another dimension called Earth where creatures called humans live .

A small comparison

A year ago

R: I'll be inviting Y to my party
M: Why would you do that, he's just an annoying person
R: He maybe annoying to you, but he's my friend

A week ago

T: Why did you tell R about our travel plans, he's a boring person
Y: Ok, we'll just travel without telling him


This is life

What is it that you seek in a friendship ?

I believe that most people ( myself included ) made a lot of wrong choices as regards friends. I believe you have been hurt or betrayed by a (supposed to be ) friend at least once.
I decided to ask myself that question and after a lot of thinking and analyzing my friendships, here are my answers.
What I seek in a friendship :
1) Loyality
2) Trust
3) Support


What about you ?

I'm enjoying what I'm seeing

For anyone who used to enjoy reading my blog, I truly apologize for the shortage of posts over here for some long time. Believe me it's something I can't change, I'm out of coverage these days.

I'm living through a life changing experience, the military service.
At the place we are, I'm enjoying seeing Egypt through the people. Recruits from all over the country living in the same place under the same conditions. This is something that's worth watching.

These days philosophy

It seems that tension can change you into a philosopher. Here's my own line of philosophy:

" Life will not give you everything, BUT it won't take away everything either "

Places with no freedom

In case I didn't mention it here before, I'll start my military service in less than a week isA.

Getting over the above mentioned fact. During the past days I was having a talk with some of my friends about the army and stuff, till I was stumpled into a hilarious comment by one of my friends.

Q: Where & when can you lose you freedom?
A: 1- Jail
2- Army
3- Marraige

Belya the student

Sorry for the delay Juka, but here I am fulfilling your tag

1- Did you use to be a good student at school ?

I guess I was one of the preferred types of students by the teachers. I was that silent smart kid sitting in the corner. I didn't smart mouth my teachers, I let other students do that. I talked only when I felt necessary just to point out a thing or two. I may have not been the smartest, but I was one of them at least.

2- What were your most loved subjects ?

I loved anything that challenged me, but what I loved most was physics. I was very good at math too, but back then I hated it.
What I hated most was studying languages, it was soooo boring for my taste.

3- When young, what did you want to become ?

While young, I've always dreamed of being a surgeon. I was fascinated by the idea of having a talent that you can use to save lives and get the people to appreciate that. Now, getting to be an oral & maxillofacial surgeon ( through the dental school ) I believe that I didn't drift much away from my dream

This is rediculous

I really need someone to explain to me what's going on. Today I was looking up the best selling Egyptian news paper ( that's what they call it ) al-ahram, only to find an advertisement that occupies the whole last page. The advertisement is about a resedential compound, they state that the price for villas start at 1,600,000 l.e.......
I had to read that twice and ask my parents about it, just to make sure that I wasn't making things up. It was true.


I need an explanation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

26th of March

Updates:
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm disappointed myself. I've realised that you should have your voting card in-order to participate in the referendum. You can only vote using your ID card if you are already enlisted & only in your ( Dayra ).


That's the day.
Each and every single one of you should go and participate in the referendum about the constitutional amendments .
Go say what you believe, say NO or say yes. Just say anything.
You've got less than a week to read them thoroughly. Please read them .
All you need is your personal ID card

Leadership

A couple of days ago, I was on some sort of a one-day work trip. Situations there led me some way or the other to be the leader of the group accompanying me.
By the end of the day, I was left with lots of questions going through my head :

1) Are leaders born or are they created ?
2) Is leadership a bless ? or is it a piece of hell ?
3) To be a leader do you need to be wise ? or you should have a touch of insanity ?
4) Which is easier: to take decisions ? or just follow what someone else has decided ?

The countries I've been to.

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide


Kuwait: I used to live there.
Iraq, Jordan: Been there on my way back from Kuwait during the invasion.
Syria , Rhodes, Cyprus, Lebanon & Turkey: All for one day each during a tour in the Mediterranean

Back but not active

It's been some time since I last checked my blog. It's been more than a week.
My internet connection was down besides I was having some terrible time with the Egyptian routine for more than two weeks now, and it's not over yet.

As soon as I have something to say, I will.

Flashes

- 5 years old: Driving my bicycle crossing over a small obstacle, waking up in the hospital.

- 6 years old: Celebrating and enjoying feast with my extended family, my cousin who is playing with fireworks injures my face. The resultant was a bloody face and a tiny permanent scar.

- 10 years old: Receiving an award for being the best team leader.

- 12 years old: First time to appear on TV.

- 13 years old: My father having his open heart surgery.

Ouch !!!!!

In case you don't know, this unlucky player is John Terry. He's Chelsea's captain.
He's still alive :) and Chelsea won the game

Welcome to the gray zone of life.

-When time passes by, yet you can't stop it , you can't catch up with it & you can't turn it back.
Welcome to the gray zone of life

-When everyone is sad or every one is happy, and you are neither sad nor happy.
Welcome to the gray zone of life

-When you wait long time for doors to open, and when they are, you figure out that you'll have to wait even more.
Welcome to the gray zone of life.

-When you are not allowed to have feelings, or to be true, can't afford the luxury of having them.
Welcome to the gray zone of life.

-When you accept life as it comes, but can't accept the fact of not knowing what's next.
Welcome to the gray zone of life.

- When you are in a mood you can't describe, you are not angry yet you can't be sweet.
Welcome to the gray zone of life.

-When you feel the need to move, but can do nothing but staying still.
Welcome to the gray zone of life.

Mafeesh 7aga

ta7sheesha gamda geddan

An Emperor I am.

Taking that funny test, as Sarah suggested.

You are The Emperor

Stability, power, protection, realization; a great person.

The Emperor is the great authority figure of the Tarot, so it represents
fathers, father-figures and employers. There is a lot of aggression and violence
too.

The Emperor naturally follows the Empress. Like an infant, he is filled with enthuiasm, energy, aggression. He is direct, guileless and all too often irresistible. Unfortunately, like a baby he can also be a tyrant. Impatient, demanding, controlling. In the best of circumstances, he signifies the leader that everyone wants to follow, sitting on a throne that indicates the solid foundation of an Empire he created, loves and rules with intelligence and enthusiasm. But that throne can also be a trap, a responsibility that has the Emperor feeling restless, bored and discontent.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Neighbors from hell

How can you live with neighbors from hell by your side ?
This question was asked by my older brother who just got to know his new neighbors. These people became his neighbors for just a couple of months back. Since then, he's been living in continuous headache. They are just a pain in the ass.
Is there any solution for such problem, or is just like any chronic illness, you'll have to live with it.

Free condoms !!!!!!!!!!

Yes you read the correct title, condoms for free !!!!!!!!!
I don't know what the hell is going on with the people of this country , or at least those business men. I was listening to the radio a couple of days ago, when I was stopped by a commercial about condoms. Till this point, this was one thing we started to get used to ( lel-asaf , to some extent ). At the end of the commercial, the guy said proudly: " Now, you can claim your free sample of our condoms at .......... pharmacies ".
I can't believe this. We are in Egypt for God's sake.
I'm starting to believe in conspiracy theory now. A few years back, valentine's day wasn't that of a big issue; it was mainly celebrated by the rich people and those who are culturally related to the European and American life styles in one way or another. This year, it started to become an epidemic. The country has turned into an open display of roses and it was covered in red, check this out (I don't want to discuss the religious back ground of valentine's, not my scope here.) Now, after turning valentine's into a national love day ( by the people ) , companies are offering condoms for free and that was in the days ahead of valentine's.
Is that a mere coincidence ???????!!!!!!!!

RABENNA yostor.

My subconscious rules

I was taking a look at the books I bought from the last book fair. I was stunned by the fact that most of my choices were influenced by gloomy mood back then. I bought 5 sarcastic books out of a total of 7 . I think that's not a few.

If you can't see the photo clearly, here's a list of what I got:
4 books by Mahmoud El-Sa3dany ( I just love that man )
1 book by Naguib Mahfooz; Ahlam Fatret Al-Naqaha
1 byYousef Ma3aty
1 by Galal Amin; whatever ELSE happened to the Egyptians ( the Arabic version, I've read the first part in Arabic, so I thought it would make sense to read this one too ).

Tagging anyone who's interested in showing us his/her new books

I consider this as an insult.

Yesterday we were having a family dinner at Spectra ( located in Mohandeseen ). The food was great and the service was friendly.
Although their restaurant is good, I still can't forgive their insult to the Egyptian people. Yes, I repeat again, insult to Egyptians. What else can you call a menu that is fully written in English, not just that, but in order to illustrate what's written to those who don't know English there's a photo of every single dish in the menu .
GRRRRRRRR, I'm really angry and I feel insulted. Some of my extended family can't read english, does this make any difference as regards how classy they are or the kind of people they are !!!!!!!!! I really don't think so. I had to work as a translator for them & that really made me feel bad. I respect and like my family members, it really hurts when you feel someone you like feels offended or left out.
I looked around the restaurant, all customers ( if that's the correct word to use here ) were either Egyptians or Arabs. So why the ........ do they have a menu that's fully in English. I've seen restaurants that have Arabic menus beside their English menus, I totally respect these people.
If that restaurant and alike ones don't need Egyptian or Arab customers, I believe they should have the guts to speak it out loud. Else, I believe they'd better change their policies.

I'm staying here ( for the time being )

It turned out that the problem wasn't with the server after all, I apologize for that blogger. The problem was with my windows explorer. Today I've installed firefox once again, and guess what , blogger is working as smooth as ever.
I'll be shutting down the other link, but this doesn't mean that I'm here forever.

Probably the last post here

I think this will be the last post here.
I'm just getting used to my new place. So , please check there more frequently.

I hate blogger

I really hate blogger :( I'm angry and frustrated with this stupid surver.
I was unable to login for a week or so.
I think I'll be moving to wordpress soon.
See you there

To my dear friend

This year, 07, marks the passage of 5 years since we last talked. I don't think you'll read this, but if it happens and you did read it, I really wish that you'd realise that it's dedicated to you.
There are somethings I just want you to know. Your presence in my life meant alot, your departure also meant alot. The way you went out of my life, I believe, have changed me forever.
I remeber every word you told me, I remeber times we laughed together about my stubbornness, I recall your support during my downs & I enjoyed having matching opinions as regards most issues. I shall never forget the day when you were the only person ( out of that group) to remeber my birthday, I even kept your present infront of my eyes since then & I don't think I'll be changing their location soon.
I may have known you for a short period of time, but these years were enough for me to trust you and for you to beleive in me.These were some of the happiest years of my life.
From here I'm telling you, I apologise for not being able to share your happiness nor was I able to be by your side during your darkest moments. But I beleive you know the reason for my absence.
I wasn't there out of respect. Respect to a promise I gave you, respect to a request you asked from me and above all the respect to you.
We may have been destined to be friends but we decided to cut it loose at one point.
I miss you, I respect you and I will always be here if you ever need me.

The bright side of living in Egypt (1)

I've decided to start mentioning some of the positives of living in Egypt. Each coin has 2 sides, so does Egypt, there is the good side and the other one.
But, this doesn't mean I won't be sarcastic .
Here's the list.

1) You can never be considered late for any meeting, you are either early or on time. Even if you are actually 1 hour late ;)
2) You can enjoy an outing with your friends if you have 50 l.e or more. Still you can enjoy your friends' company for as much as 1 l.e., this is mainly for the guys ( RABENNA ye7'ally el-ahawy ).
3) You are always reminded to count your blessings, as you get to meet lots of less fortunate or un-healthy people.
4) There are lots and lots of marvelous natural treasures that you can enjoy for a relatively negligble amount of money.

you you are in Egypt when (5)

At last I'm able to post this video.

Addiction

I noticed lately that I'm addicted.

I'm addicted to this

How to know you are in Egypt ( 4 )

This post is a translated version of a part of Mr. Salah's Montaser's article in the Ahram dating 13/1/07.

The Egyptian is :

1) The one who understands in medicine, politics, sport & nearly everything.
2) Who talks with his/her guests on thier way out more than they have talked during their stay.
3) Piles empty jars in his/her kitchen throughout the years & never stops to collect more.
4) Keeps plastic bags underneath his/her bed mattress.
5) Arrives late for an hour or more at any appointment & doesn't apologise for that.
6) On having international phone calls, raises his/her voice assuming that the other party would hear better.
7) Pays 2 extra pounds for transportation to buy an item that is 1 pound cheaper.
8) Who makes fun of him/herself, his/her family, the government & the country ; but can't withstand anyone to make fun him/her or any other Egyptian.


p.s: In case you read the original text, I apologize for the poor translation.

Egyptian English

Sorry N I'll talk about the English language in Egypt. ( I didn't study & am not going to study linguistics )
First of all, I can rate my English language abilities as an above average. Yet this doesn't stop me from being annoyed by how the people use this language in a way that I call ( fazlaka ). People just use wrong pronunciations & mal-placed words just to brag about their English abilities.

Here's a small list ( the ones I could remeber now ) of words that are pronounced wrong by almost all the people and plz don't bother correcting it. If you just try to correct it to the people, the least thing you'll receive is a look that tells you ( yalla ya falla7 ):

1) Milk Shake ---------> milk Tchek
2) Spaghetti Bolognese -------------------> Spaghetti Polonez ( probably relating it to the car )
3) Ketchup ----------------> Katchap
4) On extracting teeth , we use the term Luxate. The students can't find a meaning for it, instead they use the word relaxate ( makes more sense to them, although it doesn't exist )


p.s: Most of the words I remembered are mostly used by waiters.

What lies beneath ?

I couldn't stop asking myself that question whenever I'm reading the newspapers these days. With every day, the ahram ( the largest governmental newspaper ) publishes more & more details about the scandal of the blood donation packs. The person who's accused in this scandal, is one of the richest business-men in Egypt and most importantly, he's one of the important figures of the National Democratic Party.
The ahram attacks that person on daily bases on its front page and the older and more powerful members of the NDP also attack the man. Which makes you wonder, why are these people doing so ? why is that newspaper attacking him ?
I don't beleive such attack is related to the anti-corruption moto the government is using. I feel that there's something fishy about that thing.
Is this scandal in this specific time was published so as to distract the people's eyes' from the ongoing so-called constitutional reformation ?
Is it just one form of the governmental plastic surgeries ?

I really don't know. Let's wait and see.

Dubai

Jumairah Beach Residence

This is photo of the month at the National Geographic.

Hourglasses and closed doors

I'm having some of the hardest times of my life ever. All the hardness comes from the anticipation I have to go through these days. Most of my crucial life decisions are delayed because of variables that doesn't lie in my own hands , so basically I'm just waiting.

I can magnify my life these days in one picture. My life resembles a series of closed doors, each door opens with the descent of the last sand grain in the hourglass.

My restlessness comes from the awaiting of the sand to come down and the fear of what lies behind the closed doors.

I hate it when I'm tortured by time

5 things you don't know about Belya.

Tagged by Juka.

1) I have a terrible memory, when it comes to birthdates. I started using the my cell's reminder last year, I showed some improvement.

2) I have no nickname. ( talking about my real name here )

3) I hate driving in Cairo streets. I wish I can afford to hire a driver.

4) During examinations I used to enjoy: finishing my exams quickly & being the first person out of the examination premises. I hate to re-check what I've done with the people.

5) I enjoy teasing the curiosity of the Egyptians. I always leave nosey people with the urge and suspense to know more. ( espicially girls.... NO OFFENSE INTENDED, it just happened that most of the nosey people I knew were girls )

Etiquette

I don't know why, but I've just remebered a couple of interesting etiquette tips I've heared long time ago. Here in Egypt, it's considered good manners of a guy to let a lady come infront of him thorugh doors, into rooms , into elevators....etc. ( while him opening the door for her ).
This rule shouldn't be a fixed one, as it should be reversed when it comes to going up or down stair cases.
On going up, the man should lead the way so as not to see up the lady's skirt. While on descending down the stairs, he should lead so that incase she trips, she can lean on his shoulder to regain her balance.

No idea, why I remebered them

Lessons I've learnt during 06

- Do what should do, as hard as you can . Tawwakal 3ala ALLAH. Beleive me, results will surpass you wildest dreams.
- The darker your night becomes, the closer it is for the morning.
- The stronger the wind, the stronger you will be.
- Living with no goal = dead .
- False friends are the dagger that would stab you when you put down you armor.
- A good friend, is the one who would support your dreams and beleive in you when others don't.( Thx Juka , O , N, Z & G )
- The more you make mistakes, the more you learn & the less arrogant you become.
- If the people rumor about you, even though you are doing nothing to initiate such, it means that people are watching you even if they claim they don't.
- A single word can give you an idea or a suggestion that can change your entire life.
- The toughest thing to do is challenge yourself and the people at the same time.
- Always keep your mom happy.
- Best moments in life are those when people appreciate what you do for them. Say thank you & show gratitude to whoever deserves it.
- Be honest with yourself before being honest with the people.
- If the less fortunate people working under you respect you & at the same time consider you as their friend. You've owned the world.
- You'll hear alot, beleive only what you can see.