Feel free

When did you feel that you are liberated and free ?

As for myself:

1) On the way down to the pool after jumping from the 5-m or the 3-m ramp. The feeling of the air surrounding your body is just magnificent.
2) When I used to run endlessly in the childish game of hide & seek.
3) Riding ( or is it playing ) with the swing & flying high in the sky.
4) Sitting by the sea.
5) Driving your car full throttle on an empty road .

Dina is dancing, call the police.

If you are living in Egypt or you've been following the Egyptian satellite channels throughout the past week. You would have probably noticed what was keeping the people busy.
The People's Assembly ( magles el-sha3b ) had been busy condemning the fact that Dina ( the famous belly dancer ) danced at a party. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes that's true. The people's representatives ( nowwab ) were angry because that party was a Prom celebration. They say that Dina will ruin the youth ( hatbawwaz a7'la2hom ).

I'm not here to defend Dina or belly dancing, it's just strange that as far as I know students attend proms to celebrate their final year of school by DANCING. What Dina did was nothing strange to what was going over there, she even wasn't dressed in her always hot dancing suits. She was an invited guest and just wanted to share the students' their happiness.

So, let's stop Prom parties and imprison all High school students for attending them .

Ya gama3a 7aram 3aleiko kefaya tahreeg ba2a. ( ya magles el-sha3b )

And one more thing, Thumbs up for the People's Assembly : Condemning the dancer for dancing & approving 2 more years of Emergency Law.

Belya has changed

A couple of days ago, I was at my department at college. It's been some time since I last visited the place ( as you know, I'm still serving at the army ). Anyway, I faced a situation that I guess I would have handled waaaaaaay differently a year ago than what I actually did.

Here's the situation that took place at the clinic:

An intern is treating a patient, but she is doing some mistakes that requires correction. I go by her side and start correcting her mistakes the way we usually do ( 1-that's is: in English, so that the patient can't understand. 2- Politely, as they are future colleagues. 3-Confidently, to show them that we are there to support them not to undermine them ).
The intern's reaction was rude, she made it apparent ( without words ) that she is refusing guidance. She wanted to move away from the patient and said " you can show me how it's done " in a manner that indicates anger & challenge.

Here are my two reactions,

A year ago:

I would have probably ORDERED her to move aside, got the patient's treatment done as fast as possible and most importantly I guess I would have given her some hard talk & embarrass her infront of the patient & her colleagues.

A couple of days ago:

I took a firm charge of the situation, verbally. I made her go on with the treatment ( as I tend to believe that being impolite doesn't deprive you from the right to learn), till the point where she really needed my intervention. I didn't hold back any information I thought would be of her benefit. Then I told her ( infront of her colleagues ) that I need her for a word at the instructors' office. There, I listed her mistakes and commented on her behavior.
She apologized for the attitude & even thanked me for my help.


It sucks when you have to instruct interns that are only a year or two younger.


It seems that one year at the army has changed me deep to the core.

Prices going up

Now, it was officially announced that fuel prices are on the way up.

Expect a drastic uprise of prices of everything.

Long live the government.

What's wrong with car pooling.

If you are a Cairo resident, I won't have to tell you how the traffic has become the past couple of years. But , I'd like to ask you a question: Have you ever noticed the amount of cars with only the driver in it ??!!! I guess most of the cars in the streets carry only one passenger, the driver that is.

This fact drew my attention around a year ago, while I was reading " Whatever happened to the Egyptians " by Dr. Galal Amin ( the book is gr8 btw ).

I'm driven to think that this is one of the major causes of the lousy traffic we are having in our capital. We have poor, poor, poor & in-efficient public transportation; whether it was the underground, buses or taxis. So, families that can afford to buy cars for every member, will certainly do so without hesitation.
Doing the math ( just my own assumptions ), a single family could push around 3 cars in the streets each morning. Looking from the other side ( the destination side ), a working place with 100 employees could have 50 - 70 cars parking in the streets. ( At my department, we have a car for every single member)

I believe that such problem could be partially solved by changing our attitudes as regards transportation. I suggest car pooling.

I'll take my department as an example. Instead of having, 10 cars awaiting in the parking lot; there could be only 7. That's a 30% reduction in traffic.

What makes Egyptians not used to car pooling ?
( in my opinion )

1) We are not used to think as a community. We just tend to think of our own benefit ( ana w mn ba3dy el-toofan )
2) A lot of people tend to think that it'll take more time and consume more fuel to drive 5 more minutes. But, if it was considered thoroughly; the traffic reduction will decrease time consumption, fuel consumption and pollution.
3) We are not used to share.
4) Everyone thinks he's the most important one in the world, they can't wait extra 5 minutes till their colleagues are free to go home.
5) WE LACK PUNCTUALITY.


that's all for now.

A gesture that's stronger than a million words

Yesterday I was watching a movie on TV. Then came a scene close to the end of the movie where 2 friends just exchange glances, their eyes expressed all what they have experienced throughout the whole story.

On seeing this, I re-called a similar situation.
We were having a farewell party, as O ( my best friend ) was leaving for the U.S. By the end of the day, everyone present started wishing him & his wife good luck ........etc. Some of our friends almost cried, some even left early becoz the atmosphere was getting very emotional.
As for myself, I stood there till the end of day. I was the last person to salute him on that day and all we had to share was a warm hand shake, a small hug , a good luck word and an intense eye talk.

It's been almost 2 years now, but I will never forget the look in his eyes and the messages we delivered at that moment. Begadd, in-describable.

Egyptian sense of time

It really gets on my nerves the way Egyptians deal with time. I can't think of a better discription than ( dis-respect ).
If you decide to meet up with almost anyone at 8:00 p.m, you'll probably end up meeting at around 10:00.
If someone tells you he'll be late for just 15 minutes, he probably means that the earliest he can arrive is after 15 minutes. Usually it's never 15 nor 30 minutes it revolves around an hour or more.

I for myself used to be a very punctuate person, I learned from my dad to arrive 10 minutes ahead of any appointment. The Egytian timing has affected me big time, now I'm usually late for any appointment by 15 minutes ( this is un-acceptable on my scale )..

On going out with my friends ( they have terrible sense of time, that's if they have any ), I used to be the first to arrive. I was late for an hour on purpose, so as not to wait for long , BUT I usually had to wait for another hour or more.

Here's just one incidence: We had planned a Ramdan iftar at Mo- Cafe last year. I arrived at the restaurant 30 minutes before the Maghreb prayers ( which I thought was late for iftar outings, if you know what I mean ) I wasn't surprised to find myself the first to arrive. What made me laugh was 15 minutes before the Maghreb prayers, I was still on my own & recieved this call from N : " I was certain you'd be the only one in the restaurant. Could you please take my order , so that it's ready when I arrive "...........................

Quarter of a century on Earth, a new begining.

Today I've completed my quarter of a century of life. I'm officialy 25 .

On completing my 25 years, I could view my past life in one of 2 ways ; an optimistic one or a pessimistic view.

I'll start with the pessimistic one; I haven't achieved anything that's worth mentioning. I didn't have an effect on this earth.

The good side is, I've achieved ALMOST everything I need to start a successful life:

1- A university degree
2- A career path
3- Another job
4- A bunch of good, loyal friends
5- I'm almost done with my military service
6- My ambition

Life

Take NOTHING in life for granted, because nothing is.


p.s: I'm really missing my life

Lessons of 2007

Here are some of the things I've learned during that past year:

1) Always have a back-up plan for anything.
2) Everything in life is like a coin, has its two sides.
3) If I don't like you, this doesn't mean that I hate you.
4) Noone will help you achieve your goals, you'll have to fight for them.
5) Do what you do best and expect nothing in return. Trust me, everything will turn out for your best.
6) Keep your mouth shut as much as possible.
7) Four quarters doesn't necessarily make a whole one.
8) Not every smiling face is a happy one.
9) Respect is always a wining horse. Bet on it.
10) I will not ask you to be in my place, just stop making my life worse.