Back!

I haven't written a post for almost a month now. I really do miss my blog!
It's finally spring time! So i thought i might choose a new template to go with my Second Blogging Season. I am back and full of energy to shower my blog with posts. :)

To Feel Or Not To Feel

Is it better to feel? Or is it better not to feel?
Is it better to have feelings and emotions and get affected by every thrilling, tragic, or crazy detail that shapes your life story? Or is it better to be ignorant and emotionless about whatever goes on with your life?
At the first thought, most of us would choose to feel rather than not to feel. But take a minute or two to actually weigh in the two sides.
I personally have been tortured all my life, by a very dear friend whom i loathe as much as i adore. He always insisted that i "feel". His name is Conscience.
Whenever a hurtful incident happens, and i choose not to feel, Conscience is there to remind me to feel.
When people leave, either leave you for a while or leave life itself, you wish not to feel and to runaway for a while.
Whenever you read the news and read between lines the misery of nations, you wish not to feel. Whenever you have a bad day, a fight with a dear one, a bad grade, you wish not to feel.
When I look at people who do not feel, i find them very happy. Are they happy deep down there? I can't tell for sure. But for the moment, for me, they look happy. The choice they took of not to feel made them happy.. could it be?
I really envy people who can pass each day without having worries that emerge from having a "feeling" toward each incident. I envy people who fail a subject and shrug it off. I envy people who watch the war news, frown for a second, then change the channel.
Sometimes i wish i was ignorant and didn't feel as much, would life be easier? I always wonder.

The Good Earth

I started reading a very old novel today, it's called The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck. I only finished the first chapter, and started liking it already. It's a Chinese tale telling the story of a farmer who lives with his father, and recently got married to a woman that used to be a slave in a mansion.
And then! I had a thought:
How about if we start a bloggers' book club?
Each month or so , we choose a book, read it, and then we all discuss it.
We can even discuss the book before finishing it, on a daily or a weekly basis let's say.
I really love to read, but only a few of my friends read. So normally i don't find people to discuss my thoughts about the books i read with. But my new blogger friends sound intellectual somehow and might be interested in books and nerdy stuff.
So, what do you say guys?? Bring out the nerd in you! Join Dima's one and only book club on the blogoshpere (although im not sure of that, i bet there are other book clubs)
So who's in? Leave a comment if you would like to join the book club, and feed your mind with the Chinese heritage that is full of wisdom.
Eager to hear your ideas and thoughts.

Then and Now

Then (Time:Four months ago, Place: Amman, Jordan. Status: Alone)

Day 1: Breakfast: Water.
Lunch: Chicken Royal meal, Meduim size, with coke from Burger King
Dinner: Indomie, curry flavour (instant noodles)

Day 2: Breakfast: Water.
Lunch: Indomie.
Dinner: Indomie

Day 3: Breakfast: Water.
Lunch: Chicken Royal meal.
Dinner: Indomie

Day 8274938743: Breakfast: Water.
Lunch: Indomie
Dinner: Chicken Royal.

Now (Time: Since Thursday (yesterday). Place: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Satus: With family)

Day 1: Breakfast: jebneh, labneh, zaytoon, tomatoes, cucumbers, soft not dry bread, tea.
Lunch: Tabee5 Laban, rice, pickles, juice.
Between lunch and dinner: Roz be 7aleeb, merameyye, fruits, chocolates.....
Dinner: Fried eggs, martadella, jebneh, vegetables, juice, tea.

Day 2: Breakfast: Cheese Sandwitch, tomatoes, pickles, and tea
Lunch: Fish and chips, shrimps, macarooni salad, rice.
Dinner: Still to come, can't wait

And you all ask me why do you love Riyadh???
Love you mom, your the best Chef (K)

Make sure the software on your laptop is original when traveling!

THE SAUDI GAZETTE ( SAUDI ARABIA ), January 2007:
Saudi Students held at US Airports
The Saudi Gazette
PHILADELPHIA
TWO separate groups of Saudi students were detained at Philadelphia and New York airports by US Immigration Authorities for violating copyright laws, reported the Arabic language daily newspaper Okaz Thursday.
The students were found to be carrying pirated software in their laptops. The Saudi students, who arrived in the US , said some of their colleagues were detained at New York airport for 48 hours. They said the US immigration authorities scanned all the contents and programs stored in the laptops by incoming Saudi students.
A Saudi students association in the US has warned the incoming Saudis against carrying any pirated programs or anything referring to extremist groups anywhere in the world in their laptops.
The association confirmed the US authorities are questioning some Saudi students while others have been deported.
It also mentioned that some students are being tried. The penalty for copyright law violation ranges between 5-20 years in prison, and the luckiest ones get deported.

Along Came A Gas Truck...

I'm sitting peacefully, studying for an Electronic Business quiz. Although it's cold outside, I'm enjoying the warmness of the room provided by me beloved gas heater.
Suddenly, i feel a cold shudder. I look at my dearful heater to find it's flame has gone off.

Dramatic moment: " Noooooooooo...5eles el'3az :("

Ok, no problem, I'll turn the radiators on instead ;)

Another dramatic moment: " Nooooooo... nseet a3abbi Solar :("

Confusion is arising, only two things circulate endlessly in my mind: It's cold, i need gas!
And the journey begins.
I take my E-Business book, and go stand behind the window, waiting upon a wish... that will turn my cold hours into happy warm ones... waiting..... for the only thing that will make my life better..... wiating.... for my only hope..... The Gas Truck.
I wait and wait and wait. Oh! do I hear a gas truck coming??? Yes it is! Ya lal far7a! No! The sound of its music is fading away, the truck turned into another neighborhood....

The waiting continues.. my breath leaves miserable cirlces of fog on the freezing glass as i wait and pray for a gas truck to show up.
I can hear it! YES! The lovely music of the gas truck... the Bethoven's 2837.2/3 symphony that delcares a promise: "Fear no fear, no more cold is here"
I prepare myself to charge. Here comes the hardest mission: attracting the truck's attention.
I open the window, the cold breeze slaps my cheecks.
"I can do it...I will do it"
I start waving my hands at the truck driver HOON LAW SAMA7T HOOON.
The driver is enjoying a smoke, and doesn't pay attention to me. Another woman on another window is waving to him as well.
I need to think fast"No... I won't let her have the gas truck first, it's getting very cold,,and I need to study, sorry auntie!"
So i start my next charge: Karate moves that i learned when i was twelve, jumping, hitting my fists through the air, anything to attract the driver's attention.
YES he noticed.! He gestures in his hand asking: kam jarra????
I gesture using my fingers: Two! Two!
A little boy coming back from the dokkane eating chips Cheezy excitingly jumps and waves his hands at me: BYEE!! Inno 3njad ma b3raf shu da5alo, 3m b3mel be my hands TWo lal 3ammo taba3 el'3az mesh BYE la elo!
I go open the door to receive my lovely gas bottle. I find all the neighbors openning their doors asking me pleadingly: " Shu??!! Ija el'3az???" I reply "Yes! Ija el7amdilla!!"
And the orders for jarrat el'3az start exploding from every door in the building
"Jarra wa7de!...Jarteen...hoon 3ndak!"
Finally the process is over, all neighbors give me this thankful pittyful look as they close their doors.
I am proud of myslef. for I, and no one but I, who got the gas truck to the building. It is because of me, and my suffering next to the freezing window, that everyone is feeling warm, and the neighbor's children are laughing again, and chasing each other in the house like monkeys :)

Nedba7lak 6ayr El7amam!

Once I was sitting with an American friend: Joanne, and a Tunisian friend: Marwan.
Joanne asked me: "Dima, what lullabies do you sing for babies to sleep?"
So, I started singing happily: "Yalla nnam yalla nnam nedba7lak 6ayr el7amam-"
Marwan interrupted me, eyes wide open and said: "SHNOWA?!! NEDBA7LAK 6AYR EL7AMAM??!!!"
I got shocked ofcourse: " Yeah Marwan.... this is how the song goes...doesn't it...??"
Marwan, even more shocked:"3ALEEH TEDBA7 6AYR EL7AMAM ELMESKEEN??!!! 6AYR EL7AMAM RAMZ LAL SALAM!! Go on! Continue the song I want to know the rest!!"
Freaking out i continued singing in my shaking voice: "Roo7 ya 7amam la tsadda2, ned7ak 3ala Joanne ta tnam-"
Marwan: "KAMAAAN!! NED7AK 3ALA JOANNE?? MOSH BS DABE7 7AMAM! KAMAN NED7AK Y3NI NEKTHEB!"
By this time, i was laughing like crazy. Joanne ofcourse didn't understand and requested translation.
Marwan translated: " Go to sleep, go to sleep, and I will SLAUGHTER a pigeon for you, go poor pigeon don't believe us, we are LYING to the baby so that the baby would shutup and sleep!!!!"
Joanne was getting really scared and feeling insecure at this point. With tears forming in her eyes she said: "But...why would you slaughter an innocent pigeon....I mean, do you mean that the baby can't sleep unless he is SURE that the pigeon will be slaughtered??!!"
Marwan: " Shofti ya Dima!!! This is the most terrifying song I ever heard!!! The baby will have nightmares when he sleeps of pigeons and blood!! W kamannn mosh bs hakka (hakka y3ni heek) kaman on top of that the mother is lying! What example of a mother is she!!!"
Tab3an ana by this time i couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard. I mean 3njad!!!! How come we never thought of the meanings!!
Marwan: " Tell me Dima, who sang this song??? Or did your mother make it up just to scare you?!"
I was like: "C'mon! It's known worldwide!! It's for Fairouz!!"
Marwan:"How dare you!!! Fairouz is full of passion and sensitivity!! She's not a pigeon-killer, chlidren-terrifyer terrorist!!!"

El7amdilla i didn't continue the song, or else Marwan would've had a heart attack, especially if he heard the part which says: ya bayya3 el3inab, wel 3inabeyye, 5a6afooni el'3ajar...
I can imagine him saying: "SHNOWA 5A6EF KAMAN!! W RAS OMMI INNIK ERHABEYYA!" and then he would translate to poor Joanne: " O' grapes seller, the nomads kidnapped me.."

I decided to never sing this song if I have children one day!