Thursday, June 30
If This is not Brainwashing, Then what is!!!On Monday June 20th, the Kuwaiti newspaper “ AlRai Al3am” distributed an (A1) size poster which I’m posting hereunder, I know that most of you bloggers read the news online and most probably unaware of this poster, and since the photo is small and you won’t be able to read it, I’m rewriting it’s content in the following ( for clarification purposes: my comments are in blue and the writing is in red):
On top (right and middle):
ماسى السفر
اهلا و سهلا .. اجازة رائعة
The hotel (on the upper right):
فندق الحضارة و التقدم و التحرير
الزيارة الخاصة غير ممنوعة و لكن ..بشروط..!!؟؟
On top of the hotel:
انس همومك
انقى انواع المخدرات
جرب و لن تندم
التجربة مجانا
دار الفلاح
للرقص المباح و الطرب الصداح
( ريع الدار مخصص للعمل الخيري)
احدث افلام
الطهارة
و العفة
و الفضيلة
المتعة الشريفة في
متناول يدك..؟؟
ارخص الاسعار
صالة قمار متطورة..
شعارنا : المكسب مضمون
و الربح حلال
Does that mean that I should not stay in a hotel?
At The bar door (top middle):
بار التعارف البريئ
مشروباتنا خالية من السموم نهائيا
اشرب انك انت الضيف الحبيب
Any drink in a bar is poisonous!!!
At the restaurant door (top middle):
مطعم الصدق و الامانة
سمك مذبوح على الطريقة الاسلامية
و خال من لحم الخنزير تماما
Don’t kid yourself by eating fish, you are still sinning.
On the boutique (top middle):
دار الازياء المحتشمة
المركز الدولى للتعديل و التجميل
On the pink pig standing by the boutique:
الستر و العفاف
خاص للعائلات
ممنوع دخول الاجانب
The pig’s tail is pointing to the beach
Whoever visits the beach is a pig!!
In front of the bank (on the left corner):
تمتع قبل فوات الاوان
العمر لن يعود
اسعد الاوقات
On the bank:
بنك الحبايب
معاملاتنا شرعية خالية من الربا 100%؟
تسهيلات خاصة لرواد البلاجات و المتع الحلال
القرض بفائدة 17.5% فقط و لا نقبل الرشاوي مطلقا
It’s a sin to deal with banks abroad!!
Street signs:
اينما ذهبت نحن بخدمتك
شارع السعادة
شارع الحب
الى الشاطئ
There is Al7ob Street in Kuwait as well, so is Kuwait considered one of the forbidden countries!
On the plane:
خطوط الحرية السريعة
سفرا سعيدا
Station sign:
محطة الوصول : اسيا. اوروبا. افريقيا. استراليا. امريكا
All the continents are forbidden!!
Notice the woman who has taken off her Islamic clothing as soon as she departed the plane!!
And also notice how the artist had drawn her body without the 3abaya Islamiya !!
The banner at the bottom read as follows:
بسم الله و الحمد لله و الصلاة و السلام على رسول الله و على اله و صحبه و سلم اجمعين و بعد
قال تعالي:( اقترب للناس حسابهم و هم فى غفلة معرضون, ما ياتيهم من ذكر من ربهم محدث الا استمعوه و هم يلعبون, لاهية قلوبهم ...) ( الانبياء:1:3)
و قال تعالي: ( فذرهم يخوضوا و يلعبوا حتى يلاقوا يومهم الذى يوعدون) (الزخرف :83)؟
و قال تعالي: (... و نحن اقرب اليه من حبل الوريد) (ق :16)؟
و قال تعالي: ( ... ان الله خبير بما تعملون) (الحشر : 18)؟
و قال تعالي: ( ... نسوا الله فنسيهم...) ( التوبة : 67)؟
و قال رسول الله( صلى الله عليه و سلم ): (كلكم راع و كلكم مسؤول عن رعيته..) متفق عليه
و قال عليه الصلاة و السلام: لا تحشد الرحال الا الى ثلاثة مساجد : المسجد الحرام, و مسجدي هذا, و المسجد الاقصى) متفق عليه
احبتنا فى الله
ان بعض الناس ربما هرب فى الاجازة الصيفية من الحر الشديد, الى اماكن باردة, و هذا لا محذور فيه اذا كان ذلك السفر مضبوطا بضوابط الشرع الحنيف, الا ان بعض المسلمين "هداهم الله" يظن انه بسفره للخارج قد خرج عن مراقبة الله " عز و جل" فتراه يقتحم النار بافعاله : نظر محرم..مشروبات محرمة.. مراقص.. اغان..فواحش... الخ
قال تعالي:( اقترب للناس حسابهم و هم فى غفلة معرضون, ما ياتيهم من ذكر من ربهم محدث الا استمعوه و هم يلعبون, لاهية قلوبهم ...) ( الانبياء:1:3)
و قال تعالي: ( فذرهم يخوضوا و يلعبوا حتى يلاقوا يومهم الذى يوعدون) (الزخرف :83)؟
و قال تعالي: (... و نحن اقرب اليه من حبل الوريد) (ق :16)؟
و قال تعالي: ( ... ان الله خبير بما تعملون) (الحشر : 18)؟
و قال تعالي: ( ... نسوا الله فنسيهم...) ( التوبة : 67)؟
و قال رسول الله( صلى الله عليه و سلم ): (كلكم راع و كلكم مسؤول عن رعيته..) متفق عليه
و قال عليه الصلاة و السلام: لا تحشد الرحال الا الى ثلاثة مساجد : المسجد الحرام, و مسجدي هذا, و المسجد الاقصى) متفق عليه
احبتنا فى الله
ان بعض الناس ربما هرب فى الاجازة الصيفية من الحر الشديد, الى اماكن باردة, و هذا لا محذور فيه اذا كان ذلك السفر مضبوطا بضوابط الشرع الحنيف, الا ان بعض المسلمين "هداهم الله" يظن انه بسفره للخارج قد خرج عن مراقبة الله " عز و جل" فتراه يقتحم النار بافعاله : نظر محرم..مشروبات محرمة.. مراقص.. اغان..فواحش... الخ
Once again: elthawabi6 elshar3iya la7gatna, la7gatna
اخى المسلم...رعاك الله
تمتع بما احل الله لك من وسائل: تكييف, و راحة, و سفر, و لكن- اياك- ان تكون ممن يهرب من حر الدنيا, الى الحر الاكبر فى نار جهنم
Nar jahanam BILBON6 EL3AREETH
Wouldn’t we be better off to spend our vacation at home!!
اللهم احفظ الاسلام و اهلة من كل مكروه.. اللهم احفظ الاسلام و اهله من كل مكروه... امين... امين... امين... انه ولى ذلك والقادر عليه
اخوتنا فى الاسلام
سعر هذه اللوحة.. دعوة صالحة للمسلمين
و جزى الله خيرا من اعاد طبعها, و ساعد في نشرها و توزيعها
That’s me, and now I can leave to Ibiza with a clear conscience :p.
للتوزيع المجاني: السلام عليكم
Some contact numbers
تحذير
نهيب بالاخوة الاعزاء الاحتفاظ بهذه الوحة فى مكان طاهر لما فيه من ذكر لله-عز و جل-
قال تعالى : ( ذلك و من يعظم شعائر الله فانها من تقوى القلوب) ( الحج : 22)؟
هذا و صلى الله على نبينا محمد و على اله و صحبه و سلم اجمعين, و الحمد لله رب العالمين
Now I’m confused; what shall I do with the poster, and where can I keep it. I guess I should be contacting them for a definition of “almakan al6ahir”!!!
Tuesday, June 28
I wish I was born amidst the Renaissance EraTechnology can be really annoying at times; sometimes when you would like to be left alone to enjoy your privacy and gather your thoughts, people would just not let you be. You ignore your telephone calls and they are after you with their SMS’s, sometimes I really hate SMS’s, especially when the person who sends it knows that you have ignored his phone calls and still wants you to get the message. And when you reply it’s bad because you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feeling by saying:’ buzz off, I can’t talk now, I need to be by myself for a while to think things over”, and most of the times they take it personally and get hurt, and when you don’t it’s even worse coz the SMS’s never stop or they would start worrying.
We have all means of communication, whatever information we need or don’t need are at the tip of our fingers, there is no room for imagination, or if there is it’s completely distorted, and that’s why at times we need to just be left alone, to be with the self that we have forgotten in the chaos of life, to feed the mind and recharge it with imagination, is that too hard to understand?
I think I really need this vacation now.
A side note:
Sorry if I have hurt your feelings, I never meant to, but I have been used and misused all my life until I have developed immunity against that; so stop being persistent, and stop f*&*ing with my mind; it doesn’t work.
Saturday, June 25
Dangerous BeautySapphire and gold
Are dangerous I'm told:
"Of their charming magic beware
Deceit, betrayal you'll harvest there
Despite what innocence that they may hold"
But they all should know; I am aware
That baby green sea is too much to handle
Its serenity is one form of swindle
For as I give in to its tranquility
I may lose my grip and my ability
And drown in there with just a quill and a candle
And that by itself is a tedious affair
Yet as a poetess; I adore dangerous beauty
Keen to discover the knight in duty
Riding righteously on a bay horse
Two beauties wandering in nature's course
Both; one possessed with jest and surety
I rest my case, it's time to declare:
In those green eyes I'm willing to dive
Their rays of power inject my drive
Despite what treachery that they may share
And loads of pain that I may bare
Exploring splendor is my affair
So regardless of what, it may or may not!
I hereby declare;
I dare to care
Thursday, June 23
Government BureaucracyThank you dear commentators for being so sympathetic with me and my passport issue, I really appreciate it even though I can’t consider this problem concerns me alone..
Also I like to give a special thanks to Bo-Rakan for adopting the case and presenting it to a wider public.
And although I would have liked to comment earlier but I had no connection line since Monday;
An MPW’s contractor or MEW’s contractor (never got to know which) who is executing projects in Salwa had accidentally damaged MOC’s cables and as a result more than 200 lines were cut off from Salwa area. I spend the past three days calling different numbers and everyone directed me to another, not only that, but each one’s story contradicted with the other, and I got nowhere and no answer to when will I get my line back. So I had to do my own calculations, this also reminded me of AlSan3oosi’s show the other night at Alrai when he played a vedio clip showing Salwa with its ever doomed excavation asking the officials in the government: when will this mess end?
A very valid question indeed.
Now without going much into details of why such accidents should happen in the first place and to that high level, which is by itself a different story, let’s see when I would most likely get my connection line:
The contractor claims that the repair work needs one week max, while MOC officials say: we don’t know!!!!
Let’s analyze the facts according to this scenario:
The contractor is counting the man-hours needed to repair as well as the cost of the repair, while the service ministry that is supervising the contractor who caused the damage is at lost, their calculations of the time needed for repair is subject to the following factors::
1-Who is responsible for this?
Is the contractor at fault or the ministry’s ill management was behind it? And who should bare the cost? The length of this period varies depending on the ministry’s project manager’s decision backed up by his team that, in most cases, are much less qualified than that of the contractor they are supervising, which could raise an issue for a serious dispute that might take a long time. But let’s assume that this cable case is much simpler than that and therefore the project manager has decided to issue a variation order right away.
2-Preparation of variation order by the contractor would take at least two days.
3- Approval of the variation order by the ministry’s officials which takes at least one week to circulate could also stretch to years depending on the two party’s bases of agreement.
And since we are talking about this dispute, it’s worth while mentioning that in most delayed cases some contractors take it on their own accounts to fix the damage without the approvals on the variation order, relying on the work order submitted by the project managers and the ministerial sectors they represent in an effort to meet the project’s completion date and therefore late fees can be avoided, they need to build a strong case though. And after the project is completed, the contractor would submit his claim and this is where a smart contractor can make a good buck when he calculates his claim exponentially with time; which means the longer it takes to pay his claim, the higher would become the claim. An example of that is the fact that more than 100 claims worth more than 30 million KD’s are still in MPW archives of which some are dated before the invasion and has not been settled yet.
Now back to the cable: if we take the contractor’s man hour calculation as one week of working days, that means; the minimum time I should be expecting my connection line back is not less than two weeks if I allowed some space for overlapping activities or it might take years; And that’s why the ministry’s officials don’t know how long it would take to repair the cable.
This problem is one of many problems Salwa is facing and one of its main causes is the service ministries themselves; each ministry’s project execution plans are not related to those of the other service ministries who are executing their projects in the same area. And although, supposedly, these projects all fall in the same infra structure plan, they sometimes conflict each other causing unnecessary delays, add to that the hidden cost that goes to waste due to the constant excavation and rebuilding of the same areas as each ministry is working on his own.
And although the same could be applicable to many areas in Kuwait, we see it more distinct in Salwa.
Then Bo-6ariq; do you expect anyone to be able to answer your question?
As for me I have decided to use the GPRS WAP technology to reconnect with my blog buddies before leaving for my summer vacation on 15th of July, and that’s if I could get my Schengen visa stamped on time, on my new passport which I still did not receive yet.
PS:
MEW: The Ministry of Electricity and Water AKA; the Ministry of Energy
MPW: The Ministry of Public Works
MOC: The Ministry of Communication
Monday, June 20
3ajabi !I’m so pissed off; I can’t believe that while we are priding ourselves for having a women minister, our laws and regulations still consider women as a second degree citizen.
Today I went to one of the service centers to renew my passport, I had to wait for an hour and then they informed me that I had to have a male guardian present; either a husband of father or brother, when I tried to protest, they told me it’s the law, and by law a Kuwaiti woman can’t travel without the permission of her male guardian.
At 16 I have gone across the seas all on my own and now at my age I need a male guardian to renew my passport? I mean WTF
I wonder when Dr. Almobark issues a ministerial decree; would she need to have her husband as a cosigner?
Sunday, June 19
The universal silence weekStarting from June 18, the universe is celebrating the universal silence week, I’m sure that many of you do not know the significance of silence in our life, and there is no better way to introduce it than this e-mail I got from the Bahrain Meditation Center, enjoy your silence everyone, and get to know yourself better:
“This Week”
by the
Bahrain Meditation Centre
18th June, 2005
Retreat
Today more people than ever are going on retreats, people from different walks of life, from a variety of age groups and from cities, suburbia or an island. Though it can be attributed to the pace and complexity of life today, the reason is there is a need – people are seeking something deeper, meaningful and most of all innate.
Retreats are a temporary withdrawal from our daily routine designed to help us re-align our focus with our values and inspire us to live our spiritual centre within that routine. In fact the term retreat has been derived from the military. The army would retreat from battle in times of uncertainty to re-align its troops for an effective victory.
The purpose of retreats has always been to attain a deep insight into one’s existence and one’s own individual nature, and in some cases to find God. It is the deep desire for some silence, solitude and reflection that draws us to retreat. These desires are not unique to our time; in fact pilgrims have been retreating for centuries to find their inner peace and it is perfectly natural to do so. However, it is true that we tend to connect retreats to a spiritual discipline as they traditionally were done within a monastic context. Places maintained for retreats tend to have very special vibrations; this reflects the power of the collective consciousness that accumulates over time.
Though retreats today take many different forms, their main intention should be to cultivate some space for silence and self-awareness. Silence should always be one of the main components of all retreats and it is what sets a retreat apart from the affairs of daily living. Silence works not only on the soul but at the more tangible level of the body. It is a physical relief to be in a silent environment, even for a day. Noise pollution is one of the principal causes of stress in the world today. Imagine what New York would be like if for ten minutes everyone went about their business in silence?
Let us define silence. Silence is not simply to step away from the hum and drum of city life into a place of solitude. A real retreat will give you a taste of a quiet mind and a confidence that this can be achieved any time and any place. Whilst on retreat choose not to speak for some hours, or days even, and you will be more gathered, more contained, more present with yourself than if you had used words. One begins to sense the weight of words, how potent they can be and how wise it is not to waste them. Furthermore genuine silence is about gaining a grip on our mind. Practise creating fewer and fewer thoughts i.e. making the mind simple, so that it can reach into the deeper recesses of your being for those hidden pearls.
So this week or this year, as you plan your time away, may we suggest you ‘treat’ your self and take the ultimate journey… back to your inner self.
Om Shanti
(I am a peaceful soul)
Bahrain Meditation Centre is administered by B.K.W.S.U.
Saturday, June 18
Women do make a differenceIt surprises me how many writers have written about the Sheeat gathering at Ali Al Moosa’s diwaniyah showing their disappointment for not having a Sheeat minister in the government, and later on about Al Galaf’s comment upon the appointment of Dr. Al Mobarak, as if these conducts are foreign to our country. In fact these Prejudices are rooted in our society for as long as I can remember; the system itself was built on such bases.
Look at the government’s structure for example; certain ministries are reserved for the Royal family, others for Nigadah, yet other posts are reserved for tribal inhabitants and some for Sheeat, and the weight of each group indicates what ministry they are allowed to hold.
Do you remember sometimes back when Ahmad Elfahad addressed the Sheeat members to nominate a Sheeat Minister right in the parliament? Do you remember the chaos that resulted from his behavior after that?
So when the system is built on such fallacy, you do expect that each minister would naturally sympathize with his own group. When a Sheeat minister for example is appointed, in no time you see his ministry is flooded with Sheeat and chances are that they’d have better chances for promotions, and the same is true with other groups.
In my opinion AlGalaf’s disapproval of Dr. Al Mobarak was not because she is a woman, remember her first interview on the newspapers she declared openly that "she is not appointed because of her religious belonging, rather for her qualifications", and that what scared AlGalaf and other Sheeats, they wanted her a puppet in their hands and she gave them the first warning, let’s read between the lines;” I’m here for my qualifications and I only respect the ones who hold the same regardless of their background or religious beliefs”, and that was the real blow to Al Galaf and his group.
Let’s not forget also that The Ministry of Planning is not considered one of the most important ministries and that’s another undeclared reason behind AlGalaf’s disappointment.
In a nutshell; I think with this statement Dr. Al Mobarak did not only challenge the Sheeat group, she also set an example for others to follow regardless of the corrupt system. Way to go
Am I sensing some air of change? Well I hope so
Friday, June 17
What is your role as a true friend?A question that imposed itself on a conversation last night as I hung out with some friends:
If you know that your best friend’s wife/husband is cheating on him/her; would you tell him/her? And why?
Thursday, June 16
The Electronic GovernmentA friend of mine directed me to a site that might be a step towards the electronic government
Check this out
Monday, June 13
Foziya Al-Ba7arI was surprised when she got appointed as a municipality member, since she is not the type of a person that liked publicity (as I heard) and I have never met her in my career life, nor have I seen her in The Engineering Society during my active years there. But I knew beforehand that she was nominated by the Society along with other six women engineers for the post and I heard all good things about her.
The other day and precisely on Sunday June 12, as I was lazily reading my newspaper(AlQabas), I skimmed through an interview with her, and all what I read was not different than any other ( kalam jarayed) until I got to the bottom of the page and a statement caught my eye:
The other day and precisely on Sunday June 12, as I was lazily reading my newspaper(AlQabas), I skimmed through an interview with her, and all what I read was not different than any other ( kalam jarayed) until I got to the bottom of the page and a statement caught my eye:
و مطلوب من اعضاء المجلس البلدي و كذلك كبار موظفي البلدية ان يكونوا قدوة حسنة للاخرين , و انا شخصيا افضل ان يقدم كل عضو في المجلس ذمته المالية في اول يوم عمل في المجلس
That statement is really powerful, imagine if each member submits his financial status before commencing work; a financial statement that can always be a yardstick to the member’s honesty, especially when it comes to Municipality where the big buck is and very hard to specify the misdemeanor due to the nature of the task involved.
Dear Foziya
I hope that your statement is not just words on paper and is not only a good intention, now that you have the power to act; I hope you will prove it with action.
Best of luck to all.
Sunday, June 12
Better late than never”On the occasion of winning the battle for women’s political rights in my country Kuwait on may 16, 2005 after more than 40 years of struggle, I composed my first (Haiku), I publish it her in hope for an honest review”
This was the message I wrote to my critics for their constructive review of my first Senryu (Human Haiku); a style in poetry that I had never known before except for some information from what I could get my hands on when surfing the net... And on that historical day I wanted so much to write something, but unfortunately nothing came out; my mind was completely blocked. I don’t know the reason but it might have been the sudden shock or disbelief!
Anyway, I started out putting verses together and ended up two days later with my first Senryu, as if it was meant to be the special poem for the special day for me.
For those who are not familiar with Senryu; the beauty of Senryu is that within its syllabic structure 5-7-5 there is a pose and a thought; only three lines in addition to the title to portray a theme and the accompanying emotions, and this was the real challenge for me, and when I felt somewhat satisfied with the poem, I did not want to publish it before getting enough reviews from my critics. And boy did I have to wait for a long time, but at last I finally got seven reviews and all of them were in favor and encouraging.
And what would be a better occasion to publish it than the appointment of the first woman minister in the history of Kuwait!
Dr. Ma3sooma Elmbarak .......
"With tremendous power come tremendous responsibilities"
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
Suffragettes’ Cry (Senryu)
You let me be me
the power you always strived to be
I took your burden mom
the power you always strived to be
I took your burden mom
Saturday, June 11
You want to know?Your mind wanders as your eyes read between the lines
Why write when I have you!
The release of maternity labor
The mother’s joy in the first glimpse of her newborn
The need of an infant for a merciful touch
Shall I mention more!
The longing of a flower to be beautified by the dew
Your dew
And yes, the starvation of a healthy Lioness
Are yet some of many roads to you
But the morning after
What do you know about the morning after!
Birds are bigger
Sky is brighter
Ocean waves are mellower
And the breeze is cooler
Although there is no ocean
And you’re gone
While I’m still in my writing;
In my ecstasy
In our eternity
Friday, June 10
Sameera / the struggle of a single woman “IV"A continuation
That night she was in the mood to look special, she entered Crown Plaza’s Sakura with that sleeveless red dress that vibrated on her, it had this perfect cut for her body that enhanced all her beautiful parts and veiled other parts that she thought blemished her nice figure. It had always amazed her how outfits enforced different characters on one’s personality; like acting casual when wearing casual, and that night her dress was seductive which should hint what type of character had enforced itself upon her .
Her evening makeup on the other hand, was perfect, unlike other times, she did not spend a long time applying it and for her that was a good omen; she knew she was in for a lovely evening.
Abbo Jaber greeted her with wide open eyes that said more than words can tell. He had never seen her outside the boundaries of her office in which she had always dressed formally and acted officially. In a way may be she meant to sense the impact of her other character on this widower, whom although was too old for her, he looked very handsome for his age, and possessed a domineering personality which she fancied in a man and may be at times she had fancied him.
The dinner was a blast; she enjoyed his company and their intellectual conversation and general chit-chats did not stop until she realized that it was 12 pm and that she had to rush home knowing what had awaited her by ignoring family’s constant calls in the past four hours. And although Abo Jaber had indirectly showed his admiration for her and the way she looked that night that he even requested “Lady in Red” to be played by the Czechoslovakian band that was coincidently there, but he did not for once approach this subject bluntly; they talked business, politics and personal issues in general, he was serious at times and funny most of the times and that exhilarated her mood when she finally drove back home.
Upon entering her house, she was faced in the entrance with her father who apparently had just gotten back from the Diwaniyah, he was pointing a finger at her and cussing her at the top of his lungs for staying out late, and on her way to her room, her mother stood on the stairs reassuring her that she would never get married with this attitude, and in the middle of her sentences, throwing the cliché of what would the neighbors think when they see her coming home that late.
Sameera blabbed back few words just to get herself off the hook, but she managed to deliver the message to her mother that she was on a business assignment of which the family already knew about and that there was no need for such a fuss. And then she closed her bedroom door behind her as soon as she got in to stop the storm that was building up outside; each one of her parents was blaming the other to show their disappointment in her. She tried hard not to change the mood in which she entered her house with, but the noise outside did not help much.
She knew that her family wanted the best for her, and was sure that they trusted her, but what she could never understand is why other’s opinion was important enough to ruin one’s life. It also puzzled her how a family would accept their daughter’s independence when they send her abroad at a very young age, and not accept it when she is older, wiser and much more mature, and moreover living under the same roof; was it a social hypocrisy!
She also believed that she was old enough to take care of her own affairs. There was no way to have a constructive argument in her family, her parents could never understand her or feel her needs; their generation and the accompanying ideologies was different than hers. Her mother had married at a very young age and had never been in her situation to judge her conduct, let alone provide a heartfelt advice that she mostly needed at times.
And now the argument outside was getting really heated up, and although her parents did not need a reason to fight since they were at it most of the time, she still hated being the ammo to start another fight. Her mother was going through menopause and that was a big reason behind her constant disapproval of everything and anything, and her father just didn’t want to be bothered with anything, he just expected everything to run smoothly without his interference as the way he was always accustomed to, and his patience with the lately over nagging wife was beginning to run very thin.
In that moment she really longed to talk to Foziya; the only one of her childhood friends that was still single. But this was not possible with Foziya’s constant business trips. And at that time Foziya was nowhere to be found for at least one week, and she couldn’t wait that long, she wanted to talk to someone now; and it was then when a naughty though popped in her mind; she called Marwan with a devilish smile on her face.
But Marwan’s phone was busy and she was kept at hold for three rings before she hang up. She waited at least an hour for his return call but it didn’t happen. And in the process her thoughts drifted to Marwan and his busy phone at this hour of the night. Was he with someone? Was he the Don Juan type? Ironically; she could not brush that thought away from her mind. Marwan was available and she was the one who rejected him, now what had changed? Why is he suddenly becoming so important? Why was she disappointed and what did she expect? And why is it that we always crave what is not easily attainable?
With a sunken heart she finally drifted to sleep.
And as expected; there was a charge of electricity in the air the next morning that she decided to skip breakfast; the family had succeeded to downcast her mood that she didn’t even feel hungry.
While driving to her office she tried to weigh her situation; were they right? Was her conduct behind the agonies that she was facing? Would she have been better off marrying the traditional way? Was it her fault that she had a five year affair with the wrong guy?
With a feeling of disgust, she cursed her stars for being different than others, for having the chance to live an independent life and being exposed to more civilized cultures and having to put up with her own that she had outlived. And in the middle of all that come again Marwan dominating all her other thoughts as she checked through the mirror the black circles around her eyes that she desperately tried to conceal with foundation an hour earlier.
To be continued
Wednesday, June 8
Sameera / the struggle of a single woman “III”A continuation
While Sameera was having breakfast with her mother, she noticed how gloomy her mother looked that morning. At first she thought that her mother was not feeling well, and upon her insistence to take her to the doctor the mother broke up with the news; “your aunt Om Ahmad called last night, she wants me to go check a girl with her for Ahmad”
And as usual a heated argument started after that. Ahmad’s mother had asked for Sameera’s hand several years back when she and Ahmad were both studying in the States; each in a different province, and although Ahmad had accepted to marry Sameera under his mother’s pressure, Sameera had turned him down. She knew that the two sister’s plan( her mother and aunt)was to unite them so that they’d stop worrying about her being a single woman abroad and at the same time Ahmad would not end up with a foreign girl; like catching two birds with one stone. But Sameera did not think that that was a good reason for her to commit for life, besides, she grew up with Ahmad and considered him the brother she never had, but that was all what she felt for him.
As she left the house dragging her feet on her way to the office, her mother’s voice still trailed at her back:” if you had accepted him then, I would have had grandchildren all around me by now”.
And as she expected, her office was booming with movement, some urgent phone calls as well as urgent mail had awaited her and she had to take care of that before answering Marwan’s message. She had planned to call him and apologize about the invitation and at the same time tell him that she was not interested in going ahead with the relationship, off course, without hurting his feelings. She had to do it in a nice way. But “were there really a nice way to turn a guy down?” The more she thought about it the harder her task appeared. She even had contemplated several scenarios on her way to office but none of them sounded nice enough, he was a very sweet person and did not deserve to be rejected, yet she had to act.
At midday when she finally could spare some time of peace a quite she dialed his number planning to approach the subject on tippy toes.
Marwan: “hey you, finally, I thought I’ll never hear from you again”
Sameera: “sorry dear, I was quite busy, how are you”
Marwan: “I’m ok, hope you’re not busy for tonight?”
Sameera: “actually no, I just have to help my little sister with her homework and that shouldn’t take long”
Marwan: “good then, do you prefer a certain place or certain food like Italian or Sushi?”
Sameera:” I don’t know about dinner though, I haven’t had dinner for ages with the diet and all”
And from there the conversation had picked up with Marwan introducing his favorite food, type of sports he was involved in, his hobbies and so on for about ten minutes when Sameera finally decided to get into the core of the subject .
Sameera: “ do you mind if I ask you how old are you ?”
Marwan: “ ah, so that’s what it is, why do you wana know? Or better yet; how old do you think I am? And why should that be of any importance?”
Sameera:” well, the other night at your place you looked very young and I’m just curious”
Marwan: “I’m not as young as I look, I’m almost 25 years old, and I know why you ask and to ease your mind I want you to know that a couple of years difference do not make any difference to me, unless it makes a difference to you”
Sameera: “no, a couple of years do not make much difference, but ten years do”
Marwan: “no way, you’re not 35 are you?”
Sameera: “yes I am”
And from there after the conversation continued with Marwan trying to convince Sameera that he was more attracted to older women, while Sameera’s position was firm in directing the conversation toward a friendly way of turning him down. She finally succeeded to turn down the invitation, but not to end the relationship; those younger generation would not take no for an answer, and ironically, that amused her.
Abo- jabber was a VIP customer; he was old enough to be her father’s age. He was a very sweet person whom she’d known for years that she even acted casually around him. That day he was supposed to come for a meeting in the afternoon, but he did not show up, instead, after half an hour he called and apologized. And although the objective of their meeting did not have any urgency, he insisted on meeting her over dinner or coffee. Sameera had never had dinner meetings with customers unless it was urgent, but upon his insistence, she reluctantly accepted.
To be continued
Monday, June 6
A dedication to a person who deserves the bestFatima AlNasser
You never ceased to amaze me with your kind heart accompanied by a will of steal, Working with you had been the best experience in my career. I still remember our meeting in London during the invasion when you asked me to join in The Kuwait Reconstruction Committee operating in Washington DC, when I selfishly turned you down, but you understood and moreover reassured me that my place with my children was the right patriotic act.
I also remember the honor you gave me by requesting my name along with four other Engineers to join you in Aldiwan Alameeri when you transferred there, but when you weighed how MPW would suffer from losing five experts all at once, you understood. And although you started single handedly without our support, you still prospered in a considerable period of time.
On the personal side you were always there for me when I needed you. But since this blog is public I would have to refrain from going into detail on that and all I can say is:
- I have learned from you how to be a constant giver
- Nothing could stop in your way when it came to justice, and I admire that a lot in you.
- No wasta, rashwa or ma7soobiya was in your dictionary, never, I have personally witnessed the sadness in your eyes and the strong gestures of your face whenever this subject was brought up in our conversation.
- You never compromised with the best solutions, not for any reasons, when it came to planning and executing projects.
- If I have known any straight people in my life, you were one of them.
- You earned your positions and patiently worked hard to achieved what you deserved.
- ...........................
- ................................
- ............................
- If I would go on with the above list I would probably never finish
Then let me just get to the point:
Mabroooook libaladi
No, the above is not a typing error; I meant to say libaladi as for "my country".
It is not because you are one of the first women in AlMaglis, although I can't deny that this fact exhilarated me and barad chabdi min all elmotakhalifeen group, nor it is because I had the chance to know you closely, which also is an honor for me, it's because at last I started having a glimpse of hope for reform in my country.
You are the right person in the right place, and I commend Bu-Nasser for this choice, although I'm against the idea of appointing members. But my heart goes for you because I can foresee how grave this responsibly would be on your shoulders, not because you lack any technical expertise or any sense of general planning, it's because you have to deal with people in AlMajlish AlBaladi who operate on different wavelengths than yours, good luck dear wi allah ye3eenich.
But nevertheless;
Om Al3anood...gadha wi gdood
The Red Rose/ by: Linda Paul
Sameera / the struggle of a single woman “II”
A continuation
Next day Sameera had loads of work to take care of, summer was on the corner and the international traveling agency she was managing was buzzing with travelers and non-stop phone calls, not to mention the personal disputes between the employers over trivial things that she had to settle. But her mobile didn’t stop ringing all day; Marwan was insistent.
And although she was considered one of the best managers of her firm she felt short when it came to managing disputes of the heart. She was unsure of how to react to this situation, so she left Marwan’s calls unanswered until she would find the time to call Fahad, in who’s place she met Marwan, and indirectly dig out more information about Marwan, she wanted to be sure how to deal with this new situation.
Later on that day, while she was having her mid-day break, she called Fahad and this conversation took place:
Sameera: “hey Fahad, how are you”
Fahad:” I’m fine gorgeous, how are you”
Sameera:” I’m good, thanks for the lovely party dear, I really had a good time”
Fahad: “yeh it was obvious (hahahahaaaa) thanks for showing up sweetie”
Somehow this did not sound funny, she posed for a while as her mind started analyzing: “What in the hell he meant by obvious, did he notice how intimate I was with Marwan! Or may be he saw our stolen kiss in the kitchen! No, he couldn’t have, I checked the place that night and no one was within site. But wait a minute, may be Marwan had mentioned something to Shehab; Fahad’s roommate and Shehab had spread the news! After all Marwan had mentioned to me how close they were since boarding school that they attended together, what a scam, could Fahad be the bragging type! The ones who take pride in showing off what a macho men they are! Oh no, that would be too complicated and he didn’t look the type” she brushed off all negative thoughts as Fahad’s voice coming through the receiver started to take a pitch higher.
Fahad:” alooooooo, you still there?”
Sameera: “yes, sorry, I was just thinking about Shihab, he seems to be a very nice person, but he looks very young”
Fahad : “ yeh, he is young, he just celebrated his twenty second’s birthday a month ago, but he is very mature for his age”
Sameera: “ yeh I thought so, anyway, I got to get back to business, I just called to thank you, and please say hello to Shihab for me”
Fahad: “sure girl anytime, now you take good care of yourself”
And as she hung up the phone she noticed how much she had been perspiring despite the freezing air-conditioned office she constantly complained about. Now her doubts were in place; Marwan is around twenty- two, and she had made a fool of herself, enough, she would put all that behind her now and Marwan’s episode is finished as far as she was concerned.
With a heavy heart she dragged herself out of the office while her mobile was still showing more missed calls from Marwan.
Later on that afternoon, as she was driving her little sister to the book shop, there was a car right in front of her trying to back park. The person in the car looked familiar and he suddenly drew a big smile on his face as soon as he saw her, a smile that reveled his identity; it was Morad, her first and only love. Her heart sank at the first sign of recognition, and then started pounding as she looked around for an opening to disappear into traffic for she could not face him, but there was no way out, the street was too narrow and other cars blocked the only other lane, she started yelling at other drivers to move, her sister noticed her anxiety although she did not know the reason behind it and she desperately tried to calm her down. At the same instant her mobile buzzed and the little sister picked it up and announced that the name on her mobile read “Marwan”, all what she could think of was: when it rains it pours.
That night she tossed and turned in bed trying unsuccessfully to get some rest, but to no avail. The sight of Morad and his distinctive smile that she loved the most brought back sad memories that she thought was long behind her. But it is amazing that although we try to fool ourselves that the past is behind us and that we are strong enough to go on with our lives, and a mere glimpse of that past would bring back all the hurt as if no time had passed.
It was more than two years since they had broken up; Morad had left her for a twenty years old Moroccan air hostess after five years of being together. Her relationship with him was not a secret, both families were aware of it and it was just a matter of time to announce their official engagement when everything suddenly collapsed.
The breakup was a tragedy at first, but as time passed she had realized how blindly she was in love with him. He was never the loyal type, but she refused to see it despite people’s constant gossip. Time had rewinded her years with him, zooming in the actual person he was and not the fantasy she made of him. Ironically; she was glad that it had ended before getting serious, but why did his sight hurt her now? Why was she so vulnerable, she hated herself for being so weak at his presence that she could not even have a glimpse of him.
Morad’s smile haunted her all night, but she finally managed to get a couple hours of sleep when a message beep from Marwan woke her up the next morning;
“morning beauty, romantic dinner 2night for 2, pick the place, no is not acceptable”
To be continued
Saturday, June 4
Sameera / the struggle of a single woman “I”They say that a name projects one’s personality and Sameera was a living proof of that. As the name Sameera translated from Arabic indicates dark features, it also means a person who is a good company. And Sameera possessed both, she had a tall elegant figure that shone with olive colored skin, atop which she held a masterminded brain that never ceased to excite any person in her company. To bring the image closer to mind, she looked like a reincarnation of Cleopatra.
But Sameera was never lucky with men. All of the ones she liked were terrified with commitment the moment they became intimate with her, she was not the playgirl type, and they admired her for that, but that’s all what she got in any relationship; admiration and respect.
The only real relationship she had along with its tragic ending was not more than a passing memory in the back of her mind now that she was 35 years old. She had a lot of suitors, who were insistently coming back, but she never wanted to marry the traditional way, it just wasn’t her.
Her story intrigued me to write a series of her personal life. My Sameera is a mixture of a real person when I write about her feelings, yet a fictional figure when I dig into the details of her daily conduct.
Sameera; the educated, self made woman was a success in her career, she was also a good economist; at a considerably young age she had managed to have her own property, even though she always was a big support for her family financially as well as emotionally.
Sameer’a biggest problem was that she knew what she wanted out of a relationship and that’s why she was always clear from the beginning. Men on the other hand, would try their luck regardless of that and without considering what they were getting themselves into. Some would play games skillfully aiming to trap her into a fun type relationship only to end up in love with her and afraid of their own emotions. She never had the stomach for that and that was the reason behind her staying single when most of her friends were married and some were with kids.
Her other problem was her high expectations; it was never easy for her to click easily with a man, that’s why the slightest sign of that was enough to reassure her own feelings of being a normal woman, and that was the reason behind her ending up with wrong people.
Her mother, on the other hand, was another story; her constant nagging and trials to get her into the wholly matrimony annoyed her the most. She could not understand why her mother blamed her for staying single.
With that astonishing figure and those large sparkling green eyes, she had her way in standing out in a crowd. Men would gather around her like bees around a juicy flower. And that night when she met him was no exception. The gentleman with the nice suit looked a bit young for her age; like in his late twenties or may be early thirties, but ironically she felt good with him. He was well mannered, educated and good looking. It was not as if he had a big influence on her, which had never happened to her before anyway, but it was enough for her to give him a chance.
Marwan, on the other hand, was infatuated by her, he publicly showed his adoration for each move she made while dancing with him, he was also taken by the intellectual conversation they had. That night was an unexpected turn of events for both of them; he was invited by the host’s roommate and thought that he’d be bored since he hardly knew anyone around, and she had gone to her friend’s party contemplating that she’d stay for only an hour to pay respect. But they both ended up dancing, chatting and having a great time all night long; a feeling that she didn't have for a very long time; the attention she got from this particular person amused her and her night finally ended with a very sensual kiss; he was a good kisser and smelled just the right way to trigger all her long dormant senses.
Next day Marwan called and invited her out. And since she had made previous plans she had to turn his invitation down. But he did not stop calling all day to insure his newly found interest in her, her phone was constantly ringing for a change and the conversation was polite and sweet. And since she finished early the errands of that day, she reluctantly accepted his invitation to pass by his place on her way back home for a quick drink convincing herself that it was a good chance to see him without the cliché of the party atmosphere before going further in the relationship.
Sameera’s jaw dropped at the initial sight of the bare footed guy with sleeveless shirt and Bermuda shorts who opened the door for her, he looked more like an 18 years old kid. It astounded her how would a suit change a person that much. She knew that he couldn’t be that young since he had already finished his degree and was working with a reputable firm, but still, his looks did not comfort her, she could not digest the fact that this was the person she kissed the night before, and her mind kept buzzing:” get out of here, this is not happening to me, no I’m not that desperate” and she hastily gulped her drink before excusing herself out.
To be continued
Thursday, June 2
Life Goes onNew people come, old people go
Some might stay longer although
You care not for them to
While dear ones with you are through
And life goes on with no respect
As I stand alone watching
Love birds who grow bored with space
Another who just broke an embrace
Yet others who would pretend
That their passion never ends
And life goes on with no respect
As I stand alone watching
Some would swear; loyal they’d stay
But as soon as they face the day
When a new bird flutters around
They’d be gone safe and sound
And life goes on with no respect
As I stand alone watching
A lover pained with memories
Another waiting for “a lover” to be
Yet another who’s living a lie
Of eternal ecstasy
And life goes on with no respect
As I stand alone watching
Time is gone
And we’re still here
Standing still, waiting for what!
We would never know my dear
As life goes on with no respect
To whom stand alone watching
Wednesday, June 1
101 Reason to Fall in Love with ItalyWell aside from the fact that Italy has the most gorgeous men in the world, at least in my opinion, I guess we Arabs and the Italians have a lot in common,Check this out
Name::AyyA
From::Kuwait
I AM WHO I AM AS I ARRIVE AT YOUR DOOR WHETHER I COME OR I GO IS NOT UP TO ME FOR I HAVE LOST SIGHT OF ALL DESIRE "Walled Garden of Truth",Hakim Sanai
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