Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Of this and that

I feel as if I need to voice out some thoughts I've been having lately, and even though I'd love to dedicate a post for each, my writing skills are only allowing me to give each topic on my head a paragraph or in the utmost two paragraphs. Anyways let's rock away!

First thing, it's weird but I've never had it. I've never tasted iced-tea. I mean I like hot tea, I don't drink it that often though. I'm not into drinks really be it tea or coffee or anything, my favourites are water and juice(s). Anyways I don't know why, I just want to taste it! I'll definitely post my feelings about it when I do. :P

I admit the first thing was a bit weird. I mean why would you wanna know that? But I just can't help sharing useless stuff. Let's move on to the second thought which is deeper I swear than wanting to try a drink. I've been noticing lately that people expect you to make the move and ask about them and you be the one in touch. I'm in no generalizing here. I believe that there are great friends, and they'd always check up on you but I just can't help feeling it's frustrating to feel that if you get caught up in life certain people whom you would call friends wouldn't do the same for you. However though, even if it gets frustrating, at the end you just do it for yourself and stay in touch because you'd be the one feeling bad for not doing so.
Anyways, maybe I'm putting too much to it, but still I can't help feeling the way I do. But don't get me wrong, it's just sometime back that I noticed it, and I don't really care about it anymore, because first off if you stress stuff too much then you'd end up picking at everyone's mistake and who would you have left around you? And second off, friendship is about just having fun with your friends and that they'll be no awkward moments or feelings. So anyways, I'm just voicing it out loud to get it off my chest. So there!

I don't why is it that I have such a hard time writing something that represents angry or sad feelings. I mean I don't write when I'm feeling very bad about something, or when I have a bad day or anything. I just try to write about it when I feel better so that I have a good perspective on it. But somehow it would be different (I don't know if better), if I wrote while I was going through a bad time. But I just feel that I'd end up stressing too much into it (as I often do with everything really) and give it more than it deserves and maybe that feeling will be with me for a while. But most of all, I just hate the thought of sounding ungrateful for anything in my life, I don't know if that would sound as I was bragging about myself or wanting to seem idealistic or any of that. But take my word for it, it's not! I'm just trying to say it like it is.

I don't know what else I want to voice really. I just feel good about posting about the above stuff. That's all that's stuck on my mind really. I've been enjoying blogging lately, after such a long time of very infrequent posts! :D That's all for now, I'll see ya when I see ya...
Good night


Sunday, January 25, 2009

FRIENDS


I feel as if I didn't appreciate them enough, although I knew they were probably among the most wonderful people I'd ever meet in my life. I find myself wishing these days, that the day we met them would repeat itself again. I can clearly remember the words they taught us, the places they had us go to.
At first they were just telling us which way to go next, and at the end of the night we felt as if we were best friends forever. I get to talk to them every now and then online, but it's just not enough.
The language issue wasn't a problem at all, although we found ourselves sometimes looking at them speaking in Turkish quickly in vain trying to tell us something their English vocabulary failed to convey. I just keep on wishing someday I'd see them again!!! Inshallah we will though. It's something deep, and I'd have normally kept it inside and not let it out, but it's just feels right to write about it.
What fascinates me the most, was how friendly they were. They didn't know us at all, and it just really strengthens your faith in humanity when you meet such nice people and their simplicity is amazing. You may think I am speaking in codes, but I'm not. it's actually very simple. They were two girls we met on our trip to Turkey. I just feel like I miss them so much, we had such fun together, even if it was for one day. It's amazing how you can get attached to people you've met even for a short while.
It's one of the reasons why I want to learn Turkish, so that I can go there again and meet my lovely friends and we can talk easily. Anything is possible, right? Plus we're very much on our way to becoming experts in the language, :P Well, okay maybe not that much but we're doing our best. It's just great to know that you have such friends.

School Homeworks!

I've been writing some papers for a school subject that I don't like but am forced to take. Anyhow, they told us to write about our hobbies and what interests us in life. I wrote one in English and one in Arabic and I'll post them here for you to see how different it is to be writing something for school and to be writing for one's self.
Here we go, this is the 1st:

It is said that reading is the food of the soul. I happen to believe that strongly. I love to read! I feel as if there's a whole new world when I read, filled with mystery and excitement. I feel that anything and everything could happen while I read. It's wonderful to be lost in another world.

Reading is fun and very informative as well.

At the moment classics and novels are the books that interest me the most. I have a nice collection of books. My favourties are numerous. I love all of Jane Austen's novels such as Pride and Prejudice. In addition I also consider Khalid Hosseini's books to be among my favorites.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The woman in White by Wilkie Collins, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, are among the books that I've been fortune enough to read.

Reading is one of my pleasures in life. It helps me realize that anything is possible in life. It also broadens my horizons…




And this is the second

كطالبة في المدرسة أشعر بأني عالمي يجب أن يتوسع خارج نطاق المدرسة لأن العالم لا يتمحور حول المدرسة فقط. لذا فأنا أحاول أ أطلع على ما يجري في العالم من حولي، فأنا عضوة في منتدى "أصوات الشباب" الذي ترعاه منظمة اليونيسيف. كما إني مشتركة في عدة منتديات أخرى تهتم بعرض وجهة نظر الشباب حول ما يجري في العالم. انضمامي في هذه المنتديات يجعلني أشعر أكثر بالمسؤولية حول حياتي و الخيارات التي اختارها.

أنا أحب أن أتناقش حول ما يحدث حولنا إن كان ذلك عن المشاكل البيئية التي تهدد كوكبنا، أو الحروب التي تهدد حياة الشعوب، أو عن كيف نستطيع تغيير العالم الذي نعيش فيه. أظن أن الأنسان يستطيع أن يطور الأرض دون ان يهدد حياة الكائنات التي تعيش عليها. فنحن نرى و نشعر بالمشاكل البيئية من احتباس حراري و تلوث و هذا إنما يحدث بسبب إسراف الإنسان بموارد بيئته. فإنني عندما أتناقش مع الآخرين أرى أن ذلك يجعلني على إطلاع بآراء الآخرين و وجهات نظرهم مما يدعم من قدرتي على التواصل مع الآخرين و الحوار معهم. كما إنه من الرائع التعرف على حياة الناس الذي يعيشون على بُعد آلاف الكيلومترات منا و عن عاداتهم و تقاليدهم. و أنا أيضاً أحاول أن أشارك في تعريفهم على عالمنا العربي و عاداتنا و ديننا الحنيف.

إنه من الجميل أن يشعر الإنسان أنه يحدث تغييراً للأفضل في حياته و في حياة الناس من حوله، لأن الله تعالى وضعنا على وجه الأرض حتى نعمرها، و أنا أحاول أن أضع هذا نصب أعيني دائماً.


It feels so lame, but oh well, I'm bold enough to show you so feel free to leave your comments. ;)

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Life @ my end

I just miss my blabbering posts here. I haven't written one in a while and I'm in the mood for it. I just woke up at 10.30 a.m. It's relatively late, but looking at the fact that everyone's still asleep, it makes it quite early.

So being on vacation is quite nice. We haven't been doing much, except tiding the room (which I still have some things left to tidy since I keep on postponing doing them and I have no idea why I put that first, it's not like all we do is that, but the room is in such a better shape after the exams that it's just inevitable to mention it), and reading! Oh we've been again to that awesome book shop that sells used books and got great stuff, now I'm reading the 1st part of the Lord of the Rings, and that's something I've always wanted to read, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to finish the sequel before we start school again. We've also been watching a few movies. Yesterday we watched Revolutionary Road, it was great, I mean Kate and Leo were just brilliant. Also, Bedtime Stories, and that was hilarious.

Other than that it's not much. The weather's been wonderful. It rained like 2 or 3 days in a row, and it kinda feels like winter. Because we don't get that really cold weather here, so we're very happy with what we got.

Now I'm in love with this probably 50s song, it's called Bye Bye Love by the Everly Brothers, it's just the coolest song ever. I wouldn't have ever heard it if it wasn't for the radio. So here's from me to all of you out there:


I haven't been watching much tv, tv shows are getting old but sometimes they air good movies, like the other day we were watching PS I Love You, it was amazing how much we laughed at that movie! You have to love Gerard's Irish accent...

Anyways, to wrap things up, inshallah a cease fire will be permanent, because the situation is only getting worse. May Allah be with them.
:)

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Arabic Books

I've always thought it was a shame I wasn't much of a reader of Arabic books. I have tried to get recommendations but the thing is, I haven't been successful with finding them. Plus the thing with Arabic books is that I always end up wondering what the story meant or something.

The thing with Arabic writings in general, is that I don't get them. It's my fault entirely really, my vocabulary isn't large enough as I'd like it to be.
However, I'd like to offer my humble opinion about them, which shouldn't be seriously considered looking at the fact that I don't read a lot of Arabic books. Anyways, I just find most Arabic stories to be vague. They start with talking about a 'he' or a 'she' through out the whole story, without offering clear statements whether it was related to the name of the character, their situation in life, or anything that would help you understand their story. It offers thoughts about a certain circumstance and goes on from there to have a very open and vague ending.
I can absolutely understand how people can love such stories. The mystery and the amount of freedom that is left to the reader to build their own thoughts and ideas about the characters and the events is very appealing but I have to say that I have been very unfortunate so far to be a hard critic of Arabic stories.

I just wish I had more opportunities to read Arabic books, so I think I'm going to be starting a list of Must-Read-Arabic-Books, I already have a list of books I want to read and, surprise, surprise, they're all in English. It's just sad! Anyways, before I start blabbering all again I'll wrap this up by saying if you have a nice Arabic book to recommend please leave a comment. :)

Friday, January 9, 2009

Gaza

I feel as if I am obliged to state my feelings for what is taking place in Gaza. It is inhuman, and I really don't understand how can these people live with themselves. Do they not watch what it is they're doing to the people of Gaza?

I can't stand watching 2 minutes of their suffer there. It is a curious thing though, I am very ready to discuss any world issue and state my feelings towards it, but when it comes to this one in particular, I just feel that I can't simply condemn what is happening there. I think I'd feel as one of the hypocrite Arabs we all hate to be. The ones with speeches, and mottoes. The ones that are satisfied with blaming politicians, and resting their consceince. I may seem too hard on them, but it most true that there are certain people who are like that. Void speeches of how Arabs once were, and how they should be united against the enemy, and those who are against Israel and the USA for what they're doing. I don't blame them for hating, but it just feels hypocrisy, how one simply talks and talks about a certain happening, I know they may have no other way since they can not end what is happening, but I just can't help it.

I don't know what I'm trying to prove by this post, it's just for me to say that I feel for these people, I am not the one to change my display picture supporting Gaza, or my status, sending emails and starting discussions about it with my friends. I don't know why I seem to myself quite fearful or doing that. The last thing I wish is to feel that I am simply doing that to show to other people how much I care about what is happening and I am not afraid to show it.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against those who are showing their support to Gaza in every possible way. In fact I am encouraging them to keep at it since perhaps they are showing the world in their own way that there are indeed people who care about the people there and what misfortunes are taking place there. For my side, I don't know what I will be doing, perhaps I will keep at my silence about it, people differ in their ways of showing how they feel about things and I shall use my right of expressing myself the way I choose to.

It may seem as a blabbering of a teenager, and it may be for what do I know with the ways of the world? I just pray that Allah has mercy on us.

Or...?

I was ordering a meal at the food court in a mall, and the cashier said: "Would you like regular coke or diet coke?"
The place being very crowded and noisy I didn't hear her question properly so I was like: "Okay!" The lady had to repeat her question, and being my always-so-blunt-self I replied and told her whatever it was that I wanted.

I don't know if you've noticed it, but from my side it was merely a mistake of not hearing the question well. However, a lot of times it happens that you ask someone a question that has 'or' in it, they'd be like Yes, or okay, and what are you supposed to take from it?
I remembered it having watched Anne and the King, and she asked him a question with the word 'or' in it and he merely replied by saying 'Yes'. It was obvious he was teasing her but it happens a lot in life, and I simply get an affirmative to a question that requires from a person to choose one of the two things I stated in my question.

It is somehow a bit funny though.