The Missing Banana

Remember the Lost Banana I posted about once? Here's a link for that post.

Rejoice, my friends! It has been found. My mom and sister were cleaning the room, and here it is!Not exactly decomposed yet, but fairly on it's way there.

Summer Readings 2009

The Karamazov Brothers - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Such a great book. Captures human emotions so well. It's a timeless classic. This was my 2nd Dostoeveski book and it just makes me want to read all of his writings. He's one of the best!

Thanks Ash for recommending it. :)

The Rescue - Nicholas Sparks

I don't know if it was me, or the book. I usually like the books of Nicholas Sparks but this one just didn't work for me. I fall for romantic stories easily, or at least I used to. Maybe I'm growing picky, but I wouldn't recommend it.

The Road - Cormac McCarthy

This book is amazing. I totally see what's the buzz is about, only two nameless people living in a world that has ended. It's so scarily believable. I highly recommend it for everyone. Really puts life in a new prespective.

Foundation - Isaac Asimov

I really liked it. It was definitely something new and exciting. I'm looking forward to reading more of Asimov's works. He's a genius!!

Thanks ViC for recommending it!!!!

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

I didn't think I'd like it, because I thought Bilbo's charcter was a bit awkward in the Lord of the Rings but it was great. Funny, fast-paced, and highly interesting!

Silas Marner - George Eliot

My first Eliot book. I was postponing reading it, I don't know why. Maybe there was such a buzz about her that I thought I'd be disappointed but I wasn't! The book got to me. I loved it. So simple, yet so touching. Classics prove once again, they're the thing to read when you're looking for inspiration! Definitely looking forward to reading more for Eliot.

The Broker - John Grisham

Not Grisham's best, it wasn't a legal book really. I liked it though.... Pity I didn't read anything else for him this summer!

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

I don't think I can do this book justice. It's truly a life-changing book. I loved it, and it touched me deeply. It's hard for me to talk about it, it's just one of the best books I've ever read. So simple, yet left me nearly sobbing at the end...

Just read it. ;)

Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories - Truman Capote

I've never watched the movie, but I thought it'd be interesting to know what it was all about so I got the book. It's a nice little book, the stories are something totally new from the things I've read, yet I could relate someway somehow.

Tender is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Although the beginning promised something bigger than the rest of the book had to offer, I must admit that I really liked the book, and the whole plot. It was very refreshing and I would recommend it. With a quote like this: "His nose was somewhat pointed and there was never any doubt at whom he was looking or talking - and this is a flattering attention, for who looks at us? - glances fall upon us, curious or disinterested, nothing more." Page 17.
I couldn't help liking it. Some have the talent of describing things that when you read them, they knock you out of your senses at how simple the author makes it sound to describe something you find so hard to define.

New Moon - Stephenie Meyer

I liked it. Jacob's character rules. Found Bella to be annoying at times, but I managed to get through the book in 24 hours. It's not an indicator of how good it is, it's just that I wanted to know what happens next. Meyer's style is too interesting in this one.

Orlando - Virginia Woolf

AWESOME READ! Truly. Too original, and with so much spirit and soul. Everyone should read it. It's a timeless book. I just loved how I could find something to ponder upon in almost every single page. How I found myself in that book at so many times. When I read in page 70: "they will yet endure ridicule and misunderstanding than keep any experience to themselves". I was stunned. How could she write something like that? How could I find myself described in that line with such truth. I have to remind myself she didn't write the book for me though.

Thank you Mohammed for this great recommendation!

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

I liked it.

Gloomy books aren't my thing really, but it's a classic and it was bound to be a bit gloomy, but it was too gloomy for my liking. I don't understand why people find it so inspiring and true. Someone inlighten me please!

Enduring Love - Ian McEwan

If you haven't read for McEwan then you're definitely missing out. One of the best authors I've ever read for. He writes too effortlessly. No one, and I mean no one that I've read for can enter the mind of the character the way he does. I don't know how to say it really. You have to read for him to know what I'm talking about.

The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck

I loved how it got me into a whole new world and people. China in the 1920s, the life of a farmer and his family. I really appreciate such books, not many can truly pull them off and tell the story the "right" way if I may say, but I think this one is such a book, it got you living with them, and appreciating the work of farmers.

Thanks Ash for introducing me to this!

Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

A great great read. Such memorable characters, such emotions. The author got very deep into his characters, I really felt very connected with them. Loved it! Loved it! It's the kind of book that sheds light into matters you did think about, but in a new way. It makes you want to get up and help the poor, the children the way one of the characters did to a young girl and changed her life.

Beautiful.

The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

I can't believe I've read it to be honest. Such intensity. It's great! I didn't think I'd like it this much, but it's the kind of book that stays with you somehow. I still remember much of the details although it's a 1000 page book. The word captivating isn't enough for this book. I'd say you might want to be a little over 17 to read it though.

The Blood of Flowers - Anita Amirrezvani

I love books that tell the story of people you'd have never got the chance to hear otherwise. How carpets are made? How many of us actually looked at a carpet and considered the forces it took to make? The un-named, unknown people, who are satisfied with being anonymous with the mere thought of making the world more beautiful.

I highly recommend it, it's just one of the best books I've read. If you like Khalid hosseini's books, then read this too. Thanks goes to Rux for this awesome recommendation!

Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer

I really really didn't like this one. Couldn't stop Bella from getting on my nerves. The author was trying too hard. I was expecting something other than Bella forgetting to breathe because of Edward, even though I got something a bit drastic, I was even more disappointed. Not very excited about reading Breaking Dawn, but I will. See where that will go.

Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger

Original. Very original. Made me want to be a catcher in the rye too. If you want to know what that is, you have to read the book. It's just one of the best books ever. And I simply can't stop using his expression of 'it killed me'!

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Too good. Life is a story. Pi is too cool a character if you ask me. Cool may not be the word for him, but his mere name inspires coolness. I want such a name.

I'm thankful I got to read it. It's just... I'm getting lost for words here actually. Read it and you'll know. You won't be disappointed, I'm sure.

Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone
Awesome book, with loads of hilarious stuff. I loved it, I've read it before in Arabic but it's nothing like reading the original which I found to be an awesome read.

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
Again an awesome read. Having read that, now I've officially read all of the Harry Potter books. I'm pretty psyched about that! :D

Again, a huge huge thanks to ViCtoria, Ashok, Mohammed and Rux for the awesome book recommendations! My Summer reading was much better thanks to you guys!
My holidays are still on, but the Summer holidays should have been over next week, so I simply put the books I finished during the 3 months time.

تذكر - كاظم الساهر

This is such an under-estimated song. I remember listening to it when I was in Iraq in the late 90s. I just found it recently again!!!
I have to dedicate this post to such a beautiful beautiful song. It's called Tathakar (which means Remember), Kadim Al Sahir sang it for the children of Iraq when Saddam was ruling and the situation was really bad. I think they banned it on tv after a while, and I could only find 2 videos of it on Youtube, and they're not very clear but still. It's a song worth listening to. I loove it!!



تذكر

تذكر...
Remember,
كلما صليت ليلاً
Everytime you pray at night,
ملايين تلوك الصخر خبزاً
The millions who chew stones like bread

تذكر...
Remember,
قبل أن تغفو على أي وساده
Before you fall asleep on any pillow,
أينام الليل من ذبحوا بلاده ؟؟؟!!!
Does sleep come to those whose country has been slayed?

إني أراهم عائدين من المدارس
I see them coming back from schools
باست جبينهم المآذن و الكنائس
Mosques and Churches have kissed their forheads
كتبوا لكم هذا النداء
They wrote this calling for you
بعثوا لكم هذا النداء
They sent this calling for you

وطني جريح خلف قضبان الحصار
My country is wounded behind the bars of...
في كل يوم يسقط العشرات من أطفالنا
Everyday our children die
إلى متى؟ إلى متى ؟إلى متى هذا النداء
Until when? Until when? Until when will this calling continue?


PS: I translated it, so there might be some mistakes, and I didn't get to publish the whole lyrics.

Wants!

I want them!!! We don't get a cold winter here, but these outfits are too awesome! That's why I need to go to university in a place that's cold and I can wear such stuff. Aren't they adorable?

For more, see here: View All Sweaters

'Sup?

I don't have much to say, but I need to say something. Life's standing still.
Haven't been reading much lately, or doing anything productive for that matter. We just got school stuff, and we started studying bit by bit.
Ramadan is here (Ramadan Mubarak to you all!) and the TV is having all sorts of shows. We're watching only bab el 7ara as usual. It's not much, but without it we'd be stuck roaming around the house all day! It's not healthy...

It shouldn't be like this. It's holidays, Ramadan, and we're taking it bit by bit preparing for school. It should be as it is, yet in a different way. Something more alive (?).
I'm talking nonsense here, but I need this. Just let it go, I don't know why I'm feeling so... so... so not cheerful. Stressing school and next year when it hasn't even started. Let's let go of this, shall we?

"la la la la life is wonderful" right?
It is.
Bottom line, stay beautiful people!
<3

Life of Pi

Life of Pi is an amazing book. It's very original, and has great insights on the world!!! Religion is a topic that's addressed in the book, and the author does great work with it.
I just loved it. How Pi grows, and becomes more mature. Awesome Awesome!!! I'm jealous of his name though, Pi! You know the 3.14 thingy...
I really think everyone should read this book!

Anyways. I have a nice quote to share from the book:

"So you want another story?"
"Uhh... no. We would like to know what really happened."
"Doesn't the telling of something always become a story?"
"Uhh... perhaps in English. In Japanese a story would have an element of invention in it. We don't want any invention. We want 'straight facts', as u say in English."
''Isn't telling about something - using words, English or Japanese - already something of an invention? Isn't just looking upon this world already something of an invention?"
"Uhh..."
"The world isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn't that make life a story?"
"Ha! Ha! Ha! you are very intelligent, Mr. Patel"
Mr Chiba: "What is he talking about?" (this is said by the partner of the one talking to Mr. Patel)
"I have no idea." (this is said by the one who was talking to Mr. Patel)

Page 380
Life of Pi
Yann Martel
Harcourt

Ensan Akthar

انت منت انسان أكثر
enta manta ensan akthar
You're not more human than I am

قلبي مو من قلبك أصغر
galbi mo men galbak as'3ar
my heart is not smaller than yours

ومثل ما تشعر تأكد اني أشعر
w methel ma tsh3or taakad eny ash3or
and like you feel, be sure that I feel too

فيني منك فيك مني
feeni menak feek meny
I've got some of you inside me, and you as well (meaning we're the same)

غصب عنك غصب عني
'3aseb 3anak w '3aseb 3any
(we're the same) whether we like it or not

التقينا واللقا قسمة مقدر
eltegaina w elloga gesma mgadar
we met and meeting was destined

I simply love this song. This particular part of it. It's so true, yet we fail to realize it over and over again. One of the things that really annoy me, is stuck-up people. I mean what is the reason they walk around thinking they're all superior to other people. I just don't get it. I'm not talking about people I know, I'm just talking about people in the streets, in malls, and such when you see them walk by you, they make you think they're above everyone.

It's ridiculous. How hard is it walking with a nice smile on your face (on the good days I mean)? I don't think it is. You don't even have to have a smile on your face (although that would be better), you can simply walk without airs.

I just felt like venting, so I did. I'm not particularly annoyed by that at the moment, but it's more of an observation.

Negative energy going down the drain!

"Truth of the matter, he's got the blues" Rock All Day - Outlandish

What if I, too, have got the blues? I'm feeling it and it's not a pleasant feeling. I keep getting annoyed and upset for no reason. I feel like there are a lot of bottled up feelings inside of me, yet I can't define all of them. Sure, there's anxiety, worry, stress, guilt, etc. All of us have these inside, but for some reason, there's something eating me up, it's probably the stress that school is coming soon and I don't feel prepared one way or another. Amotionally I mean. I know it's going to be a roller coaster ride, being the last year and all, and how stressful that's going to be. Almost everyone has been advising us to study hard, and to focus and the likes. In usual cases, that was totally fine, but it's been getting on my nerves, making me feel how serious it will be, and I already know that. I think I need people to tell me, it's going to be fine, you'll do great, and it's not as hard as they say it is...

A lot of things have been getting on my nerves actually. And that is annoying in itself, I hate getting worked up for nothing. I used to feel good knowing I didn't have a temper. I know I'm really awful with dealing with pressure, although there is some good two weeks left for school, it already got me on my toes, for quite sometime now. I just wish I would feel the stress when school started, and things got hectic, it would be more justified. I guess, it doesn't have to be though.


Perhaps this is on my Let-Go-List (Thanks goes to Nema for making me think the reason I'm not perfectly capable of letting go is the fact that I don't exactly know what to let go of, it's got me thinking! So Thank you, Nema, I appreciate it a lot.) :
Let go of un-neseccary worry and stress.
Let go of the constant guilt circles, getting worked up, feeling guilty about it, get worked up for that and act as if I'm angry about something, go about my business and then when someone asks why am I worked up, get worked up for that again... A vicious circle, I tell ya. It may not be as bad as I make it sound, but it feels bad enough.

I need all the positive energy I can get to be honest. These last days should be about feeling all care free and such. I'll try to make it so, I'll put some dancy music and let the stress slip away... :)

Bee Happy people!

Just Let Me Go

So I finally got to taste Ice Tea, it was the Lipton Peach flavored Ice Tea, and it wasn't all that. It tasted more like a peach juice but I can officially say I have tasted Ice Tea...
That's my exciting news for you.

Other than that I just finished a really interesting book, The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani. It's a great read, if you are interested in reading about something new, about Iran back in the 17th century and about a young carpet maker, then this is the book to read. It's enchanting!
I loooooved it.

Now I'm reading Eclipse, the 3rd Twilight book. I have no expectations, but they say it's better than New Moon so I'm all up for it. Bella going gaga over Edward is getting a bit old, but I'm trying not to let it get on my nerves. What can I say though? It's too interesting to put down.

What has been on my mind lately is that I need to let things go. I do. I keep stressing things that I ought to have let go of ages ago. It's hard when you have a mind like mine, that keeps thinking over the same thing on and on and on. Everyone has their flaws and issues like me.
I simply need to learn how to chillax more... and Let go of things.

That's what I wanted to say really. Hope everyone is having awesome times, and eating lots of ice-cream ;)
Love

PS: the title is from a 3 Doors Down song that's called Let Me Go, which is one of my favourite songies.

Les Misérables

I just finished reading it, and I feel the need to dedicate a post for this amazing book. It's been a while since I read a classic, and I knew I'd like this book, but I just didn't know that I'd really fall in love with it. It's so... perhaps touching is the word.

It is very sad, yet it's a beautiful kind of sadness, and a noble one. I recommend it highly!!!
And here are a couple of quotes that I liked:

"The soul helps the body, and at certain moments uplifts it. It is only bird which sustains its cage."

Page 228

"You look at a star from two motives: because its luminous and because it is impenetrable. You have at your side a softer radiance and a greater mystery: woman"

Page 319

Les Misérables
Victor Hugo
Pocket Books

Gone with the Wind

Hope.

Hope!

Hope?

I've seen Gone with the Wind a couple of days ago and I loved it! I've read the novel in Arabic, I thought it was ok. Nothing grand, and very very gloomy, too gloomy for my taste. Yet, the movie was captivating. I didn't think I would like such a movie, very old and classic. Classic movies aren't my thing, yet everything was perfect. When she would cry, laugh, get teased, be filled with despair. Simply brilliant!!

It remained somewhat gloomy, yet they managed to get me hoping for a better and happier ending. (Yes. I am a hopeless romantic.) I loved it!!!! How it filled me with hope.

"And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day." Can you think of a better way to end a movie? (Sorry if this is a spoiler for anyone who wants to watch it, but its too beautiful a line for me to refrain from quoting it)

Circumstances

Life does impose certain rules on us, we may rebel and try to break free, yet they remain to haunt us.
Life makes us go through everything, we try to over come what comes our way, and we do our best, yet sometimes it is too hard. Perhaps it is destiny, and how we are meant to spend our lives, and what we gain from it all. And maybe, it happens to put light on matters in our lives, or
on the ways of the world.
What of young people wanting to get married yet life puts all the obstacles in the world in front of them. It is something that has been bothering me for quite sometime now, and I feel the need to tell you about it. Many people in this world had their lives changed, they got through it, and lived to tell the tale.
So here's the bottom line, two people in love, get engaged, but after sometime they break up. She doesn't have a passport that allows her to get him to live with her in Jordan, and he can't get her to come to live with him in Palestine, so what can they do?
It's all too sad if you ask me, and the thing is that they had to end it because they knew they would have to live apart or spend their lives away from both of their homes. Jobs abroad aren't easy to get, and even if they did get it, what would happen if they lost their jobs? What would happen to the kids? They must have gone through a really bad time having to break up over that. And it's only one case of many many young people, who can't get married, or can't find jobs. It's such a shame, for Palestinians, and how we seem to be losing ground of the miseries of these people, or of the people in the world in general. I do share Younsef's views (a character from On The Hills of God which is a book that I can truly say has changed my life, one way or another) of how we should quit putting the blame and seriously try to solve all of this, find a common ground. Our pride has done no good in this matter whatsoever, I understand it something beyond me to comprehend, or for anyone who hasn't actually experienced it, but I understand for the sakes of these people, serious steps towards their salvation from their misery should be taken.

If the leaders truly had the people on their minds, they'd have at least made an attempt towards trying to attain peace. However, what I say is merely how I view the issue.
Inshallah, the best that the people derserve may happen. We simply need to show our symapthy. It's not just the Palestine-Israel-Conflict, it's of all the conflicts in the world, and of all the nations that are suffering!!!

People's capacity to endure truly amazes me!