Green Thinking

- With thousands (probably millions) of incandescent light bulbs on the roads, couldn't they replace them with more efficient light bulbs? I mean, this thought crosses my minds probably every time we drive around at night. There are tonnes on them on the roads, and we all know how inefficient they are, so why don't governments replace them?
My main concern is not the electricity that they consume, but more on the enormous heat they produce, I mean light three or four in a room and see how hot it gets.
I don't know if my thoughts are right really, I just had to talk about this, because one day I really need to know the truth about street lights, and who knows? Maybe I will, and get to post about it here!

For more info though, check this: Street Lights (Yes! It's a wiki site.)

- Recycling is a very big issue that is on my mind, I mean we don't get to recycle here because there isn't a facility that would do the purpose. There is really not much awareness on the issue, but it's getting better now that we're seeing signs telling people to use less plastic, they're a very good start I think. The best would be actually starting a recycling system.
I'd like to start buying rechargeable batteries, although I have no idea how they work, but at least I learned something today while browsing a few "green" articles online, and that is our usual batteries contain very harmful substances. And I'll definitely try to buy a reusable water container for school, instead of the bottled water I used before. I feel guilty about how much I used!!! But it's high time I start acting like a responsible citizen of the world, or do it in a more conscious way.

- These grocery bags get on my nerves. I am aware of the fact that plastic bags in general are very harmful to the environment. Here at our house we reuse them for rubbish and stuff like that, but those transparent grocery bags that you put the tomatoes, potatoes, cucumber, etc. in them so that they can weigh them and stick a price tag on them and then they'll seal them. They end up being ripped open, and then thrown away, totally no second usage of them. WHY CAN'T THEY COME UP WITH A MORE EFFICIENT, GREEN WAY FOR US TO DO GROCERY SHOPPING?!!! Like maybe baskets that the shop has that we just use for putting our grocery and then we'll put them in a more-environmentally-friendly bag so that we can take them home.
Yes, it is indeed getting on my nerves.


I'd really appreciate any green tips that you follow, or have heard of. :)

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.

Thoughts on workers and discrimination

This post is for some random thoughts I've been having lately. I mean I'm not getting a proper chance to actually think about anything really, but well. Here we go.
I've been thinking about exploiting workers. And, no it's not in a political ideology type, where some people think capitalism is the cause of that. I think that I've seen many workers from other countries being treated very unfairly.
There are at least 5 or so ads in the newspaper on missing workers and they're mostly: Indian, Pakistani, from Bangladesh (what do you call people who are from there?) or so. You know, I don't really blame them on leaving just like that without notice. If they're paid 80 Rials a month, and they probably send most of it to their homes. What is left for them? If they got a chance to actually go back to their country once a year would be great.
I feel like bosses and company owners are really looking down on those workers. Say someone is working in the building business, the company he works in signed up to build a road (ok just let me continue, I may not know what I'm talking about but this has been getting on my nerves lately so just nod your head and keep on reading :P). And so the worker starts working at about 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. or even more. The heat of sun is unbearable and they have to do the work by themselves. They're getting paid a very low wage. I am beginning to realize I need to take some serious economy courses.
Now with all these terrible conditions, it doesn't help knowing that their families wouldn't survive.
And the contract they signed obliges them to stay or else, I don't really know what would happen. But really, to think of it all. What I just said may not make sense but the thing is, shouldn't people appreciate workers no matter what they do for a living? There should be a minimum wage for workers not just from the country itself but from those who are from other countries so that they wouldn't get exploited.
It's a real shame it's happening.

Anyways that's what my thinking got me to, and let's move to another topic, discrimination that is based on your nationality.
Those types of discrimination never fail to azaze me but this one is just really common.
Now I may not be the biggest patriot, but I'm proud of where I come. It doesn't mean I'm gonna have to walk around thinking I'm superior just because of the place I'm from.
Seriously, there are all these stereotypes about people based on their nationality and it doesn't really make sense. I know countries have their own traditions and customs but is that based on the country or on the culture that is in there?
Say a country that is big, and there are a lot of towns and cities in it, would it seem right to call everyone that comes from that country a clever person. I'm saying clever because maybe these stereotypes exist they're not all bad, well most of them but there are good ones. Like being clever, but if you think about it it doesn't make any sense (All types of discrimination doesn't for that matter).
So let's say you come from country A, and you're living in country B. You won't get discriminated against just from those in country B. But from people who aren't from country B but they live there.
If you've got a chance to travel abroad I'm sure you'll relate to what I'm saying. Don't get me wrong, this talk isn't because I'm a huge victim of being discriminated against because of my nationality but it's because of the people around me that talk about people and label them based on which country they come from.
It's really ridiculous, and not in a good kind of way.

That had to come out, and I'm thankful it did. The way it come out maybe too plain, or whatever.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate it. :)

Paletine-Israel conflict

Hey,
How's everyone doing? :)
Today I'm going to talk about* the Palestine-Israel conflict which has lasted for God knows how many years. Every time I watch the news there is a news saying that a conference/meeting was held between the two parties trying to find a solution and surprisingly have failed to do so.
I don't get it, how has it become that land is more important than the souls of human beings? Their never ending discussions on what should be done and their vain attempts at making a positive change in the situation are highly upsetting.
They can't keep on living this way, they have to compromise. Maybe it's because that it has been going on for such a long time that politicians think it'd be as if those who fought for their land in the past have fought in vain.
I don't understand why can't they just realize the fact that this should no longer me a matter of consideration.
I just think they should do it for the sake of their people, I'm sure they just want to live a normal life without any threats of wars or such.
People think we should fight Israel and the USA by boy cutting them. Well, it's not going to solve anything.
Please this has to stop. For the those living there, for the children who want to enjoy their childhood, for the mothers who lost their children, for you, for all of us and most importantly for God's sake.
Now, people think that when people bomb themselves killing Israeli soldiers, they're really brave and they're at least doing something to stick up for what they believe in. But I think they're just making things more complicated, Israel will respond and so we're just running in an empty circle.
It's one of those topics that it never ceases to surprise me that those in power do nothing to help solve the problems
Maybe I think it is so simple while it is really hard to stop this war that has been going on since forever it seems.
In this case it won't be considered as weakness if one party compromised, it won't be letting go of your beliefs, it would be simply wanting to live in peace.
I just had to let my feelings about this heard, if I got sick of the situation what about those who are actually living there?


*That was in reference to our English Presentations at school, almost EVERY girl started with that sentence

United we stand

United for children, united against AIDS
United for peace, united against violence
United for equality, united against discrimination
United for freedom, united against oppression
United for the world we aspire to live in


What is the world I aspire to live in?
Poverty shouldn't be a big problem. Children shouldn't have to suffer, work under cruel conditions, live in conflict zones. Beggars shouldn't roam the streets because it seems as their last retreat. Global issues and crises shouldn't be treated as worthless and unexisting. Discrimination shouldn't be encouraged and unity for the betterment of tomrrow should be the concern of the people.
And much much more should be in the world I aspire to live in. The thought that has been pushing my brain cells to think is the following:
I believe strongly that nothing is perfect, and we can't attain a perfect world. Alas, problems and issues have to exist.
We are living in a world surrounded by people. Thus interatcing with them has to have it's two faces. We shalt move ahead but, indeed, we can't solve every problem. What problems can continue existing? What are our priorities? Which problems come first? Which problems have to wait? Which problems are being solved?
It is somehow uncomforting to think about this. Will there be problems that shalt remain unsolved?

Isn't that too confusing?
I am confused but I had to let that out. It is somehow borthing me. To think some problems have to exist for the sake of having our imperfect world.
Might sounds cruel and it may be false altogether. I do hope so.
Our world should be pink with hope, green with dreams, white with purity!
My small little world in this huge world consists of me and my thoughts. It is comforting to know for sure that I shalt do whatever I can to live in the world I aspire to be a part of.

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest

And that I shalt do! And I'm not the one who is so very confident with what one shalt do but with the help of Allah everything is possible.

Voices Of Youth

I have been inspired many times on VOY. I'm not so much active nowadays but I try to check in from time to time.
Let's talk about discussions on VOY...
The media, this is a never-ending topic. Does the media affect young people? Is it too biased? I always get drawn to these topics and say the same things over there. Yes, I do. But it's kind of cool!
The Lebanon/Palestine- Israel conflicts, I don't think they'd be discussed if our friend Yonatan wasn't there to respond to every word you say. I used to get involved in these topics a lot but it's hard to keep up and gets boring because they don't realize they're saying the same things over and over and over again.
Religion, this is probably the funnest topic to discuss, but also the place where it is most likely you'll get fights in. The hottest topic nowadays is 'Is Jesus God?' and they're going on and on about it.
And a lot of threads on how people suggest ways to help, or need help with their orgs, and so on.
There're also Stories from people from all around the world about how horrible things are.
How do wars affect people, how can we help. It's hard to list all of the things we discuss.
The really good discussion I'm having these days is about the middle-east with someone from the USA. I've managed to make her see that not all of us are living under the fear of terrorism. That is a really really fun thread.
Here's the link:
The Arabic forum is sort of boring! But VOY just rocks. Even though sometimes spam threads take time to be deleted, even though sometimes offensive threads take time to get a warning. Even though some discussions lead nowhere. I just Love VOY!
I've joined YFCI and A2I through VOY, I've grown to be a caring person there. I've learned about communism, socialism, capitalism, Hinduism, and so many other things.
It's not the same as it was a year ago but it is still rocking. I never thought I'd learn this much from VOY and gain the experience I have. I've learned how to control my anger and always be nice even when I know what it being said is complete nonsense. I've gained the most azazing friends (online and offline) ever.
Join VOY if you haven't and get your voice heard...

Targeting minorities and innocents

500 people were either injured or dead in Wednesday's bomb blasts in Iraq. It targeted the "Yazidis" in Iraq. The Yazidi population in Iraq is about a half a million. I will not ask why would any one kill these people? I'd have to ask why would they kill Muslims, Christians, Kurds, and all of those people from various backgrounds. Not even one channel on TV mourned their death. They only showed it on the news. It is very annoying to see such a thing happen and that it passes by just like any other bomb blast.

May their souls rest in peace

Debating over lunch....

They: 'You're planning to volunteer with the UNICEF????? Why would you want to do that? What are they doing?'
Me and Huda: 'They are doing much to help children all over the world'
They: 'How come we don't hear much about it?'
Me and Huda: 'Well, we know alot about what they do....'
The debate when we were sitting eating lunch continued with two girls of our acquaintance. Then they couldn't help contradicting themselves by saying that UNICEF doesn't do much besides what they publicize. They claimed that UNICEF only wants fame and wants people to know that they are actually doing. Another pointed was that if UNICEF was donating money or was holding a campaign why would they publish it? Don't they care about those poor people and what shame they might be feeling if the whole world knew they were poor and they needed money. I thought first they said that they didn't hear much about what UNICEF is doing and now they were suggesting that the UNICEF should do more and publicise less!!!
I couldn't help telling them they were very much wrong... I talked and mind you very freely and very much about my dream of joinning the UNICEF one day. I also mentioned how much they are doing. Now we moved on since I drifted away and started talking about the world's problems and I mentioned about the project we're trying to do. Which is for kids in Africa who are born with HIV. Now, I gave them something to protest to. Why is it kids in Africa that I was caring about? What about my country's children? Mind you I don't say this much but this is where nationalism sucks! Why wouldn't I care about them? Or would that mean I don't care about the kids in my country? I really hate it when people say stuff like this because it'd like they are saying 'What do you care about your country?' Making assumptions such as these isn't nice at all.
How much was going during that lunch. At last they only said that they weren't against caring about these things and I do have to give them some credit, they said we have high dreams! I took that as a compliment!
Now my sister's friend couldn't help hearing and said a thing I liked very much, she said that it was nice that I was caring about such things but what was it that we are doing, is there a noticeable change? I couldn't say YES! But I said that we have to care and try to make a change which was a satisfying answer for her.
Also, I listed some of the things I do which is also boycott some stores and I managed to highlight some of the injustice that is being done to the workers in these shops...
It was such a great debate but the other team had weak points! :P
No one won though. It was only supposed to be a family dinner with some of our friends! Which was fun and actually those people we haven't seen in nearly two months which was a long time since we used to visit them regularly. It was nice to catch up and have this GREAT debate!

Will keep on caring about what is going on..... :D