July 7 2004

Back in 1998 …

Just like today, July 7th, 1998, in the summer course, I was getting out of a very boring lecture. Usually I’d go home straight after I’m done with my lectures, unless my friends gathered for lunch or something like that. But that day I had to wait an hour for a another extra lecture. Not knowing how I’d pass this hour, I decided to go out to an air-conditioned place to get a milk-shake or something like that. And as I was walking to the main gate, a friend of mine saw me and shouted out my name. She was in such a bad mood. She was trying to get a better schedule for the semester, but it didn’t work. She was so so angry that I couldn’t simply let her go to the registration section in that state of anger. She calmed down as I accompanied her and we talked a bit while we walked.
It was really a hot summer, and I couldn’t get my eyes off the university cafeteria or the “milk-bar” as the students used to call it :P. It was ahead of us and I was planning to get something to drink, when suddenly I looked to my right for no specific reason and saw a guy walking close to the trees, he had a biiiiiiig attractive smile ( I knew later where it came from) and at the very same moment my friend screamed: MARWAN! This “Marwan” came towards us and our friend Hanan introduced us to each other. All I knew is that he is Tunisian, studying in our university. She told him about her registration and schedule problem and he was like: Ok, I have nothing to do, I’ll come along.
To be honest, although I didn’t know the guy, but I was somehow pleased that he’d be with us. And so it was, the three of us went to the registration section. On our way there, only Hanan was talking, “Marwan” was just wearing a peaceful cute smile looking at me as if he knew me, this smile got me really confused!
When we reached the registration section, Hanan had to argue and work on her papers, when “Marwan” and I were standing next to her, we didn’t talk. I was starting to get bored, and before I felt so, “Marwan” spoke up, ever since then he never stopped talking until we said goodbye 😀 He talked about everything, he told me about Tunisia, where he comes from, his family, his studies, his live in Jordan, what he thinks of the university of Jordan, the food, summer, his way of life, almost everything. This guy opened up to me from the minute he met me. To be honest, his talkative manner was really impressive. I mean it isn’t easy to talk about different stuff, and it isn’t easy to get me interested in a conversation either, but he did pretty well, and I loved that.
After Hanan was done with her papers and things worked out well for her, we decided to go back to our faculty, the three of us were silent, a smile on my face and a huge one on “Marwan’s” face, and a shocked expression on Hanan’s 😉
When we reached university, I found some friends, so I said bye to Hanan and “Marwan”, and went away. While sitting with my friends I have come to a very interesting discovery, which is: this “Marwan” is the same guy I saw many months ago standing with another person behind Hanan while she was talking to me. I remember that day I saw him and he was smiling at me, and I thought he was a graduate (specially that I never saw him until July 7th 98). I liked his looks, I don’t mean only his attractiveness, but also how peaceful, respectful and mature he looked. Not like other guys who looked so childish and silly. Respect, maturity and peacefulness are things that I can guess from the outside, add to them smartness and care (which I get to know after conversation) are things that do really get my attraction and attention. Anyway, I didn’t know him then, but on the 7th of July I got to talk to him. I liked him, and after that day, we got to talk more, after a while, he got to meet my family in a party we had for our big brother who was leaving to Canada. He then started chatting with my brother, after a very short while the whole family loved him. He proposed to my parents, after a while we got engaged, and around 2 years later we got married.
This day did change our lives for sure, and what a lovely change it is 🙂
Oh the secret of the smile he wore all the time?! It turns out he knew me around a year before we met, and he was waiting for the moment we’d meet. And I can tell you that smile he had made me call him Mr. Smiley Face for a veeeeery long while 🙂 Another thing I found out was the fact that he gets really pissed off if I write his name with an a: Marwan and not as they pronounce it in Tunisia (Marwen) 🙂
And now that we’re married, I can also assure you that he is anything but talkative 😛 And although I love people who talk and open up subjects and stuff, but that doesn’t mean that I feel less love for him. The weird thing is, not only me, but also my family have been always under this impression that he is a guy who can always talk. He always had things to talk about with everyone, he gave our gatherings a great taste and impressed us all, now I know it was just a temporary status 😛 But I love him no matter what, because other more important and basic things to me never changed in him, like his true love, loyalty, maturity, smartness, respect and care. Sounds enough for me to be head over heels in love, or what! 😉

Category: Just Personal | LEAVE A COMMENT
July 6 2004

Seminude Protesters!

Animal Rights Activists and supporters of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , PETA, have gathered yesterday from different countries to march through the streets of Pamplona/ Spain against bullfighting. The protesters were either wearing underwear or were topless. They had planned to run totally nude but could not because they didn’t get the necessary town hall permit.
Isabel Gonzalez, head of an anti-bullfighting organization in Belgium, said: “The animals suffer, and nobody has the right to mistreat them just to stage a fiesta,” she also said the running of the bulls also is inhumane because runners pull the bull’s tails, kick them and “the animals run in a state of panic.”
This year’s festival begins Tuesday. The first of eight bull runs is scheduled for Wednesday. More Details
Personally I think bullfighting just for passing time and having fun is really cruel and should be stopped. Animals should not be tortured nor mistreated. Therefore I join the protesters and give them the full right to march against such a cruel act, on the other hand, I think in order to protest you need your voice to be heard and not your naked body to be shown. I mean marching with your clothes off will not give any extra effect to the protest, it will only give disrespect to the human body, make the protest look cheap and give joy for the ones watching… in case of beautiful bodies that is 😉
I really don’t get it! I mean anyone who wants to make change and show a strong will in fulfilling a certain purpose would go like: Ok I will march nude, or I will stay for days in the nude, or I will make a nude marathon. This is just pathetic, and no matter how great the purpose behind it is, involving nudity in it adds nothing, really. So please people you have brains, use them to reach out for everyone without having to humiliate yourselves over and over again. PLEASE!

Category: Nature & Environment | LEAVE A COMMENT
July 5 2004

FINALLY, WE DID IT!

There is this room in our apartment that was such a mess 😛 Ever since we moved in to this apartment (around 8 months ago) and we failed to get it properly organized. Main reason is the fact that our new home is a lot smaller than the old one. Therefore the excess stuff that had no place in the bedroom, living room and dining room, had to be thrown in this poor room, which ended up as a store. We tried more than once to put things in their places, but this “organized status” never lasted more than 3 days, because it wasn’t the right way of doing it. We always ended up with things all over the room that we couldn’t even manage walking through this room to get something from it. Yes, it was that bad.
Anyway, yesterday, my husband and I were really really fed up. We woke up, passed by this room which always gave us a depressing feeling, went to the living room, and while watching TV, we discussed our plans for the day, and then we went back to watching TV, after few minutes,we looked at each other, read each others’ minds and went to the room. Each one of us decided to make a certain part, and after half a day WE WERE FINALLY DONE.
Finally the room was well organized, things were put in their right places, and we now have a lot of space saved for us to walk through the room freely 🙂 Ah, what a wonderful feeling. Nothing is more relieving than order and tidiness 🙂 Can’t wait to go back home and enjoy every bit of it…

Category: Just Personal | LEAVE A COMMENT
July 5 2004

Giving Education A Bad Name

A report required by the No Child Left Behind law and delivered to Congress on Wednesday, shows that more than 4.5 million students endure sexual misconduct by employees at their schools, from inappropriate jokes all the way to forced sex. This report by Charol Shakeshaft, a Hofstra University professor is the first to analyze research about sexual misconduct at schools.
According to the report nearly one in 10 kids faces misbehavior ranging from unprofessional to criminal sometime between kindergarten and 12th grade. The report describes schools as places where abusers can target vulnerable and marginal students who are afraid to complain or unlikely to be believed if they did. In a particularly troubling finding, the report says that in elementary schools, the abuser is often one of the people liked most by students and trusted most by parents. Sexual misconduct is defined in the report as physical, verbal or visual behavior.
The report found teachers are the most common offenders, followed by coaches, substitute teachers, bus drivers and teacher aides. Among those offenders, 57 percent are male and 43 percent are female. Among the victims, 56 percent are girls and 44 percent are boys. More Details .

Category: General, Media, International | LEAVE A COMMENT
July 2 2004

BlogTalk

Die Donau-Universität Krems organisiert in Wien die jährliche internationale Konferenz “BlogTalk” . Die zweitätige Veranstaltung (5.-6.7.2004) befasst sich mit dem Thema Weblogs. Der thematische Schwerpunkt der diesjährigen Veranstaltung ist der Einsatz von Blogs in Unternehmen und Organisationen.
Heute gibt es viele Weblogs, gleichzeitig aber gibt es viele Leute die das Wort “Weblog” bis heute nicht verstehen.
Was ist ein Weblog?
“Weblog” ist ein Begriff, der etwa um die Jahrtausendwende, zuerst auf englischsprachigen Webseiten auftauchte. Zusammengesetzt ist er aus “web” (wie Internet) und “log” (wie -buch) – ein Weblog ist also das Logbuch eines Reisenden durch die Weiten des World Wide Web.
Weblogs sind nichts anderes als regelmäßig aktualisierte, sehr subjektive, oft rasend komische, manchmal schon literarische, nicht selten politische Webseiten, gemacht, gepflegt und publiziert von Individualisten, die was zu sagen haben und sich (meist) auch gut ausdrücken können. Weblogs sind keine Nachrichtenquellen, sie sind Kommentare zur Welt- oder auch zur persönlichen Lage des Autors. Und sie sind die einfachste, schnellste und billigste Möglichkeit, ein Millionenpublikum zu erreichen.
Wenn Sie es auch versuchen wollen, aber von der Technik hinter den Kulissen Ihres Browsers keine Ahnung haben, versuchen Sie es doch mit einem Account bei einem Dienst wie 20six.de, blogg.de, blogger.de, blogigo.de, myBlog.de, twoday.net oder vanus.de.
Falls Sie von HTML schon mal gehört haben und auch FTP nicht für eine Partei halten, besorgen Sie sich einen Account bei einem Webhoster, installieren ein Programm wie movabletype.org, pmachine.com (beide nur in den einfachsten Versionen kostenfrei!), nucleuscms.org, wordpress.org oder textpattern.com und legen einfach los.
Quelle: DeutscheWelle

Category: Posts in German | LEAVE A COMMENT
July 2 2004

Saddam Hussein’s Trial

Or the “trial of the century” as some prefer referring to it. Saddam was in court yesterday and listened to the charges outlined in his arrest warrant.
So many people are happy with this trial, few are not. The destiny of the former president of Iraq, the “dictator”, is not yet determined.
Some want him executed, others want him to be set free and sent to exile, some want him to spend the rest of his life in jail, and very few want him to be set totally free to live the rest of his life in peace in his country Iraq.
What will happen? Let’s wait and see.
Personally, I just wonder: of the many “war-criminals” of our time, will Saddam be the only one to enter court?!

Category: Arab Societies, Media, International | LEAVE A COMMENT
July 1 2004

July 1st

So today is July 1st, it might ring no bell if you’re not living neither in Tunisia nor in Canada. But if you are, then you must know that it’s Independence Day in Canada and the beginning of the summer working schedule in Tunisia, which is –in most cases- at least 3 hours less than the normal working hours 😉 My working hours are usually from 8/8:30 a.m. till 5/5:30 p.m. Now I work from 7:30 a.m. till 1:30 p.m. and my husband works from 8 till 3, isn’t this WONDERFUL! 🙂
The great things is, this schedule will stay till August: 2 MONTHS.
The reason behind these less working hours is the unbelievable heat which gets most of the people lazy and living on their nerves. And to be honest I think it’s the best thing to do. I mean no one can work as usual with such an annoying heat and such a long long day time. Only yesterday I was feeling that when I get out of the office, taking into consideration that the sun is no longer that strong, I feel like I’m melting. I feel my shoes will be stuck to the street and I’ll melt right away. It’s not that horrible though, coz you can always take a dip in the cool refreshing waves of the sea. Many people we know prefer taking vacation during July and August. It’s easier to get an ok because most of the clients are off on vacation, so not much work to do, which means it’s ok if you leave too. And others just take it at that time to escape the unbelievable heat and stay at a cool home or enjoy a refreshing beach somewhere inside or outside Tunisia. For me and my husband, we try to avoid taking our vacation in these two months, simply because we’re already working less, so we save the vacation for a period when we can skip a whole 8-9 hours work 🙂
Anyway, happy “Summer Day” to all of you in Tunisia and happy Canada Day to you in Canada 🙂

Category: General, Tunisia | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 30 2004

Professor Dr. Z. El-Naggar: A True Inspiration

Our generation is a lost one. I find young men and ladies living just because they’re alive, in other words, just passing time while they’re breathing, and mostly trying to have as much fun as possible while they’re living.
I find young people not knowing what to do, either because they see no point of repeating what others have already done, or because they’re bored and want something new.
I see people not bothering to look for a job, giving no damn if their parents need help or not, if something they’re doing is hurting others or not. They don’t believe in morals any longer, they think it limits their mind and their freedom. They don’t believe in religion anymore, they believe it’s useless. They don’t believe in God no more, they believe he doesn’t exist, he doesn’t deserve to exist. So if there’s no God, then who created us? They start looking, and re-searching, some get to answers they like because it gives them relief from any responsibility, and some get to answers they hate, because the answers proved them wrong, and some get nowhere.
I’m one of the people who don’t take this life as facts I should simply believe in. I think over and over and over. I was born a Muslim. My parents are, and so were almost all who surrounded me in my childhood. But I learned that Islam urges us to think and look for the truth. Islam does not believe in forcing religious facts into our minds, otherwise we wont have brains. When I became a teenager, I was somehow rebellious, I sat with dad for hours asking him about everything, honestly, I must admit that I gave him really hard times. I asked him things like where does God come from? Why are there 3 religions? Why do we pray? Why do we fast……etc. After I’m done with dad I’d go to mom: What are we created for? Why shouldn’t we steal? Why should we be good to others?…. At school, also my religion teacher had a share of suffering too: why this, what’s that, what for do we do that…
Everyone gave me a convincing answer, but inside me I wanted to prove them all wrong, just because I was one of those troublesome stubborn girls. So one day I decided to look for answers myself, I searched the net, most of it had nothing to do with Islam’s teachings, and so many information didn’t relate to God. That was so exciting yet confusing to me. I rented books of religion, philosophy, science and history. Figures were almost all the same, but ideas were totally different. I went back home and thought: I’ve rented books, read articles and killed myself looking for something to help me, but I never bothered reading The Quran, so why not take a look at it and see what it’s got! I spent months reading Quran, looking into several interpretations, and listing questions about everything spiritual, religious, historical, social, scientific, and medical I’d love to know about. Only then, I knew that I’ve wasted so much time, when all the answers I was looking for were just right there in front of me. I never knew that Quran was that practical, that relieving and that logical. It showed me the truth of things. And I never questioned neither the presence of God nor my religion ever again.
The problem is when friends ask me about God and religion and I seem so excited and so strong talking about Quran and the facts it has predicted ahead of our time and the facts it told us about ancient civilizations, they believe I’m just overreacting and trying to have them convert into Islam. And no matter how hard I try to explain, they only believe what they want to believe. I was wishing that someone would explain science, politics, law, relationships, sexual affairs, and the universe through the eyes of Quran so that they will understand I wanted nothing but give them the answers to the questions they were asking me, and to let them know what I knew apart of anything else. And yesterday I was watching Khaleek Bil Bait , a program of Future TV, presented by Zahi Wehbi. To be honest I’ve watched this program on some occasions, but wasn’t that fond of it until yesterday. Yesterday’s host was Professor Dr.Zaghloul El-Naggar . An Egyptian Professor of Geology. He is a member of many scientific Societies and associations. He has published so many wonderful books about geology, and the miracles of Quran, and writes articles in Al-Ahram Newspaper.
Now what I loved about him is that he is so well educated, open-minded and can discuss with you everything so easily and without having to end up with a fight. He never loses his peaceful smile nor his control on his temper no matter what. As usual, such people are likely to be offended and criticized. He got calls during the program asking the most complicated questions, yet he always had an answer. Researchers and scientists gave some really powerful arguments to prove him wrong, but again he had the answer. And the beauty in his discussion is that he knows what he’s saying, with a very strong scientific and religious background. He was asked to give examples of research and studies from non-Muslim scientists, to prove what Quran says is right. With no problem at all, Professor Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar gave the most stunning examples from Nasa, as well as American, Russian, Hollandaise and Greek Scientists. All proved what Quran has mentioned thousands of years ago.
He gave people the reason to believe in God, he proved Darwin’s Theory of Evolution to be wrong, not only with Quran interpretations but even from what other non-Muslim scientists explained. He mentioned a wide range of books for others that are with Darwin’s theory and other books against it, books supporting believing in God and others against it. He was so great, I was so happy to listen to every single word he said. And I’m planning to post about his studies and proofs every once in a while for those who may be interested.
Dr. El-Naggar was asked about those who become Muslims, why do they become Muslims, whether scientists, or the American soldiers he met in Gulf War, or simply students of science. His answer was: Islam could not be proposed to someone and be rejected, unless of course this someone is not willing to listen with an open heart and mind. I’m sure whoever accepted Islam did only because they followed what their minds found most logical, and what gave them the most answers to their many questions. They saw that it takes human beings years and years of research to find a fact Quran has mentioned. And they saw that humanity has still not reached the key to many other facts Quran has talked about already.
There is a website for Dr. El- Naggar, currently it has only some of his work, but it will be open with more information very soon. TheLink
And last but not least, I must say that Zahi Wehbi did a great job yesterday 🙂

Category: Arab Societies, Just Personal, Religion | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 29 2004

Fight Weight Gain At Work

So many employees complain about the fact that they gain weight rapidly while they’re at work. This is due to many factors, factors that an employee should be aware of to take care and keep in shape.
1.Stress = overeating: Having loads of work to do, little time to get it done, being limited to tight deadlines, your phone is ringing all day long, all this causes stress, to de-stress yourself it might be the easiest and fastest way to turn to eating. But a better way is take a quick break.
Try this quick de-stressing movement for your eyes: “Look away from the monitor and raise your eyes to the ceiling. Then look down to the floor as if your eyes are following a column. Move them up and down three times while keeping your head and neck still — it’s yoga for your eyes.”
2.Strengthen your muscles: Desk jobs help loosen the muscles and gaining weight, in order to avoid this you can exercise WITHOUT cutting in to work time. Here you go some quick excercises:
(a)The Desk Workout: sit up straight and squeeze in your stomach as you lift up on your toes to tighten your calves.
(b)The Phone Workout: Whenever you pick up your phone, stand up at your desk to give your body a stretch and an energy boost. As you talk, one arm can do small circles, which help tone the upper biceps and triceps. Or, if you have a headset (and enough room for your wingspan), try circling both arms.
(c)The Copy Machine Workout: When you’re running off a big batch of documents, don’t just stand there while the machine sorts your reports. Do a set of lunges or march in place to get your blood flowing.
3.Boredom: Some think they’re hungry when in fact they’re only bored. If you’re not seriously hungry don’t eat, move around the office instead. BUT if you’re really hungry then try to eat something healthy you brought from home with you or a quick “pick-me-up” snack, like a teaspoon of peanut butter for example.
4.Work for it: Don’t store snacks in your desk. Instead, keep them in your office kitchen or ask a co-worker to hold them for you. That way, you’ll have to make a conscious effort to get up and move before you can reach for a treat.
5.Be selective: Choose restaurants that offer healthy meals.
6.Control your thirst: Sometimes you get so involved in your work that you can forget to stay hydrated. It’s important to drink the needed amounts of water. Water can help curb the snack impulse and you can use water bottles to do some lateral raises, bicep curls and shoulder presses right at your desk.

Here are 5 great at-your- desk stretches that will help you stay fit 🙂

Source: Is Your Work Making You Fat?

Category: General | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 29 2004

The Pricless Blessings of Life

George Lorimer said “It is good to have money and the things money can buy, but it’s good too, to check up once in a while and make sure you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy”.
Don’t be money-crazed. Always keep in mind, that money is to help us survive, it shall never become the goal we live for.
We change places, we spend so much time, pay big efforts to end up with a “fat” bank account. An account to guarantee savior from any financial problem we could face, or an account to add more to our possessions, or get what we “think” we need, or simply an account to show off, believing it will win people’s respect and get their attention.
This is not wrong, money will get us more things, but do we really need them? Money will save us from financial problems, but what we consider a problem, might be nothing but lack of extras, or getting in trouble because we didn’t think right, and not because we didn’t have enough money. Money will get us power, respect and attention, but of what kind? The temporary kind that occurs with money and vanishes when money is gone.
Therefore, work hard, earn your money, and try to increase your income, but don’t make this the reason you live for. And while you work on that, always take care of things you have but can never buy with all the money of the world: health, dignity, faith, love, and happiness. Keep in mind that “The man [or woman] who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life.” -Charles M. Schwab
So if you don’t like your job, look for the one you dream of instead of believing in bad luck. And one day you will find the job of your dreams, you will quit yours to go for the one you love, and for someone else to come in your place, someone who has been looking for your job and waiting for the day he/she will find it.
Know that “Happiness is a present attitude – not a future condition.”-Hugh Prather , therefore don’t postpone your happiness till you “have better luck next time”, or until you “buy a new car” or until you “find the love of your life”. Be happy right now, and act accordingly, this will make people see your inside, and get them close to you. Be happy about who you are, be happy about everything around you, wear a beautiful pure smile on your face, be happy about weather, food, and your whole existence. You’ll feel you can fly even if you’re stuck in your office. Think of people you love, others who love you, and you’ll feel how precious and important you are.
Be good to others, help them, make them happy, that will reflect on you, and you’ll find yourself healthy in mind, body and soul, happy with all your heart, keeping your head up high… you’ll find yourself never losing the priceless blessings of life…

Category: General | LEAVE A COMMENT