Happy New Year"s" Everybody!!! ;)

Here we go again ... another year ends, & another is just around the corner ...
I have been neglecting my blog for quite a while now ... Got so much studying to do *pulls her face* but of course I wouldn’t miss a new year's coming without celebrating it on my blog, now would I? :P

In just a couple hours (or less), we will be welcoming yet another new year. 2009. It would still feel like 2008 in the first few days … Just like always, it will take some time getting used to. At the beginning of every year, I always tend to make a mistake & write/say the date mentioning the previous year …

But even though welcoming a new year should be fun & joyful, I always tend to feel a bit sad too. To say good bye to a whole year, makes me feel like losing something, especially if the year was great, & I had so many happy memories in it. To me, 2008 was a good year. I liked it very much. Especially the summer … when I have worked for the first time in my life, & did something new I really loved doing, & never thought I’d be able to do. I really loved my experience as a journalist writing for “Afaq”, the Kuwait University newspaper, & this experience is the 2008 special thing for me. 2007 was the “Expression” year, & 2008 is the “Afaq” year, or Journalism year, or first-job- experience-year … but I go for the journalism year as I had several courses in this subject this year, so I better call it that way :)
Since 2007, I have started to kind of “label” they years. Before that, I didn’t really notice what went into my life much, but once I decided I shall be more watchful on special events in my life, I could go back to years before 2007, & start labeling them. & today, I took a look back at some of the years of my life, & I have discovered that almost each year had its distinctive special thing about it. Cool, isn’t it?
Anyways, this blog isn’t supposed to talk about this, but it’s about wishing you a happy new year.

I hope 2009 will be even more interesting. I don’t know what will be the 2009 special thing. I just hope it will be as great as the great experiences I have enjoyed the previous years.

So to anyone who reads my blog, I wish you a happy, cheerful & blissful year. May this year be a peaceful year to the world, with less wars & disasters.


God bless,

& Happy New Year(s)*!!!



_____________________________


*This time it feels like celebrating 2 year new years in one! The new Hijri year just started last Monday, so this week was like a double celebration :P

EidKom Mbarak :)

To All my Friends & Family, & Every Muslim in the Entire World, Kil 3am wo antow bkhair, wo Eidkom mbarak :)

Eid Mubarak & Happy Eid :)

Some People Have ZERO Patience!

I'm so pissed right now! I still cannot let it go! I have to write about it!


Last night, I went to the bank to check out my balance & I used the car - drive. Now, there was just one car in fornt of me. I was relieved that there weren't too many people as I don't like to be crowded especially when money & privacy is involved! So being my private self, I kept quite a distance between me & the car infront. That's just me, I don't like to let people feel suffocated by me practically nudging them! But, alas! Not everyone thinks like I do, & not everyone treats people the way they wanna be treated! This car came after me, & ever since I saw it, I got the feeling I wasn't going to like it. And I was right.


The fornt car left, & it was my turn. I move a head & to my bad luck, I parked a little bit far so I had to re-park my car so that I could reach the machine perfectly. It wasn't perfect nor comfortable, but it was in reach. So I entered the card, punched in the pin code, twice becuase I missed a number, then a screen appeared. It wasn't the screen I wanted. Baffled, & a little nervous I was gonna make the car behind late, I took out my card & re-entered it to try again. The same happened. I was getting more nervous & annoyed because the car behind keeps flashing their brights at me! Don't people have some patience anymore? Wait a little! It's not the end of the world! The machine isn't giving me what I want! So I try for the third time, & this time I decided to draw in some cash, & see my balance after that in the recite. But the minimum cash withdrawal was 30 KD! I wasn't sure if I even have that! So, I chose cancel & type in the amount I want. I typed in 10 KD, but then something happened that I do not recall now, & somehow the page I wanted all along came on! So, by then, I wasn't giving up, & I had to see my balance. & I saw it, but I couldn't get a receipt , so I had to memorise it, but God, how hard it was to memorise with all that bright-flashing behind me!!! Couldn't you just wait a little!!! It's not like I've been there for ages! It was so fast, even though you might think it took so long with all these attempts! I was doing everything fast, but the impatient lady (I assume she was, I really couldn't see because I was concentrating on my thing) really messed me up! I tried so hard to forget it (I'm a patient person, I can let go on annoying drivers almost every time, but this one is not on the list!). Couldn't she wait a little? Doesnt she know that people should be concentrating on delicate matters? It's not TV I'm watching! She really bugged me big time! I even doubted that I might have forgotton to take out my recite, (but I didn't because I chose not to take any.) God! I hate people like this!

I really should've stopped & talked to her! But I just remembered it's Ramadan, & I better leave it to God. & I did pray to him to take my revenge!!!


I'm really pissed!

Two in One :)

Essalamu 3alaikom everyone!

This is my belated greetings for you on the happiest month of the year, Ramadan :)

Mbarak 3alaikom eshahar, wo kil 3am wontaw b5air.

& an early Eid greeting (just in case!): 3eedkom mbarak wo kil 3am wontaw b5air :)

Hope your days are always filled with joy & blessings from God.

Amen.

Airport Alone

Everyone must remember Home Alone. The kid that gets left behind at home while his family leaves for vacation? Well, it's a great movie. But can you really imagine yourself in Kevin McCallister's shoes? What will you do? How are you gonna feel if you knew your family has forgotten you in a not so familiar place like an airport for example? Well, let's leave that question for the 3 year-old girl from Israel, who was forgotten by her parents at the airport while they made their way to the gates.



To read the whole story, click here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080804/ap_on_re_mi_ea/odd_israel_home_alone



I really find it totally odd & shocking that it took the parents 40 minutes to find out that one of their children is missing! & I wish they found out themselves! What were they doing?

If I was in charge, I wouldn't send them the child in another flight. If they want their child, they should come back & get her on their own. Talk about parental negligence.

Kuwait Can Never Forget

No. I did not forget.

I did not forget that last Saturday, the 2nd of August, was the 18th cruel anniversary of the Iraqi invasion. Just exactly 18 yrs ago, I was just a little child, but I could remember.

I could remember the pain & fear I felt every time I see or hear a helicopter or any other plane. I could remember the fear of playing in the garden & “Hosh” & refusing to play in the swings. I still, remember the day my mom went frantic searching for me thinking I was abducted by the Iraqis searching our house at the time. I was oblivious to the real danger I was in, yet I could sense the fear around.

True, I don’t remember that much, & surely I was laughing & playing with the kids my age, but I knew that there was something serious happening. Why did we have to go live in the basement of our neighbor’s? Why did everyone around me spoke differently & weird? Why Iraqis were in Kuwait? I just couldn’t grasp what it really meant to be invaded.

But as I grew up I learnt exactly what was happening. I knew what “Invasion” really means. I knew Kuwait was taken from us against our will.

Well, thanks to God, & everyone who helped us get our freedom back, & now we only have memories of that hateful time Iraqis invaded us. And God willing, it will always be just a memory, a painful memory of those agonizing months in the minds of the people who experienced them.
On August 2nd from each year, Kuwaitis still & will always remember the hurtful invasion.

We will never forget.

"Why So Serious??" ;)

Last Thursday I went to see The Dark Knight, the movie I've been anticipating for months. Ever since Heath Ledger Died & all the drama that came with the tragic loss, I had only one thing in my mind. I had to see the movie.

I'm not a huge Batman fan, so I don't normally go all gaga about it, but whenever a fave actor of mine is in it, for example Jim Carrey in batman Forever, I have to see it.

I liked the movie, the story was cool & all that, & the action scenes were as cool as ever, but I gotta say I didn't like the Batman. I mean, not because Christian Bale was playing him, but seriously he almost had no real role in this film! I find that strange. I mean he's the hero, he better deserve better than this, doesn't he? But the rest of the cast like Morgan Freeman, & Michael Caine were delightful. they added the sense of "cuteness" to the movie. Not to forget the performances of Maggie Gyllenhaal & Aaron Eckhart. I really loved the Two-Face thing!!

However, the man of the hour, the most favorable of the whole cast, the character most Batman fans loved I presume (I know I did, yet I wouldn't call myself a fan) is The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, who died last January of an accidental drug over dose, had totally nailed it! This was his best performance ever.

His psychopathic personality is what makes Heath's performance so worth watching. He played it so well; audiences can find it really hard to see the real personality of Heath ledger. You can totally see all the time & effort he put into it with pure genuine dedication. That is called "Great" acting. I absolutely adore actors like this.

I loved his insane laughs, him saying "Why so serious?" every other minute, & his purple tailored outfit - I always thought of purple a color that suits villains! Let’s not forget the make up!!! SO beautifully done! I think it’s the best Joker makeup ever done, (you can search for past joker roles, the makeup is nothing like this time). How he changed his voice to this irritatingly amazing voice of a true villain! Even that IRRITATING thing he does with his mouth every second is catchy! LOL

Perfect Performance. Absolutely ADORED it.

I sincerely recommend it to anyone who still haven't seen it, Go Watch it! You will have a great time, if you do appreciate good acting. Note that the Dark Knight is a sequel to Batman Begins, but if you haven't seen that, it’s totally ok, because I haven’t & the movie was ok to me.

Here is the official movie site: http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

This is Just INSANE!

Imagin this: a total stranger "secretly" living in your house!

What would you do?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japancrimeoffbeat

Totally Creepy!

Poor Cat!

I have read this a few days ago, & thought it's interesting to share it with you:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/oukoe_uk_albania_blackout

I feel sorry for the poor animals for this kind of death!

But cats are known for their multiple lives ... Well, this cat didn't have many! Poor Kitty!

***

Spell Check?!

Why is it so Hard to Edit my Blogs?

I've been experiencing such bad editing episodes lately! I don't know if anybody has experienced this, but it takes me ages & millions of helpless tries to edit the spelling! I don't why when I correct the words using the spell check; it gets corrected only in the preview, but not in the original post! So FRUSTRATING!

It's not that I purposely make spelling mistakes, but when you type really fast, some extra or reversed letters may be mistakenly typed. That's why we have spell check! To help correct us!

But apparently it does not always work! So, if you see any "badliyat" (i.e. spelling mistakes), just look the other way! :P

We Never Learn!

The election results yesterday were a total disappointment to many of Kuwaitis. I am one of them. True, there are good ones there, but I don't understand why people keep voting for candidates they have so loathed in the past? Weird. But as they say, we never learn!

I was looking forward for fresh MPs. That doesnt mean I don't like all the old ones. No, there are good ones as I said. But, what can we say now! I just hope this time they'll work better. I HOPE!

Let's just keep our hands up, & pray to God, Kuwait does not fall.

Anyways, I'd like to congratulate all the new MPs, & would like to remind them of the huge responsibility they are carrying. Don't forget about Kuwait.

Election Day! Have you voted?

Today the 17th of the May marks a new beginning in Kuwait's democratic life. Election days have always been 'celebrated'. Well, I had to take a bite of the cake, & enjoy the festivities as I did my duty to my beloved country Kuwait. I'm from the first constituency, & my visit for my beloved old high school was a bonus to this hugely celebrated day.

Now usually, I dread voting. Especially, when I was in college, I only voted once. But this year, I wanted to really make a difference & vote based on my own beliefs. I might have made some mistakes, but it's still too soon to say that as the votes are not fully counted yet. But at least my votes were not influenced by others. I hope the most qualified would win. I have taken some pictures of some of the lovely people who were there, Enjoy!* Thanks to all the ones who have let me take their pictures.


Teenagers were filling the scene, throwing themselves at cars & holding their nominee’s cards, banners... etc. And helping & 'luring' the voters!

Children were not out of it either!


Clusters of campaign workers & volunteers crowded outside the polling place, waiting with pounding hearts, & anxious minds for the day to end & hear their supporters name in the winner's list.


Once voters run through the war zone (the path you take towards the polling booth) safely, they can concentrate well, before casting their ballots.

The voting process was running smoothly, & voters were calmly silent while they await their turns to vote.

I've enjoyed every bit of the whole time I was there except for some rude police officers who cannot resist the fact that they're in a place filled with the opposite sex! Some rude & suggestive comments were thrown here & there, but speaking of flirty police officers needs a whole another blog! But of course they're not always like that.
There were some funny moments too, especially from the elderly! As I was standing with my friend after we've cast our votes, an elderly women storms right pass us towards where her car is maybe, yapping out some words in frustration: "Red caps! Orange caps!" She was funny! My friend also heard another old woman saying: "I'll vote for he one who'll bring me water!"
If you have heard or encountered a funny situation, feel free to comment.

***

It's amazing to see all these people! Young & elderly, sick or fine, all gathered up to vote. But it is more amazing to see children all hype & running & persuading the voters to vote for their candidates! & the thing that got me really ... I don't know what word to choose ... taken aback? I don't know, you choose the word for me, I was a bit surprised to see "maids" in the scene! & speaking of maids will have to be in separate blog too! But seriously! We have become so dependent on them!

***

Another thing I have noticed, & I was bothered by it a lot, is the large number of garbage men, & garbage cans just a few yards away, yet the ground cannot be seen from all the clutter! Poor garbage men, work hard to bend down hundreds, (maybe thousands), of times a day to pick up YOUR garbage that you felt too fatigued to go & throw it in the garbage can yourself. Don't people have decency anymore??? That needs to be in a separate blog too.

***

Oh, & another rather depressing & embarrassing at the same time, is that when I asked this teenage supporter about the candidate's political beliefs. The poor girl got tongue tied!

A message to all future MPs: Do NOT recruit ignorant people!

***

I've heard (on the radio) that nominees & their campaign workers should be at least a hundred meters away from the polling booths. Apparently, Najlaa Alnaqi & Fouzy Alsweidan never heard of that. The latter even went right inside the school & kept 'saying hellos' to the female voters (who are yet to vote) & if they're having a good time. Talk about desperate!
Anyways, I won't blame them really. It is stressful.
In the end, I just hope tomorrow we'll hear good news of a 'New' parliament.

***

*Warning: These images are property of "just a bunch of thoughts". Any illegal copying without my permission is prohibited.

Tomorrow ... Do Make a Difference

Tomorrow make sure you choose the right responsible persons to be future law-makers of Kuwait. Whom will you choose?

Will this year be the first for women in the Parliament? I sure have speculations, yet I wouldn't be surprised if she did. On the contrary, this will make me really proud.

Go for it women! we believe in you!

It All Starts with a Blank Page

Ahhhh… I hate writer's block!


Especially when I'm asked to write a piece & the deadline is in days! Or even if it's in a month or more, I'd still fuss about it & never come out with a thing!


I really don't know how much time I'll keep staring at the blank page in front me. Normally I would until I feel the beginning of a headache. & lately I've been having plenty.


I don't know what I am going to do, if I worked in a newspaper or a magazine (because it’s one of my dreams to work as a journalist). But I hate being asked to do something in particular. I've always do. Somehow it makes me hate the gift (sometimes curse) that I'm able to do certain things.


Humph... Maybe because I like everything to be perfect, & I know I can't, & that stresses me out. Ooh, I'm having a headache right now.

Good Bye Baba Sa'ad ...

Here goes another great man ...





As I got out of my room tonight, I was faced by a very sad news ...

I could hear mom & dad talking in the living room about the death of someone ...
I wondered who was it? I kept hearing the TV presenter accepting condolences from callers ... I couldn't figure out who was it yet. Then Shaikh Sa'ad came to mind but I refused to believe before I hear it with my own ears.

Then as I approached the living room, I heard the presenter saying the name of baba Sa'ad. Then I said to my mom (even before saying salaam)"Sa'ad tewafa ..." just in a cool voice. Then uncontrollably, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. But I didn't cry. I didn't want to. "Now Bashaier* will be crushed." I continued to my mom. "She loves him."

Everybody does.

Shaikh Sa'ad, May you rest in peace.

Kuwait will miss you.




* one of my best friends.

Have You Made Up Your Mind Yet?

There are only few days away from the elections. Have you made up your mind on which candidate you're going to vote for? I'm still not 100% sure if I have made up my mind.

There are so many candidates & with the constituencies being reduced to five; this has made it even harder for me & to many of you to choose the right candidates. Now you have to choose more than the two normally amount we've came accustomed to. Now your maximum is four candidates! I'm still not sure about even one!

I don't know what will happen this Saturday. I hope by that time I'll have made up my mind & chose the right ones that truly deserve it.

I just hope all of you Kuwaitis out there will make the right choice too. Do not vote for the ones you like or because they share the same beliefs as you do, or the ones who have paid you to vote for them. Vote for the ones you believe will change Kuwait for the better. And if you believe no one of the candidates deserves it, then do not vote at all. I rather not do it.

& for the women, I wish your votes won't be as a result of the influence of the males in your environment, but rather of your own.

& remember, Kuwait is what matters first.

Bayt Lothan's 8th Annual Gallery

On Sat May 10, 2008 I went to visit Bayt Lothan's annual gallery. It was my first visit to the club, so you can tell I was pretty excited!

After a few times of circling & re-circling the roads I found the place. As I entered the place I noticed that it was hot? Ooh, What?! The place is open?!! Arrgh! I kinda forgot that it's an old Arabic (or Kuwaiti) house. There's a implanted ceiling but it did not cover the whole lobby/Haush area (hot air, dust, rain, all can get inside). That figures why they call it Bayt Lothan! But seriously! they're should be air conditioning in the "Haush" (I saw a fan, but that is not suitable air-conditioning by my standards.)! After quite a few minutes it gets pretty uncomfortable. Not to mention all the bugs!

LOL, its just my luck! it was hot that day! But come on! I came in the evening time! What would happen if it was in noon?! Oh, I don't wanna even think about it.

But thank God, there is air-conditioning in the classrooms!

Anyways, enough of the rant & let's get to real good thing! The gallery was amazing! There were hundreds of beautiful & fabulous photographs! I kept browsing, taking notes, & getting inspired! It makes me really happy & proud to see all these young & old, immature & professional Kuwaiti photographers!

I went alone. And as I entered the place, there were a bunch of boys & girls sitting in the lobby. I preferred to look first without asking about anything, (I always like to discover first, then ask) so I went directly to the centre of the Haush where there was several stands with pictures on them. I was captivated by a lot of spectacular pictures (I'll try to ask their owners to post some of them here). They made me stop for a moment to grasp the beauty, the sadness, the will, the challenge & so many other messages they conveyed. And I was gobsmacked by some pictures! I really don't know what some photographers think! (or How!)

The gallery started on May 5, 2008, & ends on the 15. Opening times are from 10:00 - 1:00 & from 5:00 - 9:00.

for more information you can call: 5755866
or visit: http://www.blphotoclub.org/

Hurry Up! You will be taken to a trip through Art & beauty.

I'm definitely wanna go again.

Snow in Baghdad???

A first! Snow falls in Baghdad - Yahoo! News


Wow!

Awesome!!!

(sub7an Allah!)

Looks like our next few days will be really cold! It snowed in Baghdad ... We're really close ... You do the math!!!

I wish it snows here in Kuwait ...

Someday ...

It snows in Saudia, it snows in Iraq ... I wish we can get some too ...

New Year's Resolutions?

New Year's Resolutions?

I have decided that this year I would list some new year’s resolutions as I they say. I have never thought of making any before. Each year comes & goes, & I watch people on Oprah & other TV shows make sure they have some new year’s resolutions. I, on the other hand, couldn't think of at least one.

But I’m not the only one. Why? Mainly because we take life as it is. We just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens. & that’s it. We don’t plan ahead, or foresee the future. sometimes we don’t even plan our days. Routine does not count as planning.

Sure, some of us do keep journals & to-do list & plan their entire lives, but how many are there?

When I asked a few people I know, what were their new year’s resolutions, they looked at me blankly. Some even asked what was that? But after I made the explanation, they pondered for a moment, then said, that they don’t have any.

Very fewer people, actually responded & told me that they would have some changes in their lives.

So what were the most thought of resolutions? Of course, losing weight, exercising more, eating healthy foods, saving more money, being more organised, right?

Well, yes! Every year people do the same thing. They repeat what they didn't do all year. Their resolutions!

That's why I don't wanna be like them. But that's mainly because I really don't need to. I have a lot far more interesting things I wanna do instead.

So my new year's resolutions are:

1. Explore new things
2. Study harder
3. Get a job
4. Smile more
5. See more
6. Write more

what else?

I guess that's it ... The rest is just taken for granted :)

Happy New Year!

It's 1:42 am now, Kuwait local time. That means we just started the new year! (Don't mind the date on the blog, it's not set correctly.)

I love new years! Even though, I can't really feel totally happy, because a whole year just passed, that I had lots of good memories in, has just ended. I just can't easily celebrate a new thing by saying goodbye to another. It's always bitter sweet.

But this time it was different. I loved 2007 a lot. One reason as you might know (that is if you do read my blogs!) is that it has 2 of my most favorite numbers. Two & seven. And when the two combine together, like in 27, 72, or 2007 It just gets even better & better!!!!

But of course, that's not the only reason! During this year, I have developed certain improvements in my life. I have met new people, worked on my social skills, & went back to school. I have gone a long way from the last few years when I was depressed, & wouldn't even get out of the house.

In April 2007, I joined "Expression" the English Training institute (or centre, I don't know what they call it!), & applied & registered for two different courses! Yes, That's how much I loved it there. I never wanted to leave. I wish I can go back. I've met the most amazing people there, from cool tutors to lovely workers, to happy friends from all ages & nationalities. It was such a great time.

Then as soon as I finished my experience at Expression, I had applied & was accepted at AOU. I started in September. & Now I'm about to finish my first semester at college.

In 2007 I discovered what I really want to do in my life. I discovered that I loved writing, & want to pursue a career out of it. I love reading certain types of magazines & newspaper, & I would love to be a journalist. I know in order to be a journalist, I have to major in Journalism, a major AOU unfortunately does not have yet (but we'll see with time). But that does not mean I can't be a journalist just because I didn't major in journalism. I can take courses. I can train in any magazine or newspaper. I can do it if I want it. I can.

Until then, I will enjoy my English major, my first & real passion. Languages are just as music. You can't get enough of them.

Happy New Year 2008 everyone!