Ex-boss

Here I post excerpts from Kirk Hackenberg’s A Peace Corps Profile..it is about his experience as a volunteer in the Peace Corps.

Read..and tell me I wasn’t lucky to work with this man….although reading this book is not enough…Kirk himself was a book of endless # of pages.

He added a lot to me…both professionally and personally.

Chapter 7 “Lacking the Social Graces”

…… I was sitting in my room when I heard a commotion across the street and looked out to see what was going on. To my anger I saw her and one of the Nicaraguan engineers that I work with beating her.

I ran across the street and grabbed him by the neck. With my fist raised to give him a pop, I realized there was absolutely no resistance on his part. I was so surprised by this that I didn’t hit him. I think he saw the amount of anger in my face and knew I was capable of anything at that moment. His next response was to tell me that they hit the women in his country and I shouldn’t interfere.

Chapter 13 “Crossing the Boarder”

…… I told her I would walk her and her brother back home. It was then that it hit me like a ton of bricks that I had no idea where that was. We walked, with her leading the way, and when we arrived, I was not prepared for what I saw. Her house was a cardboard box along with many others in an alley of a distant street. Inside were a few tattered clothes and a rag bed. She and her brother went in with their bags of food in hand.

I walked for hours, crying, not knowing what to do or how to help. I would never forget this moment in my life and wondered how much more I would have to see and feel before this was over.

Chapter 21 “A Life Complete”

…… I participated in the launches of Galileo to Jupiter, and the Magellan to Venus. I helped with COLBE, which gave us our first complete images of our own universe. I stood at the space center and saw the day and night launches of the Space Shuttle up close.

I have gone to the top of the Vertical Assembly Building and seen the space shuttle moved to its pad. I went on to help procure the world’s largest robotic machines to fabricate a new space shuttle rocket engine but none of this was as interesting to me as my Peace Corps years.

Starry, starry night…although it is 10 am

751px-VanGogh-starry_night

Originally uploaded by nerro285.

Starry, starry night

Paint your palette blue and grey

Look out on a summer’s day

With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

Shadows on the hills

Sketch the trees and daffodils

Catch the breeze and the winter chills

In colours on the snowy linen land

Now I understand

What you tried to say to me

And how you suffered for your sanity

And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen

They did not know how

Perhaps they’ll listen now

Starry, starry night

Flaming flowers that brightly blaze

Swirling clouds and violet haze

Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue

Colours changing hue

Morning fields of amber grain

Weathered faces lined in pain

Are soothed beneath the artists’ loving hand

Now I understand

What you tried to say to me

And how you suffered for your sanity

And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen

They did not know how

Perhaps they’ll listen now

For they could not love you

But still your love was true

And when no hope was left inside

On that starry, starry night

You took your life as lovers often do

But I could have told you Vincent

This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you

Like the strangers that you’ve met

The ragged men in ragged clothes

The silver thorn of bloody rose

Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know

What you tried to say to me

And how you suffered for your sanity

And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen

They’re not listening still

Perhaps they never will

Don McLean’s song Starry, Starry night, based on Vincent Van Gogh painting Starry Night which has been painted in 1889.

The Kite Runner….Khaled Hosseini

One of the most touching and sincere novels I ever read…I highly recommend it….it is the author’s first novel, a beautiful and swift read…that leaves you with lots of questions to ponder upon. 

“There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. Do you understand that?When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father.When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth.When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?”

“Children are not coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your favorite colors.” 

“A man found a magic cup and learned that if he wept into the cup, his tears turned into pearls. But even though he had always been poor, he was a happy man and rarely shed a tear.So he found ways to make himself sad so that his tears could make him rich. As the pearls piled up, so did his greed grow.

The story ended with the man sitting on a mountain of pearls, knife in hand, weeping helplessly into the cup with his beloved wife’s slain body in his arms.”

“Faces poke through haze, linger, fade away. They peer down, ask me questions. Do I know who I am? Do I hurt anywhere? I know who I am and I hurt everywhere. I want to tell them this but talking hurts”

“For you, a thousand times over”

See how short is this last sentence!! yet it means a lot….for a reason it has a powreful strange effect on me…tears pools in my eyes everytime I think about it…how willing are you to give, sacrifice, forget and forgive??

talk…talk…talk

– Today I realized that I sometimes “lots of times” mentions things here..and don’t mention them to people…and when time comes to refer to these certain events…people go like…what are u talking about?? and am like remember this story I told u about so and so…fa they are like no…u didn’t…and am like..come on…I did.  Healthy?? who cares…as long as am enjoying it khalas.

– Hurghada: well, I was in a volunteer assignment…and it didn’t go so well, I was there coz I wanted to participate as I thought it is a unique event in Egypt..and I would love to be part of it…and since I didn’t have except 2 days off..el homa el weekend…fa I volunteered my time.  What happened there is that…I took it too serious..and the coordinators/organizers…were like aho…we are waiting for the approvals w keda…my personal opinion is that..if you are working in the ME and know the nature of the country you are helding such a big event in…you should ‘ve got all ur permits/approvals ahead of time…and believe it or not…. a day before the event..is not ahead of time…no?? unfortunately that’s how I precieve things. I found that a bit amateurish….

Another thing happened with the coordinator that I didn’t like…and maybe I was a bit prejudiced against her for that…I don’t wanna talk about it…bas kaman…it was another unprofessional move from her side. 

– I had fun in my way back to cairo….the idea of sitting just beside a squeaky emergency exit wasn’t really a very good one….but eshta….there was a very nice lady sitting beside me…she started a conversation as she was a bit freaked out….fa I played along.  We had a very nice talk…about family, friends, work, hurghada…etc…but she blew me away when she asked me …”twins turn into cats during night..mesh keda???”  I didn’t see this question coming…I told her.. yeah…but I don’t know why am I late tonight…we  usually start the transformation process directly after sunset..maybe coz u know about it!!!people shouldn’t know that. How did u know? she replied eno her grandma…told her but she never believed her. 

I thought eno I should stop as the girl’s eyes widened…and I thought she is really gonna pass out. but she started pointing to her forehead…saying…”see…I knew it..I never knew from where I got this scar…but now…I am positive it is my cousin  who had a twin brother” I was like “she hit you!!”..she nodded negatively “no… it’s her claws”…..

Nate Berkus has revealed her “Horrifying Secret” to Lady O tonight….which is eih ba2a??the poor guy has 2 aggressive dogs….he and the respective lady described the dogs shameful behaviour/ attitude towards other dogs and people as “humiliating”….ya 7araaaaaam…it was an issue for the guy. for a reason I wasn’t ready to sympathize with him, her, or their dogs…wonder why??

“For you a thousand times over”

                                           The Kite Runner

Back from Hurghada

The event is not over with yet…but honeslty-for me- it was over with since day 1….I loved the idea…loved what I was suppossed to do..yet how things went was kinda really disappointing.

The bright side of it is that I got to meet real nice people…

THE BIG ONE IS COMING….and……….

I finally had my butterfly tattoo…yaaaaaaaaaay….it is just I found eno behind my shoulder is not the best spot for my all time aspired tattoo.

Note to Wonderer:  A bellybotton ring !!! don’t u think I already have one ;), “Quick eyebrow thingie here”.

Stories about perfectionism, masha2allah…masha2allah sharp and super hillarious waiters “iroy here”….the squeeky plane emergency exit…and the relation between twins and cats!!!!!

TBC….

Ha????

1.      Go to: http://www.google.com/translate_t

2.       Choose translation from (Arabic to English)

3.       Write ( شعب يباد) in the (Translate Text), then press (Translate)

4.       Now…what??!!!

Update: it is now fixed

Tahyeees

 Neutral

I am so nauseatingly neutral these days…I hate me when I am that neutral…why?? coz being neutral is like being dull keda….am neither anti…nor pro….not malicious or aggraveted…it is a silly phase..that am going thru. I have an easy way to go out of it…which is start a real ugly discussion with a someone with a very loud voice…but I don’t wanna do that…the silence policy is working fine and driving her real nuts…fa cool.  I am not always mean..but I have too sometimes.

Pyrexia:

?????

The Chaos Theory: a thought instigated by the butterfly effect “the movie”.

In mathematics and physics, chaos theory describes the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamical systems that under certain conditions exhibit a phenomenon known as chaos. Among the characteristics of chaotic systems, described below, is sensitivity to initial conditions (popularly referred to as the butterfly effect). As a result of this sensitivity, the behavior of systems that exhibit chaos appears to be random, even though the system is deterministic in the sense that it is well defined and contains no random parameters. Examples of such systems include the atmosphere, the solar system, plate tectonics, turbulent fluids, economics, and population growth.

Systems that exhibit mathematical chaos are deterministic and thus orderly in some sense; this technical use of the word chaos is at odds with common parlance, which suggests complete disorder. (See the article on mythological chaos for a discussion of the origin of the word in mythology, and other uses.) A related field of physics called quantum chaos theory studies non-deterministic systems that follow the laws of quantum mechanics. “Wikipedia”

Ok….here is another interpretation from “Uncyclopedia”

The Universe is a pretty big place, and if you just leave matter laying around you never know what’s going to happen. For example; given enough time, there may yet be an intelligent leader in the United States. Random stuff is always going to happen, so just chill out and smoke a doob. In fact, scientists are too busy to care about what randomness is all about, so they came up with the catchy new-age antiestablisharianologisocialistomorphosed term of ‘Chaos Theory’.

Scientists claim that there is no real way of predicting when something random will, will not, or may, or in fact may not occur. The only rational defense against randominity was developed by Albert Einstein in the late 1950s after his plate ran away with the spoon. After his initial surprise, he came up with a solution by using the following phrase:

“WTF HAXXORZ!?”

Widely regarded as the most intelligent phrase in history, this is the only known method of dealing with chaos and randomness.

*I tend to like the last one better…not for anything other than that the word “mathematics” is not there…asl..am phobic to mathematics…we never managed to get over our old issues “primary 2 related issues as a matter of fact” and be good friends. Although…we ‘ve been through the “we gotta do it..like it or not” phase…yet…had an ugly goodbye..I barely have anything in mind that reminds me with “Math” ;D..what was it all about??? ;p

The Dollar Store

Sometimes I feel like am one of those dollar stores..I have/offer lots of things…for a dollar of less…however, I don’t take the dollar. 

A more domestic example..would be the “kol 7aga berob3 gneih” guy…and will end up not taking the rob3 gneih bardo…only that..I don’t like the sound of it…I mean…I won’t even take the rob3 gneih!!! imagine?!!!

The Hakeh Niswan Debate

After watching Eve Ensler’s “The vagina Monologue” on stage…Lina Khoury the director and playwright of Hikah Niswan or Women’s talk decided to shock the arab world with her own version..

Ready to take the heat….armed with enough guts, patience, and persistence…she worked on it….….”After five drafts and as many trips to the censors, Khoury finally got approval — but after months of seeing paragraphs scrapped because of subject matter and language”

SURPRISE…SURPRISE!!!!

Hakeh Niswan” was scheduled to run for five nights. There was no advertisement or marketing — just word of mouth. It played to sold-out audiences through those five nights. Then another five nights. It is still playing, and Khoury is hoping the run will last all summer.

Talk about oppression…

TBC…or…I think it deserves a separate post!!

If your love cannot BE moved

you can’t give up all and then take back all you give
you can’t live to die but you can die to live
or is that too much to ask of the you in you?
put a face to your somebody

can you say your name?
or would you rather stay unknown?
can you show your face?
or are you fearful of it shown?
can you feel your heart?
or does it beat for you alone?
lift your glass up high
say that your truth will never lie
if your love cannot be moved

                                    “Stevie Wonder & Kim Burrell, from his A time to love album”

It is a beautiful lazy morning at home “God…I love that”..not always..I can’t take it much….I just love doing it for a change….eating, reading papers, checking e-mails, and watching morning shows (CBS morning news, jeopardy, wheel of fortune, 20/20…Martha and the naked chef will be there soon “I get that cheesy sometimes”…no good movies!!!).., the only thing I am missing in this miraculous atmosphere is a cheese cake….a real good one. 

Karam called…and she was like freaked out…she didn’t find the old blog….and tried to call me but the phone was off :D…she thought I’ve been detained or something…I was like am the last blogger to be detained…I am not in the list aslan.

Speaking of Karam and the kotobkhan…am thinking of having a page dedicated to the Kotobkhan here…i update it…and put news, offers, new releases w keda….until her website is completely up and running…how is that?!!! 

Had another idea while writing this…why don’t we have like a bi-weekly book discussion there?!! won’t that be cool…she won’t mind I know…we pick a good book…read it…and go discuss it together!!!

 Time for a little nap,

Zzzzzz

From Atlas Shrugged

“Independence is the recognition of the fact that yours is the responsibility of judgment and nothing can help you escape it–that no substitute can do your thinking, as no pinch-hitter can live your life–that the vilest form of self-abasement and self-destruction is the subordination of your mind to the mind of another, the acceptance of his assertions as facts, his say-so as truth, his edicts as middle-man between your consciousness and your existence…”

                           Excerpt from Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Work related issues++

Current boss has an issue with the x-boss…not work related, but it is sorta personal/social…the other one..was more into his staff…therefore..they were more into him.  But this one is like so nice..yet not into people awi…he is only close to me and another AN…fa he suffers shwaya.This morning Magued asked me to sent him K’s “x-boss” e-mail address…fa I did…but the stupid me sent it to “current boss”…opppppppppthy..no biggie I know..but he is sensitive towards K…and I wasn’t really ready to go over social/personal conversations at the time…but..anywayz…it happened..he came and asked me about it..and I told him eno he is the wrong recipient.  Here the ground was ready for couch time…and I was like…no…not now.  But I was really lucky he started and went further…couldn’t do anything but listen “not for a long time though”…I managed to jump to a very dear topic to his heart 😉 “my job description”….that was it…end of discussion. Na na na na na na

Job description issue is as simple as…I want one that reflects my current real duties..not the hypothetical one in files. It is neither a raise nor a promotion…it is just paper work…boss hates this issue…3ashan he feels guilty…he feels eno I deserve a promotion…but there is no where to accommodate it in our proposal!!! Mmmmm…spell acknowledgement!!

Couch potatoes: a guys world-cup related syndrome….beware..ladies might get caught in the hype as well.  It hit me when I was talking with a friend last Thursday..and he wanted me to go watch a movie with them and cancel my arrangements…coz he won’t be able to see me for a long time..fa I was like “ha?? Are u traveling wala eih?”…fa he said eno …it is the world cup w bta3 and I will be busy working_and_watching the games…am like..mmm..ahhh…tab..cool!! rest is easily to figure out..no??

* I don’t lisp…I just do it in occasions…like…when I am so happy…mehayessa…or so frustrated and wanna show someone that I don’t like what he/she is saying in a nice way..depends on the tone…

The cool thing about being with a partner/boyfriend..is that you may do/say the most stupid things in the world and get away with it…it is taken for granted…be silly and they might think it is cute…okk..not to that extent…but they won’t fuss about it…coz it is you who did it…I miss being with SOMEONE….not someone in particular..but with just one person…not lots of friends…”no comments re. this bullet please” 

Don’t know what’s what with the wink…I know he winks out of being friendly..2al ya3ni…he is cool and stuff…tried to explain that it is not really cool..and he is old “well I put it in a more politically correct manners..but can’t recall exactly right now”..and he might be misunderstood w keda.  It happened again…with a guy from the clinic…ewww…I was laughing though..the guy was totally freaked out..and he was like…what??? I can tell he was really scared.

Which reminds me of a sorta similar sitiuation/conversation with a nice lady who used to harrasse someone else with her why aren’t u married/dating type of questions..

a: you are still not seeing anyone?

b:no..

a:look at urself, you should, you know how old are you?

b: “kinda fed up and about to kill the lady” what if am not into guys, “turned and looked to her in the eye”…u know what I mean “wink”.

Turned out to be an effective solution though ;D

Physically and Emotionally unbalanced

Don’t know why exactly…but don’t mind blaming it on the antiallergic tablets that I’ve been on for a while now….seriously it is driving me crazy…neither sleepy…nor fully up and running…just blank….sooo drained..don’t have enough energy to do anything.

Things at work were quite crazy the past few weeks…with ………………………..and……………….too many fish to fry…well…exterminate the pond!! I tend to be a bit violent under  pressure 😀 I really need some rest.  Decided to relax and enjoy some good time at home this weekend..and that was all about it…not used to it..yet needed it the most. 

We had a sort of a family gathering at our place…and after lunch…my 12 yrs old cousin…was trying to explain to her father..el howa my uncle…the advantages of a video i-pod…and how careless she is that…she really won’t be able to do with a nano one…it was really funny…coz he was like…then you gotta do with your current  big one …..kids are really having fun these days…

Remember when I was young….The Atari thingie “play station primitive version type of thing”..and lucky  was   the one who owns “Computer Sakhr”..that’s what we used to call it…Hesham “cousin” was the first to have it…and mannnnnnn..the guy was super mean back then :D…it was like you gotta take his permission..before your sick mind magnifies the idea of touching the keyboard mathalan…or if you are lucky…and he is into you right at the moment…you can watch him 😀

Don’t know why I recalled a real bad childhood memory :D…back then there were all kinds of music, songs, and tales on tapes for kids…and parents never failed to update us with such things….among those tapes…there was one about Bella the Gorilla..a story narrated by Fouad El Mohandess about this gorilla on one side…and Fawazeer songs on the other.

Sister, cousins, and others used to find this gorilla story cute and warm…but I never hated something as I hated this Gorilla…never sympathized with her….when this part about her drowning during mesh fakra a storm or something…I used to see tears in people’s eyes…but for me…it was like…this is freaky…a freaky creature…under super catastrophic circumstances.. where is the kids part here??     where is the fun part ?? what is it that am missing?? think mom might be keeping this tape somewhere…maybe I will listen to it…from an adult standpoint…and figure out what would make a wet freaky gorilla kids heartthrob!!!

”  At the temple there is a poem called “Loss” carved into the stone.
It has three words.
But the poet has scratched them out.
You cannot read “Loss”
Only feel it”.

It is almost 2:30 am, I am watching catch me if you can…and listening to Jack Nicholson singing “la vie en rose”…from something’s gotta give the movie…delightful one..

عزلنا

نقلت البلوج الأنجليش لورد برس…لأسباب فنية 🙂

The move

I am just testing this new place…get a feel of it…looks and feels good..am generally flexible..I don’t mind new stuff…not pinky..yet I find it elegant.  Wanna call my name around and wait for the echo..as if it is a new empty apartment :D…Nermeen…eeen…eenn..een.. yeah..it works..

“Rolling eyes”…mafish emoticons hena?? There are lots of icons and fields that I don’t really know what to do with!! will probably figure out…or end up deleting them..can I?? dawsha awi asl

I go ba2a 🙂

Up @ 2 am…why not update my blog?!!

Since there is nothing else to be done right here right now…so…time for updates…

– Kinda lagging and drowsy…yet…can’t get myself to sleep for a long time…is there anything like seasonal insomnia?? :D…am serious…what’s it with this time of the year…no matter where am located…It is just I can’t sleep….I know am not a summer person at all…yet…it is killing me..I am mesanta7a most of the time….I respond slowly…whatever..I wish this long month of June & July come to an end ba2a..”I consider June and July one long month”…they are almost the same pronounciation in arabic…too hot..and they last forever….fa there is no point of misleading people…and giving them 2 different names…

– Had a very pleasant walk @ Seyyoufeya St. on Saturday “was too hot for such a walk I know”..yet I had a blast…my initial destination was Prince Taz renovated palace..nevertheless,I wasn’t able to resist going back to the Mawlaweya Complex and stand in the main hall where they used to practice their rituals for a while…there is something about this hall….it is so…spiritually stimulating if I may say.
Then started my tour at the spectacular palace..here are a few photos to get a feel of the place…it is a must visit. When the cool dude who was showing me around knew that am into photography w keda..he informed me eno there will be a Brazilian Photography Exhibit starts tomorrow…fa I told him…I won’t be able to make it…fa he sneaked me in :D…
Emi, was the only person in mind during the walk ;D….can’t forget when the Security guy @ the Baron Palace was gazing at both of us while handing out our ID’s…and was like “what were these 2 loonies doing for 2+ hrs inside this desolated bldg”…we heard the last few words bas…without the loonies thing though 😀 ..wasn’t our only one…a few morning days out followed 😀

* I had this conversation while downloading the photos
Roomie “American female”: what are u busy doing?
Me: downloading photos.
Roomie: photos of?
Me: Prince Taz Palace
Roomie: OH…sweet lord…Nermeen…I know your addiction to cartoons and stuff…but honey…you started giving ur favourite ones titles…and assign them royal properties!!!
Me: “wasn’t able to talk…coz I was literally laughing my head out..I didn’t see this coming”
Roomie: babe..u gotta seek professional help
Me: You freak..I didn’t lose my mind yet…you know I still have a little part sticking up there..go look it up…and find out..who is prince taz 😀
Roomie: Is there a prince taz?? real one??
Me: turn on ur computer..and look it up.
“I played the lady a lot before..so I can’t really blame her :D”

– Me sleepy…

“We all want to fall in love. Why? Because we feel that experience makes us feel completely alive. Where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, everyday reality is shattered and we are flung into the heavens…It may only last a moment, an hour, an afternoon, but that doesn’t diminish it’s value, because we are left with memories that will last us the rest of our lives”.
(The Mirror Has Two Faces, a beautiful Barbra Streisand movie)