Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Monday, July 03, 2006
Let's Get Loud
Actually I wrote this article today at 2:00 am…but I never thought that I will read something about it in my today’s exam.
Here is this stupid question ( well it is not that stupid,but…well…you know… all my years I am writing about how to prevent pollution in Egypt and that Egypt has the best weather in the world and why we should not make our streets dirty…and bla bla bla…but all this are only theoretical things…we never ever do that in real life…where is the meaning of the exam…is it just to know that information…or to prove that I know it...ok I know it and we all know it…so what )
Here is the question :
Discuss the following -
1) Hazards,determinant factors and measures for prevention of hazards of exposure to noise .
Huh…ok…here we go… bla bla bla bla…I have even mentioned that when we hear music we should keep the volume a little bit down ( although I do not do that when I hear my mp3 player…he he he ...I am just kidding)…yeah…hey…but do those people who work in industries in Egypt put these special earphones to protect themselves from noise…nah…and what can we do with the crowded streets…nothing…bluh…and bla bla bla...it is just one of those stupid exams…and I still have exams till the end of next week…I think I am the last one who will finish… if I am really going to finish
And here is a part of my article I wrote 7 hours before my exam:
This city is loud…noisy…a disproportionate orchestra playing a mixture of human, animal and mechanical voices…with no rhythm or melody…day and night…when we speak…we speak loud…when we bark…we bark loud…when we negotiate…we negotiate loud…if you want to win…you have to be loud…do we hear each other …do we understand each other...I miss the old Maadi… I miss the silence…the sound of birds…the sound of trees…the sound of water…the sound of wind…the sound of peace
Sunday, July 02, 2006
عرس اكاديمى
اكاديمية جنيف المعتمدة
دعوة لصيف خالى من الحشرات
الأن بعد النجاح الكبير فى أوروبا
أقوى عروض الصيف فى مصر و الشرق الأوسط
خبراء فى إبادة جميع أنواع الحشرات و القوارض
البديل الصحى للرش و مشاكلة و أضراره
لا داعى لترك المنزل أو الخوف على الأطفال و أرفع الطعام و نقل الأشياء
مواد من الطبيعة غير سامة و ليست لها أى تأثيرات جانبية
إبادة جميع انواع الحشرات الزاحفة و الطائرة
صراصير – نمل – بق – فئران – عرس – ناموس – ذباب – أبراص
بضمان الأكاديمية مع المتابعه الدورية
كل هذا العرض بجانب النظافة الشاملة
...
كل هذا من خلال مهندسين متخصصين
...
أتصل الأن لنصلك اينما كنت بالأجهزة اللازمة
خدمة 24 ساعة
Saturday, July 01, 2006
نصائح بابى و مامى - الحلقة قبل الأخيرة
قبل الحياه الزوجيه
يابنى- خلص نفسك اول باول
يا ابنتى- عمرى
قبل شهر العسل
يابنى-استفيد من كل لحظه
يا ابنتى- بلاش تطنشى حاجه
قبل الدخله
يابنى- اجل عمل اليوم إلى ما بعد غد
يا ابنتى – ما تسيبيهوش أو صومى
قبل الفرح
يا بنى - لا تنسى الكاميرا الخفيه
يا ابنتى- بلاش تاكلى حاجه
قبل الزواج
يا بنى - اللى اوله شرط آخره ضلمه
يا ابنتى - ما تفضفضيش باللى فى قلبك
قبل الخطوبه
يابنى – عاوز تعرف مستواها ... بص على جزمتها
يا ابنتى – عاوزه تعرفى بتاعه ... بصى على صوابع ايديه
Friday, June 30, 2006
So You Think You Can Dance
When I was in high school we had a show in the end of each year…and one time I tried to perform a pop dance with my friends on stage of our theatre… I still remember the song…it was “born to make you happy “by Britney Spears “…huh…we were kids…and we failed…then there were courses to learn classic dance…and I joined these courses…and they were pretty boring… at the end we showed what we learned in a big party …but I never enjoyed what I was doing…till I found a nice place in Egypt were they give salsa courses with cheap prices… the location was awesome…it was on the roof of a ship in the Nile…and I had a good time there…and after I finished the course I thought that I will find many girls knowing the moves of salsa dance…but I was wrong…and now…after these years…I barely remember some steps…but I was happy to see other people dance in the second season of “so you think you can dance “…
In the first season we saw how they chose the contestants after the audition, then they were trained to dance different styles like jazz, pop, freestyle, tango and salsa… then the contestants were randomly partnered up and given a dance style to perform in front of the audience…and at the end of each show the best dancers are voted by the viewers.
I was sad not to see Lauren Sanchez again…she could not host the 2nd season due to pregnancy.
I also miss Melody Lacayanga , Blake McGrath and Nick Lazzarini … they are the dancers I like to see…and I think that this season is not as powerful and enjoyable as the first one…well...I hope Travis will win this season.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Y
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Walk like an Egyptian
I do not know why I am using the public bus till now…maybe because I did not have time to learn how to drive…or maybe because I do not want to experience the stressful traffic jam in Cairo…or maybe because there is not that big difference between rotten taxis with nonnegotiable drivers and crowded dirty buses…After finishing my exam and on my way home I saw a foreigner standing in the local bus …I was curios to talk to him and to know his impressions ... but I had a long way to reach the other end of the bus where he was standing ... and although he was wearing the traditional Egyptian garb ( galabia ) – most probably to dissolve himself in the Egyptian crowds and trying not make himself a spot for people’s attention- his rosy cheeks and shining face did the whole job and passengers were looking at him all the time…when the conductor saw me taking a picture of the foreigner in the bus he left his work and moved angrily towards me…I did not have a chance to jump from the bus as I was already in the middle of it…then I decided not to run away and to see what will happen....tan tan tan tan tan tan tan tan ( the music of the movie jaws was playing in my head )…the passengers were excited to see what will happen… I even took some pictures while the conductor was walking between the passengers…and then ~
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Coitus Interruptus
هو انتم حتألفوا على مزاجكم
ايوه... البلد حتتصلح لو مشناها بالشريعة...العدل و المساواه... خد عندك ... لو الاستاذ عمرو قدم نفسه مثلا ... معظم الناس حتختاره... عارف ليه ... لأنهم عاوزين الخير للبلد
مين قال كده... كل مجرم بيتعاقب
اهو كلام و خلاص... ده الفساد انتشر فى الارض... و محدش بياخد حقه... طب جربوا بس و شوفوا الوضع حيتصلح ازاى...احنا بنحترم كل الاتجاهات
حتى الفن...هوه انتم حتسيبوا فى الفن والا فى اى حاجه حاجه
Monday, June 26, 2006
حب كلاب سندويتش
كنت بذاكر فى النادى لما لقيتها جيه تقعد على الترابيزه اللى جنبى
فضلت باصصلها
ضحكتها عامله زى اللؤلؤ
وجهها طفولى جميل
سرحت فيها
هيه طبعا حست انى ببصلها
فبصتلى
كانت كل شويه عاوزه تشوف انا لسه ببصلها و الا لأ
كانت بتلقينى لسه باصصلها
طب و بعدين
سبت المذاكره و قعدت افكر فى الخطوه الجايه
لازم ابقى جرىء شويه
طب يعنى اعمل ايه يعنى؟
اروحلها و اقولها انى معجب بيها قوى
طب لو كانت قاعده لوحديها كنت و الله ممكن اعملها
بس المشكله انها كانت قاعده مع صحابها
بنات و ولاد
و فيهم الولد البطل بتاع فيلم اوقات فراغ
و طبعا البنات كلها قاعده حوليه
و عماله تقوله ايه يا عم الافلام الجامده دى
و كل ما حد يعدى يبص على الولد ده
خلاص بقى مشهور
مش حاجى انا فى وسط القاعده و اروحلها و اقولها انى عاوز اكلمها فى حاجه مهمه و هى اساسا ما تعرفنيش
هى على الاقل عارفه من بصتى ليها انى معجب بيها جدا
و بعدين
و المصيبه لو طلعت مصاحبه و الا كمان مخطوبه
اريت فيها يا ايجيبت ايز ماى دريم...جرايت ايفينت ايه بس
اصل ده مش اكسبريمنت... ده حقيقه ... واقع... مش عاوز اعمل اى غلطه هبله من اولها
الحاجه الوحيده اللى عارفها انى حاروح النادى النهارده
يمكن الاقيها تانى
Sunday, June 25, 2006
World Cup 2006 in Egypt
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Hiroshima
Look … look closer… look to the beauty of Egypt… no people… no pollution… no dirt… no noise… no problems… these were the first words I said when I saw the pictures I have put in post “Only for tourists “…Egypt is really a heaven without the annoying and destructive citizens…but is it really so…could it have been better if for instance Spanish people were living in Egypt…or French people…or even Malaysian people?
But we still have this thing that all the other nations do not have…what is this thing…I do not know…something deep inside our soul…inside our character…that makes us understand each other …we are pretty smart…we are like one family… we know each other
I was walking beside the River Nile and taking some pictures when two children came to me and asked me if I would like to join them in their breakfast…I said to them: no…thank you…I am not hungry
When they sat beside each other and started to eat from the same food on the same sheet of newspaper… the picture became alive again…these peaceful faces are the hope for a better future…let us do something so that they will not be like those who are killing Egypt now...they also were peaceful children ... some time ago
Friday, June 23, 2006
كولاته
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Yacoubian Building (film review)_______________ فيلم عمارة يعقوبيان
Today I saw a nice movie called ”Yacoubian Building“ which was shown lately in the Berlin Film Festival and in other international festivals abroad.
Wahid Hamed tried to be as faithful as possible to the bestselling novel by Dr.Alaa El Aswany ...but the real challenge was the way the young and talented director Marwan Hamed decided to present the characters.He used clever tricks to jump from one story to another, yet giving each storyline all their aspects and details without losing control.
All the big stars (Adel Emam,Hend Sabry, Nour El Sherif , Esaad Yunus , Somaya El Khashab and the others) have done a great job , but the real star was the son of Adel Emam.His character was developing during the whole story and his acting was improving scene after scene.He reached the peak when he was crying and screaming in the prison after being savagely tortured.
Khaled Al Sawy tried to do what he can to present the homosexual character in the movie (as many actors refused to do the role), but his overreactions in many scenes made the character fragile and somehow funny (which was not the case in the novel). The costume design and light was superb, giving the film a touch of beauty and glamour.
The Cinematography was almost perfect.
The only things that I did not like was the score by Khaled Hammad… it did not add anything to the atmosphere but rather masked the dialogue between the actors...and that the movie was too long ( I think more than 160 minutes).
Marawan Hamed has elegantly put many symbols and hints in this picture…but will the ordinary Egyptian viewers understand them…I hope so...because it will open their eyes and minds to issues they did not know (and others do not want them to know ).
It is the most expensive film ever made in Egypt, it is the film that has broken box office records after release and it is the film that may compete with other international films in the upcoming Oscar nominations 2007 for best foreign films.
Did you enjoy reading the novel…(not) really.
Did you enjoy watching the film…yes I did.
Is our life a melodrama as shown in the film...no doubt.
Is this film only for adults...yes it is.
If you want to see the secret of Egypt… go and see “ Yacoubian Building”.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
كيف نبوس الواوا
Monday, June 19, 2006
Human for Humanity
We just watch that on television: Tsunami, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, epidemics, children in Africa, starvation, civil wars… Why don’t / can’t we help strangers?
Our concept: we already have problems; we first solve our huge problems, and then look what we can do for others.
Let us see what the others do outside the Arab world.
Many have problems themselves, but they try to solve others’ problems as well.
Many do not have a religion, but they have humanity.
Many do not have heaven as a reward in their minds, but they feel they have the duty to help the human kind.
They do look forward to have a better future; we do look behind to remember an unchangeable history.
They do, we talk.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Only for tourists ( بليز المصريين يمتنعون )
نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر بس نورت مصر بس كفايه نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر شششش نورت مصر الشريط علق نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر
Dear tourist
Egypt is considered the most beautiful place on planet earth.
Here you have the opportunity to spend the best time of your entire life.
In Cairo you can visit the pyramids, the Egyptian museum, the Cairo Tower, Mohammed Ali mosque, the Coptic museum, the Islamic museum; you can ride a horse or a camel in the desert, enjoy the view of the river Nile in a felucca and then spend a good time shopping in Khan El Khalili Bazaar.
Alexandria is the bride of the Mediterranean sea, you can visit the huge Montaza palace,the castle ,the Roman museum, then go to the oases of Siwa, see the miraculous sea of Marsa Matruh, dive in Hurghada, surf in Sharm El Sheikh,then go to Sinai and climb the Moses mountain to see the magnificent sunrise , visit St. Katherine, make a safari camp in Dahab and Noweiba , then take a Nile cruise down to Luxor and Aswan to see the ancient Egyptian civilization.There are thousands of other fantastic places in Egypt, but we will need millions of books to mention them all.
Everywhere you go you will find night clubs, discos, bars and pubs.
Egypt is the safest place in the universe; you can go safely on the street all the day long, shops are 24/7 open, even at 2 am you will find children with their parents enjoying their day.
The weather is more than perfect, not hot and not cold.
Everything in Egypt is cheap, that means you have to come with an extra bag because you will buy lots of things for sure.
Baksheesh is the greatest thing you will going to experience in Egypt,just enjoy it and be high.
The traffic is the best in history, you just have to make yourself visible ( you do not even have to raise your hand or make any movement ) and you will find a line of taxis waiting to serve you wherever and whenever you want to go.
Egyptians are so sweet and kind; the most friendly creatures in the world, every hour they will give you plenty of food, invite you in their houses, talk with you day and night, to make it short, their goal is to make you relaxed and euphoric happy, so if you need anything, and when we say anything we really mean anything, just ask an Egyptian and he will do it for you, but do not forget the magic word Baksheesh.
The Egyptian food is the best food ever made, you will never ever taste something delicious like that : Foul and Tameya,Mahshy Betegan,Mahshy Wara’ Enab,Mahshy Kosa,Mahshy Uta,Mahshy Koromb, Brain and Tongue sandwich, Kofta,Mesa’aha, Molokheya with rabbits, Batarekh, Koshary, Konafa, Atayef, Basbusa, Tawagen , Baba Ghanug and Tehina,Balady bread with nails,Shawerma, Fetira with sugar and other stuff of course.
Shisha and oriental dance are a must.
After finishing your trip you will wish to stay the rest of your life in Egypt and have the Egyptian citizenship, don’t worry, you will take it immediately with a lifelong guarantee.
We are eager to see you soon
نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر ييييه تانى نورت مصر نورت مصر مورت مصر نورت مصر بس اخرسوا نورت مصر نورت مصر مافيش فايده فيكو نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر نورت مصر-------- هيييييه النور اتقطع--------------- ضلمت مصر ضلمت مصر ضلمت مصر ضلمت مصرلأ حرام مش ممكن ضلمت مصر ضلمت مصر ضلمت مصر
Friday, June 16, 2006
What's left of me
I heard this song today and it just blew me away…although it is talking about loss and emptiness but I do not know why I can feel so much passion, love and sweetness in it.
The piano in the beginning of the song is like someone hugging me from behind, then touching my face gently and whispering in my ear with words I do not wish to hear.
That’s exactly what happened to Nick…and the voice of his yelling at the end of the song with strings is so beautiful and begging-like that you wish to scream with him.
Actually I am not a pop music fan, but this song is a sample of how you can really show and express your inner thoughts and feelings to the public as a cure of depression- especially after someone has hurt you-as Jessica Simpson did when she broke up with Nick Lachey.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
878 Nike
Today I had a big problem because of taking random pictures. I knew from the beginning that this is not an easy thing to do here, especially in the nowadays events in Egypt.
I can just blog without including pictures of what I see and experience, it will not make that difference and it will be easier for me, photography was never my hobby.
Anyway, tourists do take pictures freely everyday, and when we see these pictures we will find smiling happy Egyptian faces enjoying being captured by a foreign camera. We do accept tourists taking pictures of us, but we do not accept it from our fellow citizens.
I also know that anyone can take the pictures in this blog and put it in another site or blog, and he could even change things in it.
We all know that these pictures could be used badly by anyone who has an access to the internet: am I responsible for that?
Anything can have its disadvantages, but till now I think I am not that bad guy. People will say that I am kind of a tool for using pictures in an inappropriate way. We can find many excuses.
The red sign w s does not have a meaning anymore.
I will not assume that a picture can say hundreds of words, but I can say that if we just look, meditate and analyze the condition we are living in, we may be able to find the reasons of our unsatisfied condition. Just by identifying small little details of something in an image could give me and you a hint of an upcoming possibility of improvement-the way we behave, the way we dress, the combination of colors in the street, the noise we hear, the beauty of silence we recognize…we may see the sadness in someone’s face, or feel the happiness in the eye of a child.
We see lots of things everyday, but most probably we don’t like to keep it in our memory, even if we think that some pictures show ugly and unpleasant things, we should know that these things are our guide to a better future, the camera is the memory and every picture is a proof of the chronicles of our daily lives.
We live in this country and have got used to it, that’s the problem. We can not tolerate changes.
Let us take this picture as an example:
I think all of us will say that we do not enjoy looking at it: but some people do enjoy it in a weird way, because they got used to live with it. I saw it beside the door of my university, and I had to see it for 3 days, and on the 4th day I was happy because it was no longer there. Well, this is just a symbol and everyone sees it everyday when he goes to the bathroom…till constipation comes.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
الستات
يا لاهوى
اوعى يا وليه كده
ما توعى انتى ياختى
آآآخ يا نى يا غولبى
فين الرشاقه يا ستى
رشاقه ايه يا ختى
معلش يا ماما خدى راحتيك فى الطلوع
ربنا يكرميك يا بنتى
يييه... كل سنه ابقى فى نفس الموال ده تانى
الناس بتخلص فى امتحاناتها و انا لسه بقول يا هادى
كفايه ان بقى فى نظريه التمدد فى موسم امتحاناتى... امتحاناتى انا بس... انتم قصدينى و الا ايه؟
مش ناقص المواصلات العامه بقه دالوقتى
ايوه بجد مش ناقص
اففف و الستات البلدى بقه لما يبتدوا يولولوا
حاجه بيئه
و انا تهقان من الامتحان اللى عملت فيه زفت مش ناقصكم
بس.... شششش... اخرسوا
ياريت كل ست فيكم تخرس و تحط لسانها فى بقها و تتكتم
لحسن اهب فيكم تانى زى ما عملت النهارده
و على فكره ... خلاص بقيت بايع القضيه
و مش واخد من الدنيا حاجه
يعنى ما فيش حاجه تهمنى خلاص
نفسيتى وحشه... ايوه نفسيتى خره فى تلاته و ستين نيله