A Life interrupted

Wrong place at the wrong time

2009-10-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

My Driving License and Registration were taken away yesterday afternoon, by no fault of my own, but because of an overweight, insecure, corrupt police officer. When you take a minute to think about it, corruption is a very interesting thing. It can be the life-jacket that saves some people from drowning as a result of the consequences of their actions, or the shark that nibbles at your body bit by bit until you can't struggle any longer, for other people. Fortunately for me, I happened to be the former!

Driving in the opposite direction is an offense according to the new Traffic Regulations in Egypt, punishable by 4 days in jail and withholding both the car and licenses of the felon indefinitely. In my case, I knew that I had the means to manipulate the system to my own advantage, and therefore found in only a slight discomfort, having to go to the police checkpoint.

It was, in fact, a pleasant experience. The corrupt officer, who boasted a pair of 600 pound Police sunglasses, with no more than an 800 pound monthly income, was a pleasant man who joked with me on the way to the station, and assured me that I had many options to chose from. We continued to exchange pleasantries in the station, where he nevertheless began to write his report, all the while telling me to call whatever connections I may have if I wished. Unfortunately the report had already been stamped and documented by the time my uncle, a Brigadier General in the police force, had arrived. I needed not to pay the preliminary fine of 50 pounds or go to the police station, which are the official proceedings for most people in that situation. However, I found no way out of the one-thousand pound fine which the report ensured that I must pay. Before leaving the police checkpoint, the young officer called me and whispered to my ear that, if I wished, I could fabricate an application for replacement of the licenses which had been "lost" and avoid paying the fine, with the help of my uncle of course.

On the other hand, those who are not as fortunate as myself to have an influential uncle and enough income to overlook such a fine, are not as lucky.

Among the people who were taken to the checkpoint was a taxi driver, who had neither a driving license nor a car license for the taxi he was driving. Unlike me, the taxi he drove was towed, with the hand-breaks lifted, to ensure maximum damage to the wheels due to friction. The young man was insulted, shouted and cursed at, and was literally begging the officer to have mercy upon his soul. I drove both the officer and the taxi driver to the checkpoint, all the while the taxi driver was begging and pleading with the officer to look as deep as he could into his soul to find even the tiniest ounce of mercy, which he wouldn't have found, had he taken the time to look. The young driver, knowing he would be detained indefinitely without being charged for anything opened the door of my car, and jumped out as we entered an intersection, fleeing as quickly as he could. The officer, who had the drivers ID-Card, assured me that within 2 days the man would be detained and locked up for indefinitely until he is charged with evading a police officer, and ultimately locked in jail for a longer time.

Yesterday I had the pleasure to witness both sides of the struggle, my own, and that of the unfortunately unlucky taxi driver. This experience, although an overall pleasant one, made me realize how important it is to have influence and to be a respectable member of the community, Only once those two requirements are achieved will you be able to use the corrupt system to your favor.

Strike of the garbage man

2009-09-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

Ever since I've lived in Egypt, I've noticed the people's many bad habits, one of which is their method of dealing with garbage. It varies from place to place, however. For example, in Moharam Bek, a place somewhat at the bottom of the social ladder, it's nothing out of the ordinary to be standing under any given balcony, and find that someone had thrown a bag of fish guts, watermelon peelings, and chicken bones right on top of your head from the balcony! There is also the occasional spillage of buckets of dirty water, which was used for mopping dirty floors. Not to mention the all day long throwing of fingernail clippings, watermelon seeds, old cans, cartons and boxes at all hours of the day.

In the more civilized areas of Alexandria, like Roushdy, where I live. The behavior may differ, but the mentality is the same. Instead of throwing the garbage out of the balcony, they go all the way to dumpster at the entrance of the building and, from the gate, fling the bag with all their might towards the dumpster. It may fall into the dumpster, or around, or nowhere near, but in any case, the bag bursts on impact causing the garbage it contained to fly in any and every direction, leaving a mountain of filth all over the street. If you're lucky enough to have it land somewhere in one piece, then fear not, because in the late hours of the night, there is always a hungry homeless man who will open it to look for anything to eat!

Why have I chosen to talk about this subject?? I've chosen to do so because for the past two months, the garbage collecting company "ONYX" employees have been on strike due to low wages, and ever since, the garbage has been pilling in every corner. At least at first when people would throw their garbage, there was always someone to remove it from the middle of the street, but now, the garbage keeps on coming, while those who used to clean it up don't!

So now whenever I see a pile of garbage on my right while driving, I have to move to the far left to avoid it, and more often than not, there would be a car parked on the other side, so I would have to suffer the agonizing pain of having to squeeze between a car and a pile of crap, and sometimes even over the garbage itself. The stench has become intolerable, and the sight sickening, even in the most expensive areas of the city, the garbage has found its way there.

I'm sure that whatever the garbage collectors want is a small price to pay to have clean streets that smell like the trees in them, and the ability to actually see the side-walk and the borders of the metal dumpsters, which have been obscured by the mountains of garbage. I only dream of the day when I can walk in the street and not be attacked by a multitude of flies, which have made home of the ever-growing mountains of garbage which plague the city, and the country!

Ignorance is bliss

2009-09-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

I know I've discussed this issue time and time again, but people never sieze to amaze me. As fond as I am of the concept of no-sex-before-marrige, I'll be the first to admit that it has some, if not many drawbacks.

Egyptian youth, myself included, are without a doubt one of the horniest people on the planet, think day and night of nothing but what lies within their crotch. Just the other day, I was discussing a certian issue with my friends. Now, since there is little or no sex education here, people tend to get carried away when talking about the first night of marriage, and how to preform the sexual act. It is a firm belief that you are religiously permitted, if not doctrined, to use your finger during sexual intercourse, since a female orgasm is much more difficult to achieve than that of a male, and you will be satisfied long before her.

Another misconception is the infamous female ejaculation. Many people fear that when their prospective wives achieve a climactic point, the shooting of some sort of female fluid from the vagine may hurt them. When I argued that a female ejaculation, unlike that of a male, does not preform any biological function, and therefore does not exist, I was mocked and ridiculed as the person who does not believe in the female ejaculation!

What I've just mentioned is a samle of the endless list of idiocy that I have to put up with, and be ridiculed for disagreeing with.

And I'd just like to say that Ignorance is most certainly NOT a bliss.

Marwa El-Sherbeeny May she rest in piece

2009-07-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

Dr. Marwa El-Sherbeeny, an Egyptian woman living in Germany with her husband and child was brutally murdered in cold blood by 18 stab wounds to the abdomen in a courtroom in Germany just a week or so ago.

The man who killed her, and stabbed her husband six times in front of their young child's eyes allegedly did so out of hatred to Muslims, and was only present in the courtroom because he had attacked Dr. Marwa earlier that week in a public park and tried to rip off her head-scarf.

This post is not a tribute Muslims, or women, but a to any human being's basic right to practice their religion wherever, whenever, and however they want to do so. What happened to the young doctor is a tragedy, and what is even more of a tragedy is her country's response to the tragedy. Egypt has done literally NOTHING to avenge her family. Sure, the media has done more than its part to criticize the incident, and persuade people to voice their concerns to officials, but what has any of it amounted to? Nothing! If the person who was killed was of any other nationality, any at all, economic relations between the two countries would come to a standstill until all the guilty parties were punished. However, the Egyptian population has been and always will be, worthless, and not dignified enough for people to care about.

So despite people's attempts, and the "international outcry" that has occurred, I doubt that anything will happen and that any guilty parties will be brought to justice, and that anyone will be held liable.

People are now talking about a nation-wide boycott of german products, like the one which happened with Denmark concerning the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. However, I doubt that a boycott would have any effect whatsoever, just like that of Denmark, whose losses were all recovered within a week after the boycott officially ended.

Once again I'd like to make it clear that this post is simply to say that: anyone of any religion has the freedom to practice their religion wherever they want, even if the whole world thinks of that religion as a breeding ground for terrorists...

RIP Dr. Marwa El Sherbeeny

Double Standards

2009-07-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

I was born and raised Muslim, and continue to live as one, and intend to stay that way. As a result, I've always taken offense to any derogatory comments or racism against Muslims. As much as I'm an advocate of equality for Muslims, I've also been open to all religions and freedom to practice anywhere in the world.

Recently, since 9/11 to be exact, Muslims have become the object of racism, intolerance, and unfair treatment throughout the world. I happen to know several girls my age who wore the head-scarf (hijab) and stopped wearing it after traveling to the US because they were persecuted and discriminated against, to the point that people in public places refused to serve them.

While this behavior is by all means, wrong, I cannot say that it's completely their fault, or that Muslims are any better.

When a tourist comes to Egypt, and brings his or her culture with them, they too are subject to ridicule and discrimination because of it. For example, a woman walking in the street with a mini-skirt on, a strapless top boasting her shoulders and even some cleavage, is hissed at, harassed verbally and sometimes even physically, by a spanking and whatnot, and on very rare occasions, raped, but only if she is alone in a dark street and happened to run into some drug addict or something of the sort.

So, how could we as Muslims expect to be treated any better when we take our religion to their countries. That certainly gave me something to think about.

However, there is an issue that contradicts this theory. In Egypt at least, people are not discriminated against, but simply treated badly, served, even if it's rudely done. But they are served nonetheless. However, people are free to practice religion as they please, without persecution.

However, even though people are free to practice religion and wear religious garments, that rule does not apply to Jews. After the 1973 war on Israel, Jews were no longer welcome in Egypt, and I assure you, if a Jew was seen wearing the head-dress that is common to the Jewish faith, he would not be welcome, or treated or served very well either.

So there is the dilemma for you? Who is right and who isn't? Is there a clear-cut villain in this story? or is it just shades of gray? And more importantly, how can it be fixed?

Ignorance is bliss

2009-07-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

Time and time again, I am reminded of the infamous Egyptian ignorance. That which makes them say and do the most unbelievably idiotic things that wouldn't, in a million years, ever cross your mind had you been in their shoes.

Since the attitude towards education is the same as that towards food: (It won't matter tomorrow if I have nothing to eat today), the population simply does not give education the time of day, and don't know how enlightening it can be to know your A,B,Cs... as is the case of the woman this blog post will now discuss.

Just this morning I was in a taxi on my way to a friend's birthday, when suddenly a brand new Terios' rear end was shattered into shreds by a speeding taxi coming from behind. The fight which followed the incident is not the issue I intend to discuss, because I already know that people here will never change their ways, but what I'd like to comment on is what the woman riding in my taxi had to say about the matter.

She was a short woman of about 35 years. Her horribly conspicuous make-up indicated that she came from a lower class family, probably a simple civil servant, who had never seen larger than a 200 LE note in her life. All this woman had to say was:

"I don't know what that guy (driver of the Terios) is so pissed off about. He can fix that damage for like 100 pounds, and it wouldn't amount to one day out in a cafeteria!!"

Now in case you didn't notice the irony, I'll spell it out for you. There is no dent, no matter how small, that will cost less than 1000 pounds, and there's no decent middle or upper middle class citizen who would ever put himself in the position of having to pay more than 30 or 40 pounds in a cafeteria.

The point that I wish to make is simple: People are so jealous, and so incredibly bitter of being deprived the simplest luxuries, that they make out any person fortunate enough to have what they want into a blood sucking monster, who has more money than God, and who would shower the streets with 100 pound bills if he felt like doing so on a whim.

I concluded from today's experience that ignorance really is bliss, because if the bitter, envious people of this country knew the truth about he lives of those they envy so much, they would become even more bitter, and more loathing of the people they will always wish to be like.

Omar Khairat

2009-07-02T01:04:00.001-07:00

Anyone who follows my blog would know that throughout my posts, I've adopted mainly a negative, criticizing tone whenever discussing an issue. This post is not similar to the rest, because for once, I found something good to say about Egypt.

Last night, I attended a concert for the Egyptian Maestro, Omar Khairat. I'm the first to admit that when I bought the ticket, I had no idea what this man did for a living, or what it was that I was about to attend. However, as the talented Maestro waved his hands back and forth instructing the orchestra, I began to grow fond the the music he produced.

Each piece more magnificent than the one before, each utilizing as many instruments at one time, to produce the purest, and most beautiful of music. My personal favorite was: "Take Care of Yourself", a soft, slow, very touching piece that is still ringing in my ears as I write about it.

Not only was I surprised by his musical genius, but also at the amazing crowd which came to listen to him. There could have been nearly 2000 people in that tiny open-air plaza at the Bibliotheca, and not for nothing, for Omar Khairat turned out to be a very talented person, whom all Egyptians should listen to.

Bobos: An all new cinematic low

2009-06-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not one for movie reviews, and the subject of this blog is far from that, but last night I had the "honour" of wasting 15 EGP on Adel Imam's new sorry excuse for a movie: Bobos!

As always, the za'eem (Leader), Adel Imam, has made yet another pointless movie, which tells the story of a man who did nothing, and fell in love with a woman who dressed like a prostitute. One would think that a motion picture with names such as Hassan Hosny, Ezat Abu Ouf, Lotfy Labeeb, Adel Imam, and the infamous Yousra, would amout to something, yet your hopes of seeing a movie that made you stop and think about it's story are quickly crushed like a bug under your shoe.

Bobos, who is the son of an important government official, is the object of Imam's bribes to get loand from banks. One would think that the movie would continue in that sequence to discuss the ramifications of bribes on both ends of the social ladder, but NO! The 70-year-old Imam, who is probably impotent and living on his former glory, proceeds throughout the 1.5 hours to massage women's thighs, french kiss countless women, including a disgusting, stomach-turning all out tonguing with Yousra in the end of the movie.

Other than the pointlessness of the movie, it's riddled with demeaning sexual innuendoes and connotation. I'll be the first to admit that I was laughing my head off all throughout the movie, but in the end what did I gain from the movie? what, if any, is the lesson I've learned from Adel Imam groping a thong?...

Therefore, I consider Bobos to be a new low in Adel Imam's cinematic career, as well as Egyptian Cinema, and I consider every penny they earn from this filthy, tabloid, TV movie a waste of the county's tax-payer's money.

FuNkY AraBs!!!!!

2009-06-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

The new-born, lebanese music "sensation", Jad Choueiry just released his newest "masterpiece". Yet another superb creation to add to the never ending list of his ridiculous sorry excuse for Musical talent. His new music video, if it can even be called that, is titled: Funky Arabs.

This magnificent work of pornography is meant to change people's view of Arabs, more specifically, to make people stop thinking of Arabs as bearded terrorists. However, the message is actually sends may be even worse than the preconceived notion of "Bin Laden". Choueiry's message of: "Let the funky Arabs turn you on tonight..." as he massages his six-pack all the while gawking at a belly-dancer's nude body, seems to give the idea that "...Arabs are pimps and whores just like the people we're copying in this song!..." So not only does it demean women of any ethnicity, Arabs and their religion, and the conservative eastern community from which he is, but it also demeans the "funky" people of the developed world as if saying that all they do is party until dawn, drink, have sex, and look pretty.

For me at least, this idiotic piece of trash does nothing but insult my intelligence, and the aspiring pimp, Jad Choueiry seems to have outdone himself, and I personally can't wait for his next work of "art"

Here's a link to the video if you're interested in watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgUhTGDZDKc

Sexed-up...

2009-06-24T05:52:00.000-07:00

Being an teenager, it's nothing out of the ordinary to be interested in sex and anything to do with it, but is it possible to become too sexed-up? Especially in a conservative eastern society where premarital sex is frowned-upon, therefore making the people all the more horny.

I've been friends with my best friend for nearly 5 years now, and I cannot recall a single occasion where we actually discussed something of substance or importance. Nearly all our conversations are about sexual positions, sexual encounters and anything to do with the act of intercourse. Not to mention the swearing and cursing which is all of course derived from any sort of sexual act.

Furthermore, whenever a girl is mentioned, even in passing, during a conversation, whatever it may be, the first thing that would come to anyone's mind is: "Is she pretty? Does she have a nice body?..." and so on, and so forth. I have no problem in talking trash and having a laugh every once in a while, but does it have to be every waking second of every day? Is it weird to be so sick of sex that you want to vomit? I think it has something to do with the fact that people are so sexually repressed that it becomes all they can ever think about, until they finally get married and have sex for the first time in their lives.

However, what annoys me the most is not the fact of the constant sex talks, but the fact that every time I try, or even hint at, a subject of substance and meaning, my attempts are quickly thwarted by some amusing remark about some girls behind, or a sex joke that makes us all burst into hollers of laughter and tears of joy. For example, just yesterday I mentioned the egyptian soccer team's scandal involving the call-girls in their hotel rooms the night before their big match (which they lost 3-0 to the US), only to have a friend cut me off mid-sentence to say: "What do you think a blow job would feel like?!"

So you tell me, where exactly is the problem here? Because I am at a loss of what to think...

The Summer vacation

2009-06-23T05:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I attended the last of this year's finals, and am now free for the next three months. In the month and a half which the exams were held, I came across all that is new in the world of cheating. With the introduction of all the new technological advances, it has made it all the more easy to cheat. Even without cell-phones and Ipods, etc...people seem to come up with the most elaborate to cheap on exams.

The most common method I came across was that of the eraser, where the cheater would toss me his eraser saying: "here's the rubber you wanted!" so as to make it seem legitimate, all the while winking at me and motioning a flick of a pen with his hand. I of course must comply and proceed to write the MCQ, true or false, and complete answers on the rubber and pretend to use it, then toss it back saying: "Thank you!"

Likewise, another method is simply to gesture to the cheater using 1,2,3 or 4 fingers, indicating answers a through d. which is the most difficult because it involves constant eye contact and physical activity that can easily be detected by the proctor during the exam.

Yet another method, which I prefer over the other two, is to write the answers on the back of the door/s of bathroom stalls and motion inconspicuously to the cheater indicating that the answers are there.

Last but not least, and my personal favourite, is to send the answers of MCQ, true or false, and complete vis SMS to the cell-phones of the cheater during the exam, either by going to the bathroom in the middle, or leaving the exam ten minutes early to do so.

So there you have it! A month and a half of cheating experience at your service.

Note: I would hever be stupid enough to receive answers from anyone in any of those manner, because I trust only myself when it comes to exams. therefore I only give people answers!

2009-03-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

Recently I've come to appreciate public transportation more than I ever had before. To get to my destination with a taxi or minibus, I need not worry about gas, car oil, traffic (unless I'm late), or rude drivers. I can take any mode of transportation from anywhere and for a fee, big or small, get to where I want without having my blood pressure skyrocket because of all the stress that comes with driving.

Despite the fights that I must endure with the drivers over any given fee, at the end of the day it's much easier to simply pay an extra pound and not have to deal with a rude driver or rush hour.

Not only is it faster to take the bus, but it's also cheaper to do so. The bus won't need to be filled up with gas, and the more expensive gas since the one you want is just not available. It's engine oil isn't your responsibility, and even if it does cause a problem, you can simply get off and take a different mode of transportation, rather than having to stand next to your own car and have the whole street stare and thank God that they're not you at that instant.

One needs not worry about the holes, speed-bumps, and pedestrians who pollute the streets by their inconsiderate trotting across the busiest highways in the city during the height of rush hour.

All that being said, I do not intend to give up my car any time soon even though its being a fiat 127

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Fiat_127_2_v_sst.jpg )

is reason enough to dump it in the nearest dumpster. The only thing stopping me from taking my

dad's car is simply because my "car"s spare parts are as cheap as dirt, and I've been legally allowed

to drive for 3 weeks...

Epiphany...

2009-02-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

I just got my driving lisence today (yes, I passed!) =D and I think that the few hours I spent there taught me some ver yvaluable lessons.

First and foremost, I've realized that the Egyptian public does not and will never actually grasp the concept of a simple, organized line. To get a simple form from the booth, I was squeezed between one man's testicles and another man's behind for almost ten minutes. The smell of sweat literally filled the air, and I had to cover my nose in order not to vomit on the man's head. People were shoving, kicking, swearing, cursing, shouting trying their best to get to the window first. It got so violent that two men beat each other to a pulp because one tried to take the other's turn! I of course took the opportunity and submitted my application while everyone was preoccupied with the fight.

If the people aren't enough, the actual employees are too lazy to even tell people to stand in a line, let alone actually do their job to get things moving! They simply sit on their ever widening asses sipping tea and dunking breadcrums into it at intervals, all the while talking about the latest in the world of underwear and bras with their fellow co-workers.

To top it all off was the perfect ending for the perfect day. As I entered the room where I was to be photographed, an ugly, grubby old man shouted at me, pointing at some official: "Move! Get out! Let the Pasha pass!" The Pasha and his two bitches, excuse the language, left the room quickly having cleared the path, only to bump into an old man also waiting his turn.
I, being annoyed by the entire experience, consolled the old man...

This experience taught me a lot of things, but the one most important piece of information I got from it all was simply this:
We're not called a third world country for nothing!

The ethics of the Rdad!

2009-02-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

For someone who just learned to drive, every time s/he gets behind the wheel is a risk. Not knowing if one will get from point A to point B in one piece, it's only natural to feel insecure and drive like an old lady even in the busiest streets. But why do other drivers not recognize that? At one time or another, everyone on the road was new at it all, so why is it if a car is only 2 seconds late in moving once a traffic light opens that people honk their horns like there's no tomorrow?! Will waiting one extra second throw off their entire day? Then comes the hailstorm of swearing and insults that pour down onto you as if you're the cause of all the world's problems.

In my experience on the road, the people most patient and most willing to wait for you if your car stops and whatnot are women. Sometimes I feel sorry for them, having to go through such horrible treatment when they drive, and to be shouted at and insulted because they're just being cautious. So they know what it's like to be on the other end of: "If you can't drive then stay at home and clean the house, bitch!" and they're thus more willing to wait for you if you're having a hard time. Although, truth be told, sometimes a woman's driving can be incredibly annoying, but who am I to judge?

Also related to the issue are the actual traffic regulation, which seem to have become such an abstract concept for so many people nowadays. No one really bothers about the speed limit, directions, and general safety regulations to the point that they've made a new law that states: "Driving in the opposite direction of the natural flow of traffic in a one-way street is punishable by arrest" or something of the sort, that says you'll go to jail for going the wrong way. Is that reasonable?! Most of the streets around here have no signs anyway, so it's virtually impossible to go in the right direction - even if you wanted to!
I think there could have been a more reasonable solution for the problem (not sure exactly what it is, but it's there!)

So if I had the option, I'd stick to public transportation. However, the allure of being behind a wheel is pretty difficult to fight, and my driving exam is on Monday =D

2009-01-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

I apologize once again for the long absence, but it's really out of my hands. I've been swarmed with midterms and whatnot, not to mention the recent death of a friend's father, whom I have to stand by and support in his time of need.
Starting the mid-year holiday, I plan to compensate for the long absence with all the things that have been on my mind lately, including the whole Gaza issue, and I hope that you enjoy reading what I have to write.

Khalid Ibrahim

The Gaza Strip...

2009-01-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

Ever since its creation, the Gaza strip has brought nothing but agony and pain to its denizens. The past 25-or-so days have been nothing out of the ordinary for the humble citizens of Gaza, who have lived and died since 1948 not knowing if they would live to see the sun rise the next day.

Despite my sympathy for the palestinian people, I cannot place the blame of this incident on anyone other than Hamas, who were obviously the ones to begin the attack. However, it is also only fair to say that Israel's reaction to the incident was very much exaggerated!

I'd like also to point out one fatal flaw in some people's efforts in trying to resolve this arab-israeli conflict. It CAN'T be solved! Situations such as this are supposed to be nipped right in the bud, not left to flourish for sixty years and every once in a while cry "killers!" So my advice to all people is to not preach for the end of the State of Israel, but to try live with the current situation in an effort to make everyone happy.

If you ask me, I have the perfect solution to the problem. Hamas and/or Mahmoud Abass and a representative from the Israeli government should engage in a simple game of arm-wrestling - winner takes all, loser gets kicked out of the land. And there you have it...everyone's happy and the land belongs to only one side - fair and square :)

A close call

2009-01-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

With every passing day I come to realize how complicated we humans are. With all of our emotions, conflicts with one another, and almost everything else that we do. I'm not talking about the Gaza issue (that's a whole other post in the making).

Four friends of mine were recently victims of a car accident. Three happened to come out in one piece with minor injuries while the driver spent two days in the ICU and is now stable. The doctors have a pretty optimistic outlook on the situation saying that he's going to have a full recovery.

As observant as I like to think of myself, I've been watching the other three's reactions to having been in such a difficult situation.

The one with the most extensive of the minor injuries seems justifiably concerned about his friend who is in the hospital and keeps thinking happy thoughts and is trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Not to mention that he's the easiest to deal with in terms of consoling and pep-talking, and the most willing to be sweet-talked into feeling better, despite his injuries and everything else.

The second seems to have a rebellious attitude, and feels resentful of the fact that it hapened to them. He doesn't talk about the incident, keeps to himself, and doesn't try to be at least pleasant with people who try to console him. He's the kind of person who says something like: "Why the hell did this happen to me, God?" perhaps trying to put blame onto someone other than himself, or someone who can't speak in his own defence.

Then again, this is his attitude towards anything that happens to him.

Last but not least, minor injury number three is a moderate of the other two. Quietly drifting away in his own thoughts of what happened, why it happened, and what could have been done to prevent it. He's the kind of person who actually stopped to think about how this could affect his life in the future - will he have learned his lesson and not drive at double the speed limit, or not? - This usually perky and joyful personality now ends every sentence with a long, painfully depressing sigh, which says a whole lot more about what he's feeling that hours of pep-talking would. All the while having complete faith in God's plan for them and that they lived to see another day for a divine reason.

Perhaps you might think that I'm over-thinking things, but I tend to do so, especially when I have a bird's-eye-view of an issue, or a more objective one. As for myself, I find myself quite willing to le go of month-long tiffs and disagreements or everyday problems and pick up the phone and see how they are doing, all the while knowing that I'll regret it with every fiber of my being later on. I find myself asking: Why does it take a life or death situation to bring people closer, and sometimes it takes an actual death to do so? Why to people remember to pray when they're in trouble, and not when the same person they are praying to for help is giving them all that they've ever wanted in life?

I apologize for using this blog for something outside its general theme, but I had a few humble thoughts with nowehre to put them, since no one really cares about this when someone is laying in a hospital bed between life and death.

My only hope is that my friend actually learns something from this and stops trying to impress people by fast driving or cool manoeuvres with his car.

Internet impotence

2008-12-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

Once again, the Middle East and South-east Asia have come to a stand-still because of "technical difficulties" with the internet connections. Earlier this year, January of '08, marked the first of the two internet black-outs so far, where everything from top businesses to household PCs were left without any internet access for nearly two weeks. Once again, people's everyday affairs were abruptly interrupted because six underwater cables were apparently severed on Friday.

Just as bad news travels fast, theories as to why it happened travel faster. Ranging from the typical: " ship anchor getting caught between them..." to the infamous: "A fish ate them by mistake!" Whatever the cause, almost everyone was affected by the french-owned managing company's impotence, and its even more desperate attempts to solve the problem.

As I sit on the edge of my seat now, hoping that this brief breath of connectivity does not fail me before I finish this post, I cannot help but think of how incompetent everything around me seems to be. Everything from everyday ettiquette with my fellow man all the way to large-scale malfunctions such as the one we face now - AGAIN!

What amazes me more is not the fact that this happened for the second time, but those who were affected by it. One would be tempted to think that banks, stock markets, and other large and fundemental businesses would be the ones to complain about this incident, however, one would be misaken in thinking so. For the most part, it was the casual PC user who was affected, and not the large enterprises. People ceased to function because they couldn't log onto their facebook accounts to say "Happy Birthday" to their friends or check their notifications to see who had sent them an invitation to the 'Are you gay or lesbian?' quiz! Life as we know it will have to be put on hold till December 31st when the cables are finally 100% functional once more.

I leave you now in hope that Egyptians youth can hold themselves together just a little while longer before they can finally discover their true sexual orientation, or bid farewell or happy birthday to people they will probably never see face-to-face in their lives.

May God forgive the goldfish that was greedy enough to eat six internet cables...

talk about leaving with a BANG!

2008-12-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm referring to the pair of shoes that were thrown in president George Bush's face earlier this week!

Exactly how something like that can happen twice in a row without anyone doing anything about it until it was over is simply beyond me. If the simple fact that it actually happened is not baffling enough, the shoe that was thrown is now being auctioned with bids up to 10 million dollars!

Another thing that I've been wrapping my mind around since first seeing this on the news was why people kept saying that what the man did was "considered an insult in Arab culture..." In what culture is it not frowned upon to throw two shoes at the leader of the free world at a live, international press conference? Or am I over thinking it? But I'd assume that having a shoe thrown in your face would result in some sort of hurt feelings no matter what culture you're from. Sure, it's exceptionally insulting to Arabs because to be "hit with a shoe" is engraved in our culture as being the second most emasculating act to have done to you (after #1: Being hit on the back of your neck...)

Next on my mind was a moral dilemma. Was the young man within his rights to express himself (freedom of expression, etc...) or did he cross any line? Of course, this is a special case because the "victim" was the most powerful man on Earth, literally. However, in any other case, where the victim is a less authoritative figure who is disliked by the masses, would it be okay? Would the felon receive just a slap on he wrist or would there be criminal court and trals and so on...?

After prolonged contemplation, I can't say that the young man was wrong in what he did. Naturally, it was disrespectful and quite stupid to tell you the truth, but Bush pretty much had it coming! Sometimes words are not enough, and since actions speak louder than words, an action such as this was in order long before this moment in time. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the Arab World, as well as the rest of the world seem to think the same way as I.

President George W. Bush has now compiled the most elaborate list of goof-ups,

2008-12-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

Has there been anyone in your life who simply annoyed the hell out of you? someone so dumb that every time he or she breathed, it struck a nerve and made you want to peel off your own skin and eat it! Of course no one is immune to the idiocy of his fellow man, but how much are some people wiling to put up with for certain perks that this irritating friendship has to offer?

Let us consider the figment of my imagination (derived from reality), Mark! Mark happens to have a gigantic belly, and smalls of something so bad at all hours of the day, they still haven't discovered a name for it. Mark is also very low in the IQ, annoying, and has nex to no sense of humor and/or intellect whatsoever! Despite his many flaws, Mark hapens to have the one thing that separates us from the primates - MONEY! Or a very comfy, and expensive set of wheels to be more precise. Now don't get me wrong; I try my best to walk he walk and not just talk the talk, so being friends with a guy just because he has a car is something I find apalling to een consider. However, this is my argument:

Despite the fact that his idea of a joke is so lame that I have to keep my genitals from falling off after hearing it, he's not a bad guy - he's kind and doesn't go out of his way to hurt anyone. So he's pretty decent, but sometimes that's just NOT enough. I find myself, and my friends included, calling him only because he has a car and we like to go to places that are pretty far away. And what makes me okay with the whole arrangement is the fact that he seems to be okay with it. He pretty much has a good idea of what's going on and doesn't object, and sometimes even begs us to go out with his saying: "Don't worry, I have the car today!"

I'm sure you can relate wo this situation, who hasn't been where I've been at one point or another?

2008-12-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

First of all, allow me to apologize for the long absence. My internet connection hasn't been at its best lately, and I'm in the middle of midterms.

As always, the events of my life or events of those around me have always been the inspiration behind most of my posts...this post is no different.

Let me ask you a question: What line must someone cross in order for his behaviour to be considered sexual harrassment? Is there an acceptable limit to physical contact or not? if so, what is it?

I ask this because I didn't actually witness the following situation happen and would like a second oppinion. In short, a professor walked past a female student (note that this particular professor is both incredibly horny and sexually deprived - a dangerous combination of course) and slapped her on the thigh saying: "hey there pretty lady!" or anything similar...it's difficult to translate :)

Naturally, the dumbfounded young student burst into tears and ran out of the classroom screaming. After we calmed her down, I asked why she didn't take any official action against him, and was surprised to hear this: "He's my professor and controls my grades! I can't do that!"
Of course, we are all used to the whole concept of 'the college professor is God', but aren't there limits even for an all powerful God? In any other country, would this even be an issue?

Another common instance is when a man can grope any random woman on a bus with the excuse of "she wanted it! Look at how she's dressed!" and have everyone actually agree with his point of view and congratulate him for his act!
Or for instance, when a man can grab a woman by the crotch and recieve a standing ovation from the people sitting at the nearby coffeeshop.

All of the previous examples clearly exemplify sexual harrassment, but my question is quite simple: Why is it so common and accepted and what is the limit at which you have to stop and say to yourself: "that was inappropriate."?

2008-11-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

I love when someone has the courage to admit something embarrassing about him/herself infront of the whole world. But sometimes there are certian things left that should be left unsaid. Sometimes that thing can be common knowledge yet people choose not to speak of it because it's just not discussion material.
One such insance is the things that American new anchors seem compelled to say...
It was two days after Obama was announced the new president of the free world, after America's image had just stared to improve in the eyes of the international community and the prospect of change began to flood the minds of millions that a news anchor on CBS News decided to speak:

"Now matter how hard she tries and how much she talks about serious stuff like poverty, war, and human rights, all people really care about the first lady Michelle Obama, is what she's wearing!!"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but despite the fact that the statement is perfectly true, is that something you have to spell out so bluntly to the entire world on international television like that? Am I over-reacting to the unbeleivably stupid remark that the nice anchor made?

The eloquent young woman went on to run a nicely edited reportage of all the first lady's clothes throughout the two years of campaigning.
After the world had finally begun to take the American public seriously, she has to go say something as stupid as that! What is a regular person watching CBS supposed to think about the general American public after watching a "news" report such as that?

Another similar situation is the fact that ALL channels, satellite or otherwise, are talking about nothing but The Obamas' new puppy for the white house...picking out the perfect breed and color all the way down to the length of its nose hair! Forget the crumbling economy, forget Iraq and Palestine/Israel, all that doesn't even compare to the gravity of the choice of dog that the Obama family is now faced with!

Is it too much to ask that people at least try to pretend that they're even the slightest bit intellectual? It doesn't hurt to pretend that you care about something of meaning, really!

He who has never made a mistake, has never done anything new...

2008-10-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

How many times have you encountered a person who thinks s/he's better than you are? Someone who mocks your efforts and sugarcoats it as brotherly advice? ...Especially when the critisizm happens to be in one particular subject.

The Muslim Brotherhood (a political party in Egypt, and more considered to be some peole's lifestyle - which is the aspect discussed in this post) represents that annoying individual that no one seems to like, but tolerates because there is no way to get rid of them. My argument concern those who folow an overly religious and sometimes downright exstreme lifestyle only - not the political party or anything to do with it.

Simply put, the bearded young men have a bird's eye view of all those who choose not to follow in their path. Every once in a while one may approach you and try to save you from eternal damnation which will be the result of your blasphemous behavior in life. When it is your misfortune to encounter such an individual, it's not uncommon to realize that the brotherly advice you're being given is actually critisizm of your satanic behavior and more of a condescending glance of pitty upon your lost soul. Whether the subject of your defiance is mingling with the opposite sex, use of lousy language, or simply making mistakes during the ritual prayers, you shall never escape the all-seeing eye of the 'Ikhwanjy'.

My mistake was the last of the three. I was approached by such an individual who seemed to derive pleasure from telling me how I've wroged. Try as I might, I couldn't shake him off despite all my attempts. Finally I said: "He who has never made a mistake, has never tried something new!" and politely excused myself, still feeling uneasy because of the demeaningly condescending glances he gave me even as I left the mosque.

2008-10-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

What should come first? Friendship or your reputation?...A trick question that I was faced with today. Briefly as possible, this is what happened:

The reputation of one particular female member of our group of friends is under fire. Meaning that she was seen simply standing with members of the opposite sex, including myself. Her parents found out and made a huge deal out of the issue after the entire campus starting to talk about her blasphemous behavior.
The solution to this problem to savw what's left of her reputation is to sever all connections with her male aquantances.

My question is this: despite the obvious fact that the problem from its core is rediculous and should not even be an issue, what should be done. It is the unfortunate fact of life that girls are under this kind of pressure from society, however, should they put their reputations before their friendships with the people they are about to ignore? Of course, a person's reputation amoung his or her peers is of utmost importance, but is it so wrong for people to defy the norm and simply continue with their actions despite the horrible things that would be aid about them behind their backs or even to their very faces?

Personally, I think that her course of action is the easy way out. To simply comply with society's demands without a fight to preserve her reputation as a respectable girl. On the other hand, to defy society is to sign your own death dertificate - meaning that if she does so, she could kiss marriage and a normal life goodbye!

So what is to be done in this situation? Put yourself in her shoes and think of what your course of action would be.

It's a GLOBAL economic crisis!

2008-10-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

Just the other day I took a taxi to the medical campus because I was running late. As is the habit of most drivers, this one struck a conversation with me out of thin air. Therefore I decided to write this post as a response to his nonsense because I know better than to start a debate with someone as uneducated and as small minded as an Egyptian taxi driver.

The first putrid breath he uttered was: "America's gonna be broke! niahahaha!" which I later learned was a reference to the economic crisis, the 'great bailout' and whatnot. Ahmed the taxi driver has a theory saying that the 700 million dollars (I decided not to correct the sum) of the bailout would do nothing to save the American economy and that the treasury would become depleted and America would cease to be a world power, etc...

What is the appropriate response to a theory as ridiculous as that? Seeing it best not to aggravate the situation, I simply agreed with the theory while my insides boiled with anger and disgust. Has hunger driven people to become THAT stupid? What is this person's excuse to actually believe beyond any reasonable doubt that the lunacy that is his economic theory is anywhere near reality? What he, as well as flocks of Egyptians, seem to have missed is that this is a GLOBAL economic crisis which has affected and will continue to effect all corners of the globe. This young unsuspecting taxi driver doesn't seem to comprehend that as the situation continues to deteriorate in the US, the already on-the-verge-of-crumbling Egyptian economy will be directly affected as a result.

Instead of arguing I simply nodded and agreed with how "what goes around comes around" and comforted myself with the fact that his idiocy would eventually get the better of him. And sure it did...

Yesterday, the world witnessed a 27% increase in prices. Everything from the wheat we plant to the coca cola cans have increased in price. That includes, as I was kind enough to point out to the taxi I took, gas prices! To my surprise, I was not at all upset that the fare from my house to the campus had almost doubled. All I wanted was to see the look on that driver's face when he went to fill his tank at the gas station. Apparently, America wasn't the only one affected by the crisis :)

Catching the wrong train.

2008-10-04T03:55:00.000-07:00

This post was inspired by a comment I received for a previous post on my blog, because I thought this was an issue worth mentioning.

Globalization has come to hold so many meanings in today's society. For most it means modernization of a country's industrial projects, or even switching from an agricultural economy to an industrial one. In many cases it may mean the transfer of different technological advances from their place of origin to the rest of the world. However, for the third world, and Egypt in particular, globalization holds a whole new meaning for its people.

The introduction of satellite television, courtesy of France, in Egypt in 1998 marked the beginning of a new era for Egyptian society. Music channels exploded into the public eye; celebrity fashion, gossip, and propaganda became the very center of people's lives. All that was new in the world of nothing was on the minds and tongues of the entire population...
If you walk in the streets of Cairo or Alexandria today, you will be amazed how low a waistline can go. With boy's crotches at their knees and girls skirts lifted as high as their necks, the influence of western Civilization becomes crystal clear. Nowadays, a celebrity's single whim can in a few days become the latest fad - like our very own Tamer Hosny and his barnyard chest hair, or Mekki and his mushroom-cloud haircut.
As far as I'm concerned, there has not been a single worthwhile achievement in the third world as a result of their so-called globalization. People today know more about Britney Spears' anti-psychotic medication than they do about the global economic crisis.

So as I continue to be forced to look at people's boxers and panties wherever I go in the street, and listen to the never ending fads, I bid farewell to any glimmer of hope of modernization, if there really ever was one to speak of. As a fitting end to this post, I'd like to say that I leave my computer now under a cloud of shame to go watch "Match the celeb to their cellulite!" since the TV has nothing of value to offer me!

2008-10-02T01:24:00.000-07:00

With the month of Ramadan over, things seem to be coming back to what they were 30 days ago. The spiritual cloud which had hovered so obviously above our heads for this long month has suddenly vanished. Mosques have been deserted, as well as good manners and decency. The utopia which this Islamic World becomes in this short time every year has quickly dwindles into what it is so accustomed to being.

I was beginning to miss the sound of swearing in the early morning traffic, the stench of cigarettes burning away the fresh morning air, and last but not least, the sight of my fellow man gluttonously engulfing insane amounts of food in an unhealthy amount of time. There is one thing I will NOT miss, however. The infuriating nucance of having some comlete stranger come up to me and tell me to listen to verses of the Qu'ran rather than music, or to wear jockies instead of boxers, or to simply give away religious advice which I would personally rather do without.

Once again, women have removed their veils and wide dresses and exchanged them for miniskirts and push-up-bras. Personally, I don't see how this makes a person religious, but it's not for me to judge how people act - even though I think they should stick to one type of clothing instead of swtiching around in that hypocritical fashion.

When I look back, I find that I haven't made use of the Holy Month as well as I would have liked, while others did, and other pretended to do so. However, all in all, I don't think I'll be losing any sleep over the matter. In short, all is well and back to its old self again...

Hiding in plain sight!

2008-09-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

When the word 'crime' is brought up, a dark abandoned alley in the dead of night comes to mind, where a person is walking and looking over their shoulder for any danger than might be lurking in the dark behind the garbage bins only to be leaped upon with no warning and have all worldly possessions taken or in many cases, your very life.

What I have to say to this is: not any more! We now live in a world where someone can be attacked in the middle of the afternoon on the busiest streets in town. Of course, this isn't news to most city dwellers - it happens all the time. However, and this is the point that I'm trying to make, people just don't care any more. People lose no sleep whatsoever when they stand in the middle of the street and watch as a violent at-knife-point mugging is unfolding before their very eyes. As immoral and unethical as this practice is, I find myself doing the same when I'm put in those situations.
Therefore, we are faced with a moral dilemma. If someone is being mugged in front of us (which in many cases turns into accidental murder as the result of a struggle) should we do anything to stop it and risk being injured or even killed ourselves for the sake of a complete stranger whom you don't know would do the same for you if the tables were turned, or should we simply watch in silence under a cloud of shame?

I was faced with this question just a few days ago when I saw across the street a beggar who held a young boy (also a beggar, judging by his appearance) at knife point demanding the few pounds that he had just managed to beg out of a woman in her Lexus. There was not a doubt in my mind as I stood there and watched this happen that I was doing anything wrong. I wasn't about to risk my life for a child who would eventually die of s horrible disease from living inside a garbage dump. Which brings me to next quesrtion: is it immoral to put the lives of the higher classes before those of the less fortunate? Is a beggars life any less precious than that of an aristocrat? I know the theoretical answer to these questions, however the reality of the matter is very different, as you might have all guessed.

Finally, it is in great sadness that I admit to you that even though this happens in plain sight of everyone who interacts with the living, there is no solution in sight because people are by nature selfish and would put their own well-being before that of their fellow man.

Back to School :'(

2008-09-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

In just four days I shall embark on the first day of my second year at university (college of dentistry to be exact). What makes this year more significant than the last is simply that now I'll be going to the actual medical/dental campus instead of being a freeloader at the college of Science. This is when I can actually become a part of the so-called dental community that I'm supposed to become a part of eventually.

As exciting as the academic part of my transition is, there is a reason more compelling for me which makes this transition all the more exiting. In the past year, I've come across some of the older classes and gotten an idea of what the next years of my college life will be like in terms of both academia and socially as well. I'm looking forward most to meeting the older classes whom I've been told are a lot more open that my own class in terms of who they allow themselves to mingle with/talk to, etc...in other words: people who are more "free" than my own class [refer to previous post with the title "free" for more information..lol]

Now allow me to be sarcastic...can it be that there are female members of my society out there who willingly shake hand and look into the eyes of the opposite sex? Do they dress so provocatively as to allow one to imagine what they would look like under suck clothes which still cover every inch of their bodies?? Is this all possible?...

Anyway, I'm simply hoping to find people with a higher level of sophistication and intelligence than the people to whose company I've been unwillingly subjected to for the past year.

Sometimes thing's aren't what they seem...

2008-09-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

I know I have a whole other blog that discusses stuff like this, but since that was a practice blog, I'm going to post it here.

FACEBOOK: Friend or foe?

Facebook has become, at least in the arab world, the center of the lives of all its youth. No one between the ages of 13 and 25 doesn't have one (or more) accounts. It has infiltrated people's lives like an incurable disease, that continues to infect people as time passes. By this I mean that it is the number one - no exageration there - cause of any personal arguments or quarrels in the area...sometimes even on the professional level.
First, there's the issue of photos. When is it okay to post a picture of someone, and when is it not? Is there some position that is not allowed or something? also, is there some sort of guideline for commenting on photos that we should all know of? When is a joke simply a joke and when is it an insult. Why do people begin to treat each other like dirt when one deletes another from a friend list? Why should it matter? Does text have a tone, and can it be misunderstood or taken as a compliment or an insult at will? All these questions have been running through my mind because of a recent incedent because the hellhole that is facebook.
All this being said, I have no intention of deactivating my facebook account. As bad as its effect is on people's social lives, it's also a good tool to keep in touch with certain people. However, I maintain that facebook has and will always have a more negative effect on people that a positive one. Also, I intend of deleting most of my photos very soon - I for one can do without the daily drama of facebook and facebookers...

Ramadan: A month of worship?

2008-09-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly a month since my last post, therefore I apologize. But in my defense, I've been quite busy (that and the fact that I had begun to run out of material.)
However, with the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan (during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset) I've found myself with more spare time than I would have liked. As always, one would expect that during this month that society become a utopia, since people should (the keyword here being: should) refrain from cursing or swearing of any kind, sex in any way shape or form, or any action that would be considered sinful or wrong in any way. Although it may sound good on paper, the reality of the matter is that as hard as people might try, it never works. In other words, people just don't practice what they preach. In fact, I hear more swearing and derogatory secual remarks during fasting times than any other time of the year, and when you tell that person what they're doing wrong, a typical answer is: "well, if she cared about religion then she wouldn't dress like that in front of a man." or anything similar.
Then of course there's the issue of praying in the mosque. People who are supposedly going to the mosque in order to worship a holy God simply go there to get into fist fights with other worshipers to get to stand in the places closest to the Imam.
Ramadan has become a sales pitch for many businesses nowadays, where a casino that offers prostitues and wine on one night will offer you a copy of the Holy Quran on the next. Not to mention the endless parade of cheap soap-operas that flood the satellite television during the month of purity and fasting.
In the end I just wanted to ask you a question. Is Ramadan actually the month of worship, or has it simply become the month of hypocracy? you decide...

Afterthought....

2008-08-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

As an afterthought of the post about the 3 idiots I mentioned 2 posts ago, I just wanted to say that I saw the movie I said I would see (the one with the thick-haired Ahmed Mekki was in).
Perhaps I judged him a little prematurely. The movie was mediocre enough for me to not want to leave early, and was quite funny as well. Despite the few parts that were incredibly lame and boring, it was an okay movie. However, too much of the same thing isn't good either.
I mean, his predecessor, Mohamed Sa'ad, made six consecutive movies with the exact same story line and plot - eventually, and to my relief, people got bored of it, so as funny as this movie was, I don't want to see it over and over again.

Update

2008-08-09T03:02:00.000-07:00

About the whole message from the girl thing...

At first I thought it was some kind of moral dilemma she was going through, since she's known to make such a big deal out of absolutely nothing at all, but now I realized the reason was far more pathetic than that, if it can actually get any more pathetic.

A few days ago, a mutual friends, who happened to be male, made a few sarcastic comments on her photos in retaliation for a few comments that she had posted on his (The fact that she posted pictures of herself on her profile is enough to make me think she's not as simple minded as the rest of the girls I know, which I soon found to be completely false.)
After reading the comments, the girl posted this on his wall:

"Why don't you just stop commenting on my photos because I'm not amused, and I'm starting to get sick of you!"

note: in my opinion, the comments were perfectly respectable, and didn't deserve such a post.

The mutual friend then posted on her wall:

"Thank you very much for your decency. I wouldn't have expected anything else from a girl like you!"

Then he blocked her. After that, she sent us all the message that I posted below.
Knowing how petty and incredibly childish she is, I came to a conclusion: She did it simply to save face. To say that she deleted all the boys from her profile, instead of saying she had a fight with one and he blocked her first.

What surprised me most wasn't how stupidly ridiculous this quarrel is, but the fact that exactly two months ago, the same girl went absolutely ballistic when another mutual friends "embarrassed" her by posting in public that he disapproved of her posting his picture without his knowledge. If it was such a big deal then, then why did she post on the guy's wall like that? I don't get it.

I'm glad I found out what was going on because frankly it was driving me nuts, haha! But there's no way in hell that I'm getting between these two after all those fights I've seen from the sidelines. I'm definitely sitting this one out (Which is going to drag on all the way to the next academic year because we won't see her till then).

2008-08-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

An update on my previous post: Since I'm only allowed to message the girl for things concerning college stuff, I can't ask her through the internet. And since, of course, I don't have her number, I won't be able to contact here. So I'll wait till september 20th when the new year starts to ask her what's going on in her head.
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Has it ever occurred to you that in a society as far behind in everything such as that of Egypt, people are so easily manipulated. Especially by the media. I mean, every once in a while a new fad comes along that EVERYONE is obsessed with, and imitates all day and night long.

For example, about two years ago the infamous "actor" if he could be called that, Mohamed Sa'ad (BOTTOM PICTURE) emerged out of thin air to captivate the ignorant minds of millions with his moronic display of complete idiocy in what he dared to call "movies". Something out of a two-bit TV horror flick, Mohamed Sa'ad managed to penetrate the homes of every lowlife in the country. Within days of his first "movie's" release, he skyrocketed to stardom, with everyone copying lines from his films, and imitating his "comedic" gestures which resembeled that of someone who should have been put into a straight jacket long ago.

Next came the worst of them all, the singing "sensation", the "king of our generation", Tamer Hosny (MIDDLE PICTURE). Anything he says is immediately transformed into religious doctrine. Teenage girls seem to worship the toilets he sits on, and his movies, no matter how boring and rediculous, always become amazing successes. He is called the "role model of all Egyptian teens"...well, if an ex-con, plagiarizer is what Egyptian youth is supposed to be, then so be it. It makes me sick to my stomach every time some stupid simple minded girl talks about how cute he is, or how amazing he is - when in fact he's nothing than a hairy gorrilla who insists on exposing his chest and underarm hair to the world.

Last but not least, Ahmed Mekki, (TOP PICTURE) a newcommer, whose new movie was just relesed today. Since he's new, I don't have much to say about him. I'm going to see his movie tomorrow with friends to see for myself. But I'm sure that once the Egyptian youth find the next idiot to worship, he'll be put on a distant shelf with the rest of the lowlifes like himself.

Does it have something to do with the economy? Do people's intellects simply evaporate into nothingness because of poverty? What has made us so gullible and stupid, so easy to manipulate, so willing to mindlessly imitate everything someone else does or says as if it were something sacred?

2008-08-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

I recently received this message on my facebook account:

"el msg di lkol el shabab elly homma dmn my friends 3al facebook
ana karart ykon profily "GIRLS ONLYYYYYY"
ana msh 3yza 7ad yz3al mnni,di ra3'bty w wallahy msh waraha dafe3 sha5sy 2tgah 2y 7ad fikom
ento fe3lan kolokom nas mo7taramien w kan sharaf lya enny 2t3araf 3alikom..
w blnsba lzamayly fil college ana 3'ayart el privacy w t2daro tb3atoly msgs low fi 7aga b5sos el drasa
ana bgd 2sfa :(
bs ana shaifa enno da 27san lya
nice to know u all w salam :) "

roughly translated:

"This message is to all the boys who are on My Friends on facebook. I've decided to make my profile GIRLS ONLY. I don't want any of you to get upset, and I want you to know that it's what I want and that I harbor no animosity towards any of you. You're all very respectable people and it's been an honor knowing you.
As for those of you who go to college with me, I've changed the privacy setting to allow you to send me messages about anything concerning our studies.
I'm really sorry but I think it's better this way, nice to know you and salam!"

I have one question. What's up with that?!!! I mean, this is the same girl who deactivated her facebook account a few months ago for the same reason. If it's such a big deal then why keep making new accounts? I just don't get it. And she also said that we're all "very respectable" so why the sudden change of heart? Plus, her profile is visible only to friends, so I don't see how any "unrespectable" guys could do anything.

I'm just at a loss of what to think, haha. This was the last person I thought would do something as weird as this. I don't even want to ask why the hell she did that because I know she'll turn it into this huge dramatic, moral dilemma. So if anyone knows what that was, please tell me.

What's in a bargain?

2008-08-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

I've always been amazed by the concept of bargaining. I used to find it hard to believe that some people are able to bargain down prices to half and sometimes even quarter the original price. It even has its very own language with phrases recognized by everyone, at least over here. Like "Is that the final price?" or "How low are you willing to go?"

Some businesses are so tired of having their profits bargained away that a lot of them have signs that read "Bargainers NOT allowed here!" or something of the sort. And yet, when if you leave without bargaining, they call back to you and ask how much you want it for. Is there something wrong there?

I've always thought that there should be certain places in which bargaining shouldn't happen. For example, I hate it when I see people bargaining at an Adidas or a Nike Store, or at a Jeweler. It's just not very nice to look at. Places that you're good to go are the souks, markets, and the less fancy-looking places in general. You should bargain down the price of cabbage, not diamond.

However, there are expensive places, or the "high" areas as they call them here, that should always be bargained at. Like Khan Al Khalili, where I see tourist being scammed into paying 6 or 7 times more than what something is really worth. So if you're ever there, you can bargain down a price all the way to quarter easily.

(The above picture was taken in Khan Al Khalili, the best and worst place to bargain. Where a plane T-shirt can cost up to 60 or even 70 US Dollars, when in fact it cost like 15 Egyptian Pounds to make - about 3 dollars.)

The fact remains that bargaining an Egyptian pastime. Something that such a divided nation can actually agree upon. It's engraved in culture all the way back to the ancient Egyptians in their togas and stone money.

I love the concept of bargaining, but would never do it myself.

To beat or not to beat?

2008-08-01T07:13:00.001-07:00

All new parents ask themselves this question when they have their kids. As damaging to a child as it can be in one case, it can do wonders for another child. So is it moral to hit a child if you think more good can come out of it than bad? I see it in the street all the time.

For example, a woman slapped her 8-year-old daughter across the face in front of everyone in the supermarket because she had wondered off by herself twice, and had her really worried. I can understand the mother's concern, yet was it necessary to make a scene and upset the child like that? Wouldn't simply reprimanding the girl in a harsh advisory tone been sufficient? But I'm pretty sure that little girl won't be wondering off by herself again any time soon.

Then again, there are others. A doorman beat his 7-year-old son to a pulp right in my face because he didn't want to go see what someone living in the building he worked in wanted from him, or something of the sort, I couldn't really tell. In this case, I sympathized more with the little boy, right until he called his dad an asshole, because the reason behind the beating was, in my humble opinion, trivial.

Of all my brothers, I am the only one who was never laid a hand on. Of course, there was the occasional slapping and/or verbal reprimanding, but it was nothing that I would ever hold against them. I asked myself why I had the good fortune to escape such a fate, and came up with what I think is the correct reason. I know when to quit! I can talk back, and "defy" them or whatever you want to call it all I want, but I know when it's time to call it a day. I've never crossed any line (although I might have put a toe or two across it a few times). Anyway, that's how I see it.

Back to the topic at hand, is it moral to hit your kids? If so, to what age should this be restricted, and why? What do parents mean when they say: "I turned out fine!"? I, for one, can challenge that statement when it comes to certain people I know.

People talk about the psychological damage that it causes to people, but what exactly is that damage? All I've seen, in a few parents, an inferiority complex that makes them want to take it out on other people because it was done to them, or so it seems.

To beat or not to beat? That is the question. =)

2008-07-31T00:34:00.000-07:00

This issue is not restricted to the Egyptian borders, but is in fact an international problem, that many developing countries suffer from. The practice of Female Circumcision or Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is as old as time, and believe it or not, is still a common practice today. According to a statistic I read online, 6000 women are mutilated every day across the globe, with no sign of stopping any time soon.

It's beyond me how people can still think that this practice is in any way beneficial to a girl. It takes anyone to see the emotional and physical trauma that these 7 or 8 year old girls have to endure against their will. Is it that people simply choose to ignore the side-effects because in not doing it they would be going against their country's culture and traditions? Or are they truly clueless as to the damage they are doing to these poor girls?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that FGM causes psychological damage, difficulty in menstruation, complications in pregnancy and childbirth, sexual dysfunction and inability to have or derive pleasure from sexual intercourse, and many more. Then why is it so common? I think the look of terror on that little girl's face in the picture is more than enough proof that it's not the right way to go.

The roots of FGM are numerous, yet the most common is people's misunderstanding of religion. Meaning, their belief that it's a religious doctrine when in fact, it isn't. The religious figures to which these ignorant people look up to seem to not know their religion well enough to tell its followers the truth, so it became something engraved in their culture rather than just being a religious requirement. And when culture is involved, people become very inflexible and unwilling to go against the flow or risk be damned by society - they're simply trying to fit in.

In short, FGM is a practice that should have been abolished ages ago, and considered a felony punishable by law. It's sad that people actually do this to their own daughters, when it's so destructive to them as individuals.

Fighting Temptation

2008-07-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

Totally changing gears here, but I wrote this poem a while back, and wanted some opinions.

When you're feeling down; when you're feeling sad, there's nothing you can do but continuously frown. You've hit rock-bottom, become depressed; you feel that you're tired of that never-ending quest. 'What shall I do?' you ask yourself. 'Shall I repress? Put it up on a shelf?'

Life is a dark room from which you can't escape. You're trapped, confined. Nowhere to run. You tried to scream, but no sound came out. No one can hear. You live in fear.

'What shall I do? you ask again. Then out of nowhere, some men appeared! 'What is this place? Where are you taking me?'

It's too bright. You cannot see. There's no reason to fight. You'll never flee. You screamed so loud, and when you cried with utter grief, they all stared with disbelief. Your life flashes before your eyes. It's all so clear, you're discovering all the lies. It's all coming back, you're mind is now clear. You remember your life that was, to you, so dear.

The room is dark for only one reason. Those men will take you to only one place. Remember that gun in the suitcase? The trigger was so enchanting, the temptation could not be fought. You admired how well it was molded, but forgot that it was loaded!

Now you are six feet under, because of that one tiny blunder. Now you'll never know the sensation...the one you get...from fighting temptation.

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There you have it! So what do you think?

Common Law

2008-07-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

A common law marriage or Jawaz Orfy in Arabic is defined as a marriage contract between a man and a woman which is recognized by Islam, but not by the Government. It's most common among university students like myself when people are too horny to think straight. I've seen a few of my classmates drop out of college to support a child which resulted from such a marriage, or to simply run away with the "bride" to escape having to face society with the taboo of having been part of such a thing.
The difference between this and a regular teen pregnancy is that a common law marriage either results in a back alley abortion, or a forced government-recognized marriage contract signed before the pregnancy becomes visible. Either way, it's a life sentence of people talking about you behind your back, and the end of whatever normal life the child would have had.

Many people praise Common Law Marriage because it serves as an outlet for teenagers to relese pent-up frustration, and is generally theraputic, although people who hold such an opinion are a minority. Others, the overwhelming majority, claim that it is an unholy union that should be abolished because it can only do harm. In either case, the end result is always the same. The couple is always too afraid and thus abort any resulting pregnancy, the "groom" freaks out and abandons the mother of his child, who becomes devastated now that she has no one to turn to, and if the families become involved, abortion is the only concievable solution to the problem - after which they would worry about the girl's tarnished innocence and virginity, and search for a man willing to marry such a woman.

What are your views on the issue?

Here is an article about one of the most famous of these marriages, check it out if you're interested. It will provide more information on the issue in case I left anything out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4295911.stm

Back too soon..

2008-07-26T23:26:00.000-07:00

I'm back! and in case you didn't get the title, I'm back a little too soon.
To tell you the truth, I had no idea that Egypt had such beautiful places like that, not to mention the amazingly beautiful coral reefs (i couldn't get enough of those!). The only downside was the looooooong 12 hour ride back!

Other than the fact that I realized that Italians are alot more conservative than most other Europian nationalities, two things really stood out.

First, while sitting peacefully on the sand sun-bathing (or rather shade-bathing, because my skin is pretty sensitive to the sun) I noticed a group of Egyptian teens of about 17 like myself sitting a few feet away from me. Beer and cigarettes in hand(as long as you have money, being underage doesn't matter), talking trash about every woman who passes by. I know, since I'm their age and know what they think, that they're merely trying (very hard I might add) to westernize. I think that the difference between westerners and us is that the former live what the Egyptians try to imitate on a daily basis, so they know their own limits, but when we try it, we take it to a whole new level. The three Egyptian teens looked wasted at only 2 PM and were coughing like crazy after all those cigarettes (30 pounds a pack too!).
As for their stares and comments about the girls passing by, I found that to be pretty ordinary behavior - they don't need to be drunk to do that, although I would have liked them to do it with local girls instead of the fireigners; it gives them a really bad impression.

Another group of people sitting close to me, only older, was also interesting to watch. There was nothing wrong with them per say, but it was just my first time to see something of the sort. Three woman, all local, were approached by three local men, strangers, I assumed. Within 15 minutes they were getting drunk and playfully cuddling. All I could think of at the time was: "Someone's getting lucky tonight!" - which they probably did.
Of course, to each his/her own; and I'm not one to stick my nose into other people's business, but I found it appalling that people could get so close without even knowing each other at all. Or am I thinking too much?

One last thing I noticed was that I was a lot more comfortable around the foreigners. Everyone was minding thir own business and I didn't have to think twice before doing anything because of the things that people might say. The foreigners didn't seem to care about what the teenagers were doing, and simply walked by without a second thought. However, the Egyptian women seemed intent on hiding from me; looking or moving away, hiding the beers bottles, etc... which is what people around here do on a daily basis. I wonder why people can't just mind their own business? (It's pretty hard to do that when the people around you are so loud about their business, so sometimes I can't help but at least eavesdrop.)

Anyway, sorry about the long post. Hope you find it interesting...

Sharm Al Sheikh

2008-07-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not going to be here for the next 4 days. I'm going to a sea-side resort in Sharm Al Sheikh (as much as I hate the beach, I couldn't refuse a full board 4 star hotel, haha). Well, I'll be in the haven of all that is unholy - even surrounded by hundreds of foreigners from all over the world, the local "conservativism" prevails, yet it's not as strong as in any regular city - so I guess I'll have some interesting stuff to talk about when I get back.
I just hope it doesn't get cancelled like last time and I end up looking like a complete idiot on my own blog. Well, see ya!

2008-07-19T04:49:00.000-07:00

I've never been fond of statistics, beause you an never know how accurately a given sample can represent a population. But today I was proven wrong. I didn't read about a statistic, but watched three people from a distance who represented every other person I had ever met.

Two women dressed in what could have been considered provocative clothes (tight jeans and sleeveless shirts, etc...) were walking in the street - I'd just like to add that they were basically asking for a verbal harrassing by walking in the street they had chosen. To walk in front of a coffee shop filled with unemployed, middle aged, sexually frustrated men wearing tight jeans is like signing your own deathcertificate - Anyway, the whole street began to verbally abuse them, whistle, hiss at them, all them whores, prostitutes, etc...which left them cursing at the men and then crying by the time they had passed that street. Not long after, an old woman, who seemed to have grown up during a better time, screamed at the men at the top of whatever was left of her lungs about how what they were doing was wrong and unsophisticated.

Here's my conclusion from all this. The two girls represent the inredibly naive part of society, who sould know where to be and where to avoid at all costs. The men, of course, need no further explanation. And the old woman, who despite her good intentions, couldn't just keep her nose out of other people's business.

As impossible as this may sound, if everyone just minded their own business (letting people wear whatthey want without making a huge scene, etc...) we wouldn't have all these problems. I suppose a person could express disapproval of something, as is his/her right, but not by making everyone stare at someone for it, or make a scene by shouting for the whole world to hear about it. But I also think thatthissort of behavior is second nature to most people, and it would be naive to think thatthey would be willing to do otherwise. After all, who doesn't enjoy a nice big scene.

Practice what you preach.

2008-07-18T01:42:00.000-07:00

A petty yet significant problem left me in a moral dilemma yesterday. In short, I posted a photo of a friend and myself on my facebook account. A cousin of mine happened to tell me that she thought my friend looked cute in his T-shirt. (which I later mentioned to the friend but changed the details by saying it the cousin's 4-year-old sister who had said that about him - don't ask me why the hell I even told him, sometimes I don't think) Anyway, the comments reached facebook and my cousin saw them and was extremely upset.
Nevertheless, I explained the situation and all was back to normal. Later that same day the friend posted a comment on the photo that I personally had no objection to, but would cause significant trouble if it got out.
So I was now faced with two choices: 1)To leave the comment and endure the concequences and embarrassment over this petty issue with my family for the next week, or 2) Go against all I believe and delete the comment - which I have nothing against - and save myself all the trouble, which would make me a hypocrite.
I went, after long deliberation, with number (2). :( I felt that I wasn't practicing what I preached, and this blog is meaningless if I go against what I believe at such a trivial issue such as this one. Needless to say, I felt bad about it, but felt good that I'd saved a lot of time that would have gone to arguing for soemthing more useful.

So does this make me a hypocrite? I don't know. But I did the right thing according to my own judgement.

Autobiography

2008-07-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

Someone requested a short account on my upbringing and childhood, so I thought I'd add it here as a post for everyone to see. Don't worry, I'll keep it short.

I grew up in a small compound in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia surrounded by many of the world's nationalities. I think the fact that I was surrounded by such a diverse group of people at such a young age made me appreciate people for who they really are, rather than stereotypically label both them and their culture.
Around the time when I turned 10 I returned to Egypt for good, only to visit my dad in the Arab Gulf during the summer where he worked full time. The transition was, for me, extremely difficult. The people were different, the culture nothing like what I saw used to. I even had to transition from speaking only in English, to speaking in Arabic with classmates. This made me very uneasy and somewhat of a loner during my first 2 years or so. I think that the fact that no one sat me down and explained to me what that transition would be like, or what was expected of me made me unaware of what was to come, making me so awkward socially.
Nonetheless, I eventually got the hang of things by the end of middle school, and became more outgoing, making sure that people respect me for who I am, and not judge me because I'm different.
Today, after my first year of college, I've become what I'd have wanted to become when I first arrived here. I think I could have had much more amusing childhood experiences had I not been so...well, you get the point.

That's me in a nutshell, any comments are welcome.

Clear-cut differences

2008-07-16T01:48:00.000-07:00

Since I've already said all that I've been needing to say about the topic that has dominated this blog for the past week or so, I've decided to shift gears a bit and tackle a new issue that has recently come to my attention.

In my recent trip to Cairo (Egypt's capital, in case anyone was wondering), something interesting came to my attention. As I stood at the top of the highest hill in the Al-Azhar Park and gazed at all of Cairo, one thing became incredibly clear to me: the unbelievably obvious distinction between the poor and the rich within the city.
To my left, I could see the Cairo Tower, the Nile-view 5-star luxury hotels, and the richest and most upper-class neighborhoods of Cairo. To my right, however, I could see the most miserable, pathetic looking "houses" - if they could even be called that - I had ever witnessed in my whole life. The cemeteries had become homes to the homeless, the slums were so filthy and germ infested that I could literally smell them from that distance.
As I drove across the 6th of October bridge entering Zamalek Island (The equivalent of New York's Upper East side or 5th Avenue) I was glad to see that Cairo had such a beautifully decorated place, with meadows, parks, and all the world's luxuries. Past the island and accross the greenery, I was bombarded with unmistakable stench of urine, and horse feces, which marked the entrance of the place of residence of the most wretched people to ever walk the Earth, where a room as big as a prison cell would have to fit 15 people or more at a time, where people slept on the floor, and played only with the rats that shared their home.

What amazed me was not that there were both rich and poor, but the fact that the difference was so incredibly obvious, that the two worlds, although practically neighbors, have never collided with one another, that people can actually be content in living the way they do in the slums, or be able to live in their luxury duplexes with an eye-opening view of Cairo's cemetery homes in the distance.

In the picture I've provided with this post, you can admire the best of both worlds. At a closer distance, you can see Cairo's most despicable slums. Further back, towards the end, near the crsytal blue sky, you can see the luxury residential towers, the Cairo tower to the left, and a few government institutions located by the Nile.

2008-07-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today at an on-campus birthday party, I was overcome by a feeling that I don't understand. I was peacefully eavesdropping on two of my non-guy friends who were attending a party when I was unfortunate enough to hear an extremely unpleasant conversation. I think that I was bothered by the fact that I found this to be a perfectly normal conversation.

The girl's brother found a saved MSN messenger conversation between a guy with us in college and herself. She feels like she's betrayed his trust by speaking to a guy outside the walls of campus, and now she's devastated that he thinks of her in a new light. but here's what I found interesting: She has no problem with the whole thing. I mean, the fact that she actually did talk to him on the internet isn't an issue for her. She just thinks that now he'll never look at her the same way again. In other words, she's not convinced with what she's doing, but she's really just doing it out of fear of being labeled as something she's not.

What made me more certain of that conclusion was that when the girls were picking a place to go have lunch, they joked that we should go with them, but stay a few tables away from them. In other words, they were trying to be sublte about thinking of ways to go out with us. However, the stigma of being seen with members of the opposite sex was too much for them to handle, and the idea was aborted. (Even when we were all on our way to the main road to go home, they sped up ahead of us so as not to be seen with us)

The conclusion I've drawn from these stories is simple. The issue isn't that the girls feel that what they are doing is the right thing, and that to remain respectable within the community they have to do what they do. The only reason they do all that is because they've been fed all of it since they were too yound to remeber, so it really becomes an everyday thing for them. That plus the fact that everyone else thinks in the same way makes them too afraid to defy the norm and be labelled as "free" girls. But what I find most unpleasant is how this way of thinking has found its way into the internet. If they're afraid that their parents would find out about their relationships with guys, then the internet is a safe place for them where the parents can't find them. And if they really want to be safe, then they shouldn't save the online conversations.

But my greatest regret was being forced to pay 30 pounds for a present that was so unbeleivabley ugly. They'd better not get me anything like that on my bithday. :)

"She's my sister!"

2008-07-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

So far in this blog, I have failed to mention the role of the male counterpart of the subject of my blog.

"She's my sister!"

This sentence, I once thought, was something I would only hear on a show like 'Friends' when Ross found out that Chandler was having sex with his sister Monica. However, it has recently come to my attention that I am, as always, greatly mistaken.

Recently I've learned two new lessons in life. One: I goes unsaid that my male friends are not supposed to see pictures of my sister.
One Monday morning, I was standing with a group of friends (of both sexes) just talking. A guy decides to take out pictures of family members and show them to us, one of which was a picture of his little sister. I assumed that the pictures would go around us all and held my hand out to the person next to me. Suddenly the owner of the pictures tell me: "You can't, dude! She's my sister!" Till now I still don't understand why. It can't be because of the only reason I can think of because she's way too young (around 13), and I just can't find an explanation for it. So I'm left with this life lesson: Be unwilling to show guys pictures of your sister.

The second lesson was a result of the following event:
A friend of mine was telling me about his little sister who happened to go to the same high school as I did last year. Later that day I met a cousin who is also a student at the same school, and asked conversationally: "Is there a girl named so-and-so in your class?" after which he said "No."
A few days later I told the friend that no one seems to know his sister there. And the would not be lying if I said that I was absolutely amazed by the reaction. He said angrily: "How could you ask about my sister like that? She's my sister for God's sakes!"
So lesson number two: Never mention a friend's sister to anyone else other than the brother.

Will someone please objectively explain those two events for me. Were those reactions reasonable? I don't know how a brother would feel in a situation like that because I only have brothers, so I can't judge. So if you can help me with that part, please do. Because if they were just being a little overprotective, I'd like to know. I don't want to draw conclusions about people before knowing the whole story.

I know this much though:
I as a male have the advantage of being able to engage in any sort of sexual activity because there is no medical method to determine if I actually did or not. This results in the fact that when a guy has sex before marriage, it's called "youth", but when a girl does it, she's a whore (I do not condone either case, so in my mind both are whores).
I don't think that the save "advantage" as men, but that men be stripped of it altogether, in order to make it equal. If a man is to demand a "pure" wife, then I think it's only fair that he be the same. Or am I mistaken.

"Free"

2008-07-13T01:35:00.000-07:00

One of the many English words that have crept their way into Egyptian culture is the word "free". However, not in the meaning that the word usually implies, but a new meaning, in the minds of the Egyptian community: Liberal or Defiant of the local morals and beliefs (which I have been called many times because of what I have to say about my countries culture.)

A "free" woman can be described as follows: A woman who is not afraid to mingle with the opposite sex in and out of the work environment. Someone who does not turn red at the mention of a swearword in front of her. A woman that stays out the house alone or with friends past 7 o'clock.

These woman are considered, for the lack of a better word, infidels. Or just people who defy the norm. People who have been corrupted by western media.

However, their demand for equal rights within society does not pass this point. Hardly any women have the courage to defy their parents or question the reasons behind such beliefs, and many do not dare escape an arranged marriage.

As for marriage, it usually goes like this: A woman, "free" or not, is approached by a man frim within her college community or workplace, who then tries as hard as possible to win her over with romantic dinner behind her parents backs. Once the woman feels like her parents are beginning to notice, she asks her "boyfriend" to propose and ask for her hand in marriage. (That's usually within 3 months of their first meeting).
Another common method is for a man to see a woman he liked in the street or any other place, find out where she lives, and fo ask her father directly to marry the daughter. In most cases, the woman has a choice to marry or not to marry, yet it the more secluded societies of upper Egypt, it's not a possibility.

Hope this answered all your questions. :)

2008-07-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

You make a good point about the actual reason why they seem to act in the way they do. But I have a little to say about it.
Although religion plays an important role in the issue, I doubt that it's the principal cause of the problem. What I believe to be the issue here is not the dictations of a certain religion, but the misconceptions people have about it, and the social morals which were later derived from them.
Let me elaborate with a simple example:
In Islam (the predominant religion in my region) women are required to wear a head scarf. A HEAD scarf, not the head to toe blanket that you might find women here, in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Iran wearing. This is a perfect example of what happens in our society; people are given a certain rule to apply to daily life, which they misunderstand, and thus build upon them the most peculiar superstitions and beliefs, which is what I think happened with the issue I've been discussing.
It is encouraged that opposite sexes try not to be around one another for too long, or for something other than work, etc... This of course was taken out of context and became: "A woman must never coem in any sort of contact with a male unless she is to be wed to that man. The only contact should be extremely brief, and avoided altogether if possible."
Is this just ignorance that has been passed down from generation to the next? Or is there more to it that I don't understand? I hope you can help me figure this out...

Overboard

2008-07-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

When it comes to the opposite sex, I'm clueless. Especially the Egyptian type. There are so many things that baffle me when it comes to their personalities, thoughts, and everyday interactions. Not to mention the fact that they know nothing of moderation. Let me elaborate:

It's not uncommon for most of them to not have any contact with the opposite sex, thinking that it would be damaging to their reputations. Many of them refuse to shake hands with a male, and are not afraid to embarrass you if you hold out your own hand. They have an unnatural phobia of being photographed, which is understandable in many cases, however, if you're fully clothed and not in a compromising position, I don't see what the problem is. Am I wrong? Here's something that left me both confused and frustrated at the same time. It was a friend's birthday party (which was held inside campus because the girls didn't want to be seen with us boys outside the university walls) and alot of pictures were taken. They absolutely refused to let us leave until all the pictures were transferred from the cell phone of the guy who took the pictures to the phones of the girls. Am I wrong in thinking that they went a little overboard with the whole chastity thing? Or was that reasonable? Naturally when I asked them if they trusted us with the pictutures or not, they had nothing to say but "um...err..."

There is one thing I know for sure. They are not in the least convinced that what they are doing is the right thing. They only do it because it's all they know how to do, and because that's what their society dictates. They never have a clear-cut answer to anything. For example:
Me: "What exactly is the big deal for you to be seen with me in the street?"
Her: "Um..well...you know.."
Me: "No, I don't."
Her: "It's just...not propper."
Me: "why?"
Her: "......."

I think I can sum up this post in a few sentences. Egyptian females are petty, and can't think for themselves. And I feel sorry for them.

2008-07-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Before I get to what it is I want to say, I want to make it perfectly clear that I'm not some women's rights activist. I merely have something to say about a certain issue.

Living in this part of the world means that I have to deal with people with the most appalling opinions and beliefs on every topic there is. However, there was one that really caught my eye.

In the Egyptian community, a woman's most prized possession is her "purity" or, to make this as blunt as possible, her virginity. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely agree with that opinion, yet I must address a handful of issues.

First, I find it a mystery how people can be so preoccupied by a thin layer of mucus; the Hymen. Some people are so uneducated about sex that they have inherited old wives tales such as that which said that the blood expelled on a virgin's first time smells like musk. Another amusing superstition says that the more you bleed, the purer you are, which can literally break up a marriage because a newly wed groom might think his bride is not as pure as she should be.

Second, I usually hear this whenever I eavesdrop on any two guys talking: "Yeah, I've picked a really pretty virgin to be my wife." "How do you really know? Maybe she had an operation!"
As for that, I'd like to say one thing. According to Egypt's leading sexologist, Dr. Heba Kotb, a hymen restoration such as the one referred to in the previous quotation is only good for 48 hours. So you be the judge. Where will a woman find a doctor, book an OR, have an operation, recover under observation in the hospital all within 2 days of the wedding night. I find it highly unpractical, and difficult to achieve without anyone taking notice. Even if the operation goes undetected, the slightest bump to the area can and will cause the implant to fall, due to its fragile nature.

Finally, the most important issue I'd like to address. The subject of rape.
It really makes me sad that I live in a country where not only would a man refuse to marry a woman that has been raped with the excuse that "someone has already had her.", but a man would have no trouble whatsoever to completely abandon his fiancee or girlfriend after such an incident, hiding behind the same lame excuse.

I just want to ask, is this the scale by which we measure purity and honour? I'm trying to say that we should not stress the presence of a piece of mucus, but we should concentrate on what that thing actually means; what it represents!

I'd like to end this with a sort of disclaimer. I don't want to be bashed and flamed for praising sex before marriage. I'm a traditional guy with pretty conservative views. I plan to marry a virgin, and I am one myself. But I just wanted to say that sometimes people go a little to far with things like this.

waiting for your feedback...