It's not difficult to see that many facets of life don't always go the way we intended them to, sometimes more than we'd care to accept.
One would probably insistently argue that it was what was intended to have happen, blatantly arguing that the result was spot on...."I knew that would happen", "It's what i wanted", "I don't want anything else", "I'm Happy", "It Doen't matter".... and “It was meant to be!”
Lies .. to justify one's dormant life, to put you at ease, safe guarded in a comfort zone. Forming a cocoon of deception, and being sheltered from triggers, avoiding acceptance or realization, that one may in fact not be satisfied that we are actually not doing our hearts desires but have settled for anything close to it or that which is in front of us.
Is it because, you did not try hard enough? Maybe it’s because of a lack of experience, or maybe immaturity or the absence of a clear guiding path.
Whatever the reason, we all live in the same world, so it's not difficult to decipher that the same issues affect us all, and each one reacts differently. One may stand up and fight, and still not achieve anything; another may lay down and accept fate, baring the consequences; yet others may overcome and exceed, even more than their expectations and dreams.
Run after your dreams, stretch for the thing that you want the most. Don't settle for second best, or what's at hand, we all may not achieve our hearts desires but we can certainly try. To attempt and fail, is always better that to never attempt at all.
To many out there, the things I’ve said may be the rankings of a crazy man; to others it may be the truth they do not want to confront, still others may interpret this as a lost man's attempt to reach out to something or someone...
U decide ... interpret it the way it best suits u
You may say that it's destiny, fate or luck that decides, i say BULL SHIT..
Life will only give us the opportunities, it will lead us to the cross roads, but it's up to us to recognize and grasp them, to choose whether we go left or right. Opportunities may pass us by, it isn't because it was meant to be, it’s because you either did not try hard enough or you just did not know better.
Decisions we make has a ripple effect on the course of our life, we may come across the same opportunity more than once, but to let it get out of your grasp for the simple reason of being shy, scared or not knowing better, …….
So don't wait for the phone to ring, for your other to approach you first; make your move, don’t sit and think too much.
Get up and Chase your dreams, don’t live with regrets....
Citizen X :| This is how i see things... (in layman terms)
Showing posts with label Just Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Just Life. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Lying your way to THAILAND!
This is rather funny; i've always believed that if you lie, for whatever reason, you'll soon find yourself telling another one just to cover your first, then another and another, leading to a chain that goes on and on until you get tired of lying & fess up.
Alas, there are also times where people are soooooo crooked that they will never confess, others may be even better, to the extent that sooner or later the lie becomes fact, even if they are caught red handed.
For example, a friend of mind told me of the following; he and his wife were at the airport on their way to Thailand, for a 10 day vacation when he saw an acquaintance. After saying their hellos', the acquaintance tells my friend that he is going to Australia to continue his studies. Well, fine and dandy, they say their good byes and depart.
When my friend arrives at the Bangkok airport he is surprised to see his acquaintance there as well. They smile at each other and my friend is told, by his acquaintance, that he was there on TRANSIT, before his plane departs to Australia.
Again, taking his word for it, my friend leaves the airport and spends the next 8 days sight seeing and traveling from place to place, when he and his wife get back to Bangkok, on the ninth day, he is surprised to see his acquaintance staying at the same hotel he is at.
They again say hello and then he asks 'How come he's (his acquaintance) still in Thailand', to which his acquaintance answers "THE PLANE GOT DELAYED AND I WAS PUT UP AT THE HOTEL UNTIL NOW BY THE AIRLINE COMPANY". What the hell do you say to someone like that?......
Alternatively, i have heard of even better (worse by nature) liars, note the following;
A man was fooling around with his maid when all of a sudden, his wife comes back early from her mother's house. Being in the bed room and having no way out, the maid picks up her clothes and runs into the toilet. The man is left sitting on the bed only wearing his underwear.
His wife walks into the room and demands to know where the maid is, he turns to her and squirts out the following in a drowsy tone, "SHE IS IN THE TOILET". The wife asks what she (the maid) is doing in the toilet, to which he replies, again in the drowsy tone, "HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW, PROBABLY CLEANING THE TOILET, ALL I KNOW IS THAT I WAS ASLEEP AND YOU WOKE ME UP". The dumb twit of a wife bought the excuse her husband had given her.............
But this one takes the cake; a women walks into her bed room, which is dimly lit, only to find her husband on top of the maid. She screams out " What the Hell are you doing?", to which he replies "OH MY GOD, I THOUGHT I WAS ON TOP ON YOU"!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know how the last one ended but you get the picture.................
Alas, there are also times where people are soooooo crooked that they will never confess, others may be even better, to the extent that sooner or later the lie becomes fact, even if they are caught red handed.
For example, a friend of mind told me of the following; he and his wife were at the airport on their way to Thailand, for a 10 day vacation when he saw an acquaintance. After saying their hellos', the acquaintance tells my friend that he is going to Australia to continue his studies. Well, fine and dandy, they say their good byes and depart.
When my friend arrives at the Bangkok airport he is surprised to see his acquaintance there as well. They smile at each other and my friend is told, by his acquaintance, that he was there on TRANSIT, before his plane departs to Australia.
Again, taking his word for it, my friend leaves the airport and spends the next 8 days sight seeing and traveling from place to place, when he and his wife get back to Bangkok, on the ninth day, he is surprised to see his acquaintance staying at the same hotel he is at.
They again say hello and then he asks 'How come he's (his acquaintance) still in Thailand', to which his acquaintance answers "THE PLANE GOT DELAYED AND I WAS PUT UP AT THE HOTEL UNTIL NOW BY THE AIRLINE COMPANY". What the hell do you say to someone like that?......
Alternatively, i have heard of even better (worse by nature) liars, note the following;
A man was fooling around with his maid when all of a sudden, his wife comes back early from her mother's house. Being in the bed room and having no way out, the maid picks up her clothes and runs into the toilet. The man is left sitting on the bed only wearing his underwear.
His wife walks into the room and demands to know where the maid is, he turns to her and squirts out the following in a drowsy tone, "SHE IS IN THE TOILET". The wife asks what she (the maid) is doing in the toilet, to which he replies, again in the drowsy tone, "HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW, PROBABLY CLEANING THE TOILET, ALL I KNOW IS THAT I WAS ASLEEP AND YOU WOKE ME UP". The dumb twit of a wife bought the excuse her husband had given her.............
But this one takes the cake; a women walks into her bed room, which is dimly lit, only to find her husband on top of the maid. She screams out " What the Hell are you doing?", to which he replies "OH MY GOD, I THOUGHT I WAS ON TOP ON YOU"!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know how the last one ended but you get the picture.................
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Why i think women are much more tougher than us guys!
The fact is, i have a high threshold for pain; i've been this way ever since i can remember, be it paper cuts, splinters, bites, twisted ankles, EVEN A RUSTY NAIL IN THE FOOT, yet one thing i have never been able to withstand is hair removal using only tweezers or wax (the latter i have never used but am only stating to prove a point). I squint and tremble, then cry like a little girl (not a good example i might add, but you get the picture).
Remember the scene in the movie ' What women want', where Mel Gibson, calls women MAD, crazy or something like that, for using products to tear off /peal away excess hair.
So, being quite a rather warm blooded individual, i tend to require a little cleaning up performed on my eye brows, else a Uni-Brow matteralises below my forehead (Note: Uni-Brow, NOT UNI-BRA).
And so my kind, loving, caring and ever forgiving wife generously volunteers to pluck the critters off of the face of her simple minded husband, before he (I) is overcome (you'd think i'd know better).
NOOOOOO, nothing of the sort, in fact i'm such a dope that i sit through the whole ordeal, taking it literally like a woman, only, well, JUST, so my wife does not take me for a sissy.
WHICH I AM NOT.
But it does hurt....sooooooooooooooooo much......I'd rather take a bullet in the @SS.....
Women, give birth, bare most of the burden of child rearing and for some reason or another, sheer off the excess hair on their body without even a sweat......
MY HATs off to you women...
Tough as nails yet soft as a baby's bottom
Remember the scene in the movie ' What women want', where Mel Gibson, calls women MAD, crazy or something like that, for using products to tear off /peal away excess hair.
So, being quite a rather warm blooded individual, i tend to require a little cleaning up performed on my eye brows, else a Uni-Brow matteralises below my forehead (Note: Uni-Brow, NOT UNI-BRA).
And so my kind, loving, caring and ever forgiving wife generously volunteers to pluck the critters off of the face of her simple minded husband, before he (I) is overcome (you'd think i'd know better).
NOOOOOO, nothing of the sort, in fact i'm such a dope that i sit through the whole ordeal, taking it literally like a woman, only, well, JUST, so my wife does not take me for a sissy.
WHICH I AM NOT.
But it does hurt....sooooooooooooooooo much......I'd rather take a bullet in the @SS.....
Women, give birth, bare most of the burden of child rearing and for some reason or another, sheer off the excess hair on their body without even a sweat......
MY HATs off to you women...
Tough as nails yet soft as a baby's bottom
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Is there a sign stuck to my back?
I swear, today i felt like someone had stuck a sigh on my back.
It started off 5 minutes in to my afternoon jog when a man turned towards me and started making gestures with his hands, as if to indicate that he was looking for someplace or thing, and then he began to shout at me in an un-comprehendible dialect, I shrugged my shoulders, waved with my hands to so he would know i didn't understand and continued jogging.
Further ahead, i was waved to a halt by a woman in a car, who asked for directions to a Garden that i had never heard of; i just explained that i too was a foreigner in OMAN and did not know the location.
Later in the evening, while i sat at a coffee shop and was having my grilled Hamour dinner, a young guy comes up to me and asks me where to get a packet of cigarettes.
For god sakes, is there something written on my forehead that i'm not aware of. I don't mind helping people but this is just absurd. Is there a camera around that i'm not aware of....?
It started off 5 minutes in to my afternoon jog when a man turned towards me and started making gestures with his hands, as if to indicate that he was looking for someplace or thing, and then he began to shout at me in an un-comprehendible dialect, I shrugged my shoulders, waved with my hands to so he would know i didn't understand and continued jogging.
Further ahead, i was waved to a halt by a woman in a car, who asked for directions to a Garden that i had never heard of; i just explained that i too was a foreigner in OMAN and did not know the location.
Later in the evening, while i sat at a coffee shop and was having my grilled Hamour dinner, a young guy comes up to me and asks me where to get a packet of cigarettes.
For god sakes, is there something written on my forehead that i'm not aware of. I don't mind helping people but this is just absurd. Is there a camera around that i'm not aware of....?
Monday, January 14, 2008
What is in the name SHAIKHA?
In general, the salutations SHAIKHA or SHAIKH are used to call upon a female or male with some degree of respect.
Others use it to point out that a person is rather daft.
Me, i use them to cover my shortfall; where for some reason or another i cannot remember names of people whom i have just met, or have known for some time.
This is no joke, i have gone for weeks directly dealing with people but never knowing or remembering their names. I know it's rude but hey, the brain cells must be rapidly deteriorating in the area of my brain used for recalling names.
Once, during my secondment in Qatar, my colleagues and i went out with an employee of the bank who was gracious enough to offer, WHICH WE GLADLY ACCEPTED. After arriving at the location, he excused himself to go to the little boys room. Foolishly i turned to my colleagues and asked them what the guy's name was, i was met with blank faces, then grins of despair; the bastards could not remember his name either. So for the remainder of the evening i continued to call him 'Yesh Shaikh'.
I fear this is also happening to me in Oman, i have not been invited out much and am keeping away from such invitations for fear of being exposed. Today i was asked by a lady, 'how come i call her and three others SHAIKHA', i lied through my teeth and told her that it was out of respect for all of them...if only she knew the truth.....
Now faces, are another matter; i never forget a face, the name that goes with the face is an utterly different matter.....
Sometimes I use a name association gimmick where u link the name of a person u've just met with someone u already know, but if the name is not common, then basically u should know that i'm F*ed, and have no choice but to fall back on my old reliable aids; the honorary salutation.
MY POINT being, if you ever meet me in person and i greet you with SHAIKH or SHAIKHA, then you should realize that i have already forgotten your name....don't take it personally......and i apologis in advance.
Others use it to point out that a person is rather daft.
Me, i use them to cover my shortfall; where for some reason or another i cannot remember names of people whom i have just met, or have known for some time.
This is no joke, i have gone for weeks directly dealing with people but never knowing or remembering their names. I know it's rude but hey, the brain cells must be rapidly deteriorating in the area of my brain used for recalling names.
Once, during my secondment in Qatar, my colleagues and i went out with an employee of the bank who was gracious enough to offer, WHICH WE GLADLY ACCEPTED. After arriving at the location, he excused himself to go to the little boys room. Foolishly i turned to my colleagues and asked them what the guy's name was, i was met with blank faces, then grins of despair; the bastards could not remember his name either. So for the remainder of the evening i continued to call him 'Yesh Shaikh'.
I fear this is also happening to me in Oman, i have not been invited out much and am keeping away from such invitations for fear of being exposed. Today i was asked by a lady, 'how come i call her and three others SHAIKHA', i lied through my teeth and told her that it was out of respect for all of them...if only she knew the truth.....
Now faces, are another matter; i never forget a face, the name that goes with the face is an utterly different matter.....
Sometimes I use a name association gimmick where u link the name of a person u've just met with someone u already know, but if the name is not common, then basically u should know that i'm F*ed, and have no choice but to fall back on my old reliable aids; the honorary salutation.
MY POINT being, if you ever meet me in person and i greet you with SHAIKH or SHAIKHA, then you should realize that i have already forgotten your name....don't take it personally......and i apologis in advance.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Another Year waisted....another year gained
Another year wasted, another year gained age wise, and nothing to show for it.
Well, not really, Yes i've gotten older, my joints now speak to me more frequently; athletic abilities i once took for granted are now cumbersome, BUT i'd like to think i've also gotten wiser, doe things i'd once throught impossible, met more interesting people and made even more friends; and lets not forget having seen the world, ok not the whole world, but there is still time for that...
I spent the last day of the year at work, so it should not surprise you that i continued to work at home well into the late hours of the night and into the new year thereby ensuring i began the new year the same way i ended the last....
And just for the record 17 seconds into the new year, my new years resolution was over... so now i assign little tasts for myself rather than Gigantic impossibilities.
Of the many small tasks, here are two that are within my grasp;
a) Drive all the way from Bahrain to Oman, in my 2002 Mitsubishi colt...(read about it in my blog soon)
b) Loose as much weigh as possible by my 34th birthday, which is on 23rd February.... (i will write about that on the B day.
Enjoy 2008, and as always i'm late but.............HAPPY NEW YEAR..
Well, not really, Yes i've gotten older, my joints now speak to me more frequently; athletic abilities i once took for granted are now cumbersome, BUT i'd like to think i've also gotten wiser, doe things i'd once throught impossible, met more interesting people and made even more friends; and lets not forget having seen the world, ok not the whole world, but there is still time for that...
I spent the last day of the year at work, so it should not surprise you that i continued to work at home well into the late hours of the night and into the new year thereby ensuring i began the new year the same way i ended the last....
At one point of time in life i was the youngster at work, now i'm one of the more experianced, but not the elderly so that is something good to look forward to.
Life, my friend has its ups and downs, and all we can do is wait it our and try our best to come out unscaved OR we can try and be one of the few who can take the bull by the horns and actually make a difference, who live how we want to and do what we love, LIFE IS GOOD. Think about it, there are things that happen in this world that we have no control over, so why bother yourself, rather, concentrate on the things that are within your control.
I believe i'm in a good place for now, life is hard but it's going in the direction that it should.....
And just for the record 17 seconds into the new year, my new years resolution was over... so now i assign little tasts for myself rather than Gigantic impossibilities.
Of the many small tasks, here are two that are within my grasp;
a) Drive all the way from Bahrain to Oman, in my 2002 Mitsubishi colt...(read about it in my blog soon)
b) Loose as much weigh as possible by my 34th birthday, which is on 23rd February.... (i will write about that on the B day.
Enjoy 2008, and as always i'm late but.............HAPPY NEW YEAR..
Fart-a-Thon
...you know where this is going......so prepare yourself.
Farting comes naturally to us all, call it flatulence, breaking wind, letting one go, passing gas, or any other work in the English vocabulary that catches your fancy.
The fact of the matter is, most of us have done it and will continue to do so, some willingly and by choice, other just because the pressure can no longer be contained within.
So it should not surprise you when i say, FOR GOD SAKES GO TO THE TOILET, DUMP THE MOTHER LOAD BEFORE YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR.
I've been a victim of soo many bloat and run incidents that its reached a level of National Security.
Whether it be the Cinema incident where the guy in front just continued to churn out loads of Gas, his chimney put the local dump to shame.
Or at the airport when i was about to walk the stairs up to the plane, behind a woman who had her rump in my face, and JUST had to let one go....It was silent but DEADLY...I KID U NOT.
Another time i was talking to a colleague who was discussing something or the other and, FART, right in the middle of his conversation let an ear popper out, yet he continued as though nothing had happened....WOW..
Once, some friends and i were driving around in my car when one of them let go a radio-active waste of a fart, No Sound, Butttttt ooohh mummaaaa, the smell was unbearable....I slammed down the break, put the car in park and got the hell out of the car, pursued by the other two innocent guys. While the FARTIST just sat there laughing his head out, 5 minutes later we all got back into the car, drove on, and all the way home, i had my head stuck out the car window.
Alas, one must also consider the importance of a well placed release, MY friends can vouch for this, but i'm told that on a cold winters day, when you've gotten into bed and are desperately trying to get warm, by immersing yourself completely under the blanket and letting a couple of stinkers loose, you can either knock yourself out or warm up the surrounding air, but you just need to learn to live with the SMELL.
I'm not so innocent myself, my biggest weakness is when i laugh out loud uncontrollably, i lose control over my body and occasionally let one RIP. To date, i can recollect this shameful accident has happened to me no less than 4 times, but with sheer dump luck my laughs have always been able to muffle out the FART noise, so I was safe as no one was the smarter; until now since i'm exposing myself to the whole world.
NOW, what would be the point of writing this; well, just that the only gas one should let go should be in the sanctity of their own home NOT in other people's faces or cars or elevators......AND FOR GOD SAKES GO TO THE TOILET BEFORE LEAVING HOME.
Farting comes naturally to us all, call it flatulence, breaking wind, letting one go, passing gas, or any other work in the English vocabulary that catches your fancy.
The fact of the matter is, most of us have done it and will continue to do so, some willingly and by choice, other just because the pressure can no longer be contained within.
So it should not surprise you when i say, FOR GOD SAKES GO TO THE TOILET, DUMP THE MOTHER LOAD BEFORE YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR.
I've been a victim of soo many bloat and run incidents that its reached a level of National Security.
Whether it be the Cinema incident where the guy in front just continued to churn out loads of Gas, his chimney put the local dump to shame.
Or at the airport when i was about to walk the stairs up to the plane, behind a woman who had her rump in my face, and JUST had to let one go....It was silent but DEADLY...I KID U NOT.
Another time i was talking to a colleague who was discussing something or the other and, FART, right in the middle of his conversation let an ear popper out, yet he continued as though nothing had happened....WOW..
Once, some friends and i were driving around in my car when one of them let go a radio-active waste of a fart, No Sound, Butttttt ooohh mummaaaa, the smell was unbearable....I slammed down the break, put the car in park and got the hell out of the car, pursued by the other two innocent guys. While the FARTIST just sat there laughing his head out, 5 minutes later we all got back into the car, drove on, and all the way home, i had my head stuck out the car window.
Alas, one must also consider the importance of a well placed release, MY friends can vouch for this, but i'm told that on a cold winters day, when you've gotten into bed and are desperately trying to get warm, by immersing yourself completely under the blanket and letting a couple of stinkers loose, you can either knock yourself out or warm up the surrounding air, but you just need to learn to live with the SMELL.
I'm not so innocent myself, my biggest weakness is when i laugh out loud uncontrollably, i lose control over my body and occasionally let one RIP. To date, i can recollect this shameful accident has happened to me no less than 4 times, but with sheer dump luck my laughs have always been able to muffle out the FART noise, so I was safe as no one was the smarter; until now since i'm exposing myself to the whole world.
NOW, what would be the point of writing this; well, just that the only gas one should let go should be in the sanctity of their own home NOT in other people's faces or cars or elevators......AND FOR GOD SAKES GO TO THE TOILET BEFORE LEAVING HOME.
Friday, December 21, 2007
The burden of being a movie Critique
I have been watching movies for as far back as I can remember. I believe it was when the first betamax format was introduced to Bahrain during the early eighties, if I am not mistaken. The first movie I watched was ‘Force Five’ a cool action movie, which my good friend calmly claimed was our future, yet to happen, and like a smuck it believed him, of all of five seconds.
From betamax, to VHS, to VCD and now DVD; soon to be replaced by R5 and the likes.
Anyways, I’ve gained a vast knowledge of films, from how the plot should progress to the acting, special effects etc or the ending.
So if I watch a movie that does not sum up to par, or anywhere close for that matter, I get pissed off and turn the bloody thing off. Let’s see, remember the movie ‘The Blair Witch project’, the hype created by the media and the internet let to box office records, the people who made the movie for a few thousand, mere pennies, reaped in millions.
Back then, i rented the DVD, 5 to 10 minutes into the movie, I turned it off, got into my car and drove to the DVD rental shop, exactly 45 minutes after I had first rented it. I burst into the shop and pushed the DVD back into the clerks face, shouting at him that if he did not immediately take the DVD and erase any record of my renting it from their computer, I’d kick his F*ing @ss. He obliged.
In my view, it was so bad that it did not deserve (a) to be listed on my rental sheet or (b) for me to cough up my hard earned money to rent the f*ing thing.
Need I say more, to date I have not watched it nor do I intent to, ever.
Now, what brought these feelings up to the surface, from the dark depths of my soul; the movie ‘The Reeping’, a horror movie wannabe.
Being this aware has its drawbacks, you don’t get to enjoy the movie but sit and analyze the scenes, the acting, plot, dialogue, and of course the bloody ending.
To date, I have watched some fantastic movies a few of which are ‘The Shawshank redemption’, ‘The Extremist’, ‘The Sixty sense’, ‘Fight Club’ & ‘Transformers’, just to name a few.
Granted, if I watch some of these movies today, I might find something wrong/outdated but when they first came out, they were mind blowing.
Now excuse me while I drive to the rental shop and have a few words with the clerk……
From betamax, to VHS, to VCD and now DVD; soon to be replaced by R5 and the likes.
Anyways, I’ve gained a vast knowledge of films, from how the plot should progress to the acting, special effects etc or the ending.
So if I watch a movie that does not sum up to par, or anywhere close for that matter, I get pissed off and turn the bloody thing off. Let’s see, remember the movie ‘The Blair Witch project’, the hype created by the media and the internet let to box office records, the people who made the movie for a few thousand, mere pennies, reaped in millions.
Back then, i rented the DVD, 5 to 10 minutes into the movie, I turned it off, got into my car and drove to the DVD rental shop, exactly 45 minutes after I had first rented it. I burst into the shop and pushed the DVD back into the clerks face, shouting at him that if he did not immediately take the DVD and erase any record of my renting it from their computer, I’d kick his F*ing @ss. He obliged.
In my view, it was so bad that it did not deserve (a) to be listed on my rental sheet or (b) for me to cough up my hard earned money to rent the f*ing thing.
Need I say more, to date I have not watched it nor do I intent to, ever.
Now, what brought these feelings up to the surface, from the dark depths of my soul; the movie ‘The Reeping’, a horror movie wannabe.
Being this aware has its drawbacks, you don’t get to enjoy the movie but sit and analyze the scenes, the acting, plot, dialogue, and of course the bloody ending.
To date, I have watched some fantastic movies a few of which are ‘The Shawshank redemption’, ‘The Extremist’, ‘The Sixty sense’, ‘Fight Club’ & ‘Transformers’, just to name a few.
Granted, if I watch some of these movies today, I might find something wrong/outdated but when they first came out, they were mind blowing.
Now excuse me while I drive to the rental shop and have a few words with the clerk……
Friday, November 30, 2007
Where have i been, you ask! Well....
The last blog i posted was exactly three months ago, since then, i've had many an urge to write. Whether it be about the horny stewards on a Gulf Air flight, the smelly people who sit next to me, the usual craps that's going on in our little jem of a country or the fact that life just has it out for me.
I'll soon be writing about the topics metioned above and a whole lot more.
BUT, to answer the God Damn question........
I was seconded to the Sultanate of Oman, where our Bank has just acquired a stake in one of the local banks, and being an Operations guy, i've been assigned a task that requires my presence for a minimum of three months, but from past experiance i know it will take at least six months of hard work, if not more.
Mind you, this is not new to me as i was seconded to the State of Qatar, in 2004, for a period of one year. Even then they told me it would only be a maximum of three months, HUH.
Anyways, here's to my come back to the world of blogging....
Let me be the first to welcome ME back, soooo, Welcome,welcome back.
Y thank you, i am touched....$%&%*$*#*
SOOOOO, Expect the best, but pleeeeeeeeesssssssssssseeeeeeeeeee prepare for the worst.
I'll soon be writing about the topics metioned above and a whole lot more.
BUT, to answer the God Damn question........
I was seconded to the Sultanate of Oman, where our Bank has just acquired a stake in one of the local banks, and being an Operations guy, i've been assigned a task that requires my presence for a minimum of three months, but from past experiance i know it will take at least six months of hard work, if not more.
Mind you, this is not new to me as i was seconded to the State of Qatar, in 2004, for a period of one year. Even then they told me it would only be a maximum of three months, HUH.
Anyways, here's to my come back to the world of blogging....
Let me be the first to welcome ME back, soooo, Welcome,welcome back.
Y thank you, i am touched....$%&%*$*#*
SOOOOO, Expect the best, but pleeeeeeeeesssssssssssseeeeeeeeeee prepare for the worst.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Road Rage at such a Mature Age
What has our society come to when the elderly sitting behind the wheels of a car, curses and gesturing obscenities at others.
23rd August 2007
I was on my way home, driving 10mph under the speed limit, and keeping to the slower right most lane. Upon approaching a round about, I slowed down and stopped, there were three cars in front of me, each attempting to speed off as soon an opening revealed itself.
I heard the vigorous honking of a car, so I turned to my left; I saw an elderly man in a Volkswagen, smacking at his horn, looking at the car in front of him and gesturing, with his hand, to the driver sitting patiently in the car in front of him, to hurry up and move.
‘Move where’ I thought, they too were stuck at the round about waiting for an opening.
So I turned around, looking forward, and ignored his persistent honking, waiting patiently until the cars in front of me passes on and I was able to drive past the roundabout, and towards the right.
I drove on, on the straight road and turned into the left most ‘high speed’ lane, a minute later I reached the end of the road and in front of me was another round about; there were at least four cars in front of me, so I slowed down to a halt, and prepared to wait patiently for my turn to pass.
I heard a honking from the car behind, so I looked up into the ‘rear view mirror’ and I was stumped to see the same old geezer behind me, angrily blowing his horn at me and gesturing with his hand. I could only laugh… he continued to honk on….when my turn came, I passed the round about and drove into the middle ‘medium speed lane’.
I head yet another all too familiar honking, this time from my right, coming from the left most ‘slow speed lane’. I turn and look, and what do I see, the old man had performed a sharp right turn from behind, trying to get into the slower land, and almost crashing into a four wheel drive jeep, and again he was gesturing and screaming at the driver. This time, the driver, a much younger man, was screaming and gesturing back.
I’d understand had it occurred once, maybe the second time could have been my fault, but it wasn’t; three straight incidents, the same old man, there is no way to explain it other than that our society is changing for the worst.
The roads of Bahrain are not safe, and have not been for a long time now, only now but I can confirm without a doubt, that there is no age limit that is excluded; we are all potential ‘ROAD RAGE MANIACS’; from the young speedsters, to the mature law breaking vigilant drivers, and now, not excluding the old timers, whom once were considered patent and law abiding, are now no better than the worst of us.
I blame society; the stress is catching up to everyone. No one seems to know the ‘Driver’s code of conduct’ anymore. It’s everyone for himself, speed into the opening before the other driver, speed past the traffic light just as it turns red, turn into the car in the adjacent lane without using you signal indicators, do not give the right of way to others, It’s your road, to Hell with the others.
I hope new regulations are implemented by the Traffic Directorate; the lame excuse of an awareness campaign is not enough. They must get tougher on the law breakers and hooligans, road rage must not be condoned by reprimanded.
I wondering when in the world, will our government build a freaking monorail/metro system? I need to stop driving a cars.
...I need to get off the roads…………….they are getting worse by the minute…they …re….not…..SAFE...from...anyone.
23rd August 2007
I was on my way home, driving 10mph under the speed limit, and keeping to the slower right most lane. Upon approaching a round about, I slowed down and stopped, there were three cars in front of me, each attempting to speed off as soon an opening revealed itself.
I heard the vigorous honking of a car, so I turned to my left; I saw an elderly man in a Volkswagen, smacking at his horn, looking at the car in front of him and gesturing, with his hand, to the driver sitting patiently in the car in front of him, to hurry up and move.
‘Move where’ I thought, they too were stuck at the round about waiting for an opening.
So I turned around, looking forward, and ignored his persistent honking, waiting patiently until the cars in front of me passes on and I was able to drive past the roundabout, and towards the right.
I drove on, on the straight road and turned into the left most ‘high speed’ lane, a minute later I reached the end of the road and in front of me was another round about; there were at least four cars in front of me, so I slowed down to a halt, and prepared to wait patiently for my turn to pass.
I heard a honking from the car behind, so I looked up into the ‘rear view mirror’ and I was stumped to see the same old geezer behind me, angrily blowing his horn at me and gesturing with his hand. I could only laugh… he continued to honk on….when my turn came, I passed the round about and drove into the middle ‘medium speed lane’.
I head yet another all too familiar honking, this time from my right, coming from the left most ‘slow speed lane’. I turn and look, and what do I see, the old man had performed a sharp right turn from behind, trying to get into the slower land, and almost crashing into a four wheel drive jeep, and again he was gesturing and screaming at the driver. This time, the driver, a much younger man, was screaming and gesturing back.
I’d understand had it occurred once, maybe the second time could have been my fault, but it wasn’t; three straight incidents, the same old man, there is no way to explain it other than that our society is changing for the worst.
The roads of Bahrain are not safe, and have not been for a long time now, only now but I can confirm without a doubt, that there is no age limit that is excluded; we are all potential ‘ROAD RAGE MANIACS’; from the young speedsters, to the mature law breaking vigilant drivers, and now, not excluding the old timers, whom once were considered patent and law abiding, are now no better than the worst of us.
I blame society; the stress is catching up to everyone. No one seems to know the ‘Driver’s code of conduct’ anymore. It’s everyone for himself, speed into the opening before the other driver, speed past the traffic light just as it turns red, turn into the car in the adjacent lane without using you signal indicators, do not give the right of way to others, It’s your road, to Hell with the others.
I hope new regulations are implemented by the Traffic Directorate; the lame excuse of an awareness campaign is not enough. They must get tougher on the law breakers and hooligans, road rage must not be condoned by reprimanded.
I wondering when in the world, will our government build a freaking monorail/metro system? I need to stop driving a cars.
...I need to get off the roads…………….they are getting worse by the minute…they …re….not…..SAFE...from...anyone.
Teenage girls that put out, and give away the rest of their lives. WHY?
It’s not easy being born a baby girl, the transition from daddy’s little princess, playing with Barbie dolls, tea parties with little cups and saucers, learning about prince charming; to being a teenage girl at thirteen with raging hormones, a body that’s constantly changing, being told that it’s now natural for your body to bleed, "don’t worry you’re a little woman now", and that your body has just transformed into a baby making factory, keep an eye out for prince charming; to an eighteen year ‘Young Woman’, ready to venture into the world, any thing is now possible with the right education, determination and drive. Prince charming is knocking at the door but you are too busy perming your hair to hear.
Later on as a mature woman, marry the prince and live happily ever after, and maybe make a couple of babies along the way.
But life is not that simple, and we don’t live in Never Never land. There are too many variables; lives get ruined for the dumbest things…..
And so, I was watching the program ‘What not to Wear’ on MBC4, there was a 32 year old woman, whom you could not help but feel sad for, she has gotten pregnant when she was only seventeen, the first time she had sex was also the last time. This permanently scarred her to the extent that she no longer dated and had all but given up on finding a suitable partner to share her life with.
WHY IS IT, THAT TEENAGERS’ CONSIDER IT A COOL THING TO HAVE SEX AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE?
Peer pressure, the stupid love stories that they read, the romantic movies that
See, the sexually explicit music videos, the urge to grow up quickly?
Even with sex ED taught in a lot of the schools in Europe and America, public information about the sexually transmitted diseases, the sad stories of teenager’s lives destroyed by having sex and getting pregnant at a young age; it still does not sink into their thick skulls.
It’s hard being a single mother, bringing up a child all alone. By having a child early in life, during the high school years, many girls are unable to complete their education and find it even harder to get a good job to support themselves and their child. In almost all cases, the guy who gets her pregnant is not around, he splits soon after hearing the news, or tries to support and help out, but is too immature and the responsibility far exceeds his abilities.…….
Being a single mother is hard; lost youth, no hope of having a normal life, it’s a tough road up hill, but those who persevere get the best of a fruitful life. Some stick to their guns and take up the challenge and responsibility, other don’t, they give up the child for adoption; then go out with their friends, clubbing & boozing, and move around from partner to partner, not realizing that it can and will happen to them again, it’s just a matter of time.
Some of these teens, having become pregnant, hide the fact until it’s physically impossible, other are found out and are forced to abort; after the birth of the child, some young mothers, with the help of their family, take care of the child, others put the child up for adoption.
Either way, their lives will never be the same.
I blame the parents who have made it acceptable for their children to wears skimpy clothes, go out on dates, have pool parties; but the main reason parents are to blame is not making their homes a haven when the girls and grow up and mature into a responsible adult, tranquility is home is a must, a good father figure, and a mother as a role model to look up to, children need to be loved and nurtures, if they don’t find what they need at home, they’ll seek it in other places, by whatever means.
Some girls may feel that, by putting out, they will be respected and loved, only to find out that they were just another notch on a boy’s ‘belt of sexual conquests’; and since their virginity has now gone with the wind, they no longer have a reason not to continue with their promiscuous ways, like "cheap body spray, giving it away".
This phenomenon is not new to the Gulf, it’s just taboo and no one likes to talk about it. Not talking about, does not make the problem go away.
There are predators out there that tricked teenage girls, fool them into believing they live them and then, WHAM, BAM, thank you MADAM, NEXT………
During my school days, I had such a friend; he too had a ‘belt of sexual conquests’ that had seen a lot of wear and tear. The funny thing is, that today, he is a changed man, very religious, married and, guess what, he has three daughters.
Who said god does not have a sense of humor?
I guess the silver lining here is that, for every girl that does decide to take the fall, there are many others who decide it’s not for them. Their honor is not for sale.
Later on as a mature woman, marry the prince and live happily ever after, and maybe make a couple of babies along the way.
But life is not that simple, and we don’t live in Never Never land. There are too many variables; lives get ruined for the dumbest things…..
And so, I was watching the program ‘What not to Wear’ on MBC4, there was a 32 year old woman, whom you could not help but feel sad for, she has gotten pregnant when she was only seventeen, the first time she had sex was also the last time. This permanently scarred her to the extent that she no longer dated and had all but given up on finding a suitable partner to share her life with.
WHY IS IT, THAT TEENAGERS’ CONSIDER IT A COOL THING TO HAVE SEX AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE?
Peer pressure, the stupid love stories that they read, the romantic movies that
See, the sexually explicit music videos, the urge to grow up quickly?
Even with sex ED taught in a lot of the schools in Europe and America, public information about the sexually transmitted diseases, the sad stories of teenager’s lives destroyed by having sex and getting pregnant at a young age; it still does not sink into their thick skulls.
It’s hard being a single mother, bringing up a child all alone. By having a child early in life, during the high school years, many girls are unable to complete their education and find it even harder to get a good job to support themselves and their child. In almost all cases, the guy who gets her pregnant is not around, he splits soon after hearing the news, or tries to support and help out, but is too immature and the responsibility far exceeds his abilities.…….
Being a single mother is hard; lost youth, no hope of having a normal life, it’s a tough road up hill, but those who persevere get the best of a fruitful life. Some stick to their guns and take up the challenge and responsibility, other don’t, they give up the child for adoption; then go out with their friends, clubbing & boozing, and move around from partner to partner, not realizing that it can and will happen to them again, it’s just a matter of time.
Some of these teens, having become pregnant, hide the fact until it’s physically impossible, other are found out and are forced to abort; after the birth of the child, some young mothers, with the help of their family, take care of the child, others put the child up for adoption.
Either way, their lives will never be the same.
I blame the parents who have made it acceptable for their children to wears skimpy clothes, go out on dates, have pool parties; but the main reason parents are to blame is not making their homes a haven when the girls and grow up and mature into a responsible adult, tranquility is home is a must, a good father figure, and a mother as a role model to look up to, children need to be loved and nurtures, if they don’t find what they need at home, they’ll seek it in other places, by whatever means.
Some girls may feel that, by putting out, they will be respected and loved, only to find out that they were just another notch on a boy’s ‘belt of sexual conquests’; and since their virginity has now gone with the wind, they no longer have a reason not to continue with their promiscuous ways, like "cheap body spray, giving it away".
This phenomenon is not new to the Gulf, it’s just taboo and no one likes to talk about it. Not talking about, does not make the problem go away.
There are predators out there that tricked teenage girls, fool them into believing they live them and then, WHAM, BAM, thank you MADAM, NEXT………
During my school days, I had such a friend; he too had a ‘belt of sexual conquests’ that had seen a lot of wear and tear. The funny thing is, that today, he is a changed man, very religious, married and, guess what, he has three daughters.
Who said god does not have a sense of humor?
I guess the silver lining here is that, for every girl that does decide to take the fall, there are many others who decide it’s not for them. Their honor is not for sale.
Monday, August 20, 2007
My Date with a Stick Shift.....
During my sight seeing trips in Iran, I visited quite a number of tourist attractions, of which one of the most pleasant to one’s eyes was the botanical Garden in Tehran. It was absolutely breathe taking, a place where you can sit and relax, watch the beauty of nature combined with an artificial stone path way, and take in a breath of fresh air. The ‘Jamshidieh Stone Garden’ located on the front slopes of a Kolakchal Mountain, in the Niavaran district of Tehran, an area that the rich and the mostly affluent reside.
It has open air amphitheatre, hiking trails to the mountaintop, and picnic areas, several restaurants, as well as traditional teahouses (houses of culture).
But this blog is not about the spectacular garden, nor the weather, or how we could benefit from such a place here in Bahrain. No, not those things, but rather what happened after we left that beautiful place.
We arrived there by four in the afternoon, but sadly had to leave early because it was getting dark, and we had still not climbed to the very top. There were six of us, and in most places in Iran, at least 5 people can get into the small paykan (car) personal taxis’, excluding the driver.
So we got a cab, me and an acquaintance sad in the front. Yes, the both of us sat on one seat, we had to squeeze in though and there in lay the problem. The other four sat in the back.
NOW, 99.99999 % of all cars in IRAN are manual, so the driver has one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the Stick shift, forcefully guiding the stick from one gear to the next.
Unfortunately, since I was sitting on the inside, gears one and two were, well let’s just say they really got acquainted to my thigh and left cheek, and I'm not talking about my face here.
As I felt the driver change into third gear, yes I say felt, not saw but felt, because now the stick shift was touching the under parts of my left thigh.
He then looked at me, and with a embarrassed grin asks if I would give him permission to shift into fourth gear.
I got the message and had to take it like a mannnnnnn, fourth gear was right under my bottom and no matter how much I squeezes and squirmed, twisted and turned, I just could not shift it, the goods i mean, away from the in evitable, so I gave in and took it like a man.
During the trip, all I could think of was, STOP, NO TRESPASSING, DO NOT ENTER, PRIVATE PROPERY, and for the love of god, pleeeeeeeeeeeeesseeee nooooooooooo BUMPY ROAaaDDDS!
By the end of the trip I had gone to third base and back with the stick shift gear box, at least three times that come to mind, but fourth base was safe, cause I had my cheeks shut iron tight, and when I pounced out of the cab as it stopped at our final destination, and pushing my acquaintance during my rush, I could have sworn I saw the gear box wink at me……
It has open air amphitheatre, hiking trails to the mountaintop, and picnic areas, several restaurants, as well as traditional teahouses (houses of culture).
But this blog is not about the spectacular garden, nor the weather, or how we could benefit from such a place here in Bahrain. No, not those things, but rather what happened after we left that beautiful place.
We arrived there by four in the afternoon, but sadly had to leave early because it was getting dark, and we had still not climbed to the very top. There were six of us, and in most places in Iran, at least 5 people can get into the small paykan (car) personal taxis’, excluding the driver.
So we got a cab, me and an acquaintance sad in the front. Yes, the both of us sat on one seat, we had to squeeze in though and there in lay the problem. The other four sat in the back.
NOW, 99.99999 % of all cars in IRAN are manual, so the driver has one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the Stick shift, forcefully guiding the stick from one gear to the next.
Unfortunately, since I was sitting on the inside, gears one and two were, well let’s just say they really got acquainted to my thigh and left cheek, and I'm not talking about my face here.
As I felt the driver change into third gear, yes I say felt, not saw but felt, because now the stick shift was touching the under parts of my left thigh.
He then looked at me, and with a embarrassed grin asks if I would give him permission to shift into fourth gear.
I got the message and had to take it like a mannnnnnn, fourth gear was right under my bottom and no matter how much I squeezes and squirmed, twisted and turned, I just could not shift it, the goods i mean, away from the in evitable, so I gave in and took it like a man.
During the trip, all I could think of was, STOP, NO TRESPASSING, DO NOT ENTER, PRIVATE PROPERY, and for the love of god, pleeeeeeeeeeeeesseeee nooooooooooo BUMPY ROAaaDDDS!
By the end of the trip I had gone to third base and back with the stick shift gear box, at least three times that come to mind, but fourth base was safe, cause I had my cheeks shut iron tight, and when I pounced out of the cab as it stopped at our final destination, and pushing my acquaintance during my rush, I could have sworn I saw the gear box wink at me……
Sunday, August 19, 2007
I see Great, PEOPLE!
It’s absolutely phenomenal that I can now see with out the aid of any man made ‘sight aid’ device, whether glasses or contacts; from the moment I got off of the operating table, I had near perfect vision.
With my sight restored to near perfect, I should be experiencing sights I haven’t seen for the most of twenty one years, but, the fact of the matter is that ever since I was told that I needed the aid of vision enhancement aids, back when I was only twelve years old, I had been able to use them to temporarily restore my sight to near perfect, be it only until I removed them by sun down.
So the fact is, after I got off of the operating table, I should have felt something different, a life changing experience, or something; a feeling of great joy and gratitude, of completion and satisfaction. Yet, I was baffled that I did not feel such an emotion but rather one of utter confusion.
The fact of the matter is that, yes I was short sighted for 21 years, but, with the use of man made aids, I was whole again even before I was truly whole AGAIN.
I still feel weird at nights, just before going to bed; I’m reminded that I need to remove my contacts, only immediately realizing that I no longer wear them.
It’s going to take some time to get used to my restored sight, but I’m happy, I really am; I don’t have to wear them early every day in the morning when I wake up, I no longer need to squint or put on my glasses when I wake up in the middle of the night, playing sports has now become much more simpler.
These are things that others have been taking for granted, not me for I have been in the thick of things and have finally come out of the darkness, into the light, from which I do not want to go back….
So I am jumping up with joy, with my fist punching through thin air, and my heels clicking against one another, I’m happy, no ecstatic,
So YIPPIE,
Now ……A twilight zone moment
Low and behold, my son was watching DEXTER’S Laboratory on Cartoon Network today; the episode was about what else? ‘Lazic Eye Operation’s and the after effects or side effects on patients.
hummmm,
I wonder if I can further improve my vision with the aim of seeing objects thousands of miles away, or the very smallest of microscopic organisms existing around us, or what’s been every school boy’s dream, to see through things.
With my sight restored to near perfect, I should be experiencing sights I haven’t seen for the most of twenty one years, but, the fact of the matter is that ever since I was told that I needed the aid of vision enhancement aids, back when I was only twelve years old, I had been able to use them to temporarily restore my sight to near perfect, be it only until I removed them by sun down.
So the fact is, after I got off of the operating table, I should have felt something different, a life changing experience, or something; a feeling of great joy and gratitude, of completion and satisfaction. Yet, I was baffled that I did not feel such an emotion but rather one of utter confusion.
The fact of the matter is that, yes I was short sighted for 21 years, but, with the use of man made aids, I was whole again even before I was truly whole AGAIN.
I still feel weird at nights, just before going to bed; I’m reminded that I need to remove my contacts, only immediately realizing that I no longer wear them.
It’s going to take some time to get used to my restored sight, but I’m happy, I really am; I don’t have to wear them early every day in the morning when I wake up, I no longer need to squint or put on my glasses when I wake up in the middle of the night, playing sports has now become much more simpler.
These are things that others have been taking for granted, not me for I have been in the thick of things and have finally come out of the darkness, into the light, from which I do not want to go back….
So I am jumping up with joy, with my fist punching through thin air, and my heels clicking against one another, I’m happy, no ecstatic,
So YIPPIE,
Now ……A twilight zone moment
Low and behold, my son was watching DEXTER’S Laboratory on Cartoon Network today; the episode was about what else? ‘Lazic Eye Operation’s and the after effects or side effects on patients.
hummmm,
I wonder if I can further improve my vision with the aim of seeing objects thousands of miles away, or the very smallest of microscopic organisms existing around us, or what’s been every school boy’s dream, to see through things.
Poverty, despair & Opression has an impact on people's Decency.
I spent almost a whole month in Iran, I was at the doctor’s office, under the surgeon’s knife, figuratively speaking; traveling around, sight seeing tourist attractions, visiting holy sites, shopping extensively because of my wife, walking about and a heck of a lot of other things that don’t come to mind; through all of this I managed extensively use the public transportation systems.
I was driven in the local taxis’, I rode the cramped buses, and the jam packed Tehran metro system.
Now I saw the aftermath of a terrible car accident, a dead drug addict lying in the streets, and avoided an accident just waiting to happen with some faulty wiring that later zapped a child, five minutes after we left a restaurant, the child was terrified but thankfully unhurt; and I also spent the better of thirty four and a half hours out of 48 hrs, traveling cross country on long distance busses, but through all this hardship and inconvenience what caught my attention the most was not the poverty, oppression, corruption or despair but rather one of the effects of these conditions on the proud people of Iran for more that twenty years.
You get to see a lot of strangers and how they interact with one another; everyone reacts differently, through out all my travels and interactions, I observed how people had somehow lost their decency.
Where once the younger generations would get up and give their seats to the elderly, now they just look away and pretend not to notice, where once people stopped to help others in need, now all they do is stand and stair, then walk away without the slightest bit of a guilt.
It’s sad, but you’d think if people were hard life, in whatever manner, they’d at least fight hand and foot to make sure they retain their decency and good within them.
Perhaps people react differently in different places……now
Unfortunately, I have seen slight glimpses of this in our country, I hope they fade away, the diversity in our society has existed for a long time, people have always been good and decant, I just hope that the fact that there have been a large number of newly nationalized citizens, within the last seven years, does not effect such a negative back lash.
Decency is a commodity when lost is not re-attainable, at any cost.
I was driven in the local taxis’, I rode the cramped buses, and the jam packed Tehran metro system.
Now I saw the aftermath of a terrible car accident, a dead drug addict lying in the streets, and avoided an accident just waiting to happen with some faulty wiring that later zapped a child, five minutes after we left a restaurant, the child was terrified but thankfully unhurt; and I also spent the better of thirty four and a half hours out of 48 hrs, traveling cross country on long distance busses, but through all this hardship and inconvenience what caught my attention the most was not the poverty, oppression, corruption or despair but rather one of the effects of these conditions on the proud people of Iran for more that twenty years.
You get to see a lot of strangers and how they interact with one another; everyone reacts differently, through out all my travels and interactions, I observed how people had somehow lost their decency.
Where once the younger generations would get up and give their seats to the elderly, now they just look away and pretend not to notice, where once people stopped to help others in need, now all they do is stand and stair, then walk away without the slightest bit of a guilt.
It’s sad, but you’d think if people were hard life, in whatever manner, they’d at least fight hand and foot to make sure they retain their decency and good within them.
Perhaps people react differently in different places……now
Unfortunately, I have seen slight glimpses of this in our country, I hope they fade away, the diversity in our society has existed for a long time, people have always been good and decant, I just hope that the fact that there have been a large number of newly nationalized citizens, within the last seven years, does not effect such a negative back lash.
Decency is a commodity when lost is not re-attainable, at any cost.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Another Sleepless night.
It was around 4:00 am in the morning and i was still wide awake. I tried gulping down numerous glasses of water, i got up and walked around, i did some push ups in a effort to tire my self out. I also picked up my son's PSP and played for a while, seeing that it too was not having a effect on me, i turned to reading.
I remained awake until 7:30 am, when i finally fell asleep and did not wake until just after 12:00 in the afternoon.
So why did i have such a hard time sleeping? You ask.
The reason is simple, i have a big chip on my shoulder when comes to the issue of ownership of Land or a house in our country, Bahrain.
I logged on to the net yesterday after an absence of two to three weeks and one of the few sites that i must visit first had posted an article on this matter.
It's a point of view, the experiances of one person on his plight to achieve peace & security. But it's not the whole picture of what is going on in our society.
Yes, there are lots of Bahrainis who own land, and yes, some saved, other got loans from Banks and yet others got assistance from their parents.
I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, or one lying anywhere close to me for that matter. I was lucky that my parents put me through private school which led me to getting a good job after graduating from high school. I was not lucky enough to continue my studies until now. I have worked hard to get where i am today but i still have not achieved my goal of owning my own home, this is because of some bad decisiond and the every elusive good luck, which i have none.
Now, you can't get away by saying that people blame the Government for all their problems or only seek assistance from them to get out of a problem, or that people don't bother to get off of their lazy asses to work hard to increase their purchasing power, or save up as much as possible and then apply for a long term housing loan for the remaining amount, there is more......
People have expenses, yes there are people out there who spend like there is no tomorrow and then bitch about the fact that they are unable to afford their own residence and are forced to live in a rented apartment.
Ok, people should learn to spend less and save a bit more, if they haven't started already.
But, when you are not given an opportunity, when the flood gates are opened to GCC nationals and foreigners who have loads and loads of money, levels up to which you are unable to compete, then here is the biggest dilemma. Not the only, but the BIGGEST, which is totally out of our control while the other factors may be in our control.
The price of land was increasing in Bahrain, but not at the rate that is has in the last couple of years. In 2005, i read a statistic posted in one of the GULF financial magazines, if I'm not mistaken (IF I FIND i have retained a copy i will surely post it later on when I get back home). I was astonished to find that Bahrain, the smallest land mass in the GCC had over 4000+ foreigners who owned private land, and non of the other countries, not Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE or Qatar or any other, had foreign ownership anything close to that figure. The point being LAND ownership.
So one can be forgiven if they believe the root of problem in Bahrain is only due to the facts that (a) we do not save enough, (b) or don't work hard enough, (c) or for any other reason for that matter..................The fact of the matter is we are trying but each time we get near the dotted line, it gets moved a couple of notches by policies made and implemented by the Government.
Bahrainis need to get good high paying jobs, but to do that they are required to have a high level of education to enable them to compete against the influx of highly educated foreigners' brought in by Employers. Additionally, while on the subject of employment, Employers should be restricted from recruiting a foreigner as a replacement of a Bahraini who has received a better opportunity somewhere else and has left. This is happening more and more, opportunities that must go to Bahraini graduates are being sold off abroad. (Don't get me wrong, I'm no hate monger but one must be fair and honest about the on goings within our country)
So................ go ahead and write your columns, and the self help advise that may or may not help others, it's a point of view that should be out there so everyone can read and get a complete picture of the ins' and outs' of the problems we are facing. This is our god given right.
Me, it's going to take another couple of days to get this out of my system, but by posting my views on this blog, i have vented a lot of the frustration and despair built up in me.
Yes, i will go ahead and read your articles, and maybe i might pick up some pointers on how to achieve my goal of owning the roof that is over my head; and I'll continue to save, and look for better opportunities to increase my income; i might even place a couple of dinars in the local Bank's saving schemes in the off chance that i might actually win something, but i won't hold my breath nor will i be sitting impatiently by the phone for the call telling me of my winnings.
No, I'll be hard at work, trying to climb the corporate ladder, advancing my education and keeping a look out for any off the chance opportunities that come my way to buy a piece of Land or a home.
I remained awake until 7:30 am, when i finally fell asleep and did not wake until just after 12:00 in the afternoon.
So why did i have such a hard time sleeping? You ask.
The reason is simple, i have a big chip on my shoulder when comes to the issue of ownership of Land or a house in our country, Bahrain.
I logged on to the net yesterday after an absence of two to three weeks and one of the few sites that i must visit first had posted an article on this matter.
It's a point of view, the experiances of one person on his plight to achieve peace & security. But it's not the whole picture of what is going on in our society.
Yes, there are lots of Bahrainis who own land, and yes, some saved, other got loans from Banks and yet others got assistance from their parents.
I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, or one lying anywhere close to me for that matter. I was lucky that my parents put me through private school which led me to getting a good job after graduating from high school. I was not lucky enough to continue my studies until now. I have worked hard to get where i am today but i still have not achieved my goal of owning my own home, this is because of some bad decisiond and the every elusive good luck, which i have none.
Now, you can't get away by saying that people blame the Government for all their problems or only seek assistance from them to get out of a problem, or that people don't bother to get off of their lazy asses to work hard to increase their purchasing power, or save up as much as possible and then apply for a long term housing loan for the remaining amount, there is more......
People have expenses, yes there are people out there who spend like there is no tomorrow and then bitch about the fact that they are unable to afford their own residence and are forced to live in a rented apartment.
Ok, people should learn to spend less and save a bit more, if they haven't started already.
But, when you are not given an opportunity, when the flood gates are opened to GCC nationals and foreigners who have loads and loads of money, levels up to which you are unable to compete, then here is the biggest dilemma. Not the only, but the BIGGEST, which is totally out of our control while the other factors may be in our control.
The price of land was increasing in Bahrain, but not at the rate that is has in the last couple of years. In 2005, i read a statistic posted in one of the GULF financial magazines, if I'm not mistaken (IF I FIND i have retained a copy i will surely post it later on when I get back home). I was astonished to find that Bahrain, the smallest land mass in the GCC had over 4000+ foreigners who owned private land, and non of the other countries, not Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE or Qatar or any other, had foreign ownership anything close to that figure. The point being LAND ownership.
So one can be forgiven if they believe the root of problem in Bahrain is only due to the facts that (a) we do not save enough, (b) or don't work hard enough, (c) or for any other reason for that matter..................The fact of the matter is we are trying but each time we get near the dotted line, it gets moved a couple of notches by policies made and implemented by the Government.
Bahrainis need to get good high paying jobs, but to do that they are required to have a high level of education to enable them to compete against the influx of highly educated foreigners' brought in by Employers. Additionally, while on the subject of employment, Employers should be restricted from recruiting a foreigner as a replacement of a Bahraini who has received a better opportunity somewhere else and has left. This is happening more and more, opportunities that must go to Bahraini graduates are being sold off abroad. (Don't get me wrong, I'm no hate monger but one must be fair and honest about the on goings within our country)
So................ go ahead and write your columns, and the self help advise that may or may not help others, it's a point of view that should be out there so everyone can read and get a complete picture of the ins' and outs' of the problems we are facing. This is our god given right.
Me, it's going to take another couple of days to get this out of my system, but by posting my views on this blog, i have vented a lot of the frustration and despair built up in me.
Yes, i will go ahead and read your articles, and maybe i might pick up some pointers on how to achieve my goal of owning the roof that is over my head; and I'll continue to save, and look for better opportunities to increase my income; i might even place a couple of dinars in the local Bank's saving schemes in the off chance that i might actually win something, but i won't hold my breath nor will i be sitting impatiently by the phone for the call telling me of my winnings.
No, I'll be hard at work, trying to climb the corporate ladder, advancing my education and keeping a look out for any off the chance opportunities that come my way to buy a piece of Land or a home.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
I'm now officially on Leave! So where have i been for so long? You ask.
As usual, i'm posting this rather late...but what the heck?
I know you'll understand.
It's been ten days now that i have been relaxing away from the pressures and demands of work. Yes, i'm on my annual leave and have flown the coupe.
The weak before my last day at work was hectic, I had a ton of work outstanding and a heck of a lot more to do at home.
Fret not, as i had three check lists, one for the pending work that needed to be attended to before my escape, one for the chores that had to be done at home (if i did not want my wife to come back as get me the hell out of the house), and of course, one for the items I needed to purchase before my flight on Thursday the 19th of Jul 2007.
You see, one of the many bad habbits that i have is to leave thingsd till the very last minute, as this time was no exception, i had a gajillion things to do before i got the go ahead from my manager.
To cope with the load i stayed late at work, there by ensuring that i complete my daily chores and ticked off the pending tasks as well, gradually by weeks end I was almost done.
I’d whiz out of the office, late of course, and prowl the malls of Bahrain looking for the items that i needed to buy, of which the most important was a rather good pair of sun glasses which i had to make sure would protect against the UV rays of the sun.
I also stayed up very late, past midnight and into the early hours of the morning so that i could complete the house chores and clean up the mess i had made, while the misses was away for a month visiting her relatives.
Thursday finally approached. I had convinced my manager that I’d come in and leave by 12:00 noon so as to catch my 4:30 flight.
By 11:50 that morning, i had finally completed all my work, after extensively running around the work premises like a mad man, finishing off task after task that were dependant on the participation of others. By 12:15pm i was standing up right at my manager’s desk, panting frantically, and looking at him with a grin on my face, holding up my hand against my chest revealing the wrist watch which was now showing the time approaching 12:16pm. He got the message and told me to literally, PISS OFF home!
I logged off my laptop, packed up and ran to the car park building where my trusty steed was patiently waiting for my arrival.
I was at home by 12:45pm, I was running into the flat and ripping off my clothes at the same time, my sister was supposed to drop me at the airport by 12:30 and i was already late. I jumped into the shower and performed the ritualistic THREE S's ($#!t, Shower & Shave), got out, dried myself and changed into my travel clothes.
On the way to the airport we picked up my son from his grandmother's house. We arrived at 1:45 and had checked in by 2:15pm. We were now free to roam the shops and have a bite to eat at Jasmis. If you're interested we both has the fish sandwich, it was wet!
We walked to the departure gate at the specified time by low and behold, the flight had been delayed. The plane finally departed at 5:30pm and we arrived in Shiraz, Iran at 6:30pm local time.
I was now only a few days away from getting my Lazic eye operation.
I will blog about that shortly..........
I know you'll understand.
It's been ten days now that i have been relaxing away from the pressures and demands of work. Yes, i'm on my annual leave and have flown the coupe.
The weak before my last day at work was hectic, I had a ton of work outstanding and a heck of a lot more to do at home.
Fret not, as i had three check lists, one for the pending work that needed to be attended to before my escape, one for the chores that had to be done at home (if i did not want my wife to come back as get me the hell out of the house), and of course, one for the items I needed to purchase before my flight on Thursday the 19th of Jul 2007.
You see, one of the many bad habbits that i have is to leave thingsd till the very last minute, as this time was no exception, i had a gajillion things to do before i got the go ahead from my manager.
To cope with the load i stayed late at work, there by ensuring that i complete my daily chores and ticked off the pending tasks as well, gradually by weeks end I was almost done.
I’d whiz out of the office, late of course, and prowl the malls of Bahrain looking for the items that i needed to buy, of which the most important was a rather good pair of sun glasses which i had to make sure would protect against the UV rays of the sun.
I also stayed up very late, past midnight and into the early hours of the morning so that i could complete the house chores and clean up the mess i had made, while the misses was away for a month visiting her relatives.
Thursday finally approached. I had convinced my manager that I’d come in and leave by 12:00 noon so as to catch my 4:30 flight.
By 11:50 that morning, i had finally completed all my work, after extensively running around the work premises like a mad man, finishing off task after task that were dependant on the participation of others. By 12:15pm i was standing up right at my manager’s desk, panting frantically, and looking at him with a grin on my face, holding up my hand against my chest revealing the wrist watch which was now showing the time approaching 12:16pm. He got the message and told me to literally, PISS OFF home!
I logged off my laptop, packed up and ran to the car park building where my trusty steed was patiently waiting for my arrival.
I was at home by 12:45pm, I was running into the flat and ripping off my clothes at the same time, my sister was supposed to drop me at the airport by 12:30 and i was already late. I jumped into the shower and performed the ritualistic THREE S's ($#!t, Shower & Shave), got out, dried myself and changed into my travel clothes.
On the way to the airport we picked up my son from his grandmother's house. We arrived at 1:45 and had checked in by 2:15pm. We were now free to roam the shops and have a bite to eat at Jasmis. If you're interested we both has the fish sandwich, it was wet!
We walked to the departure gate at the specified time by low and behold, the flight had been delayed. The plane finally departed at 5:30pm and we arrived in Shiraz, Iran at 6:30pm local time.
I was now only a few days away from getting my Lazic eye operation.
I will blog about that shortly..........
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
A simple Hand Shake is just not the same anymore.
A hand shake is not what is used to be, it doesn’t have the same stature as it did before. Now a day, its fist thumping, chest bumping and secret hand shakes. I’m sure this happened didn’t happen overnight, over the last couple of centuries society has changed, people have loosened up and chilled and so has the way we greet each other.But the classic hand shake still exists, people still use it when greeting a friend, a relative, a sports buddy or a business associate and especially a Senior Manager/ employee at work.
Yet, it too has changed.
Here’s what I mean;
I greet my friends in all means and manners possible, some I can’t even mention, yet when the time comes for a dose of the good old hand shake, I’m up for it.
I personally have a firm hand shake, and would like one in return, it just some how feels right; so when I’m greeting someone, I hold out my hand waiting anxiously to greet the other person’s, with my thumb expecting to make contact with their’s before the grip tightens, and shake if necessary (this being and the upwards and downwards motion). AT THIS MOMENT I SUGGEST THAT YOU REFRANE FROM ALLOWING YOUR MIND TO WANDER, THE SUBJECT MATTER IS NOT SEXUAL IN NATURE, PERVERTS!
Anyways, I’m almost never met with as firm hand shake, people either grab the four fingers or just grasps at the tips of my fingers and shake, or just hold that position; or our wrists may completely interlock but they have a soft and unwelcoming grip.
Why is that?
I can’t enforce change onto others but if you every do meet me out side, don’t forget, interlock, firm grip, and shake if necessary.
PLEASE REFRANE FROM YOUR FILTHY THOUGHTS, I only have clean intentions here.
I promise.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Have you ever blanked out in an EXAM?
Well, have you?
I did yesterday during an exam.
I confess, I did not take advantage of the weekend to catch up but studied only during the morning of the exam; but I knew everything, so what went wrong?
I had a good nights sleep the previous day, so I wasn’t stressed out. I had three Red Bulls energy drinks to keep the blood pumping and the adrenalin at a high level.
So why did I blank the moment I saw the first question, which was the easiest question of the lot.
I had no problem remembering the answers to the other tougher questions, but whenever I glanced at question numero uno, the invisible brick wall came back and smacked be rights in the face.
I hope I get off my lazy @$$ and study for the other exams BEFORE HAND.
But......., I very much doubt that will happen.
I did yesterday during an exam.
I confess, I did not take advantage of the weekend to catch up but studied only during the morning of the exam; but I knew everything, so what went wrong?
I had a good nights sleep the previous day, so I wasn’t stressed out. I had three Red Bulls energy drinks to keep the blood pumping and the adrenalin at a high level.
So why did I blank the moment I saw the first question, which was the easiest question of the lot.
I had no problem remembering the answers to the other tougher questions, but whenever I glanced at question numero uno, the invisible brick wall came back and smacked be rights in the face.
I hope I get off my lazy @$$ and study for the other exams BEFORE HAND.
But......., I very much doubt that will happen.
I finally found the culprit chirping outside the office window.
Birds of a feather, aah, I just don’t have it in me.
Just enjoy the photos of the birdy that’s been driving me nuts.
I still wish I had a gun to pop the wise ass.
It looked right at me and did not flinch.
What is it with me and animals?
Negative Animal magnetism………?
Just enjoy the photos of the birdy that’s been driving me nuts.
I still wish I had a gun to pop the wise ass.
It looked right at me and did not flinch.
What is it with me and animals?
Negative Animal magnetism………?
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Its summer, birds are chirping outside & i wish i had a GUN!
A couple of weeks back, a colleague and I were busy hard at work, we were lost in this thorny task that had to be completed before proceeding with other duties; our concentration was broken by the chirping of a bird outside the office window.
You’d think that a bird chirping would get the attention of everyone.
It didn’t, not a flinch; deaf bastards the lot of them, the others just continued to work on. I, on the other hand could not, my concentration was now broken and it was going to be a climb up a steep hill just to get back into the groove.
You’d thing that the chirps of a bird, behind iron and concrete walls, a CAGE to be exact, would make me mellow and all ‘ga ga’ inside, it did the opposite.
I got pissed off and began to search desperately for the sucker.
I felt like punching a hole right through the reinforced glass, grab the agitating critter making all that racket, taking an A4 pencil and jamming it right up its behind, I’d make sure it went so far up the bird’s @$$ that it would choke on it and wouldn’t be able to squeak.
Does that make me a psycho?
Is there something abnormal about me?
Don’t get me wrong, I love a variety of birds; I even have an African Grey name ‘JAX’ at home, and I love him (or maybe it’s a her??), but the point is I’m not a nature hater, it’s just that this is not the place for it and we have gotten so used to all racket of urban life that nature has a hard time penetrating the thick exoskeleton that we have formed to protect us from our surroundings.
Oh yah, I hate pigeons, all they are good for are crapping all over you. Yes, sadly it has happened to me and on numerous occasions to my car.
Think about it, a work environment kills off what remain of any flicker of compassion remaining in you.
I really wasn't surprised when my colleague said the bird was a nuisance.
We need more nature in our lives.
I wonder;
I could pretend to….
Oooh what the hell, it’s no use, i’m afraid that instead of the nature lover coming out, the ‘Cave man’ in me surfaces and I get into even more trouble.
No! Not worth it.
I’ll probably consider it if I win a huge jack pot, a lottery of sorts and then don’t need to work no more.
Till them, can I borrow you pea shooter?
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