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...

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!

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

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...

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

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

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!

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,

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?

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."?