We are dinky, we are Pinky and the Brain!

Mommy is back!

2011-12-11T18:44:00.001+02:00

Coming soon...

Everything is...

2010-03-22T19:53:00.003+02:00

Blackbird

2009-07-24T17:44:00.003+03:00

This song was originally written by Lennon & McCartney, my favourite version was a cover done by Crosby, Stills & Nash. I decided to post Carly Simon's cover because I like the video, so there you go!

Right click me in a new tab/window to listen to me

2009-04-06T21:56:00.006+02:00

Rosario Flores & Antonio Vega singing "En El Mismo Lugar"

2009-02-22T18:56:00.003+02:00

Nada de nada

2009-02-06T15:44:00.002+02:00

La espuma del mar,
un grano de sal o de arena.
Una hebra de pelo,
una mano sin dueño,
un instante de miedo,
una nota perdida,
una palabra vacia en un poema,
una luz de mañana
asi de pequeña soy yo,
nada de nada.

Nada de ti, nada de mi,
una brisa sin aire soy yo,
nada de nadie.

Un copo de nieve,
una lluvia que llueve,
un pensamiento,
un abismo entreabierto,
una palabra callada,
un lo siento,
un paso sin huella,
soy un camino que no tiene destino,
una estrella apagada
asi de pequeña soy yo,
nada de nada.

Nada de ti, nada de mi,
una brisa sin aire soy yo,
nada de nadie.

Un soplo de vida,
una verdad que es mentira,
un sol de invierno,
una hora en tu noche,
un silencio de adioses,
un sin quererlo,
un segundo en tu sueño,
soy un peldaño subiendo tu escalera,
una gota sin agua,
asi de pequeña soy yo,
nada de nada.

Nada de ti, nada de mi,
una brisa sin aire soy yo,
nada de nadie.

Choo choo train tuckin' down the track ;)

2009-01-18T19:45:00.005+02:00

Yum! Marry me! :D

2008-10-19T20:52:00.001+02:00

Yael Naim singing New Soul

2008-09-12T16:19:00.003+02:00

*Sounds familiar? Well, the song was used as the soundtrack of the new MacBook Air TV ad!

Diana Krall singing Narrow Daylight

2008-08-23T16:09:00.004+03:00

Enjoy!

More Than Words by Extreme

2008-08-01T13:47:00.003+03:00

Define: "mokh mefassy"

2008-07-01T21:11:00.001+03:00

Lol!

Lies - Once

2008-06-21T19:53:00.001+03:00

After all this time

2008-06-19T20:16:00.000+03:00

Malaika by Angelique Kidjo

2008-05-15T18:18:00.000+03:00

I am, I do, I feel "prritty"! :D

2008-04-09T20:20:00.002+02:00

Kevin Johansen - Anoche soñé contigo

2008-03-29T12:51:00.005+02:00

Que lindo que es soñar
soñar no cuesta nada
soñar y nada mas
con los ojos abiertos
que lindo que es soñar
y no te cuesta nada mas que tiempo :)

*Another wonderful song by the Argentinian Kevin Johansen.

Astonishing performance by Diana Krall singing "A case of you"

2007-11-29T18:18:00.000+02:00

Marginalia

2007-11-22T01:02:00.000+02:00

@Comments
It has been such a long time since I have checked some blogs. Frankly, the whole idea of blogging is getting less interesting to me day after day. Checking a couple of my favourite spaces in the blogosphere I was amazed by the quantities of stupid comments some people leave, on top of which lies my very own cyber-abode! I can only think of one expression: “el 3atah el manghooli el a3zam”!

However, I tried to think of a way to post our thoughts elsewhere, unfortunately it is pretty much the same notion; weird people will always have a way through my space. I do not wish to disable commenting on my blog either because I want to read my friends’ comments, and in many times other anonymous’ comments that are very interesting to read. But I cannot and there is absolutely nothing to be done about that! Please tell me if you have any suggestions for my severe problem, until then, we will just keep blogging, I suppose! :D

Anyways…

@Facebook mania
We all like photos, especially old ones that friends have had for ages and we never got to see, and it is so heart warming having some old memories coming back to us again. Also, we all like the idea of restoring a lost contact with friends who left town/country when we were little, and those with who just disappeared all of a sudden from our lives a long time ago, it is absolutely beautiful in that sense, I have to admit.

But look what happens and tell me you don’t get a loud upset stomach when you read things of that sort…

Take one:
Susu: 7elwa awi el soora di ya amara, walahi you look amazing
Tutu: I totally agree ya Susu, we both look amazing, because it is me at the back and you forgot to tag me but I am not going to take it personal or anything walahi, I am totally fine with that.
Lulu: Susu and Tutu, I miss youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, thank youuuuuu ya amarat walahi.

Take two:
Mido: Eh da? Eh el banat el gamda elli enta metsawar ma3aha di?
Dido: Da fi sa7ara2 kalahari, ana wes7abi kona zah2aneen fa ro7na nestad wa7eed el karn.
Mido: Yahh! Danto cool ta7n, yaretni kont men el shella, bas yakhsara, ana IQ 100 wento 101
Dido: Fe3lan! E7na cool IQ101 dudes. Yabakhtena benafsena. Ya7alawetna. Yata3ametna.

(Puke)

Forzats, I do not have a facebook account and I guess I never will.

Do you ever get one of these?

2007-10-08T12:47:00.000+02:00

There you are, happily marching down the road of life, when suddenly you realize you made a wrong turn, or maybe a number of them, and you don't quite recognize where you are. You start to feel a little panic rise, like the kind that you get when you miss an access point to the October Bridge (in Cairo) in a place where you've never been before and you have no idea where the next turnoff will be, and you nurture a fervent hope that there is a gas station coming up soon, because your petrol gauge is indicating a ridiculous amount of gasoline.

You keep the panic carefully contained during the day but soon its night, uninvited darkness shadows over all familiarities you have come across, ghosts of ugly people you shut out of your life suddenly start to chase you, and foul odour of places you regret having been to, and painful memories of bitter experiences that you have had in the past. You had promised yourself to get rid of all of this, yet it is all coming back to you now. A rush of adrenaline fills your body, in which all you can do is scream, but you cannot, because you are mute.

Hush now it is just a bad dream, you say to yourself, or may be more. But the truth is, it is certainly more, you keep having this incessant agonizing nightmare for days and days over and over again.

Tormented, you wander through nightmare after nightmare naked, wearing a big funny hat and bunny slippers that suddenly become actual rabbits, because this is a God damn dream, after all! And so, there you are hopping, hopping, always hopping and mumbling to yourself "How did I get here? This is not my beautiful life! This is not my beautiful future!" "Where the heck am I?"

But you are not lost or anything, in fact, you keep getting lost and you know you always end up at the very same place. After as many nights as it takes you to reach some milestone birthday – or more commonly - a new year's eve (in my case for instance) you declare "This isn't where I wanted to be! I'm going to change my life!" You've been here before: weight loss plans come and gone. Career changes dreamt of. The odd cut-up credit card and carefully scripted budget plan. Switching to decaf. Playing sports thrice a week. Practicing this old sophisticated piece of music you always give up on. Improving your French and learning another language online. Going to Santoku cutting technique classes and the list goes on. None of it stuck. Gosh, how I hate starting points, they are mind consuming.

Well, enough said. Do you ever get one of these like me? Does this make any sense to you? Doesn't matter, I am not going to explain myself, personal blogs are pathetic, like i always say. I am just blogging a quick midday deliberation for the record.

Behold "RENDITION"

2007-10-03T19:04:00.000+02:00

Remember this? Now watch this...

El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)

2007-09-26T19:36:00.000+02:00

Great Expectations

2007-09-14T14:53:00.000+02:00

"If you are unable to make up your quantum, my boy, you had better address yourself to a principal; there are plenty of principals in the profession, you know, and what is not worth the while of one, may be worth the while of another; that's my recommendation to you, speaking as a subordinate. Don't try on useless measures. Why should you? Now, who's next?"

Here is the song I told you about

2007-09-08T21:30:00.000+02:00

Gotta feel for my automobile ... :D

Stunning performance

2007-08-27T22:55:00.000+03:00

Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up
where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
away above the chimney tops
that's where you'll find me...
Somewhere over the rainbow
Primo: Eva Cassidy / Secondo: Katie Melua

*Katie Melua performing The Cure's Just Like Heaven

The song “I wanna be like Ossama” from the controversial satire “Jihad: The Musical”

2007-08-13T16:00:00.000+03:00

No comment!

Song From A Secret Garden ~ Secret Garden

2007-08-09T14:38:00.000+03:00

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! And, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

How Do I Love Thee ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Average vs Special (courtesy of him)

2007-07-11T23:45:00.000+03:00

It has been a while since we have written anything. We have been posting music since we came back from Australia, but this is what was on our mind during the past 6 months, music and lyrics…different melodies at different times…

I have had this conversation with one of my best friends, about the types of men we share this world with. And I have noticed that although we come from different countries (he’s not Egyptian, duh!), yet patterns of men obviously are international! In fact, I liked the idea so much that I decided to blog about it!

Behold the theory!
So, we have assumed a personal theory that suggests that we are surrounded by two kinds of men in life. Average men; the mass production version of men, if I could put it like that, they are the common stereotype people, embodied in pessimists, apathetic, traditionalists, dependant (mama’s boys), orthodox mindset of: live to either make money or marry (if not both), and finally the “nothing special in particular” people. And the second type of people would be Special men; simply the exceptional uncommon type of guys who refuse to live and die conventionally like the rest of their kind. This is the class that includes role models, inspirators, thinkers, musicians, revolutionists, philosophers, inventors, and artists, people we look at and wonder why on Earth weren’t we born like them.

Difference lays in the way every one of us perceives and deals with some given basic things in daily life, let me state for instance a few of those things I am talking about, just a couple of examples that show how distant two people could discern the very simple gears of life machine… think about this:

Routine
Routine is not a bad thing. Routine signifies order, system, rules and eventually positive outcome of a particular group of people doing a series of particular tasks. It represents the element of security since day one on this planet. Parents should always make sure to maintain a series of habits so as children get to predict what happens next, and consequently feel secure. But routine is addictive, only to those who cannot see beyond it. Those who are grateful to how things have come to reach that far in their life, and on top consider it satisfactorily sufficient. While others go beyond routine, perceiving it as just an element of security to maintain the system, to keep the mass group going, whilst digging another tunnel, right in parallel, for innovators and creators to excel.

Time
Time is defined as the raw material of life. He, time, owns the right to start your perfect moment and the right to bring it to an end. He is not the bad guy here, only you are. Some people control time. I can think of at least 3 names who make it appear to me as if they were not running the time track along with every man on this Earth, as if they were out of the time frame of life, and yet control him, he obeys them, and they are grateful, and hence honor him. Alex is another one of my closest friends life has ever given me, he once said to me: "while some men live life optimally, others land on the very same Earth, to pass by life, and keep walking to reach underneath it till they reach their spot, where they lay down to rest in silence forever". And I find this very true. Only idiots are led by time, because special heads are led by what they have set their eyes upon right on the horizon and waiting to reach:

"Reason for living"
Yes, the massive enigma! The complicated labyrinth that we all get sick of trying to figure out or even realize. "Why on Earth am I on Earth?" The reason why some people wake up to make a difference in each day they live, determined to pursue (a) particular target(s), and thus wake up to go after it every single day. They do not go to sleep like the rest of their equals when the sun sets, but they add something or two to this life before they lay down like the rest of us to cross the dark cave that ends at the sunrise of a given new day. While others wake up to repeat the very same schedule over and over again for months and years, and see no big deal about it and sigh; c’est la vie!

Just a mere observation
We get to find out what kind of persons we are once we start leading a full time professional career, because only then we start realizing that this is where it ends, no more graduation parties to look forward to, and that we will keep running the very same track till the we die, notwithstanding, it is up to each one of us not only to stay alive but to excel in his own granted life. And to do that, one needs to be a special individual unlike the rest of the common crowd everywhere. Because leading a conventional life is always the easiest thing to do, and it is hard to see beyond it because most people do not.

And when I say "Special individuals" I do not refer to popular people. Those special ones are not necessarily celebrities. There are numbers and numbers of them around us, living with us, being our role models, living life to the maximum, making use of every day, every talent, touching every person around them, and not giving up on any chance that may come across their way in order to be extraordinarily effective and alive.

I close my eyes and the only thing I can think of is “Carpe Diem”.

Politiki Kouzina - Baharat, tarçın ve buse

2007-06-06T22:26:00.000+03:00

My life ~ Figure at a Window

2007-04-18T23:59:00.000+02:00

Funny how a lonely day, can make a person say:
What good is my life
Funny how a breaking heart, can make me start to say:
What good is my life
Funny how I often seem, to think I'll find never another dream
In my life
Till I look around and see, this great big world is part of me
And my life
This is my life
Today, tomorrow, love will come and find me
But that's the way that I was born to be
This is me

This is my life
And I don't give a damn for lost emotions
I've such a lot of love I've got to give
Let me live

Sometime when I feel afraid, I think of what a mess I've made
Of my life
Crying over my mistakes, forgetting all the breaks I've had
In my life
I was put on earth to be, a part of this great world is me
And my life
Guess I'll just add up the score, and count the things I'm grateful for
In my life

This Is my life
Today, tomorrow, love will come and find me
But that's the way that I was born to be
This is me

Waters of March in 1974

2007-04-18T23:55:00.000+02:00

Antonio Carlos Jobim & Elis Regina singing "Águas de Março"
Is this fun or what!

Dear Mr. President by Pink

2007-04-17T18:38:00.000+02:00

Whoever said that music is what feelings sound like was a genius

2007-04-11T22:14:00.000+02:00

Somewhere in time

Hana's eyes

We've just got some amazing news right now, we will celebrate!

2007-02-28T18:17:00.000+02:00

The long awaited Wednesday is finally here & now!

2007-02-07T23:28:00.000+02:00

And If you could take that, then look who's back for good too?! ;)

We're back but not for long! ;)

2007-02-06T20:06:00.000+02:00

Dinky and Away!

2006-12-12T23:59:00.000+02:00

So long wintry weather!

2006-12-11T23:59:00.000+02:00

B: Tickets?
P: Check!
B: Passports?
P: Check!
B: Lonely Planet?
P: Check!
B: Colourful plastic AUD?
P: Check!
B: Mmm…All set?
P: I guess!
B: So, what are we waiting for then you dinky dumbo? Let us hit the skies!
P: Right on ye smart one, NARF!

See ya in a long while! We are gonna go get ourselves tanned and pampered in the picturesque land of aboriginals! We will scuba dive, skydive, bungee jump, surf, go camping, binge, club, “shout our schools”, recharge our weary souls, cleanse our stuffed minds, and have ourselves a big fat blast over there and come back rejuvenated, invigorated and all spanking new!

Merry Christmas and Happy Brand New Year folks!
Love,
Pinky and the Brain

Morning jumbled up thoughts

2006-12-10T01:00:00.000+02:00

"Be off!" say winter's snows;
"Now it's my turn to sing!"
So, startled, quivering,
Not daring to oppose

(Our fortitude grows dim in
The face of a Quos ego),
Away, my songs, must we go
Before those virile women!

Rain. We are forced to fly,
Everywhere, utterly.
End of the comedy.
Come, swallows, it's good-bye.

Wind, sleet. The branches sway,
Writhing their stunted limbs,
And off the white smoke swims
Across the heavens' gray.

A pallid yellow lingers
Over the chilly dale.
My keyhole blows a gale
Onto my frozen fingers.

- Be Off Says Winter's Snows by Victor Hugo

Somewhere around Nothing by Apocalyptica

2006-12-06T19:02:00.000+02:00

Who could have imagined the dainty classic cello would be used someday to play music like this...

COUNT DOWN IS ON!

2006-12-04T00:00:00.000+02:00

Praw praw praw!
I cannot believe another year has passed so quickly! Please next one go easy on us I would like to enjoy my twenties a little bit longer keda twayya!

New year, new start: Everyone gets to have another chance!
Last year was a great year in Brian’s life and mine, I personally have enjoyed every minute of it. It was a significant year in my life. Of course it had its yucky incidents, yet no regrets, ship happens, as I always say! :D I am looking forward to fully living the following one! It is going to be a turning point in my life, continuing what I have started in 2006, I am reaping a lot in this particular time of my life, that I am so grateful for and very proud of. Being _really_ alive is such a blessing!

Time Off!
It has been a long long time since I had a decent vacation. Last time I had a real good time was on Christmas 2004 in Madrid, we had the time of our life! Brain is the best person you want to travel with, really! (And you want to travel with her as Mr. Cohen sings!) I am in love with Madrid and everything and everyone that has anything to do with this part of the World!

However, Brainy and myself have been thinking that it has been a while since we enjoyed ourselves and spent quality time together, so scanning the world we have laid our index on Captain Cook’s discovery, thinking this might be a good point of the planet to try to take over the world from! It has been a very rich year and we could use a little unconventional break away, so there you go…

Ladies and Gentlemen, today we start the final count down for the new Dinky Season of Pinky and the Brain trying to take over the world invading the unknown land of the south:

Oy Oy Aussie! :)

Me dediqué a perderte

2006-11-28T20:51:00.000+02:00

El Potrillo; Alejandro Fernández from Mexico along with Spanish Amaia from La Oreja de Van Gogh performing a delicate torch song, bask yourselves in the music! Such a lovely night in Cairo. Beautiful! :)

About Growing up

2006-11-24T16:09:00.000+02:00

I think that the most arduous thing about being a human being is going through refinement phases as we grow older from an age to another. It is so hard that sometimes we do not want to bare its pain and consequences of realising that during the past time we were missing a warning that now is learnt and comprehended, and thus another piece of the puzzle is harshly added, the picture is clearer now yet not complete, so we move on to find the next.

What I love about human beings is that we are fighters; we do not give up easily on what we want. And the moment we are faced with a real dead end to our dreams, we accept it, surrender, get disappointed, but eventually get over it. No matter how bad we may want something, we are designed to move on: stronger and wiser. And this is the beauty of mankind.

There is a fine line between denial and faith ~ Rose Henderson
I heard that on Lost. This is so very true. I think it is double a meaning statement. That is to say, the statement could be predominantly referring to denial: when saying that there is very fine line between hoping and waiting thinking you are doing the right thing by not giving up yet, all in the name of faith, while deep inside you realise you are just wasting your time and consuming yourself for something that is absolutely not worth it, but prefer to postpone the pain rather than putting an end to it. Or it could also refer to Faith: if you think that there is a fine line between thinking you are in denial, while in reality, you know in your heart you are led by faith not wishful thinking, and you know what you are doing, in spite of circumstances, friends, previous experiences, whatever suggestions that may be there to make you think it is all your imagination and that nothing of this is actually true. This is very different.

Compass
Ironically, while we pass through this dilemma, there is no truthful way to know if we are in denial or being led by faith. This is the trick of life: that later on you only live to tell which one was it. No guidelines no recipes for figuring it out. It is another experience. And the next time you go through the same thing, you would still not know, but you would take more precautions and be able to analyse things objectively, and if you were smart, you would probably get it early, before it is too late, unlike the first time, because then you would have learnt your lesson well.

Human Nature
When I look back at some of my schmucky eras, I cannot but admire the Creator for granting us the gift of time and forgetting. It is mind boggling to see how painful and devastating it feels to let go of something, but in some time you – the very same mind and soul – see that it is actually nothing that you thought it was back then, and you eventually laugh at yourself!

Mark your own rhythm
Growing up is beautiful, getting older is sensational, every day you and I live, we are getting closer to where we really belong, to the things that are best for us, the people who are really worth it, to the promised land of everything we ever wanted. Let us enjoy it. Why do people keep bitterness inside, why dont they just let go of everything and everyone that keep a man locked up inside immaturity and sadness? I believe we are made to live to enjoy this life and meditate in the world around us to try to figure out as much clues as possible behind this cryptic world. Life is gorgeous take a look…

Rendition

2006-11-20T17:23:00.000+02:00

Two years ago, precisely in March 2005, David Ignatius had written an article in the Washington Post about the CIA Rendition, International Rendition or mostly known as Extraordinary Rendition of suspects, who the soft delicate CIA Agents could not get to utter a word about their terrorist groups and organisations, and they know for fact that they have a lot of juicy details that are locked up right inside their heads, but for Human Rights restrictions, the Americans cannot make them talk, so they send them to Egypt, Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries where police would know how to get the words out of their mouth and get away with it without a fuss.

Extraordinarily Erroneous Renditions!
Some Extraordinary Renditions involve mistakenly detained innocent people, they call it Erroneous Renditions, suchlike the 2003 case of Khaled “El-Masri”, the German citizen who was flown to Afghanistan and abducted there by the CIA instead of Khaled “Al-Masri”, member of Al Qaeda and one of top brains behind the 9/11 attacks!

El basha el kalb
Throughout the past couple of years the brutality of Egyptian Police shown in those appalling videos and horrific detention tales of protestors and political activists witnessed on the blogosphere we have come to realise that our so-called Law Enforcement Authorities enjoy a very impressive reputation for being one of the most ferocious police in the whole wide World. And this is here, in the country where we live! (And I was pissed off to see that the American director of LOST has chosen to make the lousy cop Ana Lucia a barbarian Latino, and the wild torturer Sayid an Iraqi soldier, well I believe it is unfair, and he should have made him Batta and Saeed Al-Masri!!!)

¡¿Porqué María?!
I do not wish to get into details about why this is happening, who is responsible for this mess, and what to be done, because it is simply futile. Just like everything in Egypt, it is meaningless and pointless. This is the Bimbim way of doing things and seems it will continue to be for a looooong long time brothers!

El basha fi hol-yood
However, seems that today the Egyptian Police has become a new area of interest to Hollywood! Behold Rendition, a new movie currently being filmed by South African Director Gavin Hood, which should be in theatre in 2007. Very limited information about the plot synopsis, though. It is a multilayered political drama centers on a CIA analyst based in Cairo who finds his world spinning out of control after he witnesses the interrogation of a foreign national by the Egyptian secret police aka Mukhabarat. I wonder how far the “unorthodox interrogation” would go in Mr. Hood’s movie.

I am not sure what will this movie tackle exactly, I do not think the Egyptian Police would be the major focus issue here, I mean who wants to know what happens in Egypt anyways, but I am hoping that while discussing the Extraordinary Rendition programme of the CIA, Mr. Hood would do us the favour of uncovering a doomed corrupt area in our country, that us Egyptians unfortunately could not unveil. The only thing we could do is just condemn these bad bad things!

Morning jumbled up thoughts

2006-11-10T23:51:00.000+02:00

I just do not like it when it’s winter. Everything is so foggy, dark and melancholic. Every body is gloomy and always cold. Streets are all wet and deserted. Empty.

Can you tell me why do we keep doing the things we do not want to do? Why do keep seeing the people we do not wish to see? Why do we keep going to the places we do not want to go to? Why do we keep wanting those whom we do not esteem?

I want to do the things that I have always loved. I want to see only the people my heart delights to see. I want to be there where I feel comfortable and entirely myself: “home”. I want to be nobody’s property. I want to be free.

"Be off!" say Winter's snows;
"Now it's my turn to sing!"
So, startled, quivering,
Not daring to oppose

(Our fortitude grows dim in
The face of a Quos ego),
Away, my songs, must we go
Before those virile women!

Rain. We are forced to fly,
Everywhere, utterly.
End of the comedy.
Come, swallows, it's good-bye.

Wind, sleet. The branches sway,
Writhing their stunted limbs,
And off the white smoke swims
Across the heavens' gray.

A pallid yellow lingers
Over the chilly dale.
My keyhole blows a gale
Onto my frozen fingers.

- Be Off Say Winter's Snows by Victor Hugo

LOST!

2006-11-10T10:37:00.000+02:00

Uncover the P&B disappearance myth!
So where have we been hiding posting music music music and ay kalam posts for the past couple of weeks! I’ll tell ya! We have been “enganchados” or in other words glued in front of the Three Seasons from the second best soap opera we have laid our hands upon, (best one has to be Friends of course what else would rank one embrace, cuddle and caress but the one and only Friends!!!) El mohem, it was Brain’s idea, who had been hooked on a couple of episodes from LOST and recommended it to everyone. So every day, we finish work to rush home trying to ditch the outer world and brush off every evil attempt to encumber us from reaching home, or take away the precious evening to watch Lost! It is crazy I gotta tell you! I mean you go work the next day thinking about what you saw last night, what happened, why it happened, and wonder what will happen and how! I don’t want to spoil the show because you just HAVE to watch this, but the plot is very unconventional! It is good enough to attract 18.6 million viewers around the world!

Everyone is suddenly gorgeous!
I don’t know where do they get those hunks but this show, for some weird reason, enjoys one heck of a cluster of drop dead gorgeous dudes and dudettes! I don’t know, is it the colorful Island of Hawaii or do they require that on audition, however, guys in particular are stunning! I am in love with Sawyer! I thought I had fallen for Jack, Dr. Perfect, but a couple of episodes later I realized the Doc is not the guy he is perfect yet too boring, but the crude Sawyer has it all!

Dosage
Intensive dosage of episodes is strongly recommended, I dare you to bare the anxiety of waiting anyways! We have downloaded the whole thing (yes yes we are bad do not imitate us if you can!) and I truly pity the poor ABC spectators who have to wait eagerly every day like hungry pets to be thrown their daily dosage of the show and put up with the interrupting commercials!

Plot, chill out, not gonna spoil it
But that is because I am not done yet with Season 3, so there you go…A horrific plane crash leaves 48 passengers alive, and stranded on a remote island in the South Pacific. The survivors include Doctor Jack, now freed prisoner Kate, one hit wonder rock star Charlie, Iraqi military vet Sayid, and a mysterious man named Locke. For a while their goal is simple survival, but they soon realize that it was far more than mere chance that brought them together, and each of them has a purpose that will help them unlock the island's secrets. Remember: “everything happens for a reason”!

You are just going to love this, it is an absolute disconnection from your world, you only live, see, think, dream, imagine and feel LOST…

Exodus

2006-11-05T08:09:00.000+02:00

Maksim Mrvica is a brilliant classical crossover pianist. You may also wish to check his Croatian Rhapsody he is exceptionally talented!

Who let the dogs out?

2006-10-29T22:00:00.000+02:00

Concerning what you have heard about the mass harassment that took place in Talaat Harb during the past days of festivities in Cairo from Chris, MC and Kalb Baladi, I have tried to convince myslef that these posts are just rumours, well fabricated stories but just no true, with no credible proof, because this just cannot happen, not here not that way. It is true every girl in Cairo has always known and seen perverts and weirdoes fill the streets of this city, but aren’t they everywhere in the world as well? I realize the Egyptian societry is a sexually suppressed one. Because sex is the second greatest taboo after Bimbim, it is considered inappropriate to discuss. But so was Europe in the 60s, so it is okay, every nation passes through phases from extreme to another but in a decade or two things will be moderate just like every other country of the world, so it is no big deal.

But today, I have read this particular email, from someone who has been there during this incident, a girl. What she experienced that day is nothing but a heartbreaking trauma. I cannot imgaine anything like this happening in Egypt, the so-called "balad el ged3an". I am really speechless. I have nothing to say but to regret to inform you that this has actually taken place. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is denying the whole incident. Refusing to declare anything or even comment on this matter in any of the national newspapers. The Minister finally made a lame announcement yesterday on a TV show saying that his Policemen have not received any reports from not one single citizen at any of the police stations within the adjacent areas of the heart of Cairo - where the chaotic act took place - during the past days which implies these are nothing but pure exaggeration and denigrations invented by a minority of traitors as usual! But I have a question for His Excellency: Sir, since when do Egyptian women report abuses and harassments in our country? Are you really unaware of how these crimes affect women's reputation in our narrow-minded culture, or are you unconscious of what your respectable police officers do to women in general in police stations in Egypt?! Do you live in Cairo with us, or do you work over the Internet from Waikiki?!

The honourable Minister denied all those videos, photos, and testimonials that are spread all over the blogosphere these days. It is appalling to see corruption has not only blinded justice, but the horrid virus has even destroyed the primitive desideratum of a policeman: fidelity to protect the weak & defenceless.

I know for fact that on October 24th 2006, Egyptian women have seen the hideous dark side of society. As for us, we have seen the real perception of a “female” in a common Egyptian man’s mind. I do not mean all of the Egyptian men. I, myself, will eventually fall in love and marry one, someday. But I am referring to common simple men, “ragol el share3” who basically form the majority of Egyptian men.

And now I just have this one simple question: Who let the dogs out?

My favourite song of all times!

2006-10-26T11:47:00.001+02:00

Poor video of a great song better than any other post, I always say! So, there you go folks, treat yourselves & enjoy!

(Nag: dool Dire Straits btw!:p)

Dinky Lyrics!

Once again alone at work in the Egyptian Capital!

2006-10-25T16:00:00.001+02:00

Cairo is amazing when it is empty, I gotta tell ya! Really! It is a total different city when it is jammed. You nearly get to notice any beauty aslan.

Anyways, I am basically blogging to share one of the weirdest incidents that happened to me. This morning I received a very odd phone call on my cellular phone from a mid-aged deep voice that calls himself A.N.

Here is what happened:

Pinky: Sir, do we happen to know each other?
A.N: I am afraid not, I am sorry I am calling you on your personal phone but I know where you work and what you do and I need your help that is why I have called early before you reach work.
Pinky: (Ya fata7 ya 3aleem!) Okay, if you know where I work and what I do then you may wish to call me at work, since you will probably talk about business, am I right?
A.N: You are right, but no exactly. It is business but nothing to do with the Office, it is about an unconventional matter!
Pinky: (Giggle) Rrreally?!
A.N: I know this sounds like a hoax but trust me it is nothing like you think!
Pinky: I do not have any reason to trust you because I do not know you and I do not like this and I want to hang up if you do not mind.
A.N: No please wait, just hear me out and I will explain.
Pinky: Okay, I am listening but pardon me, not for long since I am almost reaching work, so kindly make it very short.
A.N: Alright, I am an Egyptian Technician who works at the Ministry of Electricity, Department of Nuclear Power. I have come up with this new invention and I am looking for funds to finance my project from a European country.
Pinky: What kind of inventions exactly are we talking about?
A.N: Mobile Maritime Port…Military one to be particular.
Pinky: (Ana estaba7t bwesh meen el naharda!) Mmm…but this has nothing to do with your work, am I right?
A.N: Not exactly, it is within my area of specialization.
Pinky: and what is _that_ exactly?
A.N: Allow me to explain, what do you do when you get a flat tire, for instance?
Pinky: (Thinking that swearing and then pulling over is not exactly the answer he might be looking for so I say:) I jack up the car to change the flat tire.
A.N.: Correct, the same applies for ships, only difference is that ships need at least 4 hours to be able to park in Ports, which here are employed as a jack to "change the flat tire", and here I mean repair the engine, unload the vessel or even passengers to embark the ship.
Pinky: (Manfookha) Okay, just get to the point please, will ya!
A.N: I have invented a portable port, a "jack" that goes to the ship wherever it may be instead of vice versa. Not only that, but I have also designed a port that is able to submerge under the water, and remain invisible in case of wars, and ascend within minutes back to the surface when necessary.

The guy explains the idea in details, I cannot follow a lot of details but am able to get the picture, finally offers to send documents and manuals and stuff. The idea is very complicated, I am not an expert, of course, but it surely sounds very interesting.

Pinky: (Metsabeta!) Are you sure this is a new idea? Pardon me, but this sounds too simple, and I cannot imagine yourself being a pioneer to come up with it!
A.N: You are right, it does sound like a simple idea, but it is very complicated when it comes to manufacturing. I assure you no one has done anything like that before.
Pinky: Okay, back to my part, now how do you think I could help you with this?
A.N: As I told you before I need a European country to finance this project, I have done a feasibility study and I am positive this is gonna work. I have a maquette of the port along with the How To of this invention, all I need is a sponsor.
Pinky: Sir, you do realise that this is very peculiar, don’t you?
A.N: Listen, I know you think I am another lunatic but I have a real invention here. The first of its kind in the world and I know what I am talking about. Just give me a chance.
Pinky: Have you registered your invention, or do you have any legal proof that this invention is real or that it even belongs to you?
A.N.: That is why I am calling you on your mobile, because this is a Military Port, if I go to register this invention they will detain me as usual.
Pinky: What do you mean by "as usual"?

The guy tells me about previous experiences about at least two other inventions that were stolen by American entities and claims he was finally arrested for a couple of months by the Egyptian Intelligence for having what they called “State threatening ideas” that could jeopardize the security of the Republic!

A.N.: So, will you be able to help me?
Pinky: Of course not! I thought you had realized that from the beginning!
A.N: Why not?
Pinky: I don’t have time to state zillions of reasons that keep me from helping you, however you could walk away with two main ones: 1- My employers deal with public entities and not with individuals. 2- Sir, you should contact an Egyptian authority first to sponsor you before you go to foreign countries, dont you think?
A.N.: Okay, concerning reason number one: I know you can contact people in Europe who would be very interested to take a look at what I have got, and you know that. As for reason number two: I would rather die than see Egypt take any advantage of this project!
Pinky: Sir, I know we are not the best nation to adopt new ideas and encourage inventions, but no pain no gain, you have to go an extra mile if you truly believe in your project, plus (enta matfaragtesh 3ala ra2fat el hagan?!) Dont you love your country?
A.N.: (the guy laughs)You have no idea what you are talking about, let me tell you a little story...

A.N. tells me horrific stories about his experiences with decent top authorities in Egypt whom he tried to persuade to utilize seom of his ideas since 1996, but in vain. 13 minutes of names, ministries, vips, exact dates, places and addresses and finally a person who hates the place that killed every dream and potential he ever had to serve his country, a person who abhors this nation with all his heart.

I hung up stunned. I checked his numbers and address and I verified all the information he has given me. I thought to myself, could this be true? Is this guy genuine fe3lan? Is his invention for real and feasible? Could these horrific stories be factual? Is this the real ugly face of the corruption we are living in this country yet left unaware of? What if what he told me is really true? Why would anyone bare all this hatred for his country? Lots of questions in my mind…

I question the credibility of this whole thing, because I do not think things could ever reach that far, however, the only fact I am sure of concerning this story is that it is one of the strangest things that ever happened to me!

What am I to you?

2006-10-23T10:57:00.001+02:00

Good morning from Cairo!

2006-10-18T08:00:00.000+02:00

This morning, I woke up early, it is a beautiful autumn morning in Cairo, few cars and few people up at this hour, it is early enough to enjoy rare tranquillity in the Egyptian Capital.

I took 6th October Bridge as usual, I turned on the radio, and I listened to the beautiful Tom Waits music on 95.4 Egypt FM. I had never heard any songs by Tom Waits on Egyptian Radio before, was funny! Honed my mood, I cannot express it.

Reaching Zamalek, I pulled over, got out of the tin can I am driving, inhaled a deep breath, and took a look at the picturesque view of the Nile. I was instantly reminded of one of my favourite lines from the poem Leisure by William Henry Davies: What is this life if full of care we have no time to stand and stare… And then I recalled a song called “Home”, by Michael Bublé to whom I was recently introduced by my precious Nihoccino and very Brain. I enjoyed those exceptional few moments, then got into my tin can once again and took off to work.

Today, I want to leave you with this beautiful song along with one of the most beautiful rhymed pieces of writing the great William Shakespeare has written, it is a Sonnet, and it is called “Alas, 'tis True I have Gone here and there”:

Alas, 'tis true I have gone here and there
And made myself a motley to the view,
Gor'd mine own thoughts, sold cheap what is most dear,
Made old offences of affections new.
Most true it is that I have look'd on truth
Askance and strangely: but, by all above,
These blenches gave my heart another youth,
And worse essays prov'd thee my best of love.
Now all is done, have what shall have no end!
Mine appetite, I never more will grind
On newer proof, to try an older friend,
A god in love, to whom I am confin'd.
Then give me welcome, next my heaven the best,
Even to thy pure and most most loving breast.

Enjoy!

These are a few of my abominable things!

2006-10-11T19:15:00.000+02:00

-Waking up with a line from a horrible song in your head, you hate the song but you involuntarily keep repeating the line over and over again all day long…
-Waiting for something/someone…
-Nudnicks…
-Cheap restaurants opening near your place and having to waste 10 minutes daily trying to find a decent parking spot for your own car…
-Leftovers…
-Male friends hiting on you because you’re one of the few left unmarried in the group…
-Losing a dear one…
-Wannabes…
-Parents suggesting names for you to marry because they like their family! 8-@
-Break-ups…
-Having to enter your password zillions of times every day, why cant computers just smell us or recognize our features straight away?
-Regrets…
-Being unable to remember something very important…
-Being unable to remember things in general…
-Laundry…
-Thinking you know what you want while you actually don’t…
-Malls…
-Missing being with someone…
-People turning off the coffee machine after they serve themselves in the morning…
-Khamaseen…nothing I abhor more!
-Bar soap…
-Losing your page while reading…
-Being unable to sneeze…
-Being unable to remember dreams/jokes…
-Wedgy…lol!
-6th October Bridge…
-Payoffs…
-Swearwords made by horn honking…
-Yamal el sham…

Dinky cerebrations!

2006-10-09T22:00:00.000+02:00

Hush
On an early chilly dawn, when this part of the world was at rest, all asleep, when there was nobody in the streets, and silence is ruling over all creatures on this piece of Earth, my spirit shrieked in my penetralia and shinned out of my own body.

I left that dull body, and became free again, free like a wind. I took a close look at her still sleeping in her bed like every day. First time I realise she sleeps on her back, I thought she hated this, she always says that, but I suppose one only gets to be aware of the first moments before bodies and minds fade out to sleep, and lose control.

I took a tour around the house, dark and quiet, glimpses of light are penetrating the windows, there are not much of them in their place, I hated that, kills my optimism every morning and then she wonders why she wakes up feeling so bitter some mornings. But what do I say; people don’t know anything about themselves or life.

I miss heights, crazy altitudes, I miss that very much, I must not waste any time, so I fly and fly higher and higher till I am almost out of her planet, sadly this is as high as I could ever reach, too bad. Her world is barely seen from up there and the air is so salubrious and cool. I wonder what would she say if she sees what I see. Life so unleashed, mere freedom…this is where people should take time off, not on the beach, camping and safaris, this is life restoring.

In a few minutes, her body awakens, roaring for me to come back, I don’t want to go back there, couldn’t I just stay here forever? Please let me be here for a few more minutes, I cant breathe easily, I choke, I feel….

Suddenly, I don’t feel anymore, I am back inside of her again…Oh me!

Soliloquy
Do you ever wake up thinking, why am I living today? What am I doing with my life? Am I living to honor my self, or am I living to disgrace her. Am I wasting my life on things and people that are not worth the raw material of my life; time, my time? Am I living with my full capacity? Am I doing all what I can do? Am I being everything I can be? I am fully exploiting my talents, my mind, my body, and my soul?

I have had this self talk zillions of times before, persuading my self to be diligent about my log during the week, jotting down all the activities that I don't feel are productive, analyzing my day to day schedule in an attempt to establish better habits and adopt a more effectual routine.

When I look at my life, I see vague patterns. I know every period of time has its set of patterns with special characteristics that should vary as we move on to the next phase of our life, yet I just wonder sometimes if I _am_ happy, and wonder what is it that makes me happy in general…I am not sure of the answer, still.

I can’t get no satisfaction
If we employ every minute of this life and every talent and skill that we were given to the ultimate usage will we be happy then? Will we be any better? There's the idea that there might be something beyond this ordinary life you and me are living, but in a sense this just puts the question off to another stage. What if that didn't satisfy? Why do people seek out their heritage, go to work, make friends, go to the gym, throw parties and go to charity events? To feel alive, valuable, leave a mark on history, or live a life that counts for something?

Have I confused you even more? I am sorry if I have, I am already bemused myself! :)

A Brain a day keeps a Pinky away!

2006-10-05T17:00:00.000+02:00

Brain is away! Tatata-time for me to mess around! lol So I have changed the blog's template and now you guys look so cool from in here! :D

Enjoy your weekend, i got an exciting one coming ahead myself, so i'll see ya on Sunday, i guess!

Yer Dinky Pinky...
Naaaarf!

Bimbim!

2006-09-27T21:00:00.000+02:00

Inspired by Kalb Baladi 3azeem! :D

HEY FOLKS, IT’S BRAIN’S 25TH BIRTHDAY…NARF!

2006-09-19T00:00:00.000+03:00

And here is a very special birthday song just faaar you! :D

Auld langsyne!

2006-09-13T18:34:00.000+03:00

Fakreen ya3yal?!:)

Oh! It's Fall...

2006-09-07T08:00:00.000+03:00

Belle from Notre Dame De Paris
To Brain: the most provocative person in my life! Lol!

Now for the sweet tooth: Phantom of the Opera
To Wumbuccino: the most decent gentleman in Cairo :)

This is pure beauty, this is as finest as a human talent could ever get…this is magical! I’ve heard better versions of the musical but have never seen a bigger stage! How big is that one?! It’s a whole city! “Phantom of the Opera” is a celestial piece of art, this is not man made music, I’m telling you! Luxuriate in “Sing for Me” followed by one of my favourite tracks “Sing for Me”.

Dinky trivia:
This version by Sarah Brightman and Antonio Banderas, @3:31 Antonio Banderas sings: “ A _Phamton_ of the opera is there” and the crowds are down there impressed by the great performance! lol! :D

Tribute to Steve Irwin: Nature aficionado

2006-09-04T13:21:00.000+03:00

A few minutes ago I learnt that a stupid stingray has killed Steve Irwin, aka Crocodile Hunter, while filming a documentary in Australia. Brain had told me that a couple of years ago she spent the best 30 minutes of her life watching this guy performing his show live with his reptiles in Queensland, Australia, and since then I have been dreaming of seeing this guy face to face, I had hopes to go to his show this year when I go to Australia next December. Sigh!

Steve Irwin has changed my personal perception about dangerous creatures, while watching his programs and documentaries on television he has managed to persuade spectators to see that wild animals are just as wild as humans are, only difference is that they express their rage through a very strong instant physical reaction, while we don’t. And thus, one could rest secure to be safe near any of those animals just as long as he doesn’t evoke them.

One more thing I have learned from Steve Irwin, is that the more you read and study about living creatures the more pleasant and relaxing you’d feel if you got to have a personal encounter with one of them one day.

"I'm a thrill seeker, but *crikey, education's the most important thing"...

He saw that people fear the unknown; and despite the fact that humans _are_ the masters of Earth they tend to hide from all those many beautiful creatures that share this planet with instead of enjoying and learning from them.

So long ya adventure fanatic! And may we all be passionate about whatever we do just like the way you were. Rest in peace mate, at least for some time! :)

*Crikey: is a purely Steve Irwin invented word that means "wow!" "Gee!" . He says it's a word his grandfather used and his father after him. It's his own way of expressing surprise, and it's not a bad word!

Promise me by Beverly Craven

2006-09-03T17:05:00.000+03:00

لماذا لم نعد الأفضل ؟

2006-08-23T12:04:00.000+03:00

تعرف القوة الذاتية بأنها القدرة علي القيام بالفعل والتصرف واتخاذ القرار فهناك كثيرون من الناس يخططون للقيام بمجموعة من الأعمال او يتمنون القيام بها‏، ولكنهم لايملكون القدرة علي القيام بها إما بسبب ضعف شخصي يعانون منه‏، او عدم وجود ما يدفعهم للقيام به‏، كما ان عملية التغيير تحتاج الي قرار ينبع من الانسان نفسه‏، وينبع من قناعة ذاتية ‏، وإلا فلن يتم التغيير

‏واليوم أشارك بكل التقدير الدكتور ممدوح حمزة‏، الاستشاري المعروف تساؤلاته المهمة

اين القدرة الذاتية المصرية؟ ولماذا لم نعد الأفضل في الامه عربية؟ وقد عدت الي مقالين نشرهما بالأهرام عامي‏2001‏ و‏2003‏ تحت عنوان القدرة الذاتية والتنمية البشرية والتنمية‏، والتحديث بالقدرة الذاتية وقد اكد فيهما ماجاء في كتابات المفكر الكبير جمال حمدان عن عبقرية مصر‏، وما يعرفه الشعب والحكومة بما نملكه من الموارد البشرية والكفاءات والخبرات المطلوبة لإحداث التنمية‏. ولدينا كل المقومات لتحقيقها‏، فهذا هو نهر النيل العظيم الذي يجري في أرض خصبة بالخير والنماء لمئات الكيلومترات وهذه السبعة ملايين فدان من أجود الأراضي الزراعية في العالم‏، وهذه قناة السويس اهم شريان ملاحي في العالم‏، وتكونت خلف السد العالي بحيرة ناصر بحيرة صناعية في العالم‏، والعديد من البحيرات الغنية بالموارد الطبيعية ومايزيد علي ألفي كيلو متر من الشواطيء الجميلة الممتدة علي البحرين الأبيض والأحمر في بانوراما سياحية رائعة‏، وثلث آثار العالم‏، وتلك الثروات الضخمة من الغاز الطبيعي والبترول وا التي تنتشر في صحاري وشواطيء مصر‏، والأكثر من ذلك طقس جميل ومناخ هاديء لاتهدده العواصف ولا الزلازل او البراكين‏، ولدينا الموقع الاستراتيجي‏، وعبقرية المكان‏ ، واخيرا ذلك المعين الذي لاينضب ابدا من الموارد البشرية الهائلة التي ارتفعت بعددها الي 77 مليون مواطن مصري.

‏ان لدينا كل مقومات النجاح فلماذا نعاني اليوم من قصور في توظيف مواردنا البشرية الضخمة والتي تحتاج الي وضع خطة قومية‏، او برنامج يقوم آليا بحصر وانتقاء الكفاءات وإعطائها المسئولية ومحاسبتها علي النتائج‏، ان قوتنا البشرية الهائلة لم يجر بعد استغلالها بالكافي‏، ولاحتي باي قدر‏، وقد اصبحت الثورة المعرفية المؤدية الي مجتمع المعرفة اليوم تعتمد ـ أساسا ـ علي المعارف كثروة اساسية اي علي خبرة الموارد البشرية وكفاءتها ومعارفها ومهاراتها لتحقيق التنمية البشرية الشاملة‏، مما يساعد علي استغلال الطاقات الة بشكل افضل من ذي قبل وهنا تصبح مصر مرشحة بقوة لشغل مكانها الذي تستحقه وهذا بالفعل يشكل فرصة تاريخية نادرة ونقلة نوعية فريدة تجعل من المعرفة اساس السلطان والكسب والجاه‏، وتضع الانسان المصري كفاعل اساسي‏، فهو مصدر متجدد للإبداع الفكري والمعرفي والماومن ثم استطيع ان اجزم بان مصر تستطيع فعل الكثير وان تقفز اكثر‏..‏ ليس بالانعزال عن العالم ولكن بوضع خط تمايز بينها وبين العالم‏..‏ خط يؤكد القدرة الذاتية ويستعيد الفرص الضا ئعة

لماذا لسنا الافضل؟ لماذا لسنا اي شىء على الاطلاق؟

فهل من مجيب؟

We're back!

2006-08-08T22:45:00.000+03:00

Posted post
I am still in my frazzling days of my life. I think it is getting into me. Time to do something I guess. But what do you do when there is nothing to be done? Talk about it? I don’t like talking about my private life with people. I never do that I don’t know, do ya? I know many might disagree with me but I really think it is useless. When friends ask you “Oh honey, but why didn’t you tell me?” How do you respond to that? “Well, you wouldn’t have done anything about it so what’s the point of telling you?!” I have friends who think it is important to “share” each other with what is troubling us. I think it is impolite to burden people with your problems I mean don’t they have their own problems too? And what would you expect them to do for you? People don’t like whiny grumpy people.

Slap me on the face the next time I ask you to tell me what is wrong with you, I don’t care want is with you, I am just eager to know some juicy details of another story, yet I don’t want to intrude bluntly, so I beg you to tell me the whole thing using “get it off your chest man!” trick.
I don’t know, just a thought.

Dinky question
Do you have the constant feeling that your life is glum (chewing glum! Nyahaaa! :D) Nah seriously, do you wish you could somehow redo everything? I do. Sometimes. Many times actually. But not all the time because I am still sane! Wonder if it’s a common feeling. Whateverrrrrrrr!!(Pablo Francisco’s way!!!) lol!

Spice of the week
We’ll do it Chris’s way and post images instead of Nag’s way and post lyrics (:P), so as to fill the spaces on this blog, but I am sorry I am not such a good photographer, and I certainly did not take these ones myself, I wish! So these are some beautiful pictures of one of my dream destinations. Ladies and gentlemen, in a moment of indulgence, allow me to take you there, to the land of magic, the kingdom of ecstasy, let me show you the one and only Fiji-iji!

(Applause)

And here is my favourite one, the dream moment of every human being...

Heard that?! :) If you just did then you need a beach break too!

Just imagine!

2006-08-06T18:52:00.000+03:00

She walks in beauty by Lord George Gordon Byron

2006-07-26T23:11:00.000+03:00

SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that 's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Je m’appelle Bagdad ~ Tina

2006-07-23T17:41:00.000+03:00

J’ai vécu heureuse
I lived happily
Dans mes palais
In my palaces
D’or noir et de pierres précieuses
Of black gold and precious stones
Le Tigre glissait
The Tigris was flowing
Sur les pavés de cristal
On crystal cobblestones
Mille califes se bousculaient
Thousand caliphs lined up
Sur mes carnets de bal
On my bal lists

On m’appelait
They called me
La Cité pleine de grâce
The city full of grace
Dieu comme le temps passé
God how time goes by

On m’appelait
They called me
Capitale de lumière
Capital of light
Dieu que tout se perd
God everything gets lost

Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée
And I fell
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée
Defaced princess
Et Shéhérazade
And Scheherazade
M’a oubliée
Has forgotten me

Je vis sur mes terres
I live on my land
Comme une pauvre mendiante
As a poor beggar
Sous les bulldozers
Under the bulldozers
Les esprits me hantent
Ghosts haunt me
Je pleure ma beauté en ruine
I weep over my beauty in ruins
Sous les pierres encore fumantes
Under stones still smouldering
C’est mon âme qu’on assassine
It’s my soul they murder

On m’appelait
They called me
Capitale de lumière
Capital of light
Dieu que tout se perd
God everything gets lost

Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée
And I fell
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée
Sefaced princess
Et Shéhérazade
And Scheherazade
M’a oubliée
Has forgotten me

Mes contes des mille et une nuits
My thousands and one nights stories
N’intéressent plus personne
Don’t interest anybody anymore
Ils ont tout détruit
They destroyed everything

Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée
And I fell
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée
Defaced princess
Et Shéhérazade
And Scheherazade
M’a oubliée
Has forgotten me
J’ai vécu heureuse
I lived happily
Dans mes palais
In my palaces
D’or noir et de pierres précieuses
Of black gold and precious stones
Le Tigre glissait
The Tigris was flowing
Sur les pavés de cristal
On crystal cobblestones
Mille califes se bousculaient
Thousand caliphs lined up
Sur mes carnets de bal
On my bal lists

On m’appelait
They called me
La Cité pleine de grâce
The city full of grace
Dieu comme le temps passé
God how time goes by

On m’appelait
They called me
Capitale de lumière
Capital of light
Dieu que tout se perd
God everything gets lost

Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée
And I fell
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée
Defaced princess
Et Shéhérazade
And Scheherazade
M’a oubliée
Has forgotten me

Je vis sur mes terres
I live on my land
Comme une pauvre mendiante
As a poor beggar
Sous les bulldozers
Under the bulldozers
Les esprits me hantent
Ghosts haunt me
Je pleure ma beauté en ruine
I weep over my beauty in ruins
Sous les pierres encore fumantes
Under stones still smouldering
C’est mon âme qu’on assassine
It’s my soul they murder

On m’appelait
They called me
Capitale de lumière
Capital of light
Dieu que tout se perd
God everything gets lost

Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée
And I fell
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée
Sefaced princess
Et Shéhérazade
And Scheherazade
M’a oubliée
Has forgotten me

Mes contes des mille et une nuits
My thousands and one nights stories
N’intéressent plus personne
Don’t interest anybody anymore
Ils ont tout détruit
They destroyed everything

Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Et je suis tombée
And I fell
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Sous le feu des blindés
Under the fire of the tanks
Je m’appelle Bagdad
My name is Baghdad
Princesse défigurée
Defaced princess
Et Shéhérazade
And Scheherazade
M’a oubliée
Has forgotten me

What’s this that I feel? This place, where am I? In whose flesh does my soul abide? Is it a bad dream or did I die? &Why do I feel sore &empty inside?

2006-07-18T22:29:00.000+03:00

Error! Error! Error!

I am frazzled. I am extremely disappointed. No reason I can share you with. I don’t want to talk. I don’t have anything to say. And I don’t want to write any longer. I am just tired of this whole thing…

Thank you for the music!

There is a song by beach boys keeps playing in my head these days it says it all. You know this is what music is for; it speaks for us in times like this, when we cant express ourselves anymore.

It goes like this:

I keep looking for a place to fit
Where I can speak my mind
I’ve been trying hard to find the people
That I won’t leave behind

They say I got brains
But they aint doing me no good
I wish they could

Each time things start to happen again
I think I got something good going for myself
But what goes wrong

Sometimes I feel very sad
Can’t find nothing I can put my heart and soul into
I guess I just wasn’t made for these times

Every time I get the inspiration
To go change things around
No one wants to help me look for places
Where new things might be found

Where can I turn when my fair weather friends cop out
What’s it all about

Each time things start to happen again
I think I got something good going for myself
But what goes wrong

Sometimes I feel very sad
Can’t find nothing I can put my heart and soul into
I guess I just wasn’t made for these times.

Sensational!

2006-06-26T22:32:00.000+03:00

George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". On a ukulele in Central Park, NY by Jake Shimabukuro.

Bric-a brac!

2006-06-21T10:21:00.000+03:00

Good, very good Friday
Went with Brain and 3eyal Thanawi to do Ropes Course somewhere on the Cairo-Alexandria Dessert Road. It was so rejuvenating in such a strange way! As if we were in a different time and place for a few amazing hours, where you only worry about one thing, which is basically if you have enough guts to survive the next obstacle and how would you do it! It was just superb! Brain is more into these bungee jumping, rock climbing and skydiving stuff! Pinky is a bit Pinky in a way bas Brain has her own way of persuading me to do anything whatsoever bardo! :D (Mary, salutes if you are reading this! I’ll tell you what Mary is currently doing in Colorado later, if she makes it back to Cairo aslan! Ah Mary Mary! :D)

(Mal7ooza sagheera: I aplogize for the ulpodr thing! Bas i am Pinky and not the Brain! I dont speak html! :D LOL!)

Just an observation
When I went home, I told my folks about the Ropes Course and stuff, and it led me into this serious talk with the old man (one of the very few serious talks I had with the wonderful old man!:D) about the corporate life and the life style we –as our generation- are being forced to adopt little by little.
I guess the corporate life is stealing our best years of strength in such a terrifying way that one could not discern. I believe only few people get to enjoy this life while others tend to repeat the same dull videotape their antecedents played over and over and over again. Ya3ni just a thought, however I encourage you to try to find yourself out there on your weekends, plan for you weekend especially that it is summer time. Don’t let it slip away keda without getting out of the box during these beautiful months of the year. Go to the sea, and check out insane stuff to do, I don’t know, just make sure your weekend is as unconventional as it could be. I guarantee you that you will be stunned with the new person you will see on Sunday (or Monday) at work!

Dinky links
Link of the month! Weird TV … no comment! :D

World Cup 2006/ITALIA vs. usa/Trivia
I am a devout fan of the Italian national soccer team ever since I can remember, I almost died with a stroke while watching the Americans spoil the pleasure I have been looking forward to for a whole week which is the long awaited game of ITALIA vs. usa. Italy as always elegant, nice and slow, and the Americans reminded me of catfights! And on top of all came the horrible referee the planet has ever known and that is the Uruguayan Jorge Larrionda. I am not blaming losses on officiating here, particularly since there was no loss to speak of fel match da aslan, but obviously both the Italian and United States sides have complaints. And since I was dead sure there was something peculiar about this bizarre referee who is so fascinated by the idea of carrying yellow and red cards, who managed to abort any attempt by both teams to try to win this game or even play it right, I decided to investigate a little, and finally found out that there is plenty of controversy concerning that red-card happy official Larrionda, yezhar eno some people never learn, check this out:

Larrionda was suspended back in 2002 by the Uruguayan Football Association for unspecified “irregularities”...

No one seems to know exactly what these “irregularities” were, but changing the way he officiated from one minute to another, and giving out red cards at hugely inappropriate times seem like pretty good guesses ghaleban!

Lyricscation!
He drowns in his dreams
An exquisite extreme I know
He’s as dumb as he seems
And more heaven than a heart could hold
And if I try to save him
My whole world could cave in
It just ain’t right

Oh when I don’t know
I don’t know what he’s after
But he’s so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful?
Or just a beautiful disaster

Full lyrics

*You see I actually post something and occasionally include some lyrics if necessary! Still, don’t get used to that! :D

I am not passive yet unable to live active!

2006-06-07T10:18:00.000+03:00

Appalling!
This is all what we could think of when we read this. We never thought things could ever come to reach that far! Have we Brain?! It’s not that we are pro or against those activists, or the “Kefaya” Movement, nevertheless, you cannot assault somebody just cause they are different. Why? Well, because this is not how humans supposedly deal –Period–

Wouldn’t that be classified as _terrorism_: “The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies for ideological or political reasons”…

I predict a riot!
We all know that not every movement against the present Government is necessarily objective or even genuine. Still, people should not be bullied into silence. (I would put that as RULE NºONE in a Pinky and the Brian world!) This is what is globally known as fascism. Abducting thinkers and even opposite parties is only a perfect environment for arising what I call the fake “spirit of patriotism” of the public. And since we are a nation with no *BRAIN*, tending to submit itself to the “herd syndrome”, then once this button is pushed people rush out to demonstrate and protest for someone and something they do not necessarily believe in or agree, nevertheless they do it for the ignited “spirit of patriotism”. See?

The greatest dilemma
People are bewildered between two anti-Bimbim groups: Kefaya; which is the only movement - besides the second group which is Muslim Brothers - who has dedicated its advocates to criticizing the present Government loudly and proudly!

So what have we got here, men Kefaya lel Ekhwan ya albi la te7zan! People don’t want anything to do with Muslim Brother, cause they’re taboo. So they have no alternatives but Kefaya. Tab which of those do we believe: Ayman Nour, Kefaya, Bimbim wala the new updated version of Bimbim, the very decent and elegant Bimbim Junior?!

There is no other option for those who hold a third thought, so it is either this or that! And both movements are trying to get as many pros as possible to win power of course.

Fe2at el mo3taredeen el mo3tadeleen
What about those who happen to have another point of view about the whole situation in Egypt, seen form a mediate objective perspective, people who are too attentive to be fooled by the government and the long ago discredited local media, yet too smart to fall for Ayman Nour’s ambiguous movements, the Muslim Brothers, or Kefaya (Pinky: not gonna say my opinion about Kefaya! Brain: Hell you are not! I want an objective blog here ya pinky bubblegum!), nor would this nonaligned group ever participate in any other aggressive group of activists?

Are you one of this bunch I am talking about here? How do you see yourself in this country? Are you living in the "Imported Bubble" of foreign education, culture, entertainment, media, and lifestyle? You love your warmhearted country but cannot see yourself living here when you’re 40? You get disappointed every time we lose a soccer game, your heart aches when the stock market collapses for absolutely incomprehensible reasons, when toilet paper is far appreciated than the Egyptian Pound in your pocket, or a blast scandal heads every single front page on the planet mocking your own people?

Is this even close to what you are feeling right now, and do you hate to go on living unable to do anything about it? …

“I don’t want to die as if I was never born!”
Do you ever say that to yourself? If you do, well so do I, but what do we do to make a change here and not just remain passive like the dead?!

What do we do? How do we express our opinions? Whom do we address? Where to contribute with our suggestions and ideas and insist on engaging into our society, living positive and making a difference? Or do we just continue to mind our own business, enjoy the chaos, and abuse the system to work for our own interest, and then look for another passport as an alternative plan, in case this country is burned down w khalas?!

Could there be sort of an association or any group of sincere people, who have no personal hidden interests but solely aim to make an effective change for the sake of this beautiful country, and at the same time would be given the needed authority to enforce their ideas, suggestions, plans and even dreams in an attempt to do far beyond just attending sessions, meetings, and committees and finally achieving simply nothing?

Am I day dreaming with Utopia wala eh?! I really don’t think this is too much to ask for, do ya? Is anyone out there but me?! ARE YOU EVEN ALIVE?!

Berweeeeeeeeeeee!!!

2006-05-31T18:58:00.000+03:00

Ladies & Gents,

Today, no serious talk no nothing!

Today, I present to you a hilarious piece of writing based on a true hilarious story... Please put your hands together for the one and only:

Berweeeeeeeeeeee!!! :D

“For Adults Only”
Can You Get That Through Your Thick Skull?!

Ok..It all starts when I took my wife to go watch the movie “Ba7eb El Sima” in the second week of its commercial release. I was determined to go a little early to catch the previews of upcoming movies. So, we did just that, and entered the screen before anyone else…Haven’t done that in a long time!!

Anyways, music was playing, and people started coming in. Now, I knew that the ushers were going to have a field day with audience once I started seeing them coming in. Members of the audience were mostly either high school couples who made sure their seats were far away from anyone, or guy groups of different ages who –again- made sure their seats were right in the middle of the hall for everyone to hear whatever jokes they have to make while watching the flick. Many sub-movies going on..yeah?

All that was “everyday business” for me until a couple in their 30’s came in with their 5 year old son and sat four rows ahead of us. Now, what were they thinking? Hell… were they “thinking” aslan? Were they expecting the kid to enjoy, understand, or even SIT STILL in a movie like that? Let me give you a sneak preview of what took place that day in the theater.

You know how in these movies people are very quiet. This is especially noticeable during interesting dialogues, points of climax, and-of course-love scenes. And there we were during a love scene, watching Layla 3elwy on top of Ma7moud 7emeida when suddenly the little kid shouted “Khalas?!” sending everyone to laughs and totally breaking our concentration. Of course, mommy had his eyes covered..2al ya3ni ba2a ! The second appearance was when 3ayda 3abdel El-3aziz was insulting the weirdo on the phone using her “adult rated” portfolio of words. This was when 7amada decided to pursue his acting career and started repeating the insults after 3ayda in a loud voice...and with attitude! Supporting role actors mommy and daddy also started acting their improvised part of shushing and scolding 7amada. And, suddenly, 7amada’s family turned into the film’s side kick that sent everyone to laughs throughout the movie. Towards the end, 7amada started getting bored of the movie, bored of acting, and –on top of all- bored of mommy and daddy. So, off he went to practice his 100 meter hurdle race inside the hall, running up and down the isle while climbing all the chairs he met.

Daddy was still in the acting mood. This time, he was playing Tom and Jerry with 7amada, chasing him all around the hall. The family gained more popularity, and were moving from side kick to becoming the main attraction. Ten minutes before the movie (what movie??!!) ends, an usher (other than the one in the last row watching the high school couples) came in and asked daddy to take 7amada outside coz people were not concentrating..Awwel ma-ftakar!! And that put an end to the show of the SPECTACULARS…A.K.A 7amada’s family.

The point is, kids shouldn’t be going to such movies, coz (1) they won’t understand or enjoy (2) they will irritate everyone around them, including their parents (3) And most importantly, they might pick up things from these movies that are definitely not appropriate for their age, and may cause them problems later on.

But how can we stop that?! It seems we can’t rely on these parents, who are becoming really careless. One multiplex shift manager once told me a mother shouted at him last year when he tried to explain to her that her 12 year old daughter should not be watching “Sahar El Layaly”. She argued that whatever the girl will see will not be worse than what she sees daily on satellite TV.. Ya 7alawa 3ala ahaly el youmeen dol !!

At the same time, we cant ask cinemas to let go fo a family of 3 or 4 (or more) members who will pay around LE100 in tickets – 3’eir el fishar wel-7aga el sa23a- just because they have a kid with them who is too young to watch the movie. Not to mention, risking to lose the family as potential clients in other movies to a nearby multiplex.

So, .. will we keep on seeing 7amada in “for adults only” movies? Actually there might be a solution. What we are going through now is similar to the American model 4 or 5 decades ago, when the US film makers started producing rated movies. The Motion Picture Association of America (El montigeen el gamdeen fi Amreeka) assigned employees in each movie theater to make sure the eligible people only are the ones who watched the rated movies. This was a “self regulation” which was part of their social responsibility towards the American people. Their idea was as much as they believed in their freedom of speech (producing movies that can be taboo), they also believed they were the ones responsible for making sure their movies are not a means to cause problems in their society by making it open for all ages to watch movies that may not be suitable for younger audience. Ya3ni Go7a 2awla be-la7m TORO!!

Can this ever happen here in Egypt? Can Egyptian producers understand the kind of responsibility they have? ……… Why am I getting too serious?……………………… Howwa Fen 7amada??!!

Trading Freedom for Security

2006-05-17T22:56:00.000+03:00

Puck!
After the recent series of incidents that have been striking us lately, slipping our coffee cups from our hands morning after morning when reading headlines about: Dahab attacks, Cairo riots, this judge’s case, and finally the prolongation of the emergency law, I cannot help but wonder if we –Egyptians– could ever come to comprehend how and why things happen the way they do on our own land, and why nothing and nobody seems to be able to change them.

Mulling over the idea, i realized the story goes a long long time ago, let me take you there…

Let there be Life!
We have been occupied just a short while after Adam and Eve were created! Seriously! Ay 7ad m3adi pulled over on the high way of human history to occupy the Cradle of Civilization - as the always call it on the national channel three ever since we can remember! - And after the “black” and “red” years of “occupation” and “wars” to which our flag refers, there come the days of wine and roses; there come the “white” days of peace and tranquility, but just recently, but let us see what happened then.

July 23, 1952
Citizens awoke on Wednesday morning, 23 July, 1952, and discovered that the revolution had occurred, and that the armed forces were taking up posts in some of the corners and streets in Cairo. At 7:30 a.m., they heard a broadcast station issue the first communiqué of the revolution in the name of Gen. Muhammad Neguib to the Egyptian people that stated the justification for the revolution. The voice everyone heard reading the message belonged to Free Officer and future president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat!

Mama gaya emta, gaya el sa3a setta!
A military coup occurred in Egypt, carried out by a group calling itself "The Free Officers" and led by General Muhammad Naguib. King Farouk sought the intervention of mama amrika, but to no avail. By the 25th, the army had already occupied Alexandria, where the king was in residence at the Muntazah Palace. Now plainly terrified, Farouk abandoned Muntazah, and moved to Ras al-Tin Palace on the waterfront. Naguib ordered the captain of Farouk's yacht, "al-Mahrusa" not to sail without orders from the army. The order for Farouk to abdicate and depart into exile finally came on Saturday, July 26, 1952 and at 6 o'clock that evening, the king set sail for Italy: kharag wa lam ya3od...

1952 to 1973
Nothing noteworthy in particular related to our subject, just more of Sam Cooke's "a change is gonna come".

October 6, 1973
Last time Egyptians were seen doing something significant…

(From Adam and Eve to 1973, wasn’t that quick! Nothing pretty much happened in between, eh!)

Generations born between the 40s and the 50s karsa soda

November 1977
3ala e7da ahawi el 3asema
Radio: Peace..Shalom, O brothers this is what we want & this is what we need!
Susu: Ah shut up! We’ve suffered enough! We’ve already spent the best years of our life serving at the army from 1967 to 1973
Radio: Just hear me out, brothers!
Tutu: What brothers?! We aint no brothers! And I dont know you! We’ve lost our career, we’ve lost our good days, we have absolutely had it!
Radio: Bas da fi gawayez!
Susu & Tutu w kol el ahwa: Eh GAWAYEZ?
Radio: Aiwa! Ana Bimbim w ba2adem gawayez leli 7o2oo2o mesh 3ayez!
Tutu: Wait! Just don’t make us go to war again and we’ll leave you everything, the money and the power, w kol eli nefsak fi, you promise?
Radio: Peace...Shalom...i bring you o brother!
Susu: Shut up!
Radio: Okay okay! Deal!
Susu: Alright then, have it all just go away and leave us in “peace”!
Tutu: W matensash el gawayez!

W men sa3etha ya sada w bimbim bey2adem gawayez!
Susu: Who’s Bimbim!
Tutu: Mesh mohem! El mohem feen el gawayez!
Susu: Generations have forgotten about the cycle of life!
Tutu: We don’t know what should happen next brother! We have always been occupied, remember? Always been led by others!
Susu: How do we put a strategy, who leads, how de we think, how de we practice our rights…
Tutu: We know how to criticize and sneak into riots and protest…but that is it!
Susu: development…
Tutu: What’s that? Listen, you show me how to do it and I’ll do it! Let _them_ think and tell us what to do! Now, take a hike, will ya?! Oh, want a drag?!
Susu: American? Sure why not!

October 14, 1981
New Bimbim, new era, new campaign!

El Fankoush lel nas elli yesa2afo w mayefhamoosh!
El Fankoush is the phantom that Bimbim is using to intimidate Susu and Tutu! El Fankoush could be anything; Israel, the Americans, civil war between Muslims and Christians, riots between parties, el ahly wel zamalek, ay 7aga ba2a... However, we’ve been raised up absorbing the conspiracy theory, the big fat lie: “Egypt the dream of every nation! Matma3 el a3da2! So better put _me_ in charge and I assure you, no one will ever dare to even….”
No need to delve into the slogan of Bimbim’s campaign! Ana 3ayza a3eesh! :D wel Fankoush eh? Lel nas eli mayetkalemooooosh!

Puck!
Welcome back!
So what’s yer point smartie! (should you be thinking right now) Well, there is no point! This is exactly my point, that there is NO point whatsoever, no point at all! This whole thing is just pointless! We are a nation that has traded freedom for the so called promised “Security”… Surprisingly, they who would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, said Benjamin Franklin, deserve neither liberty nor safety. And I would say: Egyptians who have traded freedom for security, have ended up with neither freedom nor security! Fakhaneekho ba2a khalas!

To be continued…
(3andenda shoghl bokra, come on Brain!)

Tick Tock says the clock

2006-05-01T18:42:00.000+03:00

Listen to the clock tick tock the hands of time
Listen to the days toss and turn our short life
Listen and you will hear time constantly revolving
Listen to the problems of the world that need solving
Listen to my innocent child crying in the crib
Petrified of the sick act that fundamentalists did
See his Daddy turned his back on all of his responsibilities
See how mummy copes to the best of her abilities
Listen to the clichéd politician that's bragging
Listen to the mother who is always nagging
Pushing her son to get up and use his life
Listen to the vows when you’re marrying your wife
Listen to the shriek of a woman giving birth
Listen to the sorrows of our wounded Mother Earth
Listen to the beggar man begging in the street:
“Please spare some change so I’d get some food to eat”
Listen to the plight of the vagabond and homeless
And if you listen to the pessimists everything's hopeless
Listen to your heart, listen to your soul
Listen to your conscience, and let it take control
But just listen!

Bits and pieces

2006-04-26T12:33:00.000+02:00

Long weekend...sigh!
It was Easter in Cairo, I went to work on Thursday, and on Easter Sunday then I got to enjoy one day off, which is Sham El Neseem, or Sham El Agazat I better call it, as I had to work yesterday when the whole country was officially chilling out on the sea with toes sunk into the soft white sands and tummies stuffed with lupine and fresh lemonade! I went to Ein Sokhna with Nihoccino and Brain to spend Monday there. I left at night and enjoyed a beautiful quiet drive to Cairo on my own, just gazing at the reflection of the rays from the headlights on the range of mountains that besiege the high way, listening to Neil Diamond and David Lanz, just awesome!

Bad news on the way
On my way back I pulled over to change discs, and check out heaps of messages that I kept receiving in less than 2 minutes. Terrorist attacks in Dahab. 20 dead. Chirr!

Tantoona competition
Tuesday morning. Woke up depressed already. Cairo is a city of ghosts (even ghosts were on the beach ghaleban!). Bad news on every single radio station except for 104.2 Nile Fm, the radio station that lives in La-la Land! Could you believe that they were wondering if yesterday (Tuesday, Sinai Liberation Day) was an official holiday and why! I was really pissed off so I decided to text Heba and Tom and ask them to encourage our foiled nation instead of playing music and making lame jokes, as if it was another ordinary day. I suggested they would do a competition and ask people to state like 10 things you enjoy only in Egypt that you wouldn’t find elsewhere, and a couple of two more games thinking this would surely help frustrated people see glimpse of hope in their country, it is not much but it is an attempt to animate people w khalas. 5 minutes. They text me apologizing for their inconsideration and they thanked me for my “kind 7 messages!” :D 5 more minutes and my messages were read out to the capital and the Tantoona Competition is live on air! :D I asked my friends at work to text them up, and since we were the only ones up at that hour, they read out all our messages including the winning Number one thing that you find only in Egypt which is 104.2 Nile Fm! (No we didn’t send anything like that of course!)

Pinky and the Brain Competition
I know there was supposed to be a competition as we have mentioned on our last post, but since Brain is still off until next Tuesday, then I have nothing to think with, so you’ll have to bear with me a little more!

Better late than never!

2006-04-08T22:46:00.000+02:00

Okay! We like to be fashionably late, but here we go, finally updating our blog!

It's been an intense last couple of weeks, full of work to be done during daytime and birthdays to celebrate in the evening! People like Mary turned 25 years old! (Pinky smirks!), and others turned 23, like our precious bright Nayer, who figured out how Derailed ends during the intermission, and volunteered to share it out loud, pissing off the whole theatre, who lost the desire to stay to watch the second part of the movie, after they’ve been told how it ends!

So, we just came across this hilarious link… Errr…

Pinky does not know hot how to post a link on a blog, so I will have to wait till Brain walks in and go like: “What on earth are you doing to our blog Pinky?” And then Pinky would answer: “Chill out smarty one, haven’t published anything yet! But hey, how do we post a link here anyway?” And then Brain would grunt and then say: “Oh Pinky not again!” and leave! (Oops!)

So now you see, you’ll have to bare with me here! But I am sure you would be able to move your mouse and … y…e…s… C...L..I..C..K…here and see the LINK

Sigh!

Okay, the link, the link! Where is our funny link! Oh, here is THE LINK

Still warming up! More yet to come _very_soon! It’s officially summer out there folks, isn’t it!

*Next on Pinky and the Brain: Have you signed up for our Competition?! ;)

Welcome to our world!

2006-03-28T21:17:00.000+02:00

H’ya doing everybody!

Before anyone asks, we didn't pick the name because we have an urge to post silly stuff here or anything, although this could be the case sometimes, however we fell in love with Pinky and the Brain as they seemed to fit what we intend to do with this blog: try to take over the cyber-world! :)

In fact, we have been thinking about this bolgging idea for quite sometimes, and recently we decided we have a lot to share already, why not create our own abode. So, stop by from time to time we’ll let you know what’s on our mind.

Oh and by the way, did you figure out who is who by now?! ;)

Dinky & the Unstinky!

We are dinky, we are Pinky and the Brain!

Mommy is back!

Everything is...

Blackbird

Right click me in a new tab/window to listen to me

Rosario Flores & Antonio Vega singing "En El Mismo Lugar"

Nada de nada

Choo choo train tuckin' down the track ;)

Yum! Marry me! :D

Yael Naim singing New Soul

Diana Krall singing Narrow Daylight

More Than Words by Extreme

Define: "mokh mefassy"

Lies - Once

After all this time

Malaika by Angelique Kidjo

I am, I do, I feel "prritty"! :D

Kevin Johansen - Anoche soñé contigo

Astonishing performance by Diana Krall singing "A case of you"

Marginalia

Do you ever get one of these?

Behold "RENDITION"

El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)

Great Expectations

Here is the song I told you about

Stunning performance

The song “I wanna be like Ossama” from the controversial satire “Jihad: The Musical”

Song From A Secret Garden ~ Secret Garden

Average vs Special (courtesy of him)

Politiki Kouzina - Baharat, tarçın ve buse

My life ~ Figure at a Window

Waters of March in 1974

Dear Mr. President by Pink

Whoever said that music is what feelings sound like was a genius

We've just got some amazing news right now, we will celebrate!

The long awaited Wednesday is finally here & now!

We're back but not for long! ;)

Dinky and Away!

So long wintry weather!

Morning jumbled up thoughts

Somewhere around Nothing by Apocalyptica

COUNT DOWN IS *ON*!

Me dediqué a perderte

About Growing up

Rendition

Morning jumbled up thoughts

LOST!

Exodus

Who let the dogs out?

My favourite song of all times!

Once again alone at work in the Egyptian Capital!

What am I to you?

Good morning from Cairo!

These are a few of my abominable things!

Dinky cerebrations!

A Brain a day keeps a Pinky away!

Bimbim!

HEY FOLKS, IT’S BRAIN’S 25TH BIRTHDAY…NARF!

Auld langsyne!

Oh! It's Fall...

Tribute to Steve Irwin: Nature aficionado

Promise me by Beverly Craven

لماذا لم نعد الأفضل ؟

We're back!

Just imagine!

She walks in beauty by Lord George Gordon Byron

Je m’appelle Bagdad ~ Tina

What’s this that I feel? This place, where am I? In whose flesh does my soul abide? Is it a bad dream or did I die? &Why do I feel sore &empty inside?

Sensational!

Bric-a brac!

I am not passive yet unable to live active!

Berweeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Trading Freedom for Security

Tick Tock says the clock

Bits and pieces

Better late than never!

Welcome to our world!

COUNT DOWN IS ON!