The Only Thing

The only thing I hate about my life is that I am not living it the way I should. I disappoint myself too often.

Lebanon

The situation in Lebanon is really sad. And you know what is getting on my nerves? I found that they are still airing that stupid Star Academy. Yeah, that's right..we just need one more air-head singer and all our problems are solved.

The Rules of Fake Dieting

Diet is simple logic:( Daily Calorie Intake< Daily Calories Burned)= Loss in Weight. We all know this fact. And anyone who went on a diet would know how it feels to count the calories, and get on everyone's nerves but mostly yourself.

You know those Diets that are DOA? The ones which you give in at the sight of the first temptation? These are the funniest diets I believe. They are attempts if you must say, but they are still diets..because you are still counting and keeping track of what you are eating, but you are missing the part where you actually have to eat less.

So, with the help of family, friends and experience, I have developed certain rules for fake dieting. Rules that justify why we are not dieting as we should.Rules that guide you to know exactly what to count and what to,you know, intentionally ignore..and have a good reason for it while doing so. =)

The rules are:

1- If you are eating and nobody is watching,it doesn't count.
2- If you are not paying,it doesn't count.(agblek shokalata?)
3- If you are eating off your friend's plate, it doesn't count.(Wareeny adoo2 dah keda)
4- If you don't know the exact ingredients of the meal, it doesn't count.
5- If you are eating something for the first time, it doesn't count.(Esmoh eh olteely?)
6- Ice-cream in winter doesn't count.
7- If you are eating directly off the fridge, it doesn't count.
8- If you are eating standing up, it doesn't count.
9- If it is a drink, it doesn't count.(I'll have this mocha to-go law sama7t)
10-If you don't like the taste of what you are eating, it doesn't count.
11- If you are eating in the car it doesn't count.
12- If someone 7elef 3aleek yemeen tala2 la takol, it doesn't count.
13- Deliveries leftovers that are cold and already lost their taste don't count (Ana feteret ba2eet el McRoyal elly kaltooh embare7 w kasselt assa7'anoh)
14- If you are eating when you are really really really angry, it doesn't count. ( Dah EH EL ARAF DAH..ENTY 3'AWYA MASHAKEL W 7'ALAS!! NAWLEENY EL KATCHAB.)


Now that the rules are set..you have no excuse to be on a diet for a lifetime.


P.S: I read this in Cilantro's mag: Banging your head on the wall for an half-hour burns 150 calories..

Great News Wrapped in Saddening Circumstances

A couple of days ago, I woke up on great news.I was really really relieved. Sami el Hajj is OUT!After 6 years of Guantanamic suffering , he was finally released. I remember praying for the guy a couple of times. I mean really praying for the guy.Almost nothing in this world is saddening as first-degree injustice.

Then when I actually watched the news at Al-Jazeera, and saw how he was carried by soldiers because he was too weak, and how he was transported right away to the hospital for his health condition, and how much weight he lost, due to hunger strikes..I felt..I felt..I felt angry, frustrated but happy that things will hopefully get better for him.

Then I heard him speak.. with such heavenly perseverance, something out of this world really. I was impressed. He is a living example of strong will.I would never forget the sparkle in his weary eyes, the strength in his weak voice, nor the sadness in his smile. You could not help but respect the guy and wish that we had more like him.I mean no wonder he got locked up.

Although I never heard Al-Hajj speak before, but I got the feeling that imprisonment changed him. Of course it did, but what went through my mind was that 6 years ago maybe the only thing that was of his focus is how to make a living, build up a career,or pursuit an exciting shot worth putting in the news. But now, I believe that he would have a wider perspective of things, more important issues on his minds, more enemies and simply a different life a head of him. But none of that is anything other than speculations of distant viewer.Overall, I think and hope that he got the best out of this situation, although the word "situation" is a terrible understatement.



You could watch a video Here, read more about it Here and Here.

A lesson learned over Sham El-Neseem

"The more effort people exert trying to project a certain image, the less this image is reflective of what they truly behold."
-- gjoe.

MultiTasking

dammit

عليا جنيه و ربع و مش فاكرة لمين

Learn Dee..LEARN!

Dragging Myself To Work

I always have initiation issues.Starting any task is always not easy for me. It doesn't matter whether it's a phone call or a presentation that I have to prepare, whether it's reading a book or even organizing my desk. As long as I have the notion of "waraya 7aga a3melha" I always postpone what it is I have to do. It's not that I don't do it eventually, but I don't start doing it until I am really option-less. I know people who think "Start doing what you have to do to get it over with". I don't think that way. The way I think is more like "Why do it now when I can do it afterwards?"

These days specifically, I have a dragging-myself-to-work problem. This is should not be the case since I very much like my new work place. It's quiet, but not boring,I am barely distracted, ,I am very productive and it is 2 minutes away from Cilantro.Why do I dread going to work every morning, I have no idea. But what I am sure of is that I go to work late from 1-2 hours everyday, just because I don't feel like it, and that I will still stay up late in any case..So, "Why go now when I'll finish what it is I have to do anyways?".


Just 2 days ago, I was up and doing some work from 4 am in the morning. When it was time to get ready for work, I got dressed up and then slept on the couch for 1 hour.I woke up, didn't like what I was wearing so I changed. This bought me another 30 minutes. I am totally aware that subconsciously, I did that so that I won't go to work on time.

When my co-worker asked me why was I late, I replied "Ra7et 3allaya nooma".



P.S:You might wonder how do I get away with going late at work.Feen el beeh el modeer? Well, the thing is he told us that there is no "strict" office hours.He doesn't come every day and when he does, it's not before 3. But theoretically speaking, we should come from 9 to 5.

Wondering..

I was wondering; To what extent is a person responsible for the state of things around him? I mean things are not looking good, right?Neither globally nor locally.. But again, what does an "individual" has to do to make things better? How far is one contributing to the well-being of his surrounding environment? Where does someone stop?Is it enough to set a good example? Or do we have to work in groups to set a significant change?How much damage is done to have people who are believers in "hopeless case" and that things would never get better? How much damage is done if we had people who simply chose to shut up about the wrong they see everyday?Is it enough to be a person who is كافي خيره شره?


For example, it gets more crowded everyday; If I bought a new car, won't that have a negative effect on traffic jams?Global warming?But it is more serious than just that.

What my question really is: Individually speaking,How 'significant' a change has to be?