June is the New January, Beg to Differ?

People are saying that i changed... a part of me duz bileev that i did.. i just took a moment to reflect, nd i guess now i realize that i have grown to be quieter, i speak when spoken to and only start up conversations that im certain will be of interest to me... im much more composed, thoughtful if u may... i used to go with the flow, even if it makes me feel uncomfortable, but now that i realize that its time-consuming and time is of the essence, i opt to do otherwise. nd that to them is me changing.

Silence is under-rated.

but since when is that a crime? i dont bileev this indirectly lessens my sentiments towards the ppl that claim such... its just that, being a composed person makes others assume things about u, things like u have nuthing to do.. hence, a whole lot is expectant of u (cuz well according to them, u have nuthing to do).. i let them be, them nd their false assumptions... nd so they claim that i changed...

now dont get me wrong, when i refer to ppl's claims.. i explicitly mean ppl close to me, cuz they r the ones that matter

im a firm bileever that everyone has obligations of their own, irrespective of what their obligations are, it demands energy and ur not required to publicly state wht it is thats keeping u occupied.

can u bileev that i actually paused to think of my username and password into this site? Proof that i havent been near this zone for long now.

so, ur all good? health nd otherwise?

Your Choice(s)...

I warn u that this post is probably the longest i have ever written. But i promise u that every word read, is worth every second spent. And ur input is very much appreciated.

It's not a matter of who's who or what's what, it's a matter of who's willing, capable, reliable, and well-equipped with all of wht's necessary. It's all about "putting the right person in the right place at the right time". I bet u have all heard by now that our government resigned a few days ago and they dissolved the parliament this afternoon. I watched the amir's official remarks that confirmed both occurrences via today's evening news. Wht really, really annoys me to utmost level is the ignorance, lack of awareness, and surprisingly the confidence of several kuwaiti voters. Please do sense the word several as i hate to generalize cuz i am certain that there are exceptional cases as i have been the victim of sum at previous times.

I had a seating with a friend of mine earlier this evening and we were discussing politics. Now u shud know that i am a HUGE supporter of the candidate Dr.Salwa Al-Jassar whose campaigning herself in the 2nd district. I honestly did not know of her until the last 2 years. I knew her after working alongside her in a project. she honestly proved to me her superior levels of competence, commitment, devotion to the work at hand, and above all her pride and loyalty to our beloved country Kuwait. She is:

• An Associate Professor with both higher degrees obtained from highly reputable institutions in the Unites States
• A member of the faculty of education and the faculty of graduate studies at Kuwait university.
• An active member in the kuwaiti society
• Chairman of the women empowerment association
• Member of the transparency society
• Consultant to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• Lectures potential candidates, heads leadership programs, develops and evaluates curricula, and trains teachers and educators

Having said all of that, she is much more that mere words wont suffice. I personally have attended some of her academic lectures and it's incredibly evident how devoted she is this profession. Do trust me when i categorize her as such, for i have came across several instructors that simply commit the task for the sake of committing it. Again, i am NOT generalizing.

The point of my post isn't to promote her, although the preceding text may have done so but all for the better. Back to the "putting the right person in the right place at the right time", the last parliamentary elections was the first time Dr.Salwa has experienced such grounds. She had only a month to prepare herself and well-acquaint herself with those that werent aware of her in the 2nd district. Regardless of all those obstacles, her overall presentation won her numerous votes that put her in the 15th position out of 49 candidates. Simply put, she was only 5 seats away from entering the parliament.

Do note, however, that she has managed to achieve such numerical figures without being a part of an alliance. It also was the first time for her to campaign herself. And aside from all that, she's a woman candidate. And those that have won were mostly males, previous parliamentary members, and a part of an alliance (so as to merge their number of voters with those of the other partner and expand that resulting figure).

I honestly do not want to get started on commenting on the women that i have personally approached that refused to vote for a female because they believed that females should stay at home! what society are we in? are they THAT close-minded? yes, there are roles solely for males, just like there are roles solely for females. but then again, there are those roles that are joint between both males and females, politics being one of them.

And dont get me started on those same females that decided to vote for other candidates that voted AGAINST the women having their right to vote. Yes, u may reread that sentence as it was a tongue-twister just typing it. How possible is it to contradict urself in that manner and proudly articulate it?

and then those that vote for incompetent candidates that have no background whtsoever but because they are the friend of a friend of a relative of a distant someone, they actually "desire" to do so! this is your country people, there arent any formalities necessary if it risks ur long-term well-being. that person whom u felt the "need" to vote for wont do u any good when an economic crisis creeps up on us or politics get out of hand. ull need a wise and educated individual thats capable of tackling such issues.

at my seating today with that friend of mine, she kept telling me how this particular candidate has brought a bunch of volunteers and how the candidate is paying them and wht have u. and those volunteers i do know on a close basis agree to work with the candiate only becuz saying that they're a part of that specific campaign elevates their status in an incredibly shallow way. seriously people, can one be that shallow-minded? and so i responded to her by saying: "ok so the candidate is in search for campaigning volunteers, perfectly normal and acceptable. but seriously why in the world wud i want to work for that candidate? the candidate has done nothing for kuwait and i personally dont view the candidate as being competent enough to take on such a position" she replies by saying: "on the contrary why not. the candidate is from a decent family and everyone knows the candidate." so wht has voting for a certain person became a fad that people foolishly and blindly give into so as not to be left out? is it like a balenciaga/chloe bag, Ugg boots, a juicy tracksuit, cartier charm bracelets? since when can politics be yet another materialistic luxury that one wud sacrifice to obtain?

Have a sense of responsibility. Give urself the opportunity to bileev in the capabilities of a potential someone. Have a word of ur own, for once.

The ultimate reason that i have chosen to work with Dr.Salwa, is not because i knew her nor because im a feminist or any of the sort... but because i truly believe in her ability to create a positive "change", just like i bileev in some male figures that are capable of positively contibuting in other neighboring districts. i knew for a fact that in the case of her winning, she would have been an extremely valuable asset to the kuwaiti society because her main objective was the country's and the people's overall well-being and satisfaction.

in the end, dont ever think that ur vote wont mean anything and that its just one vote it wont make that big of a difference. cuz the reality of the matter is that ur vote is one indeed, just like his vote is one, and her vote is one.. but wht does 1+1+1 add up to? 3. And i dont think that i need to mention those whose entry may rely on one more vote.

either way, ur vote is u speaking up. and u refusing to vote, is u agreeing to not contribute towards the stability of our country. and in the case of a crisis breaking out (of any sort, god forbid) u have no right whtsoever to speak your mind on the issue at hand, for u have chosen to remain quiet when u were given the opportunity to speak up.

All im saying is that ur vote is crucial. please do not feel the need to vote for someone for the reason of a mere acquaintance, or him/her providing u with sum necessary funds, or because voting for such a family name may possibly elevate ur societal status.

yajima3a, ta3abna min ila7zab, wilqabayil, wiltayarat. o jad likwait mu lilbay3. '3ala haldeera may3adil cham baiza.

simply, browse ur options, attend lectures, weigh ur choices with intellect and foresight, and help "put the right person in the right place at the right time".

For more information, visit Dr.Salwa Al-Jassar's site at www.saljassar.com

UPDATE:

• May 16 --> Voting Day
• You'll Need: to be registered to vote + your "jinsiya"
• You're eligible to: vote for a maximum of 4 candidates on your voting ballot, and a minimum of 1 candidate. You cannot vote for the same candidate twice, otherwise your ballot will be disqualified. If you're determined to support one candidate only, it is best to vote for him/her only and no one else (a.k.a. "9owt mag6o3")

EI

im feeling this song right now, mind u it's in arabic. u guessed it right, my itunes is a medley of wht i view the best of the best... arabic, english, italian, french, orchestral music and much more.

3abdu sez: mayihim ile tiwala3 fy '3aram ilward... sigaha iblahfat anfasa
And so 3abdu rocks. Like big time people.

and guess wht else they say about me? That im an "engaged idealist"... hmm ...ill get back to u on that

I think that one shud dress for the place and not the people. it's a coffee shop, regardless if that coffee shop is Caribou Al-Salhiya or Starbux Free Zone on a busy evening. People it's a coffee shop, a place to relax and enjoy ur sips while working comfortably. So why get all dressed up like ur going to an engagement party? Im not saying that u shud look all raggedy and laid-back, just decent and cleaned up like u always appear, but in a comfortable and not an energy-draining manner. A recent thought.

So, do u wana laugh?

!

Our society (and when i say society, i mean my kuwaiti society in particular) is seriously deprived of the presence of the opposite sex. ok, ok, before u all start biting my head off (literally) allow me to further clarify myself.. i do not mean to generalize the least bit, for i am aware that there are several out there capable of proving me otherwise (myself included)... but the majority of my acquaintances have led me to such a conclusion. Although, this same majority can very much reflect a societal minority, but that's enough demographics for one post.

Keeping in mind what was said before-hand, it just astounds me how a guy enters the room and literally stares down every girl in sight, while a girl enters the room and suddenly becomes all flirtatious with every guy that approaches her and begins chuckling like there's no tomorrow! I mean, why can't a room be entered for the sole sake of entering it?! Why is it so incredibly difficult to act in a "normal" and "sane" manner when around the opposite sex? And yes i do say sane because i find their acts completely out of the ordinary, uncalled for, immature on various levels, and very unprofessional-like.

I'm guessing that it's quite evident, by now, that sumthing has brought this about.. well yes, i have spent the past few days in a certain engagement that has pretty much gave me a bird's-eye view of my surroundings and i find it unfortunate that wht i have witnessed are the acts of a homogeneous society. And the ones that differ in nature do indeed stand out unintentionally.

And sumthing else happened today as well... sumthing that has never ever happened to me in my life... i stood there in utter shock that i actually reached a point of denial and second-thinking, right before i decided to flee the zone....

So there i was standing amidst a crowd and mingling here and there... approaching me was this supposedly high-authority figure from abroad... we chit-chatted for a short while abt politics, academics, economics, and pretty much touched upon various areas of matter... we ended our dialogue with the topic of conservatism.


Him: So why don't you wear a "niqab" here in kuwait?

Me: Because in this end of the world, that's a choice and not an obligation.

Him: But it only became a choice after the Americans came to kuwait.

Me: Actually, ever since kuwait was founded religion was never exercised as an obligation; we aren't a totalitarian regime... and those that do choose to wear it do so out of desire. but our cultural traditions emphasize conservatism in the way that u shud be decent looking and u shudint expose wht needs not to be. but in the end, it's completely up to u. no legalities involved.

Him: but even in saudi they don't drive and they're so strict and if u and i were there, this conversation wud have never taken place.

Me: that is true to sum extent, i guess it depends on the particular setting itself.. but ya generally speaking, saudi is more conservative than kuwait and wearing a veil is a must.

Him: so is it alright with you if we take a picture as a "kuwaiti souvenir" for when i get back to my home country?

(NOTE: now this guy was like 60-something if not 70 and he was a complete foreigner and i just happened to meet him right then and there, and the position"s" he holds weren't a little, he was a highly reputable figure the least to say)

Me: Sure.. (once again note that all of our back-and-forth dialogue was in a very professional nd diplomatic manner)

*so this passer-by agrees to take our picture and wht does this "highly-reputable" guy do? He freakin' felt me up!! i was in complete shock that i just left! and he left as well! the place was crowded as is, so he probably thought that i'd brush it off or sumthing but the fact that that was the 1st time it EVER happened to me, REALLY got me aggravated... i kept quiet though but seriously, all this professionalism and "conservative" talk u'd think he'd have the decency to at least respect me, but no. Perhaps if i reflect back tomorrow i might get a laugh out of how he actually thought that it was possible to 'get a kick out of me'.

A Moment of Your Time

"3ado 3aduwik, 9adeqik" a.k.a. "the enemy of your enemy is your friend"

think about it... it's highly probable...

"...to win the respect of intelligent people, to earn the appreciation of honest critics... to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
~Ralph Emerson

I completely agree.

Silence is key...

What is it with the other's burning desire to stimulate a conversation whenever time calls for one (in their perspective that is)... Has silence lost its virtue in this end of the world?

Silence is truly under-rated.. at times, i find it of greater value than mere words that die once articulated.. silence is key for contemplating and its various analyses makes matters that much more interesting...

I was out sumwhere earlier today and i was directed to this room.. as i waited for a few minutes, i noticed this lady sneaking a glance at me every time she had a chance to... i was aware of her actions but i chose to let her be and avoided maintaining eye contact simply cuz i was preoccupied... u'd think she'd understand my motive of wanting to be kept alone...

u see, i use my time wisely....

Her: Excuse me ma'am..
Me: *still looking away, hoping to dear god that she was directing her excuses to sumone else*
Her: umm... 7abooba? (a.ka. sweety)
Me: *7abooba? seriously?! ok now im going to look away harder, as if that's even possible!*
Her: *shifting her weight and this time using body language to attract my attention* Ma'am.
Me: *giving up* Yes..?
Her: Hi! how are you? :)
Me: um.. il7imdila ibkhair (i'm fine)
*now if she were smart she'd realize that i didnt reciprocate that question, in other words i dont want to chit-chat*
Her: What do you think of this and that? If i were to do this, would that happen? I mean, i used to question how people who go about it, but now im simply curious.... (and she carried on speaking her mind while i respectfully kept nodding and considerately gave in for i had no other choice)

Lady in charge: Excuse me, L.R.?
Me: Yes?! *enthusiastically that is*

Finally, i was saved by the lady in charge...

I do understand the sweetness factor playing a role and the social being embedded in her personality, on the contrary i applaud her for both those traits for i have been told of acquiring the like.. but i still value silence very much so and there are certain times when random conversations can be initiated and times when they aren't a necessity... i guess talking in general (including gossip) is a cultural trait that several possess... i hope she resolved her dilemma(s) though..

Questionable Traditional Doings...

I dont really understand the concept of "istiqbal" (a.k.a. a formal get-together known in the Middle East to serve an ultimate purpose). For instance, a woman recently delivers a baby and she decides to have an istiqbal.. then she goes about gathering all of her extended family and friends (that she doesn't care for but instead is obligated to invite them for the event's sake)... it's as if she's saying "people all around gather and celebrate my new-born, see how lovely he/she is, yes celebrate his/her delivery along with me", i mean yes he/she is cute indeed but that's not the point..

i always thought that giving birth shud be sumthing sentimental... an occurrence that'll truly be appreciated by your immediate family and closest friends; them with which u shud be around and not the random ppl that u meet on an annual basis... do u really think that the daughter of ur mum's second cuzin cares? and yet she still shows up and ur still obligated to smile and ask about her well-being...

oh and don't get me started on those that place an order for custom-made chocolates with their baby's name on it 4 months in advance! seriously? this has became the unfortunate norm..

what about the istiqbals that take place when one comes back from Hajj? Last i checked, Hajj is asked of us capable and willing Muslims by God.. and upon executing that mission, all praise shud be given to him only... so why send an 'sms' to half the ladies in Kuwait (literally), inviting them? And for what really?

I am aware that this is all part of our cultural traditions, but did anyone ever take a moment to reflect as to the reasoning of such activities? Why go ahead with an action if ur initially questioning its essence? If u bileev in the validity of such occassions, then by all means do go about that business....

It's quite evident that i was an an istiqbal yesterday evening... come to think of it, i drafted this post just before i left... but i'm still astounded by how many give these get-togethers their undeserved significance.. i find it meaningless, a waste of time, not cost-effective at all, and most importantly a bunch of unnecessary formalities that need to be conducted.

-----------------------------------------------

On another note, should there be a crisis in this world and people are literally going to drop dead if i choose not to karaoke, then rest assured i've chosen my 2 songs...

So... u wanna karoake along with me? u know, to save people from dying and all

The Book of Your Life

They say that everyday is a new day... With every day that passes by, you flip to a new page in the Book of Your Life... Sometimes, it's pleasant to go back a few chapters for the sake of reminiscing... Perhaps even awaken a memory or 2 and make them a reality (if doing so is indeed possible)...

At times, it may do you well...

It's only through apparent appreciation that one is capable of further contributing...

So will you continue giving if all you're getting is something that resembles nothing?

I was tagged.

So im supposed to say 25 things about myself. Some points are recurring, but then again they wudint be personal facts if they weren't rite? And in the end i'm supposed to tag sum of u, so here goes...

1) I'm addicted to strained baby food, u know the little glass containers they sell in supermarkets that are packaged in swiss? The ones with natural fruits mashed into sumwht of a liquid texture, for *cough* 6-month babies? Ah... ya.

2) Certain pictures bring back pleasant memories. There's a painted moral that i absolutely adore.

3) I'm attentive to the needs of those i care for.

4) I don't bileev that penguins exist.

5) I don't bileev in guns. I refuse to bileev that a mere device has the power of taking away one's soul in less than a second. I think it takes much more than that.

6) Ppl in costumes freak the hell out of me. It's no joke. I remember once arriving to college only to find a costumed figure standing at the entrance of one of our university's buildings. I decided to take that day off right then and there.

7) I bileev in the laws of attraction. If u genuinely think of sumthing, you'll attract it.

8) Superstitions are a mystery to me. Simply put, i abide by the "better safe than sorry" approach, so why walk under a ladder when u can easily go around it?

9) I'm loyal when it comes to certain issues. Way too loyal at times.

10) 24 personal facts are way too much.

11) 25 are even much more!

12) I can't stand tomatoes. Lord hav mercy on the souls of those that eat them

13) Old Kuwaity songs bring out another side of me. True lyrics deserve much appreciation.

14) Socially speaking, it's quality and not quantity. A worthy sum1 can down right account for 20 unworthy ones. But diplomacy is a must.

15) The scent of a mowed lawn (i.e. freshly, cut grass) scares me. My subconscious associates that scent to negative memories that I cannot seem to pinpoint. I have a distinct feeling that it involves a black dog...

16) This one is in arabic. Ma7ib il wa7id yista'3filny, simply cuz i'm not gullible.

17) One shud always create his own rules in life and set his own standards... and because of that, i have decided to stop right here.

....My list, my rules ;p

P.s. sum may disagree to certain points, but they're merely "personal" facts.

Politics.

It's either left or right.
Choosing both directions is simply childish nonsense... why do you have to be the one that compromises the non-existent common ground?

And in return to such a compromise, u witness the days where different directions are chosen... and astoundingly, it is expectant of you to act accordingly only to suffice the need put forth...

A certain group of the society intrigues me... I'm not exactly referring to who they are in person nor their various beliefs (for i have not yet come to know them well enough for me to do so)... but i have noticed that the individualistic world they occupy reflects their serenity in the midst of what may seem chaotic to me...

At times, I long to be drawn in for a second or two for the sake of curiosity... simply to see what it is that's occupying their every contemplation...

These days, it seems that what interests the majority are the materialistic aspects of life. I have forever conversed about this matter, and among the several conclusions that i have drawn is that the commonality shared within such a group is their likeness to these meaningless aspects.

They perceive a normal person as being abnormal, objectionable, and completely out of the ordinary... when in reality, u r the true person at heart and blessed that ur attracted to the broad image rather than the insignificant details that compose it.

Prosperity isn't measured by certain quanitities of marked papers... it is the wealth of a soul and the humbleness of a person, the wisdom he parts and the personality he posseses. That is what'll eternally remain, and that is what's most significant.