Tuesday, October 31, 2006

wise man's words

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it - Henry David Thoreau

I believe very much in that, but hoped that there would be another version for luck like; "Luck usually comes to those who don't search for it," but unfortunately didn't work

Monday, October 30, 2006

Egyptian Engineers are heros

Believe it or not.....they call me A WORKHOLICin my company. I don't know exactly how many hours the Dutch dudes can perform during the week, but I start to have a feeling that Fridays are considered as a weekend, and Mondays as the begining of the week are half working days, and Thursdays are full working days, but the second half of it is spent on discussing everybody's plans for the weekend.
I like that semi-working environment, but probably will feel sick after sometime working like that........shall anybody got an idea of studying engineering in Egypt, or working as a starting job in an engineering company in Egypt, would understand what the hell I'm talking about.

P.S.: if you're not familiar with studying engineering in Egypt;
1. In the first week of semester, we get exams to examine our knowledge from the previous semesters, although they know that you've passed the exams to be sitting in that class
2. Be ready to have an exam at anytime about anything in the syllabus or outside it......yes, outside it, I've got once a quiz with a question asking about Global warming!!
3. Although in my school in the Netherlands, we're not allowed to stay in campus after 18h, in my school in Egypt - despite that we sometimes had classes till 20h or even 22h - I remember once we're not allowed to leave the campus before delivering a project, and some of us stayed in campus till the following day
4. You may find yourself in a mission-impossible-style-situations like to deliver a paper of designing a building manually and individually in 4 days, while in the most technologically developed comapnies do it in sometimes over 3 months - but of course the second condition is applicable with the social community and friendly spirit (used to be like teams of 10 people working on the "individual" projects)
5. We normally get loads of books every semester, and some people do actually study from them, but at the exams we normally get questions that has nothing to do with the things written in books. The default answer for complaining about that is: "yes, we know it's not there, but we're not teaching you engineering, we're developing your minds"......YES, TRUE, bullshit
6. Exams aren't meant to examine your knowledge as much examining your crisis management, secret cooperation, and "being-cold-tempered-under-pressure" skills

P.S.2: if you don't know what happens for graduate engineers in starting jobs in Egypt;
1. The default sentence that you get on the first day of work......ah, so you're the fresh graduate - and then evilish-back-laugh - so this is how you should start performing -----> the site bitch - office bitch would be much nicer job.
2. What do you think you're. bless your soul, are you complaining for having overtime-unpaid hours!! come on, you're only working for 16 hours a day!! and sometimes once a week for 24 hours a day, and some other times for 30 something hours a day, but this occurs only like once a month
3. What are you? an engineer!! don't believe much in that........even the least experienced plain labour on site knows about construction more than you
4. Don't expect to have a company's car, it's fine that your own car is still surviving for few months after going through the screwed roads of construction sites everyday
5. If you don't get a sunburn signs on your face or get what the Spanish people call "trucks drivers sun-V-sign" - what trucks drivers get on their chests from spending much time in the sun wearing V-shaped t-shirts.......then you're not working hard enough and you don't deserve any promotions, or extra allowance, or even one day off, called in other countries as one of the two weekend days.


10 things

Tom, I like the idea of the sharing time.........the same for me, probably some people knows about such things that happened to me, but nobody in the world knows about all of them

10 things you probably don't know about me

1. Once, I had a notice from the police and was supposed to stay over the night in custody for a "hit and run" case, but I "kind of" escaped from the police raid, and later on was convicted and senctenced to a fine of 200 EGPs - equivalent to 30 euros.

2. I have borrowed a friend's car - an awesome god-damn-powerful 4x4 Jeep Wrangler with 280 hp - and if you've ever trie driving one of those road-runners, you'll understand what I'm talking about!! I smashed a poor Hyundai's driver's door, when the guy parked in a wrong space and opened the door when I was racing with another friend in a narrow street in Alexandria and was trying to pass from a trash car that was blocking the street!! well, though the Hyundai's ended up with a half-sized door on the ground, but the Jeep hasn't got any damages!! I love those matchbox cars

3. I spent a night sleeping in a train station in somewhere in Germany in a homeless-style

4. I was called from a plane in Germany and was accompanied by few officers back to the terminal in the airport, when they've found my extra stuff that I ditched because of having overweight in my bags after a long argument with the stewardess and not allowing me in cabin with a back-pack. I was scared to death when I entered the terminal and found an isolated security cordon of at least 10 meters around my ditched stuff, because the officers doubted a small toolbox - that looked suspicious - in a 9/11 style, except that it was before 9/11

5. I am staying illegaly now in the Netherlands without a residence permit, and in an illegal house (not registered in the city council)

6. I have spent some time in a jail, but wasn't jailed

7. I was going to stay for another homeless-style night in a Dutch city called Nijmegen after partying for a whole day - I mean from 9 a.m. till 2 a.m. - in Amsterdam on Queen's day, when I slept over in the train and missed my stop, but after the guy responsible for the station kicked me off the station and was going to spend the night in the freezing street, he came back to me and offered me a drive to my house in Arnhem

8. My house in Arnhem got broken into and my laptop was stolen, and couple of days later, i've found 2 guys walking nearby the house with the same description that some neighbours told me of the theives, and after chasing them wearing a home shirt and shorts in a cold winter night, I got their names and addresses, and reported them to the police in a crazy night

9. I've just discovered that around a year ago, when I was moving from my house in Cairo, that I had on my last year in highschool 11 warnings to be expelled from my school due to bad behaviour

10. Once, was travelling with some friends in Germany by train, when I discovered that I've forgotten my ticket, wallet and have got ZERO cash over me. I hopped off the train in a random stop when I've seen the conductor coming to our wagon, to find myself in probably the smallest village I've ever been to, with around 10 families houses and one "store", and spent the rest of the day between hitch-hiking, hopping in and off regional trains, and walking over highways.

Friday, October 27, 2006

can you get busy with......some coffee!!

Yesterday remarked few days being really tensioned and busy finishing a part of my thesis, and was really tired with lack of sleep and much going around in the hollowness of my brain.........Actually, all that are nothing but just an excuse for the mess that I did in the office!! Yep, well I guess a mess is quite of a nice word for describing for what's happened.
The normal ritual of drinking coffee in the office is asking everybody if they want to drink as well, and making it for them, and somebody else prepare it and pour it for the caffiene-needers and so I did............I started the coffee machine, and left it for Suzanne to bring it over, but because she was so lazy, she forgotten to. Sometime later, I went back to the kitchen to bring it, when I've found everybody in the office are standing outside the kitchen staring at something inside as if there's a dead body in there....it didn't took me much time to see my boss really angry while cleaning the kitchen, when she asked me if I'm the PERSON who did the coffee?! replying positively, she gave me a cold look and throwing a comment that the next time to make coffee I need to put the coffee put in the machine, or otherwise it will flood the whole kitchen again with coffee.........F U C K!!
I must have been unconsious while making coffee to make that!! but then watching her cleaning over, made me feel like shrinking and disappearing in my shoes......specially, when everybody started asking....hey, did you made a coffee, yes yes yes, it's me WRONGDOER, so what?! are you going to execute me for that?! damnit, I don't want to be in such situation again, but then trying to look as if nothing happened and have the weird fake Dutch smile on my face worked out. After 2 hours of people talking about how the incident has taken place and what were the factors that lead to that horrible act, but by the end of the day, I made sure that there a memory erase for everybody and nobody was talking about it anymore.

Automatic Doors


Thursday, October 26, 2006

Mr. Wilde's wise words

The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense inferiority of everybody else, and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated - Oscar Wilde

So!! this is how snobishism is being developed?! Well, I agree with Mr. Wilde (alah yer7amo) in that wise words except for the part of "everybody else"......I mean you've to get yourself aligned within the surrounding environment, and knowing that the "immense inferiority" of some people exists, but it's not everybody else.......and it's true that it develops self-confidence, but with adding "everybody else"'s part, sounds like over-confidence and this is what destroys people instead.
It's smart to know the thin-red-line that separates between both.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Egypt monitoring US elections!!

I don't know why such news can't be found anywhere other than in Egyptian newspapers!!
I've found this article in a newspaper only in Arabic version....but the headline says that Washington have asked some leaders from the ruling NDP and others from the Egyptian opposition parties to monitor the American congress elections.....well, the article says that the chosen people are 5, 3 from NDP, 1 from Tagamo' (Reforming party), and 1 from Wafd (Delegation) which is the oldest and major opposing party in Egypt. The article stated that the reason behind that is to prove that free and democratic countries has got no fears from getting their elections monitored.
fair enough??!!

Friday, October 20, 2006

Where's Mubarak?

This has been a point of criticism for the Egyptian newspapers for long time, specially the government run ones like Ahram, that Mubarak's name is always in one of the major headlines on the first page, and that Egypt's a country that's centralised on Mubarak's, which I quite disagree upon.....but however, I was just checking Ahram tonite when I found that Mubarak's name isn't mentioned in the whole newspaper, and not even in sub-sub-articles!! does anybody knows what's wrong?!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

College entrance exam

College Entrance Exam: For Football Players
spacer
and can be used for qualifications exam of Dutch policemen as well
You Must Answer Two (2) or More Questions Correctly to Qualify.

1. What language is spoken in France?
2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions. OR Give the first name of PIERRE Trudeau.
3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to: (a) build a bridge (b) sail the ocean (c) lead an army (d) WRITE A PLAY
4. What religion is the Pope? (Check only one) (a) Jewish (b) CATHOLIC (c) Hindu (d) Swedish (e) Agnostic
5. Metric conversion. How many feet in 0.0 meters?
6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 1?
7. How many commandments was Moses given? (Approximate)
8. What are people in America's far north called? (a) Westerners (b) Southerners (C) NORTHERNERS
9. Spell -- CAT, DOG, PIG
10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five.

EXTRA CREDIT: Using your fingers, count from 1-5.

I love you mom

Well, Ramadan hasn't ended yet, but during the month so far, was trying to be a good boy, and I think I did so well in it, which was mission impossible for me living in such house like mine!! it's because of nothing except that my conversations with my housemates aren't Ramdan-friendly ones, concerning that we're swearing, cursing, talking about people, and sharing past (or current) adventure stories all the time......which is the biggest obstacle, but I did it :) EXCEPT for today!!
well, today I had the very wrong start of the day, logging to internet to check couple of e-mails, when I found my mom's online.....and while talking to moms should be normally a peaceful relaxing laid-back conversation, but not with me......well, after the first couple of minutes of the conversation, I started realising that I won't end up this day fasting......and it was!!

The second situation was when I got that post from the insurance company telling me that they can't pay me the claim for medication till I get a detailed medical report from the hospital......GRRRRRR. called the hospital, but didn't work....they told me that they can't handle me MY medical report cos they doubt I may go to the pharmacy and get the medication again (such a primitive mentality).......anway, called the insurance again and asked them to send the hospital their claim, but they told that I've to do myself or otherwise it'll take about 3 to 4 months to get such report and I'm allowed by law to get such report........d**n (Ramadan-friendly cursing).......when Femke found me murmling curses and having smoke coming out of head, she offered me to call them in Dutch and try to "find her way", and she DID.......my credit for lawyers got a minus one less.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Chop the strange fish

we were always having such kind of jokes about literal translating from Egyptian dialect to English and how stupid it looks like, but this is very original!!! simply, 'cause they're signs in Beijing's streets like "No entry on peace time", "Racist park", or in a restaurant's menu; "corrugated iron beef", "government abuse chicken", or "chop the strange fish".

Awesome!! the extent for Egyptian MIS-USAGE of English might be "welcome in Egypt, the mother of the world"

Helisoft

A helicopter was flying around above Seattle when an electrical malfunction disabled all of the aircraft's electronic navigation and communications equipment.

Due to the clouds and haze, the pilot could not determine the helicopter's position. The pilot saw a tall building, flew toward it, circled, and held up a handwritten sign that said "WHERE AM I?" in large letters. People in the tall building quickly responded to the aircraft, drew a large sign, and held it in a building window. Their sign said "YOU ARE IN A HELICOPTER."

The pilot smiled, waved, looked at his map, determined the course to steer to SEATAC airport, and landed safely. After they were on the ground, the copilot asked the pilot how he had done it.

"I knew it had to be the Microsoft Building, because they gave me a technically correct but completely useless answer."

That's not a true story.....it's just a joke, right?!

can I make a mess!!


This was what I was thinking of 10 mins ago, when I went off my room to get hit with a washing line hanged in the middle of the corridor and then going to the kitchen to discover that nothing's in the right place, beside the feeling that there was a little explosion took place, and ended up with everything everywhere except in their right place!!

Holy crap.....I like the Greek mythology about Chaos of life ;)

Thursday, October 12, 2006

On a day like today

Free is all you gotta be dream dreams no one else can see
Sometimes you wanna run away but you never know what may be comin round your way ya ya ya
On a day like today the whole world could change
The suns gonna shine shine thru the rain
On a day like today Ya never wanna see the sun go down
Somewhere there's a place for you I know that you believe it too
Sometimes if you wanna get away All you gotta know is what we got is here to stay
All the way
On a day like today no one complains
Free to be pure free to be sane
On a day like today

I love this master piece by Bryan Adams

over trusting TECH!!



For non-Dutch speakers:
Title; The GreenLeft (a political party) launches the Femfem-navigation (a fancy programme developed by the party)
1st: Kickass NS (Dutch Railway) man!! we've been going in rounds for 2 hours!!
driver: I don't get it either.....the FemFem is keeping on showing "keep on the left side"

Although it's kind of irrelevant but this 'toon reminded me of some stories about people's over trust of technology that sometimes lead them to nowhere.
Got this story from a british friend, as this was a big hit in the NEWS and aroused some debates about the usage of the navigators!! Once a car ended up in a river because the GPS showed that there was a traffic jam at one highway and recommended an alternative route, which was obviously misleading, but the belief of the driver led him to follow the route even when it showed that he has to cross the river by the car!!
Another one from Ghana, was when some aiesecers were working on an HIV project, and they decided to initiate an awareness campaign and ended them up in a small village and they started demonstrating to people that they should use condoms during sex and were using tree branches for the demonstration, and after a period of time, they went to the same village to check the results of the campaign to discover that the people's over-trust in technology leaded them to place the condoms on a tree's branch before doing sex!!

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

History of the middle-east

see 5,000 years of history in 90 seconds

Struggle is nature's way for strengthening.

this dialogue went on between 2 friends;

guy1: I believe that you've the power to stop your addiction to drugs......I'll hold your drugs pack with me till you ask me for it 3 times and then I'll give it back to you
guy2: why are you doing this to me? are you trying to torture me? you could have just thrown it away and then get me no choice
guy1: wrong....it's not good to be left with no choices, it's better to use your own will to overcome your addiction, and that's what makes a difference between you and him (pointing at a pig)
guy1: come on, I'll show you something (standing in front of a cocoon)........can you see that small hole in that cocoon? it's the baby butterfly trying to find its way out of that strong-held silk made cocoon, and I can easily use my dagger to softly widen the hole and help it out of the cocoon, but then it'll be so weak to survive the environment.......Struggle is nature's way of strengthening

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

do you know L.O.V.E?


After studying maths for god damn long torturement time have bumped in this amazing chart that shud have been made by a bloody hell math geek sent from injustice heaven
here's an explanation from a person who studied "maths":
roots of love = unknown
'cause of love = unknown
integration of love = unknown
matrix of love = nobody can solve it till now
function of love = so complicted to explain

But that's why the approach isn't working!!

how to lose a bag (2)

this is the second episode of the series of the lost bag:
The Egyptian post has succeeded in impressing me!! however everything......the bag was supposed to reach me after 3 weeks from the sending date, but guess what?! It went to NL in a week and took 10 days to go back to Egypt, with the reason as written on it ONBEKEND!! - Dutch for Unknown - probably they couldn't find the address that don't match the postcode that don't match the city that was written on it.......anyway, it's good that the bag is safe 'n' sound, and nothing is missing from it, which is another thing that impressed me much, but I STILL DON'T HAVE IT!!

moon vs. mercury

thumbs up for saudis.........go ahead guys, I know that you're striving and doing your best not be following the Egyptian rules and I know it's hard, but just one thing......DON'T FOLLOW MERCURY!!
'cause it's the wrong one

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