Halloween

Why it feels good. Blogging, writing and getting back to the old me been something I did not feel through out this full year. I have never this down in my life.. I would say that's partially because of my work... Actually, I believe that's mainly because of my work which is affecting everything my personal life.. Just read someone saying, "You are responsible about your own happiness" and I have not felt that in quite sometime for now.

 

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, " a lot of people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprint in your hearts."

 

All of us have our own believes and morals, regardless of their source - be it religion, behaviour, society, etc.. , they remain something that guide us through as long as we are within the some atmosphere.

Sometimes however, when we leave that particular atmosphere, we become more fragile to our surroundings and the new "morals/believes/society."with different levels of being influenced/altered.

Moving to other atmospheres where your inner part starts discovering new things and seeing a change, potentially positive or chances are negative, becomes a challenging part in your life and how to cope with change is difficult. Human beings by nature are resistant to change and for those who are, I recommend a small book called "Who moved my cheese"

Although born in Saudi and moving to Sharjah did not affect me massively. Even moving to Dubai where you have at least one person from each nationality in that country every month, The challenge happened earlier this year in January 08 when I started going out and the type of atmosphere I engaged in was different from the one I was brought up in/ had my believes from. It was difficult for me and the amount of stress and work I used to go through made me try to look for a proportional level of joy somewhere else. My alternative was something different to what I believed i

Technorati Tags: Change,Love,RameeI,RosieG,Return,Photography

n. When you go through the same level of stress everyday, you start want to find some thing that is more and more joyful.

To be continued.. The person who I met and reverted me back..

Anyway, I met someone that around two weeks ago, to be precise, on Ramee's birthday in Roof bottom. Someone who believed in what the old Tareq

Read it to the very end..

 

---

A girl asked a guy if he thought she was pretty,
He said...no.
She asked him if he would want to be with her forever...and he said no.
She then asked him if she were to leave would he cry, and once again he replied with a no.
She had heard enough. As she walked away, tears streaming down her face the boy grabbed her arm and said..
You're not pretty you're beautiful.
I don't want to be with you forever, I NEED to be with you forever.
And I wouldn't cry if you walked away...I'd die...
SO NOW I WILL SAY:
I like you because of who you are to me...A true friend.
And if I don't get this back I'll take the hint.
Tonight at midnight your true love will realize they like you.
Something good will happen to you at 1:00-4:00 PM tomorrow.
It could be anywhere -- AOL, Yahoo, outside of school, anywhere.
Get ready for the biggest shock of your life.
Please send to 15 people in 15 minutes.
Remember:
'A good friend will come bail you out of jail....
But a true friend will be sitting next to you saying ...
WE screwed up, but we had fun! '
Proud to be your Friend!
Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence, and don't skip ahead.
I've learned...that life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned...that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned...that money doesn't buy class.
I've learned...that it's those small daily
happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned...that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned...that the Lord didn't do it all in one day.
What makes me think I can?
I've learned...that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned.
I've learned...that the less time I have to work, the more things I get done.

41 things for a happy life..

1. When you wake up in the morning, always start your day with a prayer/vision.
2. And then, complete the following statement, My purpose is to__________ today.
3. Take a 10 to 30-minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
4. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
5. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
6. Drink plenty of water and fresh juices. Eat blueberries, salad, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds, etc.
7. Make at least three people smile each day.
8. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present.
9. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone, so give the best of your kindness.
11. Take yourself seriously.
12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others either.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. So, be happy.
16. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
17. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
18. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
19. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: In five years, will it matter? Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
20. Forgive everyone for everything.
21. Read more books and watch less TV than you did last year.
22. What other people think of you is none of your business.
23. God has everything you'll every need in life so hook up with Him.
24. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
25. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation; don't bring up the past.
26. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
27. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
28. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
29. Keep believing that the best is yet to come.
30. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
31. Each day give something good to others.
32. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
33. Sleep for 7 hours every day or whatever your body needs.
34. Don't trust someone who doesn't close their eyes when you kiss them.
35. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
36. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.
37. Do the right thing!
38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for__________ Today I accomplished_________
39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40. Trust in God, but lock your car.
41. Realize that as you get older, you are not approaching death, but heaven.

To fall again..

there are times in life; when you fall in love and think you find the right person; then not be able to overcome them and when you loose them, you feel it's the end of the world. History repeats itself; but how many times.. It's our responsibility to learn from our mistake and know when to stop doing the same mistake.

You love, and overcome; then love again and over come again. The question is when to love write and what is it that you want to love in the right person.. There is nothing more beautiful than love birds.. You put two loves birds in a cage, you see how they start looking into each other from far away; then the males approaches the female slowly; until they start talking and making love.. It's an instinct. Not only in animals or birds, but also human.

Today; I went to meet someone my mom has met not very long time ago. You meet a lot of people in your life.. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said; a lot of people will walk in and out of your life; but only few ones will leave footprint in your heart. We started our pre-scheduled 45-minute visit at 7:00 PM. Welcome by the mother and then the daughter to be seated; our actual session starts later than 7:00 o'clock.

Starting by 5 minutes of silence; and who sits where and why; we eventually sat sort of close to each other. Not on the same sofa; but close enough that we can have a private discussion. The family started talking and I was filled with silence. I won't deny the fact that I was nervous in the early morning after I finished 4 hours working in Alfredo cafe in Mazzeh and many conference calls. Which made me go straight to bed after I arrived home. However, the feeling of nervousness has vanished before I leave and as we walked in.

I had a lot going in mind that I did not know where to start; shall I ask her about her dreams; about her life; or about her past. All I know is that we spent one of the fastest 45 minutes that my mom called the taxi to postpone for another 15 minutes. I guess there is pretty much nothing that is as beautiful as spending some good time with a friend, someone you feel you have in common with. But is she the right person.

Well, when looking for the right person; you have many things you're looking for. The girl is ambitious; wants to prove herself as a woman. She is studying something that is unique and wants to work in her field. The lady has a lot of potential and there is nothing in life that feels right as feeling right with the right person.. I guess I am falling again.

Tareq, in August 13th 2008 at 2:15 am (GMT +3)

Vacation in Syria

So the main reason I came to Syria was for my colleagues wedding. I have known Mrs. Khaiat for almost 4-5 years now and Mr. Khaiat almost for a year. It's different when you are friends with the wife before the husband; but I guess it always works perfectly well.. The wedding was so beautiful and the couples were great together. Some Microsoftees came from Dubai just to attend the wedding but you can't really help it; I mean I did that myself.

Syria has changed over the past couple of years; I went out with one of my friends yesterday and I just felt like I miss going back to Dubai. The type of people I saw; the natiliaties and how cheap this life has become are all things that came together.  $130 US for a night and can do more than once.. That's just stupid. Why do we have something like this in our country; I'll never know. What's even worse, it how can you reacj to a place where you can stop it..

The taxt driver and I had a chat about this in our way back; the guy was a bit sad and disappointed. He was sitting doing nothing awaiting for the next person to go out until I came. Well, I was disappointed myself but hey, can't really help it. The people, the interest, the different desires that has arouse from different sources including TV and satellite have changed a lot.  Even finding the right woman became difficult.  We live in an age where it is quite difficult even to find a friend to last long with you.. You never know when this will end.

It's about time I close this machine and go back to spend sometime with the family.

Tareq

Food Etiquette

Quite interesting.. Sometime you are just used to food etiquette; but other times, you don't know the reasoning behind it.. Below is food etiquette for dummies

Restaurant Reservations:

Restaurant reservations are like any other appointment. If you make a reservation, stick to it. Call ahead if you’re going to be more than 15 minutes late, and cancel as far in advance as possible if your plans change so that someone else can get a table. Some restaurants take credit card numbers to hold reservations and charge no-show fees.

Napkins: 

In a restaurant:

As soon as you are seated, remove the napkin from your place setting, unfold it, and put it in your lap. Do not shake it open. At some very formal restaurants, the waiter may do this for the diners, but it is not inappropriate to place your own napkin in your lap, even when this is the case.
The napkin rests on the lap till the end of the meal. Don't clean the cutlery or wipe your face with the napkin. NEVER use it to wipe your nose!

If you excuse yourself from the table, loosely fold the napkin and place it to the left or right of your plate. Do not refold your napkin or wad it up on the table either. Never place your napkin on your chair.
At the end of the meal, leave the napkin semi-folded at the left side of the place setting. It should not be crumpled or twisted; nor should it be folded. The napkin must also not be left on the chair.

VAt a private dinner party:

The meal begins when the host or hostess unfolds his or her napkin. This is your signal to do the same. Place your napkin on your lap, completely unfolded if it is a small luncheon napkin or in half, lengthwise, if it is a large dinner napkin. Do not shake it open.
The napkin rests on the lap till the end of the meal. Place the napkin in loose folds to the left of your plate.
The host will signal the end of the meal by placing his or her napkin on the table. Once the meal is over, you too should place your napkin neatly on the table to the left of your dinner plate. (Do not refold your napkin, but don't wad it up, either.)

When to eat: 

In a restaurant:
Wait until all are served before beginning to eat.

At a private dinner party:
When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess insists that you start eating.

Silverware and Dinnerware:

 

Use the silverware farthest from your plate first.

Here's the rule:

Eat to your left, drink to your right. Any food dish to the left is yours, and any glass to the right is yours.
Starting with the knife, fork, or spoon that is farthest from your plate, work your way in, using one utensil for each course. The salad fork is on your outermost left, followed by your dinner fork. Your soup spoon is on your outermost right, followed by your beverage spoon, salad knife and dinner knife. Your dessert spoon and fork are above your plate or brought out with dessert. If you remember the rule to work from the outside in, you'll be fine.

Use one of two methods when using the fork and knife:

American Style: Knife in right hand, fork in left hand holding food.  After a few bite-sized pieces of food are cut, place knife on edge of plate with blades facing in. Eat food by switching fork to right hand (unless you are left handed).
Continental/European Style: Knife in right hand, fork in left hand.  Eat food with fork still in left hand. The difference is that you don't switch hands-you eat with your fork in your left hand, with the prongs curving downward.

Once used, your utensils, including the handles, should not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl.

For more formal dinners, from course to course, your tableware will be taken away and replaced as needed.

To signal that your are done with the course, rest your fork, tines up, and knife blade in, with the handles resting at five o'clock an tips pointing to ten o'clock on your plate.
Any unused silverware is simply left on the table.

Credit goes to "What's cooking America" Resource

 

Things to say when you're done.

"I'm sorry, but it seems that 'my eyes are bigger than my stomach'.

or

"I'm sorry. It was so delicious but I am full".

The re-return

It hasn't been too long when I wasn't feeling that good. Things in my life weren't the best and I was that close of leaving everything behind and moving back to where I belong.. Or where I felt I may belong. After talking to some of my close friends, meeting with others and deciding this life is taking me no where. I reached the point of no-return.. The point where you say; I'll either move on and forget everything that came with me; or leave everything that I am going through right now and go back to what I know is right.

It did not take me so long until I decided to find my way in the middle; I wrote down things that weren't going well; things that I have been accomplishing but was not aware of; and more importantly; things that makes me move forward in my life..

These things were part of my personal life; my health; my friends; my work, my work/personal life balance. It went from, type of food I eat, all the way until the type of people I hang out with. I found out that I am not so healthy in my food, or at least not eating the essential food that everyone should have daily; so I am working on a list of food that is must-have. I also started working on my health.. No need for more details I guess.

Anyway, a lot of changes has happened in my life in the past couple of months; I traveled to Greece; I had coffee with some of my closest friends; now in Saudi then heading to Syria. I am running the dept. after my manager left the organization and they are still looking for some. I am also still furnishing my new place which is taking less time that expected, hopefully.. I am learning how to dance Salsa and I have made some new friends; the Salsa gang.. The lady that I wanted to marry got married couple of months ago; I was shocked; desperate, was going to jump out of the window; but hey, this is life.. Of course she is happily married now and I wish her and her husband all the best.. :) SS

It's about time I go to bed now..

Tareq