Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Back

Hello dear friends

I am back to Egypt. i am back home. i have a lot of stories to tell, i will post later on. just wanted to say hi to all.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

probably this will be my last post till next month (less than 24 hours and i'll be away from home).
i would rather write about something happy or optimistic, but i couldn't just let this pass.
today, while reading the newspaper, few lines took my attention. it was about a kuweity tennis player, that was suspended for 2 years i think by his country and punished cos he played against an israily in a tournament.
i was angry of that, isn't sport against politics, against discrimination?
this way of thinking, makes people feel more haterad towards others.
i'm too tired to write more about that, but i guess u understand what i want to say.
anyway i hope that i'll have more stories at my return, have a nice end of summer.

Sunday, August 07, 2005

translation of the song

before translating, i just would like to mention that i won't translate word by word, but i'll try to say the most close to the lyrics. excuse me if i can't express very good in english cos it's descriptions and expressions so i'll add sometimes in arabic to make it more understandable (i tried also to use a translator on the internet)

The very last button of my shirt has been put (zarart akher zorar fi el 2amis)
Above the galons of course there are no folds (mafish ay tany)
The last gesture, last glance in front of the mirror.
I check that all is impeccable that there are no traces.
I turn, certain, take my kepi in the hands (baltaf wana watheq men nafsy, we bakhod el badla el 3askareya ma3aya)
I buckled my belt and I leave the bathroom
My wife, beautiful, is lying there in the bed
I cross the room and I try not to make any noise
My son quietly waits for me behind the door
I take him in my arms to my shoulders, and carry him
And then my daughter comes and smiles to me
It is till very early, i kiss them and take them back to bed.
I has just left discreetly the house
Today it is hot, i feel the sun hitting hard
It is of season already the sergeant kent is waiting for me
Near the jeep, I must leave now

refrain:
I am sure i'm a good guy
a real puritan, an American patriot
the state made me a man, not a puppet
i was only taught to make the good

Direction the barracks, overpowered by heat
And my face is dull, I feel that my hands tremble of fear
I think of all that, about this situation
about all that i don't understand, my conscience has some questions,
He, i finished thinking
a true lieutenant of the army does not have the right to be mislaid
I has just arrived, run to report myself full of sweat
I say a correct guard-to you in front of the rise of the colors
I say goodmorning to the pals, some valves, we provoque
Salutations, as it should be with the other ranked pilots.
We are gathered around around the generals
The orders are precise and the secrecy is at the top level
A few hours after we sign the end of the meeting
And now, I really know what is my order of mission
I was told about my homeland, my pride, my country
Of a good achieved duty, and this plane takes off

refrain

And for the moment on this aircraft, everything goes well
There is no tention, our objective is still far
Each one is in his place, ready in his post
Even the engineers don't think that there will be complaints
the very last adjustments, last checks
Above the clouds, even the Hell does not have a house
Everyone is concentrated and silence is maintained
And to the top of me, the red indicator comes to ignite
Little panic in the air, of electricity
the glances cross a few seconds (el nazarat takabalet)
the objective is very close and the fear invades me
deep inside me i know what will happen here
I think of my wife, with my family in this cabin
And I re-examine like this morning the smile of my daughter
the green light, I press on the button, here it is
I have just thrown a bomb on Hiroshima

I am sure i'm a good guy
a real puritan, a European patriot
the state made me a man, not a puppet
but in Chetchnia we do nothing.

Un type bien - Manau

this is a french song by manau, few years ago. i'll translate it later to english.
it talks about a soldier, when he wakes up and get prepared to go to the mission.... till he accomplishes it, dropping the bomb on hiroshima.
the song is not against the soldier or with the soldier, but it explores a different face of the soldier.
i know that many of us sometimes wonder, why soldiers go to war? don't they know that what they are doing is wrong? i'm not defending them, i just want to look with a different perspective and try to really understand the others (we should always do that in life).

Le tout dernier bouton de ma chemise vient d'être mis
Par dessus les galons, bien sûr, il n'y a pas de plis
Dernier geste, dernier regard devant la glace
Je vérifie que tout est impeccable qu'il n'y a pas de traces
Je me retourne, sûr, prends mon képi dans les mains
J'ai bouclé ma ceinture et je sors de la salle de bain
Ma femme est là, belle, allongée sur le lit
Je traverse la chambre et je fais tout pour ne pas faire de bruit
Mon gamin m'attend tranquillement derrière la porte
Je le prends dans mes bras jusqu'à mes épaules, je le porte
Et puis ma fille arrive et me sourit
Il est encore très tôt, je les embrasse, les raccompagne au lit
Je viens de sortir discrètement de la maison
Aujourd'hui il fait chaud, je sens vraiment que le soleil tape à fond
C'est d'saison déjà le sergent Kent m'attend
Tous près de la jeep, je dois partir maintenant

Refrain:
Je suis sûr d'être un type bien
Un véritable puritain, un patriote américain
L'Etat a fait de moi un homme, pas un pantin
On m'a seulement appris à faire le bien

Direction la caserne, accablé par la chaleur
Et mon visage est terne, je sens que mes mains tremblent de peur
Je pense à tout ça, à cette situation
A tout ce que je ne comprends pas, ma conscience a quelques questions
Hé, fini de penser de réfléchir, de cogiter
Un vrai lieutenant de l'armée n'a pas le droit de s'égarer
Je viens d'arriver, cours au rapport plein de sueur
Je pète un garde-à-vous correct devant la montée des couleurs
Je dis bonjours aux potes, quelques vannes, on se provoque
Salutations, comme il se doit aux grades des autres pilotes
On est réuni autour de généraux
Les ordres sont précis et le secret est au top niveau
Quelques heures après on signe la fin de la réunion
Et maintenant, je sais vraiment quel est mon ordre de mission
On m'a parlé d'patrie, de fierté, de mon sol
D'un bon devoir accompli, et cet avion décolle

au Refrain

Et dans cet avion pour le moment, là tout va bien
Il n'y a pas de tension, notre objectif est encore loin
Chacun est placé correctement, prêt à son poste
Même les ingénieurs ne pensent pas qu'il y aura riposte
Les tout derniers réglages, dernières vérifications
Au dessus des nuages, même l'Enfer n'a pas de maison
Tout le monde est concentré et le silence est appliqué
Et au dessus de moi, le voyant rouge vient de s'allumer
Un peu de panique dans l'air, de l'électricité
Les regards se croisent quelques secondes pour se rapprocher
L'objectif est tout près et la peur m'envahit
Au fond de moi, je sais bien sûr ce qu'il va se passer ici
Je pense à ma femme, à ma famille dans cette cabine
Et je revois comme ce matin le sourire de ma gamine
La lumière verte, j'appuie sur le bouton, voilà
Je viens de jeter une bombe sur Hiroshima

On est sur d'être des types bien
Des véritables puritains, des patriotes européens
L'Etat a fait de nous des hommes, pas des pantins
Pourtant en Tchétchénie, on ne fait rien

Saturday, August 06, 2005

1-2-3

well, here it is free soul :)

Three names you go by:
Marianne
Marmar
Moura

Three screen names you have had:
Froggy
Marionnetta
Marientes (mix of marianne and morientes, i was learning spanish and it was during the world cup)

Three parts of your heritage:
Egyptian/African/Arab
Iraquian
Coptic

Three things that scare you:
wars
loosing a friend
doing something i'm not sure of

Three of your everyday essentials:
emails
blogging (reading or writing)
saying good morning to everybody in the house

Three things you are wearing right now:
t-shirt
short
shebsheb (flip-flap)

Two truths and a lie:
I can cook
I can spend hours and hours reading
I collect cocktelsticks

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
height (must be taller than me.. lol)
if his toe is smaller than 2nd finger (don't ask me how to know it)
his brain (but in a not physical way)

Three things you just can’t do:
hate someone
lying or hiding something for somebody
cheating

Three of your favorite hobbies:
reading
piano
writing

Three things you want to do really badly right now:
receive email from work
call a friend
have breakfast

Three places you want to go on vacation:
spain
costa rica
mars (who knows when it would be possible)

Three things you want to do before you die:
perform in a concert
say goodbye to my friends and family
travel around the world

Three ways I am stereotypically a woman:
sometimes i cry watching a movie (just some tears)
spend money on cloth
talk a lot (raghy ya3ni)

Three ways I am stereotypically a girl:
I love cartoons
I love dolls (peluches)
I love massassa (sucette)

Three people who have to take this quiz:
(i'll state most people who comment here)
African Doctor
Fido
YOU

Thursday, August 04, 2005

19 years ago

after few hours from now, my brother will be celebrating his birthday. Fadi was born on the 5th of august, 19 years ago. it will take me ages to say everything. i remember him when he was little, i remember our playing together, even our fights.
all i can say is that he is a source of joy even when i'm very angry with him, he manages to make me smile after all and that i'm glad he is my brother.
if you didn't meet him yet, you don't know what you are missing and if you have met him already, i guess i don't have something to add about him.
so HAPPY BIRTHDAY my little brother ;)



years ago, at sharm el sheikh. (u can see that once i was taller than him.. lol) Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

We make our own decisions, but the Lord alone determines what happens.
Proverbs 16:33

a trip

last sunday, i wanted to go to heliopolis. usually i take the metro to el tahrir then take a CTA. when i arrived to el tahrir, there were lots of security, cos of what happened the previous day. i waited and waited, no CTA, and the more i wait, the more i feel insecure, cos of what could happen and also cos i didn't like just standing in the sun, and the officers looking at me the so i decided to take the first thing to go to heliopolis. so, i saw a minibus, with roxy as destination, so i get in it. i was sitting near a young lady, who had a baby with her. he was really a nice boy, he kept looking at me and smiling, a big fantastic smile though he had no teeth. anyway, we (me and her) discovered that the route goes to shubra then to sawa7 then to heliopolis. it took about an hour, i was late, but at the same time, i had a nice time, thanks to this little boy and also i discovered new places, i never went to (i went before to shubra but not crossing all that way). and i thought, wow, cairo is too big, there are a lot of places to discover.
so at the end i wasn't that angry about all that, i decided to enjoy my time instead of blaming everybody.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

finally

i can't describe my feelings. looking in the results, to find my name, and yes, look again to make sure it's true. here's my name, here's my grades. 5 years has passed by, it was hard to try to keep it up, but i guess i managed it as best i could. i know that sometimes i could have done better, this year i could have done better, but i'm happy and i guess it's one of the few times feeling that yes, i'm satisfied, that the hard work payed of.
i think it's the only year i was not anxious about results. maybe cos it took a long time so we forgot about results, about grades.. or maybe cos i already know what i'll do next, not waiting for the results to determine that.
i wanted to see all my friends, but i just saw a few. i wish everybody succes in his/her life.
and now, i can say, i'm an engineer :).