Yessss... we made it

this pic was on the last day of exams

I never thought about that day, the day when i finish university. (i know still one month of project and the final results).
i can't descrive my feelings, probably still under the effect of the chock. i'm feeling great. well i got great news too so i'm just happy and excited, even if deep inside me i know i'll miss those days which is somehow sad.
it is always difficult to leave something behind after getting used to it and to begin a new phase in life.
life is a big word, with a lot of meanings. u can live but not having life, u can think u have all the time in the world to do whatever u want but still chained and attached and not free.
life is the thing that we own but yet sometimes we don't use it in the best way (efficiency is not 100%).. oups.. sorry engineering thinking.
life is the future but also the past.

i remember, 5 years ago, my 1st day at univ. first went to school to attend the "salut de drapeau" and then went to univ and met some friends (from school) and the dean was giving a lecture for us, the new students. i arrived late, it was really crowded and it was hot.
after that, i remember my 1st week, after the chock that no one of my friends is with me in the section, nor even the same group (group is about 400 students), i was always going inthe breaks to see them and stay with them. and how we had to go early to reserve a place in the front rows.

i remember, first and last time ever i was expelled from a lecture, my friends were really surprised. it was not my fault. i was sitting in the 2nd row with my cousin and his friends and they were all the lecture talking, i was just talking to my cousin when the doc was writing something and we were just after a vacation which we had spend together. it was the 1st time that this doc gives us a lecture.

also during my 1st year, my paper of a midterm exam was marked (nothing happened after that) but it was really not my fault. they were gathering the papers, the supervisor was behind me, a friend next to me was telling me i solved something wrong and i told him maybe but im not going to change it and my pens were in the "plumier/ma2lama" and this supervisor, he was just marking all papers when passing.. lol.. even when we went to the doc, we were a lot, he asked, if all of us r cos of this supervisor then no prob..

one of my memories (not really a happy one) is the day when there were big demonstrations in the street in front of the univ, and we were trapped inside and it was like if everything was upside down, they were throwing bombs (to cry).. etc.. i even smelled that and it was a hard experience. I don't recommand u that, when u see that no one is standing, don't go in front to see what's happening, curiosity sometimes leads to bad results.. lol

one of the best things is that i got very good friends, i never thought i'll meet people like them or that i'll have close friends. if u ever read this, I love YOU.

anyway it's hard to write everything here, but i learned a lot from good and bad times. i met different peoples, i saw different worlds.. and now, here i come, to the real world.

Environment Day 5 June

Today i saw this in the metro station.
you know what, it all begin with small things, like for example not dropping something in the street.

MSN nicknames

hii.. as u already know, i'm in the middle of exams.
i'll put the nicknames of my friends with me at univ, that are funny and really expressing what's going on but maybe u won't understand much cos it's sometimes related to our study.
i'll add when i see one new

after control exam which was...
for the given student, show how to drive him crazy in minimum time under condition his final mark less than or equal zero ( Assume he is already unstable ) by waleed

communication
kan fih wa7da set { }, 3andaha 12 bit, 3ayzin ya3melo code by waleed

little scene

These days, i go at night to photocopy papers (i end up with tons of papers and sometimes i don't have time to check it all).
I pass by the university bridge (kobry el gam3a). Even after midnight, you can see a dozen of cars parked on both sides of the bridge and people standing up, looking to the Nile.. i even saw today an old couple sitting on chairs and eating a meal. what is strange is that u can see old and new cars, people of different ages.. all enjoying a cool night..
I wish that i can feel the same way in other issues in our country, that we are all the same, no difference between citizens. i know that this discrimination is the result of many factors such as culture, habits, economy, education..
anyway this is a long subject to debate.. i just wanted to share what i saw today (just an hour ago).

Family reunions

Yesterday night, i went to the airport to wait for my dad (he was only travelling for few days for work).
It was in the "new" old airport (2nd time i go there, first time was when my uncle and cousins in last september).
It wasn't much crowded as i used to see when going to airports, but most of the people there waiting for their families and loved ones (coming from arabic countries) shared the same thing which i found really nice.
the children dressed in their best. the old people waiting with desire. when someone of the passengers arrive, his family rushes to meet him or her and give kisses.. especially if the coming one has a baby, they take the baby and give him kisses, it must be weired for the baby, to see so many faces, ( i wonder if i was in the same situation, first time i took the plane and came to egypt, i was only 11 months old).
anyway it was just a nice thing to watch while waiting for my dad to come out. maybe i just noticed it cos it wasn't that crowded and cos it was common with everybody, but it made me feel happy.

Revolution by Beatles

It's hard to ignore what's happening now in the country.
i thought to express a little what i think and the people in general by a different way. first thought i had is this song of the beatles so here are the lyrics with my little comments (also this idea cos it doesn't take a lot of time.. and i have to go back to study)


Revolution

You say you want a revolution we always talk about revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world.
You tell me that it’s evolution, changing the world is evolution (of course, for the better)
Well, you know
We all want to change the world.
But when you talk about destruction, i don't understand what's the meaning of this but i think is that when we see the destruction around us, we want to change it.
Don’t you know that you can count me out.
Don’t you know it’s going to be alright, eventually, everything will get better, that's what i always think or try to believe in, cos if not, then there's no joy in living.
Alright, alright.

You say you got a real solution i wonder what's the solution for the presidency of the country
Well, you know
We’d all love to see the plan. that's what the people are claiming
You ask me for a contribution,
Well, you know
We’re doing what we can.
But if you want money for people with minds that hate,
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait.
Don’t you know it’s going to be alright,
Alright, alright.

You say you’ll change a constitution no need to add anything else on this part, this is what we all claim :)
Well, you know
We all want to change your head.
You tell me it’s the institution,
Well, you know
You better free your mind instead.
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao,
You ain’t gonna make it with anyone anyhow.
Don’t you know it’s going to be alright,
Alright, alright.

Those were the days my friends.. part 1

i took some photos in the last week of classes.
check on the link. i've added some comments. (to view the comments, click on the 1st photo then go to the next.. etc or select view slide show (but this better if a fast connection DSL).

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marionnetta26/album?.dir=92ed&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marionnetta26/my_photos

maybe i'll write something later on. it depends on the time, cos now in the final count down, just one week before exams.

little story

I know probably we notice the bad things or bad habits in our society, but also i like to write about anything good i see, even if it's a small thing, it's just that we have to learn to see it too.

yesterday i was in the metro, and there was a young lady eating cheetos and one little miserable cheetos dropped from her, so she went down and took it back and put it in her bag. wow, i was impressed. i see a lot of people eating and dropping everything after finishing, but really i was happy to see that, cos it makes me feel that people are changing.

Sunset from El-Azhar parc

Iraq

Few days ago, i saw a part of the sworning of the iraqui government. guess what?
as u probably know, the president is a kurd. ok, this is one thing, but to talk in kurdish in front of the whole country, even if translated, this is not acceptable.
the kurds want eventually to get independence. they have their own army, currency, their cities are the safest in all country (except the bombing that happened 2 days ago), and the americans were helping them all that time, giving them weapons till they became that strong.
maybe u'll say that i am biased but look at it from another point of view. they are some minority, it's ok, they have their own language, no problem, but the president is iraqui before being kurd, and he must respect all the people, so why does he talk in kurdish that no one else will understand? he did the same thing, the day he was elected. but who chose him? not the people.
u know what happened, what are the elections that they were held?
people would vote for a list (with names, like a party). when a certain list takes a certain number of votes, they can be represented by a place in the parlemant (i don't know the exact name) and this parlement at the end will chose the president and the rest of the government.
maybe u'll say this is fair. but no, why? cos first the conditions were really bad that not all the people went to vote. not everybody took a paper that they must have to go to vote (this i'm certain of), only the kurd cities were totally safe so of course all the kurds would go to vote and of course they had the majority of votes (are they minority now)?
it's a pity to see how things are now. i know that Saddam did some mistakes, nobody is perfect, but at least, the people were SAFE and any change must be done from inside, from the people themselves.
now i'm talking about another subject that will take me pages to just say everything i have in mind.
i can come back and talk about that issue later.

back to blog

Hello, i was thinking to find time write a little, and a comment make me decide to write and also a friend of mine created a blog so it's like encouraging me more.
also i thought that if i said that i won't write for a while, that no one will check but yet, some of u was still hoping to find few words.
so here i am.

just to tell u what i'm doing these days, i had my last ever quiz yesterday, and it was a difficult subject so i was studying in easter and sham el nessim, i didn't feel that there was feast.
and for the time being, we have just one more week of classes, but full of extra lectures and sections (last saturday i was from 8h30 to 6pm at univ), reports to submit, working in the graduation project and of course, trying to find some time to study all what we take, try to imagine that.. lol
i'm not saying excuses for not writing, just explaining how things are.

okay, this is enough, i'll post some things i was thinking of lately.

i just want to say that for the coming period, i won't be able to post a lot here, cos i'll be really busy in the study for the next couple of months.

Rememberance

The 1st annual of my grandmother (it's supposed to be 2/2 but usually it is done a month earlier there, in iraq)
This photo was taken today.
I think this is the least thing i can do, to ask that you pray for her.
I didn't know her as i should, i just remember some little things, long time ago. I remember when i was visiting family there, me, my bro and my cousins were playing together, i think playing pirates or sailors, and we put chairs and tables upside down on the floor, and she came and was angry about that.
I remember when she came to egypt, 15 years ago, and she was staying a little time with my other grandmother and it was the 1st time i have both together and i call them both teta, so it was strange.
I heard that she has strength when she was suffering (she had cancer) and not complaining about anything and that she had rest when she passed away cos the last period was so difficult, but sometimes the person is selfish, as i was praying that she lives till i can see her and at the same time i didn't want her to suffer.
There are many things i wish i could have done, i know some were impossible and not in my hands, but still it's sometimes like feeling guilt that i could have done this or that but i didn't.
I hoped that the war would end soon so i can go and see her before she dies but this wish was impossible, and still 2 years after the war, things are even worse there.
I'm still hoping that things will get better soon, all we can do is just pray.

Try to guess what it is.. it's blue and white.. moving fast..
P.S i took it with the camera, i didn't edit it, it's like that.

Robocon insight

I won't talk about the competition itself but about what is behind the scenes..
(for the people who don't know, robocon is a competition of robots constructed by students from different univerisities)
I went there 2 days, sunday and monday cos my brother was participating and also a team from my promotion at univ, today the round of 16 is held.

it may seem strange what i'm going to say next, but it really moved me.

the 2nd day, i went alone first (my mom came later), i was sitting in the stadium where the competition was held, waiting for the beginning of the competition. i was in the 1st row, right behind the fence. there was a tissu hanging from it to the floor. a worker came and he was adjusting every part, no one would have cared about it adjusted or not, no one would have noticed it, but yet he was doing it with precision.

how many of us do his job with all his heart and doing his best even if knowing that no one is watching or it is not a big thing to be done?

2 different attitudes: after a match was finished, winning team greeting the other team (this scene was rarely).
after another match, one of the loosing team threw away the thing he was wearing (i think he has to be disqualified cos it is not the spirit of sport).

how many times when we are so angry with someone or with ourselves we act without reflection and in an agressive way?

People in the stadium, cheering with loud voice, different students from different universities, government and private. it was nice to see the entousiasm but... sometimes it crossed the lines (not in a bad way but still i didn't like it) .

a small group from my faculty came to encourage the team, not only that but they were helping them too in their robot, this was really great to see, i was very happy about it, this is the spirit we need.i This was also for other teams, especially some teams from same univ, they were helping each other, passing their tools, even asking for help).

well, that's all i can remember now, last thing i want to say is that i'm happy to see all those students participating, 41 teams from different universities, in cairo and outside cairo.
it was difficult for some of the teams, working hard for months, to loose in 6 min (2 matches) but i think they gained more than this loss, the experience, the joy and passion to make something, the friends they got to know... etc

Right or wrong?

Today i was in the CTA, from heliopolis returning back to home.
I waited for a long time, about 30 minutes. so of course, the one that arrived was very crowded, and people are standing up. i wanted to return back at home as soon as possible cos i was going to the opera. Anyway, while i was standing up, i heard 2 ladies, also standing up talking together. One said this is wrong, the driver should not allow people more than the seats, and everytime he stops to take more the people shout and say no place. Well the point is, it is against regulation, so the driver should not do that. but also i think it is our fault, the passengers, cos we agree on that, if we say it is wrong than we must be the first people to not do that and refuse it. I don't use the CTA that frequently to say if it occurs a lot or not, rarely i don't find a place.
But what makes me think is that a lot of times, we say it's wrong but just talking, not acting, otherwise, nothing will change.

Fixing a Hole (Beatles)

I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go.
I’m filling in the cracks that ran through the door
And kept my mind from wandering
Where it will go.
And it really doesn’t matter if I’m wrong I’m right
Where I belong I’m right
Where I belong.
See the people standing there who disagree and never win
And wonder why they don’t get in my door.

I’m painting the room in a colorful way
And when my mind is wandering
There I will go.
And it doesn’t really matter if I’m wrong
I’m right Where I belong I’m right
Where I belong.
Silly people run around they worry me
And never ask me why they don’t get past my door.

I’m taking the time for a number of things
That weren’t important yesterday
And I still go.
I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go.

Under pressure

i don't know why, but in the middle of the day i just felt that i'm carrying a lot on my shoulders (i was listening to Hey Jude at that moment).
The results, the exams, the project.. just few months and all will be finished but i guess things are getting more and more harder.
I had a bad week of exams (except 2 or 3 exams), I got my results from the control (can u believe, there's still one subject not corrected yet), i feel that i have to study more for the finals to maintain the martabet el sharaf. i don't know what to do.. it's just that i want to get away from everything.
i know that always, i'm the one who is trying to be optimistic, i know that by tomorrow i would forgot about all that.. it's just that before forgetting everything, i have to let it out.
and the project, we didn't make much progress, still trying to figure out how to use the program!!!
so.. i guess that now, i'll go back to work, at least i'm feeling a little better :)

Memories

Every now and then i'll share with you something from my old past, i'll write in the title Memories.

Here's a little story that i just heard few days ago. i was with some friends from school and we were talking about the past, about our teachers, about the old days.
One of my friends told me this one, a situation that happened between the two of us, so i'm sharing it with you.
We were in the kindergarten (jardin d'enfants). We used to have a time for singing songs then they distribute some sweets before going to play in the playground.
That day, we had chipsy, 3assaleya (a candy stick) and a third thing. My friend had a tooth that was going to fall so she couldn't eat hard things. So i asked the teacher that i give her my chipsy and she gives me her 3assaleya so she has also three things like all of us.

Pope John Paul II

well, i can't say that i really knew him or all of his work. but while watching the tv, the past few days, my admiration for him grew more and more, for his life, for his achievements, for his person. how he reached and touched the heart of millions all over the world.
i can't express how i felt, but watching the funeral today, was a special thing. i was touched by everything, the atmosphere, the choir, listening to different languages..
all the world recognizes what great man he was, what message he wanted to pass.
this makes me wonder, what is my role in life? what is my quest? i guess this is what i'll try to figure it out these days.. and i'll tell u when i arrive to something.
i'm sure that everyone has his own role but it's harder to discover it than to realize it.
so, think about it.

Last but not least, here's a quote from one of my favourite books.

"En général, la mort fait que l'on devient plus attentif à la vie"

Paolo Coelho from L'alchimiste.

"In general, death makes us pay more attention to life."

(sorry for the translation if it is not that accurate).