Rain, Part 2

This is a collaboration between my wife and myself. Please read part 1 first at this link.

http://atyaph.blogspot.com/2010/11/rain-part-1.html

Rain, Part 2

It was only a stroke of luck that it was raining that afternoon.

That’s exactly what Mark was thinking as he walked away from the bus stop where he met Emily. He was happy with his life. He had a good job, a wonderful son, and a beautiful wife who loved him and whom he loved. Or so he thought.

As the rain poured on, it made a hollow sound as it hit the felt of his hood. The wet sloshing of cars passing by, the sound of laughter as the kids jumped into puddles splashing their friends. But, all that went unnoticed as his mind was stuck rewinding a scene from his past.

Everything went perfectly. He carried her books as they walked home, the casual lunch where he told her how pretty she looked, and the long conversation on their way home about the future. She wanted to have a family, and so did he. They spoke about the kind of people they wanted to marry, and she described someone who might have passed for Mark, and he described her exactly.

“I don’t understand.” He said to himself.

That day was perfect in every way. Everything was perfect. Even the kiss was perfect. It wasn’t like he forced it on her. They were standing in front of her house, saying their goodbyes, and he went in as gracefully and smoothly as a gentleman should. She was about to kiss him back, he felt it, but then she pulled away. She yelled at him and kicked him out of her life. That was the end of it.

He only saw her in school after that, but his attempts to talk to her were always greeted with a cold shoulder. He moved away to go to college, and on one of his vacations back home he got together with Tessa. One thing led to another and the next thing he knew, she broke the big news to him. Tessa was pregnant. His mother wasn’t happy about that. As the principle of the school in the town, she couldn’t allow something like this to happen. What would the parents think if they knew she couldn’t control her own child. She wouldn’t last a day, the parents would lynch her. So within the month, Tessa and Mark were married. They left the town to get away from their parents, and raise their child in a less judgmental environment.

He shook himself out of his thoughts as he approached his friends house. His son Jason was inside playing with the other kids. It was a birthday party or play date or something, he didn’t know and he didn’t care. He just knew Jason was having fun. At four years old he was bright for his age. He could already string long sentences together. He had his mother face, but he had his father sharp blue eyes. His mind wandered again. He wondered what Jason would have looked like if Emily and him had got together, if that kiss hadn’t broken them up.

He shook himself out of his thoughts again. Why was he thinking about this now? That’s history now, and he can’t do anything about it. Why was she in his thoughts, after he had forgotten her for so long?

“Damn you Emily” He muttered under his breath

Jason, already in his rain coat, was waiting for him. He took him by the hand and started walking home.

It was only a stroke of luck that it was raining that afternoon.

Azure and the Glass Castle

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a beautiful land ruled over by a kind king. The king loved many things, he loved his people, he loved his land, but what he loved most of all was the beautiful skies above his land. The glorious day sky was like the purest sapphire. The sun was never too hot, and the clouds floated gracefully without a care. The evening sky was however, a most spectacular sight. Millions of stars shone in the night sky, their brilliance making even the brightest gems at the local jewelers look shamefully dull in comparison. The moon was truly the king of the night. The white orb of brilliance caused many of the local poets and minstrels to sing praise to the wondrous majesty of its grace and beauty.

The king so loved the beauty of the sky, he built a castle. This, however, was no ordinary castle, as this castle was made of glass. Glass walls, glass ceilings and even glass furniture. In the day, the light of the sun would shine of the castle, causing it to sparkle like a huge diamond. People from all over the land, and even some of the neighboring lands, would sometimes just sit and gaze at its beauty. The castle was visited by many people from across the lands, and was heralded as a wonder, unlike any the world has ever seen.

After a long and happy life, the king passed away. The kingdom was sad at the loss of such a kind and generous king. However, the king had left behind him his young daughter the princess.

The princesses name was Azure. The king named her that for his love of the color of the day sky, which matched the color of her eyes. The princess was loved by all, for she had learned to love her people and her land as did her father. She was a kind ruler who took pity on the weak and needy. She could usually be found in the kitchens feeding some poor travelers who were hungry, or out visiting the sick farmers offering her sympathy and the royal healers to help them recover.

Azure was a kind women by day, but by night she suffered greatly for while she loved her father the king, she did not share the same feelings towards the castle. She found it very difficult to sleep at night, as the bright light from the moon and stars would keep her awake. Then would come dawn, and the even brighter light of the sun would chase away any hope of sleep for poor Azure.

Night after night she would lay awake, cursing at her misfortune. “Why did he have to build it of glass? Why couldn’t he build it out of stone like everyone else?” She would ask herself each night. And each night, she never got an answer to her question. The moon kept glowing and stars kept twinkling and the sun kept shining.

The princess spent many months in this fashion, and eventually she succumbed to her fatigue and fell ill. She withered like a flower without water, her bright eyes lost their brilliance as the shadows under them grew darker every day. Her cheerful attitude was replaced by a short temper, and fits of rage and bouts of crying.

Her servants, fearing for their mistresses health, fetched the greatest doctors in the land to find a cure for her ailment. Many healers arrived and many cures were tried. Sleeping herbs, soft music, one doctor even told her to spin herself around until she fell dizzy and slept, but that did nothing except to make her feel even more ill than before. They tried covering her eyes with all sorts of fabrics, but the princess's sensitive skin would start to itch horribly should she touch anything but the finest silks, and the finest silks were not thick enough to keep out the light.

Alas, the poor princess feel deeper into her illness, and no doctor could find a cure for her. The kingdom feared for the worst.

One day, a poor merchant passed through the kingdom trying to sell his wares. As he passed by the castle, he saw the withered princess sitting in the garden crying softly to herself. He quietly walked into the garden.

"Pray tell me, what ails you beautiful princess"

"I cannot sleep" she replied weakly

"What horror keeps you awake while your land sleeps?"

"No horror other than this glass castle. I cannot sleep for the light shines too bright"

"Will you listen to the advice of a poor merchant?"

"I have listened to doctors and healers, some of whom were jesters. I see no harm in taking your kind advice"

The merchant smiled and told her his secret remedy.

"T’is not the light that chases away your slumber, but only your attempts to shut it out my princess"

"Jest not with me merchant! Begone!"

"I jest not your highness. Tonight, when you retire to your bed, look into the moon, and allow its light to comfort you. The moon hates you not, t’is only doing what it knows to do."

"I shall try your method merchant, but I do not think it will help"

"I bid you comfort and ease young princess. Farewell"

As he walked away, the princess saw the sun gently setting in the west, and decided it was a good time to try the merchants advice. She did not know whether her illness will allow her another day.

As she lay in her bed, squinting up into the bright moon and silently cursing the foolish merchant and her own foolishness at having believed his so called remedy, she thought back to her father, and to her friends, and to all who loved her. All who have tried to cure her while she was ill, and before she knew it, she was no longer squinting at the moon. Instead, she found the light bearable, even more so, comforting, soothing and relaxing. She looked up at the moon, and she saw another world. a world of peace and happiness. a world of butterflies, and fairies and unicorns. a world where dreams came true, and no one grew old or ill. It was a peaceful place

As the first rays of sun shone over the horizon, and gently nudged the princess awake, she realized she had slept through the entire night. She felt refreshed, and energetic. The moons healing light had vanished her illness overnight.

The kingdom rejoiced at the princesses miraculous recovery, and they sang and danced for many days, and the princess in honor of her loving father ordered that all homes in the kingdom have glass roofs, so that all may enjoy the beauty of the sky as her father did before.

Dearest Beth

To: beth.k@email.com

From: james127@email.com

Aug. 11, 2010

Dearest Beth,

I am writing this as I’m on my way to the airport. I’ve finally given up hope that things will get better somehow. I’ve decided to leave the country, and go somewhere where I can start fresh. I know you’ll hate me for this, but I can’t do it anymore. I can’t live a lie, and I can’t drag you down into this lie with me. We had some good times and some bad ones, but I’ll always remember you for the person that loved me for who I am.

Something happened recently that changed me from the inside. I’m no longer the man you married. I’m no longer the man that wanted to have a life and a family with you. Today I’m just broken.

I met someone else. I’ve fallen in love with her, and no matter what I do, I can’t fall out of love with her. I refuse to do this to you. I refuse to cheat on you, and I refuse to break your heart. I won’t allow myself to be happy with her, knowing that I hurt you. The only decision left was to leave both of you.

I hope you understand why I did this. I know that you’ll never forgive me, but I pray you find the happiness you deserve with someone better than me.

Good bye,

James

To: beth.k@email.com

From: james127@email.com

Aug. 12, 2010

Dearest Beth,

I have just landed, and I really don’t know why I’m writing this to you. I’ve already said my good byes, but somehow, talking to you makes me feel less depressed. I have to find a hotel, and then start looking for a job. I hope this new life will help me forget everything that happened.

I have a confession to make, I didn’t quit my job, I was fired. I got fired because I was making too many mistakes. It was all because I was so busy thinking about you and her, and how I would fix this problem. I couldn’t concentrate anymore. So one day my boss asked me to talk to him. We sat down and he started asking me about my work. I told him what was happening. He told me that I was a fool to ruin something so good just for the chance to be with someone else. He said that I didn’t even know if she would accept me. I know she will accept me. I’m so in love with her, I would do anything.

Anyways, I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. I now believe that he was right. I ruined something perfect for a blind chance. I just wanted you to know the truth about me.

James

To: beth.k@email.com

From: james127@email.com

Aug 23, 2010

Dearest Beth,

I don’t know if you have gotten my e-mails or not, because you never reply. I wish you would write back and tell me off. Yell at me, scream, curse, anything, but this silence is killing me. I can understand your disappointment in me. You took me when I thought that there was no way someone could ever fall in love with me. I let you down big time. There’s nothing I can do to make up for this, and I wish I were someone else right now.

I miss my family so much. Please Beth, if there’s any love left inside you for me, please tell them I’m ok. I know my mother worries, and she’s probably frantic right now. Oh God, I can’t imagine what I’ve done to her. She always depended on me to be the strong one, and now I’m the coward.

I’m sorry, I can’t write anymore, I need some fresh air.

James

To: beth.k@email.com

From: james127@email.com

Sep. 9, 2010

I hate myself. I thought that running away would help me forget, but the only thing it’s done is make me more depressed. I miss you so much. I miss your smile, your hugs, and your kisses. I still smell you, even though you’re hundreds of miles away. I made a terrible decision leaving. I regret it everyday, and I know now that I can’t live without you.

I’m coming back soon. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and take me back. I know it’s an impossible thing to ask, but I hope we can go back to normal.

Please forgive me.

James

To: beth.k@email.com

From: james127@email.com

Sep 18, 2010

Dearest Beth,

I just saw on the news. I didn’t know that I would push you so far as to take your own life. I wish I could have been at your funeral, I wish I could have said good bye one last time. It doesn’t matter now anyways.

Don’t worry my love, I’ll be joining you soon, and we can be together again.

I’m so sorry.

James

David

Walking home from work, David was contemplating what a wonderful life he had. David worked as a Therapist at the local mental institute. He ran group therapy sessions with people who needed his help, and he was happy to be able to help them. He could spend his entire day listening to their troubles, and help guide them back to a normal and productive life. Why wouldn't anyone enjoy that? the looks on their faces when one of them finally breaks through the walls despair and depression and opens up about their real problems, was his reward. The kind thank you's he gets as they walk out, was his adrenaline rush. He truly had the best job in the world.

His home life was also up there. He had a beautiful wife, Beth, who after 8 years of marriage and two children, still looked as beautiful as the day he mt her. she was smart, articulate,a wonderful cook, a perfect mother, and could still entice him to come to bed a little earlier than usual with just a look.

His children, 6 year old Tania, and 4 year old Mikey, were both angels. They would rush to the door to give him a hug when he came home, say their prayers before meals and bed, and they were relatively neat for children. "Then again, a person can't have everything perfect" He chuckled to himself.

It was all so wonderful, but lately he had been having some thoughts. What if his life was indeed too perfect? The thoughts never really lasted for more than a second, but they unnerved him nonetheless.

He unlocks his front door to the sounds of little footsteps running down the stairs to greet him, and the smell of his favorite meal, roast chicken. He quickly drops his bag on the floor to catch a leaping Tanya in his arms.

"I missed you Daddy, you were gone a long time!" She scolds.
"I know baby, I'm back now!" As he gives her his most charming smile
"Let Mommy have a hug Tanya" Comes a voice from around the corner.

Beth walks in and with the practice that only comes from routine, picks Tanya off her father and gives him a welcome home kiss.

"Get yourself cleaned up, dinner is almost ready"
"Wheres Mikey?"
"Mikey has a stomach flu, he's in bed. Poor darling has been throwing up all day"
"I'll go check up him, and then i'll wash up"

As he takes off his jacket, he notices a nasty cut on Beths wrist. Her usually pale skin causing it to stand out and look furious.

"Are you ok hun? Looks like a bad cut there."
"Yeah it's ok, Tanya was horsing around while I was putting away the cutting knife"
"I'm sorry Mama" Said Tanya with her best apologetic face.
"It's ok baby, now go get ready for dinner"

David walks up the stairs and opens the door to Mikeys room. The room is littered with toys.

"Looks like Mikey isn't as sick as she thought" He thinks.

Mikey is curled up under his sheets. Aside from the occasional stirring, he seemed very quiet. David sits down on the edge of the bed, causing little mikey to turn around at the sudden dip of his bed.

"Hi Daddy!" He says meekly
"Hi little man, how are you feeling?"
"My tummy hurts"
"It's ok, it will go away soon. Now just get some rest."


He walks out of the room and washes up. As he's washing his face, he notices that the mirror is smudged. Kind of looks like nobody has cleaned it in a while. "Poor Beth must be up to her ears with the children" He thinks guiltly. "I'm going to have to do my share of the chores around here"

David comes down the stairs to find dinner on the table and Beth and Tanya already sitting waiting for him. Tanya says a well rehearsed prayer and they start to eat.

"This tastes wonderful dear" He says with a mouthful of chicken
"Thanks dear, i'm glad you like it"
"I think it's missing a little salt though. Tanya, please pass me the salt"
"Oh no you don't! you remember your promise to cut down on the salt. You have a family history of high blood pressure."
"Hmm, did I make that promise? I don't remember." he replies jokingly
"Yes you did. It was right around the time you vowed to love and cherish me till death do us part" Replies Beth with a sly smile
"Oh yeah, I do remember" He replies with a loving smile

They share a laugh, as David notices a slight red mark just under Tanya's hairline.
"Sweetheart, did you hurt yourself today?"
"Yeah, it was when I bumped into Mommy"
"Poor thing bumped her head against the counter, its going to bruise for a while, but she'll be fine"

They finish off dinner, and David helps wash the plates. As soon as teh plates are away, they help Tanya get ready for bed. After Tanya has been tucked away safely for the night, and they settle in their own bed, David turns over and gives his wife a kiss on the back of her neck.

"What was that for" She asks as she turns over.
"Nothing, I just really love you"
"Well, I love you too, and I really miss you"
"I'm here now, no need to miss me anymore"
"I don't know David, but lately I feel so far away"
"Far away from what?"
"Thats just it. I don't know. I just feel like we're not together as much anymore. I feel cold and alone sometimes"
"Honey, are you feeling well? Where is this coming from" He says sounding a bit concerned.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it, probably just tired from the kids"
"Ok honey, get some rest"

David wakes up to the sound of someone calling his name.
"David ... David ... Come on David, wake up, you'll be late for group!"
"Yes, dear. I'm awake"
"David? Have you been dreaming again?"
"Dreaming? No, why do you ask?"
"Because you called me dear again"
"Sorry about that. Force of habit"

20 minutes later, David is sitting in his normal chair, surrounded by familiar faces. The doctor in the white coat singles him out.

"David? Do you think you want to share now? It's been 2 years, and you haven't said a single word in group."

As memories burst through the haze in his mind, he finally breaks down and cries.

"My name is David, and I killed my family"

David

Walking home from work, David was contemplating what a wonderful life he had. David worked as a Therapist at the local mental institute. He ran group therapy sessions with people who needed his help, and he was happy to be able to help them. He could spend his entire day listening to their troubles, and help guide them back to a normal and productive life. Why wouldn't anyone enjoy that? the looks on their faces when one of them finally breaks through the walls despair and depression and opens up about their real problems, was his reward. The kind thank you's he gets as they walk out, was his adrenaline rush. He truly had the best job in the world.

His home life was also up there. He had a beautiful wife, Beth, who after 8 years of marriage and two children, still looked as beautiful as the day he mt her. she was smart, articulate,a wonderful cook, a perfect mother, and could still entice him to come to bed a little earlier than usual with just a look.

His children, 6 year old Tania, and 4 year old Mikey, were both angels. They would rush to the door to give him a hug when he came home, say their prayers before meals and bed, and they were relatively neat for children. "Then again, a person can't have everything perfect" He chuckled to himself.

It was all so wonderful, but lately he had been having some thoughts. What if his life was indeed too perfect? The thoughts never really lasted for more than a second, but they unnerved him nonetheless.

He unlocks his front door to the sounds of little footsteps running down the stairs to greet him, and the smell of his favorite meal, roast chicken. He quickly drops his bag on the floor to catch a leaping Tanya in his arms.

"I missed you Daddy, you were gone a long time!" She scolds.
"I know baby, I'm back now!" As he gives her his most charming smile
"Let Mommy have a hug Tanya" Comes a voice from around the corner.

Beth walks in and with the practice that only comes from routine, picks Tanya off her father and gives him a welcome home kiss.

"Get yourself cleaned up, dinner is almost ready"
"Wheres Mikey?"
"Mikey has a stomach flu, he's in bed. Poor darling has been throwing up all day"
"I'll go check up him, and then i'll wash up"

As he takes off his jacket, he notices a nasty cut on Beths wrist. Her usually pale skin causing it to stand out and look furious.

"Are you ok hun? Looks like a bad cut there."
"Yeah it's ok, Tanya was horsing around while I was putting away the cutting knife"
"I'm sorry Mama" Said Tanya with her best apologetic face.
"It's ok baby, now go get ready for dinner"

David walks up the stairs and opens the door to Mikeys room. The room is littered with toys.

"Looks like Mikey isn't as sick as she thought" He thinks.

Mikey is curled up under his sheets. Aside from the occasional stirring, he seemed very quiet. David sits down on the edge of the bed, causing little mikey to turn around at the sudden dip of his bed.

"Hi Daddy!" He says meekly
"Hi little man, how are you feeling?"
"My tummy hurts"
"It's ok, it will go away soon. Now just get some rest."

He walks out of the room and washes up. As he's washing his face, he notices that the mirror is smudged. Kinf of looks like nobody has cleaned it in a while. "Poor Beth must be up to her ears with the children" He thinks guiltly. "I'm going to have to do my share of the chores around here"

David comes down the stairs to find dinner on the table and Beth and Tanya already sitting waiting for him. Tanya says a well rehearsed prayer and they start to eat.

"This tastes wonderful dear" He says with a mouthful of chicken
"Thanks dear, i'm glad you like it"
"I think it's missing a little salt though. Tanya, please pass me the salt"
"Oh no you don't! you remember your promise to cut down on the salt. You have a family history of high blood pressure."
"Hmm, did I make that promise? I don't remember." he replies jokingly
"Yes you did. It was right around the time you vowed to love and cherish me till death do us part" Replies Beth with a sly smile
"Oh yeah, I do remember" He replies with a loving smile

They share a laugh, as David notices a slight red mark just under Tanias hairline.
"Sweetheart, did you hurt yourself today?"
"Yeah, it was when I bumped into Mommy"
"Poor thing bumped her head against the counter, its going to bruise for a while, but she'll be fine"

They finish off dinner, and David helps wash the plates. As soon as teh plates are away, they help Tanya get ready for bed. After Tanya has been tucked away safely for the night, and they settle in their own bed, David turns over and gives his wife a kiss on the back of her neck.

"What was that for" She asks as she turns over.
"Nothing, I just really love you"
"Well, I love you too, and I really miss you"
"I'm here now, no need to miss me anymore"
"I don't know David, but lately I feel so far away"
"Far away from what?"
"Thats just it. I don't know. I just feel like we're not together as much anymore. I feel cold and alone sometimes"
"Honey, are you feeling well? Where is this coming from" He says sounding a bit concerned.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it, probably just tired from the kids"
"Ok honey, get some rest"

David wakes up to the sound of someone calling his name.
"David ... David ... Come on David, wake up, you'll be late for group!"
"Yes, dear. I'm awake"
"David? Have you been dreaming again?"
"Dreaming? No, why do you ask?"
"Because you called me dear again"
"Sorry about that. Force of habit"

20 minutes later David is sitting in his normal chair, surrounded by familiar faces. The doctor in the white coat singles him out.

"David? Do you think you want to share now? It's been 2 years, and you haven't said a single word in group."

As memories burst through the haze in his mind, he finally breaks down and cries.

"My name is David, and I killed my family"

The End of the Road

The start of the road

Looks strangely like the rest of it

I ride in no direction

I arrive at no destination

A jack-knifed semi on the road

Turned over spilling its load

Dead and face down in the dirt

A man wearing a plaid shirt

Looks up at me without a word

Then calmly flips me the bird

A road-side diner, open till late

Rows of cows lined up in wait

They serve them steaks in a frenzied haste

It’s not cannibalism, just an acquired taste

A little girl forces me to a halt

Her wedding dress as white as salt

Aiming at me with a little fling

A diamond strikes me, her wedding ring

I see myself old and wearing a dusty old suit

I flag myself down, with a hand raised in salute

I greet myself with a great big hug

And a knife in my back as I walk away all smug

The end of the road

Looks strangely like the rest of it

Challenge

This is a challenge between a friend and I. The rules are simple. each one of us submits a new stanza by midnight everyday. Each stanza is 4 lines written in free verse, but the last word of each stanza must rhyme. The challenge lasts until 6 stanzas are completed. The winner is chosen by majority votes. I won't say who started just to avoid any biasness :) The first stanza is below.

(1)

A room all in white
A picture framed in black
The beast gazes sadly
Taunted by its desire

(2)

Loneliness descends

Taunting for a while

In saunters remorse

Fueling the fire

(3)

In barges Anger

His body aflame

He purges Sanity

In an unholy pyre

(4)

The room is alight

In calamitous flames

A symphonic conflagration

Madness its choir

(5)

To the beat of cackles
Unruly creatures assemble
Towards an ominous end
They all conspire

(6)
The beast smiles
Tears of exuberance fall
Ironically oblivious
Consequences will be dire

(7)

Ebony voids

Where eyes should be

Drain his will

Control he does retire

(8)

In one swift motion

The picture is shattered

Shards of glass remain

Where a love was prior

(9)

To avenge his pride

He vows to see her tears

Through words he writ

The world will admire

(10)

His spirit fuses with Ridicule

Sarcasm fills his veins

Thus was born

The Marquis of Satire

Specter

Surrounded by mist

Shrouded by the dark

Floated the specter

Bearing evils mark

In this haunted valley

The alive and the dead

Shirk away at his sight

They cowered and fled

Its touch colder than ice

Its voice the sound of agony

Its gaze a nightmares nightmare

Its presence kills sanity

Born of mans sins

Nourished by our greed

Its age beyond counting

No master does it heed

Doors cannot block it

Nor walls hold it at bay

Arrows cannot pierce it

Nor swords can it slay

Cursed is your fate

Should it ever cross your path

No mercy will it show

No escape from the specters wrath

Ramadan Kareem and Eid Mubarak

My, what an interesting Ramadan and Eid it’s been. Things are slowly settling down. People are getting back into their routines. Schools have yet to re-open, but already you can feel the back to school blues setting in on young childrens faces.

Let me try to summarize my Ramadan for you:

1- Joy

2- Shock

3- Disappointment

4- Fatigue

5- Sadness

I felt joyful that I got to see my brother who lives in the US this Ramadan. I got a chance to spend a little time with young nephew, who has grown up so much.

I felt shock when I first heard about the Pakistan flood. 14 million people displaced. It’s so easy to write the number, but difficult to put it into perspective. Imagine if you may, the population of Jeddah, Dammam, and Riyadh put together, and you still haven’t reached 14 million people. What really shocked me was the slow and sometimes unavailable response by the world. Chile and Haiti got an immediate response, and the disasters there are dwarfed in comparison. Not that I’m downplaying the disasters in Chile and Haiti. People in need are people in need, whether they are Haitian, Chilean or Pakistanis. I’m happy that the response finally came. The King kicked off the Pakistan Relief effort, as did many groups.

I was disappointed to see that even after all these years, Jeddah airport is still the cesspool. Severe lack of order, lack of leadership, lack of discipline, and just a lack of heart on the part of the employees. Flights were delayed because the airport could not handle the influx of travelers trying to get to Makkah and back again. It’s beyond being disappointing, it’s now an official tragedy.

I felt fatigued, as did so many of us. Lack of sleep during the Eid days really took a lot out of me, and the ensuing night/day shift in our sleeping patterns is still taking a toll on me. I’m still trying to reconfigure my internal clock, but it’s more resistant than I expected.

I felt sadness as Ramadan came and went. The few days of Eid were nice, got to see my family and friends, but I always feel a sense of emptiness as these people all go back to their lives. These few wonderful days we share filled with laughter and hugs, just go by so fast. Before I knew it, I was saying good-bye to my brother at the airport. We would have to make do with skype and e-mails and texts.

All in all, it was a good Eid. Just being blessed to have your family and loved ones around you is more than enough. I pray that you all had a wonderful Eid with your families and friends, and May Allah grant you many more in good health and happiness.

My Trip to NYC: Part 1

I recently got this article from a good friend of mine (I don't read Vanity Fair). Written by well known and controversial opinionist Maureen Dowd. She wrote about her trip to Saudi Arabia. So I decided to write my own review about my trip to New York City.


I finally disembark from the long flight arriving into JFK from Geneva. I’m tired, sleepy, grumpy, but I’m excited to finally get to see the city sung about by the likes of Frank Sinatra. New York City here I come!

As soon as I step off the plane, I’m greeted with a warm and loving “Sir, would you step this way please”.

It seems I was randomly chosen by a computer program to be searched. Well, as long as it was random. Out of the 300+ passengers on the flight, I was the only Saudi, Arab even, on the flight, and now I’m the only one being randomly searched. Something tells me this random selection isn’t so random. Nothing makes you feel more welcome into a country than being greeted by the sound of a rubber glove being snapped on and the voice of a man saying “This won’t hurt one bit”.

Six hours and several split personalities later, I exit the airport to meet my friend who has kindly taken it upon himself to show me the sights and sounds of NYC. I look around but can’t seem to find him in the throng of people running around talking to themselves on their Bluetooth headsets and running into trash cans because they were so consumed with typing that ever so important e-mail on their blackberries. I call him up and he tells me he’s waiting for me outside.
As soon as I step outside the doors (after the initial wave of nausea from the extreme pollution) I hear the blaring of a car horn. My friend is waiting for me in a massive GMC Suburban. He’s at least 3 times bigger than I last remember him from my childhood, most of the size concentrated in the waistline. The American mantra, bigger is always better. I pack up my luggage while he waits in driver seat, and hop in and he greets me in a way indicative of how long it has been since we last saw each other.

“Hi”

As he takes me around I ask him to show me the sights of NYC. First stop, Central Park. He stops the car in front of the gate and tells me to call him when I’m done.

“You’re not coming with me?”

“I don’t do so well with walking.” He says as he lovingly pats his belly.

My first impression was that people were so very relaxed here in Central Park. I sit down on a park bench and kind looking old man sits down beside me and he strikes up a conversation with me.

“You ain’t from around here” He said in a matter of fact kind of way.

“No I’m not.” I replied with a smile.

“Could you do me favor please?”

“Of course just name it.”

“When your ship arrives, would you take me with you to your planet?”

“Excuse me?”

“We need to escape from Earth before Planet X crashes into it and we all die”

“Umm. Sure. I have to go.” As I calmly stand up and start to walk away.

“I’ll be here waiting for you!! Just beam me up whenever you can!!” He yells at me as I hurry away.

I find a police officer riding a horse. I stop him and point out the clearly crazy person sitting on the bench waiting for me.

“Excuse me Officer, that man clearly needs some medical help.”

“You ain’t from around here are you?”

“No, I’m not”

“Don’t worry about him. That’s old man Crowbar. He’s harmless.”

“I understand Officer, but he clearly needs some sort of psychiatric help”

“Leave him alone, he won’t bother you. You should be leaving also.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s not safe around here after dark”

“What happens after dark? Vampires? Werewolves?”

He gives me a look of someone who’s finally met a real crazy person, as opposed to the sane man still sitting on the bench talking to his leg.

“They’ll mug you for your shoes around here after dark”

“My shoes?!? Is there a shoe shortage in the U.S.? Are shoes a valuable commodity now? I
heard about the sub-prime mortgages, but the news never mentioned the national shoe crisis.”

“Move along now!”

I thank the ever so helpful officer and continue down the path. As I make my way back to where I would meet my friend, I pass by campers settling in for the night. As I get closer, I notice that they light their campfires in big metal drums (for the obvious safety reasons), and they cover themselves in newspapers (Maybe newspaper conserves heat better than wool).

I get finally reach my friends car, and we make our way back to my hotel. Not the best start to my vacation, but I’m sure tomorrow will be better. I still have a lot to see in NYC.

A Consultants Life for Me

Inspired by the misery of a co-worker of mine :)

Been working on it since two
I squeezed out every ounce of wit
My laptop decided to restart
Unsaved data gone, the little !@#$

What am I to do now
I feel like a shooting gallery duck
I'm gonna pull an all nighter
because of that stupid little !@#$

It's getting late now
My eyes are starting to twitch
My laptop ruined my life
I blame Bill Gates, that little !@#$%

I'll pass this little test
and i'll find the greener grass
So to all the programmers of powerpoint
You can all kiss my !@#

Only Human

He gave me my eyes

To witness all the wonder

I used them for guidance

As i stole and tore asunder

I'm only human

He gave me my ears

To hear the worlds needs

I listened as misery's victim

Cried, as on her she feeds

I'm only human

He gave me my touch

To share the warmth within

I touched what wasn't mine

To feed my desire for sin

I'm only human

He gave me my taste

To enjoy my desire

I ate my fair share

Along with everything i could acquire

I'm only human

He gave me my nose

To smell the flowers he created

I smell the fires of war

Burning unabated

I'm only human

He gave me my mind

To think on my own

He gave me a heart

That wasn't made of stone

To help another human

When they need me the most

Thats why I was put here

To banish the evil ghosts

I'm more than just a human

Religion and Politics

This clip is a must see for everyone.

So it seems a church somewhere in Florida is starting an "International Burn a Quran" Day. The spokesman for this movement is a Pastor by the name of Terry Jones. To quote him:

"We believe that Islam is of the devil, that it's causing billions of people to go to hell, it is a deceptive religion, it is a violent religion and that is proven many, many times,"

He claims that they are doing this to stand up for whats right. Radical times he called it. He also called Islam a:

A religion of oppression.
A religion of the devil.
A religion of deception.
A religion of violence.

He went on to ask, why do you defend it?

Indeed, why do we defend a religion like this. The answer is, we don't. We don't defend whatever religion he's just described, because that's not our religion. Our religion taught us to be peaceful, unprejudiced and above all else honest and kind.

So what is this religion of the devil? This religion of oppression?

This isn't a religion at all. This is called politics, and the day you mix the hypocrisy and deceit of politics into the honesty and beauty of religion, what you get is a horribly deformed baby. the moral compass instilled by the religion starts pointing in every direction except North. Strange interpretations in the form of "what suits me best" start popping up in every situation.

Politics teaches oppression!
Politics teaches deception!
Politics teaches violence!

Religion is clean of all this, and will always be.

So what do we do in this situation? Do we retaliate against this ignorant buffoon by burning Bibles? Or do we boycott Florida oranges just as we did with Denmark and their dairy products?

What we do, is not play into their politics. Our religion is greater than that, no single person or group of people are big enough to tarnish this beautiful religion. We shouldn't help them either. Any act of aggression or violence will further cement their idea about our religion. The only thing we can achieve now is the "Aha, See !! I told you so!!" reaction when we go nuts on them.

By going through with his Quran burning, he benefits us more than anything else. People all over the world will watch his petty attempt to insult 1.5 billion people, and people will look down on him with contempt.

I respect Rick in this clip for calling him out as crazy. Because, that's all he is, a crazy man who wants to be on TV.

Shame on you Saudia Airlines!

I saw this article on Arabnews yesterday. I can’t even begin to imagine what these people were thinking about when they claimed this. Saudi Arabian Airlines is blaming it’s passengers for a SR 1.8 billion loss in 2008. Saudi Arabian Airlines claims that passengers do not change their bookings when their flight plans change and that’s the cause of this loss.

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Saudia. In fact, if it were up to me, I would have the entire top level management fired on the spot. Then I would fire the fools of a PR department for even thinking that this is something that should be allowed to go to press.

This claim is complete BS!! Passengers actually “pay” to ride the planes. Hence having bookings means revenue. Having a steady revenue stream means good business. Unless I’m mistaken since the last time I flew on this carrier, when a person doesn’t show up for a confirmed seat then one of two things should occur. One, the passenger has already issued a boarding pass, hence the seat is “PAID”, so no problem here. Two, the waiting list passengers get a chance at that seat, and hence the seat is again “PAID”. Either way, it’s a no loss for Saudia Airlines.

Ok fine, let’s assume for the sake of the argument that the main problem is passengers not changing their bookings. This argument still doesn’t hold water for me:

1. Assuming that passengers don’t change their flight plans, waiting list passengers should cover that gap.
2. Assuming waiting list passengers don’t cover the gap, then those few seats shouldn’t cause such a severe loss.
3. Assuming that the number of passengers is so low that it does cause a loss this big, then the problem isn’t passengers not changing flight plans, the problem is then that passengers are not flying on the airline.

Now this is a problem that’s fixable and one that should be quite obvious to the airline.

1. Better customer service. There is no excuse to treat people like animals. You as the airline are the “Service Provider”, we as passengers are the “Customers”. Case closed !!
2. Better reliability on flight schedules. Planes should not leave 6 hours late!! Ever!!
3. Stop giving out free flights for VIP’s. We all know it’s still happening.
4. Better Customer Service. (Mentioned twice because they just suck that badly)

We could learn a lot from the American Car manufacturers fiasco of last year. Step 1, bring in the CEO and top management of Saudia and give them a stern talking to. Step 2, no salaries for each of them until they start doing their jobs and fix this horrid mess.

There ‘ya go Saudia Airlines. I fixed your problems for you, and I’m not charging you a penny. All I want in return is for you to start becoming the national carrier you should be. You carry my countries name, now treat it with the respect it deserves!! Shame on you Saudia, just shame on you.

Insomniac

Inspiration comes in many forms. Thanks to the person who inspired this one :)
There's a hidden message in this one, see if you can find it.

I look forward to sleep
Caressing, calming rest
After a tiring day of work
Nothing can compare to natures best
Total immersion in the dream world
Simple cure for the stressed
Lights dim, cool breeze
Ease away from the daily quest
Erase all problems of the day
Paradise comes at your request

Dream Sleep

Thanks to my friend for the inspiration on this one also.

The sun shines a ray
On a sleepless man
Once again he's beaten
By the suns evil plan

Begone with you
It's not yet time
Why do you punish me
What was my crime

He only seeks refuge
From his nightly ordeal
His mind still numb
Sleep can only heal

He yells at the sun
He threatens it with doom
It ignores his threats
And rises to his gloom

He opens his eyes
and lets out a tiny scream
Thank God for small favors
It was only a dream

Sleepless Nights

All credit goes to a good friend for inspiring this one.

Sleep I search for thee
Thy kiss is my release
Release from this prison
Prison in my head

My head so very noisy
Noisy with voices concerned
Concerned about my life
Life troubled each day

Each day I wait
Wait for the night
Night that will bring the calm
Calm release from the world

The world so violent
Violent with angry people
People frustrated
Frustrated they can't sleep

Give Me

Give me a second
And I'll give you all my time

Give me a hand
And I'll learn how to climb

Give me a chance
To try and make you mine

Give me a break
For forgiveness is divine

Give me a sign
And I'll follow you through hell

Give me a reason
And there I shall dwell

Give me a clue
As to why I want you

Give me your heart
And I'll give you mine too

Mindless Sheep?

I just had the pleasure of watching a clip on youtube showing a Sheikh talking about what the word Pepsi stands for. In his opinion (or what he considers to be a fact), Pepsi stands for Pay Every Penny Saving Israel.

While my knowledge about Pepsi's business practices and their financial backing of certain countries is pretty low, I seriously doubt the authenticity of this claim.

The first question that comes to my mind when I hear a claim like this is simply "Why?". Pepsi is a mega-corporation. They rely on the sales of their products to create profits. These profits are then used to finance R&D to create other products and as dividends to their shareholders. So, pulling a stunt like this is counter-productive to them. So why risk their business? Just to spite us? What is this, 4th grade? Are legitimate businesses now going to stoop to name calling? Why Israel? Why not the Columbia drug cartel? At least that way they can make some extra profits while they're at it (and make a damn good Pepsi).

He then goes on to explain how a penny is 1/1000 of a dollar. I'm not a genius, but I do know to google something I'm not so sure of before I claim it to the entire world. But, to his credit he does say that he is not sure about all this, and that the information he got was from his young son. Yeah, nothing cements your credibility like citing your source as an 8 year old boy.
Please understand that I'm not bashing this guy, he may have done a lot of good over his lifetime, and I'm not the one to judge him in the end, but in this video, he probably should have just skipped it.

Unfortunately this isn't the first time I've heard of this. Trying to find patterns or subliminal messages in everyday products seems to be a trend in our society. Since I can't convince people of my views, I'll link it to something we all feel passionate about to prove my point. It's shallow and unnecessary. If you have something to claim, do your research and stand up in front of the world and say it out loud. Conspiracy theories are better left to novelists and TV shows.

Just to prove my point, I'll show you that anyone can do this. Just watch:

T.N.T. : Try Not to Touch (Good advice really)
PC : Praise Christ (I bet all you programmers hate yourselves now)
Mac: Make Alcohol Cheaper (Only cool people use Macs)
Sega: Silence Every German Author (most likely a British plan)

See, Anyone can find meaning in everyday stuff (maybe not the T.N.T.).

I beg you society, stop being mindless sheep. If anything, this is actually what they want, and you're playing right into their hands, just like a mindless sheep would.

Gen-X

I saw this article in Arab News today.

As my previous post mentioned, I am now part of the previous generation, but that doesn't change the fact that I understand that each generation has it's own habits, activities and personalities.

My father used to tell me as he was growing up, fathers used to comment on how their children wasted their time reading books and studying and other such nonsense. they felt that their childrens time was much better used learning a skill. Building, repair, trade or anything else that makes money. As time went by, that generation started picking on the next generation, reprimanding them for spending so much time on computers and video games, when they should be spending their time reading and learning.

Now the cycle is repeating again, with this generation being reprimanded for wanting to spend their time in leisure and fun.

What society needs to understand is that as generations grow older, they enforce their personalities and views on society itself. Society changes and adapts to accommodate this generation. In other words, our Grandfathers generation was focused purely on manual skills. Where people with good talents in trade, building, repair, were very successful. In comes the computer generation and the rise of the Microsofts, Apples, Ataris, Nintendos, Segas and any innovator in the technology industry was king. This generation has a peculiar trait to it though. This generation is very social and anti-social at the same time. With the rise of wireless communication and social networking, people are now able to maintain friendships without ever having to see anyone.

Many people will disagree with me and say "Thats not an actual friendship then", but the fact is, thats not up to us anymore. This is their generation and it's their world. Whether we like it or not, the world will accommodate itself to their needs.

So, please, stop fighting them. Stop trying to force your own outdated views on a generation that does not operate based on your rules. Allow them the freedom to express themselves in the way they want to, and I believe that you will find less frustration and less rebelliousness from them, and maybe, just maybe, they might even respect you a little more.

3amo

I've recently come to the realization that I am no longer part of the next generation, but instead I've become one of "them". "Them" being the previous generation. The old guys. This realization coming from the mouth of a 6 year old in the form of a very polite "3amo" (Uncle) during a recent shopping trip.

While I do appreciate the politeness of said 6 year old, I couldn't help but think "Who me??". I must have conveyed my confusion to her via the expression on my face, which I guess was somewhere between sucking a lemon and trying to solve a complex algebra equation in your head. The end result of said expression was to coax her into saying the blasted word a few more times "3amo, 3amo, 3amo".

As grown ups, we enjoy the luxury of education and experience to help us handle such situations, and my education and experience did nothing to stop her from saying it a few more time "3amo, 3amo, 3amo".

Now she was asking for it, so I did what any mature adult would do in my place, I stuck out my tongue at her and walked away. "Yeah, that'll show her" I thought smugly to myself.

As I walked away from her feeling all high and mighty, Something in the back of my mind was trying to tell me something. Was I wrong to do that? Did I hurt her feelings? Maybe I should go back and apolo … BEEP BEEP BEEP !!!

Oh yeah!! thats it !! I forgot to pay for the stuff I picked up.

I turn around and I swear I could just see the letters popping up above that little girls head.
R .. O .. T .. F .. L .. M .. A .. O.

Midnight Sonata

The shrill notes of a lone violin
Pierce through the cold night

The sounds flowing gracefully
Lighting my way with a pale blue light

I follow the sound with my ears
I have no need for my sight

I have no reason to trust it
But it just feels so right

I see a break in the darkness
I see a violinist bathed in bright light

He stops playing and extends his hand
I take his hand and relish in the delight

I awake, and a nurse calms me down
It's the eve of twenty years of that horrible night

She has no idea why I would wake
Perhaps the answer is in that violin on my right

The Ground Shakes

The ground shakes again
He looks up eyes wide open
Visions of his life flash past
On the floor he hugs his knees
And begs the voices to stop

The ground shakes again
The walls start to crack
He's losing control
He grabs his head
And begs the screams to stop

The ground shakes again
The roof is caving in
He runs to the walls
Looking for a way out
And hopes the chaos will stop

The ground shakes again
The world is brilliant
But a darkness surrounds him
He lays down on his back
And prays the torture will stop

The ground shakes for the last time
He is nowhere to be found
Only the sad shell of a human remains
His mind lost to his addictions
And he gets what he wished for

Proper Dress

A bit unusual in this blog, but I just couldn't resist. I saw this at the entrance to a wedding hall I went to today.

What defines proper dress?

If I showed up in Bermuda shorts, would they call they fashion police on me?

And what would happen if I actually showed up in a proper "Dress"?

Food for thought.

Who Am I?

Trying out a new style here.


Who am I?
I think, therefore I am
Therefore, am I who I think I am?
The government seems to think
That who I am is a number on a card
With the letters I.D. printed at the top
The way I see it, I think who I am
Should be on a card with
A single word on it
"Me"

Pharmacy of Love

I walk into the pharmacy
I take a look around
Ointments, Bandages
And stuff sold by the Pound

I walk down an aisle
With one thing in mind
A cure for my illness
A cure I must find

There's a man behind the counter
Who looks at me with a frown
I walk on up to him
And put my money down

"My ailment is strange,
How do I explain,
I feel so empty inside,
And I'm going insane"

"When did this start
If you don't mind the question"
"It was only last week
That I fell into this depression"

"I was sitting at the park
When she walks by.
She's beautiful and graceful,
And she catches my eye"

"I saw her again later
as I walked down the street,
She laughs with her friends
I've never seen anything so sweet"

"My heart stopped right then
And it wouldn't restart.
Now I can't figure
Whats up with this heart"

"Whenever I think of her
It hops into action.
It goes a hundred beats a second
Then back to inaction"

"Do you have a pill
To get this under control,
I can't live like this
It's taking a toll"

"I know your problem,
Your mind is too narrow,
Look down at your chest
Do you see the arrow?"

"You've been hit by Cupid,
This is no disease,
You aren't dying
So put yourself at ease"

"Ask her to meet you in the park,
Find a place that's nice and shady,
Spread your picnic on the ground,
And give this flower to your lady"

"This is Cupids secret sign
That he should take aim.
If all goes well, which I'm sure it will
You and her should be the same"

"There's your cure my young man
Your heart will be stronger.
With her by your side
Your heart will ache no longer"

With many thanks, I turn to leave
When out of the corner of my eye
I glimpse a bow in one hand
While the other hand waves bye

Recent Happenings

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Ms. Duha AlHusseini for featuring my blog on the e-magazine "Divan". Her kind words and fair feedback were very encouraging to me. I hope to continue this blog and improving on it as time goes by. Thanks again Duha :)

You can find the review here

I Wish We Never Met

I wish I never saw you
I wish we never met
If I could have my way
I'd make myself forget

I saw you first in April
You seemed to me so plain
I never thought that one day
You would bring me so much pain

As days went by we became
As close as friends can be
And one day I realized
That you meant more to me

I wish I never saw you
I wish we never met
If I could have my way
I'd make myself forget

I wrote to you a letter
That tells you how I feel
I keep that letter with me
Until the time I feel ideal

For six long nights I was up
While the world around me slept
To put my feelings into words
To release the love I kept

I wish I never saw you
I wish we never met
If I could have my way
I'd make myself forget

I guess my dreams are silly
You're way out of my league
The thought that you could love me
Is my mind and its fatigue

I'll settle for your friendship
It's worth more to me than gold
But this decision I am certain
I'll regret when I grow old

I wish I never saw you
I wish we never met
If I could have my way
I'd make myself forget

Mind Games

You suck away my life
Yet you claim to be my friend
If you think life is beautiful
Then why do you end

I am the thread
Which you cannot see
I am the oars
That push you through the sea

You are pure evil
You taunt me with your might
You slow when I'm hurt
If I'm happy you're fast as light

I am immune to change
Your perception is wrought
You chase children's dreams
Yet you capture it not

I chase what I please
To you I do not answer
You are forced upon me
Like a deathly cancer

For eons I've existed
And as long as I've been
You try to control me
And still I grow thin

My kind shall prevail
Where others could not
I shall bend you to my will
Until more I have got

You spend me with waste
Without a second thought
Yet stop I will never
I cannot be caught

Leave me now
I have much to do
I must ponder my actions
If I am to start anew

I shall take my leave
But be forewarned
Use me well now
Before you are mourned

As silently as he came
The specter is gone
But I feel him around me
Again I am the pawn

The Alphabet for Saudis

The Alphabet for Saudis

Now i know many of you are thinking "This is a chain mail in the making", but rest assured that this is not a chain mail (i seriously doubt any sane person will forward this). This is simply a lame attempt at humor, so please take it as such. I hope you get a laugh out of it.

A is for Argumentative:
No Saudi would be complete without the typical I know what i'm talking about and you don't know crap. Whether he's 7 or 70 this is the chance we all wait for, the chance to prove that everyone around you is a dumbass. Come to think of it, this list is fits under this criteria, because all you idiots couldn't see these points. I mean COME ON !!! it's so obvious.

B is for Bureaucracy:
Bureaucracy as defined is the collective organizational structure, procedures, protocols and set of regulations in place to manage activity. Queue maids and drivers please! All men, women and children are bureaucrats in this country. Kind of makes you wonder why we have such lousy politicians since they've had practice since the day they were born.

C is for Cars:
The more the better. Carbon emissions, phooey! Ozone layer, bah! Global warming, hey we don't live in Siberia, we can handle a few more degrees. It's well known fact that guys with Hummers are overcompensating for something (you know it's true). So what does having a car for every day of the week mean? Well I have a theory. We are descended from nomads. For nomads the sign of wealth was camels and sheep. The more you had, the higher your social status was. Who said we don't adapt ?

D is for Diplomacy
Not exactly. What we imagine to be diplomacy and what it actually is, is kind of like comparing chickens to say the Saudi National team. One runs around a field chasing after anything that moves while bumping into each other while not achieving much, and the other is ... err ... ok that was a bad example. Our form of diplomacy usually gives way early on to point A and after that point E comes into play and then finally falls back on point C until you either fall into a coma or your brain melts. Either way it's a wonderful relief.

E is for Ego
If you don't believe this problem exists, then congratulations, you fit here.

F is for Fashion
In a country where guys look like ghosts and girls look like ninjas, you would think that fashion doesn't really play a large part. Well, you think wrong!! Fashion comes in many forms here :
1. No one can see it, but I know it's there
2. No one can see what i'm wearing so i'll make your eyes bleed with my bling
3. These shoes are 2 sizes too small, but fashionable and comfortable are not the same thing.
4. This hair style cost me a months salary, but I just throw this head scarf ever so casually on my shoulders so you know i'm modest about it.
5. I probably won't wear any of the 25 pieces i just purchased, but it's fashionable to have your arms full as you leave the mall.
6. I bought this handbag that I can't afford to carry the credit bill I can't pay and the tissues I'm going cry into to con my Father/Husband/Mother/Brother/Sister into bailing me out.
7. SALE?? ... Where?? ... SPARTTAAA!!!!

G is for Grumbling:
The absolute best comeback to anything.

Wife: Can you take me shopping today?
Husband: Grumble grumble

Son: I got a D on my exam.
Father Grumble grumble

Lady: Make an illegal U-turn here and then go across the busy intersection and park behind that car blocking it off. Don't worry, we'll be back in 5 hours.
Driver: Grumble Grumble

H is for History:
What do you mean you won't let me in? Do you know who my Father is??
Muslims ruled the half the world once.
Arabs invented Astronomy.
Now the only thing we can do is give ourselves indigestion. We live so far in the past, it will take centuries just to get ourselves to the present, at which point the present will have become centuries old.

I is for Invention
Of which we have none. The world is populated by people who are constantly trying to invent new things. For example, the automatic toilet seat cover, or pokemon. Our genius comes in the form of inventing ways of interpreting other peoples inventions and making them seem like they are against our society (remember the Coca Cola logo). Now if only we could harness this genius into something more productive like real x-ray glasses, or an invisibility spray :)

J is for Jakarta
Where most of our population comes from (ouch that was mean)

K is for Kisses
For the love and decency of everything that is sacred to you in this world. If you walk into a crowded room PLEASE don't kiss everyone and take 30 minutes of my life. If you really, absolutely MUST kiss, then please don't make those loud smooching sounds, and take a few minutes to shave. I don't need to be sandpapered and deafened at the same time. One form of torture is more than enough.

L is for Lanes
Those dashes on the road, the government painted them there for a reason. Also, trying to go fast enough that they look like one solid line is not what they're designed for.

M is for Mobile Phones:
Notice I used the plural form. No decent person would carry just ONE phone because nothing shows just how busy you are then not answering BOTH your phones. While we're on the subject, during the time it took me to write this list my phone went out of fashion, I need to go buy the new latest phone with the camera, wifi, bluetooth, gps, radio, flashlight, lighter, lockpick and wooden stick (for when you really need to poke someone).

N is for Necromancy
I don't mean literally resurrecting the dead, but we do have the habit of bringing up dead issues. Remember 20 years ago when you said that I looked like Big Bird on steroids, yeah I still remember it!! Good luck trying to sort that out.

O is for Obedience
We expect utter and total obedience from our slav err i mean people. From the time you're born you have to obey your parents, school teachers, college professors, bosses, wives/husbands, roles & responsibilities, SOP's, contracts, agreements and don't think that this goes both ways. Be prepared to get screwed over when it's actually time for you to get your dues.

P is for Pessimism
Where do I start with this one. Forget it, i'm not gonna even try, this is hopeless, nobody is going to read this anyways. (you get the point)

Q is for Quotes
If knowledge is power, then having !@#$ load of quotes is the ultimate WMD. Losing an argument, never fear I'm gonna hit you with an ancient quote that has no relevance to the topic at hand, but just shows you that I can. It's the equivalent of having a shotgun and firing it in the air, it doesn't do anything more than just make a loud sound, but it works well to get peoples attention. Unfortunately the reaction is most likely "what the !@#$ is he doing?"

R is for Regret
The typical threat when all else fails. If you do this, i'm going to make you regret it.

S is for Spelling
I don't know how many times i've tried to help people realize the difference between "right" and "write". "Replay" is what happens after a team scores a goal, while "reply" is what you do to an e-mail . "Yourselfs" is not a word, and the next person that sends me an e-mail that opens with "Deer" is going to get tied to my bumper and dragged down Tahlia street.

T is for Tea
Nothing gets you going in the morning better than that small cup of lipton-y goodness. We're not barbarians, how can you expect anyone to start producing without first guzzling down a whole litre of red gold. If you happen to be one of those early morning people that likes to get their work done before the crowds, then maybe you should find another job. Preferably something in the 15th century you freaking caveman!!

U is for Underwear
Guys, it's called underwear because it supposed to be under what you're wearing. The mall, supermarket, street, and gas station are not the appropriate place to be out in your underwear. Yes, I know our underwear is more like a track suit, but you might as well be in your tighty whities for all we care. Is it really that difficult to throw on a thobe?

V is for Video Games
Now I have nothing against video games, far from it, I'm an avid gamer, but my point is stop creating conspiracy theories about video games. Video games will not turn you into a mass murderer, zombie, or a failure. It will not cause cancer, brain mutations, or pimples. Geeks and Nerds will rule the Earth, get over it. When you finally do get over it, you can come over for a nice round of guitar hero.

W is for Wasta
He may be your third cousins nephews son-in-law, but he's still family. Qualifications don't count in this case. He should get the best treatment that your abuse of your position can provide. If people get angry about your showing favoritism, then thats even better. What better way to show your sensitive caring side then by getting a total dumbass relative the job some poor slob has been working for the last 15 years.

X is for Xenophobe
It's the only word i know that starts with an X. So umm ... don't be afraid of aliens you chickens!!!

Y is for Yeti
Sorry, couldn't think of anything for Y either. So err ... bigfoots don't exist, so relax.

Z is for Zis
When you are speaking English, please make sure you pronounce words correctly. Zis is not za right way to speak to someone. Zey become fery annoyed and might possibly punch you in za face.

The Eyes of the Living

This is dedicated to all the Fathers in the world, who stood up and took care of their families. Fathers that were role models inside and outside of their homes. Fathers who looked past their own lifetimes, and worked to help future generations succeed. Fathers who did what Allah and his Prophet asked them to do. May Allah grant them his mercy, and may we all learn from them.

The Eyes of the Living

Covered in dust, the young man emerges from the hole. His brother at the top extends his hand down to help him out. He steps out, squinting, in the bright morning sunlight, his eyes still adjusted to darkness of the grave. The day was already warm, and he was openly sweating, staining through his undershirt and soaking the upper half of his thobe. But, he felt cold. It was as if the grave sucked the warmth from him, but that wasn’t the only chill he felt. He felt cold in his heart, devoid of emotion. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, his problems at work, with his wife, with his friends, all placed on hold. He was finding it difficult to focus, his mind refusing to accept what was happening.

He looks around at the mourners that have gathered. So many eyes, so many emotions. People he knows and many he doesn’t have all come to honor this man. Each and every one of them know this man in some way or another. They may have been relatives, best friends, or just people he met at some point in time. Yet, they have all cleared out their schedules, made the long trip from Jeddah to Makkah, leaving their homes long before dawn so they could attend the prayer and funeral.

He looks at his brother, but he sees eyes filled with sadness. He sees the tears hiding just behind them. They want to escape, but he holds them back with all his will. He sees in them courage. The courage of a son that is fighting to prove to his father that he is now a man. He looks down into the open grave and tells his father that he may rest in peace, because he will take care of the family from now on. He tells his father that he need not worry, he will live up to standard that his father set. His brother looks at him, and without a word, they both know they had a long road ahead of them, and they knew that both of them together would find it difficult filling their fathers shoes.

He recognizes some of the people around him. Closest of which were his uncles. They were also his fathers cousins. They grew up together, they were best friends their entire lives, and that friendship carried on to their children. They were the young mans cousins also. Even more than cousins, they were his brothers, and they were standing there also. The look in the eyes of his uncles’, convey a sense of loss. They lost one of their best friends. A constant figure in their group, he is always the first to show up to their celebrations, and to mourn with them on their losses. Their eyes are forever changed, a small bit of light is gone from them and will never return.

The young man notices some elderly gentlemen standing together to one side. He remembers their faces from his childhood. These were his fathers colleagues. He looks into their eyes and sees the eyes of people who are lost. He was a leader figure to them. He was someone they trusted and looked to as their compass. They knew he held the best interests of them all before himself, and they were wondering how things will change now that he’s gone.

The young man looks over to the side, and standing apart from everyone he sees an old man, clearly Pakistani or Indian. His eyes are red with tears, but behind those tears he sees despair. The man received a monthly sum from the father. No one knew about this even the young man. The monthly sum helped him overcome difficulties with his family back home. It helped give his children an education and helped him pay off the unfair debts imposed by his host. His despair was not of losing that sum, instead he was in despair over how he would not be able to thank him, or show him the pictures of his sons graduation in his home country, or of the Masjid he helped build.

He sees some people scattered across, he recognizes some of them as friends from when his father was studying abroad. He remembers one of them in particular. His eyes show disbelief. The man landed in Seattle, the first time he has ever left his country. He knows nobody in this strange country, but for some reason this gentleman meets him at the gate and tells him that he studies with him in the University he’s attending. He opens his home to him, gives him the guest room until he is able to find an apartment for himself. He drives him around until he can find a car for himself. After all this, he refuses to take any money from him. He tells him that when he first arrived, he wished someone had helped him figure out what to do, so he just helps anyone that needs it.

They are about to close the grave. Silence takes engulfs the assembly. The mood is somber. Everyone lowers their eyes in respect. The young man closes his eyes, and he sees the image of his father. The image is clear as day. He looks into the eyes of his father. He expects to see sadness, longing, or fear. Instead he sees happiness. He sees in his fathers eyes a life well lived. A life dedicated to his family, giving his family everything they needed. He sees wisdom, teaching his children all the skills they needed to succeed in the world. He sees respect. Respect for all people big and small, white or black, man or woman. He sees a man who can go in front of Allah with no fear, because he has passed his test.

Now the grave is closed. Slowly the assembly breaks up. They each say a short prayer for their brother, cousin, and friend as they depart. They whisper their condolences to the brothers, and go back to their own lives. Each one having gained a sense of their own mortality, and the legacy they will leave behind when their time comes.

The doors to the graveyard are now closed. The brothers stand alone outside the doors. The sadness they felt as they came in is now replaced by a sense of responsibility. A sense of pride for their father who lived his life the way everyone should. A sense of respect for the time they have on this Earth, and how fast it can move if you don’t use it wisely. A sense of love for one another. Their father is resting in peace now, but their time hasn’t come yet. Their test still continues.