STORIES, STORIES

I got a pretty inspiring quote from a friend today. It goes: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt Now, that's quite true. A little insensitive to the little details of the things, people and situations that make someone feel inferior, but sure, she might truly be on to something here. The quote implies that everyone has (and can) control everything that goes on in their lives. That is of course, misleading. Human relationships and the human mind are both very complex and so intertwined that there is no way for anyone to be in full control of what or who makes them feel inferior. Therefore, it is important to remember that these quotes are not to be followed religiously in all aspects all the time. Think of it as a reminder to be aware of the things you can control so you may control them, and to eliminate those things you are able to eliminate so that you are not made to feel inferior. Eliminate. What will you be eliminating?

I'm sure by now we've all (or at least most of us have) read/heard about the 9-year-old daughter of an American mom and Libyan dad, the girl who chose to start wearing her hijab in the States at a very young age. [ For the full story, click here. ] The story is written from the point of view of the mom, about her personal struggle in accepting her daughter's choice, and the things she learned from it. I've been asked by so many people about my opinion on this, so I'm just gonna re-post here the email I wrote to one of my friends on the subject sometime ago. I read this article a few days ago, and it's very interesting in that it really tests a person's claims on being open-minded, and it also explores some of the core difficulties that bi-racial/bi-cultural couples or families face. In my opinion, the girl is young, she has become influenced by this side of her heritage, and she is exploring it. It's nothing definite or concrete. It's a good thi...

So there's this guy on my Facebook friend list who's really annoying. Classic fuckface behaviour. He makes uneducated hypotheses, calls everyone stupid (except himself, it's hilarious if it weren't so annoying), and makes all these really fucking stupid generalizations and arguments. Very offensive guy. All of this on Facebook status updates. I know, I can just easily delete him, and move on and stop complaining about how offensive (and stupid) he is. It would save me from seeing all his comments and just shut him up. He can exist somewhere else beyond my hearing (or my feed). But then what about Freedom of Speech? Does he not have the right to voice his own opinions, just as I fiercely defend mine? Would I not be stepping on his rights or freedom by deleting him, shutting him up? Could I not give him his little FB space to stage his little rants and beliefs? I do not have to accept his views, but I must respect his right to have them and say them out loud. So what if t...

While I'm not an Apple person, I've always liked the minimalist look. I also like white. So yes, every time I pass by an iZone shop, I always go in and have myself a nice look at all that beautiful [overpriced] 'simplicity'. I've been tempted many, many times to get sucked in to that whole Mac business, but I seriously doubt it's for me. After all, I am neither hip nor much of a computer/graphics person. I'm happy with my little (almost) 4-year-old classic iPod prompting me to check out that sub-culture every now and then. For now. Unless someone really convinces me. Or takes me on a shopping spree. Whatever comes first. So today, I made my first iTunes purchase. I sat for about a couple hours shopping for music, looking for stuff that I'd really spend money on. I ended up buying a bunch of Alejandro Sanz music and some jazz, totally worth it, but it wasn't as fun an experience as I thought it would be. I don't think I'll do it again for anot...

We all know that pivotal scene mid-montage in "Pretty Woman" when Julia Roberts' character goes back to Rodeo Drive to shop after she was very basically kicked out for looking like a prostitute who couldn't afford to buy anything there. She triumphantly goes up to the saleswoman who judged her before and she says, pointing at the woman with her hand that held all the shopping bags, "You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Huge." Yeah. That's right, bitch. The prostitute who couldn't afford to buy anything from your snooty, high-end shop struck gold and got an extremely good-looking, quietly tortured, wealthy man to give her some shopping money in exchange for her service. And all that money isn't going to your shop. Coz you suck ass. Seriously, I hate salespeople who can't do their job. I don't think it's part of their job description to judge their customers by their appearance, but please correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, com...

I have always heard about Crossroads: the moments in your life when you have to make a decision that will change everything. I've been told of the courage that it takes to make that decision, to have the balls to choose a path while not knowing what the outcome would be. The vagueness of it all seems a little too dramatic; everything I've done up to this point has been clear-cut, black-and-white. It's always been either a yes, or a no, and whatever comes next, comes next, no drama. But I find that it's true. That when you reach that point, you find drama staring you in the face. Courage doesn't travel alone, it walks with fear, pain, heartbreak. Life is a huge videogame of levels, of checkpoints, storylines, decisions, battles, and yes, you might die a swift death, and everything you had worked hard for is gone in an instant, and you are left with not much, save for the controller and your numb fingers. But you are given a chance to start over, and every time you do...

I am now going to proceed to write the kind of restaurant review that I'd like to read. Pizza Fusion. Rawdah Street. Next to Bert's Cafe. If you don't know where Bert's Cafe is, what the hell, everyone knows where Bert's Cafe is. Look it up. Ask a friend. Interior was nice. Lighting not harsh, good for photos especially if you haven't plucked your eyebrows, or you have a zit. Small-ish. There are booths. We've gone twice now, both times as a big group of about 10-15, maybe even 20 people. We fit. Comfortable seats. Smoking. Nice pictures on walls. Very health-oriented. My organic friends loved it. Food was good. They serve salads; the gorgonzola and beet and walnut ones are really good. And I'm not even a salad person. Or maybe I was just really starving. They have a whole bunch of pizzas. The sausage and something was good. So was the Big Kahuna, which was bacon and heaps of vegetables. Thin crusts. Nice and filling, the good kind. Unless you stuff your...

Here is the visual representation of my relationship with my older sister J, me being the one on the right, and her on the left. (Yes, I am considerably taller than her.) Here are this week's recommendations: * Law Abiding Citizen . That 2009 movie starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx. I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say that even though I give it a 7 out of 10, I liked that my sister and I got to re-discuss some of our favorite moral-dilemma topics such as capital punishment. Other topics we debated (yes, while the film was playing in the background): Gerard Butler's hotness (or notness!), the importance of psy-wars, and how filling and much healthier watermelon is compared to siopao (a Chinese/Filipino delicacy). Don't ask. * Dancing to " My Sharona " and then totally air-guitaring at the part where they go "my-yai-yai-yai-yaii-yeah-whoaaaa!! M-m-m-myyy Sharona". You know you LOVE IT. Doug, RIP. * Billboard ad of "FIN...

I'm totally used to naysayers. From as far back as I can remember, people have been going against whatever I believed in. I've been made fun of, I've been laughed at, I've gotten all kinds of comments, I've gotten into so many arguments, I've fought fiercely for my beliefs. Yes, I'm talking about the Backstreet Boys. They ARE REAL MUSICIANS, OKAY? In the past few weeks that I've been helping out my friend Sharifa with the Earth Hour event in Jeddah, I came across the naysayers again. It's been a while; I had to get reacquainted with dealing with them. There were two kinds of people we had to deal with. 1. The genuinely curious. People who really didn't think Earth Hour was good for anything maybe because they didn't know much about it, or they had misconceptions, or they didn't believe it would work, or whatever other reason. Yes, they might have been harsh with their questions and comments, but one could tell that these people were reall...

Earth Hour comes to Jeddah! On March 27, Saturday, from 8:30 to 9:30, if you live in Jeddah, show support by turning off lights and other non-essential electronics. For more information, you can head on to the Earth Hour Jeddah blog by clicking this link . In the meantime, you can check our latest podcast episode (on the same topic) right here. P.S. For other episodes, subscribe to the podcast, which may be found in this link .