Kaleidoscope

Tomorrow

2012-01-16T21:28:00.002+04:00

Hello, my name is kaliedo and I have a problem with procrastination.

There. I've said it. Maybe now I'll come to terms with SOLVING it.

The funny thing, I know that all it takes is to break up things. I always have a problem starting something. And when it's something big, the problem becomes bigger. Then, I decided I'd compartmentalize. Make the big thing into several smaller things, and attack full force. It wasn't so scary. And yet, sometimes, I find it easier to just walk away.

Tinkering

2012-01-10T15:20:00.002+04:00

One Star.

It took me more than a week to trudge through this under-200 paged novel. In the beginning, it reminded me a teensy bit of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. I loved The Road, so I was happy. Soon enough, I discovered that it was nothing like The Road, but still, it seemed decent enough. A few pages later, I realized I hated the book, but forced myself to finish it. A dying man, George is surrounded by his family, and in the few days before his death, he remembers random things from his past. His jobs, his dad and family, his passion about clocks and fixing them. I usually like lyrical prose, and I have no qualms about stories that aren't packed with action. However, I found it very very difficult to like Tinkers. It seemed to be like an assortment of beautiful sentences strung together, and that do not necessarily add anything to the story. The only thing I could visualize whilst reading was the caravan George's father had. That was it. I found the characters dull and boring, except for the hermit. Too bad he only had a few paragraphs.

Resolutioning

2012-01-02T15:14:00.001+04:00

I've been thinking a lot about my resolutions. I know I've already mentioned I wanted to read more this year. But there are other things I want to work on. Like..

Try something new.

Do something scary.

Continue an old hobby.

Finish things I've started.

With every passing year, you find out who your true friends are. And its not something you realize on January 1st of every year, its the accumulated experiences of the past year(s), the chances given, and the not so pleasant feeling of I-guess-so-and-so-wasn't-who-I-thought-she-was. We all change, that's a given. But we do not have to change for the worst. Like Holden once mused, there are certainly a lot of fakes out there. You can chose whether to lament the experiences you went through, or make the most of it. And I will definitely not be the lamenting type :) To the people who finally put away their masks, I thank them for showing me who exactly I was dealing with, and to my true blues, I love you even more! xoxo

Nothing like Karak to jingle those grey cells.

Bookcount '12

2012-01-02T11:53:00.003+04:00

This year will be a better year. To new friends xoxo

1)- The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
2)- Tinkers by Paul Harding.
3)- One Fifth by Candance Bushnell.
4)- Still Alice by Lisa Genova.

خارطة الحب

2011-12-25T16:43:00.000+04:00

"But believe me, dear, sweet Anna, you would not find me arrogant or proud or impatient if I could truly call myself yours." - The Map of Love by Ahdaf Souief, p. 250

Tell me, isn't this line completely bewitching?

I still have a long way to go in the book, but I think the best remedy for a cold is to read something that would snap you out of it, oui? Or at least, make you forget that you're nose has tripled in size (and function).

xoxo

2012

2011-12-24T23:30:00.000+04:00

Rather than having a resolution list every new year, I usually have one on my birthday in June. Last year, however, I remember inking one in celebration (apprehension) of the new year. I'm too scared to go back and see it, because I have a feeling, nothing got crossed off..

I know one of the things was to read more books, and ironically I read less books this year than any other year before! I didn't count the books I read for my thesis (trying to make myself feel better about this). Also, I seem to suffer from some sort of memory loss. I know I read more books than what my embarrassing bookcount shows, but I can't remember what I read.

Despite the unaccounted for books, I know that what I read makes for one meagre list.

So, this year I do have a 2012 resolution. This is the first of several. Read More Books!

For those who've known me for a while, or know my blog, I forgot to mention that upon finding myself inching towards my blog again, I decided to go ahead and pull off all my previous posts. I'm not sure why I did it, but I felt much better afterwards.

On another note, who has had the 'honor' of watching the movie 2012? For my part, I didn't like it, and I don't think I even finished the whole thing. Any recurring nightmares now that 2012 is slowly approaching?

Toodles!

Correction: My memory is far worse than what I had thought it was. Apparently my last resolution list was back in year 2010. WHAT HAPPENED? I must've been abducted by aliens this past year, that's why I can't remember much! Where is Scully when you need 'er!

Art Deco

2011-12-21T22:11:00.000+04:00

I am currently in love with this kind of flooring. Surprisingly, it's from a style I used to hate.

Picture from here

Heard of Art Deco? Whenever I used to browse through interior design magazines and come across something I particularly didn't like, I would find a caption that read something like "Art deco piece" or "revives the Art deco era" blah blah blah. So naturally, I assumed Art Deco was just not me. I taught myself to pull my features into a frown at the sight of the words 'Art deco'. Then, one day, I came across this type of flooring. Automatically my face started contorting into the 'ew' expression, but my eyes liked what they saw. And then after a short lived battle, I smiled. I realized that Art Deco wasn't as gaudy as I thought it. It wasn't all chrome and metal and twisty looking things. There were some really beautiful features to it. Like a lot of things in life, it wasn't all good or all bad; not an 'either or'.

City of Smiles

2011-12-18T21:24:00.002+04:00

I can't believe its December and its not cold already! I MISS winter :(

I'm so engrossed in my new book, I feel like I'm living in an alternate universe. More on that later, when I review it ;)

Today, I realized what my dream job would be. Something that combines travel with teaching, reading and food critiquing. Easy, oui? All I need to do is get myself on one of those Travel/Food network shows and ta da..

Mwah!

To books with happy endings xoxo

2011-12-12T18:18:00.000+04:00

I picked up Ports of Call by Amin Maalouf at the Sharjah Bookfair two years ago. I had vaguely heard of the author, and had two of his books (that I had not yet read at the time) but couldn't resist this after reading its synopsis. Yesterday, I found myself reading it, and before I knew it, I was done with it this afternoon. It's one of those books that leaves a lasting impression, because of its premises, the way its written and the fully fleshed characters.

Amin Maalouf is a Lebanese writer who has written several fiction and non fiction books, and if I'm not mistaken all his books are written in French. Most are available in Arabic, and naturally, English. POC weaves the history of the end of the Ottoman Empire, the conflict in Lebanon and Palestine along with the WWI and II, all told from a descendant of the last Ottoman Emperor (fictitious), Osyyane. Osyyane lives in Lebanon pre WWI and leaves to Montpelier, France to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor. There, however, he finds himself joining the resistance and enters a very different world from the on he had set off for. Although it sounds like a very historical and political book, it hardly feels like it when you're reading. It reads like a love story, of star crossed lovers. It reads like the everyday struggles of an ordinary, but dysfunctional family. The struggles of a son wanting to go after his own dreams, and that of trying to fulfill his father's ambitions for him. It's so many different things. It's the history of an unravelling empire, of racism and prejudice; and of a distant of hope of bridging differences and finding the ever elusive peace.

A 5 star and heart book. Definitely recommended.

Parenthood

2011-12-06T21:18:00.001+04:00

Once upon a time, I used to hate watching shows that were currently airing. I hated the wait, so I'd watch older shows like The Brady Bunch, Mind Your Language and Full House. And then, when shows were off the air, I'd attack the ones I liked. The exception was Gilmore Girls. I watched it from beginning to end, waiting fervently for each episode, hating the writers for the last two season, and holding on to the hope that they would eventually make a movie, like they said they would.

And somewhere along the line, I broke my rule of watching "unfinished" shows, and I watched a couple, but they all lacked that spark I found in GG. Until I stumbled upon two shows, courtesy of the many shows my cousin sent my way. Parenthood is one of them. It's in its 3rd season currently and I love it. Basically, you have the grandparents, who have four kids, and grandkids. So if I'm going to waste time watching shows, it might as well be something like Parenthood.

In my head

2011-12-04T20:36:00.001+04:00

In my head, I've written several books. Excellent books, with witty dialogue, genuine characters and a couldn't put it down kind of feeling. Some of the books that I have written have even made it to the bestseller's list. The in my head bestsellers, I mean. When I'm bored, which has been the case lately, I string sentence after sentence and then just stand back..and admire them. Yes, naturally, in my head.

I've also done a lot of other things, in my head. I've painted to-die-for paintings, designed the trendiest kind of clothes and landed the perfect-est axle on ice. In my head, in my head, oh but of course, in my head.

Lately, that's where I stop. I n m y h e a d . But all that is about change now. It's going to be i n r e a l l i f e. At least, I hope so. I sort of got into the habit of watching everything executed inmyhead, and it's not all bad.

What I found in my closet

Tidying up

2011-10-17T22:07:00.000+04:00

Macaron Makin'

Red Velvet Cupcakes, circa 2010

So, what does this mean?

That Kaleidoscope has finally started organizing her picture folders. And Can I just say that I love Iphoto to organize my numerous picture files? It's got face recognition, and organizes based on events/places. Alas, I have lost some pictures forever since my old laptop, monsieur hamdy, called it a day a year or two ago.

Girl in Translation

2011-10-01T20:31:00.002+04:00

Do you know how sometimes you read a book, and it stays with you long after you've turned the last page? Not because you went through exactly the same thing, and not because the words and descriptions were particularly lyrical or touching. But because there was so much feelings blended with the words, that they just seeped right out of the pages, and onto your fingers and made a place for themselves in your heart. I read Girl in Translation more than a month ago, but I still find myself wondering what happened to the main character, and whether she found what she was looking for. Sometimes, at random moments, a scene from the book topples into my field of vision and I look around, waiting to see what's going to happen next.

In brief, its a story of how a girl and her mother moved from Hong Kong to New York in hopes of finding a better life. Learning to adapt to the new culture, and new everything, with little to no help from the mother's sister who has been living in the States for several years. Themes of love, friendship, and loss are intertwined. But what makes this book different is that, for me, it sounded so real. I remember feeling the same way after reading The Kite Runner. Almost the same feeling of being able to see into a person's real life, without any shield, and without that person knowing. The raw emotions that you can relate to on a different level transformed this book for me into a living, breathing being.

So now, I'm on the hunt for another great book, that would make me feel like this one did.

Coming Soon

2011-09-19T21:18:00.002+04:00

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times. Sometimes, I have problemos where deciding is concerned. How can I just pick ONE blog theme when there are so many to choose from?

I piiiick...coming soon!

I've missed you all so very much.

Bookcount '11

2011-04-30T12:25:00.002+04:00

1)- Room by Emma Donoghue.

2)- When it Happens by Susane Colasanti.

3)- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

4)- The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen.

5)- Nickel Plated by Aric Davis.
6)- The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham.
7)- Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengister.
8)- Please Look after Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin.
9)- My Russian Grandmother and her American Vacuum Cleaner: A Family Memoir by Meir Shalev.
10)- موانئ المشرق لأمين معلوف.
11)- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
12)- Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela.
13)- The Map of Love by Ahdaf Souief.
14)- Just Kids by Patti Smith.
15)- The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.
16)- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

I'm Back.

2011-03-12T19:19:00.003+04:00

I'm back. Back with a bang. I wasn't feeling much love from the blogging world, and honestly, I couldn't face my blog because I hadn't done what I said I'd do. My resolution list? ITS STILL THE SAME! My reading list? FAR LESS THAN LAST YEARS. Bitter disappointment over both. But, I'm back to my cheery self again. I do seriously care that I didn't do what I had planned to..but at the same time, I'm not giving up. I'm going to succeed this time, even if I'm late. That should count for something.

June 4th

2010-07-03T18:17:00.004+04:00

When I read Julie & Julia a couple of weeks ago, I remembered Martha Stewart's Cupcake book. Why? Well, because I had made a sort of similar deal with myself when I got it. I said I'd try all the cupcake recipes in it (175), but I didn't give myself a deadline, and that's probably why I've only done 12. BUT I've done each of these twelve recipes at least 3 or 4 times! For school bazars, fund raisers, for parties with themes, etc..so that's gotta count, right? :p

Anyway, although I didn't enjoy reading the book all that much, I was very intrigued by Julia Child. I wanted to know more about her, and I, of course, had to get her French cooking book. It doesn't have any pictures (which is usually a must for me when it comes to cooking books), but I think I'll try out a couple of the recipes I've read about. The ones that don't need several hours of broiling, boiling, and steaming. Check out some of her videos, they're actually fun and entertaining..makes me want to go back in time, for some reason.

So, I'm way behind with my birthday resolution post. I've managed to do a total 3 out of my 7 items to do list! GOODNESS GRACIOUS, right?! But..well, Maybe I'll have more determination this year. My first resolution is that next June 4th, I actually post something, rather than a month later (like now). Other than that, here are a few things that I should probably work on:

- Read more.

- Finish my masters.

- Get a job.

- Continue with German classes.

- Write something.

- Start skating again.

- Learn how to sew/crochet and knit more.

Another 7 items. Last two are from last year's. I might have better luck this time around, who knows. I have a batch of chocolate chip cupcakes in the oven, so I'd better move my behind and get to 'em before I start seeing smoke..which has happened before, unfortunately!

Over & Out

2010-03-29T08:18:00.004+04:00

It's March 29th..bookcount '09 is officially over and I seem to have read less books in '09 than in '08. A difference of 3 books..it's not a lot, but I had hoped to surpass it. The good thing is I read more Arabic books in '09, and inshalla '10 will have even more Arabic books. Here's to hoping my reading list for '10 grows substantially bigger!

March has been a slow month for books..because...because...I finally did the LASIK last week! More about that later, but booyyy am I SMILING.

Bookcount '10

2010-02-04T20:21:00.035+04:00

I thought I might as well try and move the start of my year to Jan rather than March. I only started keeping count of books I read in March '07 and that's why my book year, if you will, starts and ends then. While I'll still keep adding books to my other list till March rolls by, I thought I'd start a new fresh list that starts in Jan. Long story, huh?

I already know I made a couple of reaaally good friends this year. Here's to more:

1)- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

2)- A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.

3)- Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel by Gregory Maguire.

4)- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

5)- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Book 2) by Suzanne Collins.

6)- The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee.

7)- Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz.

8)- Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz.

9)- Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott.

10)- Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott.

11)- The House at Riverton by Kate Morton.

12)- The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz.

13)- رائحة الزنجبيل لصالحة عبيد غابش.

14)- How to be Good by Nick Hornby.

15)- عايزة أتجوز لغادة عبدالعال.

16)- The Giver by Lois Lowry.

17)- حكايات صغيرة لأمل الفلاسي.

18)- The Hidden Warrior by Lynn Flewelling.

19)- The Oracle Queen by Lynn Flewelling.

20)- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

21)- Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay.

22)- Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood.

23)- Airhead by Meg Cabot.

24)- Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger.

25)- Jumper by Steven Gould.

26)- Julie & Julia by Julie Powell.

27)- The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson.

28)- The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest by Stieg Larsson.

29)- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows.

30)- The Housekeeper & the Professor by Yoko Ogawa.

31)- After Dark by Haruki Murakami.

32)- The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

33)- Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry.

34)- The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau.

35)- Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen.

36)- 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

37)- Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger.

38)- To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite.

39)- 'Tis by Frank McCourt.

40)- The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim.

41)- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (book 3) by Suzanne Collins.

42)- The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford.

43)- Love in Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford.

44)- Uncle Dynamite by P. G. Wodehouse.

45)- The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow.

46)- The Dogs & the Wolves by Irene Nemirovsky.

47)- Lady Susan by Jane Austen.

Shall We?

2010-01-07T17:59:00.005+04:00

My new year's post is late by a week. Great way to start the year, oui? ;o But then again, I was never big on new year's resolutions and the such. This time however, I have two burning items on the famed resolution list.

Finish my Master's program!
GET A JOB. GET A JOB. GET A JOB.

I'd be dead worried if this time next year I'd still be slaving at my masters and serving as a dead weight on society. Right now, I have a second internship lined up which I am very excited about (teaching math). And I would love if I could get a part time job, anyyywhere as a translator. A home based one would be ideal, but hey, who's complaining?

Right now though, I'm not going to worry. I am going to sit back and relax in the few days I have remaining of my holiday. C'est la vie. SMILE.

Kaleidoscopic World

2009-11-22T16:43:00.007+04:00

So, for the past 2 weeks I have been eating '7arra2 e9ba3u' for lunch, dinner and even cold out of the fridge for breakfast once. This is what I do best, you see. I fall in love with a dish, then crave it at all hours, eat it day and night till one of two things happen: I either grow literally sick of it, or, I learn how to make it myself. For some reason, when I'm the one cooking, I don't usually feel hungry at allll (great for loosing weight I suppose, haha), I guess cuz when you're in the kitchen, you just sorta get saturated from just looking at the food? Dunno! Anyway, I used to love, love chicken Fatah, then this summer I learnt how to cook it. I was so darn proud of myself. Until I found out that I couldn't eat it - not with the 'before' feelings.

I haven't eaten Fatah since summer although I've made it no fewer than a dozen times. I predict the same thing will happen with Monsieur 7arra2 e9ba3u. I love the tangy, zesty taste of it. I had some for lunch yesterday, and come dinner time I was adamant I'd break the bad habit. Come 10 am (and after dining earlier on a sandwhich) a sudden craze got ahold of me. All I could think of was a bowl of lentils, with pasta and the delicious lemony sauce. I tried hard to resist, but to no avail. I'm beginning to think the combination of lemon, pasta, lentils, parsley and baked bread must form some sort of strong addictive drug, non?

So the other day, I took my little bros to dubai mall for some shopping. I was on the escalator with my 8 and 12 year old bro behind me. When I reached the second floor I saw an expat couple sort of kissing, and I just walked on. However, not two seconds later I hear a loud: "Ewwww, Gross!" and a giggle emitting from a second person after that. I knew the voice pretty well (Ali, my eight year old bro) and the giggler was none other than Omar (12 yrs). I wanted to LOL but didn't, heh.

So, whilst I was leaving an Alumnae meeting held at my Alma Mater, I met a proffessor who although was part of my college, had never taught me. We got talking and she, along with one other person, made me only feel more convinced that my recent decision was 'right'. Don't you wish, tho, that you could always tell whether what you're doing is 'right'? Instead of having these random urges to drop what you're doing and go pursue something else x.x

The Sharjah book fair was great! I got lots of Arabic books (a few English too), but the question is, when would I read them? I'm sort of caught in the middle of all the work I postponed right now..ahaha..

Toodles!

Bookcount '09

2009-03-29T21:24:00.063+04:00

To another year of making new friends..

1)- Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita.
2)- Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie.
3)- عيناك يا حمدة بقلم (الغدير العذب) آمنة المنصوري .
4)- Jinx by Meg Cabot.
5)- Gentlemen prefer Blondes & But Gentlemen marry Brunettes by Anita Loos.
6)- سيقان ملتوية لزينب حفني.
7)- Magnetism by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
8)- All Our Wordly Goods by Irene Nemirovsky.
9)- Like Water for Chocolates by Laura Esquirel.
10)- Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson.
11)- حياة كسرد متقطع لأمجد ناصر.
12)- Coraline by Neil Gaiman.
13)- Princess Diaries: Seventh Heaven by Meg Cabot.
14)- Princess Diaries: Princess on the Brink by Meg Cabot.
15)- A Pale View of the Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro.
16)- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
17)- 2o Fragments of a Ravenous Youth: A Novel by Xiaolu Guo.
18)- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling (reread).
19)- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (reread).
20)- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (reread).
21)- Yesterday's Weather by Anne Enricht.
22)- Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
23)- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (reread).
24)- وقوف متكرر لمحمد صلاح العزب.
25)- The Outsider by Albert Camus.
26)- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (reread).
27)- The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
28)- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (reread).
29)- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (reread).
30)- Princess Diaries, Volume IX: Princess Mia by Meg Cabot.
31)- Princess Diaries: 10 Out of 10 by Meg Cabot.
32)- Why Men Love Bitches by Sherry Argov.
33)- Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan.
34)- Class by Jane Beaton.
35)- Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.
36)- Jeeves in the Offing by P. G. Wodehouse.
37)- Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro.
38)- Tex by S. E. Hinton.
39)- الصدمة لياسمينا خضرا.
40)- Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse.
41)- Remember Me?: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella.
42)- Problem Solving 101 by Ken Watanabe.
43)- Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.
44)- Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse.
45)- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.
46)- Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.
47)- Much Obliged, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse.
48)- Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella.
49)- About a Boy by Nick Hornby.
50)- Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz.
51)- Jeeves and the Feudal Spirity by P. G. Wodehouse.
52)- Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

53)- Introducing Translation Studies by Jeremy Munday.

54)- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

55)- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

56)- A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.

57)- Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel by Gregory Maguire.

58)- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

59)- The Hunger Games: Catching FIre by Suzanne Collins.

60)- The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee.

61)- Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz.

62)- Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz.

63)- Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott.

64)- Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott.

65)- The House at Riverton by Kate Morton.

66)- The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz.

67)- رائحة الزنجبيل لصالحة عبية غابش.

68)- How to be Good by Nick Hornby.

69)- عايزة أتجوز لغادة عبدالعال.

70)- The Giver by Lois Lowry.

10 Honest Things

2009-01-03T21:37:00.005+04:00

I've been tagged by karamilah and chinese-eyes and libero anima (thanks you guys!), and I have to write 10 honest things about myself then tag others. 1,2,3, Go!

1)- Whether its what I'm going to wear tomorrow, or what movie to watch or even which college and major to choose, I seem to never be able to make a decision! I applied to three unis, got accepted then didn't know where to do. I didn't know WHAT to study cuz I liked so many different things. The other day I went to make an abaya and I couldn't decide which color to have for the trimings (the lady managed to talk me into grey lace with pink borders and now I'm just not so sure..)

2)- I Love books. I just love reading and have always had a book with me ever since I was a little kid. I also love writing. And cooking. And baking. And I definitely, definitely love eating.

3)- I get mad about ten times a day (3a9abiya 'shway') but I don't show it. I rarely show my anger to ppl unless the circumstances are really over the top.

4)- My favorite season is winter. I love it when it rains, or snows. I like walking outside when the weather's freezing. I don't get cold easily (my ac is a source of annoyance to my family) but even when I do get cold, I still enjoy it immensly.

5)- I'm a sport loving gal. I like playing karate, tennis and figure skating. I go for random gym and yoga classes. I hope to always have the time for at least one sport.

6)- I dread big social events. And I've found out that the ones I dread are the ones I have fun at the most. So that's kina a good thing for me.

7)- Nothing beats hanging out with a friend over coffee. Unless shopping is involved too.

8)- When I was a kid, I used to think my brother was my twin. He's 11 months younger than me (ok, y3ni almost a year), but I made him got to nursery when I was in KG and I only realized we weren't twins when my mother broke the news to me sometime after that.

9)- I day dream a lot. And procrastinate eva so much. I go through contrasting periods of times where I plan and make use of all the time management skills on earth, and then through times of staying up all night, frenzied, doing all the work I should have done.

10)- I love languages. I hope to one day be fluent in several.

I tag: Kath, Spring-Blend, Elhazard, Sadoya, Miracle, Natsu and everyone else that wants to do it!

Mumbo Jumbo

2008-12-19T15:47:00.008+04:00

It's great being back. Got back last friday, bumped into my aunt at the airport (she had just gotten back from hajj), and spent a somewhat bumbling busy week since.

Just a couple of more days before we start a new year. It's funny how time just flies by you. Where are all those seconds, minutes and hours going? I was never a new-year-resolution-making kinda girl. Whenever I had something I wanted to work on, I just plonked it on my to-do list. Sometimes things got scratched off, whilst other times they just sat there, staring at me from my to-do list. An angry frown on their faces, but oh well, some things are never meant to be.

This year, I'll make a list tho. Maybe it'll work?

I have been watching BBC Food religiously for quite some time now, trying out their recipes every now and then, and recently I got Nigella's cookbook. I tried several things and was quite happy with the results. I'm not a huge, adoring brownie fan, but I like them just fine. I seem, tho, to have perfected the art of eating them, rather than making 'em cuz I have tried seeeveral recipes over the past years and they all end in one of three:
1)- Swirly grey smoke inviting the nostrils to make a hasty visit to the kitchen (circa 2002, burnt to a crisp, but I'm happy to say that the kitchen was unharmed contrary to first impressions).
2)- Use of wrong baking pans (circa 2004, I used a much smaller one than needed and for some reason the thing was unbakeable, stubborn to all those extra minutes I stuck it in the oven).
3)- Strict adherence to recipe rules, but ultimate failure all the same (circa 1999-present, now tell me, why is that?)

So you can probably understand my feelings of imminent failure at the end result of my brownie baking yesterday. Miraclously tho, the brownies turned out great. I had to leave them an extra 7 minutes (7, no more, no less) and they are being eaten sporadically by the members of this esteemed household. I'm quite proud of my brownie achievement. A round of applause, please?

Baking has some bad ass therapeutic effects. All that beating, folding and mixing gives one a great opportunity in talking to I. And if you're angry, why, you can just forget about the electric mixer and do all the mixing manually. Just make sure not to cause a whirlwind and splatter dough all over the place. Mothers wouldn't be too pleased about that.

Some Zzzs

2008-06-04T23:39:00.000+04:00

It is the mark of old age when a person finds himself embarking on a nostalgic journey upon learning it was his birthday. Indeed, the fact that the person had not realized it was his birthday tells us much about said person's grey cells. Or shall we say, what remains of them.

"I am sixteen, going on seventeen" The Sound of Music has always been a fav of mine. Too bad those lyrics don't quite work out for 21 and 22. Yes, I'm getting old. I turned 22 today. Maybe from now on, I'll just forget all about my birthday (like I need any help with that, I was so engrossed in getting the capstone ready I didnt realize that it was my b-day till I saw my friend's msg).

One more day, and uni will be my home no more. I have a final on Sunday, and hopefully, I'll be travelling on the same day (evening). I'll have a month to myself, no activities, no commitments, no practice, no nothing. It's strange thinking about a month of nothingness, I usually have at least one or two things I have to rush over to. I'll make the most of it inshaAlla, I want to have fun, relax and just avoid commitments and deadlines for a while.

As for the rest of summer, I have a job teaching karate again. I have no idea why I agreed to it, but let's hope it goes along fine. I sent my CV to a place that needed teachers for the summer, and maybe I'll get lucky. So basically my plans for July/August are:

- Work at the Club.

- Start the level 3 German courses.

- Get back to all my past activities: karate, figure skating, tennis.

- WATCH ANIME: I need to get reaquainted with this ol' pal.

- Read!

- Job hunt.

- Submit the paper work for my masters.

- Have Fun.

Bookcount 08

2008-03-29T16:05:00.059+04:00

To a year of good books!

1)- The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold.

2)- In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar.

3)- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

4)- The Children of Men by P.D.James.

5)- A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam.

6)- The Sound of Butterflies by Rachael King.

7)- Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot.

8)- Snow Flower & the Secret Fan by Lisa See.

9)- The Secrets of A Fire King: Stories by Kim Edwards.

10)- The Inimitable Jeeves by P G Wodehouse.

11)- The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean.

12)- An Accomplished Woman by Jude Morgan.

13)- The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer.

14)- Bonjour Tritesse by Francoise Sagan.

15)- Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons.

16)- First Love by Ivan Turgenev.

17)- The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

18)- A Good School by Richard Yates.

19)- Hardboiled and Hard Luck by Banana Yoshomoto.

20)- Our Former Lives in Art by Jennifer Davis.

21)- LeBal By Irene Nemirovsky.

22)- David Golder by Irene Nemirovsky.

23)- Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot.

24)- Fire in the Blood by Irene Neirovsky.

25)- House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus II.

26)- Moloka'i by Alan Brennert.

27)- The Cleft by Doris Lessing.

28)- We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

29)- The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani.

30)- The Pact by Jodi Picoult.

31)- The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

32)- An Uncommon Reader: A Novella by Alan Bennett.

33)- Overcoming Math Anxiety by Sheila Tobias.

34)- Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

35)- Pretties by Scott Westerfeld.

36)- أرز باللبن لشخصين لرحلب بسام.

37)- Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

38)- Specials by Scott Westerfeld.

39)- Extras by Scott Westerfeld.

40)- Miss Pettigrew lives for a Day by Winifred Watson.

41)- The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgsen Burnett.

42)- Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones.

43)- طموحات أنثى لوفاء شلبي.

44)- Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coehlo.

45)- Brilliant Memory by Tony Buzan.

46)- Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons.

47)- The Courilof Affair by Irene Nemirovsky.

48)- Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill.

49)- When Madeline was young by Jane Hamilton.

50)- The Virgin and the Gypsy by D.H.Lawrence.

51)- Lesley Castle by Jane Austen.

52)- تاكسي لخالد الخميسي.

53)- The Guy Next Door by Meg Cabot.

54)- Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot.

55)- Aunts aren't Gentlemen by P.G.Wodehouse.

56)- Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot.

57)- Queen of Babble gets Hitched by Meg Cabot.

58)- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.

59)- Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield.

60)- Fresh off the Boat by Melissa De La Cruz.

61)- The Visible World by Mark Slouka.

62)- Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.

63)- That Summer by Sarah Dessen.

64)- A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time by Diane Preston.

65)- Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto.

66)- Royal Diaries: Jahnara, Princess of Princesses by Kathryn Lasky.

67)- The Bridges to Madison County by Robert James Waller.

68)- True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet by Lola Douglas.

69)- She Went All the Way by Meg Cabot.

70)- More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet by Lola Douglas.

71)- Cotillion by Georgette Heyer.

72)- Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen.

73)- Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.

Gilmore No More

2007-05-18T15:45:00.000+04:00

So Gilmore Girls is over. Finito. I watched the season finale yesterday. What a series. I mean, it's the only series I ever watched from a - z. I actually spent several, maybe a hundred or so hours watching the show. I got caught up with Lorelai and Rory, related to lots of parts and enjoyed the refrences that were bound to be in each episode. It was a show after me own heart (I feel like a mother talking about her kid!). I loved Gilmore Girls ever since I first watched it; I was prolly around 15, and after flipping through the channels for hours I happened about one of the first eps of GG on America Plus. I liked it then, but never really got into it till I bought the dvds (One of the reasons I hate series is the looooong wait for eps and seasons to come out). Season seven was not what I had wanted it to be. It felt like a mexican show produced in Bollywood by an overzealous korean producer. They crammed a lot of useless stuff in it and gave it a jab or two in the wrong place. The last two episodes were probably the only good ones in the whole season 7 imo, and I totally loved the last scene. I wish things were definitely resolved though instead of having them up in the air, each to his/her own imagination. I was teasing two of my friends the other day, they're pretty hooked on 'Prison Break' and were moaning over something that had happened in the last ep they had seen. I told them that I never get that engrossed in a show. Guess I was wrong. I don't want to watch any other show now tho, cuz you never get what you want. The directors change, the writers kill people off and the producers butcher everything.

*sniffles* I won't be visiting spoilerfix anymore now - sad =(

Adios GG, it was great while it lasted.

(sends evil magical vibes to seventh season's writer - noob)

Bookcount 07

2007-03-29T00:28:00.005+04:00

I've been thinking about that 100 books per year conversation and decided to make it official. I dare myself to finish 100 books by March 2008 (inshaAlla). I'll list them in this post from time to time.

1) The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.

2) Vintage Munro by Alice Munro.

3) Curious Minds by John Brockman.

4) Matters of Honor by Louis Begley.

5) Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.

6) New Moon by Stephanie Meyer.

7) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

8) For One More Day by Mitch Albom.

9) The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.

10) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (Started in 'o6 finished in 'o7).

11) Lucky by Alice Sebold.

12) Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.

13) Love Story by Erich Segal.

14) The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield.

15) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

16) The Color Purlple by Alice Walker.

17) The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama.

18) Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (reread).

19) Model Behavior by Jay Mcinerney.

20) Bright Lights, Big City by Jay Mcinerney.

21) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

22) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

23) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.

24) Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares.

25) The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.

26) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

27) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K.Rowling.

28) مجرد أنثى لسارة الخضير.

29) Size 12 is not Fat by Meg Cabot.

30) I Hate My Neck and other thoughts about being a Woman by Nora Ephron.

31) Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky.

32) A Sky So Close by Betool Khedairi.

33) The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

34) Charlotte's Web by E.B.White.

35) The Story of Zahra by Hanan Al-Shaykh.

36) Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult.

37) The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje.

38) The Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling.

39) Royal Diaries: Catherine; The Great Journey by Kristiana Gregory.

40) The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan.

41) The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.

42) White Oleander by Janet Fitch.

43) The Hunt Begins by Robert Jordan.

44) The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan.

45) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnecut.

46) The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan.

47) The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan.

48) سلمى للدكتور غازي القصيبي.

49) The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan.

50) The Slow Moon by Elizabeth Cox.

51) The Watsons by Jane Austen.

52) The Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan.

53) A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan.

54) The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan.

55) Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella.

56) Diplomatic Baggage by Brigid Keenan.

Boy do I have a lot to catch up with.

On Rags and Bones

2006-08-13T08:12:00.000+04:00

I had the weirdest dream last night. I was skating like a pro, scratching the ice just the right amount and leaping into the air doing three flips and loops like they were second nature to me. I think I've become a tad too obsessed with this skating business.

I feel the tingles. Yep, they're here allright and bound to stay for some time. Now, the tingles are little shivery feelings I get in my fingers and toes and which signify only one thing. Time to Shop. I'm not really crazy about shopping, but in all honesty, I can't say I hate it. A couple of times throughout the year, I get into a frenzied fit that can only be cured by shopping. I'm kind of glad, because my pocket-ripping shopping is never complete without a zealous, conscientious spring cleaning. And that, is zactly what my room is whimpering for.

Let's see, what do I have to do for today:

- Take clothes to tailor for altering.

- Wash two loads of Clothes (Closet is depressed - almost empty). (In Progress)

- Get Aerobics schedule from club (lost mine). (Must remember to do that tomorrow)

- Watch 'The Rain Man'. (Not done)

- Go to Grandmaz. (Done)

- Pass the Ice-skating test. (Mission Accomplished)

- Finish the White Gleaming Teeth. ( Coupla pages left)

- Book dentist appointments for familia. (Finito)

Yep. I'm still loitering about with Zadie Smith's book. I took heart however, when I read the following:

" 'And this is some kind of linguistic conflation between words Mrs. and Miss?' asked Samad, genuinely curious and oblivious to the nether wobblings of Katie Miniver's bottom lip. 'Something to describe the woman who has either lost her husband or has no prospect of finding another?'"

That hit me right in the face when I was least expecting it and made me convulse with giggles in the most unappropriate place. I was babysitting the kids at grandmaz, and now that they have seen me engage in an act so low as giggline, they will deem me unworthy of their respect. (Translation: Rumours have been spread about my mental abilities).

I have a thirst for Russian Literature. It's steaming from an unfinished book I have on my sidetable. I started Anna Karenina more than a month ago, but then got side tracked with 'The Time Traveller's Wife'. It was enjoyable, if a bit slow paced (the intricate descriptions that I fell in love with at first kinda threw me off later on). I wish if there was some course I can take on Russian Literature, I want the whole history behind it.

Time for a refill. Only the dregs remain of my morning coffee. Let's see what I can read about my day from them!