just a note

Well, Blogger finally allowed me to switch from the old system to the new one. So, all of my blogs have been switched from there to here.

Now, if you're having trouble in commenting on this or any of my other blogs, then all you need to do is to make the switch yourself. It won't change anything in your blog's outlook. But let's face it; you will eventually be making the switch, whether you choose to do it now or let Blogger do it for you later.

Or you could log on as an anonymous (not my favorite option, though) and comment on the post you're replying to.

Just thought I would make things clearer for you folks.

the first surprise

I have told only a handful of people about this and probably kept them burning within due to their curiosity to know what it is all about.

I had been planning for this for quite some time.

I guess patience is it's own reward.

I have been accepted as a regular columnist in the online edition of The Times of Oman. It will be purely for exposure purposes and should things look up throughout the course of time, I may be offered a permanent placement in the establishment.

I would be starting with them quite soon so when the time comes, I will put a permanent link to the newspaper so you can get to read them when they are published hopefully.

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Link:

- The Times of Oman English newspaper

Update: Columns published will commence beginning the coming Sunday 28/1/2007.

new post on Arabia Calling

We are starting a new policy regarding our posts on other blogs that we post in. Such as the ones you see their titles on the right hand sidebar on this blog including Arabia Calling.

Everytime there is a new post on one of those blogs, you will see a post about it here and elsewhere where the contributors also participate.

For this post, Sex and Dubai has a new post on Arabia Calling under the title Banging on the Back Door.

We hope you can find the time to check it out and possibly comment on it should you feel the need to.

no more

My only wish is that when I eventually retire from life that I end up as happy as I am with my small closed circle of close friends. People who I can actually rely on to give me sound advice when I need it, who will always be there for me when I am in need of them when I am unhealthy as I would do the same for them always.

I mean, what is life all about in the end but the experience you make it out to be?

Then why not make it an enjoyable experience?

If you don't end up loving someone special in your life, then you are in love with your pack of friends and your family - people who would no matter what happens, would give up the world just to see a smile on your face.

Those are the people that matter the most.

My experience has taught me only too well that the people who car for me the most, who end up giving me the truth in my face are those who are people I can depend on, namely; my family and close friends. People who are not afraid to tell me what they think about what I do or what goes on in my mind either.

It has also been my experience that has taught me that you can never entrust strangers who drop in suddenly in your life unless you are absolutely sure about who they are in the sense of what kind of people through their personality are they.

A mistake, too often made by me.

But, not anymore.

spoilsports

The Royal Oman Police has informally requested the Omani football team fans to stay within the boundaries of road rules and regulations when the issue to cheer their national football team comes to hand (please see links).

In a statement in the local Shabiba Arabic daily newspaper, it said that 'it may seem to others that acting out in such a manner may display happiness and pride in the great achievement that the Omani national football team had achieved..'.

If people are not allowed to express the joy they feel when it comes to matters such as celebrating your local football team's achievements in freedom that does not deprive anyone else of their's; then where is the fun in watching the game at all. In that case, then there should be no football matches, televised or otherwise. If that is the case, there should be no bother from giving the football fans discounted tickets to the football arena to cheer on their favorite football team.

There may be a line to draw in these situations; but there should also be some leniency towards such issues whereby the law looks away in the spirit of sportsmanship.

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Link:

- ROP requests order when cheering local football team (in Arabic)

we were born free

Why is it that we live under laws of existence that bound us to limits on expression? Why is it that we submit ourselves to the powers that feed on our sense of fear unto their sense of control? Why is it that we ask ourselves if something is right that we should run and escape instead of having to face the very thing we fear the most?

Perhaps we are not able to change all issues that are associated with our destiny such as going back in time and redoing the actions we wish we had never done. But to what end? To what purpose?

The goal of life is to seek a peaceful, soul searching expedition that would lead to what some might call 'the other end of the rainbow', but if we are deprived of the rights that enable us to reach that target, then we are only kidding ourselves by saying that we have the freedom to do what is right to reach that goal.

After all, you only get one chance to do what's right.

moving on

Moving on isn't always that easy, no matter whether you're pulling to stand up on your two feet after a bad relationship or a health crisis or even losing your job.

It's a phase that everyone on this Earth has and will go through.

Unforunately, nobody tells us how to deal with it because each case is exceptional on it's own. With that considered, there is only one way to deal with it; that's by going about it on your own and facing the world all over again - no matter what the challenge may be.

True, the ride will be rough; and yes, you will have no one to guide you this time, but that's the sheer beauty of it - self-learning. It is perhaps, and without a doubt, the best way to harness your experience to result into confidence. Confidence you need to get through what lies ahead.

And you know what they say 'what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger'.

Need I say more?

the Cancer fighter

She would hold a daffodil in her hand
Twirl it around to see if it would make a sound
She'd smile with a tear
Laugh and look up at me
And all you could see was a pair of eyes that were just full of glee

She'd run under the rain like a child
Not caring one bit if the wind was wild
She'd hold out her arms as if in welcome to raindrops
Opening her mouth to taste every drop
I miss her and all her mishaps
The lengths she went to to forget what is it she had

A month or two later on
She was in a hospital with not much time left to go on
You'd hear her still laugh away
Even as she knew she was in her dying days

As she slowly gave in to the dark force
You could barely make out a small smile on her face
She went peacefully
As the Cancer took her away

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note: never take anyone for granted

the illusionist

The Illusionist is a movie that is very worthy of seeing and very comparable to The Thomas Crown Affair in some sense.

This is my personal opinion.

The Illusionist is a movie that revolves around the story of a magician and who when confronted by reality literally tries to bend the laws by crossing red-tape boundaries back in old time Vienna when he meets his long lost childhood sweetheart and finds out that she is to be wed to a royal figure of whom she doesn't love at all.

The story goes on from there on to show his attempt in trying to conspire for their great escape only along the story something awful happens. Only things aren't always what they seem. An eye for detail is the keyword while you watch this movie.

A great and provacitive story, nonetheless.

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Links:

- The Illusionist - Official Movie Site

- Movie trailer

the development decoy

Here's something that I think that none of us had ever considered.

While everyone is busy with the development of the real estate business that is rapidly growing in the Sultanate of Oman and its neighbors, the people who are actually in need of basic services in other parts of the country are being ignored by the developing companies.

We've heard about so many huge tourist projects that will help pump in more and more hard currency into the local economy such as The Wave, Muscat; The Blue City; but to name a few that are set to change destination map of worldwide tourist attractions in years to come. But howcome that we don't hear of any development projects for the sake of the locals who actually reside in the country.

The ever growing Omani population has a number of challenges to face in the future such as to find a job, a house to live in, a steady income, future tax plans and currency inflation - to name the most important on a local's agenda to look out for, and it is those plans and those targets that both the public and private sector should address to be better prepared for future confrontations in terms of financial disabilities.

True, that these tourist projects fund big development projects in the country are driving the wheels forward. But they have yet to show it on a much larger scale along the whole country line.

So, the question would be is the development process in the Sultanate developing the country as much as it is developing bigger pockets for the businessmen who fund such projects or is it all just a decoy to distract the locals from the hidden truth?

no one to please

People in all their lives will more than often try to please the others that surround them by always doing the things that they want them to do and unfortunately for them, that sometimes means that this would lead to their own unhappiness. This happens a lot in the Arabic societies as I have not witnessed this in western countries but I could be wrong.

This covers matters of the passion behind going job preferrals; matters of the heart and community related issues.

Most of the cases are solved through a simple understanding by always saying to yourself that the elderly or those who you aim to please are more knowledgable than you, therefore, it would be in your best interest to follow in their leadership.

While in other cases (minor or major, that is still to be found out), the rebellion stands out to strike their own chord in life even if it means taking the wrong way towards their goals and all other obstacles, as long as they have that experience for them to remember that they can use in their lives later on.

For, as your fingers are all not of the same length, you cannot please everyone.

Truth to be told; you should learn to please yourself only as long as you are aware of your goals and ambitions.

This Is How It Ends

Someday I will be taken away
And on that day, I will smile
I would probably laugh like a child
While looking at you

I would imagine the wind brushing against your hair
In your eyes, I would glare
Your tears, I would share
As you cry my life away

On that day
The birds will carry on chirping
The trees won't stop growing
As your love for, would stay within

And my soul would leave my body in total peace
Watch over you, to see that you live your life in total ease
Washing away all your gloom
Just to always see you smile and bloom

Forgiveness is love in my heart that you will always have
Just as a part of me is always happy to see you glad
As on that day all I want from you is to remember the good memories that we always had

Please forgive me
As this is how it ends

who stands to gain?

The recent bloodshed that has happened in Baghdad are only a proof of how cowardly terrorists have become to get to their goals. I am sure as Hell certain that the only welcome they will get in the other life is a chain on their necks with them being dragged into Hell's mouth and everyone else laughing at them for the indignified death they sought out to.

70 students died.


100 are reported to be injured.



Amongst others who were witnesses of the bloodshed that sends shocks down the strongest spines.


When is everyone going to get it through their heads that its not a matter of you being Shi'at or Sunni or whatever religion you represent. We are all human beings. We share the same blood. The same features.

Why then are we fighting over something that we can all share when we are all brothers and sisters of the same country? Why? Why are we all stupid to make the same mistakes over and over again? Why must we follow in the path of our stupid leaders and make the mistakes they did when we can be so much better than them by setting an example at harmony in human relations?

Why?

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Links:

- Bombers rock Baghdad University

a new Hijri year

In a few days, the Muslim world celebrates the new Hijri year. A year that oversees many mishaps, conundrums, and mistakes not just from the west but moreso from our part of the hemisphere.

You'd normally look back at the past with a smile because you would like to remember the good old times and unfortunately for us, there's not too many moments such as that with us having let Iraq get invaded, Saddam and his aides getting hanged on the very day of Eid Al Adh'ha; Lebanon being torn apart by several political parties that want to take over the controlling majority of the parlimant; and other Arab states arguing over miniscule things such as land sovereignty.

I may be somewhat a pessimistic, but you tell me; what is it that we are congratulating ourselves over? Our embarassing stands to not help other nations when we clearly should? Or our ability to make mountains out of moles in the international sense?

If there was ever a resolution to be made to mark the first day of the new Hijri year, I think it would be to see all these troubles vanish and to see our nations stand as one against all the tyranny, victimization, and un-needed feuds.

That's the vision that we should all aim for, and nothing else matters besides thats.

Happy New Hijri Year

Lage Raho MUNNA BHAI

I very rarely watch Indian movies and this was an exceptional case where I found this movie laying around our place and I was completely bored out of my skull; so, I picked it up and went off to watch it on my DVD player.

Munna Bhai is one of those movies where you can just laugh from the actors' actions alongside the subtitled jokes that play along nicely in the theme of comedy, romance and a pinch of wisdom.

Amongst the advantages of this movies is the artistic direction that is given the approach such as that which was used in Moulin Rouge in one of the scenes. The whole story revolves around a gang leader that has a successful 'business' and his only pleasure is listening to the female voice of radio VJ every morning and participating in her show when and if he can. When the chance presents itself for him to meet her after winning one of the contests, he introduces himself as a history professor but along the line he meets one of the leading historical figures that changed the way his fellow nationals lived their lives in their own country.

From the often musical medleys that you find in Indian movies along with their dance routines, there is also the mature directive approach that the director has chosen to take this movie through. There is also the many pranks that you find the actors spluttering out to make you really laugh out loud.

I highly recommend this movie for anyone, any age even if you don't speak the native Indian language. You will truly find this movie entertaining.

Just be sure to keep your subtitles on.

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Links:

- Lage Raho Munna Bhai Official Website

keeping scales balanced

All of sudden, because of the real estate boom that the Sultanate is having, more banks have started to offer housing loans like BankMuscat; BankDhofar; National Bank of Oman and Oman Arab Bank in addition to the old players in the market like Alliance House Bank and the government owned Housing Bank.

Not long ago, though, the CBO had asked the Omani banks to participate in a campaign to keep their customers informed about the risks of handling huge loans as well as laying out the advantages that such financial schemes can have in resolving matters of money because of the large amount of bad loans that banks kept dealing with in the last few years and were sucking them of their resources.

Having put both matters into consideration; why then start all over again with the tumbling wheels of time by going back to square one by encouraging customers more and more to take advantage of their housing loans?

Such loans aren't just petty cash. These loans are, in fact, a huge burden on people who own a very down-to-earth salary that they barely survive on not to mention the fact that they see these loans as some sort of opening in their horizon to get them out of their financial troubles?

There are needs and wants in the market. Both need to be addressed. That much is understood. But how do you balance out both on the scale when one tips over the scale to it's side?

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Links:

- Alliance Housing Bank

- Central Bank of Oman

- BankDhofar

me, myself, and I

I don't believe in horoscopes. In fact I believe that they are full of crap; but I end up reading them because I am just interested in what they have to say because coincidently they do hit the right spot. My horoscope once read something like 'Blame yourself. Then blame others. Reflect upon your actions. Then do the same unto others.'

What's so special about those few words?

The fact is that they pointed at one truth; I am a pessimist in the core. Something I cannot seem to change for the life of me even I try my best to act that everything's fine and dandy.

Some friends have suggested that I am at the tip of taking on my own life and that I need professional help. But then again; I would never hurt a fly, let alone myself. So that's scratched out.

Others have suggested that I try to look at my life from a positive point of view by socializing more; laughing and joking more; and in the end, being more of an optimistic. My attempt succeeded for a short period until my friends parted ways after having each gone their own way into business, life and marriage. So, basically, I am back at square one.

Other people I know had suggested busying myself with something like a job but that's sort of a closed-case because of obvious reasons.

All these factors considered, I still try to live my life in normal way by going out, meeting people I know and don't know, and trying to see any chance to actually make myself a positive input into the society so that I can one day get to the point whereby I can depend on myself and hopefully become independent.

Talk about your original 'sad story'..

Here's Looking At You

The choices I chose
Are going to take some time
For them to come into reality

But I know
In fact, I am sure
That it's them, in the light, I will see

It's just a matter of me being truthful to myself
It's a matter of being honest with what I can and cannot do
It's a matter of sticking to my choice
Otherwise, I will end up at a loss

The future, right now, may be bleak
But it's my endurance, to get through this test, that I want to see
I am hoping that I would succeed
I am hoping that one day, I will look back at all this, one day, with glee

this isn't freedom

Have societal standards for common decency dropped dramatically and I wasn't informed? Or was I hibernating for more than 100 years to wake up to such a shock of how our community has given in to the double standard edition of dealing with their daily lives?

Fine, teenagers will be teenagers and granted we were once in that state where rebelliousness was a common factor of our age group and that helped us out in doing almost everything what we wanted. And granted also that we - I speak for myself - have outgrown that phase and probably become more mature in a sense. But, honestly speaking, waking up one day to see girls and boys who are 10 or more years our junior sitting in public places being luvvy duvvy is something I am not acquainted with at all in Oman.

Oman is lenient on many laws, regulations and matters of societal differences but this is stretching the thread far too long; especially when you see youngsters kissing with no bother to people who pass them by or another couple who sit on their laps because they 'feel like it', or young girls wearing fancy dresses fit enough for Britney Spears.

I am not against liberalism. I am against the double standards that are set in our country. Our government placed certain laws and regulations that were meant to be adhered to and not be broken. And that applies on everyone who resides in the Sultanate whether you're a citizen or a resident or a national or a tourist.

You may say that such behavior only comes from how parents deal with their children but that is only half the truth, especially when the surroundings encourage it. By that, I mean the current freedoms that are on the front line that none of us ever got to experience when we were young.

And it is such a shame to think that whoever fought for this country's freedom, fought for a certain idea to be kept alive; fought so that their children could live a better more easier life; fought so that they could get a better education and better treatment; they fought for their right to be seen equal.

Somehow, that idea is now slowly evaporating into the air..

A Blow, A Whim

A whistle in the wind
A blow, a whim
A childish desire to win
The feelings I have within
Just make me think

And when I am on my own
I start to moan and groan
I live within the bounds of my own world
That I consider life as a net thrown

Into a sea of experience
Of lively yet hard degradings

But I know that this is all an introduction to something wild and wonderful
Something peachy and out of this world
Where I am outwitted by awe-inspiring desires

To live
To cherish
To smell - yet - the scent

This day will come I am sure
No matter, how I may be, sad or deplored
Chances are, it could just happen tomorrow