Happy Third Year

Intro:

Life is a series of accomplishments. Some are small (creating a blog account). Some are big (graduating...etc etc). And then some are absolutely freaking huge! Well to me at least, posting and being here for the third year is one huge accomplishment! :D

It was little over two years when I decided to write a book, and then changed my mind and shared the idea of this blog with my friend.

In the honor of this post, I'd like to take this opportunity to reflect back on my time spent here. I have truly enjoyed bringing my readers some articles, thoughts, ramblings, discussions and stories! I really appreciate my followers, and wanted to say thank you from my heart - mn galb galb gaaalbi :D


ايمانا مني بأهمية ومكانة الحوار النظيف وتبادل الأفكار والآراء
I decided to start posting a series of blog entries to discuss various issues (social, local, political...etc). This series will be under the following Tag (نقطة نظام)

Why (نقطة نظام)?
There was a GREAT Kuwaiti radio program hosted by Nasser Al Mujaibil during the holy month of Ramadan every year. I always wanted it to be aired all year. The idea of the program inspired me A LOT and so decided to call my blog series

نقطة نظام

قل ما تريد ...أرسل بريد...أوصل كلام
وارفع يدك...شارك وقل...
نقطة نظام

إن الحوار مع العقول
يثريك من فكر الأنام
يعطيك أفكارا ترى
فيها خلافا وانسجام

إن الثقافة في الحوار
تهديك من قيم الكبار
وتنير آفاقا بها
تجد الظلام غدا نهار!


Thanks again Dear Me, Dear Readers & Followers. Happy third year & happy new year!

Open Sesame!

Dear Me - Dear Readers,


I have recently read an interesting article in Al Arabi Magazine about the Joint Program Production Institution in Kuwait. I came to know the history of one of its most famous production - Open Sesame or Iftah Ya Simsim. So thought of writing this article, tried to translate parts of the original article and searched for more information from the official site of the Institution and from other different sources. Enjoy :)

Open Sesame
We have been told since we were kids the famous story of Ali Baba! The young Ali Baba works collecting and cutting firewood (a valuable commodity) in the forest, and one day he happens to overhear a group of forty thieves visiting their treasure store in the forest. The treasure is in a cave, the mouth of which is sealed by magic. It opens on the words "Open, Simsim" (commonly written as "Open Sesame" in English), and seals itself on the words "Close, Simsim" ("Close Sesame"). When the thieves are gone, Ali Baba enters the cave himself, and takes some of the treasure home.

Open Sesame - أفتح يا سمسم , Children's TV series
Iftah Ya Simsim is the first Arabic-speaking version of the children't TV series Sesame Street. Indoor scenes have been taken in Kuwait, while outdoor scenes were in many Arab Countries and the world. Actors, players and children have been selected to represent more than 12 Arab countries.

In May 1977, for $2.5 million, the Joint Program Production Institution bought the Arab World rights to the Sesame Street concept for a nine-year period, as well as CTW's technical assistance, research and production advice and the services of a resident consulting producer during the production period in Kuwait.

The first part was aired in autumn 1979. The second part was completed and aired in 1982.
The third part was produced in 1989, but it wasn't aired due to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Right after the liberation of Kuwait, 44 episodes out of 120 went missing during the invasion. The irony is, the two main puppet characters of the show "Noman & Malsoon" were stolen by the invading forces. The remaining episodes has gone through Montage process after the war to remove all the scenes that show the Iraqi actors.

End of article.

PS: Special thanks to Sama for telling me about the article. By the time you update your blog!

Why I deactivated my facebook account?

Dear Me, dear readers, dear so called Facebook "friends",

Over the past 17 hours since I deactivated my Facebook account, I have had dozens of emails and few text messages asking me why I left the service so abruptly specially at my birthday night. To most of those inquiries, I say that I am suffering from Facebook fatigue.

I've been spending "or say wasting" a good number of hours every week on this social networking site.

I’ll agree that part of this is my fault for having too many contacts on the site, and especially for having too many contacts that aren’t savvy enough to realize that most of these silly applications are a huge waste of my time. That being said, I don’t have the time to deal with requests I don’t care about from people I barely speak to anymore. And when I’m spending more time declining requests than I am doing more productive things on the site, then you know I’m in over my head. It’s like email all over again.

Return on investment is a concept I learnt back in college days, it is incredibly important in all aspects of life I should say, so why not in social networking applications? And why the hell would I accept the tens of friendship requests from random people I barely know.


Yes, I love Mafia movies, but no I don’t want to be part of them. Yes, I like hot chocolates, but no I don’t want a virtual one. Yes, I’d love to cook and have my own restaurant/cafe - but not online. I know I have a big brain, so what's the deal?
I suck in Geography so why humiliating myself in public? :p

Those who I care about and who are really in my life will remain the same, as for the rest, am sorry...facebook is no more my cup of tea

Thanks & Regards,
Anti-Facebook

مذكراتي في العيد ج1

الثلاثاء

1-ديسمبر-2009

صباح آخر في العيد

صباح آخر من الصباحات العليلة!

قمت من صباح الله خير كعادتي السيئة, يعني الناس إجازات والواحد لازم يستغل هذه الفرص السعيدة في النوم لساعات طويلة إلى وقت القايلة وانا بسلامتي من الساعة 7 الصبح مبققة عيوني مثل البوم...ولكن ما أقول إلا: يا شين السرج على العنز

باقي 16 يوم في الحياة وأكمل 23 سنة من مسيرتي الأبية في هذه الحياة...أتذكر قبل حوالي 13 سنة لمن كملت 10 سنوات... أتذكر اني قعدت أصيح لأن رقم 10 كان بالنسبالي رقم كبير ويازعم اني بديت أصير *عيوز* في الحياة...تساؤل يدور في بالي: عندما أكمل 30 سنة يعني بعد 7 سنوات من الحين وش راح أسوي؟ أشق هدومي وألطم!

المهم...قمت ونزلت تحت أتريق ودورت الوالدة ولقيتها تطالع تلفزيون فشاركتها الجلسة الطيبة وياهي جلسة...حرصت إني أحسسها بأني حالي حال أي ياهل لما يشوف أمه تطالع التلفزيون يعلق ويصر أنها تحطله رسوم متحركة...تمت عملية رفع الضغط بنجاح وتركت لي أمي جهاز التحكم تحت تصرفي! ^^''