Saturday, March 25, 2006

Archives 1:

Going back to my roots. A picture post with a few facts on the side. enjoy.



Welcome to Damascus!!
The oldest living capital in the world.

Which gate would you like to enter?
because there are 8 (and maybe some more) ;)

The Eastern Gate (Bab Sharki)

It was named according to its location in the east side
of the city, it has three carved arcs.
The Muslim Warrior "Khaled Ben al-Waleed"
entered Damascus through this gate in the Rashedi Era.

Peace Gate (Bab Al-Salam)


Thomas Gate (Bab Tooma)

It is locacted in the north of Damascus.
It was named after a famous Old Roman Leader,
his name is Thomas.

The Paradise Gate (Bab Al-Faradees / Bab Al-Amara)

One of the northern gates;
it was named the paradise gate
in the Roman age because there
were plenty of water and gardens
which used to surround the gate.
The other name , Bab Al Amara,
refers to a name of a famous building
where people used to meet in the 14th century.

The Small Gate (Bab Al-Sgheer)

It is located in the southern side of the city.
It had this name because it was the smallest gate.
A graveyard was erected near this gate;
it holds some graves of
Companions of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH),
and some Umayyad caliphs.


Al-Faraj Gate (Al-Manakhliah)


It is situated in the northern side of the city.
It consists of a geminate gate which had two functions;
the first was economic
and the second was to mislead the enemies attacking the city.

Al-Jabieh Gate

It is situated in the west of the city
along the same line of the eastern gate,
and they both have a similar design.
It has this name because residents of the
Jabieh village used to pass through this gate.

and the last gate that once gave passage to Damascus would be....

The Victory Gate (Bab Al-Nasr)
It is at the beginning of souk Al-Hamideya, and was destroyed in the Ottoman Era.

I am posting these archives posts because im trying to motivate myself to go to Syria this summer, I haven't gone in a few years and I'd like to see it as it is, for you never know what the future may foretell.
and if I do go, im trying to figure out which gate to enter from :P
Wish me luck!

-thanks to oldamascus.com

Friday, March 24, 2006

We Wear the Mask
Paul Lawrence Dunbar
(1872-1906)
We wear the maks that grins and lies
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes-
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth the myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be otherwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Chirst, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask.
In this moment in my life,
I love being in University.
It's just the atmosphere itself.

Everyday there is something new and different going on.
You are constantly discussing and debating topics and issues that are going on around you.

You look at the world differently.

You are always being challenged and pushed to do more than you thought yourself capable of doing.

You have so many hopes and aspirations.

You are so passionate about your views and thoughts.

You gather strength and motivation from your professor and peers.

They are your power source.

And sometime...sometimes... you feel utterly ……Invincible.

Friday, March 10, 2006

In continuation of my last post.....










Ok random post

These are just some thoughts going through my head at the moment:

Ok for some reason when people type in these words or statements into google, my blog comes up... i don't see any relation to my blog or the topics i discuss, so maybe i should mention them? suggestions?
these people typed this into google and found 'in the midst of chaos':

  • The word love isnt in the Quran
  • dancing pigs haram
  • I won't deny it im straight
  • Dr.Bukhari Cosmetic Surgeon Dubai

......... ok? I wonder if Dr.Bukhari is a good cosmetic surgeon? Obviously someone is in dire need of his help.

Ok in a class im taking, we are debating these topics:

  • When a country is first established, what is the first thing, your first step, your starting foundation? Democracy or education?

I fought for Democracy, establish this first and your next task is education.

  • Is oil a blessing or a curse?

I debated that it was/is a blessing. And I still persist that there should be more research done the byproducts of oil!

Another thought> What will come out of this conference im attending next week? Women as Global leaders. I predict not much, but it'll be an intresting event.

Another thought> I can't believe they rejected the port deal!!! I was seriously baffled! I read the title of this article :

Bush: Rejecting Ports Deal Sends Bad Message >>> nah duh!

WASHINGTON -- President Bush today expressed concern that a scuttled deal for a state-owned Arab firm to manage some U.S. port facilities would send the wrong message to Middle Eastern allies in the global war on terrorism. >> Yea, I think it did.

On this issue, i read in the new york times last week about this. Dubai became a household name last week. Good publicity or Bad publicity? I'd take Bad. The UAE was practically labled a terrosit harboring country :/While im on this subject, I think there needs to be better PR in the UAE. In another article, the PR man of Sheikh Mohammad didn't do a very good job. I mean seriously where did they get this guy? I mean is he really qualified? I frowned when i read what he said. Its the NEW YORK TIMES FOR heavens sake, at least TRY and put in an effort. mannnn. I was shaking my head when i was reading the article.

ok this has been going through my head also>

If the governments in syria, egypt (or wherever in the middle east) would just be stable/stablize, and established a free economy, a lot of problems would just go awayyyy.

and this is to be continued for another time.....

Friday, March 03, 2006

I've been tagged by Emirati!

I usually don't have time to post so often, but I'll play :)

Four jobs that I’ve had:-

  • Basketball Coach
  • Math and Biology Teacher
  • Babysitter
  • Manger's assistant of a restaurant and café

Four movies that I could watch over and over:-

  • Godfather I
  • Monty Python-The Search for the Holy Grail
  • The Untouchables
  • Legends of the Fall

Four places where I’ve lived-

  • Al Ain, UAE
  • Statesboro, Georgia, USA
  • Westmont, Illinois, USA
  • Hinsdale, Illinois, USA

Four TV shows that I like:

  • Scrubs
  • Law & Order
  • 60 Minutes
  • Chappele Show

Four of my favourite dishes:-

  • Lasagna
  • Yalangi
  • My brother in law's homemade Chili
  • Tabouleh

Four sites that I visit daily:-

  • Gulf News
  • New York Times' Website
  • An Emirates Thoughts
  • Pulling the puzzles apart
Four Books that I’ve read this year
  • Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
  • Blink! The power of thinking without thinking by: Malcolm Gladwell
  • The art of changing the Brain By: James E. Zull
  • The other Boleyn girl by: Philippa Gregory
Four Bloggers that I’m going to tag with this:
· MJ
· Buj
· 3lo G
· Shaykhspeara Sha'ira