Archive for December, 2009
2009 Hightlights
Posted by Bloggylife in personal, thoughts on December 31, 2009
How was 2009 for you? Are you one who analyses a year back and plans the year ahead or you don’t believe in new year resolutions and new commitments. I’m not sure what I had planned, but I do remember that I was so into my work that it was my life, I’d go weeks not doing anything except home-work-home and restart that process again the next day. I think I want to get more serious about having a life this year, it’s just about being happy with what I have and what I do. I always have this feeling that I am waiting for something then my life is supposed to make sense and I get this long awaited feeling this is why I am here
- At the beginning of this year, I became an aunt, twice
- I got promoted.
- I resigned
- Took up photography.
- I met new great friends
- I lost my friend.
- On a more personal level, I think I don’t hold back much as before, I share my feelings.
- Took a FUN trip with my family to Dubai.
- I went off to do a MSc degree.
Now that I have my list, I kind of feel sorry for myself
I’ll update this list once stuff come to my mind. Maybe I should try something different this year, keep an updated monthly diary.
I think new year resolutions are more sentimental, a new beginning gives a sense of another try, a chance to do it right this time around from one’s perspective.
Book: Kitchen
Posted by Bloggylife in book on December 30, 2009
I picked up this book because I wanted something different and indeed I found it when reading Kitchen by Japanese writer, Banana Yoshimoto.
It contains two short stories mainly about the loss of loved ones. It deals with the emotions of it all and human relations in a strange way that I am not familiar with which I found intriguing maybe because of the Japanese culture or something got lost in translation.
I became familiar with a new word, nostalgic and nostalgia, it is widely used in this small book. I’m not sure if it was a direct translation of a single Japanese word used originally by the writer or it is the closest translation to different synonyms in Japanese that the author wrote.
It is a very light book and refreshing that I do recommend to read.
Just Thoughts
Posted by Bloggylife in thoughts on December 26, 2009
If women have their shoes …
men have their football video games!!
Seriously, how many football games is enough! Most of them look like the other, this has different commentary language, this one new shirts, that one new stadiums, etc. OK and you bought how many so far???
Purple Hibiscus
Posted by Bloggylife in book on December 26, 2009
I find myself picking up books without any prior knowledge about its content nor about the author, actually I chose this book after I saw J.M. Coetzee comment on the back and he’s the author of one of my favourite books, Age of Iron.
‘A beautiful and often harrowing story.’ Observer Books of the Year ‘A sensitive and touching story of a child exposed too early to religious intolerance and the uglier side of the Nigerian state.’ J. M. Coetzee ‘Political brutality and domestic violence, religion and witchcraft all merge with subtle force in this memorable novel. Chimammanda Ngozi Adichie uses childhood innocence to write Nigerian history with the eye of a family insider.’ Hugo Hamilton ‘Purple Hibiscus is the best debut I’ve read since Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things.’ Jason Cowley, Times journalist, literary editor of the New Statesman ‘This debut ensnares the reader from the first page and lingers in the memory!in soft, searing voice, Adichie examines the complexities of family, faith and country through the haunted but hopeful eyes of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood.’ Publishers Weekly
It is set in Nigeria about a family of four, a strict Christian religious father, an obedient mother, and two siblings Jaja and Kambili. The story is in three sections, when an extreme event changes things at home, then how things were, and finally how it continues.
What’s Up KUWAIT!
Posted by Bloggylife in personal on December 23, 2009
I know, same old samo
Heading back home for a couple of weeks
My family wanted to come but it turned to be expensive and not worth the trouble and the weather is not stable, cold and snowy.
First on my agenda is SLEEPING! I want to sleep for a whole day! Cuddle up in my warm bed, that reminded me I need to buy ear plugs because I know my family won’t keep the noise down, bundle up and sleep for hours and hours undisturbed.
I asked my little brothers to prepare a list of the places they want me to take them, that list had only one place, Maki
It’s all about food with them
hehehehe, I knew Maki was going to be on the list, what I didn’t know, that it was going to be the only one LOL
I told them I needed to be carried around, because for the past months I walked forever, don’t want to do it anymore, they said they’ll do it for a fee, em3afneeen nothing for free with them
I don’t think much has changed since I was gone or has it
GOD Bless …
Posted by Bloggylife in funny, thoughts on December 23, 2009
In the end of my first term, I’d like to thank those who made it possible on different levels … GOD bless …
- Ready made meals and already washed salads and vegetables
Tiny miracles and life savers for the hard final days
- Automatic pre-programmed laundry machines and clothes dryers.
- Skype for keeping me in touch with my world.
- The INTERNET, and all those cables from fancy fiber optics to copper, to wireless that make it up. Can not imagine life with you
Snoozing Thoughts
Posted by Bloggylife in thoughts on December 23, 2009
London: Day 3
Posted by Bloggylife in entertainment, UK on December 22, 2009
Today “انا حاكرة”
The day started with lining up at the tube station to get a ticket. From the machine, I chose 1-day to Zone 1 and 2. I went straight to the Lyceum Theatre in hopes to find tickets for “The Lion King”.
As soon as I got out of Covent Garden station I asked someone for directions
To get to the theatre, out of the station turn to your right and then take the first left and then the first right and straight ahead. I booked a ticket YAY! I had 2 hours to kill, so I grabbed breakfast/lunch and then headed to the transport museum, which was sooo cool, there was a jubilee market, it reminded me of “souq al-mubarakeya” that we have, took a 5 minute spin in it, the museum was so interesting, my ticket cost 5 pounds because I showed my student card
It takes you back to the 1800 where all the transport system started, it is so informative.
The musical was amazing beyond words, the engineering behind it is awesome, the stage how it rotates and the colours, the actors, the singing, the music, the costumes, I LOVED absolutely every moment of it
I do recommended seeing it. There was an American mother and her son next to me and in the break we started talking and she told me that in Leicester Square you’ll find tickets half price but you have to by them on the same day. But since this show is so popular they don’t need to sell tickets half price but other shows which don’t have that much demand can be found at half price.
Since I had my full one day ticket, I decided to go see a movie
I went and booked “Law Abiding Citizen”. It is a nice movie, been a long time since I closed my eyes in anticipation of not knowing what’s going to happen, My GOD am I going soft
Yimkin the “Lion King” musical affect
After the movie ended passed by Sainsburys for some chips and chocolate and headed back to my hotel
Decode: Digital Design Sensations
Posted by Bloggylife in entertainment, UK on December 21, 2009
This caught my attention as I entered Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum. This exhibition is in Porter Gallery from 08/12/2009 to 11/04/2010. It is not free, 5 pounds for adults and 4 pounds for students
My lucky day.
The gallery displays different design/art work that is derived from technology. The artists used different tools to make their pieces interact, whether be it sensors, evolving programs, cameras, Internet and social networks, web applications, etc.
As you enter, these fiber optic are filled on both sides of the entrance and light up and make sound when touched. I made up this name for them, because they remind me of fiber optic cables, but maybe they have motion sensors they light up when moved and depending on speed and direction of movement, sound is formed.
Below are graphics representations which are sensitive to sound, I tried whistling
With this piece you can move around dimensional graphics which ever way you want.
These screen display time from pictures uploaded by Internet users that represent numbers.
This one uses twitter data to form conversations based on a word you type in its search box using a wii console.
I took the shot before realizing what those pictures were, the piece is called Make-out. They are making out scenes from the Internet and they start making out when you move in front of them!
The one below, enables you to paint using your hands, just moving them around.
This piece interacts to your presence, just like a mirror, notice how the pieces change colour to form my head
In this piece, an object moves around, until it bumps into you, your casting shadow and sprinkles rain
Pick up the blow dryer, point and blow away
With the touch screen, choose a location and it’ll start recording and displaying the video.
These are organisms that hide under the sand, once you brush off the sand and expose them, they move to another location and hide under the sand.
There was this one piece, where in an area they’ve installed sound sensors and mapped the data and you can see the live interaction. Also, some kind of crystal cylinder that forms words from what the sensors pick up off one of the streets.
It is really amazing and because it is dark, I couldn’t take that many pictures and I’m not sure if I understood all the pieces but they were magnificent, I really love this. There are so many others that I didn’t mention, if you have the chance to go have a look, don’t miss it.
London: Day 2
Posted by Bloggylife in UK on December 21, 2009
First thing I decided to have today is breakfast. Then I headed to my bus tour, to continue from yesterday. I decided to get off at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I lost track of time in there, spending more than four hours roaming from one exhibition to another, but one caught my eyes first and I’ll talk about it in a while.
After finishing off, I waited for my tour bus outside and it was raining but it eventually turned to snow! I have been waiting for over 30 minutes, so I decided to call it a day and head to a tube station that’ll take me back to my hotel. As I crossed the traffic light, what do I see after me waiting pointlessly for 30 minutes! The Big Tour Bus. You know when you stop to think about something you already made up your mind about and you know what you are going to do! Then why are you thinking about it … RUN … With an open umbrella, I didn’t run, I jumped, big huge steps running back to the bus stop and just as I was boarding, the doors close on me, but I jammed them with my shoulders, I didn’t care, I am getting on this damn bus! Thankfully I did and the driver apologized for not seeing me
The snow was getting thicker and the tour ended at Marble Arch bus stop, I went for dinner and when I got out of the restaurant, I didn’t want to walk back all the way to Paddington. Let me just take the tube and walk to my hotel from there. I go down and the ticket booth was closed due to staff shortage, I had to get one from the machines and they are pretty easy to use
As we were standing, there comes smoke from one side and someone tells the staff that there is something burning, and this girl beside me says: “I’m not getting on the tube to be blown up today!” The staff person says, this has nothing to do with the tube this is the trash section and something must’ve caught fire. I did NOT give a damn, I want to get on the tube and be in my room! Unfortunately, Paddington was not part of the Central line nor Zone one, I got single zone one ticket and got off at Lancaster Gate and safely walked back to my hotel room
Check out my next post about the gallery I was blown away by
I walked through it two times



























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