18 August 1999

FRIENDSHIP,men and trust.......

When I was in School we used to go to Scouts, Khadra or Karitas Camps and we
used to play games with questions like that :) or which is the strongest
Friendship a Woman/Woman, or Man/Man, or Man/Woman?! The answer that most
Men and Women agreed upon was that the Man/Man friendship is the strongest.

I am not telling U that this is my opinion but this was the Majority of the
answers, the number of females was equal to the number of Males in the camp
so don't get any ideas :) I believe that in a Man/Man friendship as a guy I
can tell my friend everything, we can discuss anything even private life
details. A Woman/Man I get a different point of view, if I like a girl I
never tell it to the guys I tell it to the girls and they tell me what to do
:) The comment that really shocked me regarding the Woman/Woman friendship
was that it gets ruined by jealousy??!!!!! is that True?!!!

I watched a Movie a long time ago called "When Harry met Sally" I liked it
to the extent that I bought it. Did U watch that film??! It is good, but I
changed for me the concept of the Male/Female friendship :) It says that if
a male and a female are friends that means that there is an attraction
between them. If they remain friends it means that there is something
preventing this relation shape from taking another shape. This attraction
might be from just one side not necessary from both. If the Obstacle is
removed then this friendship between the male or a female will take another
form: Love, BF/GF, sexual anything...

I don't think that a man will be a friend with a woman that he does not find
attractive :) I don't know if that goes Vice Versa or not :)

A woman can be attractive mentally, personality etc... It does not have to be
physically. With time both the Male and Female friend feel a change in the
their relationship, cause their feelings change. Sometimes Love grows this
way :)

13 August 1999

I am wondering

Whenever I go into a discussion regarding weddings ceremonies with any
single females or even married, and I say my own personal opinion that I
believe that a wedding ceremony is a superficial manner for expressing joy,
is an unquestionable waste of money, an effort to please others, a tool to
show off in the society, and in our days a extravagant show of wealth. After
I finish this sentence (if I ever get the chance to finish it) I get
screamed, yelled at and I get accused that I am unromantic unsensitive
Person. The reason is that a wedding night is supposed to be the most
important night in ones life. How I don't know??

For me I see some things differently. The weddings lately in Egypt or at
least all the ones that I've been into are in the 5 stars hotels in Cairo or
Alexandria, are nothing but a big dinner, a nice entertainment program, and
dancing with the bride and groom until they are breathless. Where is the Fun
I don't see it??? The guests Wait for the singer Hisham Abbas, or Amr Diab,
or even Hakeem, etc... Oh if there is a Belly Dancer U usually see the males
pulling their chairs so they can sit in the first row :) Hey guys tonight
Dina is Coming :) Hai Hey!!!! Whatever and However the effort placed for
organizing the Buffet people do comment on the food, if it is a seated
dinner they all prefer Buffet, if it is a buffet they say what is this is
very crowded and others are acting as if they never saw food before. If
there is no other singers or dancers after dinner people will start to leave
:) El Deif El Magnoon Yakol we Yekoum :)

One of the scenes I really hate in any open Buffet in Egypt not only in
weddings but in general people fill their plates with humongous quantities
of food that they can not possibly finish, more than 60% of the food is
thrown in the garbage, isn't that a Waste???!!!

What I am planing to do myself if I ever get married :) is to go on a long
fancy honeymoon. This is the way to celebrate to please my wife and myself
not to please the others. One day I was chatting with a very good friend of
mine recently married and he told me I bet U!!! I said what???!! He said I
bet you 5000 EGP that when U get married U will throw a wedding party, the
same as everyone else. I said no way, I really believe in that idea and I
really don't intend to be the center of attention of 200 or 300 person for a
whole night.

When I talk with my male friends about weddings they say Yes we are
convinced. But in reality 80% of them got married and they all had weddings.
Some of them even throw a big party then they don't have enough money for a
Honeymoon so they go to Sharm El Sheikh, or Hurgadah. why not save the money
and go to the Bahamas, the Far East, or any where in the world.

I met 2 Americans in Cairo exactly a year a go, a male and female, he is a
young lawyer, and she is a programmer they are just friends. They both
always dreamt to travel around the world. So they each worked until they
saved 10,000USD resigned got an around the World ticket from American
Express, got their backpacks, and took off. They told me tons of stories it
sounded fun :) How much a wedding in Egypt cost :) a ticket for a tour
around half of the world why not :)

Amazing just after I arrived home and before I send this message I watched
an Opera W. program and it was about weddings in the USA. One of them was
the most expensive wedding this year it costs 7 Millions US Dollars. They
guy obviously a Millionaire said that during his life he was poor more than
he was rich, he never became rich until he started a Phone company, I don't
remember where. He flew all the guest in his fleet of Private Jets!! He then
bought a Ranch Especially for the Reception of the wedding. The Wedding
itself, the minister and everything was in his house then her drove the
people with Limos to the Ranch that is 60 miles away.

Another wedding in England the Bride was wearing the most Expensive Dress
ever 6 million Dollar, WOW, the dress was broaded with Diamonds all over.
she was guarded with 20 officers from the local Police Force all night.
Where is the Fun???!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
I am on the plane and writing an Email offline I will send it when I reach Cairo inshallah :)

Last Thursday just before the Shella anniversary I took the same plane and it was packed allot of Workers coming from Al Ain. It was noisy and uncomfortable. It was crowded, lots of luggage with all the passengers without exception, People were smoking even in the no smoking section I was suffering. For me the seat is not comfortable, but when there is guy sitting next to U asking for a can of beer every 2
minutes, burping as if he's in is bathroom at home, when he takes off his
shoe and it smells like a stinky dead Dog, it becomes unbearable. This time
I went to airport in Muscat checked in in Economy Class then I decided to
follow the famous Egyptian proverb that Says "Heen Ershak Walla Teheen
Nafsak" and I went back to the counter asking for an upgrade to Business
Class :) After I paid the 100 USD I started to regret it :) I started
thinking, what if the plane is empty this time, is it worth it?? Then I had
to accept my impulsive attitude and go to the plane. I stepped in sat on my
seat in the Business and the hostess came and asked me to move to the
front?!! I told her what do U mean? she smiled and said do U mind sitting in
First class :) I said what?? R U kidding off course I don't mind :) I flew
all the way to Cairo first Class :) Oh it was my first time :) I would love
to do it again :) It is a different world over there :) Heheehehehe!!! U
should try it at least once :) U know what maybe not :) Now I would hate to
go back and sit in Economy, knowing what I can get in First :)


Cheers,

Writing from the Plane Going from Muscat to Cairo


** THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY **

~ It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser
~ I started out with nothing....I still have most of it.
~ Love is blind but marriage is an eye-opener.
~ It is Ok for shit to happen. Shit will decompose
.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

11 August 1999

VISA TO FRANCE...summer vacation,harreem lohadohem

 -----Original Message-----
> From: mona [SMTP:monao3@...]
> Sent: Monday, August 09, 1999 9:16 AM
> Subject: VISA TO FRANCE...summer vacation,harreem lohadohem
>
>
> keshary moazafeen on the gate yelled whats this HAREEM
> LOWAHDOHOM in a separate line , no students
> they were only keeping us in line
> till the embassy opens at 9 oclock ....
> i couldnt stand more i phoned the MOUZAF OF OUR HOSPITAL , to come and
> take my place in the line
> when will be MOUZAFEEN , DECENT , POLITE is manners such a difficult


U have to Thank God that U have the Mouazaf of the Hospital to stand in the
embassy line for U.

If U go to the Dutch Embassy in Cairo hoping to get a Visa easily, forget
it. They have a line since 5:00 Am or something crazy like that :) They only
receive 20 Passports a day :) so U can go at 7:00 wait till 9:00 and they
tell U come back tomorrow. A friend of mine who works for a Dutch company
got an invitation sent by Fax directly from Holland to the Embassy.
Theoretically this guy has no problem getting the visa is a piece of Cake :)
ha ha !!!!! No way!!! He spent 4 days just trying to get into the embassy
itself. LOL!!! Once he was there he got his visa in the same day!

Did U ever go to the German Embassy?! People waiting for Visas there act
like animals. When the outer Gate Opens the Mob acts like the Tatar, it is
the Mongolian invasion. If U are strong, fast, U can Push and Kick U are
going to make it, even if U got there 2 minutes before they open the gate.
Someone else who has been standing there since dawn but can't fight will
have to come back the next day. They have a cool Egyptian security guard who
wears Cool shades and a cowboy Hat :) but does not do a thing!!!!

If U see the queue for the American Embassy in July and August U might
faint.

When I used to be a student I used to go and get my own Visa, it is HELL.
After that IL Hamdulilah Rabin Taab 3alia :) I worked for Magless El Wozara
a nice letter with the Famous Nisr Stamp and Doors open in a second. Now in
our company we have a department called the Government Relations department
getting Visas for employees is part of their job :) Lucky hehehehehe!!!

Going to Embassies in Egypt to get a Visa for another country, if U don't
know a connection in the embassy itself, or U have someone to stand in line
and finish the procedures for U, it is a very Humiliating Process!!!!! The
only thing I can think of and say is that it is obvious that these countries
are not interested to receive Egyptians so they are trying to make them
change their minds :) What do U think??!!

Mona U are lucky U get to stand in Al Hareem Line too, How many were they
definitely less then the men right? I don't understand the concept of the
Female/Male lines in our country??!! Why???!!! If a guy wants to do anything
in any governmental Org he should take a female with him just to let her
stand in the lines, they will be done in 2 minutes. The other Day I want to
El Shahr Al 3akary in Maadi the Males line just to pay the fees had around
26 people in it, while the females line had only 3 women in it. It took
around 5 minutes for one person to pay. So with a simple calculation I
figured out that I will have to wait for 145 minutes. I wished I had brought
a female with me :) I even wished to be a female for 5 minutes just to get
over this Pain!!!! U know what I did??!! It was so hot, stinky, noisy and
smelly, that I left without paying and without even finishing the papers :)

I am coming Back to Egypt Tomorrow Morning Inshallah do U need anything from
Oman :)




** THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY **

~ It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser
~ I started out with nothing....I still have most of it
~ Love is blind but marriage is an eye-opener.
~ It is Ok for shit to happen. Shit will decompose
.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~