We Can!

Women are vulnerable by nature. Emotions influence their actions. It has been known since life began that men are dominant over women, but still they can't live without them. In a conservative culture, women don't have the right to even speak. They are moved around like the pawn on a chessboard.
As Kuwait developed economically, the society became more open to the world. Women got freed from their Abayas and they finally got a chance to be heard. The change wasn't drastic, but it evolved in stages throughout the past years. One of the biggest changes occurred last year when Kuwaiti women were allowed the right to vote and run for the parliament election. It has caused some drama, but change is essential.

Even with such progress in our community some minds never change. I was chatting with one of my close friends this morning and told him that I was psyched to get the Wii. I was going to get it from Virgin Megastore, but he suggested that Hawalli is the place to go because I would get good deals. Just then he tells me that it's a creepy place and once you're in there guys start talking about you and all that - - - -. I told him I've been going to scarier places like garages in the worst parts of Sharjah, whenever my car broke down and I rarely asked for the help of guys at our university. Also, I've been going to places in Hawalli to purchase software and games for my PS2. I don't have a brother to rely on, and my dad passed away last year. It's a great thing that I learned to be independent. My friend tells me then that there are creepy guys who would harass you a lot when you're there. I recall the times I've visited that place in Hawalli and never even passed by people who would dare to make a move on me.

I hate to be stereotyped as the vulnerable lady or let's say, the damsel in distress. If two women have made it as ministers in our government, I don't think I'll be hurt if I walk in a place packed with hungry wolves waiting for a good catch. I know myself better than anyone does and I don't seek attention, therefore I don't give a chance for guys to say whatever they'd want to say.

The Simple Life

I've spent my college years not too far away from home. In fact, I have blended with a culture that is so close to the one I come from. Every now and then, whenever I had the chance I'd go back home since the flight is not more than 2 hours long. Of course since I'd be home for a short while, I would want to spend time with my family, hang out with friends, go to the latest trendy places, and all that. I didn't really pay attention to how our society has evolved through five years, that when I came back home for good, i got a sort of a culture shock...or at least that's what I thought.
I remember in high school my kind of fun would be hanging out with my friends at my house and ordering take out food and some chick flick or horror movie. We'd call it a night by the time it's 10 pm. My parents didn't let me go out with my friends to malls or restaurants by ourselves unless we were chaperoned by an adult. Of course during the last couple of months as a senior in high school they bent that rule. I didn't have a problem with it since our home had all kinds of entertainment that my friends and I would enjoy. We'd play with on of the game consoles we used to have, then jump on the trampoline, and end it by shooting some hoops.
During that time, one of my best friends came over for dinner, and I suddenly offered to give her a haircut...with kitchen scissors! That was a blast for us, and I really thought I'd be a professional hairdresser someday!
Nowadays, when I see teenagers and even kids, I feel sorry for them. They never lived their lives like normal kids. Cell phones, showing off, flirting or having a relationship with the opposite sex, all those are essential for that age group nowadays. Once, I couldn't believe it when a boy, I guess around 15 yrs of age, harassed me.
Girls, are a whole other situation. I recall guys who used to follow girls and harass them. The opposite is happening now and it's really funny when I see that kind of thing in front of me. During school years, I hated make up. I might decide to put on something if I'm going somewhere special like a party, but other than that I wouldn't even think about it. Now, girls really scare me. Their hairdo's make them look like some wild animals from the jungle, and the make up is so awful that one might think they'd be part of a circus group.
What happened to simplicity? There's no such thing as a simple life in here. All types of media and technology have complicated it. I have a message to all teenagers around...live your life, don't act grown up, and purchase Wii!

Auras?

I always thought auras were a superstitious thing. It never made sense to me that auras surrounding us could be influential. I used to make fun of Phoebe Buffay in F.R.I.E.N.D.S when she tries to clean her friends' auras.
A couple of days before I was back from Dubai, we went to Madinat Jumeira to have lunch and have a look around. We passed by a Kiosk that was labeled "Stress Away". One of our friends told me that they could check your aura and all that. She tried it once and almost everything it said was true. So I decided to give it a shot. I had to put my hand on some device and look straight at a camera and a few moments later I had my aura examined.
I had an orange-yellow aura which described me as analytical, intellectual, entertaining, curious active, playful, sunny, easy going, creative, logical, detail oriented, structured, and scientific.
It is totally true. I also found that under occupation I had: Free-lance, need physical freedom and independence, enjoyment. That is totally true!
As for a career: business, marketing, design, sports, artist, computers, healers, therapists. Another true thing.
It's really interesting to find out such stuff about yourself. Other than finding more about your personality, you could actually find ways to decrease stress. It also helps in finding areas you're weak in and gives you pointers on how to strengthen them. I personally thought it was a helpful experience and not a weird spiritual thing.

Back!

So I was packing my stuff last night and as soon as I finished packing I noticed that I can't find my Civil ID. I had to unpack my stuff again just in case I placed it in between my clothes and looked all around the room. I'm cool when it comes to such situations, but to an extent. After almost an hour of searching and turning my room upside down, I gave up and decided to call my mom. She totally cracked up which was unexpected when I told her. She said if worse comes to worst she'd fed ex me my passport and I could schedule my flight a couple of days later. I started making plans in my head of what I'll be doing now that I've got extra days in Dubai.
I decided to re-search my room hoping to find my ID. One hour later, I found it between a batch of business cards I had in my laptop bag!
I'm glad to be back home...At least for now I guess...

a few hours of life I can't get back

I love going to the movies, whether with friends or alone. As always, I can't go to a movie with no food to accompany me just in case the movie is boring. Don't take it the wrong way though, I'm not a couch potato who loves to pig out on snacks whenever possible. I just think that if I'm hungry and I'd be going to a movies soon, I'd rather have my food while watching the movie. Just a habit that sort of grew on me.

Yesterday, I was excited to watch Will Ferrell's "Stranger Than Fiction", and since Queen Latifah was in that movie too, I didn't want to miss it. The movie was weird. I don't know how to critique it too. At first I thought it was a comedy. But it turned out to be so dramatic that I could've died choking on a maltesers. It's a story of a lonely man who works for the IRS. Every moment of the day, he counts everything he walks past, even his foot steps! The movies starts with a British woman narrating the whole thing, and suddenly Will could hear her narrating every move he makes. So the guy starts getting crazy until he meets the author herself. She was finishing up a story and planning on killing him, but he begs her to change the ending. He doesn't want to die, because things just started to get good for him and he'd found a girlfriend.

Anyway, as I was watching the movie I realized how slow it is, and how I'm wasting 2 precious hours of my life. Next time I go to a movie, I'll make sure I read the synopsis before that.

New Hobby

As much as I've been to Dubai this is the first time I did something new. A couple of days ago I went snowboarding! I've been wanting to take lessons since it opened, but no one wanted to join me. I usually prefer to do such activities with friends. This time, I was blessed with an awesome group of girls who really made the experience worth while!
At first I thought, that I could wear the ski clothes only and it wouldn't be that cold. But it was freezing! I never thought someone would implement an indoor snow land that has the exact ambiance as a true snowy place. It also seemed much smaller from the outside, but it's pretty spacious from the inside.
This is one of the projects that probably attracts people from all around, especially during those hot and humid days when people want to visit somewhere cold. Even if you don't want to ski or snowboard, you could simply play in the snow or go on the tobaggons, or even enjoy a view from the top at the Avalanche Cafe.
I loved snowboarding, I might take it as a hobby and enjoy it every time I'm in Dubai, or hopefully in the winter somewhere in Europe!

Shall We?

Ladies and Gentlemen...This time, the Arabic movie producers have lost it. I've gotten over the fact that there are Arabic remakes of English shows, and stealing some exact parts from the greatest Hollywood Blockbusters to input them in their own movies, and of course adding the "Arabic Spices" to make the scene more exciting, but in fact it turns out to be the exact opposite.
This morning, I was watching TV, and some commercials came on. They showed a trailer of a movie starring Yousra called "Mateegi Nor'os". This caught my eyes. The story was clearly showing that it's the Arabic version of "Shall We Dance?", except that it includes lame, unprofessional dancing. The story is basically the same, except that Yousra plays the role of Richard Gere, and some guy plays Jennifer Lopez. The part where Richard Gere runs after his wife in the parking lot, the same scene happens exactly in the Egyptian movie.
I don't know how they have Annual Movie Festivals in Egypt based on such movies. Oh and another thing I watched on KTV last night. They held some ceremony as a tribute to celebrities in Kuwait and the music sounded so familiar. It was actually the music from the Golden Globes but put in a Kuwaiti rhythm.
I guess we're done with imitating. It's time to innovate.

Life is Awesome!

I've been in Dubai for almost a week now, and I feel a whole lot different than when I was in Kuwait. I feel like I've been freed. Even though I love my country, still I can't handle the stress when I face society. I'm not weird looking or a freak, but sometimes I don't feel like facing social obligations and so on and so forth.
The only things I get to miss in Kuwait are my friends, family, and home. I feel the urge not to go back for another month, but I can't. I hope I'll be ready to get back to K-Town soon.
I'm planning on taking snow boarding lessons just in case it snows in Kuwait, or maybe the next time I decide to go to a Ski Resort. :D
I'm saying all this now, but I know that soon I'll be missing my country and all those things I try to avoid.

My Celebrity Look Alikes

This is really fun to do, and funny how I got such resemblance with actors I never thought I'd look like, except for Halle Berry though :p
I tried it with another picture and I got Beyonce, Michelle Rodriguez, and Angelina Jolie and a couple of Indian actresses. It didn't seem strange because sometimes during summer I'm mistaken for an Indian or a Latina! How contradicted :p

Question

This is an economics question that I just had in my mind as I was cruising the streets of Dubai. What would happen to The Taxis' business when the Dubai Metro launches?
Would it affect the demand for Taxis all around Dubai?