Firefly

where the action's at

2009-02-01T03:44:00.003+02:00

hey if anybody pops over to this blog anymore. there are a couple of things worth checking out:

in this blog:
my exploits in egypt, of which there are many
reviews of some awesome books

in my other blogs:
Sunset: my first vampire novel and serious attempt at writing
Blood of a Marionette: my second vampire novel. if for some reason you are turned off by Sunset, give this one a try. I think the writing is a little better, and it is a slightly different style.

thanks for stopping by, best in luck in life

On/Off Jekyll and Hide

2008-11-08T06:36:00.000+02:00

Check out Mike Attebery’s new work On/Off A Jekyll and Hyde Story! It’s available for purchase at his site. There is also a free online novel Untitled Thriller (soon to have a title).
On/Off sounds like a promising read about a boy who undergoes a new medical operation and ends up with a different cure (most likely more violent) than intended, while Untitled Thriller is an action filled story about terrorist group’s machinations to obtain a deadly new weapon. Check them out and support Cryptic Bindings!
I plan on writing reviews of both when I finish, so stick around for them. You can read my early review of Untitled Thriller here.

New Vamp show!

2008-09-18T06:01:00.001+02:00

called True Blood

on now on HBO

September 11

2008-09-11T16:46:00.000+02:00

check out all that happened:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11

nom! nom! nom!

2008-08-29T17:30:00.002+02:00

check out this cool design for a t-shirt by the guy who brought you the jewelry work in an earlier post!

some really spectacular news about sunset

2008-08-18T17:59:00.004+03:00

one the podiocast greats J.C. Hutchins has posted a link to my story on his site! thank you so much. if you haven't heard of his books the 7th son trilogy, then you should really check it out. they are for the action thriller set, are incredibly well written, and keep you on the edge of your seat.

don't know what i am talking about?
go to his website
check out my review of his first book

being here

2008-08-11T15:49:00.002+03:00

i have been finding it difficult to actually get on the internet since being home and it's not for the lack of internet. i think i got out of the habit of actually getting online since i didn't have internet at my apartment nor a computer (for the last two weeks). i am surprised i got out of the habit so quickly. needless to say my blogging has suffered.

if you piece together the last couple of infrequent posts you can see that i have suffered very little culture shock (thankfully) going over i had enough of it. i am back to normal and back to not sleeping again (getting up and being busy).

the one thing that is new to me is having more people read my vampire story. it is pretty exciting that the numbers are increasing.

sorry for the boring post. don't really have a lot to blog about

hey i'm home

2008-08-07T18:11:00.002+03:00

coming back to america was great. i have realized how great this country is and how lucky we all are to live hear.

some of the few things that have shocked me is the quietness and orderliness of the streets, the few number of homeless cats, dogs, and people (at least in my neighberhood), and the amount of skin that people show. this has probably been the biggest thing. i actually felt uncomfortable going out in my bathing suit to the pool. and sometimes seeing girls with shorts and tank tops is startling. one other big shock was going to the grocery store. it was a little overwhelming to be in such a big building surrounded by so much food. thankfully my reverse culture shock is significantly less than my culture shock from when i went over there.

overall its good to be home.

i'm back

2008-08-03T17:53:00.002+03:00

for all those who read this-

i have returned to the us safely. it never felt so good to be home, to hug my family, and to sleep in my own bed. i will miss egypt and never forget what i learned about the world or myself while i was over there. thank you for all the support that i received through these past six months. i will continue to blog as soon as the dust settles.

the story

2008-07-30T15:04:00.002+03:00

lots of big new announcements about the story.

i got a link on a online serial link site by jennifer l. armstrong. mucho thanks.
http://www.free-online-novels.com/

i will hopefully be starting a new story by the end of the summer. it's called feed. keep checking in...
http://www.feedtheneed.wordpress.com

getting ready to leave...

2008-07-30T15:00:00.003+03:00

today i am excited. there is only one day left. yesterday with two days left, it felt unreal. the day before, i got unabashedly stared at by some girl probably between 12-16. it made me uncomfortable.

can't wait to be home. on the money clock. gotta go.

noor

2008-07-30T15:00:00.001+03:00

i have watched this show. its pretty sweet from what I can understand. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/28/DDUT120FDE.DTL&hw=noor&sn=001&sc=1000

memories of recent past.2

2008-07-27T15:24:00.002+03:00

one of my first meals, i believe it was my first dinner, was at the cairo khan restaurant on the top floor. the food was nothing to write home about (although this is sort of what i am doing now) but it was significant because it was my first dinner, and i ate it by myself (another first).

i got a chicken sandwhich some french fries and some guava juice. the bill was 25 pounds or around there. which when i got there was nothing but now to me that is a lot of money as i know where to eat a better meal for 5 pounds or less.

one of the biggest things though was eating by myself. now that i look back on it, that showed a pattern that would stay with me throughout the next six months. i felt weird eating by myself in a restaurant as the only time you ever see people doing that is in the movies when they are really depressed or have been stood up by their significant other.

now however i can eat by myself just fine though i don't know how i would do in a restaurant proper as i never repeated that experience here. i still think it would be weird. but living here on my own has made me even more self reliant and independent, if for nothing else than just sheer necessity. it is a different experience but not really a better one. i am really looking forward to dinner with my family again.

4 days and counting

the other side of the fence

2008-07-24T16:05:00.002+03:00

so as many egyptians do here, i've started staring at the big tour buses as they drive slowly by on the streets through the really thick traffic. it is weird and good being on the other side with the roles reversed as i can as easily remember being in that bus looking down at all those staring at me as i can be egyptian and stare back up at them in their air conditioned mini fortresses. just a little thought i've had today.

cats

2008-07-24T14:07:00.001+03:00

i had the distinct listening pleasure of the chorus of cats from hell last night. all i could think about while lying there at three am was the garfield comic strips where he gets shoes and tomatoes thrown at him while he is singing on the fence. too bad i didn't have any spare shoes or tomatoes.

Losing Latitude by Cory Cramer

2008-07-22T17:05:00.003+03:00

so working on another online serial. this one has been published as a paperback and is now being put online. it is called Losing Latitude by Cory Cramer. i've just finished part one and when i am not tired will write a review for it. but for now take my word that is it pretty well written with good action. there is a hint of supernatural which intrigues so i shall keep reading. cramer says that if you are fans of buffy or indiana jones you will like this novel. i agree.

memories of recent past

2008-07-22T13:27:00.002+03:00

lately as my time here draws to a close, i have been reflecting on when i first arrived in cairo.

the first arabic that i distinctly remember speaking was trying and failing to ask the bellhop at my hotel how the weather was. the first arabic i distinctly remember being spoken to me was the next morning when i went to breakfast. standing uncertainly in the doorway of the small dining area the women working said khosh which means enter. i didnt know that at the time but have since learned to love that word.

the peoples are gone

2008-07-22T13:20:00.003+03:00

at last all the people who have come and visited me have safely come and gone, from my brother to my cousin to my friends in Germany. as exhausting as all their visits are i wouldn't change any of the total 25 days that they were here.

with all these people, i am glad they came to cairo. not only did i get to see them but i got to share with them a different side of my life but also a side of what they are not used to seeing. we have all been changed by meeting here in cairo and i believe all for the better. more eyes are open and realtionships are stronger, whether family or friend, and this is something they and no other can stake a claim to.

fortune smiled upon all of us invovled and i hope it will continue to do so in the future for all parties concerned. thank you for coming and enriching my life abroad, i hope i was able to do the same.

Jewelry Work to Contest

2008-07-19T22:30:00.003+03:00

Hey everybody.

My friend producer over at ponoko.com got his two of his pieces into the final competition. There are ten days to vote and his pieces are perforated band rotating earrings. Take a look at the others and vote on the ones you like (especially my friend producer).

http://blog.ponoko.com/2008/07/15/10-day-design-challenge-finalists-announced-and-the-voting-starts

Voting closes August 3rd so be sure to check it out.

women

2008-07-19T01:04:00.001+03:00

women are one of God's gifts to men but are enternally bound to confund them until the day we die

yarrgh! i be finished me book.

2008-07-17T14:00:00.000+03:00

hey check out the last chapter of sunset or as it is better known the epilogue. thanks for reading!

something truly scary/creepy

2008-07-16T14:13:00.002+03:00

last night i had my first scary experience in a long time. right now i am living alone as my roommate is traveling in israel. i also am on a weird schedule where i stay up until 4 a.m. last night at 12:30 i was watching the mothman prophecies. it is a pretty creepy movie especially when you are by yourself in the middle of the night. the movie ended at a 1 so it was just reaching the climax of creepiness right before the end of the movie.

the suspenseful music is up and the phone rings. richard gere answers it and the guy he has been talking to on the other end is upset/scared/not making sense because the mothman is there or something. then richard gere says what? what is it? carl (or something) what's happening?

that is when my power decided to go out. all of it. My pulse jumped sky high and adrenaline flooded my body. It was pitch black no glow from street lights nothing. I walked to my room to get my flashlight which my parents gave me to take with me (thank you thank you). On the short walk to my room I kept expecting to be attacked or run into thick furry arms or see glowing red eyes. My imagination of course went wild.

Then I went on my balcony 2 minutes after the power went out with my harmonica and as I am sitting there, still freaked out and high on fright and adrenaline, I see on the adjacent building a shadow of a person moving and then disappear into more shadow. what a wicked night.

I stayed out there for a while calming my nerves playing harmonica and drinking tea. By the time I went back in the power was back on and I stayed up a bit more and then went to bed fine. but boy what a night.

anniversary

2008-07-15T18:14:00.001+03:00

just realized (literally 30 seconds ago) i have now been blogging continuously for 7 months exactly. cool stuff.

Review of Blood Moon: Vampire Chronicles by Belial

2008-07-15T18:09:00.003+03:00

This review was posted up to Chapter 8 being puslished. Ready to jump in the deep end of the world of vampires, weres, zombies, and ghouls? Belial does just that with her multiple postings per week of Blood Moon.

The protagonist Erika is an unacknowledged vampire master, pretty blond, and smart alec. She manages to piss off all the wrong people all the time human and otherwise but manages to make it up with her wit and capability. Called in by a vampire master Alasdai MacArthur to solve a murder, Erika starts right off with a confrontation that almost takes her past recovery. Beginning down the path of discovery with a variety of allies from a sorceress, a human servant, and a baby vampire she has at her command a stunning array of vampire powers not all of which hold to the traditional mythos.

The story reads like an old noir detective novel, except the detective is undead and a bloodsucker. The action has been non-stop in the chapters so far, and Belial manages to create order amidst the chaos of all that is going on. The read of story could be improved if there was a little more proofreading, but it doesn’t detract from the story significantly. The most difficult thing to get used to, however, was the massive amount of information about vampire abilities and the introduction to the supernatural world in the preliminary chapters. It was a bit overwhelming, but is responsible for the frenetic and exciting pace of the plot. Belial does help out by creating an incredibly detailed character list of the major players.

This serial is easy to read and get hooked on due to Erika’s spunkiness and the author’s well written plot. If you are a fan of vampire novels and don’t mind a slight break from the dogma of tradition, then this is for you.

Reveiw of Untitled Thriller by Cryptic Bindings

2008-07-15T18:08:00.000+03:00

This review was written to the point of Chapter 16 and 17 being published. Untitled Thriller is a once a week ongoing serial hosted by Cryptic Bindings at http://www.crypticbindings.com. It is a very well written and engaging thriller that keeps the reader coming back to complete the cliffhangers each and every week.

The story centers around the research department for a university in Seattle and the suspected misuse funds for other project by a scientist named Raj Gupta. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a rotating cast of characters including Nick, the unhappy paper editor; Morgan, a college student and Nick’s lover; Michel Renoir, the department chair; Jeff Pepper, the impulsive billionaire funding the research; and Tim, the terrorist. Pepper visits the research center concerned that it is being used to create something less scrupulous than a machine to deliver vaccines by air. Chaos reigns supreme after Pepper arrives as a team of terrorists take over the research part of the facility in order to get their hands on whatever Gupta has created. Things go from bad to worse as everything doesn’t go according to plan. A bullet and some cool explosions later, finds many of the main characters in trouble and the situation growing worse by the minute.

The author does an excellent job in creating his characters. They seem alive on the page, well, screen, complex and well rounded. He explores with acute introspection the tangles of relationships and the often inane life of an office worker while at the same time managing to put it in all into perspective once the poo hits the fan. The plot moves very well between character introspection and great action scenes.

The biggest thing that I have been happy to see is his approach to the terrorists. So far they have appeared more complex than just your average flat evil villain terrorist possibly from the Middle East. They are described as very American looking, one is even blond, but the author has dropped hints that position them in my mind as from Palestine with words such as ‘infidel’ and their desire to prevent people from taking their homeland. Whatever their nationality, I hope that the author continues to develop them and show that they are human, not great people, but ones that don’t indict a whole nation.

I have found very little to critique about the novel. The chapter titles vary between very effective to slightly distracting and though the plot moves, I want it to move faster. Possibly that is the side effect of really focusing on creating great characters (if it is, it’s worth it) or it is the effect of good writing and me pining each week for a new chapter. I heartily recommend this thriller to anyone looking for a good action novel, interested in reading about relationship dynamics, or if they have that office job (and want to see what happens to all the people they hate when bad guys come a knocking).

Jewelry Work

2008-07-13T15:46:00.000+03:00

Okay for those of you interested in jewelry, check out my friend’s work that he recently posted online. He does great stuff and is very sustainable material/production oriented. (something we need more of in this world). He is a student at RISD and doing this sort of thing and things like it, is what he does. Enough said. It’s good quality, good ideas, and good innovation.

If you like his work give him some comments about it (you can contact him on the site). These works were entered into a competition. If his work gets selected to be voted on, I will let you know so you can give him a vote if you like his work. I personally dig the rotating earring.
http://www.ponoko.com/showroom/Producer

blog and online serial update

2008-07-13T15:38:00.003+03:00

howdy,

be sure to check my review of J.C. Hutchins novel seventh son on another post.

I have jumped into Jack Palms 2: This is Life, the sequel to Jack Palms: Jack Wakes Up. So far I am liking it better than the previous, unusual for almost any sequel. I am listening to the podcast rather than reading the pdf, so that has something to do with it. We’ll see how it goes. Check it out at Seth Harwood’s website.

Unable to finish Infection! (for right now). Boo, I deleted one of the episodes on my iTunes and have been unable to figure out how to get it back, just need to do some poking around on his website I think. Also a great novel! With all the bug bites I get here in Cairo, I keep wondering if some of it is the Infection. http://www.scottsigler.com/

Picked up some new reading material as well, well turned on my computer. Blood Moon: Vampire Chronicles by Belial. It is a new novel about, uh, vampires. The mythos in this story is incredibly detailed and the same goes for the character descriptions. The story moves and feels like one of those old detective novels except quite supernatural. Check it out at her Blogger account and review it at Pages Unbound.

Also, sad news. The Harvest Cycle by David Dunwoody has been postponed due to personal matters. I hope that everything is okay with the author and he is able to start posting soon because this novel rocks. It is an apocalyptic trippy sort of novel as humans struggle to survive weird disturbing monsters, harvesting the dreams of humans while also trying to survive genocide by teams of bots. Pretty intense and as I heard it described once, very Lovecraftian.

lastly I would be super excited if you check out my new title artwork at Sunset. If you want to give me any artwork, I will create a page for it. Also if you want to review it, you can! at pages unbound.

Review of 7th Son: Descent by J.C. Hutchins

2008-07-13T15:14:00.002+03:00

As Hutchin’s first book in the 7th Son trilogy, he does not waste time getting into the action. The story concerns seven men grabbed from around the country to a secret facility in Virginia. They have been brought together to combat a force that was guided by this government facility: a man by the name of John Alpha. These seven men must solve riddles created by him specifically left for them by their ‘father.’ They play his game in hopes to be able to stop him from doing worse things than assassinating the president of the United States. As this group of men discover who they are and how they are related, they encounter incredible new technologies such as MEM R I, nepth charges, and psyjack (read the novel if you want to know what they are!) As smart as they are, the seven always seem to be one step behind John Alpha and his plans at the end of each chapter and then end of the book.

The author creates a complicated plot full of twists, bends, and turnarounds that leave the reader unable to see what is coming next and what is going to happen to whom. He provides the reader with seven developed characters and through his writing lets you keep track of them easily. The action throughout the book keeps the novel moving, so much so, that I found myself pulling late nights in order to listen to new episodes. The only detraction to this novel is that the reader is slammed in the beginning by a waterfall of characters, all with similar names and histories. It makes it a little confusing at first but Hutchins keeps you straight throughout the novel allowing the reader to internalize the seven different men.

The podcast itself is innovative in itself and lots of fun to listen to. Hutchin’s voice acting is great and the sound effects in it give external audio to the internal soundtrack a person has while reading a book. On top of this he starts or improves many techniques which add to the fluidity of the story and popularity of the podcast including having important podcasters read the summary of previous chapter in “The Story so Far.” He also plays promos for other novels at the end of each podcast promoting other people’s work which increases the connectedness of the podcasting world. The only critique of the podcast is that Hutchins can be a little chatty at the beginning and end of each episode on the Legacy podcast (there is a just straight story available on his website and podiobooks.com).

Overall, if you like fiction and podcasts and you aren’t listening to this author, I have to ask why not? This is one of the best novels/podcasts I have heard/read. Every time I finish an episode, I usually manage to talk myself into one more (and quite easily too). Check it out at http://www.jchutchins.net/.

it ends?

2008-07-11T17:43:00.001+03:00

the second to last chapter of my novel is up at its NEW DOMAIN NAME http://www.sunsetvampirenovel.wordpress.com

check it out and stick with me, one chapter and epilogue to go!

just fyi

2008-07-10T21:33:00.002+03:00

hey all,

for those of you who read sunset, everything is cool. it is just at another site http://www.sunsetvampirenovel.wordpress.com

my original site http://www.timtheyounger.wordpress.com is undergoing reconstruction-major reconstruction. As Sunset comes to a close I have plans to make another novel or other media applications. I needed a home page and a separate page for Sunset so that way everything can be linked all together in one big happy family. maybe i am dreaming big, but i can dream can't I.

just bear with me and go with the flow. Sunset is as it was before it was tranferred including all comments. Stick around for the end! It is coming up soon.

p.s. be sure to catch all the posts today. at least five i think.

2008-07-10T15:05:00.000+03:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25616572/

mini dose of mogamma--AUC style

2008-07-10T14:56:00.002+03:00

mmm…gotta love that egyptian bureaucracy. come have a taste of my world.

My landlady and her sister wanted me to post notices for their flats at AUC. I said okay wanting to help them out. I get to the first office I need to go to and fill out the forms which will be posted, little blue thick sheeted paper thingies. Then he tells me to go to the security office to get them stamped. I have to go around the corner to a different building and then the secretary in the security department glances at the first one and then stamps all four notices. She barely even looked at them. After this necessary action was completed I had to return to the original office where I filled out the forms and turn them in.

Ahh, not frustrating as I am used to it, but just noticing that it is there. At UMBC, for those of you who know, this would be the equivalent of going to Reslife then to the police station and then back to Reslife.

My solution: They should either move the stamp lady to the student services office (stop #1) or move the forms to the security department.

simple-easy-condensed

grey's anatomy and the racing mind

2008-07-10T14:56:00.001+03:00

how is it that I have only seen grey’s anatomy twice and both times seen the same show. the first time was over a year ago and then tonight. same episode. weird.

I am trying to get some lucid dreaming going on while I sleep, so I have started a dream journal again as part of the process for encouraging lucid dreaming.. Any weird ones I have are getting put up so you all can see what goes on in my head at night. I swear sometimes my brain must take leave of my body and go to a rave party and then digest all the drugs it took at the party.

I was a victim of mind racing last night. Not mind erasing but mind racing. I usually get the most creative in the evening which is a problem if its three o’clock in the morning and I am trying to sleep. With Sunset almost finished, I was thinking about new books, new medias, and how they would connect if at all to Sunset, and what my blogs would look like. Good stuff but not needed at that early in the morning. Fell asleep after morning call to prayer, my late night indicator, and after five a.m. Woof.

pizza time!

2008-07-10T14:55:00.000+03:00

as I have a lot of time on my hands, I’ve decided to do some backing. so far, with the help of Nicholas we made a pita vegetable and spice concoction for dinner all baked in the oven. now I have cooked basboosa, somewhat successfully, and now pizza.

well this was beyond messy. I didn’t add enough flour to the mix at first and tried to start kneading the bread. it was still too sticky coating my hands and counter with gooey dough. once I got that mess back into the pot and added more flour I had some workable dough. then I created a pizza, not using pizza sauce but more like spaghetti sauce or its Egyptian equivalent. the toppings I used were onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and Egyptian cheese. it turned out to be a pretty decent pizza. I even half leftovers and half the dough stored in the freezer for later pizza time.

making the pizza reminded me of making it with my mom and brother like we used to do when we were little. my mom would give each of us a little bit of dough to work with and we would fashion pizzas in whatever shapes we could think of. I miss that and I hope I will get my mom to make some pizza with me when I get back.

good learning experience and cleanup tasks (there was flour everywhere and dough all over the place-down the front of the counter, on the floor, dried on the hair on my arms and pants and shirt.)

there is even flour on my computer when I was scrolling through the recipe on my computer. rock on.

Day 2 of Nipon Aikido Seminar

2008-07-10T14:54:00.000+03:00

Day 2 of the seminar was a little less exciting for me. I didn’t sleep well the night before, despite being exhausted so I was actually tired for the first time during the day in a long time. I had forgotten how crappy you feel and wondered how I ever did it during high school and the school year.

Most people arrived at 7 but for some reason or another there were other classes going on. We had to wait until eightish to start the seminar. It was all weapons work except for a few hand to hand techniques which were done to complement the weapons work. We worked individually on jo and bokken and in pairs jo v jo, bokken v bokken and bokken v jo. Good stuff but frustrating for me. Weapons work is very interesting to me but one where I have the least experience and the exercises with them, especially with partners, are still very difficult. On top of that I was tired. The seminar finished at its normal time which means that we had a shorter one than yesterday and we finished with the shihan talking a little and our sensei giving him, the other guest sensei and the two other accompanying students presents from Egypt. I then went home, crashed and watched a little tv, and slept quite soundly.

I am fortunate to have been able to attend two seminars while out of the country and get to experience the different teaching styles of the higher ranked practitioners of the art. I am, of course, really looking forward to going to practice Aikido back home.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25572774/

2008-07-08T15:10:00.001+03:00

2nd Aikido Seminar, Day 1 (Hi-ya!)

2008-07-08T14:49:00.001+03:00

I’ve been back from the first day of my second Aikido seminar in Egypt. I have been really fortunate in being able to attend these seminars. The class was taught by Gakku Homma Shihan of Nipon Aikido, and he is based in Colorado. The shihan is an eighth dan (out of 10) and was the last uchi deshi for O’Sensei. This means he was the last live in student for the founder of Aikido (something very impressive).

The shihan seemed like a great person. He was very funny, relaxed, and completely full of knowledge about Aikido. The first thing he did while we were lined up waiting for class was too stand in front of us and press he jo (staff) against his belly trying to make it stick. Then he tried it on his back. The first time it didn’t work the second it did. The staff was floating held against his back. I at first thought this was some Aikido secret, but then he laughed and turned and everyone saw that he had tucked the jo into the stiff part of his hakama. (martial art skirt). That was a great start to class.

The class consisted of doing some techniques out of nikyo including headlocks and full nelsons. Then he moved onto pressure points. I learned some new tricks. (Miguel, Pete, and Sempai watch out!) After that pain ended we did work with the jo. His staff seemed to be an extension of his body moving fluidly as an extension of his arms. Shihan said that the jo is not a weapon but a dance partner. He said that he didn’t focus a lot on kata because it can make you very stiff. Rather he focused on fluidity and natural movement, and we did some cool twirling warm-ups. He taught us an 18 jo-kata, which I promptly forgot, and then we watched some demos of the kata by the two students who came with him.

I am exhausted and a little, but there is another class tomorrow and I have a little more to say. For the past five almost six months I have practiced Aikido at the Shooting Club Dojo solely with Egyptians. It was really weird to be practicing Americans again up close and personal (besides my roommate who is actually out of the country for two weeks). Instead of working with guys (and great guys they are) named Nour, Omar, Abdel-Rahman, and Hasan, I worked with a guy named Brian and the other American there was Jason. It was just weird to me to see Americans in the dojo in the first place. I have been the only one there for a long time, so it was different and good to not be alone on the mats (not that the Egyptians haven’t made me feel 100% welcome).

During the call to prayer, shihan moved with the call with his jo fluidly and beautifully matching the voice’s rise and fall in his own movements. It was really something to see and something that I had never even pictured or considered. The fluidity and the jo warm up techniques were the really eye opening things that I learned today, something that I will take back with me. I really can’t wait to get back and put my own jo and bokken (sword) in my hands again.

Cultural Experience #37 An Egyptian Movie in Arabic

2008-07-08T14:48:00.000+03:00

Two firsts just happened. One, I saw a movie in a movie theater in Arabic without subtitles. Two, I saw a movie in a movie theater by myself. Needless to say I am just a little confused.

The flick I saw was called Al-Raiess Omar Harb, and I think it translates to the president Omar Harb. But I have to go back further than the movie title to explain this event. It starts at the door. The ticket lady told me that the movie started at 9 p.m. I arrived at 8:50 because I didn’t want to miss the previews (those of you who know me know this). Instead of previews at 9 p.m., I got a dose of Egyptian. At the doors, which were unopened waited at least 50 people for the show. The more boisterous lads were up front while the women and respectable couples were further back. I, of course being early, was wedged up into the front. Everyone was carrying on waiting for the doors to be open. 9 o’clock passed. There was yelling and general fun going on until the door, yes singular, opened. There were seven other doors I counted. Then the tide began, I felt very similar to what a piece of dirt must feel as it is sucked down the drain after the tub water is let out: inevitability. The jostling and pushing began along with shouts of ‘enter! and ‘go!’ led by the age group dominated by teenagers.

I get inside at 9:12 and the movie starts at 9:30. I knew what I was in for, no subtitles and everything but I was excited. We saw some previews one in English the other Arabic, and then the movie started. It was confusing. The movie centered around a casino in Egypt led by a powerful man, didn’t catch his name, who runs a tight ship with its own particular set of ugly if you get mixed up in the wrong things. Several men did throughout the movie, again don’t know why or what for but several men were beaten, one guy got his hands chopped off, and another was hung (I think).

The main character was Khalid, a casino worker who did the roulette table. When he wasn’t having sex with the two alternating lead women (not at the same time), he was either being taken under the wing by the casino owner, possibly Omar Harb, or staring eyes bulging out in various scenes (fights between his two lovers, other women’s breasts, his boss’s threats. There was also a weird dream sequence too where he was running through the desert but being stopped by an old wooden gate. I think it was symbolizing his being trapped in his job in which people around him were being killed. The movie ended with all the main characters lining up in front of Khalid and the casino owner and Khalid accepting something, I think the next ownership role of the casino. The two drank champagne and were surrounded by celebrating people except Khalid and the girl he actually liked (one of the two) didn’t look happy. I pictured the end being like the Godfather where Michael Corlione is sitting at his father’s desk now in charge of the family not liking what he had become (if I remember correctly). My energy and focus waned after the entr’acte. My brain just got too tired trying to follow the Arabic.

Couple more tidbits. The girls on screen, especially his main love interest who I am guessing is famous, got catcalls and low whistles. There are also censor cards shown at the beginning of the previews and the movies to show that they have been screened by the censors. Lastly, Egyptian movie theaters are not quiet.

Overall it was a fun experience. I would probably do it again. It also only cost a little less than 3 dollars.

Happy Birthday U.S.A.!

2008-07-04T17:14:00.001+03:00

Today is Independence Day, and we celebrate the birth of our nation. How do you celebrate it?

As for me, I baked an Egyptian sweet called Basbousa (like a honey cake).

Listened to a new podcast by J.C. Hutchins about the assassination of the U.S. President by a four year old and the ensuing team created to fight the man behind the killer (or so I assume). I am really liking it and will of course write a review for it at the end. Only a few episodes in so I don’t know too much, but so far it is engaging and psychologically well thought out.

Also listened last night to a podcast Infected by Scott Sigler. Ooohhhh! Fantastic! A review will follow but you should definitely check it out. So far it’s about some sort of disease or parasite that hosts itself in human bodies and makes people go crazy and violent. There is, of course, a team after it and they are a good set of characters too. Oh, and the infection talks-try listening at 3 am like me in an apartment by yourself. Creepy.

Tonight I will drink Egyptian beer, eat Egyptian produce, and watch a movie about a British secret agent, 007.

Overall I am being very patriotic, and I sang the national anthem in the shower this morning.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy fourth of July whether you do parades, cookouts, fireworks, parties, or nothing at all. Keep my country (if your not American and reading this, but I doubt it, otherwise it’s our country) and me in your prayers, and I will do the same.

See y’all soon.

TT&G II

2008-07-03T18:52:00.000+03:00

This is Part Two.

Way back when before I left my country and had just started up my blog, I promised I would make an entry for my friends Taleh, Trish, and Gaby (names again changed to protect the guilty) which I did. I also told them I would probably do a part to in order to help get me through the rest of my time here. Well this is that time for remembering the good friends I have back home and what I have to look forward to when I get there.

There have been several things throughout the semester which have reminded me of them each in different ways that when I see them make me smile.

Regularly throughout the semester I would catch sight of something around me that would remind me of Trish whether it was a building, or something framed by flowers, the way a bird sat just so in a tree, or the way the clouds framed the skyline and bridges crossing the Nile. Every time I saw something picturesque I thought of Trish because she is such an amazing photographer. Last semester most of our floor went through picture sessions from Trish capturing the good side of everyone. Oh and I think of Trish every time my old man muscles and bones creak when I am trying to stretch in warming up for Aikido. Go Gumby!

Now Gaby, I always think of whenever I watch Firefly or Serenity (which occurred frequently throughout the semester. I remember her yelling when ________ dies and when ________ and _______ kiss and when ________ and ________ don’t kiss. (haha) I also see Gaby in all the children who I see and who talk to me in the streets. Not that she is childish, (well some times… :) jk) but that she has a youthful spirit always ready to laugh and have a good time. I also think of Gaby when I do Aikido because I remember all the times she either volunteered or I volunteered her to do a technique on her, usually which ended up with her in pain lying half dead on the common room floor.

Taleh, of course, I think of Aikido (really says what I do here don’t you think) with her dance and our numerous stretch sessions throughout last semester. I don’t think I was ever more flexible than last semester. I try to copy the grace she has that I have seen in the performance she showed me and the weird little dances she did on the Humanities Floor every now and then. One of my favorite memories is watching Alex and her waltzing in the common area with all the couches and chairs pushed back to the perimeter. She is also into makeup and so are the girls here in Cairo. They really focus on their face, especially the eyes here, and I know she is a fair hand with it all. (She should be getting a job with it soon, at least that is what I have been led to believe. er-hem :)) Taleh hasn’t gotten her makeup on me yet, wasn’t around me freshmen year (one of my few makeup experiences in college).

These girls are three great amigas. I missed hanging out with them this semester, and though next semester won’t be the same, I can’t wait to see them. Just writing about them brings back the glorious memories we had doing stupid stuff, being weird, and generally living life up at UMBC.

I didn’t look at the first post, so I don’t know if I repeated myself. If I did it is because those are the things that stick out that make me smile some five thousand miles away.

HAHA! (little victory dance)

2008-07-01T19:35:00.003+03:00

I got my story Sunset posted on a website for online serials. May not mean much to you, but for me, this is a glorius day. My name is getting out there, slowly but surely.

http://www.pagesunbound.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=216&Itemid=2

Much thanks to pagesunbound.com for posting my story!

July 1, 2008

2008-07-01T18:16:00.000+03:00

To continue my trend of reminiscing about movies and the experiences associated with them from when I was a kid, here is another memory.

I was living in my other house which puts me in middle school and I watched some movie with my grandfather. I have no idea what it was but it was about some prisoners/GIs in prison/or something. I vividly remember watching someone get guillotined (wow spelled that right on the first try) and feeling that my parents wouldn’t approve (whether they would or not, I don’t know). But I was with my grandfather in his room watching the movie, so they didn’t know. I don’t think he was bothered that I was watching, and it wasn’t overly violent either. I think on par with the beheading in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Anyway for some reason this memory sticks out in my brain. I think because I was watching a movie with my grandfather and watching a movie that in my middle school mind was taboo for someone like me.

By the way, today is July 1, 2008 in case any of you were wondering.

Crime Novels: Review

2008-07-01T18:14:00.002+03:00

Read two other interesting stories these past two days.

Jake Wakes Up by Seth Harwood

This is the tale of a failed actor who after living a reclusive recuperative life away from his drug addiction reenters the drug world by helping a friend finish a deal. Only his friend’s buyers have bigger problems than dealing with just drugs. Jack gets in over his head and is forced to deal with Czechs, Russians, Columbians, crooked cops, and American drug kingpins. He is forced to rely on his acting skills in trying to figure why the dead people are dead, who killed them, and why.

Harwood does a good job in creating a tortured character in Jack Palms in never letting him forget his troubled past, but I had a little trouble getting past the fact that he could just jump right into this world of violence. If you can get past some of the stereotypical cast types, which doesn’t get too much in the way, then you will especially if you like the noir style.

Men Are Trouble by James Patrick Kelly

A short novella in which half the human population has been wiped out by mysterious devil creatures leaving only women. The story centers around Fay Hardaway, a private investigator, looking for a missing woman. Fay and the other women in the book struggle to come to terms with there daily life which is run by bots, created by the devils to replace the men, and to make something of their lives which have no meaning since everything is taken care of by the devils and the bots.

I liked this novella better than Jake Wakes Up primarily because Kelly does a better job at creating and sustaining the mystery. The twists in this book are less predictable than the ones in the Harwood’s. I had a little trouble buying Hardaway as a PI because it seemed that Kelly merely changed the name from a male to a female one. I wish Kelly had given us more about the devils, but the little information keeps you frustrated yet intrigued hoping he will tell you more.

then and now

2008-06-28T16:13:00.003+03:00

this is what i look like now, having shaved recently and given myself a haircut today.

PLANET OF THE APES

2008-06-27T17:46:00.000+03:00

I realized something today, while watching Beneath the Planet of the Apes. One, I wanted to see the original and the new version, the first I have seen, the second I have not. Two, Planet of the Apes was the first movie/story which I saw in which I realized that not all stories have a happy ending. The original story sticks in my mind as the one which told me this. From what I remember the story ends with man blowing a nuclear bomb to stop the apes. Yet I just watched the end of the Beneath the Planet of the Apes where the world was destroyed by a doomsday bomb. Same ending? Do I have my stories mixed up? I don’t know but they were probably made during the time of MAD so the stories could have similar endings.

The point is though, that I realized that not all stories have a happy ending. I grew up a little with this movie. Huh.

2008-06-24T18:14:00.002+03:00

okay not sure where my wordpress blog stands at the moment. it worked for a second and i hit publish and then it froze and then i hit publish many more times (my solution being if it is not working then hit as many buttons as possible) so there might be 3 or 4 chapter 10s up. if it is a mess i will fix it up soon, assuming that those reading sunset look here too. anyway, until next time (as they say)...

Chapter 10 of Sunset-See most recent blog entry for details of this anomaly

2008-06-24T17:50:00.003+03:00

“Jason? Jason? Are you there? Hello?”

Baybars sat up on Harvey’s couch frustrated by his inability to communicate with Jason. He had received nothing since Jason had painfully flooded his mind with his words, confusion, and fear. Aisha lay curled up in a ball under some blankets in an orange loveseat across the room.

“Harvey’s apartment is odd,” thought Baybars.

He lay back down to try and reach Jason again.
--
Hamee sat in the library again. This time it wasn’t a fun filled adventure but an urgent quest for information while avoiding detection by whatever malicious entities inhabited this particular section of nowhere. His nerves stood on full alert listening for any sign of books dropping heralding someone or something else’s presence. Their Dunkin Donuts session had turned into more than just a cup of coffee and a donut; it had become three cups of joe and a dozen donuts. Hamee went back to their conversation over the chocolate glaze before beginning his search.

“So Jason was with you?” Harvey asked Baybars.

“Yes, we ran together in the darkness, or ether as you call it.”

“Why were you two together?”

“I don’t know. It just happened that way, but since we went in together, it must mean we are somehow connected in what you say you need to protect.”

“Maybe,” Harvey mused.

“All the more reason for us to get to New York as soon as possible.”

“I know, but I want to do some more research first.” Harvey said taking a sip of hot black coffee.

“Where?” asked Baybars.

“He was in my dream,” interrupted a forgotten Aisha.

They turned to her.

“I call him leaf man. He looked like the park come to life with yellow eyes, bright yellow eyes,” she continued,” He said I needed to help him.”

“This is Jason you are talking about?” asked Baybars, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, you said you saw him. Don’t you remember?” she replied, “He said I needed to help him to help myself.

“It was so dark, and we were scared.” said Baybars, “The trip was all so confusing.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do to help him,” Harvey said turning backed to Baybars.

She sulked into her coffee Boston Crème in hand.

“Little Aisha,” Hamee thought as he sat at a computer which he had, for lack of a better word, conjured in the library, “She is a burden, but she has nowhere else to go.”

Hamee activated the search function on his computer, a handy option that allowed him to avoid aimless wandering in the endless mazelike rows of the never ending library. He searched for ‘nature’ and got way to many entries. He added his name, ‘Hamee,’ and about half the entries disappeared.

“Ho, ho, ho. I am popular,” he said to himself.

Hamee added another word to the search: ‘vampire.’ Much fewer results but still not enough to make it possible in the short amount of time he guessed he had. Sighing he added ‘good vs. evil’ to the search box and blinked in surprise as five results glowed on the screen. After memorizing the call numbers, he set out, but twenty minutes later he returned empty handed and fuming.

“Why the hell are all of them missing?” he wondered aloud, “It figures. What I need and it isn’t there.”

He brought his plated hands down on his desk in a fit of violence and smashed through the top revealing a secret compartment that, if not for his violence, he never would have found. Covered in splinters lay a yellowed skinned cloth holding several old documents bound with a red rope. Pulling out the packet reverently, as it was his Kaatib’s last known item, he untied the rope and began to shuffle through the papers an article at a time trying to make sense of what he was reading. The first one he looked at talked about the Uprising and speculated that the champion of good may have actually been defeated and gone into hiding.

“Well, we know that much is true,” muttered Hamee.

Pawing through more of the documents, he found one discussing how the champion may have gone into hiding. Hamee realized this was what he really needed to know.

“Why didn’t Kaatib share this with me? This makes me to handle everything with Baybars differently.”

He stopped when he got to a section on dual/split identities realizing that--

His thoughts stopped as he watched the papers slide through his fingers. Harvey blinked his eyes to see a worried Babyars staring at him.

“Harvey. It is twelve noon. We need to go.”

“Right, yea,” he replied unsure how to tell Baybars what he had pieced together, but Baybars stode off gathering Aisha and some supplies before he could open his mouth again.

Harvey tried to ignore the last image of Kaatib that would not leave his brain or conscience alone. It was the lifeless shell, almost transparent in its disintegration on the floor of the library, of his shortest and most mysterious friend that he knew would haunt him for the rest of his life. Harvey was strong. His body had become even stronger in the recent past, yet he had not saved Kaatib. Guilt, strong enough to cause pain, welled up in his body gripping him in a torturous embrace starting in his stomach and moving up and down his body.

He screamed at himself, “I am a firefighter! I save people! There hadn’t even been a fire, and I let an old man die! Did my oath I took as a rescuer even mean anything anymore?”

Another feeling blossomed in his gut. Not new, but this time it had a target, or at least what he had seen of it, unlike the dancing inanimate and taunting wraith of a housefire. He felt hate and anger, and he resolved to protect those again under his charge no matter how much of a burden they were.
--
Algharoob sat pale and resting in the discolored recliner as Earl stitched her leg up.

“It was the machete,” it said.

One of the guys got you?” Earl asked with trepidation.

“No, no,” she hissed in pain, “You all can’t hurt me. I slipped in the blood—my blood—that I was taking.”

Earl said nothing and just continued to work.

“Damn these frail human bodies,” it said again through gritted teeth, “We are forced to feel everything you feel as if this affected our true soul.”

“Sorry boss,” was all that Earl dared to say.

“We need to go somewhere. When we get back, we will find him, or it will be your life.”

“Yes boss,” Earl gulped.

Algharoob fled from consciousness and awoke pain free in the library, “Ahh, that’s better.”

There was no sound in the library. It was quiet as death. The monster strode up the aisles finding an empty desk with a hole in it. Seeing the papers scattered on the floor, it smiled, seated itself gracefully, and began to reading seeking to know what its enemy knew and wondering who would have come to the library with the old man dead.

“Was is the black plated man?” it wondered.

It didn’t recognize the face. Looking down at the first paper its hands touched, it frowned.

“Finally, some information on what we have been missing, especially about the Uprising,” it thought to itself in an internal monologue, “Ever since our soul was destroyed in the physical long before the Uprising, we have roamed the ether searching for information but for naught. None of the others were willing to give out that information no matter how…persuasive we were.”

Algharoob contemplated that after a long and fruitless search of trying to figure out what happened in the early dark years after it had been banished, it eventually lost interest, turning instead to the only thing which it enjoyed. It had become dangerously fixated on collecting pain, even for a creature such as itself. Its mind drifted recalling all those years as its fingers blindly held the papers. Shaking its head, it moved past is inadequacies, brushed off the idea of insanity, and began reading again. A smile began creeping up its thin lips rising higher and higher although obscured by its niqab.

“We understand,” it said through an exhale, “Those two lights we saw in the clouds were really one and the same. Clever, clever, clever.” We will soon have our revenge, Epluribisunum, for what you took from us those eons ago: our physical being.”

Another thought strode violently into its head. It was one of pleasure, one of caution, and one not of its own devising. Algharoob immediately grew angry on many levels despite the approval it was receiving.

“We are no one’s lackey! But…” it continued finally realizing that it was long past being independent, “We can make this to our advantage. We use this knowledge…Yes, we use this knowledge and our actions to get a corporeal body back and once again roam the Earth where we are top predator. It will be a grand bargaining chip.”

After reading about the black plated man, Hamee, who protected what it is sought to destroy, it stretched cat-like. Algharoob returned to that feeling of caution. It hated its keeper, sent to keep it in check.

“How many times did it foil our plans on Earth since we settled here? We thought we would be all alone again, away from the prying eyes of Epluribisunum and others. Then he showed up! Our blood burns with the fire of hatred that can only be quenched by wrapping our fingers around its throat and wiping out its soul, perhaps even consuming it. For the longest time we have never dreamed this possible. In one bold move, we will destroy all that stands before us. It is time for the hunter to become the hunted.”

Sifting through the rest of the papers, it found one that seemed to have been untouched by whoever had previously been here. Its title was “How to Kill a Lower Order Demon: Signs and Practices (In my host body’s language: the vampire Sunset) by Kaatib Almustasharq.

Algharoob smirked after glancing at the paper thinking only, “Lower order demon no more.”

It then promptly ate the single short essay leaving no evidence of its existence.

Algharrob left the library and headed to the clouds, its borders going fluid. Energy flowed through it, and it immediately saw the two lights it had been startled to see earlier. It cupped one in its hand and absorbed.

“Ahh. New York.”

Kelly’s body woke up with a start and stared at Earl who was sipping coffee.

“Come, we go to New York.”

Earl wordlessly grabbed his Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol with accompanying holster and followed his master out the door, discarded bloody clothes, bits of bandages, and spent bullet casings the only remaining artifacts lingering under the ephemeral acrid smell of sweat and the harsh smell of dried blood in the now empty and discarded Fisher’s Club.
--
Baybars opened his eyes as they pulled onto Fulton Street with the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance. They were almost to the hospital. The dull evening sun wrapped around the buildings in a slightly polluted and chemicalized caress as the city’s nightlife emerged.

He had finally been able to talk to Jason, and both had spent the trip refining their abilities which seemed limited by distance. It was an odd feeling being able to communicate with his friend without actual speech. There was someone else in his head now, which he thought would feel strange, but, in actuality, it felt like some part of him had finally come home to roost. In linking with Jason, their thoughts intermingled. Never enough that they were in danger of losing themselves in each other; telepathy is only so liberating, but the thoughts danced together in a ballet of color, emotion, smell, and sometimes even specific events. The only time a really specific thought process occurred is when the two focused together on it. It seemed to Baybars, and by extension Jason, that it was a self-contained stream of thought, as if they were having conversations with themselves and to themselves. Baybars would have thought himself crazy with the voice in his head if he told himself about this change two weeks earlier sitting in a café in Egypt on Talaat Harb Street. He knew he would never be alone ever again.

Aisha lay asleep her arms wrapped protectively around herself in the backseat of Harvey’s weathered car.

Harvery turned and said to the occupants in the car and said in a steely voice, “We’re here. Let’s get him.”

felicitator

2008-06-24T17:45:00.001+03:00

the word my computer English/Arabic dictionary gave me in the context of some Christian holidays in Syria (Christmas and Easter)
other words along with it were merry maker and celebrator
this one was my favorite, it sounds almost sinister as if the person is in a cabal to bring the end of the world…by candy canes.
:)

home is where the heart is

2008-06-24T17:43:00.000+03:00

I’ve never felt that I have been able to settle down while in Egypt and really make the place I am staying feel like home (perhaps it is not meant to be done). I feel like I have lived these past five months in a state of transition (i.e. living out of suitcase). Certainly living in a hotel for four of those months didn’t help, but I had hoped moving to an apartment would’ve helped. It didn’t really, most likely because I am only staying here for two months. This is just another transition for me until I get back home.

I wish I had been able to get past that feeling, but I don’t think I will especially as my time left in Cairo dwindles. I don’t get that feeling though when I am in my dorm at UMBC. I don’t think I suffer from this despite it being a similar time, four months, because I am close to home. I usually feel this way during the month transition between fall and spring semesters but not during the summer. Perhaps I don’t feel this way at school because it is really an eight month stay with only that break for the minimester session in January.

Another factor that I know has affected me and which is equally obvious is that this is a study abroad. I came with one suitcase leaving behind all that was familiar and worked to carve out a space in a faceless patterned hotel room. That impersonality coupled with my inability and lack of desire to decorate my room kept it impersonal and transitional. It is the little things I left behind that I wanted which surprised me the most like tape or scissors or posters. I won’t buy them here because I won’t use them enough to warrant the expense, but I know they exist at home, bought and resting in drawers for long periods of time (but you don’t have to lug them around when you travel if you had brought them abroad). But this is also an idiosyncrasy of my character that forces me to do this and not a comment on the whole study abroad experience.

I guess home is what you make it and how you live in it. For me these past six months have been transitional in all mental and physical aspects. This jaunt was not permanent, I knew that, which created sets of decisions to be made that would affect how I would see my life here. I don’t prefer transition. I like having the same place to come home to over and over again and I’ll be there soon enough.

Perhaps the best adage is home is where the heart is, and I know where that will put me: Catonsville.

Blogorrhea

2008-06-22T19:06:00.003+03:00

Five posts+one day=incredible, be sure to catch ‘em all!

Ahhh. My life has finally gotten routine again. You might say “Eww. Routine? Why would you want that in Egypt?” I would answer that I am a creature of habit, as I would argue that all of you are. Doing new things everyday is way too stressful. With my routines, I prefer to think of them as large circles (Aikido influence no doubt), I stay sane and happy and time passes at an acceptable rate.

Everyday I do Arabic, read from this textbook reader my former roommate gave me about Islamic culture, read for pleasure, and write. Three days a week I go to Aikido (see other recent post). And three days of week I get extended internet, dragging myself to campus for a couple of hours. I watch TV, go see movies, and eat dinner with my roommate. Also to spice it up, my roommate and I have some jaunts planned to see different parts of the city (to be honest things that he wants to do and I am going to tag along).

I also think everyday about home and being there, but I am not pining away. I miss it incredibly and want to go home, but I just trying living each day until July 31st arrives.

To further expand upon my reading interests I continue to explore different podcasts and online serials. Most recently I have started the podcast Infection by Scott Sigler which so far is okay. I am waiting for the story to pick up. Also I recently read some extra material tied to David Dunwoody’s Empire. They were two prequel like bits, one called After Dead which details how the zombie apocalypse started. Fantastic writing. Pete Clarke reminds me very much of Bannerman from David Wellington’s zombie trilogy. (If you don’t know who Bannerman is then you need to read the zombie novels start Monster Island. Then you might as well read the rest of his material as Bannerman pops up every now again to rock your socks off.)

There is also a little ditty called Meta Dead which is not in song form at all so the ditty conception doesn’t really work. It is an IM chat session between authors of zombie fiction and is incredibly creepy. The session takes place in between After Dead and Empire as the world is ending. It is a great medium to express the end of the world on because the reader gets several different perspectives. But what makes it so great is that the reader only knows what the IMer tells you leaving your mind straining to figure out what is going on outside of cyberspace. You end up creating all these events and conversations yourself that are occurring outside of cyberspace for the authors in the story. Good stuff.

100 word horror story

2008-06-22T19:03:00.000+03:00

Here is a hundred word horror story for you all. It is part of an exercise in writing that the forum ablsolutewrite.com does.

Although an expert in lies, there was a storyteller who started telling the truth. Not on purpose. They just started to come true, which was a problem.

“Bear attack,” he said over the campfire but to himself, “Damn Indian story.”

“Tell us a yarn,” said George innocently.

Knowing what was going to happen he said, “Men sat around a campfire like this one. Only this time I’m not telling the story. He put words into my mouth, so others can find out about it. Those voyeuristic creeps all fell down dead, so we can live in peace.”

Let me know what you think...

storytelling 4 u

2008-06-22T18:59:00.000+03:00

I want to revive the art of storytelling. I am not talking about that in books, because that is alive and well, you could argue just walk into a bookstore. I want to bring back storytelling, which existed before books, before TV, before radio, and before the internet. (Not that I don’t love all those things)

Maybe it is just me but I have a fascination with storytelling and old fashioned sort of things. I remember when my grandfather would tell me, my brother, and my cousin stories as we all slept over my grandparent’s house. We would all lie in one bed and he would come in and tell us stories about how we were knights and fighting bad guys.

I was just thinking about this last night which has maybe pushed me to actually move on the storytelling idea. There was that plus learning about the professional storytellers that used to exist in the Arabian world called hakaweyats (I think). These two catalysts burst the bubble that was festering in the pit of my brain with this idea. This is not the first time I have thought about this either.

Therefore, I think I will begin telling stories, sadly for now to myself, but when I get home I will subject my brothers to my storytelling. Hopefully by then I will be more confident and established. Also have some other TOP SECRET ideas with what I want to do with this idea. Just need to do some more research first.

Aikido Master

2008-06-22T18:58:00.000+03:00

I would have to say the best thing to happen to me since getting out of school is Aikido. I do not exaggerate.

Aikido has kept me from going out of my mind with cabin fever as it gets me out of the house for five hours (hour trip there, about two hour class, hour trip back, and one hour for Egypt time (spent waiting at the dojo or afterwards cleaning myself up)) three days a week.

Also my Aikido adventure puts me regularly in contact with Egyptians. If I did not have this, I would not really be talking to any of them, except for shopkeepers. I am not really able to go and talk to people in a café as others are. This makes me very fortunate. I lived with Egyptians during the school year and now I have regular contact with them. It makes my stay here worthwhile. When I leave for home, which I can’t wait for, I will be taking along contact information from several good Egyptian Aikido friends (possibly the best kind).

Also, it is Aikido. For me not much more needs to be said but I will explain anyway. I love Aikido. I get extremely happy during and after practices (those of you in the dorm should know), and it makes my life easier when I follow its philosophy. Spending time outside my home dojo has been incredibly challenging and a great learning experience both in terms of Aikido techniques and how well I can apply its philosophy to a new Aikido setting. I am also forced to see where my training is deficient. I see these deficiencies because dojos aren’t the same. The pattern that you fall into in yours may let you ignore easier what you really need to work on. I am not saying my dojo is deficient in this respect (it is solely an internal thing), in fact I prefer it to any I attend. But I had to adjust my rhythm to fit the new beat of the dojos in Egypt in terms of the people, the small variations on technique approach to basics, and the lifebeat of the dojo. Don’t get me wrong it is more the same than different, but different nonetheless. It was kind of a jostling where I am able to see my whole Aikido self in perspective. It is as if it is (talk about awkward but I like it) an out of body experience where you see what you need to work on.

I have always thought learning Aikido was an upward experience. My upward growth continues until today but coming to Egypt also brought an outwards learning (a horizontal expansion). I hope to bring that sort of mentality back to my home dojo and continue to use it there, and I also know that none of this would have been possible without my training under my sensei as well working with the other Aikidoka in America, especially those at UMBC. For my sensei and classmates, I am especially thankful.

Review of Earthcore by Scott Sigler

2008-06-22T18:57:00.001+03:00

Earthcore is a podcast only novel by Scott Sigler which came out in 2006. Incidentally, it is the first online novel that I have listened to in its entirety.

This story details the adventures of the employees working for a mining company called Earthcore. In a race against what the company feels is a threat from other mining groups, it works through nefarious and legal schemes to obtain information and begin mining a platinum lode discovered by a wily prospector, by the name of Sonny McGuiness, in the WaWa mountain range in Utah.

As the company sets up a site, they begin to dig. Experiencing human factor problems until they enter the mine, the action really picks up as crews enter the mine shaft and tunnel system that exists under the mountain. What waits them is something that nobody has ever seen, even the anthropologist who has studied the matter.

Thankfully I was able to download all of the segments without waiting for them to come out because they entice you that much. The conclusion of the story is as gripping as the rest with many dead and much carnage in its wake.

Sigler uses the podcast to broadcast out a free novel for all his listeners performing all the characters himself. My favorite character was Sonny McGuiness. I enjoyed the novel immensely and felt that Sigler’s inventions of technology went well with the flow of the story without seeming too unrealistic. He also presented a lot of factual information blended into the story without seeming artificial or awkward. My only complaint would be with the resolution of Angus Cool’s situation. Without giving anything away, I would’ve liked to know specifically what happened to him (for those of you who haven’t heard it whether he lived or died, hahah) as he was such a little turd.

As his first podcast novel, Sigler established himself in the field for online novels. I look forward to reading others such as Ancestor, Nocturnal, and Infection.

2008-06-19T19:11:00.001+03:00

Man really not having Internet makes it hard for me to post regularly. Sorry I have been slacking.

I watched half of the Grindhouse double feature by Rodriguez and Tarintino. I watched it with Nicholas, and we saw the Rodriguez half called Planet Terror. In the style of the 80s movies, it was absurd. My favorite part was the missing reel in the middle of the film which left a large gap in the story line.

This was the goriest movie that I have seen in a long while, some of it over the top gory other parts just gory. At first I was grossed out and turned off by the violence, but then I got used to it. That is what scared me. I saw how easy it was for me and by extension, others, to get acclimated to violence and gore rather quickly.

I started thinking about the novel I am writing about the vampire and its gore. In writing it, I have realized that I don’t necessarily like writing all those gory scenes, and in future stories, I don’t think I will be including that much blood and guts.

I have also noticed a transition in this blog, well more a branching. It still details my life in Egypt, but part of it is taking on a different aspect of a very specific part of my life. That is on blogging and serial writing (which is not bad). I am happy to be discussing this because it interests me. Whether you are interested in reading it or not, I don’t know.

I have been joining forums about serial novels, for serial novel writing, and for writing in general. As I do, I will post what I think of them especially the ones not focusing on a specific book. Three come to mind right now.

Ablsoute Write Water Cooler This is a major forum website that has advice for writers of all types. So far the environment has been very friendly, and I am looking forward to getting some advice and honing my writing skills outside of a class.

http://www.novelr.com/ This is a forum website and blog about serial novel writing. I haven’t explored it too much yet, getting internet every other day or so, so when I do I will post some more about it.

www.pagesunbound.com This website is one that really interests me basically because it exists to help me (and hundreds of other online writers of course). It is a website devoted to introducing writers and readers to other’s online fiction mostly in the form of web serials. I hope to be posting on it soon.

Lastly, in regards to Sunset, just a little note of celebration. This week’s post puts me at halfway or a little past depending on how the rest of the chapters go. Woopeee!

new blog to look at

2008-06-17T17:50:00.001+03:00

i have tried to post this three gorram times and each time the internet has cut out

check out this blog http://www.mtannoyances.com/ if i drop some knowledge on you at a party we are at you will know why.

return to aikido

2008-06-15T13:58:00.002+03:00

If any of you who read this are thinking of picking up a martial art, I strongly suggest Aikido. Aside from the awesomeness of the techniques and life philosophy, I have yet to find a jerk or tough guy wanna be in the mix. Basically they are all good guys. I think the philosophy of Aikido and the way the martial art is taught it filters out the guys who are just looking to hurt people and leaves no room for those guys who have something to prove.

I returned to Aikido last night and was welcomed back as if I had been gone two days instead of two months. It was wonderful because the friends I had made from before were there some even showing up for the first time in two months as well. (that was a little weird and spooky because about four people, myself included, came back yesterday.

I left happy, tired, and dehydrated and woke up sore but I look forward to going back tomorrow.

podcasting

2008-06-12T15:45:00.002+03:00

My new thing is podcasts. I love ‘em and listen to them everyday just before I go to bed. I did sell my soul and download iTunes, but it was worth it. With iTunes I am able to get these wonderful broadcasts.

My exploration of podcasts began with searching out Firefly related material, as has a lot of my new endeavors. (Serial novels also began with reading Firefly fanfic and then moved on to David Wellington) All of what I listen to is novels or short stories. I don’t really go for the talk shows.

Some of the Firefly podcasts that I can speak to are Tales from the Verse and Severance. Tales from the Verse is a podcast which posts fan submitted stories about once a month. Most of them have been pretty entertaining and satisfy my fix for Firefly. The other one was Severance by Andy Evans. It is a completed podcast novel about the activities on this moon called Severance in the Firefly universe. It is an okay story, the plot is a little slow but the story got interesting in the last chapters.

I have also gone crazy and downloaded some other podcasts including stories read by Cory Doctorow which promise to be interesting based on the other stuff of his that I have read (Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom and Eastern Standard Tribe) as well as my first exploration with Scott Sigler. I have just started Sigler’s podiobook called Earthcore and it has got me hooked. When I listen to a podcast the plot needs to be good (obviously) but the reader/narrator, whether it is the author or not, needs to read smoothly and have a good voice. Sigler has all of this. I urge you to check it out as he has many other books in podcast form including Rookie, Nocturnal, and Infected. If you want more science fiction check out clonepod. I think it is just various short science fiction stories. Haven’t heard any myself, so I can’t vouch for it yet.

If I were ever to have a podcast for something, I would get either Jason Statham or my brother to read it. I think they have good voices.

IT THUNDERSTORMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

2008-06-11T16:01:00.000+03:00

I will be posting in spurts from now on until I get home and can get Internet from there, so look for one or more posts when you see a new one. This is important if you want to catch all of what I am writing. :)

My roommate and I were watching this movie called Funny Games the other night. Aside from being really hot, we were sitting there sweating the whole time, even with the fan, it was really creepy. It is a weird German film about these two young men, one fat one skinny, who go to these rich vacation homes while the owners are there and torture and kill them. The whole time they do it, they are pleasant and polite.

Anyway, that is to set the scene. While we were watching the movie we start hearing these booms coming from behind the other apartment building next to us. They come in bursts, and these aren’t little firecracker explosions. We thought we were getting bombed, seriously. I expected that some rebellion had occurred and that the military was using tanks to reclaim order. Either that or planes were dropping bombs on all the government buildings. My roommate and I didn’t hear the telltale fizzle or sparkle to indicate that these were fireworks. We go out and investigate and catch the last of the explosions: fireworks for an inauguration of something.

So we start watching the movie again and then it starts lightening, thundering, and pouring violently for about ten minutes. Besides being the first glorious thunderstorm that I have seen in a long while, we thought it was the end of the world.

It cooled for a while after the downpour then got humid and hot as Cairo is wont to do.

Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

2008-06-11T15:59:00.000+03:00

The first few notes of ACDC’s “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” belt out of computer situated atop a rickety table covered in a colorful fabric probably purchased at the Tent Maker’s Market in Islamic Cairo.

I sit with my shirt off in the coolness of the living room listening to a song and especially a band that epitomizes summer for me. Instead of sipping beer, I am sipping hot tea with sugar while listening the hum of the air conditioner. Not mine of course, but across the way in the next apartment building. The faint noises of traffic and people reach my ears as I sit here taking it all in.

“It’ll always be rhythms, its never gonna die, never gonna die
Rock and roll ain’t noise pollution
Rock and roll ain’t gonna die
Rock and roll ain’t noise pollution
Rock and roll will survive. (Yes it will, haha.)”

This is life in Cairo. It is hot and sweaty, overwhelming and crowded, and mean and dirty. But there is a rhythm to the street that is different than the rhythm of my suburban neighborhood. I can step out of my apartment, say hi to my doorman, Salama, who sleeps under the stairs (think Harry Potter) and immediately encounter twenty people on street all going somewhere. The shops are open selling their goods, the lady sitting on the sidewalk surrounded by her vegetables is talking loudly on her cell phone, and tourists walk out of a nearby hotel. The active hours are different. People stay up later and sleep in to beat the heat; for me its hard work adjusting my circadian rhythms.

There is plenty of pollution here from the dirt on the street to the stains on my shirt from the other night’s downpour (yes it finally thunderstormed here). When not passing trash on the streets, I watch it pass from people’s hands to the ground. However, I am also polluted with something else: people. The crowds here give Cairo its life whether you pass by the doormen that litter each of the stoops of the apartments, try and brave the traffic crossing Qasr al Aini, or walk into a ful and tamiya shop around eleven o’clock wanting breakfast. We are polluted with humanity.

And Cairo ain’t going anywhere, pollution and all. It will survive, it always has in one form or another, yes it will.

P.S. My roommate just walked in and we both commented on how wonderful a day it is temperature-wise. Then he turned to me and said its 95 degrees. We are getting adjusted.

List of Activities

2008-06-10T14:12:00.000+03:00

Now that I have finished being sick, I can get on with life. For me, this basically entails several things which keep me busy.
1. Arabic-textbook, comic books (by far more interesting) but both are incredibly slooow and hard.
2. For lack of a better part of a word textbooks-This consists of a huge packet (several hundred pages) of material about the cultural history of the Middle East in the early years of the development of the Islamic empire. This includes everything from the Arabic language (grammar and lexicon development) to religion to law.
3. Working on my blogs-much fun.
4. Writing-the funnest.
5. Working up the courage to go and talk with some shopkeeper who makes chairs by weaving them with cane. I did a little at summer camp, and want to become acquaintances so he will show me his trade (maybe) and I can speak Arabic.
6. Sleeping-been doing a lot of that.
7. Reading online material and listening to podcasts, my new favorite.
8. Cooking my own meals and having someone to eat them with. (This is one of the things I treasure and that I miss doing with my family.
9. Going back to Aikido!
10. Waiting to be reunited with my family.

So as you can see very busy, but it is much fun. Just very hot. We stay inside all day if we are able and venture out only if we need to.

For food related adventures, we went out looking for new places to eat and went to a koshary hall, where we got a new dish. It was penne noodles with some sort of meat product in a sweet sauce. Nicholas thinks the meat was sheep or goat, but definitely not beef. (Hope it was not dog! Perdita you might find yourself in the pot) I made eggs this morning, but our gas ran out in the middle of it. We had to call Salama, our go to doorman (literally for anything we need help with or need) and he fixed us up all shiny. (I’ve been watching too much Firefly, for those of you who caught the reference.)

For books that I am reading that some of you might like:
Eastern Standard Time by Cory Doctorow-It is about tribalism centered around time zones. Apparently this book is known to some (another firefly reference!) Interesting read also with the technological bent.

The Harvest Cycle by David Dunwoody-The Apocalyspe mixed with monsters who ravage people for their ability to dream with violent robots thrown into the mix for good taste. Quite good and a story currently being posted every Wednesday and Friday

Abandon by Greg Carter and Elliot Dombo-A twice weekly comic (Tuesday and Thursday) about the original vampire. A bit different than might story but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rock. Check it out!

the beginnings of summer

2008-06-08T13:28:00.003+03:00

well it started fortitously enough. I moved into an apartment and then promptly managed to get sick. Pretty sick too. It was the first time away from my family that I have been sick enough to want to go home-the last time was in junior year of high school. I realized that I wanted my mother to take care of me.

I blame it on this new fiteer place that I ate at where I got pizza, really greasy pizza. It is the only thing that Nicholas and I haven't both eaten so circumstantial evidence points to them.

Not much to report just yet. I am better and it is still hot. There are also lots of new faces at AUC as the summer session kids have arrived.

Still not sure if staying here for another two months was the wisest course. My roommates back home are down at the beach right now and my family is at home.

I also found that my dog is scared of foxes. For those of you who don't know, she is a suspected foxhound! As master of the house, she has no troubles barking at EVERY SINGLE living thing that walks by, but when a fox starts yelping in the moonlight she goes whimpering to my parents. Poor thing. I have also had a run in with the fox. In fact it scared me enough that I threatened it with violence. Maybe it is the same fox, terrorizing the same household for laughs...

New Blog! Middle East Coca Cola

2008-06-04T18:00:00.000+03:00

howdy!

I started a new blog to do my part in addressing the cultural awareness deficiency about the Middle East. Check it out here and send me any ideas or questions of stuff you want me to cover.

The End is Nigh

2008-06-02T11:04:00.003+03:00

The school year is over!

I have finished and will be moving out of a hotel and into an apartment today at 3 pm. It was a good school year, busier than most but a lot of fun. I now just get to chill...well sweat actually. The aparment that Nicholas and I got is very small. It has a tiny bathroom and kitchen, and two bedrooms. One has two small beds and the other is to me combination masterbedroom and living room. There is no separate living room dining room area that I recall. We got it for cheap, at 2000 pounds per month in a nice part of the city: Garden City.

I also went to the Mogamma today which is the governmental center of the overladened bureaucracy that is the government of Egypt. It was insane; thankfully I was in and out in an hour. Right around 1030 I noticed that the crush of people had significantly lessened. It was weird. I didn't feel the heat from the bodies behind me. I stopped boxing people out while waiting to get up to the counter (Anna you would be proud). It got quieter and less sweaty. What a wonderful thing Egyptian breakfasts are.

If you want to know what the Mogamma is like watch this movie Al Irhab wal Kabab or Terrorism and Bar.b.que. It is actually filmed at the Mogamma (you can even see my school in one shot) and depicts the chaos within this building. Upon entering, I was immediately lost in the bowels of the Mogamma amidst swarms of people eating, talking, walking, and waiting...mostly waiting.

Here are the necessary requirements for getting through the Mogamma:
1. Patience
2. Patience
3. A veteran of the Mogamma, preferably someone reliable who will tell you what you need so that when you get through all the lines to one counter, you can finish everything that one time. (I was missing one thing)
4. Arabic! (even limited)
5. Have previously viewed Al Irhab wal Kabab (it puts it all in perspective)
6. Provisions for two days in case of crowds (including first aid for falling up steps (which I saw), bribes for guards, and food for stamina. Thankfully none of this was necessary...this time.
7. Patience.

The Mogamma is worse than the MVA mostly because there aren't a million people trying to go through the MVA. It may seem like that at the MVA but there may actually be a million people going through the Mogamma in a course of a day. Hopefully I will never experience the full force of the Mogamma, as you would probably never see me again.

As for future postings things are up in the air on how regular it will be. My apartment does not have internet, but I know of an a nearby internet cafe and bakery with free wireless. Once I get settled I will be able to know for sure.

Thanks for all your help this semester in whatever form it came in! Love and miss you all.

tim

Dearest Sugarplum,

2008-05-26T12:44:00.001+03:00

Today I found you hair in my computer keyboard. Thanks for that. It was great to have a memento of you while in another land.

See your slobbery, spoiled, and half-insane self soon.

Love,

Tim

LCD

2008-05-24T10:15:00.003+03:00

open valve--begin vent.

My roommate Greg has aptly pointed out that the person who determines the cleanliness of a house, apartment, or room is the dirtiest and sloppiest one: the lowest common denominator (of cleanliness). He should know as he lived in a fraternity house.

I have noticed the accurateness of his statement in living with six other guys. There is a lowest common denominator. From days old dried rice and chicken carcass of take out to shriveled hot dogs in festering ketchup to molding dishes in the sink to dried chicken blood on the counter (all over the counter) and now the coup de grat.

This morning one of the bathroom doors was closed but no one was in it. That is unusual here. I open it to go to the bathroom, and am greeted with a sink full of upchuck. Throwing up is never neat, goodness knows I've done it enough to know that aiming is hard enough when your body is wracked body violent spasms, but this was insane. I imagine it may have been one of those "I'm not sure if I am going to throw up-oh yes I am!" frantic arcs into the sink or that it was just copious amounts of vomit. It could have been both. It is everywhere, from splatters on the mirror to flecks on the shelf where people keep toothbrushes toothpaste and deodorant to in the sink basin, on the sides, down the shaft of the sink, the floor, and let's not forget the wall behind the sink. To top it off, he decided it wold be a good idea to run water over it, which the sink being clogged by undigested hot dog, meant that the water level is near the top of the rim, so within the cloudy yellowish orange body of water rests a demon at the bottom of semi-liquid semi-solid rejected material from the human stomach.

Anyway, I am not mad as this post may make it seem, people who know me know that I don't get angry that often. Its just a little frustrating and even a funny in that shake your head exasperated funny.

I am a neat person and most of the other people I live with have different standards of neatness. We have found a happy medium in terms of cleanliness throughout the semester so there have been no problems. They put up with me asking them to do some of their dishes and I put up with a lower level of cleanliness than I would normally like. As for the LCD, he really is a nice guy; I did some boxing with him at the beginning of the semester...he is just not very neat.

Oh well, I guess we just need some conflict resolution and interpersonal communication to get the vomit taken care of. It's too bad I haven't taken those courses for my INDS major yet. Let me just get my bat instead.

Close valve--thanks for letting me vent.

Apartment Hunting

2008-05-23T19:09:00.003+03:00

Well I officially don't like apartment hunting already and I only had about six hours of it. We walked over to Zamalek and then talked to a sketchy semsar (broker) who was leaning against a car, balding, missing teeth, and had chest hair falling out of the top of his shirt. He gave us an expensive price and then we said no.

The next semsar was a half blind man in full galabeya. He told us an even more expensive price. So again we said no.

Then we met some AUC students I know and they told us where to look. We walked over to the area met up with another broker. (There is no system, you either go to a bowab (doorkeeper) and ask to see some rooms and they get a broker (unnecessary in my opinion) or you are standing around and they walk up to you saying 'you need a room?')

Anyway he was nice enough, spoke good enough english, thankfully we had Ahmed with us. I love native Arabic speakers. We saw one in a quiet neighborhood on the top floor. It was three bedroom, kitchen, sitting room, balcony, and a man in his underwear one floor down walking on his balcony. The owner was this older woman who didn't hear real well and wouldn't rent to us because Ahmed was with us. She did not want to rent to Egyptians because she said they party too much, bring home to many girls, and play music too loud. We were confused and thought she was a little crazy. Usually those people stereotyped such as this are foreigners. So we left, then tried again in a half hour with only me and Greg going up to talk saying Ahmed was only a friend. She then agreed and then after we left our deposit and left, she called and said no. She really was a crazy woman, nice but crazy. So the broker showed us one more apartment, not as nice as the crazy woman's one. We didn't want it. If we were to take either of these, of which we are not, the broker would charge us and outrageous fee of 30% of a months rent as commission. Uhh.

So we are still at square one and squandered a whole day in Zamalek instead of studying. But there are prospects for downtown/garden city which is where I want to live. So we shall see...

Lastly, Catherine Karp, a published author, posted a link to my blog on her's today (May 23)!! This is the second promotion I have had after my Dad on his. Its so exciting when things go well! Her blog is http://suburbanvampire.blogspot.com/ if you want to drop by.

Chatper 5

2008-05-23T09:33:00.003+03:00

كان وحدة في ألماضي

انقطع على يد الرجل الطبيعي

ألان الشظيات قي الطرب

قل اسمه لاتذكر

ايبلوري, ايبلوري, ايبلوري

bloggeration-details of a journey

2008-05-23T08:26:00.004+03:00

big inhale

I've decided to stay in Cairo for another two months.

This is a huge decision for me, and almost a complete about face for me from two weeks before. I was laying in bed one night and started thinking about everything Cairo. I thought maybe I could stay for a little longer. Then began the discussion with the necessary people; I dropped a couple of bombs, my brother having the best reaction (that I saw) when I told him while he was here. It means two more months away from home and the wonderful goodness that is there, but there will some great things going on here.

Mostly I will be hanging out practicing Arabic, hopefully playing backgammon, drinking tea, and trying not to die of heat stroke. With no class I should really be able to focus on Arabic and writing for Sunset. This will put my grand total away from home at six months and after that I will live in my country for a good long while.

I hope to really pick up the blog during the summer hopefully posting everyday. For those of you who read, thanks, and if you know anyone who would like to hear about Egypt send them my way. This has been my very public way of keeping a journal and letting you know how I am doing. I have noticed that it started out describing my adventures in Egypt, then as I got used to everything, the topics started to stray. I don't know which direction it will go in the summer, but it will go. Hopefully some humor will be involved.

Anyway because I will be here another two months, maybe with not all that much to do, you are welcome to come visit. It will just be really hot here...

Crooked cops and brotherhood

2008-05-20T06:56:00.002+03:00

In the past two days I have had the privilige of meeting two good people. One was an honest cop and the other a decent taxi driver who didn't try and overcharge me. It came to me as a surprise. I know it is sterotypical for me to think that there are no honest cops and no decent taxi drivers but when all evidence points to the contrary and with the reputation they have among many others, the good get drowned out by the bad.

My brother is on his way home, having finally adjusted to the jet lag. We had a wonderful time here and I am glad I was able to share part of my experiences here with him. We saw lots-mosques, people, museums, and cafes. He did some solo traveling down to Luxor. And he was really just great to have along. I mean we sat on the mediterranean together, drank tea and 7-up in cafe horreya, and sat in the belly of the pyramid together, how could we not have a good time. I think he has learned a lot coming to Egypt, and I can't wait to see him and the rest of my family in full again.

A new word

2008-05-18T12:14:00.003+03:00

I created a new word today for my paper.

Techno-social movements-socieal changes intiated, guided, and controlled by a new form of technology affecting a large or influential part of a population i.e. blogging in Iran

go me

Iran

2008-05-17T15:37:00.003+03:00

I am curious. What do you all really think of Iran? What images pop into your head when you see its name in a headline or hear someone talk about it?

If you would, could you post a response to this (before you read the articles) and let me know what you all think of Iran. It can be anonymous if you want, but I would like it honest. Then read these two articles which give two different viewpoints about Iran and the people.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1363826.ece
http://www.alternet.org/audits/66847

They may challenge your assumptions. They challenged mine.

My brother has left me and the end of the world

2008-05-17T09:03:00.004+03:00

SWWEEET!

I am finally going to get to read an online serial as it is posted. None of this catch up stuff. It is by David Dunwoody the author of Empire. He has started new one called The Harvest Cycle at http://www.harvestcycle.blogspot.com. Oh yeah!! Apocalypse novels!!

Anyway as for an update with my brother. I should be writing a paper instead of blogging while he is not here. And he is not on his way home. Yes, my brother has embarked on an adventure to upper Egypt to Luxor by himself. He's got guts, traveling like this, by himself, is something I haven't done yet. I am actually feeling very proud of him.

Back to work i.e. eating and reading the prologue to the new novel. :)

busy, busy, busy

2008-05-16T11:52:00.002+03:00

Everything is wrapping up here, which means basically chaos. Posting has gotten sparser as a result. Sorry.

I saw Iron Man in an Egyptian theater today and went to the freaking pyramids-so old and so dead. Of course I forgot my camera so when Pepe gives me his pictures I will have some for you.

I will post when I can and will definitely resume regularly in the summer. One thing which will remain regular besides being awesome, is Sunset. Chapter 4 is up and is specially dedicated to my coteacher of English over here in Egypt.

Hang in there,

timmah

My Puppy

2008-05-12T22:19:00.004+03:00

I really miss my dog. I have only seen her on video a couple of times, and I am thankful for that. I miss her craziness and soft fur and how she will growl at you if you try to move her from where she is sleeping on my brother's bed if you are trying to get into bed to go to sleep.

Here are two pics to show how much she has grown-she has a habit of putting things in her mouth. She is a dog after all.

Happy Moms

2008-05-11T21:27:00.002+03:00

Today is Mother's Day...

Hope you hugged your mother (if you can).

I love you mom. Thanks for everything. See you soon.

timmy

This Weekend

2008-05-11T12:29:00.003+03:00

The reason for the lack of postage this weekend was that my brother arrived in Egypt!

He came friday night at 1230ish and I must say I know the Cairo Airport very well. I made the mistake in thinking that he came 1230 thursday night at 1230 pm on friday afternoon. I rushed to the airport and looked around at both terminals and then realized the flight doesn't come in until 12 hours later. Therefore, I returned to the aiport that night and went again to both terminals until I found the right one. Thankfully I was there to greet him as he stepped left baggage claim.

Needless to say, if you ever visit Cairo, you will see cabs zipping and weaving and in general being a danger to humanity. I was the result of one of these crazies because I asked him to get their quickly thinking my brother had been at the airport for twelve hours already (when in fact he was being momentarily lost in London).

Anyway it is great to have him here. Its so good to see a blood relation and a friend. Currently he is sleeping, catching up on the traveling and weekend in Alex. He has been overwhelmed just like I was when I first arrived.

Friday morning we had a field trip with my architecture class to the city of the dead. It is an amazing place home to crumbling ruins, fabulously preserved ruins, and ,of course, poor people. The city of the dead, it a poverty stricken area, which originally was just cemetaries. There were many mausoleums which had rooms for the relatives to visit. These rooms began to be occupied by the homeless. One thing led to another and then apartments were built, which is why you have the living in the city of the dead.

After this field trip, I introduced him to koshary (about as addicting as crack) and then went to Alexandria. We stayed for one night. The train ride was fine except I drank a five pound glass of tea (prohibitively expensive). When we arrived at our hotel, the Windsor Palace, we found that they didn't have our reservation. Reception said we hand't paid, when in fact we had, so therefore asiarooms.com (the company I booked through) had not emailed them to make the reservation. It was a blessing in disguise (hopefully) because I am in the process of trying to get my money back, and instead of paying 400 pounds I only paid 100 for a low budget but decent hotel a block over.

After that fiasco we walked along the corniche to Bibliotheca Alexandria and saw what there was to see. Then we tried to find this restaurant called Al Sharq. It was as elusive as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so we ate at this place called the Dream Cafeteria. DO NOT GO THERE! The food was okay, but they overcharged us as foreigners. They brought us a bottle of water which we did not order, so we thought it was complimentary and charged us for it and overcharged us for service (think close to 50%). It turns out Al Sharq is right around the corner-we went there the day after. It has great food, great music, and great service.

The next day we did a lot of walking and tram riding. We went to Qait Bay Fortress, Pompei's Pillar, and the catacombs nearby. Most amazing. If you want to know about them, check out my previous Alexandria posts or go to answers.com. I had a very similar experience both times except the second with Pepe was far better. I wasn't with a huge group of obnoxious Americans and we had more time at each sight. That night we spent catching up and talking in the hotel.

Then we tried to go to the beach. A half tram ride away from the city, got us just past the library and turned out to be a six minute tram ride on the way home. We couldn't find the beaches so we sat on some big concrete blocks and watched the water hit them, slept, and sunned. I aired my feet out.

We arrived home tired, watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and slept. Pete has been inudated with Egyptian life and has been going nonstop, which is why he is still sleeping. I think within 36 hours he had been to three cities-London, Cairo, and Alexandria. Needless to say, today is an easy day.

In Alex when we were walking the streets, it was the first time for Pete but the first time for me since arriving in Egypt that I felt distinctly aware and slightly uncomfortable with my status as a foreigner. We really stuck out in the small streets in Alex. I am used to not being in the minority anymore, but it came back to me here. Not totally sure why.

Okay now I actually have to do some homework.

Turkolicious

2008-05-11T12:17:00.004+03:00

Day Phree

This day was a much easier day, therefore, a much a much shorter post. By today we were exhausted from traveling and walking and sightseeing; therefore, we did more of the same.

We went to the military museum. It was cheap to get in, incredibly huge, and very nationalistic. Alex got riled in the museum and I was disconcerted. We did see a really big gun in the courtyard though.

After this experience, we went to the Galata Tower and walked across the Galata Bridge. The view was great and the fishermen on the bridge were numerous. They never really catch anything except this tiny little fish which we had lightly fried in Bodrum. Very tasty.

Alex had to leave, it was the end of the weekend and Greg and I just relaxed. We came back to the hostel, I wrote some of Sunset on the rooftop cafe/bar and felt the wind coming in from the Bosporus (probably the nicest thing of the day).

As always we ate the Turkish breakfast, had some doner (kebab in a wrap), and then went to the Sultan Hostel for dinner-spaghetti bolonaise.

We were Turkey

2008-05-08T19:45:00.003+03:00

Day 2 began bright and early with a trip to the Topkapi Palace where we easily spent two and one half hours looking at stuff. Said stuff included the harem of the palace, the room where the ministers and sultan would gather to run the ottoman empire, the treasuries (one of which held the Tokapi dagger), great courtyards, beautiful views of the Bosporus, and a huge kitchen. Then Greg, Alex, and I hit up the Hagia Sophia. A most magnificent building with high ceilings and wondrous mosaics. Sadly there was scaffolding in the main part obstructing some of the view. The most interesting part was seeing where the alter had been which now had a mihrab and minbar. After a short break we went to the Blue Mosque, fabulously huge and then to the sunken cistern. For those of you who don't click the hyperlink, just watch From Russia With Love.

The next stop was the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. The gb is huge. The first time I went was just for the feel. There are people everywhere, shops and merchandise everywhere, and surprises everywhere you go. When you turn down a little alley you find a place that sales antique swords and daggers, around the corner is a calligraphy shop, and when you have had enough of the touts, you will find yourself wandering into a hassle free shop. The gb has almost anything and everything you could want especially tourist kitsch. The Spice Bazaar was great, though I don't know how Egyptian it was. It was mostly spices and Turkish delight. It smelled heavenly and was also just as crowded.

Then it was time for our authentic Turkish bath-what an experience. I wish there was one back home, with big burly Turkish men included. The proprietor at the bath which is located near the red light district (our taxi driver told us to watch our for pimps) didn't really speak English except for the word hello.

He would say the word once or twice and gesture emphatically what he wanted us to do, whether it be take off our shoes, change in this room, or remove our towels. We get down to the bath and sit in the sauna with some other Turkish men. After sweating for ten minutes the three of us clothed only in towels around our waist step out and are greeted by big Turkish men easily 250-300 pounds with mustaches waiting for us-to give us the treatment.

The following happened to each on of us. I was taken by the man to sit on a low ledge with a basin next to it. He poured cool water on my head then scrubbed me down with a rough loofah like glove. He would begin with a SMACK and then scrub away. I got a scalp massage as he lathered my hair. When getting rinsed off at this place, it isn't a dainty little pouring from the bucket. This is manly tossing of water.

Then to the slab. There was a marble slab in the middle where you would lie on the edge and get massaged. I laid to far in to the middle and my 165 pound self was manhandled as he dragged me to edge. On my back he massaged out my legs and arms. Then he crossed my arms and cracked my back by dropping some of his weight on my. With me gasping, he smiled and recrossed my arms the other way. It didn't hurt it was just forceful. Then I rolled on my stomach and had the same procedure. I felt like tenderized meat. Thankfully, I wasn't meowed at as Alex was every time the guy would slap him before massaging him down.

We returned to the sauna, then rinsed ourselves off again, sans Turkish masseuse. Then it was time to dry off. The man in charge came in with dry towels. He showed us the bin to put the wet towel, then waited. We hesitated for he didn't leave us to change nor were there rooms to change. Alex taking the initiative put the dry towel around him and began to shimmy out of the wet. The guy said no and reached to take the wet towel from around his waist. We got the idea and then changed our towels without privacy.

Then they gave us tea. We walked back along the Bosporus past a bunch of gypsies and went to get something to drink in the hip part of town-Taksim. This is the place young people go drinking. We were with the crowd, drank at a place called Balans (Balance) and listened to music from all directions, watched drunks dancing in the streets, and ate oysters? with rice inside.

Finally, we retired for the night after an uneventful ride home.

p.s. I love you

2008-05-07T19:08:00.003+03:00

Dear Qahira,

Today I realized something important. Somewhere along the lines of our three month relationship, I fell in love with you.

I fell for your fantastic Islamic architecture, energetic and talkative people, chaotic markets, and calls to prayer. Your food entices me and your beer relaxes me, but I must say koshary is my favorite.

As in any relationship, I am able to overlook most of the bad things and see you for what you truly are. I accept the pollution. I accept the homeless children. I accept your trash littered streets and alleys. I accept the ceaseless honking of horns. It doesn't make it right or nice, but its normal for me now.

I love my walk to school in the morning. It is quieter, usually not as smoggy, and I get to say hi to the shoe shiner who has never shined my shoes but says hi back anyway (in arabic of course). The smells that I get from the dumpster to the bakery make my walk complete, and it is a kindest gentlest greeting that I think I ever get from you. I even love talking in arabic (most of the time).

I have seen so much and at the same time only been able to take in a tiny bit that is this great city. I don't know if I can ever live with you; I don't think you are good for my health, but then what city is. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it (my Egyptian english class did not get this) sometime in the future. Thanks for showing me who I am, and for making me a better person. Isn't that what all relationships do?

See you soon,

Tim

Toikey

2008-05-07T12:35:00.002+03:00

Day 1

Here were my initial observations after flying in the middle of the night to Istanbul, Turkey.
-Wow
-It's so clean and quiet
-There is water in the air and the temperature feels like a nice cool spring morning back home
-It's so....green
-No one speaks Arabic and Turkish don't make no sense
-Hey my roommate is here! Hi, Alex!

We took the metro to the tram stop and then promptly got lost for a few minutes trying to find the tram. Arriving at the hotel we checked in and went to the bosphorous, where I almost as promptly fell in copying Alex and trying to touch the water. We found a place near the water to drink tea and plan our day and then fell into a conversation with two Turkish men and a Kurdish guard who wandered over. The Kurd spoke only Turkish, one of the turkish men turkish and broken english, and the other english, turkish, and arabic. Greg and I communicated mainly in Arabic while Alex sat there, left out, and I had to tell him what were saying. It was a spur of the moment conversation and kind of nice.

The rest of the day we spent walking, walking, walking, and did I mention walking. We got lost a few times and had fun just wandering. Us travellers visited some mausoleums and Chemberlitas (the burnt column). Just a note, the grounds of Istanbul University are huge! and gorgeous! If only, UMBC, if only...

Then it was time for the walls. Yes, the infamous Walls of Constantinople that I had heard so much about in my previous two years from Alex, Mike, and mostly Steve. We climbed the ruins or some, and what a steep dangerous climb some of the steps were. The view was great and we could see all the mosques and buildings all over the city. The walls also stretched on for miles; they were and are impressive fortifications.

We then visited the Kariyeh Museum which is an old church with lots of old famous mosaics. Quite beautiful.

That evening we saw a whirling dervish performance. Though it was spinning for 90 minutes, it was kind of peaceful and spritual, especially when the music and singing stopped and the men were whirling for a few minutes in silence. The only sound was the swishing of their socks.

That was pretty much the day. Like I said, lots of walking. The action packed day concluded with us having our first Turkish beer, Efes, in the basement bar/restaurant of the Istanbul Hostel and talking with some people, one of which what we all thought was a cute german girl. (not her)

For food we ate one of what was to be many turkish breakfasts, though with the added benefit of an omlet. Alex and I split an omlet and turkish breakfast (slice of cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, bread, butter, jam, hardboiled egg).

I cannot say enough good things about our hostel. If anyone goes to Istanbul, I highly recommend this one. They are friendly, the Internet is free and they will book you good deals on bus trips (we didn't go through them) or dervishes or turkish baths (we did go through them). If I ever go back, I will stay there. It is located in the tourist section which has its advantages and disadvantages. The area is dead at night except the block over with all the restaurants and bars. It is easily accessed by public transportation. Our walks to wherever we needed to go took us in the park in between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Absolutely splendid first thing in the morning.

Thanks, answers.com

Media

2008-05-06T23:34:00.003+03:00

Though I have fallen out of habit at looking at break this remains my favorite video:
http://www.break.com/index/kosovo.html
This one is an entertaining diversion:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2g811Eo7K8U
This is a great song:
Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (played it today...I know)

Ever been rick rolled?

2008-05-06T09:33:00.000+03:00

I love hyperlinks.

Back in the saddle again-blogs, online serials, wurst, turkish delight, and fiction in general

2008-05-06T09:15:00.004+03:00

Wooh! Time to start blogging again. Before you read anyfurther, you should check out this story my dad sent me by a much better author than I. Even if you don't like science fiction, I would suggest reading it. It is a short story, so a small investment of your time. The story says interesting things...
The Last Question by Issac Asimov http://filer.case.edu/dts8/thelastq.htm

I have finished Autumn by David Moody and overall I like it. There are many more books in the series but you have to pay for them, so no go for right now, maybe when I get home and am working again. It was a slightly different zombie story one that focused much more on the human interactions and character building than on the gore fest. To me, this meant a little less action than I am used to in a zombie novel, and it took a little getting used to the difference.

So I am back in Cairo from Turkey and Germany and welcomed home with the full fanfare of Egyptness. To illustrate: Two days ago, Sunday, I was in Germany at the airport waiting for my flight, drinking a beer and eating a pretzel for breakfast still breathing the clean air. (The day before I was hiking in the black forest) Yesterday, I watched as a truck drove down the rode with a guy on the back who was sitting next to a machine that was spewing some sort of smoke or gas into the air. It was at such a prodigous rate that the visibilty went down dramatically. I don't know what I was breathing. (and I have already had koshary twice, and possibly will today too). Despite all this, I still was happy stepping off the plane to be back in Cairo.

I have found another short story to read. Yes I am always exploring when putting off my homework. It is similar to Zanesville by Kris Saknussemn but not about God (but I have only read the prologue so I could be wrong). It is called Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom and is written by Cory Doctorow. So far its crazy. I had to read the prologue twice to begin to understand it, but I am looking forward to reading the rest. Check it out!

And if any of you can read Arabic, I will be posting a very short zombie story in Arabic at Sunset soon, in sha' Allah. In fact, I am going to start typing it up now...

I promise to soon tell you about my trip to Turkey and Germany.

a continuation...

2008-05-01T02:14:00.004+03:00

Having returned to normal life back in Cairo, so has that of Baybars and Jason-as much as they can with a vampire in their life.

The next chapter is Friday May 2nd. Here.

See you then, and I think it will rock your socks off.

Hey I'm Back

2008-04-29T11:29:00.002+03:00

After an incredible trip to Turkey, I am back in Cairo. Once I get my act together I will be posting a little a day about my trip-at least the highlights. Also look for an update on Sunset soon.

ttyl (haha)

Hey you zomibe fans!

2008-04-18T15:13:00.002+02:00

I wanted to let you all know agagin about this good zombie online book I read recently. It is called Empire by David Dunwoody. It is about zombies and the end of the world but it peronifies death as a character rather than just as an event. This makes for a really intruiging character (who has thoughts of its own) and really cool battles!

I felt that the 2nd half of the book was very well done. The characters, plot, action, and development really came together to create an incredible tapestry.

Check it out! (By the way you can order this book to own and I have linked the author's website on my blog on the right.

A Pause

2008-04-16T22:02:00.002+02:00

I will be away from a computer for a week (traveling to Istanbul), therefore unable to blog. (sigh) This has grown to be something that I enjoy. I have challenged myself to post at least once a day or its equivalent (post twice, skip a day).

When I am not writing about what has happened here. I write or at least think about writing reactions to articles. And sometimes just how I feel, which is why you look at some things and go Huh? why is that on there.

If you get bored without having posts to read, you can always reread my story, of which there will also be a skipping of a posting for the aforementioned reasons.

Life is good here, very much routine, but I am close to coming home, and I am ready for it. It has been a long time away from my family and friends and I miss them.

On a side note, I am thinking about new environments to live in. I have done suburbs (my life) a city (Cairo) and now I want to try country. (maybe next summer).

Paintball Poetry

2008-04-15T19:05:00.003+02:00

Alex P.,

I guess you put this together. You are the man. It is the paintball poetry trip organized by Alex B. Which, coincidentally was also attended by Alex H. Watch on you tube!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=w2x_im3AHL0

Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones

2008-04-14T23:25:00.003+02:00

Childhood living is easy to do
The things you wanted I bought them for you
Graceless lady you know who I am
You know I can't let you slide through my hands
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away
Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away

I watched you suffer a dull aching pain
Now you decided to show me the same
No sweeping exits or off stage lines
Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away
Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away

I know I've dreamed you a sin and a lie
I have my freedom but I don't have much time
Faith has been broken tears must be cried
Let's do some living after we die
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away
Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away
Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday

http://www.rollingstones.com/discog/index.php?v=so&a=1&id=137

Story by Arthur C. Clarke

2008-04-14T11:29:00.002+02:00

You gotta love science fiction. This is a story by the recentely deceased Arthur C. Clarke. The link goes to the original source (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v402/n6757/full/402019a0.html) but below is the story:

Improving the neighbourhood
Arthur C. Clarke1

Abstract
The death of a nearby star system comes as a relief — and a warning.

At last, after feats of information processing that taxed our resources to the limit, we have solved the long-standing mystery of the Double Nova. Even now, we have interpreted only a small fraction of the radio and optical messages from the culture that perished so spectacularly, but the main facts — astonishing though they are — seem beyond dispute.

Our late neighbours evolved on a world much like our own planet, at such a distance from its sun that water was normally liquid. After a long period of barbarism, they began to develop technologies using readily available materials and sources of energy. Their first machines — like ours — depended on chemical reactions involving the elements hydrogen, carbon and oxygen.

Inevitably, they constructed vehicles for moving on land and sea, as well as through the atmosphere and out into space. After discovering electricity, they quickly developed telecommunications devices, including the radio transmitters that first alerted us to their existence. Although the moving images these provided revealed their appearance and behaviour, most of our understanding of their history and eventual fate has been derived from the complex symbols that they used to record information.

Shortly before the end, they encountered an energy crisis, partly triggered by their enormous physical size and violent activity. For a while, the widespread use of uranium fission and hydrogen fusion postponed the inevitable. Then, driven by necessity, they made desperate attempts to find superior alternatives. After several false starts, involving low-temperature nuclear reactions of scientific interest but no practical value, they succeeded in tapping the quantum fluctuations that occur at the very foundations of space–time. This gave them access to a virtually infinite source of energy.

What happened next is still a matter of conjecture. It may have been an industrial accident, or an attempt by one of their many competing organizations to gain advantage over another. In any event, by mishandling the ultimate forces of the Universe, they triggered a cataclysm which detonated their own planet — and, very shortly afterwards, its single large moon.

Although the annihilation of any intelligent beings should be deplored, it is impossible to feel much regret in this particular case. The history of these huge creatures contains countless episodes of violence, against their own species and the numerous others that occupied their planet. Whether they would have made the necessary transition — as we did, ages ago — from carbon- to germanium-based consciousness, has been the subject of much debate. It is quite surprising what they were able to achieve, as massive individual entities exchanging information at a pitiably low data rate — often by very short-range vibrations in their atmosphere!

They were apparently on the verge of developing the necessary technology that would have allowed them to abandon their clumsy, chemically fuelled bodies and thus achieve multiple connectivity: had they succeeded, they might well have been a serious danger to all the civilizations of our Local Cluster.

Let us ensure that such a situation never arises again.

Dedicated to Drs Pons and Fleischmann, Nobel laureates of the twenty-first century.© Sir Arthur C. Clarke 1999.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke is chancellor of the International Space University and the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He is the author of 2001: A Space Odyssey and many other novels and stories, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for inventing the communications satellite. His latest book is Greetings, Carbon-Based Bipeds! He lives in Sri Lanka.

Aikido Seminar in Egypt

2008-04-13T11:09:00.003+02:00

This weekend I had the privliege of attending a seminar at the Shooting Club Dojo led by Kumagai Shihan. He is a 7th dan Shihan who lives in Japan but who has lived and taught in Cairo (for one year) and Turkey (for six and one half years). He is a small Japanese man whose kiai toatlly caught me by surprise. We were warming up doing our stretches and then we were going to do our aikitaiso (basic movements). His powerful kiai roared throughout the dojo and soon we were all joining in. I would describe him as a spirited and spry person who really knows his Aikido. He is very animated whether instructing or while watching testing and likes to atemi (light tap/smack) you if you are doing a technique incorrectly and are leaving yourself exposed.

The seminar was three days long of which I went to two of the days. Friday and Saturday-Friday was one class and Saturday was two classes. The Saturday class felt like the seminars back home as I came back beaten and exhausted. We learned a lot of great stuff and did many techniques, many starting with the cross hand grab and many finishing with some sort of iriminage. The coolest part about Friday's class was at the end after we bowed out, Shihan said "See you tomorrow!" and everyone shouted back "In sha' allah!"

I also got to see a lot of testing and devlivery of certificates. The testing was all for black belts from shodan (1) to sandan (3). This means that I got to see good aikido, really good aikido, and great aikido from those taking the tests. What Shihan did for the nidan (2) and sandan tests was give nidan testers ten minutes to display what they know in Aikido and sandan testers 30 minutes. That does not mean that they had to fill those ten or thirty minutes. He would stop them as soon as they had demonstrated to him that they knew Aikido. For one aikidoka he did all ten minutes and will have to retake the test tomorrow. For the others they ranged from maybe around 2 minutes to 5 minutes.

The chief instructor at the shooting club is Hasham Sensei who is very nice and helpful. He knows his Aikido and helped me in the beginnig get through the gate to the club (with its very rule-abiding guards). The one different thing I have noticed about this dojo and my home dojo as well as my Shihan's dojo is that there is less formality in terms of the instruction and in the formal parts of testing. That does not mean that the senseis are not repsected but it means that there is more talking during instruction, people motioning the techniques by themselves behind the line of students while the sensei is instructing, and that the test candidates did not know the proper method for bowing in during testing.

This has just given me a different taste of the way a dojo is run and allowed me to see the different styles of various senseis. Despite any differences, I have really come to feel accepted and beginning to be friends with many of the students in the dojo very quickly. They are all easy going and open to newcomers, and I feel very fortunate that I have been able to find this dojo and fit in.

I still miss my Shihan, senseis, and classmates a lot, and really can't wait to go back and practice and learn with them in the summer.

Chapter 1

2008-04-11T10:06:00.001+02:00

Woo hoo! Chapter 1 is up. The story finally begins!

Autumn by David Moody

2008-04-10T09:53:00.004+02:00

Hey

Checking out another online story called Autumn by David Moody.
Here is the link to different formats of the book: http://www.djmoody.co.uk/Formats.htm
Here is the online version: http://www.djmoody.co.uk/Intro.htm

looks creepy

peace

Empire by David Dunwoody

2008-04-10T09:32:00.006+02:00

I have finished the novel Empire by David Dunwoody. It is an online serial posted on blogger.com published in 2006. Overall, I would say that I liked it. Death plays an interesting role in this zombie serial, by death I mean the Reaper and not just death death (which is kind of like the Reaper). Anyway, when I first started reading it, I wasn't drawn in right away but I stuck it out. This paid off because the later sections of the book were amazing. Everything really came together nicely, and I really feel that Dunwoody came into his element as he closed out the last 1/2 of his book. With these chapters I could not stop reading. He also left it open for a sequel, butI haven't had the chance to see if there is one yet.

I would recommend this book for any zombie lovers especially if you are looking for something a little different than a typical zombie narrative, but I would not recommend it for younger readers. There was of course a lot of blood and gore which is the case in any zombie novel, but there were "adult situations" as they say on tv, meaning sex scenese in the novel that I wouldn't want my little brother reading.

But if you have even the vaguest interest, you should try it out!

Stupid Tourist

2008-04-09T16:24:00.001+02:00

stupid tourist: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24024820/

The Protest

2008-04-09T11:37:00.003+02:00

Here is what I have heard about the protest that happened on Sunday April 6, 2008:

That there were about 200 lawyers protesting in Tahrir Square who were all arrested as soon as they started shouting. The rest of the day I walked around all I saw was lots of police officers. Many would be in a formation which three or four groups at each of the main squares. In each group were about 20-30 possibly. These groups would be decked out in riot gear, including helmets and batons. Mostly they looked bored. Then there were the big trucks. They are big metal with small windows at the top. There were some to carry the police-imposing so you know they are coming, and some to carry away prisoners. My roommate told me 4 people were killed in a small town in the rural area because of the protest, and many others say the strike failed. The whole intent was to stay home and not go to work. Some the streets were emptier and some Egyptians I talked to said the 6th of October Bridge was almost empty-which as the main bridge in Cairo never happens.

Here is what others on the web are saying-both news and blogs:

http://www.omraneya.net/node/40394
It is a call for a strike listing the grievances that this blogger has with the government. It is found on an Egyptian blog aggregator. The blog is by Queen O Danile. It has an oppostitionist and religious viewpoint. And if you look at some of the other posts, you can find links to other articles.

http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/boy_shot_dead_in_egypt_protest_544543
Austrailian news source which reports on the town that my roommate told me about-Mahalla. It says that a 15 year old boy has been killed and many others wounded and arrested.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0409/p07s02-wome.html?page=1
An article that provides a little more information than the previous two. The article is about the election and it focuses on how the Muslim Brotherhood have been kept from running in it, but it also talks about the ritos that happened just prior. It seems that several protests were organized aroudnt he same time. Intellectuals and actviststs tried to coordinate with labor but the protests mainly was disorganized and failed. It started in Mahalla at the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company, in upper egypt. And then the protest was put down violently.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/06/africa/egypt.php?page=1
Slightly different article than the CSMonitor. It takes a view that the protests were more successful and that there is more potential for the masses. It is a more optomistic. The protests occured at the universities, syndicates in Tahrir square, and in Mahalla. It reports similar events but talks about how technology was used to facilitate the spread of the strike. And the street they mention, Adly, is right near mine.

http://arabist.net/archives/2005/02/22/protest-follow-up-egyptian-press-review/
This is a popular Egyptian blog. This post covers the protest at Cairo Univesity (at which the author attended) and then analyzes the coverage by the Egyptian press. This and the previous post also mention the Kifaya group which helped organize the protests.
Links for Egyptian press:
Can't find anything on Ahram in english about the protest
Al Masri Al Youm (English-but nothing may come up for this link)
AlWafd (I think this is the article-its in Arabic)

Many groups are claiming this is the largest protests yet against Mubarak, but I have heard just as much that the strike failed. Maybe it's both, but it shows that the government still has a clamp on the oppostition activity. But regardless of opposition or governmental activity nobody has stopped food prices from rising, people from living in poverty, or the suffering in Egypt in general.

AHHHH!!!

2008-04-08T14:19:00.001+02:00

http://io9.com/369286/when-will-joss-whedons-villanous-cyber+musical-strike-next

Check this out. Joss Whedon. Nathan Fillion, and musical.

think your air is bad? take a deep breath...

2008-04-06T15:09:00.004+02:00

feast you eyes on this bad boy! taken today around 12pm near my university and favorite cafe. the khamaseen of cairo. notice the man in the picture, with the mask on. people were breaking these things out left and right, especially the guards at AUC. kind of creepy because my mind immediately jumped to an end of the world scenario. it like the mosque the other day was definitely just a little surreal. i felt a little ill after walking home, maybe from the air.

yet another online novel

2008-04-06T09:39:00.003+02:00

i've picked up reading, well clicking another book. it is an online serial called Empire by David Dunwoody. the premise is that the undead have risen and now death has come to collect it's due from those who refuse to die.

i am only a couple chapters but it has promise. i'll keep reading and we'll see where it goes.