Time is passing soooo fast... Things are changing by the time... Tiiiime.... tiiimee... tiiiiime...

Bus 189 from Brent Cross towards Oxford Circus, London.

April 11th 2009, 3:30 a.m.

Sitting with my wife at the bus upper deck, front left seats. A while after Carlton Vale station, a British-accent old long-white-haired man sat behind me, and started murmuring with words. At the first while, my wife whispered at me that the man sitting behind us is "talking to himself". Actually after some time, both of us noticed that he was speaking to us:

What are you Muslim scam bags doing in this Christian country?
Beggars…free food…free accommodation…
Beggars….shit…scam bags…
You're fucking dead nigger…
You're fucking dead…
Islam is the world's scam…
Church Street beggars…
Coming from your country to sit in front of me…
Muslim scam bags…fucking beggars….
Go back to your fucking country…

Quietly, we descended to the lower deck, and reported the incident to the driver. While the driver was asking me about where the man was sitting, I saw the old man leaving the bus, anxiously…

The reason why I'm sharing this story with the public is to address the danger of having such dangerous –minded people wandering in the streets, and not to leave the incident unreported. The old man seemed to be homeless; wearing dirty jeans, with long untidy hair, drunk, and carrying a hand bag. He might have been a madman, or suffering from a psychological disorder, however, he threatened me personally. At least, those people should be policed…

A.
12.04.2009

There is an expression : "Grad Students: they're Not Bad People, they Just Made Terrible Life Choices"

Nowadays Im feeling this a lot...

My thesis topic(draft) has been clear and accepted by advisor&institute since last summer, I searched and gathered informations about thesis, but only problem I cant focus on thesis, I feel so lazy, I think I lost my excitement&willing ;( even I dont want to open&read documents :S My advisor called me last day to say "are you still alive Esra, we were forgeting eachother's voice-we should speed thesis process up and you can write easily along summer & finish it end of summer"
I think someone always has to say to me: come on Esra! come on Esra! come ooooon!!!!

Caliphate? one minute, one minute…

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won the hearts of millions in the Islamic world with his walkout at Davos. Love for Turkey in these countries hit a peak. And, of course, they recalled the Ottoman Empire, which ruled these territories for five centuries.

The positive memories left by this rule were recalled. Neither Turks nor anyone else has fully investigated the great contributions of the Ottoman state; I hope someday we will.

However, there are some who exaggerate Erdoğan's gesture. Some even recommend extreme actions that would raise doubts and concerns. Jihad al-Khazen, from Dar Al-Hayat, a reputable paper in the Arab world published in Lebanon, wrote: "Erdoğan made us proud as Muslims. We are ashamed of being Arab because of our timid leaders who remain silent to Israeli cruelty. Erdoğan saved our honor and respect. The Ottoman state should be rebuilt. Erdoğan should be declared sultan and caliph. He should lead the Muslim world."

Is it possible to imagine that the columnist from the Hürriyet daily who described people who vote for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) as "men who scratch their bellies" would not, after reading this, use it as an opportunity? He wrote yesterday, "His Excellency the Caliph has been found; we need to find a camel immediately."

In fact, this issue is pretty serious. There is a group in Turkey that views religious people as a potential threat and danger just because of their attachment to religious practice. This religious majority has been subjected to systematic insults and accusations since 1950, when the Democrat Party (DP) came to power. These circles became more furious after the AK Party consolidated its support base and reinforced its position in office. For instance, the prime minister's stance in Davos, endorsed by 80 percent of the Turkish people, made these elites angry. They just cannot accept the growing interest and affinity in the Arab and Islamic worlds toward Erdoğan. They have already accused him and his party of "Arabization."

When the above remarks were published in an Arab daily, they found the pretext and justification for their allegations.

For this reason, we have to consider this issue seriously and discuss what the caliphate actually is. Above all, I would like to draw your attention to how Fethullah Gülen, a distinguished opinion leader in our age, approaches this issue. He says on the institution of the caliphate: "I believe that some superpowers would like to promote this institution of the caliphate so that they can use it to ignite conflicts and clashes. For example, if this issue of the caliphate is brought up in Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia or another country, others would oppose it. Nation states have been built. Every state has its own independence. Therefore, it is obvious how they would approach this issue. Some others might have done this based on other calculations." [Mehmet Gündem, "Fethullah Gülen'le 11 Gün" (11 Days with Fethullah Gülen), Alfa Publications, pp. 165-169).

The biggest mistake made by rulers of Muslim countries is their failure to understand and read the world. The promotion of the caliphate would be one of the primary sources and reasons for conflict and disagreements in our world, where polarization and global terror are the greatest challenges and threats. In a world where democracy, freedoms, human rights and universal human values are emphasized, the goal of Muslims should be winning the hearts of others by using the opportunities of globalization. This will be possible only by representation. Turkey's state policy is obvious: to become a full member in the European Union by relying on our national and traditional values and standards.

This goal does not take us away from the East; you do not have to give up on the Turkic, Arab world or Islamic worlds. Quite the contrary, we have to remain close to them. We have to build strong cultural and economic ties. Our heightened image in these countries will make us more eligible for EU membership. An EU where Turkey is a member will be a real alternative in world politics. A Turkey that has strong ties in the Turkic and Islamic worlds will mean a lot for an alliance of civilizations, rather than a clash of civilizations. I think this is the only way to maintain universal peace and promote universal humane values. For this reason, we have to just say, "One minute, one minute," -- the famous slogan at Davos -- when this issue of the caliphate is brought up, regardless of any good intentions in advancing this idea.

06 February 2009, Friday
HÜSEYİN GÜLERCE
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/yazarDetay.do?haberno=166092

Turkish PM storms off in Gaza row

Turkey's prime minister has stormed off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos after a heated debate on Gaza with Israel's president.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan clashed with Shimon Peres, whose voice had risen as he made an impassioned defence of Israel's actions, jabbing his finger.

Mr Erdogan said Mr Peres had spoken so loudly to conceal his "guilt".

He accused the moderator of not allowing him to speak and said he did not think he would return to Davos.

The Turkish PM stressed later that he had left the debate not because of his disagreements with Mr Peres but because he had been given much less time to speak than the Israeli leader.

Turkey is one of the few Muslim countries to have dealings with Israel, but relations have been under strain since the Islamist-rooted AK Party was elected to power in 2002.

Late on Thursday, a WEF official said that Mr Peres and Mr Erdogan had spoken by mobile telephone, and both men now considered the matter closed.

Dinner time

In the debate, Mr Erdogan was cut off as he attempted to reply to Mr Peres.

Earlier the Turkish Prime Minister had made an address himself, describing Gaza as an "open-air prison".

When the audience applauded Mr Peres, he said: "I find it very sad that people applaud what you said. You killed people. And I think that it is very wrong."

The moderator, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, had given him a minute to reply, then asked him to finish, saying that people needed to go to dinner.

"I do not think I will be coming back to Davos after this because you do not let me speak," Mr Erdogan shouted before marching off the stage in front of Mr Peres, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and an elite audience of ministers and international officials.

Mr Peres had told the audience Israel was forced on to the offensive against Hamas by thousands of rockets and mortars fired into Israel.

"The tragedy of Gaza is not Israel, it is Hamas," the Israeli leader said.

"Why did they fire rockets? There was no siege against Gaza. Why did they fight us, what did they want? There was never a day of starvation in Gaza."

He argued that Mr Erdogan would have reacted in the same way if rockets had hit Istanbul.

More than 1,300 Palestinians and 14 Israelis were killed during the three-week conflict which began on 27 December.

Mr Erdogan later complained that he had been allowed to speak for just 12 minutes compared with 25 for Mr Peres.

"I did not target at all in any way the Israeli people, President Peres or the Jewish people," he said.

"I am a prime minister, a leader who has expressly stated that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/davos/7859417.stm
Page last updated at 23:52 GMT, Thursday, 29 January 2009

Star Wars: An Islamic perspective



The way "jedis" are taught to respect a greater power, fight for the defense of the
innocent and bring peace and justice to their society, is also what Islam teaches
all Muslims to strive for.



By Irfan Rydhan, June 17, 2005










Luke bin Anakin?
As most "Star Wars" fans know, director George Lucas took spiritual elements, which
are common in most major world religions to create his epic saga of good vs. evil.
As a Muslim, I always thought of the "Jedi" as what a true follower of Islam should
be like. Never mind the fact Jedi masters with their North African style cloaks and
scruffy beards look like Sufi Sheikhs, but they way they are taught to respect a
greater power, fight for the defense of the innocent and honor a code of morals and
ethics in order to bring about peace and justice to their society, is basically what
Islam teaches all Muslims to strive for. So what really is the connection between
these similar Islamic principles and the fictional "Jedi Order" of the Star Wars
saga?I decided to look into this question more deeply. What I came across from my
research off the internet and talking to other Muslim "Star Wars" fans was not only
surprising, but also a bit scary. For example it was reported in a National
Australian magazine that more than 70,000 Australians identified their religion as
Jedi, Jedi-Knight, or Jedi-related in the country's 2001 national census! Don't
these people realize that the "Jedi" are make-believe? There may be some truth in
fiction, but instead of looking for the truth, people get caught up with the
fiction. In this paper I hope to reveal where some of the truth of the "Jedi" and
"Star Wars" comes from: Islam.Back when "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" first came
out, "The Muslim Magazine" had some interesting pieces on the connections between
Islam and the content of the Star Wars films. One was an interview with Dhul-Nun
Owen who talks about how George Lucas had contacted members of the "Habibiyyah Sufi
Order" in Berkeley, CA in order to do research for "Star Wars." There was also a
piece by Mahmoud Shelton about how Sufi ideas of spiritual chivalry ("futuwwat")
have parallels in the Jedi teachings.Surfing the internet, I came across an
interesting article entitled "Eternal Jihad: The Way of the Mystic-Warrior" from a
Sufi website:"We are at the core a Movement of Jeddi; masters of Futuwwat ("the Way
of the mystic-warrior"). We encourage adherents to train both physically AND
spiritually, for their own personal edification and to enhance their knowledge and
abilities in the STRUGGLE. The Real does not lie alone in contemplation, prayer and
meditation; nor does it lie alone in action and revolution. Both of these are
notions of "one or the other" and Allah is not "one or the other." "Allah" literally
means "the One[ness] which manifests from Nothing." As we have stressed before, this
"Nothing" is not the "lack" of all, but rather, it is Nothing in the sense of
Totality of Being, which is symbolized by the numeral zero � this number itself
originated with Sufis. Allah is neither the positive alone, nor the negative. Allah
is the perfect balance between the two. The direct center of two polarities is
always zero, Pure Nothing, from which the Totality, the Tawhid (Unity), the Oneness
of ALL becomes manifest. For it is out of zero that all subsequent positive and
negative numbers reel. That is Allah."Notice the Arabic term "al-Jeddi" (master of
the mystic-warrior way) along with another Islamic term not mentioned, "Palawan"
(similar to Lucas' "Padwan" for Jedi apprentice) which were actual titles used by
Muslim Knights!The Force"The Force" is the common thread between all six movies and
is defined as an energy field, which binds all living things together (i.e. Allah,
God, a Supreme Being or Power that most religion's adherents worship, follow and/or
yearn to become a part of). According to Star Wars mythology, the Jedi "are a noble
order of protectors unified by their belief and observance of the Force." The "Jedi"
study and train under the apprentice-master relationship similar to how many
religious students study under a priest or religious scholar until they have learned
enough to teach and train the next generation of students.From a Muslim perspective,
the similarities between the Jedi and the Islamic traditions of instruction are
strikingly similar. For example a Muslim scholar usually trains under a Sheikh for a
number of years before they are given the right or permission ("Ijazah" in Arabic)
to teach others about Islam. "In Islamic Sufism Sheikhs will have "silsilas" that
list the chain of teachers going back to the Prophet Muhammad (S). A "silisia"
indicates a Sheikh's lineage of mystical learning from which he draws his spiritual
authority."Similarly in the "Jedi" tradition of Star Wars, each "Padwan"
(apprentice) is taught the same tradition and skills their Jedi masters were taught
by their previous masters. "Star Wars" fans know the lineage of Jedi instruction
starting from "Yoda" to "Count Dooku" to "Qui-Gon Jinn" to "Obi Wan Kenobi" to
"Anankin Skywalker."In the first Star Wars movie, "Episode IV: A New Hope," Luke
Skywalker, like his father, Anakin, live in the desert (The desert planet of
"Tatooine" was actually filmed near the real desert town of "Tataouine" in Tunisia).
From among this remote desert area with no roots of a civilized urban society, a
"Chosen One" (i.e. a Prophet) arises who brings a hope of peace and justice to their
society. Anakin is the "chosen one" in the latest Star Wars films, and Luke can be
considered the "chosen one" from the original Star Wars trilogy.Similarly, the
Prophet of Islam, lived in the desert where there was no true rule of law or justice
and people followed the tribal system of blood vengeance. Prophet Muhammad (S)
brought Islam to the Arabs, which completely changed their way of thinking and the
way they lived their lives. Instead of living for the present and for themselves, as
Muslims they live for the hereafter and are taught to take care of the poor,
orphans, those less fortunate than themselves and to fight for social justice and
well being for the whole community.Thus the Jedi too is taught to be selfless and
not selfish like the "Sith" (An ancient order of Force-practitioners devoted to the
dark side and determined to destroy the Jedi). Just as "Yoda" taught young "padwans"
not to give into fear and be tempted by the "Dark Side" (i.e. temptations of the
devil or "Shaytaan" in Arabic), Muslims are taught not to be attached to the "Dunya"
(life in this world) nor to fall prey to the diseases of the heart (jealousy, envy,
fear, hatred, etc.) as they lead to evil and sin.The Green OneThere is an
interesting connection between the Jedi master "Yoda" (a short, green skinned
creature first seen in "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back") and Islamic traditions.
"Al-Khidr" means "the Green One" in Arabic. Qur'�nic commentators say that al-Khidr
is one of the prophets; others refer to him simply as an angel who functions as a
guide to those who seek God. And there are yet others who argue for his being a
perfect wali meaning the one whom God has taken as a friend.So in other words "Yoda"
(which means "Wise One" in Hebrew) is like an angel or spiritual mentor who guides
the young Jedi in the ways of the force and to be strong enough to resist the
temptations and evil inclinations of the Sith and other Dark Forces.In "Episode VI:
Return of the Jedi", the Emperor tries to influence Luke Skywalker to give into his
feelings of Anger and Hatred (As we all know Luke's father Anakin, did fall prey to
the Emperor's whispers and joined the Dark Side). Because the Jedi (as Muslim
warriors) are taught that one's intentions in battle must be pure and that it's
wrong to kill out of anger, even when is outwardly justified.'Ali (RA) the nephew of
the Prophet Muhammad (S), was faced with this situation at the Battle of the Ditch,
the noble Imam 'Ali had knocked an enemy soldier to the ground and was raising his
sword to kill him, when the unbeliever spat in the his face. Imam 'Ali at once stood
still and refrained from killing his enemy. Hardly able to believe his own eyes, the
unbeliever asked: "Why have you spared me, O gracious one?"To this, the noble 'Ali
replied: "Your property and your life have become sacrosanct to me. I am not
authorized to slay you. I can receive permission to kill only in holy combat, in
fighting commanded by Allah. Just a few moments ago, I had overcome you in battle,
knocked you to the ground and was on the point of slaying you. But when you spat in
my face, my selfish anger was aroused against you. If I had killed you, I would have
slain you not for Allah's sake but for my own selfish reason; they would then have
called me not a champion warrior, but a murderer. When you spat in my face, my
selfish passion threatened to overwhelm me, so instead of striking you with the
sword for my own sake I struck my passion for the sake of Allah, Exalted is He.
There you have the reason for your escape." The unbeliever was of course in awe by
Ali's noble character, and immediately accepted Islam and became
Muslim.Muh-Jedi-DeenThe Jedi could be considered "Holy Warriors" (or "Muhajideen" in
Arabic) as they fight for truth, justice and peace. They meditate (i.e. "Dhikr" �
remembrance of Allah) as much as they can, to become "one with the force", even in
the midst of battle. Just as in "Episode I: The Phantom Menace", the Jedi master,
Qui-Gon Jinn (The term "Jinn" in Islam is one of the forces of the "unseen") begins
to meditate in the middle of his battle with "Darth Maul", while he waits for a
force field to go down.Islamic History is filled with stories of Muslim Warriors who
also stop in the heat of the moment of battle to give their prayers to Allah.
Hussein (RA) the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (S) stopped to do his Asr (mid-day
prayers) at Karbala. There is even an account of 'Ali (RA), known as the "Sword of
Light" (light-saber?), who completed his "Salat" (Arabic for prayers) while he had
an arrow stuck in his leg or foot!The lack of fear for death exhibited by Jedi
Knights Obi Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, Luke Skywalker (particularly in Episode
VI: "Return of the Jedi") resembles the Muslim warrior's creed that states that the
Muslim loves death more than the un-believer loves life.There is another saying in
Islam, which is "Life in this world is Paradise for the Un-believer and a Prison for
the Believer." Some reasoning behind this saying is that if one puts all their faith
in this world (the "Dunya"), then it is very easy to fall off the straight path and
be tempted by Satan (i.e. fall prey to the "Dark Side").This is shown very clearly
in "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," which is all about the Chosen One's (Anakin)
fall into the dark side. Lucas, himself stated in an interview that the he chose the
final battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan to be on a planet with flowing molten lava
and fire, which represents the fires of Hell. The ultimate showdown between good and
evil.Anakin falls victim to the dark side because he loves power and the Dunya (as
he wanted to have the power to live forever and save his loved ones from death �
i.e. his wife from dying during childbirth). He has excessive anger and arrogance
(as he felt he was the most powerful Jedi and no other Jedi was better or stronger
than him) and distrust for those who are his righteous guides (as he felt Obi-Wan
was jealous of him and thought the Jedi Council was against him, which lead him to
follow other sinister forces for guidance). Lastly he had hatred in his heart (he
admitted to hating the "sand people")! Everything that Islam teaches the Muslim to
avoid!The Sand PeopleThe "sand people" or the "Tusken Raiders" could be considered a
metaphor of the Arabs and other people of the Middle East, since they live similarly
to nomadic Arabs in the desert. In "Episode II: Attack of the Clones", the Tusken
Raiders kidnap and torture Anakin's mother, Shimi, which eventually leads to her
death. Anakin then proceeds to kill all the "sand people" in vengeance, and as he
told "Padme," that he "killed all of them [sand people], including the women and
children." But this did not relieve him of his anger and hatred.I believe Lucas was
trying to make a point about the continuous spewing of hate and evil against the
Arab and Muslim people, specifically after September 11 th. Even though the
countries of Iraq and Afghanistan were bombed and destroyed relentlessly (it hasn't
stopped yet), as punishment for the attacks of September 11 th (without any proof or
legitimate legalities of course), many Americans still have a lot of hatred against
anyone that even looks like an Arab or Middle Eastern. Many innocent people,
specifically women and children, have been harassed, attacked and sometimes even
killed, because of this hate.This wasn't the only example of Lucas getting
political, since after Episode III debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, many
Europeans were saying that Anakin represents Bush and his Neo-Con cohorts currently
in power. One couldn't help but notice the very overt examples in the last and final
installment of the "Star Wars" series.An example that sticks in my mind is when the
Emperor was taking control of the Senate. Senate Palpatine (aka the Emperor) was
calling for war against the "separatists" (i.e. read as "insurgents", "terrorists",
etc.) and the Jedi, all the while the whole Senate erupted in agreement. Padme (aka
Queen Amadala) then says "..So this is how Liberty ends, with thunderous
applause"!Of course the most obvious example was when Anakin tells Obi-Wan before
their final duel, "Either you're with me, or against me", which is basically
straight out of Bush's mouth when he said "Either you're with us [i.e. America], or
you're with the terrorists" immediately after the attacks of September 11 th.Which
reminds me of a very funny take on the whole Bush Inspired U.S. "War on Terror"
transposed into "Star Wars" mythology I came across on the web. Here is an
excerpt:It's believed that Skywalker [Luke] was specifically trained by infamous
terrorist O bin Wankanobi. Wankanobi, occasionally called "Ben" and easily
recognized by his bearded visage and long, flowing robes, achieved near-martyr
status among the Rebels after his death last year during a spy mission. His more
fervent followers believe that Wankanobi lives on within them today, some even
claiming to hear his voice during times of duress.The attack on the Death Star came
shortly after the Empire's destruction of Alderstaan, a planet whose government was
known to harbor terrorists. Responding to criticism over the total annihilation of
the planet, [Darth] Vader stated, "There is no middle ground in the War on Terror.
Those who harbor terrorists are terrorists themselves. Alderaan was issued ample
warning. The fight for continuing Freedom is often burdened by terrible cost."In
other words, the Emperor, Darth Vader and the Empire are equivalent to Bush and
Company and Luke Skywalker, the Jedis and the Rebel Alliance are referred to as
"terrorists" (or "separatists", "insurgents", etc.).The Jedi ArtsOne of the most
popular aspects of the "Star Wars" films are the exciting light-saber duels and
swordsmanship (Lucas is an admitted fan of old Samurai films) and martial arts style
fighting (which of course originates from the East). As a former student of "Eskrima
Serrada" (Stick and Blade fighting developed by Muslims of the Philippines) myself,
I see a lot of similarities in the fast-moving and short-range fighting I studied
for about a year and a half, and the "invented" art of the Jedi masters.When Anakin
fights Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) at the beginning of the last "Star Wars" film,
at end of the fight, Anakin applies a disarm and cut that is a technique from
Eskrima to Count Dooku's arm. Going back into history, the technical differences
between the Japanese/Chinese arts and the Muslim arts of Southeast Asia regions of
Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia: The Muslim arts of "Pentjak Silat" and Eskrima
are based on paying attention to the Limb of the attacker and not an immediate
strike to the attacker's head or torso.Ray Park, who plays "Darth Maul" in "Episode
I: The Phantom Menace", studied Kung Fu (very similar to the empty hand techniques
of Serrada) and Wushu and frequently traveled to Malaysia (a Muslim country) to
refine and develop his skills.The spiritual basis of the Muslim arts of Southeast
Asia is very immense. This is the local Sufi expression of Islam, through martial
arts practice, rather than through poetry or music as otherwise done in India and
Turkey, etc. Traditional Indonesian/Malay folklore attributes initial design of
these arts to Muslim saints in the region of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
in the 7th Century. The Silat system is attributed to nine main Wali or saints, also
called the Wali Songo in Indonesian language.Here another example of the Sufi and
Jedi connection. As Jedis study the force and train in the "Jedi Arts" under the
apprentice-master relationship, so do the Sufis."What I term the more Sufi exercises
include breathing exercises, means of meditative contemplation, and physical
exercises. This last activity is practiced within the Qadiri-Rifai Sufi order
through the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat Gerakan Suci. Here is a prime
example of the Order's growth. Extending beyond its originally Turkish character,
the Order has adopted a Muslim practice from a far corner of the Islamic world."From
my brief amount of research and study into the "Star Wars" saga, I found many
examples connecting the ideals and principles of Islam to that of the fictional Jedi
Order. Some of the similarities were clearly visible (as with the relations between
the Jedi master, apprentice and the Force to that of the Sufi Sheikhs, students and
worshipping of Allah), while others were a bit more hidden and surprising finds
(such as the term "Jeddi" and "Palawan" for Muslim knights and the story of
"al-Khidr" � the green spiritual guru which has an uncanny resemblance to the Jedi
Spiritual master "Yoda")!Even though Lucas himself is not a follower of any specific
religion, he has used elements of Islam (as well as other world religions) to convey
the universal understandings of good and evil. Combining that common thread of
humanity with a futuristic space-age setting and exciting martial arts
swordsmanship, came a creation that has inspired many, no matter their race,
religion or culture. There is something about the "Star Wars" saga that everyone can
relate to and enjoy. And I hope that those people who are searching for a "truth"
within the mythology of "Star Wars", will look a little deeper behind the fiction
and find Al-Islam: A true way of life which emphasizes peace, justice and
brotherhood for all humanity.

Irfan Rydhan is an architectural designer (and Star Wars fan). He lives in San Jose,
California.

From:


Mar 19th 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO
From The Economist print edition

[Social networking will become a ubiquitous feature of online life. That does not mean it is a business
Illustration by David Simonds

A LARGE but long-in-the-tooth technology company hoping to become a bigger force in online advertising buys a small start-up in a sector that everybody agrees is the next big thing. A decade ago, this was Microsoft buying Hotmail—the firm that established web-based e-mail as a must-have service for internet users, and promised to drive up page views, and thus advertising inventory, on the software giant's websites. This month it was AOL, a struggling web portal that is part of Time Warner, an old-media giant, buying Bebo, a small but up-and-coming online social network, for $850m.

Both deals, in their respective decades, illustrate a great paradox of the internet in that the premise underlying them is precisely half right and half wrong. The correct half is that a next big thing—web-mail then, social networking now—can indeed quickly become something that consumers expect from their favourite web portal. The non sequitur is to assume that the new service will be a revenue-generating business in its own right.

Web-mail has certainly not become a business. Admittedly, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, AOL and other providers of web-mail accounts do place advertisements on their web-mail offerings, but this is small beer. They offer e-mail—and volumes of free archival storage unimaginable a decade ago—because the service, including its associated address book, calendar, and other features, is cheap to deliver and keeps consumers engaged with their brands and websites, making users more likely to visit affiliated pages where advertising is more effective.

Social networking appears to be similar in this regard. The big internet and media companies have bid up the implicit valuations of MySpace, Facebook and others. But that does not mean there is a working revenue model. Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, recently admitted that Google's “social networking inventory as a whole” was proving problematic and that the “monetisation work we were doing there didn't pan out as well as we had hoped.” Google has a contractual agreement with News Corp to place advertisements on its network, MySpace, and also owns its own network, Orkut. Clearly, Google is not making money from either.

Facebook, now allied to Microsoft, has fared worse. Its grand attempt to redefine the advertising industry by pioneering a new approach to social marketing, called Beacon, failed completely. Facebook's idea was to inform a user's friends whenever he bought something at certain online retailers, by running a small announcement inside the friends' “news feeds”. In theory, this was to become a new recommendation economy, an algorithmic form of word of mouth. In practice, users rebelled and privacy watchdogs cried foul. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder, admitted in December that “we simply did a bad job with this release” and apologised.

So it is entirely conceivable that social networking, like web-mail, will never make oodles of money. That, however, in no way detracts from its enormous utility. Social networking has made explicit the connections between people, so that a thriving ecosystem of small programs can exploit this “social graph” to enable friends to interact via games, greetings, video clips and so on.
Coming up for air

But should users really have to visit a specific website to do this sort of thing? “We will look back to 2008 and think it archaic and quaint that we had to go to a destination like Facebook or LinkedIn to be social,” says Charlene Li at Forrester Research, a consultancy. Future social networks, she thinks, “will be like air. They will be anywhere and everywhere we need and want them to be.” No more logging on to Facebook just to see the “news feed” of updates from your friends; instead it will come straight to your e-mail inbox, RSS reader or instant messenger. No need to upload photos to Facebook to show them to friends, since those with privacy permissions in your electronic address book can automatically get them.

The problem with today's social networks is that they are often closed to the outside web. The big networks have decided to be “open” toward independent programmers, to encourage them to write fun new software for them. But they are reluctant to become equally open towards their users, because the networks' lofty valuations depend on maximising their page views—so they maintain a tight grip on their users' information, to ensure that they keep coming back. As a result, avid internet users often maintain separate accounts on several social networks, instant-messaging services, photo-sharing and blogging sites, and usually cannot even send simple messages from one to the other. They must invite the same friends to each service separately. It is a drag.

Historically, online media tend to start this way. The early services, such as CompuServe, Prodigy or AOL, began as “walled gardens” before they opened up to become websites. The early e-mail services could send messages only within their own walls (rather as Facebook's messaging does today). Instant-messaging, too, started closed, but is gradually opening up. In social networking, this evolution is just beginning. Parts of the industry are collaborating in a “data portability workgroup” to let people move their friend lists and other information around the web. Others are pushing OpenID, a plan to create a single, federated sign-on system that people can use across many sites.

The opening of social networks may now accelerate thanks to that older next big thing, web-mail. As a technology, mail has come to seem rather old-fashioned. But Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and other firms are now discovering that they may already have the ideal infrastructure for social networking in the form of the address books, in-boxes and calendars of their users. “E-mail in the wider sense is the most important social network,” says David Ascher, who manages Thunderbird, a cutting-edge open-source e-mail application, for the Mozilla Foundation, which also oversees the popular Firefox web browser.

That is because the extended in-box contains invaluable and dynamically updated information about human connections. On Facebook, a social graph notoriously deteriorates after the initial thrill of finding old friends from school wears off. By contrast, an e-mail account has access to the entire address book and can infer information from the frequency and intensity of contact as it occurs. Joe gets e-mails from Jack and Jane, but opens only Jane's; Joe has Jane in his calendar tomorrow, and is instant-messaging with her right now; Joe tagged Jack “work only” in his address book. Perhaps Joe's party photos should be visible to Jane, but not Jack.

This kind of social intelligence can be applied across many services on the open web. Better yet, if there is no pressure to make a business out of it, it can remain intimate and discreet. Facebook has an economic incentive to publish ever more data about its users, says Mr Ascher, whereas Thunderbird, which is an open-source project, can let users minimise what they share. Social networking may end up being everywhere, and yet nowhere.]

SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt — President Bush lavished praise on President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt on Wednesday, emphasizing the country’s role in regional security and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process while publicly avoiding mention of the government’s actions in jailing or exiling opposition leaders and its severe restrictions on opposition political activities.

Ending an eight-day trip through the Middle East in which he highlighted democratic change as the foundation for peace and security throughout the region, Mr. Bush strikingly avoided direct criticism of Mr. Mubarak, an autocratic leader in power since late 1981. In the past, Mr. Bush criticized Egypt for arresting political dissidents.

“I appreciate very much the long and proud tradition that you’ve had for a vibrant civil society,” said Mr. Bush, whose appearance with Mr. Mubarak was unannounced and, according to the White House, had been uncertain until the last minute.

Mr. Bush’s remarks reflected some of the contradictions evident in the issues he addressed on his trip.

He spoke passionately at times about the birth of liberty and justice in countries that restrict them and the role of women in societies that still largely sequester them.

And yet he avoided public disputes with monarchical leaders widely accused of limiting freedoms as he sought Arab support for the peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, the war in Iraq, diplomatic efforts to isolate Iran and easing the strain on the American economy caused by high oil prices.

On Sunday, in the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Bush delivered what his aides described as the keynote address of the trip when he spoke of setbacks in democratic reforms in remarks that his aides said were aimed at Egypt, among other nations.

“You cannot build trust when you hold an election where opposition candidates find themselves harassed or in prison,” he said. “You cannot expect people to believe in the promise of a better future when they are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government. And you cannot stand up a modern and confident nation when you do not allow people to voice their legitimate criticisms.”

Mr. Bush has previously criticized Egypt for arresting Mr. Mubarak’s main opponent in the presidential elections in 2005, Ayman Nour, who Mr. Bush last year said was “unjustly imprisoned.” Mr. Bush has also met with another prominent opposition leader, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, who has since fled Egypt, fearing arrest.

Mr. Bush mentioned neither man directly and included only an oblique reference to “strong civic and religious leaders who love their country and are determined to build a democratic future.”

“I appreciate the example that your nation is setting,” he said, facing the Egyptian president.

Mr. Mubarak expressed strong support for Mr. Bush’s efforts to broker a peace treaty in Israel, something that has become a focus of last year of the Bush administration. “We’re ready, hand-in-hand with the United States of America” to support the process Mr. Bush has advocated, he said, “for the sake of comprehensive and just peace.”

Neither mentioned a source of tension between Israel and Egypt, its control of its border with Gaza. Israel has accused Egypt of laxity or complicity in smuggling weapons through tunnels into Gaza, which is under the control of Hamas, the Islamic group.

“Egypt has to do more,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told The Jerusalem Post last week. “Those tunnels need to be dealt with,” she said. “We’re prepared, obviously, to give” assistance, “but the will to do it is very important here.”

An administration official said that Gaza figured prominently on Mr. Bush’s agenda for the talks in Egypt on Wednesday, but it was not clear how hard he pressed the issue of Egypt’s willingness to help isolate Hamas in Gaza. Mr. Bush’s visit here was the shortest of his trip, which included stops in Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He stayed only three hours, reflecting Egypt’s diminished significance to the administration. Mr. Mubarak noted the brevity, saying in English, “You need much more days.”

Africa needs more support in other to acheave the MDG's to me a lot need to be done on the part of children development.This years STAND UP EVENT was a joyest one i have ever taking part, in the North/Tamale at Dakpemah primary school children age at 10-14years come out in their numbers to stand up against the poverty in the Northern Region of Ghana/Tamale and it was imprissing if much care is given the children would do more on the part of the acheavement of the MDG's.
Tamale been one of the poorist cities in Ghana and for that matter my group is taking the MDG's campang serious and needs more support to run activities so if any body is intrested in taking part can contact me @ kaabarah@gmail.com/+233-20-8283186.We are planning more projects towards 2008 and we need schools in the developed countries to partner with my here.

I received this message via TIG-messenger from a dear Moroccan friend:

In commemoration of the events in Ceuta and Melillla in October 2005
DECLARATION OF OUJDA
International Conference
"Violations of Human Rights at Borders "
October 6, 2007

We,
members of solidarity organizations, national and international networks, grass roots organizations based in countries of the global South and the global North,
who work towards the enforcement of basic rights for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees and a just development policy,

gathered in the city of Oujda on October 6, 2007, to hold a conference on violations of human rights at borders, thereby following the Euro-African Manifesto’s guidelines.

We pay our respect to all people who died while migrating, especially to those who lost their lives in fall 2005 in Ceuta and Melilla .

We denounce the inhuman conditions, in which migrants have to live: continuously haunted and deported from one side of the border to the other by Moroccan and Algerian forces, eventually proscribed to the peripheral area of Oujda .

We criticize current politics that aim to relocate the ratification of the right of asylum solely to non-European countries and to transfer the exercise of repression, all in the name of “migration management”, thus bearing the responsibility for numerous deaths and extensive suffering.

We reject the criminalization of migrants and the repression to which they are subjected at country and maritime borders.

We condemn the harassment and pressure, with which activists and advocates of human rights are confronted on a daily basis.

We bring to mind our support for the Manifesto of Rabat of July 1, 2006, adopted during the Euro-African Non-Governmental Conference “Migrations, Basic Rights, Freedom of Movement” and demand:

- A thorough investigation of the crimes that have been committed in the nights of September 28/29, 2005 in Ceuta and October 5/6, 2005 in Melilla.

- That the liability of the Moroccan and the Spanish governments for these crimes be recorded.

- That the people in charge and involved persons be held to account.

- That all involved governments respect the basic human rights and international obligations for every person as laid out in the Declaration of Human Rights and all other international conventions and treaties, especially with regard to the treatment of individuals at borders – ashore, at sea and in airports.

- To stop all economical and political pressure by the EU and its member states against countries of origin or transit, as they result from the European Partnership Agreement (EPA) and other agreements, which make these countries the agents of border control, migration management, screening of migrants and their deportation.
____________________________________________________________________________

Hicham Baraka, Président ABCDS – Oujda
Tél : +212 (0) 67 71 65 24
Hicham.baraka@gmail.com

Morocco

I cannot believe that 5 whole years have elapsed that quick !

On October 1st 2002, I was officially a member of the TakingITGlobal online community....and now I'm just beginning my 6th year....

I really consider this part of my life beign a TIG-er as a cornerstone in my personality, as well as my perception to the universe around me...

Thank you TIG !

From http://www.egyptoil-gas.com/read_article_issues.php?AID=109 :

<<< For a standard home, the supplies for water, electricity and phones are undoubtedly fundamental. But considering the equipments by which no house can go on without, gas cylinders would be necessarily added to the list.

If the government puts forth great effort to provide access to domestic needs, it is clearly noticed that gas demand goes far beyond governmental supply.
It is more than common to see an exhausted man riding a bike with one or two gas cylinders and hitting on them with a heavy metal pipe wrench. Housewives are used to this sound every morning; they just realize it is the independent worker who calls to sell the gas cylinders everyday in the street.
A gas cylinder for these street workers is considered a private business that has no ties with the governmental gas supply. It is rather a vital source of income that may slightly help them meet their daily financial and social needs.
Yousef Ahmed, a 50-year-old worker who sells an average of seven gas cylinders per day, says he has been working in this business for more than 15 continuous years with his brother.
“It is a hard job to go everyday and wander in the streets with a bike to sell gas cylinders. I am an old man, and carrying the gas cylinders up to apartments is quite a hectic job for me…but it is my only source of income. I have to bear,” said Ahmed.Ahmed starts his working day at 11 a.m that is when he buys the gas cylinders from the official storage area for gas cylinders to sell them for higher prices.
“I know that governmental storages sell the cylinder for only LE 4.5. I sell it for LE 7 to make profit…people know it is expensive, but they still buy it because it is tiring for them to go and carry it from the main storages,” said Ahmed.
Another gas seller named Moustafa Abdel Rahim believes that he can not find a better job than selling gas cylinders.
“It is the most suitable job I can have. I earn about LE 30 everyday…I know it is not much, but at least I can spend on my family…I never regret working in this business; people can not live without gas everyday and I feel that I am their provider,” said the 35-year-old Abdel Rahim in a proud tone.
It can be noticed that gas sellers classify themselves in different districts and in certain groups. For Abdel Rahim, one of the major problems between the gas sellers’ community is that some workers sell the cylinders in streets that other workers are known to sell in.
“Most of the people in the district have my mobile number. They even call me to get them the required cylinders every day. It is really frustrating to find another worker selling in the street that you sell in. Every street has its known seller,” said Abdel Rahim.
Despite the increasing number of street gas sellers who depend on the gas cylinder business for their livelihood, the non licensed sale of gas cylinders is considered illegal. An appropriate gas seller should be holding a license from the Ministry of Social Affairs or from Butagazco, the official governmental gas company, to sell and carry the cylinders to houses.
Mohamed Mahgoub is a 32-year-old street gas seller who is fully aware that this business is legally prohibited, but said he wont quit because it is his main source of income.
“I know I can go to prison for selling gas cylinders because I should be following the official governmental gas company. But I can’t have another job in this country and there are no other solutions for my financial conditions except selling these heavy cylinders,” said Mahgoub while carrying a cylinder from the storage to one of the houses.
Mahgoub assured that despite its illegal nature, most of the gas sellers have some deals with the workers at the main governmental storages that facilitate the process of getting the maximum amount of cylinders from the storages.
“People in the governmental storages know that we sell the cylinders for high prices. They do not care…they know we are poor and we need to work,” said Mahgoub.
As for Osama Hammad, a street gas seller and the father of six, the labor union has never thought of defending the rights of the street gas sellers, although there is a specific department in the union responsible for the workers of the petroleum sector.
“The labor union has never thought of any solutions for us (the street gas sellers). They know that we have worked in this field for a long period of time and still consider it illegal…I don’t know why they haven’t tried to make a license for us,” said Hammad.
But from the perspective of the government, street gas sellers do not abide to any governmental organization or institution. They are defined as “independent workers who run their own business and work in ‘mafias’”.
Mohamed Saafan, the Secretary General of the General Syndicate for Workers in the petroleum sector, said the labor union can not defend any worker who is not a member in the syndicate. He added that most of the street gas sellers work on their own and are not part of an authorized company.
“The random sale of gas cylinders is a prohibited business. How can I defend a worker who works in an illegal business and is not even a member of the syndicate?” said Saafan.
He stressed that the main aim of the General Syndicate for Workers in the petroleum sector is to protect the workers’ rights from being violated by their employers. But in the business of street gas selling, there is no employer and the syndicate does not have the ability to protect the workers.
“Workers at gas stations are members of the labor union and we defend them in case they face any problems with the owner of the gas station. They work for someone and they have rights that we as a syndicate defend. But a street gas seller is a random guy that works for himself,” said Saafan.
Sources at the Ministry of Petroleum asserted that street gas sellers do not belong to the ministry and do not carry any license that would allow them to proceed with their jobs legally.
“They are just working in mafias. They make good profit from working in this business…but we do not deal with them and we are not even concerned with them by any mean,” said a source at the ministry who preferred to remain anonymous.
Assem El Sayyed, president of the main governmental gas company Butagazco, said gas workers should be holders of a licensed ID that certifies their relation with either the company or the Ministry of Social Affairs. They should also be well-trained on carrying, preparing and fixing the cylinders in the houses.
“What is happening now is that street gas sellers go to the governmental storages which sell the gas cylinder for LE 2.5 and sell it to people for LE 8 and LE 10. This is too much. They are also not trained and do not belong to any governmental structure that set a standard price for the cylinder,” said El Sayyed.
He confirmed that governmental storages can satisfy the needs of most of the districts in Egypt, stating that the country has about 2,600 storages to avoid shortages, but still the phenomenon of street gas sellers exist.
“A gas cylinder is a supply commodity that is very important to the people. Although the private and the public sector properly provide the suitable number of cylinders, the illegal phenomenon of street sellers is increasing and very dangerous,” said El Sayyed.
El Sayyed said there is no proper governmental supervision to limit the dangers of this phenomenon, while the company does its best to raise the awareness through the media.
However, at the end of the day, a gas seller does what he does, not out of joy and love of the job, but out of necessity. “I wish I can have a more proper and legal job than this…but I just have no choice than carrying these bulky metal cylinders on my back…It is the only way by which I can feed my family everyday,” says Ahmed, the 50-year-old gas seller.

By Ethar Shalaby>>>>

17.08.07

El zorof kollaha deddi…John el australy, sa7bi elwa7id elli kan hena meshi, we Soussi, ashtar wa7ed fel 3ommal, meshi…we howa elli kan beysarra3 el sho3'l geddan…

Juan we Erica, koll ma2ollohom yalla nethabbeb negadded el visa, ye2ololi bellati bellati, makeinch mochkel, nem3mellak eqama ba3d mal visa te5las…we ba3den 7ewar el eqama fakas, 3ashan ma3ish el degree bta3ti…wel natiga enn el visa entahet, we ba2a oddami e5teyaren: ya emma el shahada el maradeya we tazkaret el tayaran, ma3 ba3d, ya emma el ma7kama….we ba3daha Juan alli enni lazem arga3 masr yom el Gom3a, a3mel visa gdida warga3 el ma3'reb tani…we Kacem 5adni talla3li shahada maradeya…

We ma3 enni mesh ana el sabab fel moshkela di, ana el wa7id elli metsab a7ellaha, wel nas kollaha wala fe dma3'ha….allahomma ella Kacem, rabbena yebareklo…wel nas elli 3reftehom abl keda zayy Merbah we Younes…

Kallemt Merbah, allay ma trou7 el sefara fel Rebat te5allihom ye5allasoulak el moshkela…olt le Juan we Erica, aloli mashi….fa Kacem, bel sodfa, kan 3 men so7abo, 3emad we Mo7amed Reda we Soufiane, ray7in el Mohammedia tani yom, 3shan ye3'ayyaro ezaz el 3arabeya el Audi bta3et 3emad, we ye5allouh ezaz fumeh, …fa 5adoni fe sekkethom 3al Rebat, we abelt Merbah henak..

5adni merbah 3al sefara, a2a3dteli bta3 3 sa3at le7add makatabouli 5etab lel amn el watani fel rebat, 3shan wemeddouli el visa kam yom abl marga3 masr tani, we henak abelt ragel mel mansoura meggawez ma3'rebeya, we mesh 3aref yegadded eqamto,we wa7ed tani mel qahera megawez ma3'rebeya we fate7 sherket mansougat fel 3oyoun, 3ashan el sa7ra2 ma3feyya mel darayeb, zayy el 3asher men Ramadan keda….

Ba3dein, ro7t el esm bel wara2a, mo3amla zayy el zeft wel tin wel hebab…we rge3t lel sefara tani…3amalouli gawab le Tanga…ba3d 4 sa3at 2a3adt adrab fihom a5mas fe asdas 3alli bye7sal da…we ma7adesh mohtam…we fe west koll da, la2et Erica betkallemni 3al teliphon teba3ba3 we tesawwat, we t2olli enn 7asan ma5adsh el program beta3 el C panels, wenn ana el mas2oul, we enn fi 500 panel et3amalo 3'alat…

5adt el gawab mel sefara,…we Merbah 5adni 3'addani, we waddani maktabo 3arrafni henak 3ala Mr. 3abdallah, elli a5ouh yeb2a ra2is shortet Mina2 Tanga…we wassah 3alayya, 3ashan lamma aro7 Tanga yesahhelouli el egra2at…we ba3d keda 5adni m3ah fe maktab beta3 computer 3ashan kan 3ayez 7add ye3mello typing le 3a2d beta3 la3ib kora men Burkina Faso gayy ye5teber fe nadi AS Sale, fa la2a el ma7all 2afel…fa bassetlo we oltelo tab mana m3aya el laptop….we ro7t mtalla3o, wel 7amdolellah el battareya kan rabbena nafe5 fe souretha 3ala 3'er el 3ada…we katabtelo el 3a2d bel fransaweyya…we sayyevtehoulo 3al CD weddethoulo…

El mohemm, 3emad wel 3eyal 3addo 3alayya 5adouni, wet3'addo sari3an keda fe marjane, we ba3den wselna Tanga ba3d el ma3'reb be shwayya, wassalna Mohamed we Soufiane, we 3emad wassalni 3ala 2esm el shorta fel mina, we ra7 yewaddi mamto el qasr el saghir.

A3adt mestanni el commissaire, 3abdelra7man, 7awali sa3a we nos, magash…lakenni et2athart awy lamma shoft el ragel el congoli, elli bento et5atafet awwel ma nezel mel markeb fe Tanga, ba3d ma mrato et2atalet fe aspania men shahr, wel anyal men keda enn mo3amlet el shorta el ma3'rebeyya lih zayy el atran…we rge3t el bet mashy…

Fell bet, el mayya kanet lessa ma2to3a men 4 ayyam mathalan 3'ayyart hdomi bsor3a, nzelt el 7amma el ma3'rebi…nakad el donya wel 2a5ra feyya…2aloli matet3attelsh bash nemshi nen3es…2oltelhom safi wa5a…we 5adt gardal el mayya el so5na, wel tani dyal el mayya el sa23a…we da5alt fel sari3 esta7ammet…we tle3t…la2et ragel 3agoouuz, a3ed ye2olli kalam mesh fahmo, we ra7 meddini noss borto2ana akolha…

Tle3t nemt, kont ta3ban geddan,….tani yom, 3adda 3alayya Kacem we Angela we Erica el sob7, sallemtohom el program beta3 el C Panels, we oltelhom enni lazem aro7 el amn el watani ennaharda….fa la2et Erica bet2olli enn koll el ma3loumat elli eddetha le 7assan embare7 kanet 3'alat – la7zo ennaha embare7 kanet bet2olli enn 7asan ma3oush el program-, we enn 7asan 3amal 5 special panels, we 10 panels tanyin…we aletli enn el identification beta3et wa7da mel panels kanet 3'alat, we enn fi panel Tanya ma2asatha kanet 3'alat…2olt mashy…7a22oko 3alayya…we 2olt fe serri, eza konto mesh mohtammamin ennoko t3algo el mashakel elli sabbebtouha lel nas, ezay 3ayzin el nas yehatmmo be mo3alget mashakelko ?

Koll da we Erica hanem 3ashan ba2alha hena shahr men 3'er visa, we sha3'ala we 3adi 5ales, mesh shayfa ayy moshkela fe enni akon 2a3ed bashta3'al men 3'er visa, helehli keda, men 3'er la wara2 wala ya7zanoun…we ta7nani fe dma3'i 3ashan "sayeb el sho3'l"

We ba3den, Juan, bel ro3'm men enno kan byet7anni, ella enn fe wogoudo bardo Erica kanet betlemm el dor shwayya…lakenno meshi..we Erica el gaww 7eli li2a baha we ba2et fadyali…

Dr 3amr howa bardo safer aspania,…lakenni 3reft akallemo, we wassalni bel Mohandes Zakeyy, elli kan m3aya 3ala toul, rabbena yebareklo ya rab…

El Mohem, ro7t el amn el watani, aloli mel a5er, enta tro7 tgib tazkaret el tayaran, we shahada tebbeyya ennak 3ayyan le7ad ma3ad el tayaran….wa mayhemmaksh…we wana mestanni henak, kont a3ed al3ab ma3 bannouta fransaweya so3'announa keda..

El mohemm, olt amshili shwayya wakallem Merbah we Dr 3amr wel Mohandes Zakey a7kelhom….fa la2etni oddam maktab seya7a, da5alt sa2alt 3ala tayaran le masr, 2aloli yom 28 a3'ostos, 3al 5otout el malakeyya el ma3'rebeya…be 5700 DH ta2riban, raye7 bas…kallemt el hanema Erica oltelha, aletli di mesh moshkeletna, mesh e7na elli el mafroud nedfa3 taman el tazkara di, el mafroud 3amr howa elli yedfa3ha !!!

Oltelha fe serri ah ya bent el %^^^&^ nas el tayyebin….ma7adesh yefhamni 3'alat ! We kallemt Dr 3amr wel Mohandes Zakey oltelhom, fa 2alouli 5alas e7na ya emma hane7gezlak men masr, we neb3atlak el tazkara bel fax ta5odha m3ak el amn el watani, ya emma enta tro7 casablanca betazkartak te7gez menha…

Fa olt adawwar 3ala maktab lel faks,…laffet 3ala beta3 10 11 maktab, mal2et ella makateb ya emma 2afla aw mafihash fax, wel wa7id elli kan fi fax, koshk 3'alban keda ganbo 5araba fiha boldozarat beto7for, fa, zayy ma2alli sa7eb el ma7all, el boldozarat ata3et 3anno el kahraba men 10 ayyam….

Rge3t el bet, la2et wa7ed men sherket el mayya bey3ayen el motor el 5arban beta3 el 3omara, we m3ah gary, sa7eb el internet café elli ta7t…elli tammenni we alli enn el "plombier" gayy daba bash yesawweb el motor…

El mohem, kallemt Marouane Traymi oltelo, alli enno mesh fe Casa, 3shan beyzour geddo fe Kenitra…kallemt Younes, 3shan as2alo el maktab beta3 masr lel tayaran sha3'al walla la2, 3elman be enn fi agaza fel dawla men el sabt wa 7atta el etnein…2alli harodd 3alek….we lessa maradesh…

We ba3daha kallemni Dr 3amr 2alli hay7awel yeshofli 7agz 3ala yom el 5amis, we alli anzel elsho3'l 3ady delwa2ti….wattammenn…

Wana delwa2ti aho, 2a3ed fe odet el o3ad fel sha22a, 7atet el laptop 3al tarabeza el ezaz el mothammana, ma7ala2tesh da2ni 3shan mafish mayya…we gatli fekret enni anzel a7la2ha delwa2ti 3and el 7alla2….

I've started work for a couple of days....the guys here are really nice, my boss is an Australian engineer, and the chief is an Argentinian one..and there are lots of fellows from Colombia and Portugal, added to the majority of Moroccan engineers and workers...

The site overlooks the straight of Gibraltar, and Spain is seen across the sea....

Tangier shares many features with Alexandria, my hometown, they're both coastal cities, busy ports, and cultural gates to their respective countries...in addition, there's a lot of construction going on in both cities...

The Medina of Tangier, or the old town, is amazing....with its old medieval wall surrounding it, and its white houses, unique architecture, and narrow streets...