Posts Tagged ‘culture’

A Double Edged Sword

Posted: May 14, 2012 in Awareness & Self Development, Thinking negative doing positive
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Debates are a natural cause of having different point of views, and in many circumstances they end up with many loose ends, other times however, a developed shape of arguments can occur, either by disagreements, miscommunications and lack of hearing one another…

One night, I found myself being part of a debate, a table was there, different kind of drinks, an ashtray that has been put into good use, as the heat of discussion arises, it was as if we had our own miniature U.N meeting!

If women are to be leaders of this world, we won’t charter the wars we had and continue to have throughout the history of mankind!!!

at first and like most people around that table, had already agreed to this conclusion, without further elaboration…One can even say that, because women are more sensitive to issues of humanity, appointing women into leadership roles would have living effects to a more sensible world, others might even concur, that women have better judgment scales in many matters and situations than men, even statistically speaking, women proved to have better social judgments, and regardless if we agree to all, some or even none of the above, one must approach the subject from many different perspectives.

At first, we need to establish what reality we are dealing with when it comes to today’s leaders of the world…

“You gotta make the money first, then, when you get the Money, you get the power, when you get the Power, then you get the Women”

-Tony Montana (Movie:Scarface)

In a nutshell, he explained the hierarchy of thinking for most world leaders of today and throughout history. But that also explains the manly perspective of leadership!

What about women then? had they gotten their chance from the beginning of time to become Adam’s Eve, would they have done what men already did and continue to do, will they be driven by greed, only to become fanatics of power, to get us Men. Or will there be peace and harmony, like the one we find in our mothers, wife’s and maybe even our daughters, the future moms of tomorrow!

In theory, we have just about 200 countries in this world of today, again in theory, lets consider that Women are to be leaders of the world we know could exist, it would be fair to say, that a handful of countries would be led by Men, that in mind, I can only remember Tony’s remarkable theory on how to gain power for those scattered bunch. Was it money or women, I guess you’re the judge of that!!!

The fact is, we were and still are being a systematized gender racist human beings, we were brought up to live with racial profiling, and the ability to even imagine and embrace situations beyond racial discrimination, the fact is both genders have egos, rights and demands to be protected, and no matter how we flip the coin to see the answer, we always forget that the basis of successful conclusions is communications, mutual respect and understanding, once we are able to address issues with such attitudes and away from all the weaknesses we project on each other by profiling parties into different boxes.

History always had its funny ways of showing us how we always believe in absolute truths and proved us to be otherwise! For instance, the famous Titanic ship sank in the sea, when its makers had absolutely confirmed ‘on many occasions’ that, it would be impossible for this ship to sink! Hitting that iceberg and drowning its 2000+ passengers was like a check of reality on how things might go wrong with one simple ‘everyday’ expectation or judgment.

There were many studies made to understand the reasons why this ship sank, and many analysts directed the blame to the captain of the ship (Smith), refusing to accept any other excuse, since the captain has the higher hand and final decision taking abilities, and where being disobedient to his orders, are to be punishable by law.

So what are the captains mistakes in judgment of the dangers to sudden floating icebergs and the required time to correct the distentions direction once the iceberg was spotted? A question that still baffles many researchers, although a handful of them, believed that his long extensive experience of more than 40 years were one of the main  reasons of the captains mistakes.

How did that happen? How can experience work against its owner after it has worked in their benefit all those years. Experience comes as a result of concluding lessons and examples from events and situations!

In the case of dealing with recurrent situations and events connected to collaborative theories and inputs thus concluding a pattern or an example to deal with similar situations and events in the future.

With the increasing repeat of similar situations and events, roots out extracted examples and patters to form an essential mental and psychological reference in decision making similar to a hard drive in a computer. Experience plays a very efficient role in speeding the analysis of an event, situation or interaction to deal with, through viewing and comparing formed examples and patterns to the decision making references. The similarity in an event or a situation in incidents and past experiences, provides similar reaction, and here lies the danger!

When a similar event or situation occurred in past experiments and events, but is still different from them in theory or inputs of it occurrence, or when a totally different event or situation would happen with previous experiments and events, will overcome the decision maker’s psychological and mental references, originated as a result of their long experience, and so they interact with new events similar to the way they react to previous others, assuming the ability of new events or situations to respond to the previous reactions, and here where the disaster happens, and this is where analysts believe that what happened in the case of the sinking Titanic ship, where long experiences of captain smith was with totally different ships than this particular one, and depending on that experience, he believed that the ship can properly correct its direction within time of seeing any icebergs, but he misjudged, as this ship was not like any others he drove, different in its speed, size and manufacturing, thus being slit by the other edge of the sword.

If we bring to bear the Titanic destiny as a reflective example to our communities, we can crop up many valuable lessons.

Circumstances that governed the mid 70’s (the boom) in our communities, left us with experiences that has roots controlled by theories and inputs that belonged to that period of time. However, in the new millennium all those theories and inputs had severely changed, but the references that formed it and was deepened by years of the boom in people of experience, had more influence for it to go through any change, unable to keep up with the rapid speed of such developments, and so situations change and ships alter, governed and pushed to reached its goals with factors, reasons and motives, while leading the helm with old references originated as an outcome from experiences of those booming years.

And to come closer to the essence of the subject, I will provide one of many examples.

During those booming days, projects were conducted with less studies and regardless to any cost, in the fastest way possible, because it involved massive profits, adding the time factor being the most important for success, at those times.

In today’s world, time factor should be chartered to allocate unique, specific and clear strategies with detailed planning, conducting intensive studies and focusing on the development of the processes to conduct projects and business and have the ability to manage them, and to find the proper experiences to attract in order to form successful projects and raise the quality of performance and services, and enjoy becoming distinguished from competition.

Yes, Captain Smith’s long experience played a contradictory part, and instead of setting sail on port, it sat sail deep in the ocean, only within a couple of hours.

Falafel For Thought

Posted: February 13, 2012 in Active Minority, Thinking negative doing positive
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Sometimes, people happen to attach certain foods and dishes to certain pleasant or bad memories, that’s probably more true when it comes to special cuisines, homemade childhood dishes, including delights, sweets and mind-blowing cravings ! Some people even prefer things that we may not like and others may dislike what we might like as well, especially foods that are attached to specific events in our lives, from traditional dishes related to cultural events to eventful meals all year round, and to me, Falafel is one of those eventful flirty delight pillars for my stomach’s ultimate satisfaction.

Lucky enough, I lived and studied close by a school which was a haven to many types of local restaurants and shops around its ambiance, to satisfy munchies of hungry and lusty students. But one advantage we had at that school was a famous local Falafel shop! famous because of having one of the best Falafel nibbles and appetizers anyone would crave during any moment of the day, especially moments like skipping class, sometimes for the whole day! just to hang out and about with school friends, trash talking teachers & the headmaster while creating specially designed and designated swearwords and nicknames that would fit their projected personalities, in the meantime… Checking out the females school on the other side of the wall. Sipping on hot tea under pouring rain, or a nice icy-chilled Mirinda under the hot and boiling sun, enjoying two, sometimes three Falafel sandwiches, sizzled with a teasing munch on cucumber pickles; but if we decided to hang out for a while more, knowing that two or three classes are carried out next, by oblivious teachers and educators, realizing we would be caught the next day by a demoralized headmaster and his fine thin and polished bamboo stick, aside from calling our parents over. “I did not pass by school that much, so my parents where only bothered in the couple of times I was arrested…I mean caught!!!

Wondering what could I have taken out from that experience! it must’ve been… after spending 12 years in the same school, I became part of that school, a mascot maybe, I could even pass as an administrator! And as long as I didn’t fail in any class, I was guaranteed a chair in the classroom. (I know what you are thinking…or not) I must’ve cheated, well… of course I did, among other things that I have learned, they tough me if I can get away with it, then its fine, realizing that fact in my own terms, since they do know me for a while now and I still do have a classroom chair filled with my books out there, its only natural that I keep on what I am doing! and even developed better techniques, instead of skipping school, I would attend! But wait for noon prayer times to come, the schools mosque gates open wide, one for the public, and one for school administrators like me ;-)

This is when I realized, this institution they call school is just not for me, it was boring, and the only fun was to create techniques to rebel against it, and hope to get out from that environment into something better…

fast forward a few years and many Falafel sandwiches later; walking dates between beautiful streets of the old town of Amman limestone houses, sharing a paper bag filled with Falafel teenage crunches. As I grew older, my Falafel stories became immense, crispy and delightful to satisfy other cravings, drifting away from firm textures of fried beans with smooth and silky homos topped with pine-nuts, pinches of ground cumin and virgin olive oil, my father tells me: “Get your mind off those Falafels” concentrate and tell me, what do you want to do with your life? I recall that day, after countless ring fights, sleepovers for a couple of weeks at friends houses, now I have to decide, he said: “Either you get a Job! Or you get proper education to hold as a key, he always talked about that ‘KEY’. The world functions that way, he said, or you have to develop a skill!

Fast forward a few more years to obtain some skills with occasional fading Falafel memories and corporate salads, searching for true meanings of life, filling my stomach with foods of culture from the east and the west, avoided raw food, and soaked with fried food, maybe I could satisfy my Falafel cravings, maybe I could have memories I could remember, but I kept remembering my fathers words: “Get your mind off those Falafels”! what do you want to do with your life?

I kept wondering about those skills that I must have, what kind of skills! I had no idea, does that mean I need to make something, create it with my own hands, what was it? tourism, customer service, supervisor, manager, CEO, what skill is he talking about? those need degrees… Alright, maybe I try higher studies to obtain more skills! maybe now they are different than those who came and claim to be educators.

Here we go again! back to school, but maybe this time, a little bit of more freedom! now I can take a train, a couple of days off work during the week, and all the Falafel sandwiches I can get on the way to my education, I still can remember the excitement of skipping work to go to school!

A couple of years go by, I obtained more knowledge “Go figure” only to realize that this was not the Job for me, I needed to leave! I realized I was a slave, and will never become that three lettered CEO, even with that degree, what to do? a question I always renewed while more years passed by, and less Falafel were eaten to satisfy, and like an addict on a spree, jumping in oil pans from trees.

Getting whiff scents of other cultures, wandering in worlds I never dare to be under. My Falafel craving was vanishing with sizzles of thickened oil and continuous wonder! It was time to change… I needed to break-free, I needed to be lost, but I still needed to find a new flavor with some sort of culture.

Bathing with spices of the orient, I stumble upon other beggared beans, white small kidney beans…I am emotionally allergic to those, I refused them then and I will refuse them now! I rebelled on them then, I can rebel on them now. but for some reason I dig into the past and  saw them crawling into my childhood mind, sneaking from the blissful hands of my mother, into my subconscious dishes.

I find my self away from all those thoughts… and Falafel cravings! accepting feeds of childhood cultures from true blissful hands, only then did I realize that, I am only what my parents made me! and no matter what culture, education, history, present or future you throw at me, my parents gave pillars to my subconscious culture.

And that’s how it shall begin…

Will you be satisfied?!

Posted: September 24, 2011 in Thinking negative doing positive
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I had an interesting discussion with a new mutual acquaintance I’ve met during a dear friend’s birthday party. This new acquaintance’s point of view on human beings was ‘outrageous’ to say the least! or as I have thought for the first 5 minutes of the discussion; He goes on saying how Animals of all kinds ‘all creatures for that matter!’ are actually smarter than us, he even elaborated by saying that, we ARE actually animals. But we are both stupid and ‘crazy’! I was like uh… here we go again. I have to prove a simple ‘scientific’ fact on what you have just said, or probably there is something in that cigarette you’ve been smoking!

As usual, I stated the simple fact of all humanity throughout the centuries, from achievements of glory to all human races ‘in some pauses of life’ , to what we have been doing; From revolutions to developments and advancement in all aspects of the human life and its quality. He interrupted and said: That’s exactly why we are stupid and crazy!

The fact is Animals ‘and creatures in general’ are created to always follow their ‘natural order of being’. That’s actually why they were able to evolve to / and accept each others natural state of order, and even us as inhabitants to be forced on them way after their start of being; since we’re talking about whom the Earth belongs to!!!

We ‘on the other hand’ always wanted more, wanted to make it easier, faster, better, more expensive, and want what everyone else wants or have! Animals of the same gender or kind lived in peace together and accepted each other and who they are among their same kind, gender, species or ‘packs’.

Harmonious packs and herds that speak and do as one body, always making sure the survival of each individual in their ‘herd’ at the least, if they have a stronger rival ‘by nature, they usually stay away, live in peace away from them, but even then their monsters are ‘Greedy’. They want more, they need more, of course, they want to survive, that’s how they were created, that’s how God or whatever higher power you believe in created all of us to do. Its the nature of all animals ‘including humans’ to care for close ones ;Animals at least don’t have color differentiation, they even share the same Religion, and practice it as they were told to, no body changed their path; We only did. We are one of their monsters. But we’re crazy, we need more, we want more.

If you care and respect your wife, sister, and mother, Brother, cousin or father, you’d appreciate that other beings of your herd ‘although seemingly different; want different things, or even need different things. cares the same way you do, regardless of their religion, background or culture!

remember now, Animals were here way before us! at least we should learn to be like them, to become in a bond of unity, I know its crazy, but since nothing has worked for you. You still worry, hate, envy, and curse!!!

I say: don’t fight your enemies ‘Your own monsters’. Stay away from them, stay with your herd, protect them, love them show them you care not by fighting, but by educating them, keeping them healthy ‘mentally before organically’ let them accept everybody, and let everybody accept them for who they are to be ‘better people who are confident of them selves, help others as they’d like others to help them, that’s human. That’s you’re animal instinct.

Ask your monster: What do you want? Money? Land? Blood?! Alright… Take it, I don’t want it anymore, I want to be free from everything, I want to be me, I want to help me, I want people to help me, and I help them back. Not because they helped me, but that’s what all your religions tell me, that’s all what they tough me, feed me, and freed me. But stay away from me, out of my mind, out of my life, out of my my boxes ‘TV’s and screens’, my internet, my CD’s. Don’t pollute my thoughts, don’t wash my mind, you’re a monster: I cant fight you! You’re only going to fight back and step on me ‘like an insect’ kill me, destroy me and my family. If I stay away… Will you settle down? will you do what you came here to do ‘to settle down’ that’s why your fighting me, torturing me, conquering my mind, Aren’t you? Alright! take it all, are you happy?

Now that you’re happy! Are you satisfied? ‘If Not’ please tell me, what do you want? all I have is an Apology… Would that be acceptable? I am Sorry, I’m sorry I fought you, I’m sorry I created all that stress on you and for you, I helped to make you an angrier creature ‘A Bigger Monster’ I’m really sorry, I was Ignorant. I just wanted Peace, and fought for it. Please forgive me, I’ll move away from you way.  Will you be satisfied?

The Tax of Fate

Posted: June 27, 2011 in Arabs & Culture
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I was quite astonished to learn how some of the government systems around most of Asia ‘in-spite-of corruption levels’ would still be favorable to the Asian society in general, not only because Asians have a more chilled out and calm nature than any other part of the world, but their governments tend to give them a break when it comes to taxes and public utilities in general, as well as the easy accessibility to those utilities, and applying the proper fees on aspects that would develop the infrastructure of the country, especially when it comes to specific factors of the public utilities system and road conditions in general, and where they apply small entrance fees and encourage the public to use the ‘efficient’ public transportation systems creating a routine that actually saves money in terms of spending on transportation, and transfer all that tax money to the greater good, even if it was as small as an efficient public transportation system.

But where I come from, one of the most irritating issues people go through is government taxes, and even though most countries complain about the tax systems done by their governments, based on unfair factors that satisfies the rich and dams the poor for even being poor, forgetting that ‘originally’ taxes were created for governments to provide proper ‘public services’ with the word ‘proper’ and ‘service’ being in question in many countries of the Arab region but where you can still find fine examples to learn from neighboring countries where their citizens are usually given ‘frequent’ maintained public utilities in general, such as roads, bridges, parks, and all sorts of libraries, research and entertainment centers to be used responsibly by the public to both develop and prosper in the hopes of giving back to the community, which actually happens one way or another in some parts of that world!

Beware of electrified water from the fountain

Victims of Arabic Coffee

Cracked streets filled with holes and open-wide water drainage traps that makes you think you’re in a war-zone ‘sometimes it actually is’ or you might even think there was frequent minor earthquakes running through our streets and unless no one is hurt we’ll just become skillful in avoiding those traps and putting more lives in danger while we’re at it ‘and by the way!’ sorry we can’t provide you with a sidewalk to avoid those traps, and “God-forbid” if someone gets electrified in the process ‘we’ll just blame FATE’ and drink a carefully selected cup of Arabic coffee, because “God-forbid” if someone breaks the cultural traditions of drinking this coffee to reconcile the lost souls of those victims and remind people of the cultural bonds we need to follow!

Dubai Metro

In other parts of the world, citizens do not complain about having easy accessibility to utilities, and we do not expect them to! Simply because their government’s at-the-least provides the proper infrastructure for those citizens to develop as well as having access to public utilities that can enrich their lives positively (and for those who don’t know what public utilities are “its not public toilets”) and not forgetting the positive attitude that goes without saying. Even without mentioning the usual complains of tax payers in U.S and E.U countries on ‘education systems’ or ‘government welfare support’ which are subjects that need ‘light years’ for Arab societies to realize or even do something about it since that tax money is always going to be the main income for ‘governmental survival’ as well as its effects on how those governments ‘want’ their public to be ‘made’, since we’re that attached to the systems they and their followers created to control each aspect of their communities lives, and since they made sure that ‘money culture or the lack of it’ is the main irritating theme of those communities social lives, and where governments take no procedures to maintain or sustaining a single reform act due to the personal interests of highly effective and supported corrupt top officials creating government mentalities that are a reflection of their own interests and leaving the question of ‘who to blame’ without a specific answer or even an interest to answer it, since its ‘culturally shameful’ to expose top officials to protect their honor, when it is actually to protect secrets that might not be in favor of other top officials, so we leave it to FATE.

massive efforts to locate corruption

The need to build a respectable taxation system that would satisfy all parties involved is ‘essential’ and since we have ‘moved on’ from the fact that Arab governments are ‘not interested’ in financial and social reform and since ‘the money temptations’ are understood and appreciated socially and culturally and where ‘lacking money’ is the government excuse to everything, and the only solution they know how to solve it is by ‘tightening belts on bellies’ while the public government representatives in those parliaments get rich, because that same belt can’t fit on their fat bellies, and where a simple diet would be the end of their survival.

Sadly, governments in the Arab world made sure ‘not educate’ people about those taxes which we ‘willingly’ pay and ask for no return, and is only provided as a ‘compulsory system’ that every adult has to follow, and where ‘weak’ social security systems are interested only in financing their sister companies, facilitated by those ‘compulsory taxes’ on peoples rightful earnings, it is illegal to actually ask about the legality of some of the many taxes that do not make sense and will probably subject you to some jail time as an act of threat against home-land security or the constitution, and where all sorts of physical and mental abuse will be practiced against you, just because you refused to be dealt with like sheep.

All those governments combined, are experts in copying political management techniques from other foreign governments, without taking in consideration the cultural and social factors on their people when you ‘import’ financial solutions especially from the same people who created the worse global financial crisis in the world, otherwise some governments are experts in willingly taking orders in the shape of political reform techniques, making it impossible for those governments to become able to practice financial reform in their systems even if they wanted to.

Simple financial solutions can be created by those governments by just following and understanding the social cultures of their people and not by using it against them, and fighting against the well to be free, I find it hypocritical to the highest levels that most of those governments claim to be modern moderate Islamic states, and practice the exact opposite, even when it comes to financial reform, knowing that simple Islamic financial practices such as ‘Zakat’ would actually result in solving a lot of problems that are a direct effect on the social lives of most needing communities, without the need to effect ‘governmental earnings’ but actually building a unique bond between its rich and poor, in the hopes of creating harmony in a community without the financial effects on social life or social reform. (Read: more about Zakat financial equality system)

In order for those governments to survive in the future, not only it is required from them to be ‘smart’ which is another tax we will have to pay for later on! But the attitude of those governments will have to be changed towards becoming a true public servant, instead of slaying-off their people and their-selves in return.

Are we going to Hell!

Posted: June 15, 2011 in Arabs & Culture
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Since I can remember, I was frequently told and taught to follow the practices of Islam… “don’t steal” you’ll go to hell, “don’t kill” you’ll go to hell, “don’t break your fast in Ramadan” or you’ll go to hell. I don’t deny that a lot of the Islamic teachings are beautiful, educational, and even provide you with a proper guidance to follow through a better life quality of self satisfaction even if you were a Non-Muslim, but for Muslims in general its all about the pursuit of gaining heaven in the after life, and for someone who believes in “the after life” regardless of my personal practices to stay connected to god spiritually, and even had strong beliefs about my religion up until recently “and I am not doubting Islam”, but I have a lot of unanswered questions about the message of Islam, which I am hoping “someone, someday” will give me an answer to.

Growing up in Jordan, I was submitted in a private Islamic school for “males only”, from kinder-garden till high-school I’ve only known this school, not just because its a 2 minutes walk away from home, but it was and still is considered one of the best schools in the country “if not the region”, and to the people who don’t know this school, would at least figure out by themselves that, since the school is an Islamic labeled one, and the name of the school indicates it clearly “its strictly for Muslims” and probably even think that all the graduates of this school, would become carriers of the Islamic message “at the least”. But all I got out with is 12 years of “somewhat” proper practical education, and the  “Do & Don’t” of the Islamic practices, and “the consequences of not following” not to mention the nightmares I had from all the drawn pictures by “my Islamic subject teachers” throughout the years about “Hell”, as well as the promises of rivers filled with honey and yoghourt with mermaids of “Heaven”.

As a student who’s mind was still fresh and takes a mental picture of every “unknown descriptions”, all of them throughout the years had successfully achieved to either “scare me” from the consequences of not following, and “I am just saying” since I know “no thanks to the education systems” that Islam has countless inspirational stories filled with so many “role-models” that a lot would actually benefit from for as human beings regardless of their religious or racial backgrounds. The only way our education system presented Islam to us comes in the form of “threats”, the whole education system was set to scare us from the “unknown” and all that they successfully achieved is to intimidate us from our “own religion” and so either becoming a “strict follower” or an “extreme renegade” since the bar has been set high for those who are going to heaven.

All “Nowadays” Islamic figures follow the same way in spreading the teachings of Islam, and all they do is “talk”, and some are even extreme “hypocrites” forcing the public to shut down “business and life” to go and pray during prayer time all over Saudi, while they shoot up heroin and rape women on their spare times. All I learned from “their Islam” is how to hate, and how to see “anyone” who’s a non-Muslim swimming in those “Mental hell” pictures they created in my mind “This is not Islam” the message was long lost, people and groups started creating their own versions of Islam, and everybody is claiming to have the “right teachings and followers” of Islam. and if we cannot spread the message of Islam properly in our own countries, and where God promised to keep the message of Islam through out all generations till the after life! how will this “message of peace” keep on going, if we already forgot what the message is all about. We still kill, steal, rape, steal again, kill again and then pray to God for forgiveness “are you kidding me”.

Only when I started living in Thailand, I learned about forgiveness, positive thinking, and appreciation of life, and the nature God created for us and to care for, so it can provide back to us, alongside all the amazing wonders that we should be “thankful for” and respect all God’s “Creatures”. what about all those human beings who are thankful to God “in their own ways” for all the simple blessings of their lives, some even didn’t hear about the message of Islam, nor any Muslims bothered themselves  to show the beautiful images of Islam, we only show them killings, lying, rape, and extreme slavery, so why should they even consider following Us, they are already “in peace” with themselves and their creator as “believers”, so are they going to the same hell “I am scared of”, even though they never heard of it, aren’t they the same believers God mentioned in “Qur’an”, or we just want them in “Hell” with a little push by our hands!

Erotic Asian Massage

Posted: June 12, 2011 in Arabs & Culture
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I just came back from an amazing Thai traditional massage, that was “by all means” the best massage I ever had. It was a very uplifting and a relaxing experience that made me feel relief and in peace, all because of the amazing techniques used by a Thai “professional” masseuse. She practically “re-placed” every bone and muscle in my body to its “original status”  leaving me with a sense of being “reborn” and in general, this is the kind of experience you’re set to go through, once you visit “most” of the massage places spread around Thailand.

Thai Traditional Massage

The massage culture here in Thailand is of “high importance”, not only as a reputation for being one of the best destinations for “the Spa” experience, but also the atmosphere, accountability, safety, and the quality of the massage spa’s here are “unmatchable”. I was reassured of that fact, after going through a lot of massage experiences throughout my travels, and I have always made sure to choose only the best quality when it comes to “massage techniques” which can be quite hard to recognize without going through the experience “first hand”.

The reason why I stand by and “only” recommend the Thai massage experience, extends to more than just a healthy uplifting experience leaving your body and mind “revitalized” with an amazingly incomparable quality and efficient price ranges that suites “pocket change” whatever that would be “for real”. but that’s where the comparison stops! simply because “even though such an amazing experience has a longer and better health effect on your body and mind”, most people “especially the readers of this post” are looking for different kinds of massages, due to the massage culture presentation in each country, and how the society came to accept such practices.

I remember the first time I went to a massage center in Jordan “all massage centers there are underground now”, and even-though,  I was looking for a “massage experience” I went into that center that had nothing to do with a “body & mind” experience, but at that time I was only “a 16 years old clueless teenager”. and not even the look of those “Moroccan masseuses” nor their massage skills where anywhere near having any kind of experience. After I finished my weird “1 hour experience” during which, I was only oiled up while she’s was chatting the “whole time”, and hearing a lot of shouting “from the center manager” telling another masseuse from the next room that she “already spent 15 extra minutes over the assigned timing of the session!”. After “rushing out” to meet my awaiting friend “funny enough, he asked me if I got some action”.

From that time, I realized how most “if not all” men in the Arab world, think of massage as an “erotic or sexual service” to be provided during or after “the session”, it even haunted me “since I am an Arab” to most masseuses means that “I am looking” for the same kind of service the moment they find out “my origins”. It is sad to see a “traditional cultural art” being tarnished by sexual practices forced by a cultural mentality the Arab men has, and where the massage was only “promoted” as a form sexual acts, and even labeled by Arab governments as a form of “prostitution” “which made it more appealing to do it underground anyways”, and where in cities like Dubai, Bahrain & even Saudi, seeking online search engines for a massage service, would result to a “clear conclusion that those cities are widely running an “underground” sexual slaves operation, covered by a so called “massage services” and blessed by governments “behind closed doors”, forcing resorts and hotels to turn their massage centers to “Exclusive Spa’s” to clear out the mix-up between both practices, so you could spend a “fortune” to actually seek a professional traditional no-sex massage.

But the problem far extends from just being a “misinterpretation of oriental cultures”, and became an actual culture carried out by Arab travelers, seeking erotic massage services not only in their home country, but became a necessity for them to reach the country of their destination, and do the special arrangements sometimes even before reaching to the destination, and the reason why this misinterpretation happened is related directly to the “lack of sexual education in the Arab world”, and where it is established by Arab men when the masseuse is massaging “their naked bodies” they might as well ask her for a “happy ending”. (Read Sexual Education for masculine communities)

An Ongoing Anniversary…

Posted: June 9, 2011 in Active Minority, Arabs & Culture, Women & travel
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Yesterday “the 8th of June 2011″ was our second anniversary since the “first time” I met my wife, which was in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and alongside yesterdays anniversary I believe we have another couple of anniversaries, and probably we will have another “dozen ones” in the years to come. For us, we like to consider our lives together, as a whole period of continuous celebrations, not because we’d like to remember.(since we remembered yesterdays anniversary “today”)

Before I met my wife, life to me was all about working, eating, drinking and sleeping, and “a lot of other stuff” passing time as if it is something I am “counting” and I need to accomplish it or wait on it to finish me and hope to have some fun out of it. But the transition period from “my life” to “our life” in the Arab Emirates,”I have learned” that meeting the right woman, can truly turn your life around in a “great” or an “awful” way, so I always like to believe that “I must be lucky” to have this woman not only by my beside, but supporting me like I have never had support in my life, sometimes I even find my self wondering “I must’ve done something really good” in order to “deserve and meet” such a great woman.

Not because she’s undoubtedly cute, and has a smile that can light up the whole day, but the energy and excitement she brings to my “everyday life” is one of the many reasons, why I love to do whatever she loves doing, as she makes everything fun and amazingly simple and pure. Like any successful relationship, there has to be balance “at all times”, and where “money” is considered an essential part of any form of relationship.

That is why “no matter” what amount of money I have, it never meant to stay in my pockets nor it ever reached any bank accounts, “it is commonly believed that money and I just don’t mix well” and whether I have a Dollar or a Million, It “will” disappear like it never existed, and that is why thankfully, I turned all our personal finances to my wife.

“I know what you’re thinking”, and actually, where I come from “culturally”  that is the exact definition of “emasculating a man”, where he has no control over his finances, and where it is almost “impossible to witness” in the Arab world, but you would definitely “witness the opposite” where men takeover their wives fortunes, even-though they have no legal rights to. (Read Sexual Education for masculine communities)

It is also considered “common thinking” in the Arab world, that women “cannot be responsible” when it comes to household finances, and we usually relate it to their “shopaholic” syndromes they appear to always show, and where unfortunately “stereotyping” against women’s abilities in “responsibilities” are a daily practice in those communities. I found it very refreshing that my wife proves all men “wrong”. I can even proudly say: “without her” I probably would be dead, somewhere near a “Burger King” drive thru sidewalk. (Read Sense fulfilling food diet)

The reason why my wife is so efficient when it comes to “personal financial” matters and how to “stretch your dollar”, is not only due to her “Japanese culture” but her previous travels as well. Crossing the Asian Pacific going through the Arabian Gulf region “where we met” to the Middle east “my home” all the way up to Turkey, where she had the ability to break her own cultural barriers, and was able “not only” to adapt, but accept cultures around her “no matter how extreme”, and developed her own global culture as a true “Active minority”, and due to her down-to-earth natural personality, she identified terms of happiness to simplicity in our lives, and where she has full self-acknowledgment to symbolize happiness from within her self and her surroundings, rather than a “superficial” materialistic happiness our stereotype thinking can offer.

If we can all “Men & WOMEN” look beyond objectifying women, and appreciate the “countless blessings” that our women bring to our lives, whether its our Mom’s, Wife’s or sisters. the thought of life without them by our side makes life unbearable to enjoy “with or without money”.

Traffic solutions in Arabia

Posted: June 6, 2011 in Arabs & Culture, Travel, tourism & Me
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Almost everybody gets stuck in traffic for at least a “couple of dozen” times, and for me the only solution “I knew then” to over come any traffic “effects” related to work or personal appointments I made sure to always start my journeys 120 minutes earlier to any appointment, and where in cities such as Amman, Bahrain, Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, being late is a “common culture” mostly claimed due to traffic “but still” I always made sure to be on time if not earlier “I even haunted my employees on time respect issues”, but that was just like putting people in some sort of life threatening nightmare. And when it comes to traffic, all sorts of creative stories and excuses come up to cover the “original reason of being late”, even with providing simple solutions of time management, but lets leave that for another time.

After I have moved to Thailand, and as a new resident, the means of transportation with “cost effective and practical solutions” to handle all those traffics, led to getting a “Motorbike”, where all over South East Asia, the concept of using the Motorbike as the daily means of transportation, other that the obvious fact of avoiding “any kind of traffic”, but comes as a “financially effective” solution in terms of fuel consumption costs, as well as maintenance and most importantly the efficient “capital costs” of the Motorbikes in comparison to Cars.

the other benefits of driving a Motorbike in such beautiful nature offered by the South East Asian Region, and specifically in mountain and hill area’s such as Chiang Mai and the Golden Triangle area, making the Motorbike a “perfect tool” to enjoy all that fresh breeze of the mountain air and access roads to Waterfalls, Springs and various hills and fields spread all over the region, making “group Motorbike tours” or “private ones” a heck of an amazing experience.

Unfortunately, for the Arabian Gulf region, applying the same Asian concept of Motorbikes, would be an act of “pure torture” due to the all-year-round “dry heat desert weather”, the A/C is a “must” when it comes to transportation or going out from home, and where the only scenery provided in this region is “tall towers, and desert beach fronts” the concept of hiring a Motorbike to tour around the country is considered “an act of madness”, but still you would find “Motorbike groupies” in their thick leather jackets “conquering the Arabian deserts”.

But even in countries with a more convenient weather and “relatively” drivable roads such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the concept of Motorbikes would have never advanced to more than “delivery boys” and “company bike drivers”. Just the thought of seeing “Arabic women” driving motorbikes is a “serious” invitation for sexual harassment to advance on roads by their masculine communities.(Read Sexual education for masculine communities)

and where “to those countries” the financial effects of using such a concept in the daily life of our “youth at least” will have massive effects on our personal finances in “rough economical times” blowing the region as a whole.

But the culture of “showing off” instilled in our societies and “blessed culturally”, is just another reason why “the motorbike concept” wont work, so to avoid all the sexual harassment cases and to “save the pride of our societies image” either move to another country, or stop complaining about a problem “you’re the cause of it”.

Sense fulfilling food diet

Posted: June 5, 2011 in Arabs & Culture, Travel, tourism & Me
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Pizza Burger by Burger King

I lived most my 20′s on a “huge junk food” diet, and I have tried everything from “triple burgers” to mountains of cheesy meaty pizza’s and sandwiches with all kinds of “firework” mouthwatering effects that are set to fulfill every “taste bud” you could ever imagine. As a “big eater” I never had issues with weight loss or gain, and have always kept my self in shape, no thanks to “exercise” I have a gift of not gaining weight with all the foods & deserts I practically “shoved down my throat”, which gave me a huge capacity to “swallow” any amounts of food I wanted.

Thai Food "as fresh as it can get"

but after moving to South East Asia, I found it particularly easy to shift down to a more healthier diet, due to their “fresh picked” naturally “hormones free” grown vegetables that taste more like “fruits”, with various aromas while wondering around their local “fresh ingredients” markets, makes me want to mix up a whole different type of exotic herbs and spices that will awaken every inch of your “senses”. Suddenly, food became an Art to me,and no “junk food cravings” would be more satisfactory than this transformation in creating “tastes for moods”, combing a whole line of fresh vegetables, most of which “I never heard of”.

Fruits however, are a different story, not only would you be able to locate a fruits shop, at every street corner in Thailand, but each one of them combines the easy accessibility and enjoyment of eating fruits while you’re on the road, or stopping by the riverside, nibbling on a bag full of fresh exotic fruits, sliced up nicely in a small “transparent” bag with a small stick to enjoy your fruits “slice by slice” , from juicy “honey mango’s” to “mouthwatering yellow watermelons” and fruit combo’s of mango and orange tastes in “mangostiens” or grapefruit and grapes in “longan fruits”.

Thai Fruits Shop

As a kid “growing up in the middle east” the chance of tasting real fresh food in general is not the theme of the region ” I literary was shocked that fruits and vegetables taste like this in Thailand” which explains the vast expansion of the “junk food business” in the Arab region, where they actually “have the nerve” to call some of the big junk food “brands” as a healthy option.

Thai tomato

Arabic tomato

I remember never being able to cope with my mom’s cooking or any homemade meal in the middle east, even though it was amazing when it was all about “homemade pizza’s or barbequed burgers”, but the sight of Arabic fruits and vegetables, makes you want to reconsider the quality of your food system, which makes you turn to “claimed” industries of healthy food. However, the concept of healthy food in the Arab region, usually consists of eating a lot of those “fancy expensive” salads, and gourmet french dishes, making a healthy food diet, not only a “dream”, but an invitation to other junky “more cheap” options for the general public.

Nevertheless, I was able to cope with all the healthy options that Thailand has to offer, from local fresh markets with all kinds of fruits, vegetables and various kinds of meats for all kinds of diets with an amazingly “low cost budget”. Thailand relays pretty much on its local production of the food chain system, and where “everybody” is able “not only” to have healthy meals on their tables on a daily basis, but has created a community that relays on its own natural resources to provide quality healthy foods with low costs enabling “everybody” to have a living in Thailand no matter what your “daily, monthly, or yearly” budget is. And where “globalization & junk food industries” are offered as a “luxury option” for those who prefer the “junkie lifestyle” in Thailand, it remains a fact that the healthy food lifestyle here, offers far more benefits than any other country could ever provide to human health.

Homemade fresh ingredients gourmet meal

Sexual education for masculine communities

Posted: May 21, 2011 in Arabs & Culture
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Living in the Middle East and the Gulf region for almost 30 years had its effects on me, in the most part it was of course, positive “it led me to where I am now”. Being in different parts of the Arab world does not mean you get the same cultural experience, even though Arab’s share a lot of social traditions, as well as some cultural similarities. It may seem that Saudi Arabia follows a traditional Islamic social and cultural life, where its neighbor “Bahrain”  follows “the exact opposite”, and where Dubai tries to combine both countries social and cultural traditions, Middle Eastern countries such as “Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine share a more “Moderate approach” towards Islamic cultural and social traditions, and where the western culture finds its way more comfortably.

might need a little more than a bandaid !!!

Like any “Man-made” culture and social traditions in this world “oriental, western, or Islamic” it has its negative “as well as positive” effects on our lives, especially if you are trying to enforce another culture that does not belong to the nature of that community. But if done for the sake of “social or political” development should “not” be before implementing the proper studies, preparations and educational strategies for any development on cultural or social changes “If needed” for any kind of reform “social it is or political”. And regardless of the different effects of a more open culture “such as the western culture” on Middle Eastern countries and the Gulf Region. “We” only became successful by absorbing minor social development “Which made us more acceptable to the world, I believe”. But “they” mostly misinterpreted the understanding of other cultures by absorbing “not the negativity” as usually thought, but absorbing the “results” rather that the positive effects of the western culture instead.

With all the differences of each culture or social traditions practiced in the Arab world, one very important practice done by most western cultures and helped them overcome a lot of social problems is “Sex Education”, where it is considered “Taboo” in the Arab world to be discussed or offered to our “already suffering” educational system. We cannot deny its positive impact on the western communities due to its help in preventing sexual diseases, and other social effects that contributed in building a community comfortable dealing with matters that related to the opposite sex from both sides.

                          

To the Arab world “with few exceptions”, Sex education is considered a shameful act, and it is forbidden to include this subject into our schools and educational system. “I was 12 years old”, the subject of “human birth” in Jordanian schools “they didn’t even call it Sex then” took place in one classroom filled with 35 other males “and that was it”, in a country considered more open to foreign cultures. But where a majority of its schools separates males from females in classrooms, and where the same education system “rejoins” them back in Universities “unprepared & uneducated” sexually.

Living in Saudi Arabia “for example”, where teenage students cant talk, share or get educated about “vital changes” in their bodies, emotions or feelings, and then offered a failed educational system that separates what is naturally considered “the other half of community” in the education process and continue the separation policy all the way through their “practical and social life”. “I remember the company I used to work with in Saudi Arabia, not only was I working with another 65 male employees, but you’d never even get a chance to see an actual woman that has a desk job for a change, let alone the frustration from seeing only “black and white” when you go out for dinner or coffee “Which is the only thing you can do over there”, and being seen in public with a female, subjects you to “punishment and jail” as well as “deportation” if you’re not married or related to her directly as “a brother or a father only” . Not only that , but then throw them to a community, where they will have the opportunity to deal with the opposite sex more closely “a formula to encourage sexual harassment one way or another”, creating a generation obsessed and fueled with sexual fantasies, and filled with sexual frustrations, and where “in a desperate attempt” try to satisfy those fantasies, by crossing “King Fahd bridge” connecting Saudi to Bahrain hoping to release all this social and sexual frustration, with the help of Bahrain and Dubai’s “Russian coalition”.

    

Aside from sexual frustrations that is “well advanced in its effects” to the social lives of those communities spread all around the Arab world, the rates of sexually harassed and raped women are increasing rapidly, most of which are not reported due to the “followed shame” women has to bear with, from what is known to be “masculine sexist communities”.

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