Captain Awesome

Its been a while since I posted anything. I feel vaguely bad about that, but so not in the mood to rectify the matter. For now I'll leave you ppl with a picture of my new kitten, Captain Awesome. (The monkey off to the side is his - I think I'm going to name it too... O'malley. )

The Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all of his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind 's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'




Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present .'

I didnt write this. It was a fwd in my email and I thought I ought to share ;) I hope you guys enjoyed reading it =)

Break Time...

I so totally know how the poor bot feels....

Little Annie

That's the nickname H had given to our stepbrother Anas. It's pretty funny, he hates to be called little annie but the name kinda stuck and it totally suits him. One day I asked him if he'd prefer I called him 'big annie'. "AWINAAAAAA" was the reply I got from him. He then informed me that he's little and not 'big'.. He couldn't have spoken more of the truth. He's 3 years old and seriously an original midget. He can go home and we not see him for months and then when you finally see him again you'd expect that he grew considerably but that is never the case - not even an inch. The only thing that grows on the kid is his hair. That stuff is way outta control when it grows. Sticks up in every which way.

This pic was snapped during one of his 'tamer' moments. I think he was 2 years old in the pic. He's pretty much a good kid despite his foul mouth at times but even then he only unleashes it on those who annoy him so I guess he's entitled to that.

Last week I was teaching him how to play cards. He was picking up pretty quick mashalla. Sometimes I have second thoughts about that though, especially when he brings them when I'd rather be doing something else - who can say 'no' to such a cute midget? One of the times while we were playing cards he told me he 'likes' me. Lol I guess that was pretty obvious considering the moment he opens his eyes in the morning he comes looking for me. He usually eats breakfast with me as well. Yesterday I had been gone for most of the day and had left before he woke up. When I came back he asked me to take him out. So I took him out and brought him two of his favorite cartoon characters.. Tom & Jerry. Serious plus points for me lol. He walks around clutching them tightly. Super KAWAIII!! It's seriously cute when he speaks. He's yet to learn the difference between languages and uses both english and arabic words. Like one day we were playing with this colored string. I picked up one and told him it was green. He got so indignant and corrected me saying: "LAAAA hai akhdar!" I said ok, the next string I picked up was a black one so I was like "Uh this one is aswad." He gave me a look that seemed to say I was such a hopeless case. He grabbed the string, pointed to it and said it was "BLACK". Lol talk about confusion. I found out that anything he knows in arabic he doesn't know the english for it and vice versa. So like when he says "sayara" he has no idea that it's called a "car" and will argue you down if you try to tell him it has another name. He's a pretty funny kid. He's the only thing I actually miss when I'm not in AD.

Pixar Tennis Commercial

=)

Remember when we used to do this? ;P

A Perfect Response to an Imperfect Storm

So today the management presentations began..or rather I should say "the heat was turned on under every groups' bottoms.

The first group to present calls themselves "The Tornadoes" and I'd have to concede, true to their name, they really blew us away. Their presentation was on a case study about Symantec, the anti virus company. They turned their whole presentation into a 20 minute live play. I found it hilarious, as did most of the class, when in one of the scenes they had some sort of sparkling firecrackers. They were pretending to be viruses while another girl chased them around with a spray bottle of water labelled "anti-virus". Really creative. What followed though was what we found hilarious: The girl chased the other two girls out the classroom door with the sparklers still flaring (the sparks where harmless I assume, but they still gave off smoke) the smoke reached the fire detectors outside the classroom doors and set them off (come to think of it, I wonder why the sprinkler system didn't kick in and flood us all... alhamdilla though cuz our laptops and phones would have gotten all wet!)

In the end of The Tornadoes' presentation they gave out these cute boxes of chocolate (as if to smack us all in the faces and say "HA! Top that dears!")

Cute, yeah? The next presentation was presented by the M's Group (all four girls' names in that group begin with M) and was about how a home improvement company (like home depot or Ace Hardware) handled things after being hit by Hurricane Katrina. It was also well done. They made the presentation like an interview (in the style of Oprah or David Letterman's late night show). One girl took the role of the host, and the other played the manager of the Home improvement company. They also handed out chocolate (Galaxy) at the end of the presentation. The professor was really impressed. He said if he didn't know he was in UoS he would have thought he was watching presentations done by Harvard students.

And so it remains, those of us who have yet to present had best come up with something to at least rival the first two groups... [sighs]

Innocence Lost..

As soon as I got home today from uni, I went straight for the shop downstairs. The door was glass (hmm is there any shop door that isn’t glass..) and when I went to leave I noticed a small boy about 3 or 4 years old standing on the outside of the door. This is like the stupidest door cuz to go in u have to pull it outside towards you. Poor kid couldn’t reach the door handle so he just stood there, he probably knocked on the door but no one had taken note. He had cute innocent looking eyes mashalla. They appeared to shine when he realized the door was finally going to be opened. Made me feel nostalgic. When we were kids everything was simple. An innocent world where our parents were the biggest heroes who would protect us from everything, including the silly things we’d imagine would come out from our closets, under our beds or from what I remember vividly; a stain in the wall which my older sister had told me the boogieman would come out from at night if I wasn’t asleep. A world where wars and tragedies was something we might have heard the grown ups talking about but didn’t understand. Nothing much outside of our houses and families mattered or had any importance. Others were either friends or just people you never noticed and friends were friends we’d never fathom would one day not be our friends or would go away or die – those things just were beyond the realm of understanding in that time of innocence. It’s almost worthy of envy how free of the headache inducing complex situations and stress they are immune to.

I’m really not in the mood to post and it’d be fitting if I stop here before I end up b****ing about today and everything else that’s wrong with this screwed over world.

Warning, eyes may melt from the extreme cuteness to follow...

Here are the pics of my friend's kitten.. The first 3 pics I took back in April when she first found the kitten. The last two I took last night. I love that cat's eyes! In the last pic I got a really good shot of them. Her eyes are wide like that, as if she is really surprised or something but they remain like that all the time so kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. And I won't even start about her extra soft fur! Subhan allah alKhalaq.

Lol, I remember back in April when I went over to go see the kitten I picked her up and she immediately pissed on me. I had to go back to uni too but had to first wait for my things to wash and dry! This time she was really playful and bit me with her cute little teeth...

I suddenly really want a cat again, but I don't want the responsibilty =C

Cupcakes anyone?

I have alot of time to kill at the moment.. I don't have a class till 11:00. It's really boring using the net when no one is online!

Check out this blog, it's really interesting in a cupcake sorta way lol.

Yesterday I unexpectedly found myself with the car and the sudden urge to play PS2. So at 9:00pm I stopped off at Baskin Robin, picked up some sherbert for my friend and drove out to her house (she lives out past shj uni across from the horse club, I'd say 3 or 4 miles from the Ladies Club where I was) I took the airport road (which is really more like a highway) and was really surprised to see they finally realized that the "written" speed limit should be 120 kph (140 is the max you can now do when the limit is 120 without getting a ticket) on that road. Of course that one lone sign only appears after interchange 5 so technically the speed for the rest of the road before that is 100 (means u can do 120 without getting a ticket).

The lights were off in most of her house and her room was completely dark except for the light coming from the TV. It was really relaxing playing PS in the dark. She has tons of games and though there was already something in the PS (when I walked in the room the game intro was playing) I couldn't decide what to play. In the end I asked her what was the game that was playing. She said it was Kingdom Hearts (or is it Heart, no "s"?). I think she said it's a disney meets Final Fantasy game. It looked interesting so I played. Unfortunately I didn't have much time to stay cuz I knew it wouldn't be long before mother would start calling and I couldn't exactly say I was there cuz mother would have 10 cows and a goat if she knew.

My friend has this really cute cat. I remember when she found it last semester and called me over from uni to see it. I have pics of it when it was a kitten..actually it still is a kitten just bigger than when I first saw it. I also snapped some pics of it last night. I'll upload them when I go home inshalla.

I guess maybe I can take this time to do my IT homework....

Kawai kawai kawai!!!!!

O_O Forget wolves! I want a sand cat! T_T

Let's Be Friends

I LOVE IT! Great blog with a great idea... capture those moments that one usually witnesses but never has a camera handy to snap and save as proof. I'm going right now to add it to my links list over there =D.... there was something else I was supposed add over there hmmmm.

Mother & Kitten

Is that kitten not adorable?! Her mother was abandoned in our yard by her mother when she was a kitten. At first we just fed the kitten thinking the mother would come back and take her. Once the mother found that we were taking care of her kitten she took off. Never really looked back either. A couple of weeks ago she came around and the kitten by that time who was no longer a kitten and pregnant with her own, didn't recognize her so she hissed and carried on till she ran her mother off. Anywayz, she finally delivered like 2 weeks ago. She had 3 but two of them were still-borns. My bro has layed claim on mother and kitten and I think till now neither has a name...

Randomness

Here are some random news articles I came across while reading the news.

Guardians of Pizza and Pasta Attack

Camel Pageant

"Guardians of culinary standards in Italy have accused restaurateurs abroad of being responsible for the "barbaric" interpretation of the nation's dishes."

I was laughing out loud at that last bit about the barbaric interpretation. Lol if they could see my Fettuccini or homemade pizza they'd probably go borrow a katana and commit seppuku!

Now that my first book is done (3/4s edited too) I’m feeling anxious to write another. The desire is there but the time and actual 'will to' aren’t. Actually I’ll have plenty of time after the finals. I finish the end of May inshalla. I guess whats really stopping me is the will. Maybe that’s not the correct word for it. I somehow got it in my head that I wanna write something amazing. Amazing without having to resort to obscenity or anything objectable – is that even possible these days?? I had that intention in mind when I wrote POA. My sister made a biting comment about it in less than half a breath and now I feel a bit squirm-ish about writing anything else.

Aside from that there are about a million and one ideas for new stories that I could write, I’d probably give them a try but don’t wanna use any of the usual modes of writing. I want something new, something unique of my own creation. In Language Practice we are exploring modes of writing and it’s various styles. Ironically we’re only looking at the modes and styles of articles not novels or creative writings.

(I did title this post “randomness”. That should have been warning enough to u guys that I’d be subject jumping…)

I so wanna go back to the art institute this summer. I wanna complete all of the calligraphy styles and learn some border new designs. I had intended to go last summer but unforeseen happenings came along and snatched the chance away from me.

I wanna play video games.. lots and lots of them. And then write about them. I was looking at a new PS2/3 game called “God of War II”. Looks interesting. I want to start a visual entertainment club at school. We’d play video games, watch anime (or movies and shows in other’s cases), create new games (I wanna take online game developing and engineering courses) keep a monthly entertainment newsletter in which all the members would be required to write reviews and things about anime, video games etc...

All the uni would need is a decent tennis court and team and khalas I’d officially move in =D

This semester is really nearly done. I wonder if it’s too late to try and propose such a thing?

Can't Stand it Anymore

The last two pics are painstakingly similar to my (former) cat Bu6i. The only difference between them and Bu6i was that Bu6i had a cataract in his left eye.

I really can’t stand it anymore. I must get a cat. Sure mother will breathe fire but let her. I’ll tell her a cat is an essential must for my mental health. I doubt she’ll care though. She’d look me in the eye and throw the cat in the street. Seriously speaking I was way less stressed when Jassim and Bu6i were around – though before them I was quite close with my pillow, in the end even though a pillow is a good listener u pour ur heart out and in the end u only have a soggy wet pillow. Some how I never really felt much better.

I really didn’t think I’d ever get over Jassim’s death. He was my BEST FRIEND. Even though he was a cat and all there were times when he seemed so “human” it was scary. He went everywhere with me, to my friend’s house, to my cousins house, to the store, to my student (actually this student was the one that gave me Jassim, it tickled him pink that I was so attached to the gift he gave me) heck he even went to school with me. I used to put him in a shoe box and stroke him discreetly under my desk. Once I forgot to bring him food, he got hungry and decided to go search for some food himself – in my classmates’ bags. They screamed their bloody heads off even though later they all admitted Jassim was super cute – I mean come on who wouldn’t think a fluffy ball of white and brown fur with blue eyes wasn’t cute?

There were times that I got him angry at me and he’d show his displeasure, like the time I was trying to study and he wanted to play (he was still a kitten back then and ALWAYS wanted to play) I got frustrated at his repeated attempts and sprayed him with water. He retreated to a corner and shook himself dry. I didn’t realize how angry he was till he was approaching me slowly with his head cocked to one side. His eyes were angry! He took a flying leap and sunk his teeth into my hand. I tried smacking him away but he bit harder. It hurt like hell and he didn’t let up till I stroked his head and promised to play with him. I doubt he understood the promise but he got the general idea that I was apologizing and released my hand. The only other time that he got really really angry at me (didn’t forgive me for days) was when I went to Kuwait for two weeks. My brother and I went to go visit our sister. Everyone else was home. They told me every day Jassim would go search my room calling and calling and then he’d search the rest of the house. They said after a few days his calls became whines and he whined all day and all night. Finally he started sleeping with mother – even though he still continued to whine during the night. One night mother said she told him to keep quiet otherwise she was going to throw him outside. She said surprisingly he kept quiet that night. I called a few days before we returned and asked my brother there to put the cell phone to Jassim’s ear so I could talk to him. I talked for a few minutes and he whined back. My brother said his eyes were searching the room and after I got off the phone he went straight for my room in hopes of finding me. When I finally did get back Jassim was sitting on top of the front gate. I called to him. He looked down at me with a look of disgust (seriously it was a pure look of disgust) he refused to come near me for days. I was really surprised. If someone had told me before that cats could hold grudges like that I would have thought they were lying.

Despite the times when I pissed him off, Jassim was always there for me. Whenever I was down he would sense it and keep my company. One 3ed I was really sick, hadn’t gotten out of bed for days. Jassim stayed with me almost that whole time. I remember that day my folks made breakfast and it smelled really good. Jassim ran off to go eat with them I suppose but they wouldn’t let him. He was only allowed to eat with them if I was there cuz he’d sit by me and I’d sneak him scraps. I thought he would have come back after he wasn’t allowed to eat with them but he didn’t. I dozed and was awoken by Jassim. He had brought in a dead bird and dropped it by my bed. He never ate meat of any kind unless it was cooked and seasoned – but I’m quite sure he got that bird expecting I’d eat it and feel better. I really appreciated that thought but I sure didn’t wanna see a dead bird in my room, right there beside my bed no less!

I had Jassim for 2 years and a half.. maybe 3/4s. I had raised him from when he was a kitten. I wasn’t ready for him to go. Some times when I think back on it I realize his death was partly my fault. He died from an infected cut. He loved to go outside and hang out with the street cats whenever he’d go out for the bathroom. One day he came in with a cut on his chest. It was really tiny, a puncture wound they call it. I figured it was ok I’d just wash it up for him. A couple of days later it turned into a lump. I had no idea about any of that. I didn’t even know that those lumps come from infection. Over a month or two the lump would come and go. One day that lump just opened and oozed out disgusting stuff. Jassim stopped eating. He barely moved around. That’s when I realized maybe I should take him to the vet. I took him and the doc gave him two shots and said he’d be fine but bring him back in a couple of days for 2 more shots. Over those couple of days Jassim didn’t look “fine” as the doc had said he was. The day I was supposed to take him back to the doc he looked really sick. He was drinking lots of water but refused to eat. He would only walk two steps before collapsing on the floor and resting for a while before moving two steps more. It tore me to watch. It was evening time when I was supposed to take him back to the doc. It was before I got my license here so I couldn’t drive myself. Mother said she was too tired to drive. So my brother and I went out to get a taxi with Jassim in a box. We waited forever for a taxi, they would stop but when we said where we were going they all refused saying there was too much traffic in that area. We waited and waited until it got so late that the vet was closed. We never got a taxi and had to go back home. I felt so bad for Jassim he looked really sick and just tossed and turned in the box. I stroked him most of the night apologizing for not being able to take him to the doc. The later it got the less Jassim turned. I prayed that he wouldn’t die. Prayed really hard. Guess it was too little too late. I couldn’t bear watching him anymore. A part of me knew he was dying but I kept denying it to myself. I moved the box with him in it into the hall. I went off and sat in the living room beside the hall. Every so often I could still hear him toss and turn slowly in the box. I fell asleep praying he wouldn’t die.

In the morning I could feel alarm setting into my dream – I remember dreaming that night but I don’t remember about what. One of my brothers came in and said Jassim was dead – stiff and dead. I couldn’t look at him. I told my brother to put him and the box outside. My brother not knowing what to do put the box outside but didn’t bury him. For two days that box greeted me as I came and left the house. On the second day after I came home from school I forced myself to look inside. It hurt more than any pain I’d ever felt before. He had died with his eyes open. His eyes that were once an amazing shade of sparkling blue were now murky… and empty. I wanted to throw up. I closed the box and went directly to my room. I cried for the first time in two days since he had died. The next day my students Ali and AbdulAziz came over, they had a test or something to study for I don’t really remember clearly I was totally out of it. They kept asking me what was wrong. I knew if I told them I’d cry again. That was definitely the last thing I needed, to cry in front of them, their sister, mother and the boy who gave Jassim to me (he was there also but by that time my mother had taken over teaching him). When I left the living room on the pretext of retrieving something I think mother or one of my brothers told them cuz they were really quiet when I came back. Finally Ali, Abdul Aziz, Rashid (the boy who gave me Jassim, that was his name) and my two youngest brothers decided Jaasim needed a proper funeral (Ali and Aziz both knew Jassim and liked him as much as the rest of my brothers). The five of them went out, picked a suitable place, dug a grave and buried Jassim and the shoe box. I’m not sure what rituals they performed out there but they looked very self satisfied as they marched back inside and informed me that they had taken care of business. They were all very solemn about it.

In the weeks that followed Rashid kept asking me and mother if I wanted a new cat to replace Jassim. I refused him front, left and center. In the end he got me another cat, kitten actually. My brothers pulled him out of the box for me. God, he was a cute ball of cappuccino colored fur! I forced myself to refuse him. I left him sitting in the living room. A few times I went in to peak at him and see if he needed the bathroom cuz mother would have gone ballistic if it had an accident on the sofas. He looked hungry, scared and hungry. Poor guy, somebody had just thrown him a piece of brown bread. I stroked him a bit, his fur was SO soft. He was a purer breed of Siamese than Jassim was and had full Siamese markings. Damn what had Rashid paid for this new kitten. He really wanted me to cheer up. After visiting with the ‘new’ kitten a couple of times a week in the living room it started to follow me around. Every where I went he was always there right behind my feet. I once purposely walked around in circles in the living room and he followed me till I stopped. Dammit! How the hell am I supposed to reject something this adorable?! The answer was I simply couldn’t. By the end of that week he was sleeping in my bed with me cuddling up at the foot by my feet. When I sat at the computer he wanted to be in my lap. He’d cuddle in my lap for hours as I sat in front of the computer. LOL I think BW remembers that time, it was her freshman year in uni and she’d come online during class time and hear me complain about how I wanted to refuse this cute kitten but couldn’t. I remember thoroughly grossing her out when I informed her that Mr. Cute Kitten went and threw up all over my feet one morning as he was cuddled up down there on my bed.

He didn’t get a name till way later. My brothers had a friend and their friend had a little brother named Bu6i. The name sounded cute so I decided I’d name him that. When asked, BW seemed to like the name as well and that settled it. Bu6i never was as smart as Jassim but he was unique in his own way. After learning my lesson with Jassim I took a lot better care of Bu6i. Took him to the vet at the slightest sign of illness. He got into a fight outside with the cats one day and ended up with a “lump” a few days later. I took him straight to the vet. Vet cleaned him up good gave him a few shots. (Bu6i hated the vet with a passion. A few times when I took him and the doctor had to stitch him up after a fight or give him shots he would cry and u’d see tears streaming down his face. The doc thought that was hilarious.. It drove me insane that the doc could laugh at poor Bu6i like that.)

Taking care of Bu6i gave me something to get my mind off of Jassim, even though I still thought about him sometimes the pain was less.

Bu6i didn’t die though, he was stolen. He had an infatuation with the “great outdoors” beyond our gate and any chance he got to run out of the gate when some one left it open he took. One night my brother walked in and left the gate cracked. Bu6i knew how to open the gate the rest of the way, enough to squeeze out, with his paw. I searched and searched for him the next morning when I realized he wasn’t in the house. He had disappeared a few weeks before that and a neighbor bought him back scowling and dirty. He had been missing for around 5 days or so that time. This time I waited and waited.. 5 days passed… 5 weeks passed.

A boy that lives across the street from us claims his aunt saw Bu6i and took him back to Pakistan with her. I’m not sure whether that was the truth or not. It’s been over 5 months now. Way over. I still keep an eye out for him. I wonder if I ever do see him again would he recognize me?

The Cute, The Furry and The Intensely Adorable

I decided to share a couple of really cute animal pics I have (strictly for Kath's viewing pleasure - though the rest of u guys can feel free to melt ur eyes staring at such beauty... Subhan Allah alKhalaq.)

This guy reminds me of a kitten version of my beloved Bu6i... I miss him!

I had a bunny (lol thanx to a certain person for correcting me on my calling it a 'baby rabbit') that looked like this one only he had splashes of black on him. I had named him Saloom.

Cute!

Some one obviously had too much time on their hands, lol.

Poor sleepy head...

A hamster.....?

Looks soft....bet he bites =P

Kawaii =)

KAWAII KAWAII !

Sharing is caring ;)

It's a mouse...no comment...

Another mouse I think.. But even I can admit he is SUPER CUTE!

HAiYA!

"Don't make me get off of this rock and slap u guys!"

"Oh snap, he's going to get off that rock for them.. this I gotta see!"

Priceless pic ^_^

Invasion of the Ferret

Cute little devil isn't she? It's a ferret named Cleo...

Some how I had no idea ferrets could be cute creatures.

kawaii, KAWAII!!!!

Are these guys not just A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! Mashallah 3layhum, my eyes are melting at the sight of them.....

Kawaiiiiiii!

Tamaki as a baby: KAWAIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry guys..I've fallen madly in love with an anime baby. Lol, notice the look on the teddy bear's face.

This pic is from ep 25, I love the storyline of this ep. Haven't finished watching yet and it's right at the middle.. Maybe I'll watch the final ep while I'm at it and then pass my final verdict -which I predict will be good, unless the writers are feeling suicidal.