Tagged!

I was tagged by Faith and G-chan

*BIG Deja Vu moment*

ok so here are 7 facts about me:

1- I was the super quite student till 8th grade, when I became somehow a troublemaker, and reached my peak on the 11th grade.

2- I never believed in Blackberry devices till I got one (I got it for work purposes)

3- I was very close to get a new 135i a year ago but backed off in the last minute.

4- I love stationary. Like REALLY love stationary.

5- Sometimes (well, most of the time) I become like the character "Monk" from the TV series. I like to see things very well-organized. (sometimes I see a pen opened on my friend's desk and can't stop myself from putting the cover back on).

6- I have a SERIOUS forgetting problem.

7- I switched between 3 jobs in 18 months.

now I tag (Damn everyone is tagged already):
- Amjad
- Muggle
- Lil me
- Toxic


End of blog entry ...

I'm 26

Happy 26 !!! (Warning: post is long and can get boring)

10/03/2010

I have completed 26 years of my life. I am officially closer to 30 than I am to 20 ! (oh wait, that happened last year).

Anyway I thought my last birthday was so special. It was my silver jubilee, I got nice presents, a party at my office, etc ...

to be honest, I didn't make plans for this birthday, I even remembered only 1 week earlier only because my cousin reminded me. However, this birthday was the most special birthday I ever had. That's why I felt it deserves a nice story-like post in my blog.

===================================
11.15 pm: 45 minutes before my birthday, I was tired and was on my bed BBM-ing. like every tiring day, I sleep without noticing.


11.35 pm: I was awaken by My BB classic ringing tone. "Taz. Mustang GT" was displayed on the phone. (I tend to write nicknames for family/friends and in the "company" field, I would insert their car name). and here is how the call went:
me: "Aloooooo" (my typical phone answer for close people)Taz: "assalamu alaikum. Esh inta nayem?!!!!" with a surprising, loud tone he asked. me: "laaaaa wallah ma nayem"
Taz: "Inzain qoom oo inzel ta7t, ana qiddam el bait"
me: "really? ma sama3t 9ot sayyartak"
VROOOOM VROOOOOM *08 Mustang with Bassani Mufflers sound*
Taz: "Sama3t taw???"
me: "yaaaaa ya, taw gai"

I went down in my jalabiyya, shook Taz's hand, he congratulated me and gave me my birthday card/present.

"inside the card are the names of everyone who participated in this, even 7udhaifa did! I'm just the messenger"

"Thanks. it looks really nice. I like the color" looking at the Timberland watch they got me.
I went back to my bed, took a photo of the watch and shared it in the family's BB group. I thanked everyone who participated.

11.45 pm: a call from my colleague.
colleague:"kil 3am wenta b5aaaaaaaaaaair!!! a3raf you only expect calls after midnight bas ta3ban oo feeni noom"
me: "haha la 3adi 7atta ma lazem phone call. wenta b5air oo 3uqbalak"

I was getting REALLY tired and honestly felt like sleeping and keeping my phone on silent. thank god my bros/sister were chatting with me about Blackberries/cars so that took the sleep away.

12.00 am: My brother hands me a bag that has 3 presents: Porsche design cologne, Diesel Watch and a nice Arabic oud. I knew that was my sister's idea since girls are the ones making a big deal out of birthdays. I thanked them all and quickly put my phone on silent.

==============================
5.15 am: I wake up for 9alat al Fajr. After the prayers, I check both my phones and find several BBMs, SMS, emails all between 12.10 am and 12.30 am congratulating me on my birthday. Seems like people think that if you are more than half an hour late, then it's better to send in the morning :P

I went to work wearing the watch my cousins got me. it was a normal day except couple of calls congratulating me.

12.00 pm My ex-colleague calls:
him: "7ayyaaaaaaaaaaak Amarant. kil 3am wenta b5aaair!"
me: "wenta b5aaaaaaair oo 3uqbalak! oops sorry forgot you are 32 already xD"
him: "hewa ya5i shayyabna. Inzain aqool, tara ana ma gebtlak hadiyya, bas since you have a new office, I will take you to pick stationary!"
as funny as it sounded, it was a nice idea.
we went to Al Fikr and started picking stuff. both of us completely forgot it's my birthday and just tried to pick the useful, not fancy, stuff. post-it notes, paper clips, tape, pins, pens stand and a blueberry sanitizer (that was from sultan center though).

1.00 pm: went with couple of friends to RBG grill for lunch. I ordered the lamb shack and my friends ordered burgers. The food there was good!














After lunch my friends gave me the presents: Porsche Design cologne (ANOTHER one! :P), swiss knife, Lens cover, candy and one of my friends got me a certificate saying "Employee of the year" xD I liked how random the presents were ;)

2.00 pm: My friend calls me asking where I am. I told her that I am in RBG and she said she'll be there in 2 minutes. She shows up in a 2010 E90 323i. Don't get excited because that wasn't my present. She got me a test drive for the whole day! =D
This is a perfect example of a gift that is not expensive but very thoughtful. that was probably the best gift I got! I loved the 323i driving. (I didn't even know they bring 323i here in Oman)





5.00 pm: My aunt sends an SMS to all the family inviting us for a BBQ dinner. It's not my birthday dinner but it was nice to have it on the same day.

8.00 pm: After enjoying the 323i driving, I returned it to the dealer and went to my aunt's house. Everyone there congratulated me and almost 90% of the family were asking "ha kaif? mata el zawag?? you are 26 now!" -__-

Nothing special happened after that. The next day I got 2 cakes from Baskin Robin's and the whole family tried them after lunch ;)

Thanks to all who participated in my birthday. It was different and special in many ways. Definitely my best Birthday so far *thumbs up*





End of Blog Entry. . .

Marriage stories Chapter 3: N.S. Al-A: Depression followed by a relief.

The story of NA was one of the most depressing marriage stories (which ended happily) I ever encountered with one of my friends.


NA was a very close friend of mine during my middle years at uni. We were in the same student group, took classes together, car pooled and spent most of the day together. It was easy for me to notice when he started liking one of the girls in our students group. Why wouldn't he like her? She was a smart, pretty girl and they fit in perfectly. You would know that because NA never tried impressing that girl and he was just being himself and she liked him for who he was and vice vera.


Two years after meeting the girl, NA confronted her telling her that he wants her to be more than just a class mate and a friend. He was also completely honest with her and asked her if she has any,,,,,,,,,, what's the word to use here? ummmm "confliction" in her roots? meaning her ancestors were "byaser*" or "5adam*". She assured him that she is not and that it's his right to ask around and check it through friends/family/hometown people. After talking to his parents and they were sure she didn't have any of the mentioned above in her roots, NA called her brother to meet. The meeting went fine, they had a small meal and the brother knew his sister is going to be in good hands.

One day one of NA father's friends was having dinner with them and NA's father asked him about the girl's family. The friend's reply was rather surprising. "Yes! they are Bayaser! everyone knows that! you don't want her for NA!"

Till now I still didn't figure out why would someone do that. Was it envy? hatred? trying to show-off with his tribe knowledge? or just being an ass? Because it was clearly a lie since NA's family have already made a background check on the girl's family. And what was even more surprising was NA father's reaction. He told NA that everything is off and that he can't marry the girl ! NA spent days (and I remember them like they were yesterday) trying to convince his father that he should not just take the words of 1 person against everyone else but his father would not even think about it.


I remember that the days that followed were very tense and I didn't even dare to ask NA about what's going on. One day he called me and I was in a lecture @ uni:

"NA: Amarant come pick me up from home I need to go to the bank.
me: Ummmm NA I am in a lecture. Can I pick you up in an hour?
NA: no I need you to pick me up now. I will tell you about it later.
me: ok I'm on my way."

I excused myself and went straight away to his house. He had a suitcase packed with clothes and important stuff.
"me: "what happened?"
NA: things are bad. They went beyond the marriage problem. I can't stay a single second in this house.
me: ???!!!!!!"

I didn't even dare to ask but I know that his father was doing all sort of stuff to make NA do exactly what he wants him to do. An example was an incident that happened in Uni which made us get interrogated for a whole week but I would rather not mention it here. His father was very influential and that wasn't in NA's advantage.

I went with NA to the bank where he opened a new account so that his family (everyone except his father) could send money to help him.

I can't remember exactly what happened after that except that after living several months on his own, NA was convinced by his family to settle things with his father. He did exactly what his father wanted and married a girl his father picked. I remember he used to tell me how much he hated his wife and how much did she hate him. 3 months after being married they both told each other that they were forced by their parents and NA divorced his wife. This time his father was 100% with NA because he knew it was his mistake and not NA's.



for around a year and a half, NA's idea about marriage was negative. He returned to be the funny guy he used to be but he would also throw comments like "why do you need marriage? enjoy your life, play around as much as you can then get married when you are 40 or something".

Later on, NA became a religious guy, graduated and started working at a big, respectful company. His father job was shifted to somewhere else so he rented out the house and NA had to find a place to stay. He was looking for a small apartment but it was not easy to find a cheap-but-decent one. He was then guided to this old guy who owns a building with an apartment that fits NA's criteria perfectly. That old guy refused to lease him the apartment because he wanted to keep it for his 12 years-old son when he gets married. After a long, tiring discussion the old guy agreed to lease the apartment to NA with a promise from NA that he would: 1. help the son in his studies. 2. Help the old man manage the building and 3. move out from the apartment when the son turns 20 (in 8 years). Two months after that, NA asked for the old man daughter's hands. I remember him calling me and saying: "I found a lady that is perfect for me: religious, educated and mature".


NA has been happily married for around 3 years now and has a 1 year-old son =)


I always wonder: what happened to the uni girl? The last time I spoke to NA he told me this: "What my father did was unfair but i was able to move on and live happily. I hope it's the same with her"


*Bayaser: People who used to be owned by someone else.
*5adam: Slaves

End Of Blog Entry.

Restaurant review: Darcy's Kitchen

Restaurant reviews are sponsored by: Omanternity

Darcy’s kitchen is a unique type of restaurants. There are no other similar places in Oman. It has its own style and way. It is also a nice place to have breakfast. The atmosphere is cozy and the interior design makes you feel like you are in a house rather than a restaurant (specially the one in MQ). The waiters are friendly and they always serve with a smile. This is the favorite dining place for many foreigners, and sometimes you would be surprised to see it filled with them on a weekday afternoon.



====================
Food:
Food served at Darcy’s varies from simple salads to burgers and specially-cooked steaks. They have a wide range of side dishes, soups and starters. Last time I ordered a chicken breast with some white sauce on it (forgot the name of the meal). My friend ordered his favorite “Beef Hanooni sandwich”. I honestly liked the beef hanooni more (and no, it’s not because the other side is always greener). Both meals cost around 7 rials, which isn’t bad for a place like darcy’s.




====================
Location:
Jawharat Al Shatti, MQ (next to Al Fair).

====================
Type:
Continental Food

====================
Price Range:
3 – 4 Rials


End of blog entry...

Marriage stories – Chapter 2: the young shock!

A. S. Al-W (let’s call him AW):

AW was one of my friends in school (G11 and G12 to be more precise). He was the funny kind that has a strong personality. He was also a troublemaker. Ok this doesn’t give him justice. He was ONE HELL OF A TROUBLEMAKER. Other than: alcohol, drugs and women, AW has been in every bad situation you can imagine. The only teachers that were able to stand him were his personal tutors. he was more like the Omani version of Bart Simpson. I don’t even want to mention the troubles he made me go through =P

Let’s say his grades were a little bit below-average. He graduated with a grade that won’t grant him a scholarship even in a small local collage. Not that he was interested anyway. He started working right after he graduated.

Around 3-4 months after we graduated from grade 12, I got an SMS from AW: “Yusharrifuni da3watukum le7u’9oor 3aqd qirani etc etc” (it’s an honor for me to invite you to my wedding etc etc).

Wth ?? Is he kidding?? AW was the last person I expect to get married! So I sent him a reply asking: “You’re joking right?” and he replied: “laaaa wallah ma galis amza7!” (noo I swear I’m not joking!)

So I figured it must be one of his relatives and they are the kind that are hooked to their cousins since they were born.

I went to the malka with my school mates. When the Sheikh mentioned the girl’s name, it was a different last name than his. “Okay, maybe she’s a cousin with a different last name” I thought to myself.

I couldn’t stop myself from going to his best friend (who is also his neighbor) and asking him if she was related to him. I got a reply I never expected: “No, she’s not related to him. It’s not even an arranged marriage. He met her at work”

I cannot describe to you readers how surprised I was that moment. AW was the kind you would expect to get married when he reaches 30 or 28 if he was in a rush. It seems that the forces of love were strong enough to speed the process and he got married when he was 18. I know I know, it sounds cheesy but seriously that is what I was thinking about that night.

I met AW few months ago in a high school reunion. He has a really beautiful 2-years old daughter mashallah. Too adorable to be the daughter of this trouble maker =P

End of blog entry…

Volvo XC90 review

sooooooo a new series I'm starting: Car reviews.

all car reviews are sponsored by: Omanternity.com


Volvo is respected car manufacturer, once crowned as the “World’s Safest Car”, offers a variety of multi-use cars, well-known to have innovative interior designs, and world-class engines. However, Volvo unfortunately is underrated here in Oman; nobody really knows the car unless they buy one.
In Arabic there is a famous proverb that says: “Rubba Dharaten nafi’a”, which means “Some bad stuff lead to other good stuff”. This proverb explains how I got the opportunity to drive the amazing XC90, which was a courtesy car we got when our LR3 had some air-suspension problems. I would say that this test drive was like a blind date. I never knew the girl I was going to go out with, but some of my friends said good things about her.

====================================================================

Looks:



Okay, so we are off to a bad start. The car didn’t really give a good 1st impression with its looks. It Looks like a stretched up Volvo sedan that got a jeep suspension. In my opinion, the only thing I liked about the exterior were some of the nice rims options the car had.

====================================================================

Interior:



WAIT! Before getting into the car, the moment you open the door, you understand why this car is rated as one of the safest cars in the world. The door is so heavy (yet so smooth when opened).
Getting inside the car gives you a whole new perspective about the car. It’s like its making up for the messed up 1st date. The materials used feel so elegant, the buttons and switches are organized well so that the driver has no problem using them. The gauges are stylish and practical. You can’t argue that Volvo spends time designing their interiors.

====================================================================

Driving:


Now this is the 3rd date. In most of my test drive, I test how the car goes when you floor its paddles badly. How fast can it go? How does it handles at high speeds? How good are the brakes?
For some reason I still don’t know, I didn’t do that with the XC90, I just wanted to drive slowly and cruise around the quite area of Shatti (in the afternoon). Maybe the remarkably calm cabin was it. I switched on the radio and “breathe” by Angels & Airwaves was playing, a perfect song for my quite/calm mood. I left the quite area and headed to the empty highway. I drove at normal speed on the highway for some time, enough time for me to know that car is going to be a good partner in long trips. As I was on my way back on the highway, the radio started playing “Breath” by Breaking Benjamin (a totally different song but the names are very close) (bas tashabuh asmaía). As the song progressed, I couldn’t keep my foot off the acceleration paddle, till I reached a point where I NEEDED to floor the car. I switched to manual mode on the tiptronic gear box, shifted to 2nd gear, and floored it. Now I don’t know if the song had its affect on the car, but the massive torque surprised me, and before waking up, the car hit the rev limiter. I changed to 3rd and the car literally throws my head on the headrest. I honestly didn’t expect a big, heavy SUV to perform like that. The acceleration is pretty amazing, and it gets better at higher speeds. The brakes also perform really great and the car doesn’t throw you on the steering wheel in hard stops.
Now we all know that SUV cars like this, the X5, the Cayenne are not real off-roaders, but wont harm to try out the Volvo in the dunes (wouldn’t do it if it was my car though). The car didn’t really make it to the places where the Jeeps and the land rovers did, but it went high enough because of the torque it has. So yeah, it is true when people say that things get crazy on the 3rd date.

====================================================================

Specifications:

Engine Type: 4.4L V8

Power: 311 Horsepower @ 5850 RPM

Torque: 325 @ 3900 RPM

Transmission Type: Tiptronic

0-100 kmph in: 7.3 seconds (estimated)

Average fuel consumption:

-City: 16.3 L/100 km

-Highway: 10.7 L/100 km

Weight: 2389 kg.

====================================================================

Pros:



- The driving is amazing and smooth; you really don’t feel like you’re driving a 2+ tons car.
- The power and torque is way over what I expected, mind you this car is heavier than other cars in its category.
- The sound system is great and clear, 6 CD changer, steering wheel control.
- The interior is a Volvo interior, enough said.
- It’s a sleeper (not so many people know its power).

====================================================================

Cons:


- The design isn’t that good, that’s my opinion at least.
- Heavy weight.
- When using the tiptronic, the car doesn’t change gears before red line, it revs.
- The response of the manual mode in the tiptronic is slow; you have to change the gear about 1.5 seconds before you want the car to shift.
- Mirrors don’t tilt downwards when you’re in reverse.

====================================================================

Verdict:

The XC90 is a family-friendly SUV with a comfortable interior, adequate performance and an excellent safety record.

====================================================================

List of kills:

- Nissan Armada.
- GMC YUKON.
- Infiniti FX35.

We did some accelerating videos as well:

Volvo XC90 from 20 – 130 KM/H.

Volvo XC90 from 40 – 170 KM/H.

Volvo XC90 from 130/210 KM/H.

End of blog entry...

Marriage stories – Chapter 1:

Ok I know this post sounds like a typical girl's post, but honestly I find it interesting how each one of my friends has his own marriage story. I will try to write a story or 2 in each post (hopefully). Don’t hate me if I write this one then stop =P

Friend one: A. T. Al-H:

A.T. loved a girl who was with him in collage so much that he proposed when he was in his 3rd year! Off course the girl's family asked him to wait till the girl graduates then propose again.

A year later, the girl's father passed away (Allah yra7moh). In his well, he mentioned that he wants his daughter to marry her cousin. The girl felt torn between her family and the man she loves. She couldn’t go against her family and chose her cousin. A.T. was devastated but respected the girl’s choice.

During the last 2 years in collage, A.T. came across many girls inside and outside collage, but none of them was even close to his lost love. Till one day, he participated in this exhibition arranged by the university. He was struck by this girl he worked with. Beautiful, sweet but have a strong personality and ambitious. Knowing that she and his cousin study in the same department, he started his investigation. She turns out to be the girl of his dreams. He liked everything about her, and she was a far relative. He told his parents and they promised him to think about it and proceed with it later on.

I met A.T. on his graduation day. His father was there to attend and we had this small conversation:

- Me: Assalamu Alaikum Abu Salim. Kaif el 7al? esh el a5bar? 6aybeen? Etc.
(Hi Abu Salim. How are you? Hope you are great, etc)

- The father: al7amdulilah, ma nishki baas, ma shay 3loom min 9obkum?
(replying to my questions and asking me the same)

- Me: el laila lailet A.T. mashallah 5ireej. 3uqbal el zoga el 9al7a.
(tonight is A.T’s night. He is a graduate. Next thing he gets a good wife).

- The father: inshallah. A. hadiyyat ta5arrujak fil bait. La tit2a5ar
(If Allah wishes.*Turns to his son* A, your graduation gift is at home. Don’t be late)

- A.T: Inshallah Aboy (Ok Father).


2 days later, A.T. Called me and told me that his wedding gift was that his family were all prepared to go to his fiancé-to-be family’s house to ask for her hand the day after he graduated =D

He is now happily married and have a 1 year-old son ;)

Next are the marriage stories of:
- A.S. Al-W: the young shock!
- N.S. Al-A: Depression followed by a relief.
- K.S. Al-H: typical.
- T.S. Al-A: persistence.


End of Blog entry.