SoulSearch

1001 Inventions and The Library of Secrets - starring Sir Ben Kingsley a...

2010-10-28T22:00:00.000+03:00

2009-09-04T01:29:00.005+03:00

Dust ... *cough* ... *cough* ...

Spider webs!

Its been really long since I've posted anything on my blog ... Its been a hectic year really ...

Let me start by wishing you all "Ramadan Kareem" (better late than never, right?)

Secondly, work has sucked the life out of me ... plus 3 children to take care of can be quite a handful too! But its worth it to see them happy & healthy!!!

So what's the latest on the Bahraini blogosphere? Any major happenings I might have missed other than the genius decisions of blocking Google Translator?

I hope all's well and that all my dear readers are happy and healthy.

Love

Soul

Good Bye MJ

2009-06-30T22:15:00.001+03:00

The 80s would have never been the same without you...
We grew up listening to your amazing songs...

Good bye MJ

Fairuz A best song

2009-05-19T08:37:00.001+03:00

In memory of my beloved dad.
Ra7mat Allah 3laik Baba
I love you...

Israel - A Nation of Thiefs

2008-12-31T11:13:00.003+03:00

What do you do when you are surrounded by a nation of thiefs who's only objective in life is to steal as much land as possible by any means (be it massacaring a million and a half people for example).

That is the essence of the country that calls itself Israel. It is nothing but a country founded on a bunch of lies, and is now doing everything in its power (as supplied by the US of A of course) to defend those lies and to destroy anyone that claims (rightly) any right to live.

It disgusts me to hear that the "emergency" meeting of the Arabs (mashalla 3laihoum) will only be held on friday, after a few more hundred innocent Palestinians inlcuding children of course will be massacred by America's spoilt little baby.

The Israeli killing machine will not stop until it takes over the entire region and muffles out the voices of the rightful owners of the land that they have stolen.

SAVE GAZA

Search your Soul

Remember the Gazans today...

We are all Gazans during this difficult times.

Peace to Palestine

SoulSearch

Gaza Under Siege

2008-11-23T08:45:00.001+03:00

From The Palestinian Cultural Club

ظلام دامس عاد ليغطي مدينة غزة بعد منع قوات الاحتلال من إدخال الوقود اللازم لتشغيل محطة توليد الكهرباء و

إغلاقه جميع المعابر المنفذة لغزة.

لحظات تمر على هذه المدينة بلا كهرباء... بلا ماء... بلا طعام... بلا أدنى مقومات الحياة.

أطفال غزة يستغيثون و أقل ما يمكننا فعله هو الدعاء، لفك الحصار القاتل عن أهل غزة، و إنقاذهم مما هم فيهم من معاناة. لكم الله يا أهل غزة...
!! فلنذكرهم إخوتي عندما نجلس في كنف الراحة والضوء والرفاهية، وعندما نشبع كل يوم ثلاث مرات

اللهم ضاقت الآمال وأنت الرجاء.

Life Disintegrating

2008-11-20T13:27:00.003+03:00

What do I do when I miss you? How do I come to terms with your sudden death. I really need to talk to you baba. I miss you so much it hurts.
I still have your phone on my speed dial. But you are no longer there to answer my calls.
Wish I could reach out and talk to you somewhere.

On the 40th day, I had a dream. So vivid, I thought it was real.
I felt like you were really there talking to me. You were sitting on the floor, I was at your side facing you. You talked about "Jama3at AlQuran ElKareem" I was full of tears.
You were wearing a green shirt, and smiling.

You said: "Didn't you ask to see me?, that's why I came"
I cried a river for you. I cry a lifetime.

You said: "Didn't you want Seif to sit on my lap, that's why I came"

And I then saw my son Seif sitting on my lap.

Was this dream just wishful thinking? Was a message to tell me you are ok, you are happy? What was the significance of the green shirt? Was it a symbol of you in heaven?

All these thoughts keep swirling around in my head.

Is it just wishful thinking?

Love you dad. Miss you forever.

Love,
Soul

The Concept of Death...Baba you're gone

2008-10-14T09:44:00.002+03:00

Silent Screams. Tearing through my head.

I can't come to terms with your death.

It was too sudden.

Too fast.

I don't understand the concept.

It makes no sense.

Life goes on.

Despondency fills my head.

Thoughts of gloom so great, I feel numb.

Two weeks have passed since you have gone, and I still remember the explosion in my head when I was told. In that cold hospital room, and the screams of my mother, and the screams of my brothers, and the ensuing despair. Eating at my soul.

I miss you. The warmth of your embrace, your kindness, your love, your dedication, your infinite selflessness.
I love you baba. I still can't understand why you're gone. Its a jolt of utter misery.

I love you. I will always miss you.

Ra7mat Allah 3laik.

Baba

2008-10-06T14:05:00.007+03:00

Death. So Final. So Total. So Painful. Especially when death chooses my dear dear father.

I miss him in the morning most. I don't know why. I just loved to see him in the morning, sipping his turkish coffee and smoking his cigarette.

It was the 25th of Spetember, 2008, the 25th of Ramadhan 1429, when I lost my father to a stroke. He was fine on that day, we had Iftar (breaking the fast) and then sat and had a chat, then he went to the mosque to pray Isha & Taraweeh. He never got to the Taraweeh part. He started having severe chest pain. Some men from the mosque brought him back home (we live very close to the mosque), He was in severe pain but it was so fast, everything was so fast. It was chaotic, mind boggling. All but one of my brothers were there and myself. We were around him trying to massage him and waiting for the ambulance. It felt like an eternity till they arrived. By the time they did... It was too late, his pulse had become so weak, CPR was no use.

I later went to take the medical report from hospital. It said that they continued CPR for 27 minutes, or so. But there was no use.

My father is gone.

Baba, these are my words to you:

I have to deal with the fact that death is final. I keep waiting for you to knock my door, or carry my children, or bake me your famously delicious Knafe. But all that will have to be a memory.

I have to deal with my guilt within. The guilt of not being there for you enough, not holding your hands longer, not asking you what was bothering you, not sparing a second thought when you walked out of that door that fateful evening. A trauma I will never recover from. Not asking you if you were ok, if you were hurting in any way. I wish I had spent every waking minute with you. If only I could turn back time.

My dear beloved dad. I love you beyond words Baba, your life meant everything to me, your death is my ultimate pain. I wish I had talked to you longer, I wish I hugged you before you walked out to the mosque, I wish I took more pictures of you. I wish I told you I love you and that you meant the world to me. I wish I told you I loved what you had cooked for us that day, you had brought me mini pizzas and haloumi kabob sticks, remember? you said they were especially for me. Na2na2a you called them.

And we laughed.

We laughed that day at the table, when you were waiting for us to come and join you for Iftar.

You were happy that we came on a Thursday and not our customary Friday lunch/Iftar day. I'm so glad we came on that Thursday. I'm glad God gave me the chance to join you on your last meal with us. It hurts to use that word "last meal".

Seif was on your lap, eating, Amina was teasing you and asking you to stop smoking. We all loved you tremendously. We loved hearing you talk about things, life, Lebanon, Bahrain, my brothers, your job, and how dedicated you were.

I love you Baba.

I will visit you every day to let you know that I am still here, thinking of you, and praying for you, and wishing you were with us still. But perhaps you are in a better place. A place that truly appreciates the goodness of your heart, the purity of your intentions, the goodness that surrounded you.

Waves of people were upon us, mourning your death, our house jampacked with people who were shocked at the news. Too shocked for words,

I miss you, Baba.

May Allah's mercy be with you. It hurts to say that too. To come to terms with the fact that you are no longer with us. No longer on the table with us. Or not at work, or at Amto Mona's house.

I love you. I miss you. I will always remember you. You're always in my heart.

Your loving daughter,

Soul

Moving House

2008-09-14T12:23:00.002+03:00

We should be. Sometime this week. Actually I'm being a bit too optimistic, but I am determined to move into my new dream house before Eid. I have had it. We have packed around 50% of our stuff (which are endless by the way) and we are currently living out of boxes, which can be very annoying.

We now have 2 Air conditioners installed on the second floor bedrooms, but are still waiting for the parquet people to arrive!! Also the rest of the AC units should be fixed this week.

I'm itching to scrub those floors and bathrooms, itching to clean the kitchen and start stacking my stuff in there...

Can't wait...its been 2 years of constant worry, back & forth visits to the site, the kids are getting restless, and so am I...

Will keep you posted on the latest progress...

Love,

SoulSearch

I "heart" Cake

2008-09-10T11:08:00.004+03:00

or any dessert of any kind for that matter...

But cake, is just sooo ..... sumptuous, especially when its slathered with the creamiest possible whipping cream or toffee syrup or chocolate... yumo

Cake just makes life better, the day lovelier...

Go on, take a slice out of life...

Love,

SoulSearch

Egypt rock slide tragedy

2008-09-10T10:53:00.005+03:00

Imagine sitting in the comfort of your tiny little home in some remote Egyptian village, the next thing you know, your ceiling comes crashing down on you, crushing you and the rest of your poor family to death.

The thoughts that went through their heads...

the fear...

the surprise...

the pain...

All this under the watchful eye of the governement. The people repeatedly warned them of cracks and movement in the huge boulders but their cries fell on deaf ears.

And the result more than 30 people killed, hundreds buried under tons of rock that slid over their shanty town...

Click here to read the AlJazeera's report

Yet another Arab Sorry Situation...

Peace,

SoulSearch

That's life 4 ya ...

2008-09-09T13:25:00.003+03:00

I have this urge to just pack and leave. Travel for a while, see a few places I haven't been to, be dazzled by nature's beauty and just some darn fresh air.

The weather is currently killing me. In addition to my allergies, the AC air is just isn't for me. Imagine me saying that in Bahrain? huh? Isn't that just funny... tragic actually. My joints ache due to the unnatural cold from artificial cooling systems, wish you could just open a darn window or something...

well... enough complaining. I can be quite bitchy when I'm thirsty. which I am by the way... totally. The weather isn't helping at all.

here I go again complaining, aaaah what the heck. Its my blog, so I guess I can let out some steam.

The house isn't helping either. We were supposed to move next week. I'm all packed! But no. We have to constantly chase the different suppliers and the waiting continues...

Have a nice day everyone. I sure have tried...

Peace,

SoulSearch

Ramadan Kareem

2008-09-01T11:34:00.003+03:00

Ramadan Kareem everyone.

A time for us to give everything a break, from stuffing ourselves blind to reflecting on the state of the world.

I love the temporary change in routine that Ramadan brings. The absence of food & drink during the day allows for more time to think of my life, my career, my future, my beliefs. I've always had this sort of feeling, of cleansing, of purity, of serenity during the Holy Month.

I wish you all a serene Ramadan

وكل عام وانتم بخير

Seif's 4th Birthday

2008-08-24T15:45:00.006+03:00

A few updates from my time off...

We celebrated Seif's 4th bithday with a CARS cake! He was thrilled.

I discovered he's such a shy boy! I love him.

Happy Birthday Sufyano.

I love you sweetheart.

Love,

Mama

We took a roadtrip to Kuwait, the kids loved it. Its great when you can convert your carseats to a bed for them. They loved the makeshift feeling! Shopping is amazing in Kuwait and the weather was not as bad as Bahrain. We were able to breathe for two minutes with no ACs, unlike Bahrain!!! Humidity is what is killing us here!!!

We did alot of shopping from IKEA, we actually spent the entire day there!!! The Avenues are huge!!! But you've got to have a huge budget because the Bahraini Dinar drops drastically before the might Kuwaiti Dinar!!!

Peace to you all...

Soul

Back Online...

2008-08-24T15:31:00.003+03:00

Hello World,

I'm back online, back at my desk, back to the corporate world after 3 weeks of bliss. Its true that it flew by too fast, but its been amazing. Great bonding time with the kids, and great changes on the home front.

The construction of the house is almost done. Here's a quick summary:

1. All carpentry work has been finished (finally)
2. All plumbing has been fixed.
3. All wiring has been done,

As for pending jobs, these are:
1. Some painting touches still need to be finalized,
* the oustide fence,
* Amina's room
2. We need to buy and install the Air conditioning (We're thinking of Carrier, any suggestions?)
3. Entire cleaning process of the house needds to be done.
4. Finally the parquet...

But most importantly, we are now waiting for the power to come. We must wait for the electricity inspector who then gives us the green light! so to speak...

I'm hoping we could move in before Ramadan which is a week away, but I doubt if that can be done. I'm 50% packed but it would take more than one week to pack and upack 8 years of my life. And its not just me, its the kids as well.
I want to be careful during this transition as they need to adjust more than we do.

Its a huge house, and they have been used to living in a cramped apartment that was their whole world!!! They will be starting school on the 3rd of Septmeber too!!! Aaaaarrrggghhhh
A moment of panic there, but life goes on...

So that's where we are now...

Hope all's well on your front ;)

Love,
SoulSearch

Rick Astley - Cry For Help

2008-08-18T13:54:00.001+03:00

An Amazing song that reminds me of my childhood. Hamood, remember the Betamax videotapes? Those were the days!

Love,
SoulSearch

Soul Time

2008-07-24T15:38:00.004+03:00

The best part of my career is ...
My annual leave...

Have a Soulful time everyone...

Rita by Marcel Khalife

2008-07-21T16:30:00.001+03:00

To Palestine...
To all victims of human rights violation all over the world.
Love,
SoulSearch

Israeli shoots Palestinian with hands bound point blank

2008-07-21T16:22:00.001+03:00

Where are human rights today? Where is the world as this Palestinian is shot at point blank while blindfolded with his hands bound behind his back. In a most vulnerable state as a human being.
Where is the US from this? I wonder if this Israeli soldier will be thrown in jail for this blatant human rights violation. Though, I doubt it

Peace,
SoulSearch

Currently Reading ...

2008-07-21T14:12:00.003+03:00

The Last Juror by John Grisham

The Whole Wheat Battle

2008-07-09T11:37:00.006+03:00

Every morning,I wage a mini battle with my kids. They run to the kitchen, hoping to get there before me, to enjoy white bread or their favorite bleached cereal. But as soon as I am in there, I try to feed them what's good for them. I try!

For Lunch, its the same thing. They come home and expect white pasta or the more traditional white rice and can't imagine themselves eating anything with a tinge of brown.

What is a career mom to do? I need to rush to the office in the morning and don't have much time to argue, so I am sad to say that they win more often than I would like. HELP

I'm supposed to raise my children on whole wheat in a white bread world!

I hate white bread, who invented it & why? who thought of bleaching nature's beautiful bounties, nature's warm colors & goodness to deliver to our tables the un-nutritional white products? They must be evil....

Seriously... white bread is bad for you

The problem in Bahrain is not all nearby grocery stores (what we call cold stores) have brown bread on their shelves. I have to go all the way to a bakery to buy brown bread which is 5 times the price of white bread and then I come home to wage the Wheat Battle with my kids! & Brown Rice is out of the question. When you go into a shop to ask for it, they don't even know what you're talking about! Even whole wheat pasta doesn't seem to be readily available...

What's a caring mama gotta do to get her little kiddies to be whole wheat kids...

Peace,
SoulSearch

Home Sweet Home...Update III

2008-07-06T15:24:00.003+03:00

Some images from the Home Front.

Our doors finally fixed. I love the natural wood color but apparently this has to be painted a darker color. Don't ask! Something about the wood panels used not being solid or something along that direction.

Our cars in the garage! Yipee!

I'm in love with these windows which are on top of the main staircase. They flood this place ith light!

Love,
SoulSearch

Summer Fun

2008-07-06T12:15:00.005+03:00

I've been trying to get my kids into a routine since school has been out. They've been kind of bored, loitering around all morning, waiting for 2 really beat parents to join in games, crayons, and craft projects!!!

With kids around, you always need to be a Soul Mama, they need your undivided attention, love and care. And I can only give them just that.

Here is a list of what I plan to do for them in the coming few weeks...

1. Buy a few books; they love it when we read to them, Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss is one of them.
2. Craft Central, I've been thinking of putting together some projects for them to get busy with during the day, including painting, puzzles, math worksheets, etc.
3. I've signed them up for some Quran classes in the morning, a little bit of spirituality to open up their minds.
4. They love swimming and the beach, so maybe once or twice a week, a trip to AlBandar

Can't wait for my annual leave in August, I seriously need some quality family time!

Love,
SoulSearch

Home Sweet Home...Update II

2008-07-03T09:39:00.006+03:00

Home Sweet Home...

Its been a while since I've updated you on what's happening on the Home Construction Front. Its been slow. That's for sure, but really annoying.

1. The carpenter is taking his time finishing the wood work,

2. The pipefitter still needs to fix all the piping,

3. The Aluminum guy is brings a window here & a door there!

4. A few odds & ends that go on and on and on and on and on ...

The excuses are endless.

The most intense part of construction is the finishing. Really. "Tanateesh" is what that's called in Bahrain... & we're being seriously "Tanateeshed" at the moment...

*That's Seif my son, peering in the second pic

But with the prices of construction materials going up like crazy, it has left us a little dazed. We barely missed the 20% 0r 30% hike in all construction materials.

Will update you soon with more images...

Peace,

Soul

When words get lost in my mind...

2008-07-01T15:50:00.002+03:00

What do you do when words fail you? What do you say when you can't remember the words to say it? How do you continue or end a conversation if you can't remember the words to say it?

Kunafeh recipe... here it comes

2008-06-29T14:37:00.003+03:00

Quite a few peeople have been asking for the easy Kunafeh recipe, I have finally had 5 minutes of free time to post ...

This is the express Knafeh recipe, which has subtitutes to the actual ingredients but the same great taste!

So here goes:

You will need:

1 & 1/2 cup fresh milk

1/4 cup sugar

3 tbs of corn flour

1 tbs of flour (all purpose)

1 cup of fresh cream

1 cup of Mozarella cheese

1 tbs of orange blossom essence

For the Kunafeh you will need:

1 loaf of bread

1 cup of melted butter or ghee

>>>

First you will need to combine the milk, sugar, corn flour, & the flour in a saucepan for about 5 min on medium heat. Then add the cream, the cheese, & orange blossom essence, and turn off the heat. Allow to cool.

Then you will need to toast the bread and blitz in a food processor and line a round pyrex with the bread powder. add some of the melted butter (or ghee) over the bread. Add the creamy mixture as second layer, and then add the remaining bread powder on top to seal it. pour a little more of the melted butter which should give it a golden crust.

Bake in the 170 Deg C oven for around 20 to 30 min or until golden and pour sugar syrup on top of it.

Garnish with some pistacios and wait for the praise from your family & friends...

Love it, absolutely...

Try it & let me know the reults...

Love to all...

SoulSearch

Birthday Girl...The Fairy

2008-06-22T16:07:00.005+03:00

She had 4 birthday parties, she was soooo excited.

I had to do one at school, one in my in-laws, one in my parents, and one at my grandma's!

She wore her cutie pie fairy costume, and she had a blast!!!

Birthdays have always been special to me, so I wanted her to feel very special on hers!

I love to see her smile, to jump around with happiness, innocence and beauty twirling, I love to feel her hug me and wait for my approving nod. She is my whole world. Both of my kids are, they are the air that I breathe, the light of my life.

Your loving mama,

Soul

Kunafeh >>> Stay Tuned

2008-06-22T14:39:00.002+03:00

Quite a few people have asked fo my (or my dad's) Kunafeh recipe...

It was awesome the last time I made it... gone in a flash!!!

Promise to get you guys the correct ingredients tomorrow...

So stay tuned!

Happy 6th Birthday Sweetheart

2008-06-18T14:30:00.005+03:00

To my beautiful daughter. May you have a happy happy birthday, today & everyday.

I love you baby...

Love

Mama

The Devil is in the details

2008-06-03T15:59:00.002+03:00

Why do people indulge in the nitty gritty of things and try to dive into the gory details of things and forget the bigger picture?

Wake up people...There are children who sleep on empty stomachs day in and day out. There are mothers who can't provide, fathers who are imprisoned, people killed for their thoughts!

It doesn't matter if your blue file is on the red file shelf, or if your invoice was not processed sooner than later!

It doesn't matter if your stationary doesn't match your corporate colors, don't worry too much.

My goodness, the corporate world is driving me nutssssssssss

Peace,
Soulful Soul

Book Heaven

2008-06-02T15:31:00.003+03:00

So many books so little time.

A list of new books for this month!

Here is a rundown of the books waiting in line:

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The Juror by John Grisham
Harry Potter (the final book)

Can't wait to start losing myself in a good book!

Thanks Gardens of Sand for inspirig me to check out my list of books!

Love,

Soul

Soul Favorites

2008-05-22T12:00:00.009+03:00

Soul Searching today, just a few things I have been excited about (& inspired by) and wanted to share...

1. Orange flowers in bloom: Come across this gorgeous tree very morning when I drop the kids to school. They love to watch the bold colors of the flowers, and I love the way they appreciate nature.

2. Really cool prayer rug: designed by Soner Ozenc, it gives you the direction of the Qiblah (Mecca) and it lights up the patterns on it in a florescent iry light. Its called Sajjadah 1426. Love it:

3. I love Weekends. Although I would very much prefer a 5-day weekend, I like spending my 2 days of freedom with the kids walking in the afternoon warmth, just around the block with the kids on their scooties, they love that!

4. Finalizing our kitchen layout: here is the model...

Honey cherry color for the cabinets and a white countertop, they've promised to fix it by 15th June... so fingers crossed!

5. The Kite Runner: By Khalid Hosseini, an amazing read, the journey of an Afghan boy through the tirbulations of childhood, adolecense and adulthood amidst the guilt he felt towards his best friend, Hassan, and the turmoil of the Afghan war and consequent downfall of the country.

Stayed up many many nights reading this book. Loved it!

6. Last but not least: Lebanon, has finally elected a president.

Michelle Sleiman has been elected as the 12th president of the Lebanese Republic. The country was on the brink of another civil war, but people have had enough bloodshed to last them many lifetimes. We already have a bloody warzone in Iraq & Palestine. We dont need one in Lebanon.

Love to everyone...

SoulSearch.

The world is just fine...

2008-05-16T21:22:00.006+03:00

But my TV screen is bleeding...

Lebanon unrest, the country on the brink of civil war (again!)

China earthquake: 22,000 declared dead so far. 7,000 schools flattened!

Myanmar: Cyclone Nargis leaves 15,000 people killed....

And 60 years on, Palestine is still under the grip of the Zionist occupation...

The essence of my life...

2008-05-12T16:03:00.003+03:00

Seriously. I think its around 3 or 4 pm that this sort of depression washes over me and I start thinking about my life and how I waste it on the mundane. These are the thoughts that roll inside my head,
what the hell am I doing in this job?
why do I leave my home, my children, my life, and sit here working my a** off?
how will my kids feel about me leaving them for so long every day?
how do I expect them to grow up and be successful and happy when I haven't been around to make sure they do the right things, think the right thoughts?
I miss their homework every day.
I miss discussing with them what they did in school every day.
I miss their playtime,
I miss their lunchtime

The only event I am there for every day is their bedtime.
They go to sleep and I sit up all night wishing they were awake so I could share their lives with them?

I wish it were that easy to quit and stay at home. I am caught between a rock and a hard place.
There's no escape.

No escape.

I feel seriously depressed. These long work hours don't work for me.
I am unproductive because I feel so emotional. I need a break.
I want to be with my kids.
I want to be around for my daughter when she cries, when she wants to brush her hair, when she experiments with my make up every day.
I want to be around when my son breaks his brand new toy and looks around for someone to fix it, with tears in his eyes.
I want to be there to tie their shoes,
to talk to them,
to walk with them,

I love my job, its challenging, its interesting, its thought-provoking, but my life... passes by

The distance between us. is both physical and emotional.

Soul

Lebanon...bleeding

2008-05-12T11:38:00.003+03:00

The streets, the trees, the clouds, the human limbs.

Lebanon tearing itself apart from within...

There is no escape this time...

Lebanon is bleeding ... I can hear the blank screams...

on a child's face

the innocence violated

one more time

again

and again

Where are we going this time?

Why do you destroy a place where my ancestors once lived...

A country of beauty, of love, of family, of eternal culture.

I love Lebanon, always...

SoulSearch

Life Just Wasting Away

2008-05-05T10:17:00.004+03:00

Somber Mood.

Life just wasting away.

I sit before a stupid screen

Typing my life away.

Hours...

Minutes...

Seconds...

turn to

days...

months...

years...

My life just wasting away...

An attempt to dull my fears...

An attempt to ease my pain...

* Drum Roll * PAINTED!!!

2008-04-29T16:07:00.006+03:00

Hi everyone...I am an ecstaticly happy hyppie!

After much deliberations and quite a few sleepless nights, I present to you Soul's Home Sweet Home... PAINTED!!!

We went all around Bahrain to get a taste of local favorites in terms of exterior colors. Beige wins hands down, but WHICH beige is THE question!

Thanks to everyone who helped me make this decision! Thanks Mr. Soul for all your running around. Love you sweetie.

These were the 3 options that we had...

We chose the darkest one (Bahraini Diva liked that!)

Thanks everyone! I love sharing every step of construction with you guys!

Love,
Soul =)

India

2008-04-29T10:22:00.006+03:00

It was an amazing trip to India, incredible in every way,

I loved the scenary, the greenery, the uniquness and diversity of this place.

This was the view from my room at the Shangri La New Delhi:

I went on a quick excursion of the city, first stopping at India Gate:

Its basically a war Memorial, sort of like the Tomb of the Unknow soldier, commemorating the Indians who died in WWI.

My next stop was the National Museum, numerous Hindu gods and godesses, dating back to the 12th century!

Very artsy!

There was even an Egyptian artefact!

This one was huge!!!

I love museums!

This is the presidential palace, the parliament is nearby as well.

And on the streets of Delhi

Cute "buggy"

The bus states "Propelled by clean fuel"!!!

My trusty taxi driver Sukhjeet!

Alanis Morissette - Precious Illusions

2008-04-28T16:14:00.001+03:00

One of my all time favorite artist...
Great Video too!

Gaza, the Arab's open wound

2008-04-27T13:01:00.001+03:00

Gaza today continues to bleed, as you & I live on and pay no heed.
Soul

Ignoring the madness in Gaza is no different from approving it

The Daily Star

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Through its silence, the international community is effectively sanctioning one of the most shameful examples of inhumanity to have occurred in the 21st century. Some 1.5 million people, nearly half of them children under the age of 14, are being denied basic necessities like food and medical services for one simple reason: They live in the Gaza Strip
For nearly a year now, Israel has imposed a blockade on the territory in what it says is an effort to crush Islamist militants there. But without access to the outside world, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has rapidly deteriorated. Food prices have risen dramatically, garbage is overflowing into residential streets, children are becoming increasingly malnourished and basic health services are being denied for lack of fuel and other supplies. This week, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and other international aid organizations were forced to halt many of their vital operations in the besieged territory, including food-distribution services, due to a lack of fuel.
Predictably, both Hamas and Israel have traded blame for the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. Hamas has argued that Israel is at fault for having imposed its crippling blockade without regard for the welfare of innocent civilians. Israel, on the other hand, accuses Hamas of withholding vital supplies and dramatizing the crisis in order to score a propaganda victory. But it no longer matters which of the two parties is to blame for the events that have unfolded. What matters is that 1.5 million people are in living in a state of internationally sanctioned peril.
Those who argue that the blockade is justifiable for reasons of Israel's self-defense ought to re-evaluate their flawed understanding of security. How could the collective punishment of more than 500,000 children possibly achieve peace, or benefit either Israel or the Palestinians in the long term? Does anyone honestly expect that a generation of Palestinians who are forced to endure extreme hardship and depredation will one day want to live in harmony with their Israeli neighbors? Quite the contrary, these actions appear almost flawlessly designed to ensure that acrimony and violence will continue to flourish in the years and decades to come.
Opponents - including many Israelis - of Israel's traditional penchant for military solutions to political problems frequently note a sad irony, that of women and children being grotesquely mistreated at the hands of a state established in the historical shadow of the Holocaust. Fair enough, but it is not just the Israeli government that has failed to learn the right lessons from the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis: Western leaders are doing the same thing because just as their predecessors largely turned a blind eye to what was happening to European Jewry more than six decades ago, they are ignoring the plight of the people of Gaza today. Worse yet, the atrocities in Gaza are being carried out in the open - and nothing is being done to punish the guilty or protect the victims.

Happy Birthday

2008-04-27T10:20:00.002+03:00

Happy Birthday Khalooooood...

(belated on the blog but not belated in reality!)

You are now officially 17 years old...

I love you my tweet wittle brother!

Next step....PAINT!!!

2008-04-27T09:57:00.004+03:00

Hey everyone,

I now have exactly 24 hours to narrow down my 3 choices for paint for the exterior of my home sweet home.

We had the final 3 colors painted close to the window frames to see how they would match the windows.

So people, here is your democratic right to vote... Which color do you think is best?

No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3? These are Cream, Buff and Coffee Pot.

Start voting Now!!!!

Also for your info, here are the inside steps to the inside of the house. We had to go all the way to Saudi to get these! Sorry about the dust, believe me I feel like hosing this whole place down every day!

A Tribute Blog

2008-04-24T12:50:00.002+03:00

Taking a look at the Bahraini Blogs Agregator this morning, I stumbled upon a noteworthy blog, done by a loving and dedicated mother in memory of her daughter.

http://samaralansari.blogspot.com

I did not know Samar. But I was very touched by her mother's dedication in loving memory of a child who has so quickly passed away.

Its heartbreaking to read and watch the youtube tributes for a daughter who no doubtedly had left beautiful memories for a family that have loved her and probably always will.

Too close to home...

2008-04-23T16:26:00.003+03:00

Just when I thought incidents such as the one that happened in Karzakan were a one time screw up, we wake up to very similar scenes in our own neighborhood. This time East Riffa.

This car belonged to the neighborhood's mosque Imam. Does that have any connection with what has happened?

Its sad.

I'll let the picture do the talking

Street Hooligans

2008-04-10T14:08:00.004+03:00

What happened last night? What provoked a gang of 30 to 40 hooligans to do what they did last night? What's happening to Bahrain? When folks just want to get a good night's sleep to be able to go to work the next day and earn an honest living?

Does violence solve anything?

Majid Asghar Ali from the Police Force is dead. And for what? Does this help Bahrain in any way? Does this violence serve any cause?

It was a total shock to read the papers this morning. I almost choked on my coffee and sandwich!

God help us. Where are we going?

Peace people. You don't want to turn into another Lebanon. Trust me.

Peace for Bahrain.

SoulSearch

Enya - I Want Tomorrow

2008-04-09T15:34:00.001+03:00

Amazing, Captivating. My song of the day.

Stomp till you Dromp

2008-04-07T15:21:00.004+03:00

What an amazing performance! We loved the show by Stomp at the gorgeous Arad Fort venue. I loved their rebelious take on making music!

I like to call it "The Art of Cordinated Chaos"

The noise they were making was hilariously put together... loved it

Watching them gave me a sense of freedom, a non-conformist attitude always inspires me. I especially loved their choice of music at the end of the show ... Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

Stomp was a fabulos grand finale to Bahrain's contribution to Art through Spring of Culture.
Love,
Soul...

War on inflation...

2008-04-03T13:09:00.003+03:00

Just the thought of prices increasing in Bahrain has given the greedy guys running the market the idea of raising their prices...
So i guess there are no authorities monitoring the hikes...
Read below:

تشتط غضباً بسبب ارتفاع سعر كيس الأرز

اشتطت سيدة بحرينية غضباً عندما أحضر الزوج إلى المنزل كيس أرز من ماركة «هبة الطبيعة« بوزن 40 كيلو من محل سوبرماركت كبير بمنطقة سترة وحين قرأت السعر قررت اعادة الكيس إلى السوبر ماركت واستعادة قيمتها والتوجه إلى سوبر ماركت أخرى تبيع الماركة نفسها ولكن بسعر أقل.
المحلان قريبان من بعضهما.. ففي الأول يباع الكيس بـ 24 دينارا وسبعمائة فلس وفي الثاني بـ 20 دينارا و500 فلس والفارق كبير بين السعرين مع أن الماركة واحدة.. والمثير أن المسافة بين البرادتين قصيرة جداً. وتمكنت السيدة من استرداد المبلغ وذهبت في الحال إلى البرادة الأخرى وابتاعت الكيس الأرخص وقالت لـ «أخبار الخليج«.. أين لجنة مراقبة الأسعار التي يقولون إنها تحمي المواطنين من جشع التجار

وتجاوزاتهم المستمرة؟!

أخبار الخليج

Kudos to her. Smart lady ...

Project: Dream House Update 3

2008-04-03T11:36:00.004+03:00

Ahhhhh, the fresh scent of cement... Its so refreshinging to step into my dream house after a looooooong day at work at see all these gorgeous developments in construction...
I've promised a few picture updates so here goes...

Love and Peace,
Soul...

The windows are fixed, the external kitchen is fixed (don't you just love the chimney?!), some of the Aluminum doors have been fixed, and I just love the window high up on our staircase - It lights up that whole area...
Can't wait to move in...

Project: Dream House Update

2008-03-27T14:05:00.005+03:00

Our house has now seen some major changes, its exciting... we've received the Aluminum doors to the external kitchen and the back door... we also have a little cute chimney over the oven and I can't wait to get out of the office today and take a zillion pictures for all of you to see..

We've also now started to go around and get the bathroom accessories, we're looking out for Grohe fittings so we know its going to be quite expensive. I'm glad we're covered on this part of the budget.

Well, I'm going to have to admit. Last week, I got a shock when I discovered that I had made a stupid miscalculation and made us officially BD 4,ooo dinars short of completing the project and the actual moving in... Financial planning was completely my husband's responsibility ... but I was helping out when that mistake happened... But hopefully things will workout... Somehow, we'll find a solution...

I'm just in a good mood today and wanted to boast this gorgeous plant I bought yesterday...

Anyone knows what its called?

Cheers,

SoulSearch...

Could it be the decadant chocolate cake that I just had, thats to blame for my uplifted spirit?

On blogging and the world around me

2008-03-25T11:31:00.007+03:00

I've been wondering lately about my blog...

What do I really want to say to the world?

Where is this going?

Should I just delete the blog with one simple click of a mouse?

Can I make a difference in the word, even if in the slightest of chances, to make someone realize the world can be a better place. Maybe not, I'm not that significant, nor my opinions, nor my talents, nor my communications abilities, not that exhilarating, not that breathtaking.

So what should this blog say?

Is it a parenting blog?

Is it a blog of special concerns?

Is it a political views blog?

Is it a feminist blog?

Is it a constuction project blog?

------------------------------------------------------

I've been wondering about life as well?

What do I want from life?

Where am I going? Where will I be 10 years from now?

Do I continue to pursue a successful career? or do I want to focus on my family? Can I make that choice?

Its sickening sometimes, to have to go on, or to even have these thoughts. Thoughts of my days becoming cumbersome, rather than looking forward to another day...

I've been feeling depessed, these past few days...

Its tough to balance parenting, a demanding career, construction project, life, and family, and extended family, and courtesies, and on and on and on.... Its suffocating sometimes...

But I have to move on..

------------------------------------------------------

Well... after some musing I guess this blog is anything I want it to be,

Any thoughts, fustrations, triumphs, flops, disappointments, celebrations can be spilled out here, that is if I have the chance...

So here's to this blog...

May it be the vent of all emotions that make me human...

Peace,

SoulSearch...

George Galloway

2008-03-19T11:58:00.001+03:00

A bow, a salute, to the Voice of Reason in an unjust world.
George Galloway
Welcome to Bahrain

The Good Earth

2008-03-17T16:10:00.003+03:00

I'm currently reading this amazing book. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.

Its the kind of book that speaks to your soul. A story that is universal in many aspects.

I've been up many nights reading and wondering what would happen next...

Wang Lung and O-Lan working hard on their land, and experiencing life as it unfolds before them. A timeless classic

A Must read...

Peace,

SoulSearch

Dreaming of home...

2008-03-17T14:35:00.007+03:00

The last stages of construction can be very frustrating. When we first started building our dream home, the structure of the house was completed in under 6 months... I was thrilled...I thought we could easily move in in the next 2 to 3 months, and that I was being realistic! But boy was I wrong... Its now been a year and a half and we're still no where near ready.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but everytime I go to our new house, I just wish I could live here already. I just want space for my children to grow, I want to be comfortable and happy, and I want to be as creative as I can get with its decor. I want to have my family and friends over, I want to sleep within the walls of that house and know that I am in my own home. I want to wake up and hve breakfast in the kitchen and laze around a cool afternoon with my kids and husband. I want to see those bloody movers come inand move all our stuff already...

We're going to start painting the exterior this week, so I'm excited that a major change will happen soon.

The windows are now fixed, so we will be able to fix the gypsum on the ceilings, as there are a few cracks here and there, due to the circulation of air inside the house.

The compound has been laid with the reddish stone that we loved... However, because we started from the other side of the house, it doesn't align with the walls in the front of the house... Its kind of odd looking but there's nothing to do about it now... Its already been fixed, and we can't remove all of the pieces that hav already been fixed.

I love the house sooooo much and love how it looks now... can't stop dreaming about it...

More updates soon

Peace,

SoulSearch

Blackberry blues...

2008-03-16T11:23:00.003+03:00

...and just when I started enjoying my N95, I get a Blackberry shoved at me!

I'm not thrilled. Now they can hound me anytime. No more work-free weekends, no more stress-free evenings...

Blackberry's camera sucks... I got the Blacberry 8300, which looks more like a calculator than my exciting, music playing, 5MP camera possessing N95. What should I do now? Should I just sell my N95 or keep 2 phones? I would hate to do that though. I can hardly carry one phone!

aaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh

Why me?

I'm reminded of Alanis Morisette's song: Isn't it Ironic?

My new N95

2008-03-10T12:28:00.003+03:00

its snuggly charging at home, taking its 16 hour charge while I dream of it at work... I can't wait to go home and start playing with it.

There are two main reasons why I bought it (on the spur of the moment) last night:

1. My son loves Spiderman 3

2. The 5 megapixel camera

But I don't know how I'm going to transfer my 500++ contacts from my memory chip...

The N95 doesnot have a chip place thing...

Help...

To make a statement

2008-03-10T09:19:00.002+03:00

Lately in Bahrain, Arson has picked up as the latest trend to make any sort of political statement you want. You don't like someone, you burn a car next to their house to prove your point, you dn't like someone else you burn their library!
Easy...
God Help us...

It doesn't pay to be cowardly...

Peace,
SoulSearch

Geant-smart move

2008-03-09T15:57:00.004+03:00

I have been doing my monthly shopping at Geant ever since it has openend in Bahrain, and it has always bothered me the amount of plastic bags one small family can consume. It is scary.

With the new decision of charging money for plastic bags and he introduction of the Jute reusable bags, I am much delighted. I shall go ahead and buy 10 of those bags because I would imagine thats how many I would need as we fill up two carts for the whole month!!!

Fantastic, way to go Geant...Hope others will follow suit...

Peace,

SoulSearch

Children in Gaza

2008-03-09T14:44:00.004+03:00

used as Target practise

Scared and scarred for life...

Palestine and the dead Arab Conscience ...

What's happening...

2008-02-11T09:06:00.000+03:00

to YouTube?

I haven't been able to view a single video? I don't see anyone asking about this? anyone out there knows what's going on?
help... I need music!

Welfare or Hellfare: Are we on the way?

2008-02-05T09:20:00.000+03:00

To becoming a Welfare state?

So what's a Welfare State?

According to Wikipedia:

There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state:
the provision of welfare services by the state.
an ideal model in which the state assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens. This responsibility in theory ought to be comprehensive, because all aspects of welfare are considered and universally applied to citizens as a right. 'Welfare state' can also mean the creation of a "safety net" of minimum standards of varying forms of welfare. Here is found some confusion between a "welfare state" and a "welfare society" (see below) in common debate about the definition of the term.
the provision of welfare in society. In many "welfare states", especially in continental Europe, welfare is not actually provided by the state, but by a combination of independent, voluntary, mutualist and government services. The functional provider of benefits and services may be a central or state government, a state-sponsored company or agency, a private corporation, a charity or another form of non-profit organisation. However, this phenomenon has been more appropriately termed a "welfare society," and the term "welfare system" has been used to describe the range of welfare state and welfare society mixes that are found.

Some people disagree with the model of a welfare state, calling it the "nanny state" that causes an infringment on many personal freedoms. And we all know that is so possible in Bahrain!!

We need to consider...

Peace,
SoulSearch

On having children in the Corporate World...

2008-02-04T09:26:00.000+03:00

The word "motherhood" is an undefied term in the corporate world. Its been an agony for me to survive in the corporate world, not on a professional level, but on a more personal level. I am torn by my feelings as a mother, as my need to be resposible for my children's well-being, for their everyday lives, and between my career.
Alot of you would say, if someone felt that way, they should just quit and be a lady of leisure, but that is not even an option for us as a middle-income family.
Our working hours are going to be hiked up soon and will probably be till 5.30 pm, which is crazy for someone with 5 & 3 year old children.

My children are my first priority hands down, and I'm sorry if tha is my number one objective, because in the corporate world they want to work you to the bone, so you can help in generating the highest possible revenues for the company you work for, and at the end of the day come back to a grumpy family, who gives you dirty looks for being out of the house all day, to children who have no interest but to watch TV, watch TV, and watch more TV. Children who need to ask you if "you still love them" ...

Ohh the agony.

I'm at a crossroads, I need to put my priorities straight, but then again, I know what my priorities are, I love the line of work at at the moment but hiking the working hours like this without prior notice is really a disgusting thing to do.

The only thing I'm dpending on is that someone would consider Flexi-Hours, whereby we could show up at the office earlier in the day so that we could leave earlier than 5.30pm, and I would even ditch the lunch break...

I want to have a life,,,,

Peace,
SoulSearch

Why me?

2008-01-17T11:57:00.000+03:00

Why is it when you want something so bad, you only end up getting the opposite of what you wished for?

Why???????

To parquet or not to parquet...

2008-01-15T10:06:00.000+03:00

That is the question being posed in our household today... I have to make the decision today. That's my deadline. I was thinking of mixing ceramic and parquet but that idea didn't last long! But today the guys in our new house are finalizing the flooring downstairs and they need guidance! I can't keep stalling anymore...

Anyone with parquet experience in Bahrain ... please help...

Some people tell me the weather in Bahrain isn't supportive of a parquet floor, its too humid, while others say its much better than cermaic or porcelain flooring, its healthier for the feet (huh?) or something along those lines...

What would you vote for?

Parquet or no Parquet?

Peace,

SoulSearch

On L.I.F.E. and a key...

2008-01-15T09:42:00.000+03:00

2008 will be the year I turn 30!!!

Where have all the years gone?

I don't feel 30, but I appreciate the little bit of confidence that age gives you.

I'm worried about the future...

The Future...

What will it be like?

What should I do?

How should I do it?

So many questions...

So little answers...

Wish I was a little girl again... I could just run to my mother's lap and hide...

She knows what to do...

I can just go to sleep...

But I'm the mother now...

I should know it all...

Life...

The Rain...

2008-01-13T15:44:00.000+03:00

Love the wet and cool weather in Bahrain today...

Rain,

Cool winds,

Traffic Jams,

Blankets,

Hot chocolate,

the kids like snowmen...

I love it...

Sword-wealding Head of State

2008-01-13T13:30:00.000+03:00

On an official visit to Bahrain, President Bush honored us with his presence and asked us "to lend a hand of peace" to Israel. Awwwwwhh, the poor threatened Israelis, who so badly need our help. They are so frightened from the God-awful naughty naughty Palestinians who keep tossing fire-crackers at their parties and ruining the party mood.

Sorry Mr. President. You've got it all wrong...
You hold the sword so well. You definitely know how to wage a war or two, or three...

Let me remind you that Palestinians have been in diaspora for 60 odd years. They have been stateless across the globe and live in tents in the Occupied Land while the Israelis continue to expand their settlements on stolen lands...

Dear Mr. President,

How would you feel if you had to live in a tent all your life, rummage thru the rubble of your home, watch strangers confiscate your property, and kill you son or daughter for suspecting them of supporting their freedom movements?
Wake up and smell the Palestinian +Iraqi blood spilling everywhere, or is it only OIL up your nostrils?

(Operation Iraqi Liberation = OIL)

Peace,

SoulSearch

Cold...Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd

2008-01-07T11:05:00.000+03:00

Woke up to a very cold morning, the dusty mistaken for misty ones didn't help my allergies!

But its lovely to feel the cold finally come to Bahrain! We seriously need a break from the heat and the airconditiong...

Check out the temp:

9 DEGREES, celcius that is!! My kids were so jumbled up with shawls and jackets my son coul hardly walk!!! hehehe ... and the comments I get, are "Mom, relax, its not snowing!"

Cheeky monkeys!!!

You can also see that my car has run past the 40,000 km mark! which means it needs maintenance!!!

Peace,

Soul

Superwomen....want to be...

2007-12-31T14:52:00.000+03:00

The best mother,
the best daughter,
the best wife,
the best sister,
the best cousin,
the best friend,
the best career woman,
the best cook,
the best looking,
the best feeling,
the best the best the best the best the bestthebestthebestthebestthebestthebestbestbestbestb

why? to please who? help...

Violence...

2007-12-30T11:20:00.000+03:00

the most frequently used language of the world today

2.0.0.7 - The year that was

2007-12-27T20:08:00.000+03:00

With the New Year just around the corner, I need to look back at what 2007 gave me and the world...
I love lists, so I composed one:

In 2007:

1. I turned 29, the last year in my twenties.
2. My kids turned 5 & 3, I need serious parenting tips.
3. I set my mind on getting a new job, and I did.
4. Didn't get a new phone yet, I wanted a Nokia N95, (I heard prices went down to BD 170???)(What happened???)
5. Iraq is still a burning war zone.
6. Gun-totting disturbed teenagers continue to massacre people in schools colleges.
7. Dubai continues to build taller buildings - aka Burj Dubai.

8. Tripoli, Lebanon sees clashes led by the brainfarts, so-called Ansar AlIslam
9. Discovered I have mild reumatism.
10. My best friend Nishani has a new baby boy - Ameer. Wish you both best of health.
11. My brother Hamood gets a new job after waiting for 4 years. Good Luck Aeuturnus!
12. Attended congress in Dubai. Jumeirah.
13. Israel continues to use Palestinians as target practice.
14.No solution for the Darfur problem yet.
15. Clashes in Bahrain during the National day holidays. 1 person killed.
16. No fireworks lit Bahrain's skies this year either.
17. Construction work continues on our house. First stage completed. Finishing in progress.
18. We still use loads of plastic bags. We need to be more environmentally aware.
19. Lost 3 kgs this year.
20. Just heard Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in Pakistan.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and prosperous year ahead.

May 2008 be better year for the world.

Peace and Love,
SoulSearch

The Secret...

2007-12-26T14:40:00.001+03:00

Just finished reading "The Secret".

Good marketing campaign... but blown out of proportion.

Its not that big of a secret...huh?

I guess somebody really wished to make millions, and got their wish!

Peace,

Soul

Cooking 101

2007-12-26T13:32:00.000+03:00

Ther's something very therapuetic about cooking... It just lifts your soul and helps you give a feel good factor that I always need as soon as I step home from work. That's exactly what I do, everyday, I get home at around 4.30pm (on good days) and speed into my kitchen to prepare a good hearty meal for my kids lunch the next day! Its hard being a working mother. I end up cooking the following meals:

1. dinner of that evening

2. Breakfast of the next day (inlcudes packin my kids snack for school and my own for work)

3. Lunch for the next day (kids come home way before I do)-(and they need a proper meal)

So I'm always on the lookout for healthy, quick meals to prepare in an hour or two.

Love to cook...I guess I take after my dad who is a chef!!! But surprisingly, never tried anything before I had my own kitchen...

Can't wait to move in to my new house where I will have so much more space to cook up good meal for the kids everyday!!!

Love,

SoulSearch

On shopping and religion

2007-12-18T16:56:00.000+03:00

I am so enjoying the 10-day break. It is serious medicine for the soul. I have been so engrossed at work, these past 2 months, that I welcome this amazing alignment of holidays that gave us 10 days of sleeping in late, chicken nuggets lunch with the kids, and an endless amount of mopping around the house in pjs. However, we decided to do a little Eid shopping in our friendly neighbor the K of SA. The overpowering stench of stupidity did not leave my nostrils since the second we set foot on the causeway. Here are 5 reasons why I will not be travelling across the causeway unless I absolutely had to:

1. You can't have a decent two hour shopping spree without having the whole shop shut down on you for prayers. Don't they realize that people should be given the freedom to worship and not have worship shoved down tehir throats 5 times a day?
2. Store managers get jumpy and nervous and would rather kick you out of their shop as soon as they can, than to have the religious police close down their shops!
3. If you thought traffic in Bahrain was a nightmare, think again. Many of our neighborly drivers prefer to jump a red light or claim your lane as their own at any time they choose.
4. There are absolutely no changing rooms for ladies in any retail outlets, even my 5 year old daughter was not allowed to try on her clothes anywhere, because "she's a female". Outrageous!
5. It hurts me to see how women are totally inferior to men on many a level. They are treated in a humiliating way, that I would not be able to take if (God forbid) I had to ever live there!!

I could write a whole load more but my blood is boiling at this point and I would rather stop.

Have a good holiday people...
Peace everyone,
SoulSearch

Project: Dream Home

2007-12-03T08:49:00.000+03:00

Its been exactly a year since we started building our dream home. In Bahrain, owning your home has always been a worry plaguing the minds of the people. My husband and I were lucky enough as my late father-in-law had a land from ages ago and gave it to his son, who had taken care of his parents for a very long time. Being the youngest of 8 children, his parents had reached retirement age when he first started working. So he paid the rent, he paid the bills and took care of everything for them. I'm really proud of him for that and I hope his kids will do the same.

He had always dreamed of building a home for himself and his parents, having lived in a rented apartment all their lives. When we started preparing the drawings for the house, his father passed away and gave him the land, which was all they had.

The land is about 70x60 foot. I can't say in numbers how much of that was used for the actual construction but the compound is around 2 meters wide in the front and around 1 meter on the sides and in the back.

We have two rooms downstairs from my ma-in-law, plus a bathroom, a small kitchenette and a separate entry door for her. We have 2 living rooms downstairs and a dining room plus a master kitchen. I wanted to have a connecting window between the two kitchens but the idea came too late as the wiring was already done.

What I really like is the room that we built on top of the garage. You take one flight of the main staircase and enter this room, which my husband calls the Function Hall. He wants to get a huge LCD TV with speakers in the wall and make it the main entertainment room!! We love it. Its also got a small balcony and from the outside it shows as a room between the two floors.

Upstairs, we have 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. A Laundry room and a storage room on the 3rd floor. All the tiling is completed. My daughter's bathroom is pink with a hearts border and my sons bathroom is white and green with rainbow borders! They love it but I think they still don't understand that this is the place we're going to move in to inshallah.

Now that we have finished the first stage of construction, Iwanted to take a step back and see how work has progressed, and what we need to do to complete our dream home.

We started back in November 2006, (so its now been a year) after taking a joint loan from the MInistry of Housing, which amounts to BD 40,000 max, we needed to take 2 other loans from the bank. We also need to take an additional loan to be able to go through the finishing and furnishing of the house.

We handed over the project to a contractor who charged us around BD 45,000 for the skeleton of the house. That was when we were laid back and relaxed. The contractor did everything and we just supervised. But after the initial stage is completed, we needed to follow up on every little detail from door knobs to light bulbs.

The kitchen is still in the back of or minds, we want to first finish all the bathrooms and gypsum work and then focus on the kitchen and its layout. We've already seen a kitchen we love and put a downpayment for it.

The gypsum boards have been put up, the walls now have primer on them. But thanks to Balexco, we still don't have windows. We had chosen chocolate brown aluminum for the window frames and some of the doors. But they decided in the last minute that our project was too small and so cancelled the order. We are now stuck. I'm sure everything will work out, we just need to find someone who has stock or something.

So the initial cost of the house came up to around BD 71,000. We still need an additional BD10,000 to be able to move in.

So until we are able to finance the project we continue to work with what we have.

I'm happy with the whole house, though I never expected it to be the way it is now. On paper, things are totally different!

Can't wait to move in...

Peace,

SoulSearch

Home Sweet Home...Update

2007-11-25T14:44:00.001+03:00

Everyday, our home looks more real. Its now taking shape and at this stage we're assuming we need 4 months to go until all is done and we can move in.

Construction is now at the gypsum stage, we now have ceilings :D

A garage door :D

We now need to figure out the exact amount of spotlights and downlights. Next comes the Aluminum for the windows...

Its amazing to see the progress of contruction. Can't wait to start painting, and cleaning, and arranging furniture!

Makes me grateful everyday. :D

Peace,

SoulSearch

What makes life worthwile...

2007-11-25T11:12:00.000+03:00

Tea with Milk, and the floating smell of cardamom, in front of the TV, on a Tuesday morning.

Walking in Memphis - Marc Cohn

2007-11-19T10:45:00.001+03:00

I love this song, its such a 90's song, but it really brings back memories. Enjoy!
Peace,
SoulSearch

SoulSearching …

2007-11-13T10:09:00.001+03:00

Hey world,

It's been a hectic couple of months of my life but it's been great. I've reached a turning point in my life, got a great opportunity and took every inch of it, and here I am, in a new job, finalizing construction of my new home, and my son is now in school/nursery everyday! And I am thankful.

I'm grateful for everything that I have in my life, although my schedule is full to the brim, but my kids are happy and healthy and my life is in the direction I need it to be…

I've promised a few images of the house, I don't have a very good one on me now, but I promise to take better images soon, just to show the stages at which construction has reached. It's amazing to see the guys putting up the ceilings and drilling holes in the upstairs floors to make way for the wiring and the lights. The house looks more real now. I feel like going up to them and shaking their hands and to thank them every day!!!

Does anyone have any suggestions on whether we should install ceiling fans in the bedrooms? That's something we need to resolve and argue about it every single day. I'm not sure… People, you know what the weather is like in Bahrain, suggestions anyone? Maybe I should start a poll or something, vote for or against ceiling fans!

Check out our new door! I love it… it looks like it's made of wood but it's actually wrought iron! Isn't that lovely!!!

I went to Dubai last month and enjoyed 5 fabulous days in the city that never stops being the first and the fastest in eveything! It's amazing to see the pace at which this city is rising; I was flabbergasted at the huge skyscraping buildings in Bar Dubai, near Ibn Batuta Mall, they looked unreal! I thought they were cardboard signs or something, the snow city in the Mall of the Emirates was amazing, it reminded me of Lebanon's beautiful mountains, but not nearly as breathtaking. But I absolutely loved Dubai minus the ugly snaking queue waiting for a taxi!

That's it for now, I hope I can keep blogging, as much as circumstances permit!

Love and Peace to the world…

SoulSearch J

Back to Blog

2007-10-23T09:10:00.000+03:00

HIIIIIIIIIII

my dear blog...

missed the blogosphere completely...& utterly...& totally...

I shall be back soooooon.... to write about my life, my worries, my concerns, my children, their school, my new job, my new house, and which stage of construction it is now, (pictures too!!!) my new outlook on life... it may not all be good but not all of it bad, or sad or ugly... There should be alot of positivity... :)

As the words of the legendary Bob Marley ring in my ear: "Cause every little thing is gonna be alright now"...

Love

SoulSearch...

The Bahraini Blogging Scene

2007-08-07T21:34:00.000+03:00

I love our cyberspace community. every other night for about an hour I browse around for some good blogger entries by fellow bloggers, and no sooner I am in stiches!!!

Some of you guys are really funny!

Of course, Mahmood's Den is the platform from which I dive into other bloggers' pages, and I end up trying to link everyone...

Its lovely,

I'm happy...

I want to read somemore insights, some more ideas, some more frustrations, some more achievements by Bahrain's Bright Geeks!!

Hehe :)

Tonight I'm linking Evil Odd, you're not so evil afterall!

You're hilarious...

Thanks for your cool posts

Keep on blogging guys/gals...

Post it out there!!!

Peace,

SoulSearch

Libya & HIV

2007-08-04T22:24:00.000+03:00

I've been in a mental warp for the past few days, trying to find the words to properly convey my opinion on the release of the Bulgarian nurses. Criminals who partnered with a Palestinian intern who committed the worst of crimes. Crimes that have devastated 400+ Libyan children and their families...

After having infected some 400 Libyan children with the HIV Aids virus around 10 years ago, and claimed to be innocent, the Bulgarian nurses are now free. As soon as they touched down on Bulgarian soil, a presidential pardon hits them and they are greeted as heroes!

While around 60 of the children they infected have now died, and the rest have had their lives devastated for good, these so-called nurses are now free citizens living the life, and will probably continue to live their lives as well as they want!

Its sad, Libya negotiates with the European Union and the nurses are freed. The whole world cried out when the death sentence was handed down to these criminals who have been convicted, and yet no one ever asked about those poor children, those poor Libyan families.

What would be the international reaction to this crime had the children American or British children? How would the world react if the nurses were Arab or Muslims?

I'll leave that question unanswered as its obvious anyway...

...Yet another Sorry Sorry Arab Situation...

On Books & Reading

2007-08-04T22:18:00.000+03:00

I treated myself to the final Harry Potter book. I have devoured the previous 6 Harry Potters and loved every page, line and dot!

Can't wait to start it...

... I'm currently reading Patricia Cornwell's Blow Fly! A bit too gruesome for me, but I like the mystery element!! ...

On being human...

2007-07-27T23:49:00.000+03:00

I've been good
I've been bad,
I've been happy,
I've been down,
I've made mistakes,
I've been a winner,
Cried my eyes out,
Laughed till I was in stiches,
I've had my share of luck,
Been very unfortunate sometimes,
I've been free,
I've been trapped,

I've loved,
and hated...

and lived ...

and that's what makes us human...

Freed at last

2007-07-18T08:43:00.000+03:00

الحمد الله على سلامتك جمعة

...You now have hope: to come home from Saudi Arabia to your family and friends.
My thanks goes out to everyone who helped secure Juma Al-Dossary's release from the hell hole that is Gunatanamo Bay, Cuba.

Congratulations...

We will not forget Isa Al-Murbati either. He is now the last Bahraini detainee in the illegal and inhumane prison set up by "the land of the free".

Peace,

SoulSearch

...To be Fair & Lovely...

2007-07-12T21:29:00.000+03:00

... To be Fair is to be Lovely...

I'm seriously sick of this advert being aired on all TV channels that I watch.

Has anyone seen the Fair & Lovely ad that promises to make you "fair" therefore "lovely"!!!!

What the hell are we teaching this generation? That its bad to be dark skinned and that darker girls are not destined for success? Why hasn't anyone pointed that out?

Basically, the advert rests on the same scenario, a girl goes into a salon or something to sell her herbs, clearly looking for a job, but she's turned away by a snoty fair woman. Then her mom tells her to "show them" and gives her the magical Fair & Lovely, that promises to make her just that Fair and thus Lovely. She goes back to the same salon and a guy now looks at her "transformed and fair and lovely, of course" and sweeps her off her feet and she becomes a star!!!!

WHAT???????

...I was stunned to watch the whole charade...

What kind of a message are we sending young girls: if you're dark, forget it, don't even bother studying and trying to be a successful individual, well, just because you're dark!!! Dah!!! But if you're fair, you can be a bimbo, cause there will always be a man (a rich one at that) who will take care of you, so why bother being a successful individual? Why even bother trying?

Race & skin colors become markers that indicate superiority and privilege, and that's what's being reflected through these commercials.

I wonder how that advert would be viewed in the US or the UK? Or are Arab countries and other thrid world countries that they can sell this crap to?

Peace,

SoulSearch :(

Lebanon...

2007-07-12T20:39:00.000+03:00

The tears of a child, her blood stains the rocks of Qana, rockets and craters destroyed her playground, her home destroyed.

Remembering all the victims of the brutal Israeli war machine...

Thanks to Al-Jazeera News Channel (both English & Arabic) for their outstanding coverage and their insightful reports that clearly and realistically portray the destruction that Lebanon suffered last year... www.aljazeera.net/english

To Lebanon, with love.

peace,

soulsearch

The 7 wonders buzzzzz

2007-07-06T21:42:00.000+03:00

Its official, there's a poll going around hoping to choose a new set of 7 wonders of the world...

News Agencies have been carrying the news:

Two millennia after the Greeks listed the sevenwonders of the ancient world, a
foundation created by a Swissmillionaire is to announce the seven sites elected
as the modernworld wonders in a global internet vote.

The announcement will be made tomorrow:

A glamourous gala event will be held at a huge Lisbon stadium Saturday to make
public the winners of a competition which has generated enthusiasm outside
the Western world, but came under criticism from art experts and the United
Nations.

Peace,

SoulSearch

Alan's dream of freedom

2007-07-06T21:19:00.000+03:00

After more than 100 days of captivity, Alan Johnston is free...

People who dedicate their lives to keep us informed are the real heroes...

Instead of enforcing regulations that would guarantee their safety, they are constantly targeted by Terrorist Governments (a.k.a Israel)

Yesterday, a reporter from a Palestinian TV station was hit by Zionist forces, he's been in critical condition, and has already lost his leg.

Amazing silence from Arab governments, leaders...

I wonder how the world's reaction would be has this reporter been British or American...

We all dream of freedom, peace and security, just like Alan...

Peace,

SoulSearch...

In the Corporate World...

2007-06-29T23:48:00.000+03:00

It never ceases to amaze me, the way people's attitudes change when promised better positions or more money...

Peace,

SoulSearch

Enya - Orinoco Flow

2007-06-27T16:26:00.001+03:00

My Song of the day,

Enjoy!

Love,
SoulSearch

The Forgotten Battlefield

2007-06-18T09:17:00.000+03:00

There's nothing more disturbing than hearing of 7 children killed in a military raid. Afghanistan is now the forgotten battlefield. With Iraq dominating the news, Afghanistan sinks deeper into an abyss of poverty, ignorance, destruction and ultimate death.

How long do the Americans plan on staying there? How long will the public be fooled into believing that these crimes are being purpetrated in the name of their freedom and their beliefs?

Peace,

SoulSearch

Dear Arabi

2007-06-14T21:28:00.000+03:00

Dear Arabi,

Get well soon. Wishing you a speedy recovery...

... Take care of your health ...

Peace,

SoulSearch

The Bumpy Road to Peace...

2007-06-14T21:24:00.000+03:00

The region is on fire, to whose benefit is that? Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon? People are dying, children torn apart by bombs, death, hunger and disease, what's happening?
Is there any hope for the future, how long will this fighting continue?
While the Arab leaders work to attract as much investments into their countries and subsequent pockets, people in these sorry situations continue to die, and cry.

... We watch in silence ...

... Hopelessness ...

... Despair ...

...Insecurity...

...Crimes ...

... What a Sorry Arab Situation ...

Peace,
SoulSearch

...Al-Naksa, 40 years on...

2007-06-08T21:19:00.000+03:00

It was 40 years ago this month, when another black day is marked on the Arab History calendar. It was 40 years ago when millions of Arabs were kicked out of their homes to be replaced by Jews from all over the world. It was 40 sorry years ago, when the Arab conscience was shaken so badly, it has refused to wake up.

And to this day, millions of Palestinians still live in squalid, crowded refugee camps and have no official identities. No UN resolution, no Arab League decision, no other human justice ever looked over the Palestinian refugee crisis. They just continue to live as refugees around the world while everyone goes home and sleeps soundly.

40 years on, Palestinians still live as refugees on their own land.

Wikipedia's explanation:

Naksa Day (6 June) (Arabic: يوم النكسة)
commemorates the Naksa ("setback"), the mass displacement and dispossession of
Palestinians during and after the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The first mass
displacement, known as the Nakba, took place
during and after the 1947-1949 Palestinian Civil War and the 1948 Arab-Israeli
War. This exodus is marked on Nakba Day.

Remember the day of the Naksa (the setback), don't let the memory of the Jewish land theft die. Don't be a nation without a memory. Palestinians have suffered, for us all.

Peace,

SoulSearch

Gee,uuuuhhh, let me guess!!!

2007-05-25T21:53:00.000+03:00

Here's a quiz we should all be able to have the answers to:

*TERRORISM QUIZ*

1) Which is the only country in the world to have dropped bombs on over twenty different countries since 1945?

2) Which is the only country to have used nuclear weapons?

3) Which country was responsible for a car bomb which killed 80 civilians in Beirutin 1985, in a botched assassination attempt, thereby making it the most lethal terrorist bombing in modern Middle East history?

4) Which country's illegal bombing of Libya in 1986 was described by the UN Legal Committee as a "classic case" of terrorism?

5) Which country rejected the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to terminate its "unlawful use of force" against Nicaraguain 1986, and then vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling on all states to observe international law?

6) Which country was accused by a UN-sponsored truth commission of providing "direct and indirect support" for "acts of genocide" against the Mayan Indians in Guatemala during the 1980s?

7) Which country unilaterally withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in December 2001?

8) Which country renounced the efforts to negotiate a verification process for the Biological Weapons Convention and brought an international conference on the matter to a halt in July 2001?

9) Which country prevented the United Nations from curbing the gun trade at a small arms conference in July 2001?

10) Aside from Somalia, which is the only other country in the world to have refused to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?

11) Which is the only Western country which allows the death penalty to be applied to children?

12) Which is the only G7 country to have refused to sign the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, forbidding the use of landmines?

13) Which is the only G7 country to have voted against the creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998?

14) Which was the only other country to join with Israelin opposing a 1987 General Assembly resolution condemning international terrorism?

15) Which country refuses to fully pay its debts to the United Nations yet reserves its right to veto United Nations resolutions?

Ironic, isn't it? To pretend to be the beacon of freedom and liberty and be the sole perpetrator of terrorism and misery in the world?

Beirut Burning again...

2007-05-22T09:15:00.000+03:00

I weep for Beirut, my lovely country. I weep for the destruction that evil has bestowed upon it last night and the last few days.

Some wackos calling themselves- Fateh Al-Islam, who are basically a bunch of criminals released into Lebanon as part of a bigger plot to destroy Lebanon, have been sent to wreak havoc in the country by planting bombs and terrorizing and killing innocent people. Check out the BBC news on the latest fighting in Lebanon here.

What is worse is the number of army personnel killed by these supposed "Palestinian Refugees" who placed snipers everywhere and killed 31 Lebanese soldiers in 2 days?!!! That is astounding!!!

That would only point to one thing that these people are trained army personnel or ex-soldiers who have recieved army training and have a purpose in destroying a country that has had enough of their reign of terror!

One thing that amazes me is that there is so much speculation about whether these guys are Al-Qaeda and about who is their main instigator, whereby the truth is blatantly out there. That instigator is otherwise known as Syria!!!

What is going to happen? Do more innocent people have to die to prove that Syria reins powerful over the whole region? Does the country have to fall back into the abyss of civil war to appease everyone's anger?

People needs to come together and understand that they eventually have to live together, whether they were Sunnis, Shiites, Christians, Maronites, Druze, etc. etc,

I pray for peace, and for evil to lift its grip off Lebanon.

Peace,

SoulSearch

Labor Rights

2007-05-21T09:00:00.000+03:00

Have you heard of the phrase: "A slave to the job", well, that's how I feel right now. I'm at a point where I have had it with work. I feel I have come to a breaking point, where I'm seriously thinking of making greeting cards for a living or something kinky like that!

People rant and rave about Labor Rights, what about Children's Rights, when a mother works every single day from 8am to 5pm and by the time she gets home its 5.30 or 5.45pm, her kids are getting ready to call it a day. What do I say to my 2 year-old son, who asks me why I leave him every single day? What do I say to my daughter when she tells me she wants to color a rainbow with her? Do I tell them I'm beat, my mind is clouded with all the tasks and responsibilities that I have at work? Would they understand that I'm doing all this for them, so I would never have to compromise their education, their lives, etc...

I miss my kids, my life is passing by and I'm in the office worrying about other trivialities while I'm missing out on wonderful moments with my children. I love you A & S.

Love,

SoulSearch, the mother!

A Woman's agony

2007-05-14T08:36:00.000+03:00

What is it that makes them do it? Why do women stay, when men decide to treat them as a punching bag? I just don't get it.

I was reading this morning's paper when I stumbled upon this article from the GDN, about a woman who has been abused and regularly beaten by her husband. She even had to have her upper lip stiched after his highness probably blew a punch at her or threw something at her.

Nothing infuriates me more than a man using his muscles to show he's a man. To me he's just an animal. Morever, he's probably an animal with issues, major ones. For him to use force to keep "his woman" in line just sickens me.

And she still refuses to press charges!!!! I say sue his sorry a*s, let him rot in jail or get deported or something. The law must be on her side, right? Right?

Its sad that people can just continue to swallow their pride, and their tears just so they would not cause a commotion, and that is probably one of the reasons this poor woman and many others in her situation prefer to do. Its probably becasue of the kids as well, for fear that she would be separated from them by the vicious monster of a dad that they have. Does he ever stop and think what this does to the children? How they would grow up in fear of what is happening to their mother, and when they become men and women themselves won't they feel that this is the normal way of treating their own spouses, or feel its normal to be treated this way? It just scares me.

From what I've heard there is a family violence shelter or center here in Bahrain. Its sponsored by Batelco and is somewhere in Budaiya but I'm not sure. Anyone who knows more about it, their contact no.s, or anything, please do let us know.

I hope this woman gets her mind set straight and sues this guy for both the physical and emotional abuse that has tormented her and her children for years and years.

Peace,

SoulSearch

SoulSearch

1001 Inventions and The Library of Secrets - starring Sir Ben Kingsley a...

Good Bye MJ

Fairuz A best song

Israel - A Nation of Thiefs

Gaza Under Siege

Life Disintegrating

The Concept of Death...Baba you're gone

Baba

Moving House

I "heart" Cake

Egypt rock slide tragedy

That's life 4 ya ...

Ramadan Kareem

Seif's 4th Birthday

Back Online...

Rick Astley - Cry For Help

Soul Time

Rita by Marcel Khalife

Israeli shoots Palestinian with hands bound point blank

Currently Reading ...

The Whole Wheat Battle

Home Sweet Home...Update III

Summer Fun

Home Sweet Home...Update II

When words get lost in my mind...

Kunafeh recipe... here it comes

Birthday Girl...The Fairy

Kunafeh >>> Stay Tuned

Happy 6th Birthday Sweetheart

The Devil is in the details

Book Heaven

Soul Favorites

The world is just fine...

The essence of my life...

Lebanon...bleeding

Life Just Wasting Away

***** Drum Roll ***** PAINTED!!!

India

Alanis Morissette - Precious Illusions

Gaza, the Arab's open wound

Happy Birthday

Next step....PAINT!!!

A Tribute Blog

Too close to home...

Street Hooligans

Enya - I Want Tomorrow

Stomp till you Dromp

War on inflation...

Project: Dream House Update 3

Project: Dream House Update

On blogging and the world around me

George Galloway

The Good Earth

Dreaming of home...

Blackberry blues...

My new N95

To make a statement

Geant-smart move

Children in Gaza

What's happening...

Welfare or Hellfare: Are we on the way?

On having children in the Corporate World...

Why me?

To parquet or not to parquet...

On L.I.F.E. and a key...

The Rain...

Sword-wealding Head of State

Cold...Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd

Superwomen....want to be...

Violence...

2.0.0.7 - The year that was

The Secret...

Cooking 101

On shopping and religion

Project: Dream Home

Home Sweet Home...Update

What makes life worthwile...

Walking in Memphis - Marc Cohn

SoulSearching …

* Drum Roll * PAINTED!!!