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Syria Planet (10 unread)

August 29, 2008
5:26
OkBaH - متابعات عقبة: خميس في بلاد العجائب!
» ‎ Syria Planet

ربما كان العالم الذي أطلت عليه (أليس) في قصتها الشهيرة من جحر أرنب..عجيباً غريباً لكنه كان بأي حال جميلاً رائعاً أسعد الفتاة الصغيرة ويسعد منذ ذلك اليوم ملايين الأطفال عبر العالم، لكن العالم الذي رأه (خميس) في هذه القصة هو عالم بشع ومخيف و حقيقي وأحداث مطابقة لتجارب عاشها الكثير من الناس -على عكس عالم [...]
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3:05
Turn your head up to the sky.... nothing dowm below: Raneem_koub
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يا حبيبتي… يا أمي… يا فتاتي المدلّلة… يا ليلكتي الدمشقيّة يا أُماً… ليست كأيِّ أُم… يا حُضناً أدفى من حُضنِ الحبيبِ يَقتُلُني شوقي إليكِ… و إلى ريحكِ الأُمويِّ و الياسمينِ أصحيحٌ يا دمشقُ قولهُمُ بأنكِ كنتِ مهداً للأُمَمِ الحاضراتِ؟ و أين أنتِ اليومَ يا أُمَ العربِ… و أين أطفالَكِ عنكِ أخبريني… هل كَبُرُوا؟! فاستكبروا عليكِ… و أبو العودةَ إليكِ؟! لا تحزني [...]
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3:05
صالحانيات: Mr. Salhani
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مرحباااا بدون مقدمات… كل واحد فينا بيفكر حالو انو هو أذكى شخص بالوجود(بس الفرص ما عم تجيه لحتى يظهر حالو وذكائو) L ….اليوم انا وانتو ح نجرب ندخل ع هالموقع ونشوف نسبة الذكاء عنا (والله يستر من النتائج) ….هلأ بشكل عام انا بعد ما جربت هاللعبة البسيطة…فيني خبركم انو هوو بشكل رئسي …اللعبة بتعتمد عالذاكرة وبالأخص ذاكرة [...]
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3:05
The Blog and the Shower: Students without borders
» ‎ Syria Planet

My friend Leah has made extended visits to Oaxaca several times, most recently this summer. She sent back a few emails written with a Jean Genet-like attention to visual detail and some candid reflections on a dilemma that dogs some of us guilty children of the white middle class: in trying to “make a difference” in the world, do we inadvertently make things worse? Does our work benefit anyone else as much as it benefits us? Is it right to take more of an interest in struggles that take place halfway around the world when there are struggles just as desperate within our own country?

Leah wrote:

“Earlier that day, I had gone to a meeting at UniTierra of the Guerreros sin armas – Warriors without weapons. I had considered applying to this program when I first thought about returning to Oaxaca, but did not, for fear (rightly so, I think) that my Spanish would not be good enough. Fluency in Spanish is a requirement. Anyhow, this gathering of young people included people from various parts of Oaxaca, Brazil, Guatemala, Europe, and the United States. They came to do a month long project benefiting one of Oaxaca’s communities whose problems are thought endemic throughout the state.

The young people were bright, energetic activists, all in their twenties. They were located in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Oaxaca City called Colonia Diamante. A couple leaders from the community made commentary about how their community suffered and how nice it was to have these people around.

This particular meeting was to decide what the group would do as a larger community action the next week. Anyone interested was invited to participate.

Mind you, my mood was damper than normal, but I felt unsure what to think of it.

It strikes me as a project which will deeply impact the young people but may have a more ephemeral impact on the colonia residents. How do you measure transformation over the period of a month? Routines are rarely changed without a concerted effort to be the agent of change.

I also had an unfortunate conversation with George Salzman, an old New York anarchist who lives with his compañera, Nancy Davies, here in Oaxaca (they write for NarcoNews). We spoke in Spanish (although I was struck by how fragmented his Spanish was for a Oaxaca reporter). George’s cynicism did not improve my disposition.

His summary based on a series of assumptions: the young people here are people of privilege. You [Leah], too, are a person of privilege. Access to a program like this is a product of privilege. Traveling across the world is very bad for the environment – you probably don’t think about this given your privilege – you should not be here. If we are going to work to change the system, we should not exercise rights which other people are not subject too.

Often after meetings at UniTierra (an alternative education institution) I do have my skeptical thoughts:

Where do I fit into this? I sit quietly, at the table, straining to listen, at times my attention waning. I want so badly to have a stake in these issues. I do not want to be just another tourist for whom other people’s struggles are an added entree at the table.”

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3:05
Mohammad Online: رسالة إلى مخترق موقعي و الجميع !
» ‎ Syria Planet

السلام عليكم .. لا أعلم من أين أبدأ و ماذا أقول ، لكني اليوم أشعر بشعور ذلك الأب الذي فقد ابنه صاحب السنوات الثلاث أمام عينه دون أن يستطيع فعل شيئ لإنقاذه ، و اليوم أشعر بشعور هؤلاء الذين أمضوا ثلاث سنوات في بناء منزلهم فدمّر الزلزال حلمهم و دفنه تحت الأرض دون رحمة منه أو [...]
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3:05
Mohammad Online: المدونة تعود من تحت الصفر ..
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السلام عليكم .. عدنا .. من تحت الصفر .. بداية أود أن أشكر كل من لاحظ توقف مدونتي عن العمل الإسبوع المنصرف فأرسل يسأل عن السبب . السبب و بإختصار، تم إختراق موقع المدونة و حذفه بالكامل يوم الأربعاء الموافق 20-8-2008 ، و للأسف قبل حذف الموقع بيومين فقط حذفت عن طريق الخطأ نسخة عن قاعدة البيانات , [...]
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3:05
Arabdemocracy: The Arabs at the Olympics
» ‎ Syria Planet

By Joseph El-Khoury

The Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games famously commented that the Olympic Spirit was not about the winning but rather the taking part. This was certainly a noble comment from a noble man. But throughout their history the performance of national teams has become a way for nations to send a message to the international community or assert their economical or military might. Ever since the Berlin Olympics in 1936, the games have become intertwined with politics and ideology. The Nazis determined to prove the superiority of the Aryan race were stunned by the dazzling performance of Jesse Owen and the black members of the US Athletic team. From the 1950s the Soviet block turned its gymnasiums into Olympic medal factories, as the cold war turned steamy in the stadiums. With the communists crumbling, the Americans felt that their new status of only superpower in a unipolar world should be reflected in the medals table. This was short-lived and the quiet display of Chinese financial, organisational and presentational skills in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics was an omen of the emergence of a new sporting superpower.

The Arabs did take part in the Olympics, with various degrees of dedications. Without taking anything away from those athletes who gave it their best shot, the outcome was a meagre tally of eight medals. This is for a combined population estimated at 340 million people. With the exception of Bahrain, the countries of the Mashreq appear to have adopted De Coubertin’s mantra literally, avoiding any noteworthy success. The countries of the Maghreb fared substantially better, specifically if we take into consideration their socio-economic context, showing a culturally inexplicable affinity for Judo. The medal standing at the closure of the 2008 games was as follows:

BAHRAIN

MEN ATHLETICS 1500m GOLD Rashid RAMZI

TUNISIA

MEN SWIMMING 1500m F/STYLE GOLD Oussama MELLOULI

ALGERIA

JUDO MENJUDO WOMEN
MOROCCO

MEN’S MARATHON SILVER Jaouad GHARIB
ATHLETICS WOMEN’S 800M BRONZE Hasna BENHASSI

SUDAN

ATHLETICS MEN’S 800M SILVER Ismail Ahmed ISMAIL

EGYPT

JUDO MEN’S
In the final analysis that same socio-economic context cannot be solely responsible for the poor performance at the Olympics and other Sporting competitions when countries like Jamaica, Cuba and Mongolia outperform Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Libya. We have to come to terms with an underlying malaise running within Arab society, a lack of self belief and what can only be described as an ‘eternal loser’ mentality. The state, viewed mostly as an apparatus of oppression does not view sport as a priority. Nonetheless, small practical measures can be implemented at reasonable costs. Individual countries need to focus on sports at which their citizen traditionally excelled, while a broader strategic plan is required at the regional Arab level to improve the general quality of competition. And for once we cannot blame the Israelis for our misery. They managed a unique Bronze Medal in Sailing.

An Arab sporting ‘Nahda’ is required before 2012. Is there a Sport Psychologist in the house?
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3:05
DUBAI JAZZ: Aesthetical Tantrums
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...

It’s widely assumed that architects’ work is interesting; but – I don’t know if this is going to give you the disappointment of your life but I hope not- let me break it to you; it’s not (or rather it's not always the case).

Indeed, there are those ‘moments’ when the building is shaping up (on the papers/ computer screens or model podiums), but those aren’t many.

Other than that everything else we do (I need you architects out there to correct me if I am wrong) is butt-sweating, anxiety-inducing donkeys’ work. It’s very easy to theorize in architecture. Remember, almost every boy or girl played lego once; there is an architect inside every client waiting to break the shackle and set free. And we, real architects, sometimes innocently allow this by entertaining the client on few ideas. It’s what we call in Arabic “giving face” عطي وش. It’s very interesting cultural concept if one can get it translated rightly. But I digress.

So you think Haram (kind of empathic feeling), let this poor client have few ideas of his own tucked neatly within the design. It’s his own money end of the day. Right?

Wrong!

Because they eventually ‘get face’ أخد وش, (another interesting cultural concept; simply a reciprocation of ‘giving face’). Client starts to savor the taste of having his/her silly fantasies jotted on the papers, drafted on CAD and then printed with neat laser precision. The fantasies keep unfolding.

It’s no use telling him/her that “this cornice is hideous” or “that Lebanese hotel operator [who was recruited from Joneih two month ago] doesn’t know shit and going to buy you cheap Chinese furniture” (apparently, every Arab Gulf man had a fantasy once along the way about entertaining a glitzy Lebanese cowboy). And the incessant changes and fantasies never cease to end (by definition).

But this- ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and colleagues – isn’t the worst of it. Architects are, by and large, destined to become what we call in the industry ‘design managers’. After you’ve busted your ass getting the client to sign off on the concept, there is the process of leading the other fellow engineers (electrical, mechanical, structural, agricultural, horticultural, geological etc…) to design the other aspect of the building. Now this process isn’t really that annoying, it’s just boring.

Yes, it’s deadly boring.

It’s partly boring because Eng. Nadeem (the liaison officer with the electromechanical sub-consultant), is hell-bent on making the same mistakes in every project. He’d call out of the sudden and say : “ah I think Civil Defense was about to increase the capacity of the sprinklers’ pump per minute, we might need a bigger tank… let me check, let me check…” ….

He’d hang up then. I don’t even get the chance to tell Nadeem that the building in question doesn’t have sprinklers until he’s halfway to the civil defense department in the cab (cause he failed like 15 times in driving tests…)...

But that’s an entertaining and sanitized version of the story. In short, what we do is not always exciting; it’s largely boring. Or do I easily get bored?

The jury is still out…..

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3:05
طارق أبو عسلي: هزة أرضية خفيفة شعرت بها في الكويت
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لقد شعرت أمس الأربعاء 27-08-2008 بهزة أرضية خفيفة في منتصف الليل، إذ بدأت أسمع أصوات من البناء كصوت الإنفجار، و فتح باب الخزانة و اهتزت الأضواء المعلقة، و هرعت إلى الشباك لأنظر حولي ليلاً و لم أجد ما هو غريب، و بالفعل، و وفق صمت في الكويت، توجهت إلى موقع رصد الزلازل العالمي لأرى أن الهزة فعلاً قد حدثت على الحدود الإيرانية العراقية بقوة 5.7 حسب مقياس ريختر، و قد شعر بها بعض الأشخاص في الكويت.

و لكن السؤال الذي يطرح نفسه، هل صممت المباني هنا لتتحمل الهزات؟

و هي في حال حصول هزة أكبر من الممكن أن تتأثر المباني السكنية ؟

على كل حال فقط أحببت تأكيد الخبر، و هذا مصدري.

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/neic_wfdu_l.html

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3:05
Black Ice: Shuffle Tag
» ‎ Syria Planet

Maher tagged me:
1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Natasha st. Pier - Tu Trouveras
3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
سميرة سعيد - قوني بيك

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
فيروز - نسم علينا الهوا [yes, خدني على بلادي. always. ♥Damascus]

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
مروان خوري - كـــــل القصايد

6. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Britney Spears - Toxic [oh dear God lol, this is Dana and my karoke song]

7. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
صابر الرباعي - الله يحميك

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
لينا شماميان - يا مسافرة

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Live - Dolphin's Cry [If I didn't love her she would have been shot by now lol]

10. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
مروان خوري - ليل مبارح

11. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Enigma - Gravity of Love

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
كاظم الساهر- غالية

13. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
فيروز - بيلبقلك شك الالماس [lol mdala3a?]

14. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
اليسا - مش كتير عليك

15. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Enya - Only Time [never thought of this song in that way]

16. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
ماجدة الرومي - كلمات

17. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
فيروز - لا تسألوني

18. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
إيهاب توفيق - ألف كلمة حب

19. WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
Loreena Mckennitt - The Mystic's Dream [whats this question mean anyway?]

20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF?
Lisa Gerrard - The Sea Whisperer [Love the sea]
This was totally off. Since I didnt write the rules, I wont tag people either :D

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