Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Very strong article that made me cry at the breakfast table

Enquiries like the ones spoken by this journalist and writer were creeping to my mind more often than not but my writing ability betrays me at times and doesn't enable me to find the correct words to make the analogy.  This woman though had a book to publish, hence it was easier for her to make the analogy, please read and spread, there are far more categories of people that are news worthy than star academy, arab got talent, the voice and many more of those programmes that are made to make us the ultimate consumers:

مقال يصف حال الأمة العربيه بقلم أحلام مستغانمي الجزائرية.... يستحق القراءة

وصلتُ إلى بيروت في بداية التسعينات، في توقيت وصول الشاب خالد إلى النجوميّة العالميّة. أُغنية واحدة قذفت به إلى المجد• كانت أغنية "دي دي واه" شاغلة الناس ليلاً ونهاراً.
على موسيقاها تُقام الأعراس، وتُقدَّم عروض الأزياء، وعلى إيقاعها ترقص بيروت ليلاً، وتذهب إلى مشاغلها صباحاً.كنت قادمة لتوِّي من باريس، وفي حوزتي مخطوط "الجسد"، أربعمائة صفحة، قضيت أربع سنوات في نحتها جملة جملة، محاوِلة ما استطعت تضمينها نصف قرن من التاريخ النضالي للجزائر، إنقاذاً لماضينا، ورغبة في تعريف العالم العربي إلى أمجادنا وأوجاعنا.لكنني ما كنت أُعلن عن هويتي إلاّ ويُجاملني أحدهم قائلاً: "آه.. أنتِ من بلاد الشاب خالد!"،
واجداً في هذا الرجل الذي يضع قرطاً في أذنه، ويظهر في التلفزيون الفرنسي برفقة كلبه، ولا جواب له عن أي سؤال سوى الضحك الغبيّ، قرابة بمواجعي.وفوراً يصبح السؤال، ما معنى عِبَارة "دي دي واه"؟ وعندما أعترف بعدم فهمي أنا أيضاً معناها، يتحسَّر سائلي على قَدَر الجزائر، التي بسبب الاستعمار، لا تفهم اللغة العربية!
وبعد أن أتعبني الجواب عن "فزّورة" (دي دي واه)، وقضيت زمناً طويلاً أعتذر للأصدقاء والغرباء وسائقي التاكسي، وعامل محطة البنزين المصري، ومصففة شعري عن جهلي وأُميتي، قررت ألاّ أفصح عن هويتي الجزائرية، كي أرتاح.
لم يحزنّي أن مطرباً بكلمتين، أو بالأحرى بأغنية من حرفين، حقق مجداً ومكاسب، لا يحققها أي كاتب عربي نذر عمره للكلمات، بقدر ما أحزنني أنني جئت المشرق في الزمن الخطأ.
ففي الخمسينات، كان الجزائري يُنسبُ إلى بلد الأمير عبد القادر، وفي الستينات إلى بلد أحمد بن بلّة وجميلة بو حيرد، وفي السبعينات إلى بلد هواري بومدين والمليون شهيد ... اليوم يُنسب العربي إلى مطربيه، وإلى الْمُغنِّي الذي يمثله في "ستار أكاديمي" ...وهكذا، حتى وقت قريب، كنت أتلقّى المدح كجزائرية من قِبَل الذين أحبُّوا الفتاة التي مثلت الجزائر في "ستار أكاديمي"، وأُواسَى نيابة عنها... هذا عندما لا يخالني البعض مغربية، ويُبدي لي تعاطفه مع صوفيا.
وقبل حرب إسرائيل الأخيرة على لبنان، كنت أتابع بقهر ذات مساء، تلك الرسائل الهابطة المحبطة التي تُبث على قنوات الغناء، عندما حضرني قول "ستالين" وهو ينادي، من خلال المذياع، الشعب الروسي للمقاومة، والنازيون على أبواب موسكو، صائحاً: "دافعوا عن وطن بوشكين وتولستوي".
وقلت لنفسي مازحة، لو عاودت إسرائيل اليوم اجتياح لبنان أو غزو مصر، لَمَا وجدنا أمامنا من سبيل لتعبئة الشباب واستنفار مشاعرهم الوطنية، سوى بث نداءات ورسائل على الفضائيات الغنائية، أن دافعوا عن وطن هيفاء وهبي وإليسا ونانسي عجرم ومروى وروبي وأخواتهن .... فلا أرى أسماء غير هذه لشحذ الهمم ولمّ الحشود.
وليس واللّه في الأمر نكتة. فمنذ أربع سنوات خرج الأسير المصري محمود السواركة من المعتقلات الإسرائيلية، التي قضى فيها اثنتين وعشرين سنة، حتى استحق لقب أقدم أسير مصري، ولم يجد الرجل أحداً في انتظاره من "الجماهير" التي ناضل من أجلها، ولا استحق خبر إطلاق سراحه أكثر من مربّع في جريدة، بينما اضطر مسئولو الأمن في مطار القاهرة إلى تهريب نجم "ستار أكاديمي" محمد عطيّة بعد وقوع جرحى جرّاء تَدَافُع مئات الشبّان والشابّات، الذين ظلُّوا يترددون على المطار مع كل موعد لوصول طائرة من بيروت.
في أوطان كانت تُنسب إلى الأبطال، وغَدَت تُنسب إلى الصبيان، قرأنا أنّ محمد خلاوي، الطالب السابق في "ستار أكاديمي"، ظلَّ لأسابيع لا يمشي إلاّ محاطاً بخمسة حراس لا يفارقونه أبداً .. ربما أخذ الولد مأخذ الجد لقب "الزعيم" الذي أطلقه زملاؤه عليه!
ولقد تعرّفت إلى الغالية المناضلة الكبيرة جميلة بوحيرد في رحلة بين الجزائر وفرنسا، وكانت تسافر على الدرجة الاقتصادية، مُحمَّلة بما تحمله أُمٌّ من مؤونة غذائية لابنها الوحيد، وشعرت بالخجل، لأن مثلها لا يسافر على الدرجة الأُولى، بينما يفاخر فرخ وُلد لتوّه على بلاتوهات "ستار أكاديمي"، بأنه لا يتنقّل إلاّ بطائرة حكوميّة خاصة، وُضِعَت تحت تصرّفه، لأنه رفع اسم بلده عالياً!

Kهنيئا للامة العربية
هنيئا لامة رسول الله

إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون......

Saturday, 4 May 2013

Rain

For some reason I always remember my childhood when it rains! we would jump in the puddles of water that get formed in the streets and alleyways, raise our little hands to the sky and sing our arabic nursury rhymes without feeling the cold or noticing that our clothes are soaked.   After few days though those puddles are magically converted to mud and no matter what you do to avoid getting close to them your clothes are bound to get stained.  Of course our mum's will have a jolly time scolding us and at times prevent us from going out to play for days on end.  Imagine one doesn't have the umpteen number of things that occupy ones time like kids these days, all we had are those recycled comic books and the one channel tv station broadcasting golf the whole day.

Anyway, I am 57 now but still see those puddles when it rains but kids do not play in them except in some countries. Why don't we have a good sewage system?  I see our roads having roadworks signs all the time!  what are they doing if they are not including sewage system in them?  I think that those responsible for the roadworks are actually trying to install drainage, however, the amount of sand that comes our way when there is a sandstorm clogs the drainage so when the rain falls it doesn't find a way to get back to the centre of the earth.  

Thats my explanation but I am not an expert in this subject so those people that are experts in matters relating to drains and sewage must tell us why is this still happening despite the millions of dollars spent on our roads.  Imagine that we started to hate the thought of having rain as its really a blockage to whatever we want to do.  Last week and this week for example we lost a lot as we were at exhibitions that had no visitors due to rain?!

Subjects of this nature are close to my heart, as I am all for progress and advancement,  sometimes though we had to have a blind eye so we don't notice the waste.  

Good luck with the continuing rain season.  let your kids play in the puddles.

Monday, 22 April 2013

Few tips for the new graduates and not so new

Well, the market is back almost to normal, but most of the jobs in the fields that you are specialized in goes to people who have experience in the filed. I am not trying to kill your enthusiasm, on the contrary, its all in the way we push ourselves. 

I am going to choose one area of work here also a country, in general though, these tips can be applied to any job in any country.


Here is my strategy if I am looking for a construction and civil engineering job:

1. prepare a great CV and few reference letters that match the jobs you are applying for.  Also prepare a good portfolio of the work that you did while studying.  Companies like it that you are prepared. Also don’t forget to say everything about yourself including the little award that you received in first grade for drawing the best palm tree (metaphorically speaking)
2. buy a nice suit.
3. find the companies that are in UAE with background of construction and civil engineering (Google is your best friend here) see if they have vacancies on their websites and apply. Also group the jobs and go visit the companies yourself.
4. check out the jobs on the recruitment companies sites, see this http://www.gulftalent.com/home/jobs-in-Engineering-Civil-Construction-1.html
6. look at the classified section of the newspapers

7. if all doesn't work in UAE, then try Qatar as its Dubai ten years ago, lots of jobs.  

Good luck

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Thirty first anniversary, is it worth something

Thirty two years ago two people who were madly in love got married, life was a struggle, not with the money and earning, as this was abundant! not with shelter, as this was available all the time! not with cars, as they had two cars all the time, and sometime three! not with travelling as the woman liked to travel and the man didn't!  not with Children as they had a few! not with family as their family loved them dearly! not with friends as they had lots and lots of friends! jobs were great, and life was fantastic, however there was something strange going on.

What made this woman think of this is a movie she had watched called Dinner with friends, two couples were best of friends and were spending most of their time together, suddenly and out of no where one of the couples split up, the husband was to be blamed as he was the one who found himself a mistress out of wedlock. Of course everybody was against him, and felt for the wife. At the end of the movie it seemed obvious that the wife was the reason for the split-up  However as they said, no one knows what happens between the husband and wife except the husband and wife.

It was obvious from the start that both husband and wife possessed strong personalities, and were very unambitious  However the faster the woman reached the top, the more trouble their marriage had faced. Ego was very much in control here. The husband started to fight over the simplest of things and was upset if the woman wanted to do things even if it was buying a different type of grocery item, or a new type of cheese.  It was evident that he was not going to make life easy for the wife, so instead of trying to raise his level of education and hence his income, he spent his time and energy on scheming to hurt his wife in every way he could. If he didn't find a reason to fight, he will create that reason, or make up a reason from his own imaginations.  Creating reasons for fights made life intolerable, but more than that made him become paranoid about his own abilities, his kids' and of course the wife's. She on the other hand continued to advance herself, oblivious to the fact that he is getting sicker and sicker, and was attributing his anger fits to the fact that she is not spending much time with him, is always working late and is out all the time.

Sometimes the woman felt that his mind is going round like a merry go round, and a figment of his imagination is amplified in his brain to become a story he will dwell on forever.  Many a times he will erupt higher than a volcano and utter vehement words of things the woman hadn't done, but his brain will make up the stories and make him believe that they were true.  Not sure if you saw Peter Pan? what was happening in their house was a Sad thought instead of the happy thoughts of Peter.  The woman always wished him well, and sent him her good thoughts; life was difficult as it is, without having trouble that came from no where.

She asked me if she has to leave him? I said: why? if you had lived for 32 years with him, why should you leave now?

What do you think?

Saturday, 23 March 2013

For all women entrepreneurs

I read a lovely article about women entrepreneurs that says that us women are the reason for not being able to grew our companies. We all tend to ignore social inequalities, pretend not to be women, and are afraid to say our own opinion. its time to change.

Here are excerpt from the article (http://www.good.is/posts/don-t-just-lean-in-10-ways-women-entrepreneurs-and-leaders-should-take-action-now), I think all women should read it not just entrepreneurs

we need more men investing in women. But we also need more women sitting at the investor table. Women are very comfortable donating to nonprofits; older women give a whopping 89 percent more of their income to charity than men, according to a study from the Women's Philanthropy Institute.


Here are 10 other ways women can take action right now:
  • Stop talking about being a victim—words become beliefs that become reality. Be a positive voice in the gender conversation, and look for the gratitude and lessons in every situation.
  • Smile and say “thank you” when complimented.
  • Practice having honest and open dialogue—start with family or close friends and then move outwards. Be mindful of appropriateness, but eventually this kind of authentic vulnerability and boundary setting will feel seamless, natural, and empowering.
  • Don’t wait for an invitation—ask for what you want (watch this for inspiration). Nobody can read your mind, and life becomes much more fun when it’s interactive.
  • Stop discrediting your achievements, and do not apologize your way out of the discomfort you feel as a result of your growth. Own it.
  • If you’ve been talking about wanting to do something for a while, seek support and GO DO IT. Your taking action gives others permission to do the same (watch this for inspiration).
  • Set realistic expectations for yourself, and let go of the desire to be perfect. Watch as your frustrations with other people’s imperfections ease (read this for inspiration).
  • If you feel competitive with another women, reach out and offer to help her out. It’s amazing what counter-action (and a little kindness) can do to dissolve negative feelings. Do this for yourself—resentment is toxic only to the one harboring it.
  • Stop obsessing and talking about your guilt. This self-centeredness stalls needed progress. Instead, use your emotions as a guidepost, allowing you to course-correct at anytime.
  • Raise your hand, and keep it up.
Continue the conversation at LeanIn.Org.

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Education is a commodity

Soon we are going to have an education stock exchange. I guess the billions of dollars that are being spent on education around the world will trigger the establishment of a new Wall street- Education or Nikkei-Education.  We will find the big four in education. The Merrill Lynch and the Goldman Saks of this world in education trading and barters. There will be regulators like the SECs and the Nasdaq's and the London stock exchanges etc.

However this will only happens when few conditions pre exists:

1. Governments are dealing ethically and the best people will do the work in education not those that have an uncle as a minister or a cousin who is the head of the department

2. Industry who is truly caring about the people in our country and want these people to have the best education

3. We have the appropriate regulatory framework for the qualification. And when we choose systems from around the world we look at the whole system and not take a part only even though we know that it will not fit our situation

4. The parents are involved in the improvements in the education because they know if they didn't their kids lives is in jeopardy

5. Teachers become teachers because they are passionate about the work and not because they couldn't find a job

6. The kids have the drive as they know that without good education he or she will not have a chance in life

7. Vocational education is considered a stream in Education, instead of a choice for those that fail to enter Tertiary education.

8. Children have a say in how they are being taught.

When all of these things are evident, then people will trade in education stocks.