Adam and I woke up really early today. By 8:15 we were bored to death, extremely active, and we both wanted to swim. Adam made it clear that he wants to swim in the “waves” aka sea, and make a sand castle with beach sand. So I thought why not, I know sea water is hot in the summer, and sun is really strong, and that people advise to go either in early morning hours (as in 5 or 6 a.m.) or around sunset, but what the hell, I thought it was a cool idea. I mean going to the beach is fun, [...]
Adam’s Last Nursery Day
AquaCool - 2010-06-29 10:27:01
Today Adam attended his last day at nursery. In September he’ll be going to SCHOOL, or “that place for big kids” as he likes to refer to it.
Even though I tried to explain to him more than once, he still doesn’t quite get the idea that he wont be returning to this same place he’s been going to on daily basis for months and months. That he wont be seeing his teachers, his friends, and this place he got used to. He’s excited about that new place called “sc [...]
World Cup & I
AquaCool - 2010-06-15 09:06:19
So a lot of people have been asking me about my “surprising” and “sudden” passion for football. The thing is, I’ve always loved football, I’m not obsessed with it though, I like to play it, and just love the whole world cup ambiance. So usually I’d rarely tune in to watch a football match in normal days, but when it comes to the World Cup, then I am a first-row enthusiast. I’m a fan of the following teams, in the following order: 1. Germany 2. Br [...]
On Being Sick
AquaCool - 2010-05-25 10:30:16
A few days ago I was thinking of how often we were getting sick here in Dubai. It’s been a year and a few months since we moved here, and I’m not exaggerating when I say, we never stopped getting sick ever since we set foot here. Starting with usual mild illnesses such as colds, going through allergies, till getting one of the most dangerouses diseases such as the Swine Flu (yes we got that as well), and ending up with diseases I never heard of before such as the Hand, Foot, and Mou [...]
“Fireflies”, Owl City
AquaCool - 2010-01-19 06:04:14
Can’t stop listening to this song, I adore the lyrics and music, although a bit sad… and Adam just loves the video! [...]
It’s Winter in Dubai
AquaCool - 2009-12-13 11:34:20
I have probably mentioned that the past few years have succeeded in turning me into a winter person who’d rather freeze in the dark than burn in the sun. Maybe this whole climate change has turned summer into this annoyingly unbearable season rather than a lovely sunny time in which you can do anything at all!
Anyway, I’ve been in Dubai since March, I was prepared for summer all along the year, although I knew winter will -eventually- come to this city; maybe not the winter I used to [...]
postmortem...
by the way - 2009-11-23 13:55:40
On ne fete toujours pas les anniversaires des personnes parties, on se rappele plutot de la date de leurs departs.Ma Fifi à moi est partie, et aujourd'hui, c'est le jour de son anniversaire.Alors ou que tu sois ma belle, joyeux anniversaire... [...]
“So How Was Nursery?”
AquaCool - 2009-10-27 06:12:59
So last week was Adam’s first time experience with nursery. Before going there, I was fully aware of the big change that Adam will be experiencing and was well-prepared for the consequences… thanks to the internet, TV shows, parenting magazines, and the nursery’s Director of Education, who made it very clear that many children -as well as many parents- might suffer from ’separation anxiety’ the first few days, not to mention having to deal with a strange environment [...]
On Being A “Desperate” Housewife
AquaCool - 2009-10-22 06:00:37
Being a full time employee and then switching into a housewife is really a big change in the life of any woman. That’s why many women, after having a baby, prefer sticking to their jobs and have someone help them out with their kids, or have any kind of arrangement they’d feel will give them the best of both worlds, like get a part time job for example. But you already know that I chose becoming a mom and a housewife, full time. To be honest it was really difficult, especially that I [...]
Starting The Day
AquaCool - 2009-10-21 07:55:48
WOW!
Just came back from a… well, what was supposed to be just a quick visit to the closest recycling unit, and that is in the parking area of a supermarket near us. The walk is around 5 minutes (fast walking) and around 10 if you were lazy walking. The thing is, it’s really hot in Dubai, and recycling units, where they have containers for your recyclables are not available everywhere, and to get to the nearest one I had to wait for the weekends, so that my husband would drop me th [...]
The Day Adam Went To Nursery
AquaCool - 2009-10-18 08:57:45
Today was my son’s first day to go to nursery, and I mean the first day ever. As many friends of mine already know, I’m strongly against sending children to daycare/nursery at young age, and by young I mean a few months old, unless of course, if the parent is a single working parent, or both parents were working and in no way could they support their family with only one job, but other than that, I have always believed that one of the parents or a really close and trusted relative sh [...]
La7that Wada3 (Moment of Farewell)
AquaCool - 2009-10-04 12:10:55
Those of you who know me already know that I might be the biggest fan of the Turkish series “La7zet Wada3″ (originally titled: ‘Elveda Derken’), which was aired around a year ago on MBC4. And now it’s fortunately being aired for the second time, and surprise surprise, I’m watching it for the very ’second’ time.
Call it obsession, call it a waste of time, but this is the truth. And the very strange coincidence is that this show has been my Nr. 1 en [...]
In My Shoes!
AquaCool - 2009-07-02 13:55:21
I had an appointment with Adam’s doctor today, and as I was getting ready, a pair of high-heels fell out the closet. I really felt like wearing high-heels today, I love being comfortable, I do wear flip-flops, flats, and sports shoes a lot, but I’ve always had a weakness for high-heels, the not VERY high ones though. I don’t know, I just love the way they look, I love the way they feel when you wear them, I feel extremely comfortable in them, if I didn’t have to walk [...]
The MOVE (4): On the way to Dubai
AquaCool - 2009-05-11 20:19:50
Waiting has got to be one of the most painfully annoying things any mother with a sick child in a crowded noisy airport could experience.
Airport speakers: “flight number ####, **** Airlines, please head to gate number ## immediately“. I look at my watch and the plane was supposed to take off in 40 minutes. I walk to the boarding gate carrying my handbags and Adam (and the chips and juice and chocolate that he HAD to get on our way to the gate… and his Mickey Mouse that he ref [...]
The MOVE (4): On the way to Dubai
AquaCool - 2009-05-11 20:19:50
Waiting has got to be one of the most painfully annoying things any mother with a sick child in a crowded noisy airport could experience.
Airport speakers: “flight number ####, **** Airlines, please head to gate number ## immediately“. I look at my watch and the plane is supposed to take off in 40 minutes. I walk to the boarding gate carrying my handbags and Adam (and the chips and juice and chocolate that he HAD to get on our way to the gate̷ [...]
qd je me prends pour le nombril du monde...
by the way - 2009-05-11 08:43:53
C'est fou la quantité de dopamine que [...]
The MOVE (3): Leaving Tunisia
AquaCool - 2009-04-30 14:16:18
It’s amazing how people get attached to a place even if they’re not aware of it. And it’s weird how even when you think you’re strong enough to manage a moving process and get over a place, and to keep everything under control, you find out that you’re just as unorganized, unprepared, and out of control, as any one else.
After a couple of crazy months of selling stuff, giving away stuff, packing stuff -and throwing A LOT of other stuff- I thought all I had to do was [...]
The MOVE (3): Leaving Tunisia
AquaCool - 2009-04-30 14:16:18
It’s amazing how people get attached to a place even if they’re not aware of it. And it’s weird how even when you think you’re strong enough to manage a moving process and get over a place, and to keep everything under control, you find out that you’re just as unorganized, unprepared, and out of control, as any one else.
After a couple of crazy months of selling stuff, giving away stuff, packing stuff -and throwing A LOT of other stuff- I thought all I had [...]
Fadi Andrawos, THANK YOU
AquaCool - 2009-04-07 07:50:51
Last night and while I was watching TV after an exhausting day, I happened to watch Fadi Andrawos’ latest video clip: “Falastine w Lebnan“, i.e. Palestine & Lebanon; an extremely outstanding song addressing the “double identity” issue that irritates so many on this planet, especially if this double identity included the word Palestinian. I LOVED the song, adored the lyrics as well as the music, and I was so impressed that someone finally talked about this, in th [...]
Fadi Andrawos, THANK YOU
AquaCool - 2009-04-07 07:50:51
Last night and while I was watching TV after an exhausting day, I happened to watch Fadi Andrawos’ latest video clip: “Falastine w Lebnan“, i.e. Palestine & Lebanon; an extremely outstanding song addressing the “double identity” issue that irritates so many on this planet, especially if this double identity included the word Palestinian. I LOVED the song, adored the lyrics as well as the [...]
The MOVE (2): To keep or not to Keep
AquaCool - 2009-04-02 06:46:25
Whenever there’s a big move, there’s clutter, and wherever there’s clutter, there are countless attempts of organizing, and this means sorting out what to keep and what to get rid of. Now this ‘get rid of’ part is easier said than done. I had piles of different kinds of stuff I wanted to get rid of, and I thought that by sorting them out, I’ve actually done the hard part, but turns out it’s what you’d do to your belongings and how you’d get [...]
The MOVE (2): To keep or not to Keep
AquaCool - 2009-04-02 06:46:25
Whenever there’s a big move, there’s clutter, and wherever there’s clutter, there are countless attempts of organizing, and this means sorting out what to keep and what to get rid of. Now this ‘get rid of’ part is easier said than done. I had piles of different kinds of stuff I wanted to get rid of, and I thought that by sorting them out, I’ve actually done the hard part, but turns out it’s what you’d do to your belongings and how you’d g [...]
The MOVE (1): Paperwork 101
AquaCool - 2009-03-30 06:28:14
Many of you already know that I left Tunis and moved to Dubai few weeks ago. And as all of you also know, moving is not an easy process, but to be honest, I didn’t really imagine it could reach a level of complication and stress that will make me suffer the way I did.
Each country has its own rules, its own laws, and it’s own unique way of making things really hard for those who come to live in it, and even those who are leaving it. It’s as if governments are competing on regi [...]
30 secondes d'honneteté
by the way - 2009-03-10 23:23:30
J'aime bien mon blog, Je le trouve sympa, léger, rigolo des fois, j'aime bien. C'est peut être pas bien de dire du bien de ce qu'on fait soit même, certains diraient qu'il vaut mieux faire sa modeste et laisser les autres dire du bien et blablabla et blablabli Mais je ne peux pas m'empêcher de penser que mon blog me plait, c'est un fait. Ce que j'aime dans mon blog c'est que ça parle pas des autres, ni des histoires de cœurs, ni de politique, ni de voile, ni de guerre, ni des histoires de [...]
30 secondes d'honneteté
by the way - 2009-03-10 23:23:30
J'aime bien mon blog,Je le trouve sympa, léger, rigolo des fois, j'aime bien.C'est peut être pas bien de dire du bien de ce qu'on fait soit même, certains diraient qu'il vaut mieux faire sa modeste et laisser les autres dire du bien et blablabla et blablabliMais je ne peux pas m'empêcher de penser que mon blog me plait, c'est un fait.Ce que j'aime dans mon blog c'est que ça parle pas des autres, ni des histoires de cœurs, ni de politique, ni de voile, ni de guerre, [...]
mouch normal!!! yesser tfatta9, ya3tik douda...
by the way - 2008-12-12 09:57:53
I just can't shut up my mouth..I just can't be one of those pretty sweety "cuty" girls for whom every think is just fantastic.What the hell can I do to make it work!! [...]
...
by the way - 2008-12-12 09:57:16
On fête toujours les anniversaires des personnes vivantes, on rend hommage au jours où ils sont venus au monde parce qu'on est heureux de les avoir avec nous.Je me demande pour quoi est ce que dès qu'une personne parte, on arrête de fêter son anniversaire, comme si on est plus heureux de l' avoir eu avec nous.Aujourd'hui c'est l'anniversaire d'une personne qui m'est très très chére, une personne dont la présence m'a énormément apporté, c'est le premier anniversaire ou ell [...]
“Once Upon A Time” Might Come Back
AquaCool - 2008-12-11 10:46:38
This morning I woke up at the same usual time, drank the same coffee, did some of my translation work, just like every other day. My day was a very ordinary one, doing the same things, at the same time, in the same place. That was until I checked my email and noticed that among the many emails in my inbox there was this Facebook message, notifying me that I was tagged in a note by my younger sister.
Her note: “Once upon a time… never comes back”
“- Going back, twenty years ag [...]
...
by the way - 2008-11-23 11:14:06
On fête toujours les anniversaires des personnes vivantes, on rend hommage au jours où ils sont venus au monde parce qu'on est heureux de les avoirs avec nous. Je me demande pour quoi est ce que dès qu'une personne part, on arrête de fêter son anniversaire, comme si on est plus heureux de les avoir eu avec nous. Aujourd'hui c'est l'anniversaire d'une personne qui m'est très très chére, une personne dont la présence m'a énormément apporté, c'est le premier anniversaire ou elle est pas [...]
mouch normal!!! yesser tfatta9, ya3tik douda...
by the way - 2008-10-20 14:29:56
I just can't shut up my mouth.. I just can't be one of those pretty sweety cute girls for whom every think is just fantastic. What the hell can I do to make it work!! [...]
Une derniére solution: me transformer en Superwomen...
by the way - 2008-10-03 13:35:24
J'ai eu un problème avec le pare choc de ma voiture, rien de grave, le mr qui devait me la reparer use de tout les moyens pour me prouver son incompetence...je dois aller voir un autre mecanicien.J'ai eu besoin de traduire un document important en anglais, en revenant apres une semaine pour recuperer mon document traduit, je me rend compte que la dame m'a donné la traduction d'un autre document d'un certain Mohamed je ne sais plus quoi... j'ai due revenir, redemander ma traduction, reatt [...]
Une derniére solution: me transformer en Superwomen...
by the way - 2008-09-21 20:50:22
J'ai eu un problème avec le pare choc de ma voiture, rien de grave, le mr qui devait me la reparer use de tout les moyens pour me prouver son incompetence...je dois aller voir un autre mecanicien. J'ai eu besoin de traduire un document important en anglais, en revenant apres une semaine pour recuperer mon document traduit, je me rend compte que la dame m'a donné la traduction d'un autre document d'un certain Mohamed je ne sais plus quoi... j'ai du revenir, redemander ma traduction, reattendre [...]
qd je me prends pour le nombril du monde...
by the way - 2008-09-09 12:05:48
C'est fou la quantité de dopamine que me procure le fait de lister les trucs que j'aime ou que je deteste particulièrement. Ce matin j'ai decidé de me faire plaisir :) Je deteste l'automne, les lundi matins, le pourpre et le Calypso. J'ai horreur des photos souvenirs qu'on prend avec les mariés à la fin de la ceremonie du mariage... Je hais les reptiles, tous les reptiles, tous. J'aime pas du tout quand je passe pour une idiote. Je deteste quand par la suite je me rend compte que j'etais v [...]
To Amman & Back
AquaCool - 2008-09-08 14:32:33
I got back to Tunis around a week ago. I’ve been in a decluttering mode ever since, and I guess I’d be stuck in this mode for a little while.
My visit to Amman was great, except for the fact that I was able to meet only two of my family members, I really miss the rest of my family… and well, there was this stupid unexpected incident that managed to annoy the hell out of me and had such an irritating impact on my whole visit, but will come to this later in other posts.
As usual, [...]
Elle avait le cancer, mnt elle ne l'a plus, c'est lui qui l'a eue...
by the way - 2008-08-20 15:12:19
F. est une jeune femme rayonnante, rafinée, belle, joyeuse, elle est psychologue et capitaine à l'armée, prof universitaire, avec une liste de publications longue comme le jour ... et elle a toute la vie devant elle... F. a decouvert qu'elle avait le cancer du sein, elle venait tout juste d'avoir 36 ans... le plus bel age... Trop d'amour propore, trop de soucis pour ces proches, elle a caché sa maladie à toute sa famille, et a préfèré porter ce lourd fardeau toute seule... Ayant trouv [...]
sur le tournage du film de ma vie...
by the way - 2008-08-10 21:37:20
Le cinéma c'est beau ... c'est même trés trés beau. Au cinéma tout est étudié, tout est prévu à l'avance, tout est révisé, relu, corrigé, ajusté, adapté pour qu'il y ait de la magie... beaucoup de magie... Et puis il y a la musique, les lumières , les couleurs, et beaucoup de charme. Durant ces 15 dernieres années j'ai regardé énorement de films, des films de tout genres. J'en ai tellement regardé que même dans ma vie, je m'attends toujours à ce que les répliques des [...]
moins de noir, plus de blanc...
by the way - 2008-08-08 15:01:46
Nouvelles couleurs , nouveau depart, nouveau souffle et bcp d'espoir .. [...]
mot du jour: deception episode 351...
by the way - 2008-08-06 10:21:05
Je ne sais pas vraiment ce qui fait de la deception un constituant omnipresent dans ma vie. Je n'arrete pas d'etre deçue, presque tout les jours que le bon Dieu fait. J'ai pratiquement eté decue par tout le monde: par mes amis, par mes collegues, par mon boss, par des membres de ma famille et meme par moi meme... Pourtant, depuis le temps, j'ai pris l'habitude de ne m'attendre pratiquement à rien de personne, et prendre ce que je pourrais avoir comme cadeau inattendu de la providence. Finalem [...]
Dust Is In The Air
AquaCool - 2008-04-08 14:32:21
After a week of cold weather that brought us wind and occasional rain showers, a couple of really hot sunny days followed, and today, we woke up to watch the streets, cars, and buildings covered with one fat layer of sand. It’s a bit cooler than the last couple of days, but the problem is, the air smells like dust. I hate that!
The atmosphere feels so dirty!
Can’t wait for it to hopefully rain again and have some refreshing weather that fills your lungs with “relatively” [...]
Experimenting With Coffee
AquaCool - 2008-04-02 14:46:38
I’ve always had a problem with coffee. I truly consider myself addicted to coffee. A while ago I decided to get rid of this addiction, which I somehow managed to do, but huge amounts of tea had to replace the missing coffee doses… so if you think of it, caffeine always had a way to win!
The past couple of weeks were really rough. I had to do anything to keep myself awake and alert. Nothing could do the job better than a hot cup of coffee! so, yes, you guessed it, my coffee addiction& [...]
When You’re Sad…
AquaCool - 2008-03-12 19:21:02
Remember that: “Nobody deserves your tears, but whoever deserves them will not make you cry.”
-Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
[...]
Too Good To Be… “False”
AquaCool - 2008-03-04 11:48:57
There’s nothing in this world I hate more than hypocrisy. I just can’t stand it!
I have no idea how people manage to smile at you, look you in the eye, and even hug or kiss you while they can’t stand the sight of you!
I’ve been through many situations, where I find myself surrounded with at least one hypocrite, who, in no time, manages to convert the rest of the people surrounding me into similar lying copies.
So in my opinion, there are 2 basic kinds of hypocrites, tho [...]
Shocking Tea Fact
AquaCool - 2008-02-18 19:39:58
Oh dear, where do I start? the thing is, I consider myself well-informed when it comes to food, drinks, nutritious facts and info regarding things I consume very often. So when I learn a fact that totally shatters one of the things I used to believe for over 25 years, I must say, I get in this weird state of shock and start doubting most of the info I know about the ingredients I use in my cooking, or when preparing my favorite drinks.
One of these “facts” that had a very strong impa [...]
Nostalgia
AquaCool - 2008-02-01 23:53:56
So it’s been snowing in many Middle Eastern countries in the past couple of weeks. God I miss snow! It’s been around 5 years since I last saw snow in real life.
Snow actually triggers some of the sweetest memories for me. It reminds me of moments so dear to my heart that sometimes I could relive these moments just by watching snow on TV, in movies or even in photographs.
It’s no secret that snowing is rare in our part of the world, and therefore, when it snows, everything seem [...]
le pour quoi du comment
by the way - 2008-01-02 17:09:22
Pour quoi est ce que pour sortir il faut etre deux, alors que pour rompre, il suffit d'etre un? Pour quoi est ce que les dinosaures n'ont pas survecu jusqu'à aujourd'hui? Pour quoi est ce qu'on a pas le droit d'entrer chez les gens sans leur permissions, alors qu'on a le droit de penetrer dans la vie des gens et disparaitre sans donner d'explications? Pour quoi est ce que je n'ai pas de revolver chez moi? ...et pourtant j'avais du talent. [...]
rien
by the way - 2007-11-21 11:53:40
J'ai beau croire que je ne l'etais pas , mais là j'en suis sure. je suis naive comme fille.. [...]
Eid Fitr Mubarak
AquaCool - 2007-10-13 14:37:52
Ramadan is over, that was really quick.
Yesterday, the first day of Eid Al-Fitr in Tunisia -as well as most of the Muslim countries- was a sunny, unbelievably hot day in Tunisia. Today to our surprise, we woke up to a cloudy sky. It’s cold, insanely windy, and raining like crazy.
It’s around 3 p.m., but the darkness outside makes it feel like 8 p.m.
I must admit that I really miss winter, and I don’t mind the rain nor the wind.
Despite the fact that we’re trapped at [...]
les hasards et les pas hasards
by the way - 2007-08-29 11:10:37
je me demande des fois qui gère les hasards dans la vie? est ce une entité qui gère tout les hasards du monde? ou est ce qu'il y a un gestionnaire de hasard pour chaque personne? et si deux personnes se rencontrent, est ce qu'ils ont le meme gestionnaire ou est ce un tierce hasard qui a fait que leur deux gestionnaires se rencontrent? tout ça parait inutile, les gestionnaires de hasard on s'en fout... un hasard, par hasard, est ce que ce mot à vraiment un sens? est ce qu'il y a de [...]
lorsque P rime avec peur..
by the way - 2007-08-24 12:52:34
j'ai toujours pas réussi à trouver la clé du bonheur mais j'ai qd meme réussi à trouver l'origine de ce qui me tracasse, m'étouffe, me paralyse, me massacre, m'anéantie... j'ai enfin pris conscience que la chose qui regit toute ma vie... c'est la peur.. cette peur est omnipresente, cette peur me domine jusqu'à me posseder cette peur m'est devenue si familière, que je n'arrive plus à m'en defaire... cette peur me tracasse, m'etouffe, me paralyse, me massacre, m'anéantie, me tue [...]
...
by the way - 2007-08-21 00:31:53
toute petite, je croyais qu'à chaque fois au'il pleuvait, c'etait le ciel qui pleurait, et je trouvais mille raisons pour ses larmes, plus les gouttes etaient grosses, plus le ciel etait triste... je me rappelle toujours de cette image ou je suis debout sous la pluie, regardant en haut et demandant: " ciel pour quoi est ce que tu pleures? un peu plus tard, j'ai compris que le ciel ne pleure jamais, parce que le ciel etait tellement haut, tellement immense...tellement fort et tellement pa [...]