Tuesday, 29 September 2015

ظاهرة إستري نفسك و ريحيها



ظاهرة إستري نفسك وريحيها، عمر شريف، One Lucky Soul

مرة وانا عندي ٢١ سنة كنت سايق ورايح لواحد صاحبي فالمهندسين. في شارع جامعة الدول، عربية جانبي فيها ست سايقة واربع بنات معها ― مش حلوين أوي بس لذاليذ ― قعدوا يبصبصوا ويتضحكوا فوقفت. إتكلمنا شوية وقالولي انهم رايحين يشربوا عصير عند فرغلي فاديتهم نمرة تليفوني ومشيت. 

بعدها بكام يوم جالي تليفون من واحدة منهم واتفقنا إن أنا وصاحبي هانقابلها هي وصاحبتها، والميعاد كان الساعة ٧ قدام سينما فاتن حمامة. عدينا عليهم و قعدنا نكروز شوية بالعربية وبعدين رحنا عندي. شربنا بيرة وحاجات تانية وعرفنا ان عندهم بتاع ١٩ سنة و"صايعين" زينا تمام. قعدنا كلنا نحكي عن مغامرتنا لمدة كام ساعة واستمتعنا بالقاعدة وماحصلش حاجة أكتر من كدة.

علشان احنا چنتل، على أخر الليلة قلنا ننزل نروحهم ― كانوا تقريباً ساكنين فمدينة السلام. ويا سيدي قبل ما نوصل بشوية بأبص فالمرايا لقيت حركة ورا على الكنبة. بأبص تاني في الضلمة لاقيت البنتين بيغطوا شعرهم بحجاب. شوية حركة كمان وكنا قربنا من بيتهم وقالولي أركن. باتدور علشان أسلم عليهم لقيت بدل الچينس المحذق والشعر الطويل هما الاتنين لابسين عبايات سودة وحجاب، فعلاً كأنهم اتنين تانين خالص ولا كأننا علي متن طائرة متجهة إلى الحجاز.

”أللا أللا أللا، إيه ده؟ 

أصل بابا فالبيت. 

اه بابا
.“ *يا حرام يا بابا


أنتم عارفين في هذه المجتمعات الرجعية القمعية الإستعباطية في كام بابا وخالي وإبن عمي والبواب وأصحاب البيت وأهل الحتة بيتاخدوا على أفاهم يوماتي؟ والأهم: في كام واحدة مضطرة تكذب علي كل دول في سبيل بعض من الحرية أو حتي ― عامةً ― في سبيل انها تعيش حياة شبه طبيعية؟ أما الراجل بقي في نفس ذات المجتمعات فهو بيعمل اللي هو عايزه ... و بمنتهى النفاق بتتسمي ”خِبرة“ و”صياعة“ و”دروس أو تجارب حياة“.  



ظاهرة إستري نفسك وريحيها، عمر شريف، One Lucky Soul

Three years following this article I wrote the below words after coming across a young woman [shown in the featured photo] walking in front of me in the street in Zamalek. It covers the same concept, which is harassment in Egypt and what women and girls are compelled to do to protect themselves. ...


If you were ever a teenage girl in Egypt and probably other parts in the region, you would get what’s in the photo. If not, then let me explain. 
 
You see, as soon as they start maturing, females become exceedingly self-conscious about their looks, bodies, and clothes, especially when outdoors. Their hormones are confusing them between still being a young girl from one side and developing boobs like adults from the other. Obviously this is not only in Egypt, however, with such age here — starting from 12 if not even younger — they begin being harassed by men in the streets. Whether they are covering their hair or not, wearing a short skirt, pants, or a jalabeya, it is certainly bound to happen one day. Simply because in patriarchal, male-dominated societies many men remain horny savages with no healthy outlets for their horniness.
 
To deal with that, if the girls don’t want to wear something long that goes over their butts like most do, one “clever” way to cover is to use their backpacks as seen here: With the straps set on the maximum length so that the body of the backpack is hanging low and covering the entire caboose. It’s like a protection device. Another more common fashion used for the same purpose is to wrap a sweater around the waist.
 
When this fad first caught my attention almost 25 years ago, it didn’t take long to understand the concept behind it. Because I have a younger sister, cousins, and girlfriends and was already aware of the insecurity which plagues females at a certain age. Still, the backpacks are usually hanging unnaturally low and the more you see it, the more it becomes almost impossible to unsee. 
 
Oh well. Now you know what these poor girls have to go through just to be able to walk in the streets without being harassed. While seeing this today after all this time made me smile out loud, it still reminded me of the things which need to change in this culture.
 
*Today was a reminder that we should never force things, writing included... I came across this girl in the street, which reminded me of the whole backpack cover thing. By the time I thought about discreetly snapping a photo to be able to write about the topic, she was already quite far. So that was that. About 10 minutes later while in a different street, there she was walking right in front of me. I had a chance to snap one shot, while walking. I did it and it came out fine. The more instances like these take place — regarding writing — the more I believe there is a time for certain topics to be openly discussed, hopefully leading to some much needed change.



عرض أيضا:


احذروا التقليد عند الشراء — ظاهرة الحشيش المخلوط في مصر

اللي يخاف من الشيطان يطلعله

رحلة عبر التاريخ مع الدكتور عبدالفتاح البيطاش: واحة باريس وتفشي الملاريا في الأربعينات

الدكتور الذي بَرَعَ في إنقاذ حياتين سنة ١٩٥٦

التنافر المعرفي — Cognitive Dissonance

Some Arabic Sayings and Their Translations — أمثال عربية و ترجمتها

Some Egyptian Arabic Expressions With Translations — مصطلحات مصرية و ترجمتها

OLS Reflections — الطبعة العربية المرحة

Have No Morsi — هاف نو مرسي

قصيدة تسلم الأيادي ... لو كانت نضيفة

Nena Ya Nena: a Bilingual Duet with Vaya Con Dios — نينا يا نينا: ثنائي ثنائي اللغة مع ڤيا كون ديوس


Meet Alf عقبة [Video]

قهقهة كونية 

هذياني ياني





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Sunday, 27 September 2015

Lunacy — Written at 19



Lunacy — Written at 19 by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul


When we talk
It’s just a flowing of words
When we think
It should be images and pics
Green, yellow, blue & pink
Who got the gold from the zink?


We live we see
It may look like a big fantasy
But who knows where it’s taking us
If it’s misleading, then it’s misleading us


We’re saying these words when we’re alive
I think we should all take a big dive
Into the unconsciousness we may survive
Each one will get a drive

To his own destination
There is some kind of relation
Confrontation, hallucination


Now I see they’re only letters
Like an apple tree losing its feathers

My head is filled with this and that
You know the cure, it’s my orange hat. 

Lunacy — Written at 19 bny Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul
I still have that Hat Madder


ALSO VIEW:




دوجو دهب

Intention Connection & Reflective Introspection

Minimalism

حوار سفيه ساخن

Moon Magnoon


Phree Phlow

(H)ero


Thinking Allowed Is Aloud


The Womb

The Mystic and the Tripper


Trump Le Trompeur


Living On Insanity’s Brink

Tamarack Over Jack

قصيدة تسلم الأيادي ... لو كانت نضيفة

Sophia And The Djembefola

The Alpha-Beta Poem
 
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Thursday, 24 September 2015

Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange



Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

The short answer is, flamingos are pinkish-orange because they eat shrimps.


As for the longer answer...

Living by lakes, swamps and wetlands, flamingos feed on algae and small crustaceans — like shrimp and mollusks — that contain pigments called carotenoids. These strong coloured pigments are mostly found in brine shrimp and in red and blue-green algae.


Shrimps live off of algae, which makes the flamingo’s diet full of carotenoids. 

This nutritious, natural chemical, which is an organic compound, contained in their food is called beta carotene — a type of carotenoid — and it is the cause that the flamingos’ feathers, bills, and legs turn pink. Turn, because when flamingos hatch, their feathers are actually a drab light gray — the colouring takes place as they mature. If the birds were to stop eating food containing carotenoids, their new feathers would begin to grow in with a much more pale shade while the existing pinkish-orange pigment will eventually vanish.

Note that there are six different species of flamingo, spread across the Caribbean and South America, Africa, India, and the Mediterranean. Depending on the amount of pigment present in the birds' diet, flamingos’ colours can range from pale pink to crimson. The reason is that carotenoid levels in algae and crustaceans vary in different parts of the world. So for example, flamingos of Lake Nakuru in central Kenya are pale pink while the ones found in the Caribbean are more bright redish-orange. 

Being the building block the bodies of humans, animals, and birds use to produce Vitamin A, beta-carotene is an extremely vital compound. It is the same chemical which makes carrots orange. The same goes for salmon and trout who equally owe their unusual pink colour to carotenoids deposited in their body fat.


Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul


Interestingly, this bit of information reminded me of a story my mother used to tell us. Specifically when around 17 years of age I used to have carrots and yoghurt for dinner almost every night — as part of a somewhat strict diet to go along with exercising in the gym six times a week.

Once when younger and trying some kind of diet, she ate lots and lots of carrots. So her skin turned orange. When she consulted a doctor, he almost automatically knew what it was about and told her that what she had is called Carotenemia; and it is a clinical condition characterised by yellow pigmentation of the skin (Xanthoderma) and increased beta-carotene levels in the blood. In most cases, the condition follows prolonged and excessive consumption of carotene-rich foods, such as carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes.



Apart from learning why flamingos are pinkish-orange, now if you ever meet an orange person you may have an idea why. Make sure to watch their remarkable mating dance in the video below for a quick giggle. 


Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul
Lake Nakuru located in the middle of Kenya is home for millions of flamingos




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Things I Wish All Dog Owners Would Understand

Why Do Ants Carry Their Dead?
 
Ants Carry Other Live Ones As Means of Transportation: Further Evidence That They Must Be Communicating [Video]  

Why Japanese Females Have Bowlegs

Why Hippies Are Sometimes Called Bohemians 

Why the “No-Smoking” Sign is Still Used by Airline Companies

Why Americans Don’t Travel Much

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Tuesday, 22 September 2015

On Not Judging Others and Psychological Projection



On Not Judging Others and Psychological Projection by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul


Judging people says more about who we are than who they are.


One of my neighbours in Toronto used to walk her dog in a stroller. I always thought that people who did this are ridiculous. Until that one day I had a talk with the woman on the elevator when she told me that her dog is old, blind, sick, and dying. I almost wept right then and there. 



A woman running on the beach while talking on her mobile phone. Who does that and why? Well, when your daughter is mentally challenged and you got the chance to leave her at home for an hour by the time you exercise yet still need to reassure her over the phone if she's afraid, you CAN do that.


The young boy you bullied and hit on the head after school has a rare form of brain tumour.



The young woman you and your friends made fun of on the beach because she had no boobs had hers removed at 23 due to breast cancer.



The friend who's always tight on money has a secret gambling problem.
 


The previous examples are simple reminders that we rarely ever know the big picture. Therefore, judging people based on what we can perceive with our limited senses becomes a futile, superficial, unhealthy habit.



Since we never know the full stories, because we are not omniscient, we never know what people went through or are still going through in their lives. Yet, we always tend to be quick to jump to judgmental assumptions based on what they do — such as their behaviours and actions — or based on their past, or even their appearance.

However, the information we possess about those we judge is usually lacking, which makes us oblivious to why those people do what they do or have done what they did. Or as Carl Jung truthfully put it: “Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge.”

When we judge, we use our own standards to do so. We sort of forget, or perhaps pretend to forget, that being humans, we, too, have faults and imperfections and are constantly making mistakes. And to feel better about ourselves, we focus on the different kinds of faults, imperfections, and mistakes of others then we judge them.

Now, generally speaking, people don’t see us as we genuinely are. They see what we project, who we pretend to be. Similarly, what we see from them is what they are projecting — the mask they wear, the persona. It is usually an edited version of our reality, which is an expression of the ego self. Many go to great lengths by lying, faking, and pretending just to maintain this egoic self-image. Yet, some way or another inner thoughts and emotions always affect appearances. So the more one hides, the more it shows.

Sometimes, we feel comfortable enough towards another person to whom we open up, showing our true core. Those others, however, will still see what they are ready to see. Because understanding always depends on the level of perception, which itself stems from our conception of the world we’re living in.


On Not Judging Others and Psychological Projection by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul


You see, the outside world is a mere reflection of the inner one. The projection is simply a mirror. We are always projecting our internal thoughts into the physical realm. People do not realise that in most cases how they feel about others is principally determined by their feelings towards themselves.

When people are unconscious of their own dark sides, they tend to project the darkness outward into others and condemn evil in them; they transmute their inner pain and self dislike into outward aggression. By doing so, they justify the evil in others without ever admitting, or mayhap even accepting that evil exists in them, too — at least to a certain degree. When thoughts, motivations, desires, or feelings cannot be accepted as one’s own, they are dealt with by being placed in the outside world and attributed to others. The inner pain is therefore converted into outer aggression. This happens when people choose not to take responsibility for the consequences of their own actions. It is precisely what makes them judge, categorise, castigate, and vilify others. This is the basis of Psychological Projection.

As Carl Jung once again explained, when inner darkness is not confronted, people remain controlled by their own demons rather than the other way round. For they don’t see things as they are, but as they themselves are.


Further, when judging becomes a compulsive preoccupation, like the case with some, there is no time left to live one's live or to grow through it.

The truth is, the impressions we form and the conclusions we jump to are largely affected by our own past experiences. Because, again, the outside world is a reflection of the inner one. In most cases, the process happens subconsciously.

So for example, a child who had witnessed a heavily-tattooed man commit a crime may grow up fearing all heavily-tattooed people, without making the connection or understanding why. That’s how the subconscious mind is powerful; that’s why it’s the true pilot in the equation.

 
Until you face your own shadow you will keep encountering its reflection in others. Everyone has a story if we are willing to listen. Let us never judge a book by its look.


On a parallel note, if I happen to have one wish, it would be for humans to have an innate ability, allowing them to view a 30-second video-like flash from the day of everyone they deal with — beginning from the moment they get up in the morning till the time they interact. So as you’re about to open the window and curse that lady who cut you off in traffic, you are instead reminded by how this single mother of three leads a tough back-breaking life, while juggling between taking care of her dying mother at the hospital, picking up the children from school, and her two jobs.

I think this would be enough for us to live in a more loving, empathetic, and less judgmental world. For more understanding always means less fear, which in turn means less judging.



“When you consider what nice people talk about when they sit around the dinner table and have an opportunity to nurture their collective ego, you’ll find that the most fascinating topic of conversation is the nasty people… How awful they are, what dreadful things they do, and, ‘what is it all coming to?’ And this very, very satisfactory, condemnatory conversation nurtures your ego, but people who do that don’t seem to realize that they thereby depend on the nasty people in order to know that they’re nice. They are, as a matter of fact, highly indebted to them.”
— Alan Watts


ALSO VIEW:

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What Is Fear of Abandonment and How to Overcome It

Codependency: What Being Addicted to Someone Means

The Significance of Letting Go

What Is Overcompensation?

The Parable of the Cow: You Are Not Your Thoughts

To Forgive Is Not To Reconcile

Things I Got Rid Of To Become Happier

Who Are We?

My Journey Towards Self-Transcendence

Change Is The Only Constant

The Intertwining of Genius and Insanity

Why I Share Stuff

For The Love Of Storytelling

The Significance of Letting Go

Unfollow the Crowd

The Art of Approaching Women





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Saturday, 19 September 2015

Words I Made Up



Words I Made Up by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

Since early childhood, I always loved playing with words and coming up with new ones. I was wordy, verbal, oftentimes silly and ridiculous yet usually also amusing. Whether they were meaningless or as nicknames for my schoolmates, friends, girlfriends, coworkers and pets, the creation was something that came naturally to me.

As I matured and really got into language and writing, I found that, apart from the reflections, my thoughts are often invaded by new single words. Sometimes they are received during these semi-consciousness states right at the moment of waking up — known as Hypnopompic — like ‘Jalapeñonated’. On rare occasions the transference occurs while drifting into sleep — known as Hypnagogic. 

Other times the information is received while meditating, showering, reading, or just chillaxing.

Knowing that language is beautiful yet elusive and limiting, the trilingual lexophile in me developed an incurable case of Logolepsy. On the bright side, he now finds exquisite joy to give the made-up words proper definitions. For perhaps someday they could be used in appropriate situations — even make it to dictionaries and thesauruses. Who knows. Because, when you think about it, one way or another all words are made up. So maybe we should play around with language... enthusiastically too. 

I hereby share with you some of the neologisms. Also check the Sequel, Threequel, Fourquel, Fifthquel, and Sixquel for more newborn babies.


*The series eventually reached 200 babies with Words I Made Up — The Twentieth in 2024 and The Twenty First the following year. Who knew. Alright, let’s do this. 



• Apabicity: (n) The state of having the ability, capability, and capacity all at once.



• Jalapeñonated (adj): Being so assertive and dogmatic in one’s opinions that your face turns red as you start sweating and tearing.



• Gladitude (n): The outlook or stance of being pleased for being thankful.



• Kattle (n): A vessel or a pot used by bovine animals to boil liquids and cook food.



• Testicalised (v): When one sees or hears something that is so lame and silly and boring and annoying all at the same time, which, figuratively, entails getting pain in the testicles ― the cringe type. (Adapted from the Egyptian Arabic colloquial verb “ إتبضنت ” - “etbadant”)



• Trisexual (n): A person who is into having sex while riding a three-wheeled bicycle.



• Hebdromadaire (n.): Un chameau qui boit une fois par semaine. (French)



• Birder (n.): A premeditated killing of a feathered vertebrate.



• MILTTT (acro.): Mother I’d Like To Talk To.



• Porkcelain (n.): A white vitrified translucent ceramic material made by crafty pigs.





“The syntactical nature of reality, the real secret of magic, is that the world is made of words. And if you know the words that the world is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish.”
― Terence McKenna
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Tuesday, 15 September 2015

Why the “No-Smoking” Sign is Still Used by Airline Companies



Why the “No-Smoking” Sign is Still Used by Airline Companies by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul
During my last several flights I was reminded by an unanswered query which had been on my mind for quite some time. Isn’t it understood by now that all flights are non-smoking, so why do planes still have the non-smoking sign next to the fasten-seat-belt one as well as on the boarding pass?

I kept brushing the thought off until that last trip from Los Angeles to Cairo when I saw the sign on the plane and on the featured boarding pass, and once again recalled the matter. 

So I consulted Google. To my convenience, I found the questions and the possible answers right there in articles and forums.


The first restrictions on smoking aboard commercial aircraft in the US began in 1973 by the Civil Aeronautics Board. The current statute was enacted in 1989 and significantly upgraded in 2000, which ended with a Civil Law banning smoking in the same year. For the UK, it was the mid 90s when the smoking ban was introduced. Other nations then followed suit.

However, up until 2010, Air Algeria, Cubana, Iran Air, Garuda still allowed smoking on their planes.


That said, the lifespan of commercial airlines is long, and most planes still in service today were designed and certified in the 80s when they still had smoking and non-smoking sections. Changing anything on a plane would require a detailed approval process, so the companies probably thought it’s not worth it. That’s of course besides the expenses.
In newer airplanes, apparently, the sign has been re-purposed with “Please turn off electronic devices”, which remains on when the plane is below 10,000 feet.




On a related note, the same could be said about ashtrays that are still found in all airplane bathrooms and in-between the seats in some others. But it appears that
since it involves safety, the issue here is more serious than the sign.

“
The continuing problems that airlines have with people who ignore the 'no smoking' signs that are liberally scattered throughout the cabins. As planes have come down in the past due to people stubbing out their cigarette in a bin of paper towels, the thinking is it's better to have something in place on the chance that someone breaks the rules. The alternative— not having ashtrays —risks the safety of the whole plane.”

So until today, it is required by law
to have ashtrays outside the bathrooms. Though it is still common to also find them inside, as well as in-between the seats in older models.


Google did answer my question concerning the sign on the plane. However, it didn’t really answer why there is a printed “non-smoker” on the boarding pass. Actually I didn’t have a choice between smoking or non-smoking as I was making the reservation. But I don’t think changing this would require a detailed process, since it’s just a printing thing.

So I Googled even more.

Apart from stopping those
who ignore the rules, the only slightly convincing reason I found on Reddit as to why some boarding passes still have a “no-smoking” ‘option’ is the following:

“Some airlines still permit smoking, though these are almost all domestic airlines in countries in Africa and the Middle East. Since it is possible that reaching your final destination may involve a leg on one of these flights, it is still possible that, even when checking in at a US airport, a smoking option will be available to you at some point and needs to be allowed for on the boarding passes that are printed out when you first check in.”


Well, you live you learn. So the next time you travel and see any of those signs don't be startled. Just remember that some things take decades to change.

You can also read Why Americans Don’t Travel Much to find out the answers.



ALSO VIEW:


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Why Americans Don’t Travel Much

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Monday, 14 September 2015

Coming Back To The Real — Written at 19



Coming Back To The Real — Written at 19 by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

Long before Facebook and social media, I used notebooks to scribble my squiggles. Now that I’m back home in Egypt for a visit I got the pleasant chance to read them once again.

The following are words I have once written after experimenting for a few months with a magickal Alexandria-made cough medicine called Codafein, which contained both, codeine and ephedrine.

I was too young to understand what opiates did or what withdrawals symptoms were. Yet, I could sense some gloominess and that I was not the same. So I expressed it in writing.


I’ve already made the deal

I’m coming back to the real

Inexpressible is how I feel

Life is ugly and reality cuts steel


Long time has passed and it didn’t seem like it was a dream


 
My mind was far from Earth

It is just like giving birth
To a son for a second time
Orange meant funny, dollars meant dime


Minutes, seconds, and days have passed

I did believe it was a blast
Now the feeling is sad and the pain is worse
Maybe I need a shot from a redhead head nurse



No food no sleep, my thinking is deep
Just one step, maybe just a leap.



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Minimalism

حوار سفيه ساخن

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Phree Phlow

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Thinking Allowed Is Aloud


The Womb

The Mystic and the Tripper


Trump Le Trompeur


Living On Insanity’s Brink

Tamarack Over Jack

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